Act [Zero] · Act [Zero]

[Part 1 - The End of Friendship]

Near the old town area by the Freud Mine, there's a bar called "The End of Friendship".

The name comes from the historical story of the Freud Mine.

More than 140 years ago, Sigmund Freud conducted research on brain anatomy and pathology.

He was a psychiatrist, a medical doctor, and the founder of psychoanalysis.

Freud's father, Jacob, was a wool merchant who found the most precious thing in his life—the Golden Fleece—in the love of his third wife.

Freud pioneered the field of unconscious research, promoting the development of dynamic psychology, personality psychology, and abnormal psychology.

The industrial achievements of Mimir Hot Spring Market are largely based on the large mineral veins in the northwest, and the waiter matching mechanism at the station is also based on Freud's basic theories. Hence, it is called the Freud Mine.

The teahouse and bar in the mine pit used to be bustling with activity, a place where foremen and team leaders would entertain hardworking colleagues and passengers who were clearing obstacles.

They exchange mining experiences, discuss mineral vein news, invite passengers to hunt dangerous animals, provide disaster relief and rescue in mining accidents, and solve problems related to safe production in the mining industry.

Today, with the increasingly developed transportation network, the industrial focus of Mimir Hot Spring Market has gradually shifted from metallurgy, mining, and heavy industry to entertainment, tourism, and casinos.

So the teahouse bar changed its name to [The End of Friendship] --

The mine is still there, and the bar is still there, but it's become deserted and rarely bustling anymore.

At the top of the Freud mine now stand the Qingjin Police Department and the Place of Exile.

Those who commit serious crimes but do not deserve death are exiled and thrown into the perilous mines. There is only an old mine cart carrying six ruthless bandits and thieves with various unknown crimes, heading deeper into the mines.

As for where the destination is, only heaven knows.

These complex network of railway tracks could send these criminals anywhere. To describe such exile as a near-death experience would be an understatement. Auditors at another station once spent forty years fitting prisoners with physiological detection devices to enter the mines and reach their destinations. The probability of them being found alive again was no more than one in a thousand.

The security personnel at other stations were very dissatisfied with Mimir Hot Spring's practice of dumping garbage outside—they complained to the boss more than once.

However, the BOSS tacitly approved of this behavior. These villains were left to serve their lives in Mimir Hot Spring, which was an insult to the station. For passengers who lived with their heads on the line, the fact that these demons could live a comfortable and healthy life in prison was an invisible mockery.

The story of good people not living long while evil ones live for a thousand years is not something to be told carelessly—it's better to leave it in the wilderness and let other passengers explore the way.

"The Mimir Hot Spring Place of Exile has historically exiled 5,588 people, of whom four survived. Two of them repented and gave thanks to God for giving them a second chance at life."

"The other two are unrepentant. One has already died in the pursuit of the Lapis Lazuli Guards, while the other is still at large. At another exit of the mine, 24,000 meters underground near Iceland, he raised the banner of the Skull and Bones Society, wanting to build an underground gang. Forty years later, he succeeded. Someone inherited his legacy, and the result is that we saw the Beast of the Holy One barbecuing people on the elevator platform, 110 members of the rock band died, and more than 40 others needed amputations. Guangling Zhixi is a rapid reaction force and doesn't have time to deal with this kind of thing. The armed employees are all good at home combat, but once they run into the unknown wilderness, they immediately become lambs to the slaughter."

In the old mahogany table at the bar, Wen Luo pushed Bu Liuxing's stick to the edge of the table.

Meteor took the items and nodded his thanks.

"In this place where the sun doesn't shine, much darkness has arisen. They'll find all sorts of middlemen to turn white places gray, such as dangerous monsters and hallucinogenic drugs, and other illegal activities. I'm going to a very dangerous place," Brother Wen Luo repeatedly emphasized, being cautious in his words and actions.

"Before this, I've already taken you all around the entire Blue Algae Bar Street, the Paramount Ballroom, and the Nut Museum. You can explore the other residential areas on your own. If you really enjoy gambling, then go try your luck at the casinos. But I don't recommend making a living from it. Many young people come to Mimir Hot Spring Market and ruin their lives in the casinos, accumulating debts that they can't repay even with their blood and sweat."

"This has nothing to do with you. I will give you your return tickets."

After saying that, Wen Luo took out two tickets from his pocket, stamped with the Mimir Hot Spring Market stamp, which could be directly stuffed into the passenger log as travel notes.

He pushed the train ticket to the edge of the table, towards Bu Liuxing.

"If you're looking for work in the four sectors of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, just mention my name, or the name of your teacher— David Victor, and someone will surely come to your aid."

Wen Luo ordered three glasses of vodka from the counter, without ice. "Our friendship has come to an end, and we must part ways here. How about a farewell drink?"

[Part ② - Farewell Wine]

Meteor was preoccupied and didn't know how to answer. He felt his heart racing. After completing his transformation, he was full of energy and couldn't stay still for a moment.

However, even Brother Wen Luo said that this was an extremely dangerous journey, and that for nymphs like us, once we stepped onto this path, it would be very difficult to come back alive.

"Want to make a bet?" Wen Luo's eyes burned with intensity. "You want to place a wager? Want to come with me to find the Skull and Bones Society? To wipe out the bandits?"

"To be honest, I really like it here, Brother Wen. There's delicious food, beautiful sights, and tons of fun! There's something new and exciting every day!" Meteor raised his glass and clinked it with Wen's. "My stone is red, and Professor Victor's stone is also red. He must also really, really like this city, so--"

A Xing took a sip, and his face immediately turned bright red.

"--So I want to follow you. Maybe doing so will be unfair to my mom. I always end up getting injured in my attempts to have fun, and she's always worried that I'll never be able to come home again. But she's never blamed me or restricted my freedom. She really loves me."

Wen Luo: "So, for your mommy's sake, you're going home?"

Meteor shook his head firmly. "No, there are still many fathers and mothers who have lost their children, and many children who have lost their fathers and mothers. Just this morning, in the main square on New Year's Day, I saw the additional names on the monument. I saw many people stop firing guns and fighting. They remained silent, only on this day and at this moment. Even the swallows in the sky have returned to their nests and will not randomly scatter bird droppings—they can feel that this city is crying."

The boy, barely a teenager, put down his glass. He couldn't drink much at all; he no longer believed in his drinking capacity and refused to act impulsively.

"Wen Luo, I want to do something. I want to go with you and come back together. I want to do everything in my power to come back alive and help you accomplish this. If Teacher Victor were here, he would never stand idly by."

Wen Luo: "."

The meteor's eye lit up, and flames burned within it.

"I've thought about it carefully. If it's really like what Teacher Victor said—that just calling out this name will bring many, many people to help me, just because I'm Teacher Victor's student? It shouldn't be like that!"

"It shouldn't be like this. My teacher has a good relationship with the people here, but they are suffering the pain of separation and death because of this Skull and Bones Society and Bones Society. How can I run away in the face of this? If my teacher asks me, and I say that I received the favor of the Mimir Hot Spring Market, but I am now hiding like a coward, I am afraid that my brilliance stone will never be able to burn again. It will become a demon in my heart for the rest of my life."

Time ticked by, second by second.

Wen Luo took a deep breath, as if sniffing the air, smelling the musty odor of the old staircase, trying to discern the pheromones of lies from the tense sweat in Meteor's body.

Sudden--

"--OK!"

Wen Luo clapped softly and smiled slightly.

At that moment, Jiang Xueming burst in from outside the door.

"Sorry I'm late, I spent some time making my own gun."

"Ming Ge!" As soon as Meteor saw Xue Ming, he immediately became timid and hesitant. "I... I agreed with Brother Wen Luo that I would follow him."

Jiang Xueming showed no surprise whatsoever.

He was so busy fiddling with the new guns that he didn't even have time to test them.

He wasn't surprised. "Oh, you've reached an agreement? So quickly?"

Meteor felt something was off, but then again, nothing seemed wrong. "Ming Ge, you're not stopping me this time?"

Jiang Xueming was still puzzled, wondering to himself, "Could it be that A Xing has grown up all at once after his transformation?"

"When did I ever stop you? What good would it have done if I had stopped you? Have you listened to a single word I said? Do you want me to ask, 'Are you starting again?' No, no, no, have you ever stopped? Hahaha? Is the big dragonfly nice to hug?"

Meteor immediately fell silent, only muttering softly, "Uh, it's quite cuddly."

"Brother Wen Luo, have you finished gathering intelligence?" Xue Ming laid out the firearms on the table. "Did you get the ammunition I needed? The three of us need a lot of .45 ACP and 9mm PAC rounds. You'll have to figure out a way to get your M500; those high-powered pistol rounds are hard to come by."

"Ask the questions one by one," Wen Luo snapped his fingers. "Take things one step at a time."

The bar immediately erupted in cheers.

--The bartender, with a scruffy beard and gleaming eyes, pulled a dark ammunition box from under the table.

"LOE! Go smash those bastards' heads!"

The teppanyaki cook pulled four MOLLE quick-release vests from the wall and tossed them into Wen Luo's hands.

"They made secret deals with the passengers on the train, calculating the amount of food and drink they would buy based on the proceeds from the stolen goods. The Skull and Bones Society had a settlement in the wild, with at least 140 people, and they had likely already built a village. The code for their secret deals was [Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So], read down the alphabet."

A short-haired waitress carrying four hunting knives threw them onto the table and excitedly shouted to Wen Luo.

"That place, they call it [Zero Platform] -- it's an exit deep within the mine, near the volcanic root of Mimir Hot Spring. There are hunting groups operating nearby, specifically recruiting skilled individuals and individuals wanted by the station! Especially Armadillo Hunters!"

A tall, thin man, looking travel-worn, burst in from outside, shoved a note into Wen Luo's hand, and whispered something.

"Don't tell anyone it was me who told you to be careful."

Wen Luo opened the note and read it--

[--Two weeks ago, the Skull and Bones Society set its sights on the Dionysus Festival, hoping to use the calamity beasts to curry favor with the Masons's management. During the Dionysus Festival's hunt, they hoped to secure the parole of several serious criminals from the Qingjin Police Department's prison and recruit them into the Skull and Bones Society, but unfortunately, they failed.]

[--Next plan: They will try to change the mine's signal lights and switches to allow exiled convicts direct access to their settlement, "Zero Platform," which will increase criminal activity and illegal transactions within the mine. A secret passage has already been successfully opened; the situation is serious. The governor wants us to act discreetly, not to alert them, like a sharp knife piercing the heart.]

[--I need to return to the ranks of the scavengers. All indications suggest that the Masons's engineering faction, various radio stations, and railway signal and maintenance sections have their informants. I can only come to see you in person and give you this note.]

Wen Luo handed the note to Xue Ming, letting the two little ones take a close look.

Bu Liuxing didn't quite understand.

"--Why are there four sets of equipment?"

"Because a mining cart used to exile criminals needs to be crammed with five prisoners before it sets off, and we are four of them." Jason Megan pushed open the door, his face clouded with gloom. The days he spent at the Police Department had left him exhausted and with no time to take care of himself; his face was covered in a beard.

"Oh! Big Beard! I finally recognize you! You were quite handsome before you grew a beard!" Meteor became excited. "Thank you! You watched over my clothes back then! I didn't even get a chance to ask your name! What's your name? What's your zodiac sign?"

For a moment, the other three fell silent.

Wen Luo took off his sunglasses and suddenly realized that it was absurd to rashly agree to A Xing's request.

Jiang Xueming stared at Jason--

Jason stared at Jiang Xueming.

Both spoke concisely and fluently.

Xue Ming: "You're out. Did your waiter come to pick you up? You didn't eat your waiter? Or are you not the kind of person I thought you were?"

Jason: "That's right, I'm coming right away to catch up with you."

Xue Ming: "So that means you're not a hunter?"

Jason: "I haven't become a hunter yet, I want your log."

Xue Ming: "Just my journal? My teacher wants mine too."

Jason: "I want to beat you. You have something I don't: unwavering will and exceptional spirit."

Xue Ming: "Just for this?"

Jason: "Yes, it's like the superstition in carnivorism. I believe this ritual will make me stronger. It's like how you Chinese often say that grinding cow bones and tiger bones into powder and boiling them into soup will make you strong. I've made you my first prey, and you're also the only way for me to break through my cognitive barriers. You've become my inner demon."

Xue Ming: "And now? Have you changed your mind?"

Jason: "No."

Xue Ming: "Then let's pick a place and have a duel to fulfill your wish? The wager is my log?"

Jason: "."

After a long while, Bu Liuxing still couldn't figure out what had happened.

Jason said impatiently.

"I don't need your pity, Jiang Xueming. There will be opportunities, there will always be opportunities! I will come to you for a duel instead of begging for your charity. Now we are in the same boat."

Xue Ming looked at Wen Luo--

Wen Luo nodded, indicating that they had been prepared and had communicated in advance.

Jason Megan took the Molle and the hunting knife from the table and greeted Wen Luo.

"Wen Luo, I don't know the name you used at the station, but I believe you are a person who inspires admiration and respect. I sincerely request that you take me with you."

At that moment, Megan's emotions changed drastically, turning into a furious expression.

An indescribable tension and frustration threatened to spill from his bloodshot eyes.

His hands trembled, and his teeth chattered.

"My colleagues who worked with me went with the blue flames, turning into roasted meat and dust. I was so ashamed and indignant that I almost shot myself. I was tortured in prison every day, and the physical pain could not wash away this guilt. I hated my powerlessness—a strong hatred sprouted in my heart."

He gripped Wen Luo's arm tightly.

"It's like the pain of charred, blackened skin, the stench of a festering, infected wound, neuralgia, the injury of a comminuted fracture, blindness and deafness, hemiplegia, the desperation of having to rely on crutches, the anxiety of having nowhere to go. Even if Universal Elixir could heal their wounds, they would still live in this fear, all because of my powerlessness. Because of Skull and Bones Society!"

He muttered incantations and pulled Wen Luo in front of him.

"I can Inspiration, I can feel it all the time, I can feel the pain in my friends, Wen Luo! I am not Jason Megan, I am a rock musician, I am every Red Stone Rocker —I thank God for this Inspiration, this phantom limb pain, which makes my desire for revenge stronger than ever before. I will be filled with it, I will follow you to find the Skull and Bones Society to end this pain. Let my Brilliant Stone—"

The lapis lazuli bracelet emitted a soft, silken glow on Jason's wrist.

"Let my brilliance guide your way."

Jiang Xueming ordered a glass of milk and handed it to A Xing.

He then distributed the other three glasses of wine to Wen Luo, Jason, and himself.

Xue Ming: "So it's settled then?"

Jason: "It's a deal."

Wen Luo: "I have no objection. Why are you making such a fuss? This is a trivial matter to me."

Meteor: "Could you add a little bit of beer for me? Milk beer is fine too."

The four clinked glasses and drank it all in one gulp.

Xue Ming had one last question: there were so many mysteries surrounding [LOE], and so many stories to uncover.

He wrote [LOE] on a piece of paper and tore off a translucent page.

He tapped the table lightly, signaling to Brother Wen Luo to be more careful.

Then, the page with the character [L] visible through the light was turned over.

--It then became [JOE].

Wen Luo tapped his temple with his index finger. "Yes, it was me. I just remembered, it happened today."

The meteor jumped up excitedly.

"I knew it! Brother Wen Luo! You must be Joe! You can kill that lion! You can slay a dragon! Wow! This is going to be a good show!"

Jiang Xueming showed no surprise whatsoever.

I just wrote down more words.

The three English words [JOE] were inserted.

They became three names, and an ancient story.

[J]ack

Vict[o]r

Vinc[e]nt

Suddenly, Meteor opened its mouth slightly and fell silent.

Xue Ming: "Your surname isn't Wen; it should be Wen—your Chinese name is Wen Bucai, and your English name Vincent."

"That's why I said," the anonymous man smiled, "I just remembered this morning. January 1st is our big day. I saw you preparing a small gift for Victor, and that reminded me to give him one too. I'm thinking this must be the BOSS's arrangement. That bastard wants me, the VIP, to end my vacation and go back to work. What a cruel capitalist."

Jiang Xueming: "How much do you remember?"

"I remember everything." The nameless man clenched his fist. "The power is back, and I've remembered the true name of Soul Might. I remember everything. I remember how to flap my wings and dance like a butterfly."

Jiang Xueming breathed a sigh of relief; the safety of this trip was now guaranteed, which was a great reassurance.

If this VIP regained all his memories—the memories of a warrior who single-handedly defeated the mythical dragon from the Nibelungenlied.

At that very moment--

--Jason Megan's waiter rushed into the big bar.

"Sir! I want to go with you too! I'm ready! I'm very capable!"

The four grown men looked at the little girl.

For a moment, the waiter was caught off guard, overwhelmed by the intense Inspiration Pressure.

She clutched her head, feeling dizzy, and then shouted again, mustering her courage.

"Hello! May I come with you? What should I call you? Could you please reduce your spiritual pressure? I'm feeling a little sad."

Wen Luo

No--

He should be called "Wen Bucai".

He tossed a box of Guangling San buns to the waitress, then scolded the younger staff, "What are you all doing, showing off in front of girls?"

"Relax, my dear girl, whether we'll come back alive is still uncertain!" Jason hugged the waiter tightly. "Who cares what their names are?"

[Part ③ - Letters Home]

Nine Realms Station, VIP Tea Room.

In the ward, Victor was covered in wounds and wrapped up like a mummy.

His face was bruised and swollen, and he had lost sight in one eye.

He tried to reach for the Universal Elixir on the table, it was so close, yet he couldn't reach it.

Repeated attempts, each ending in failure.

His eyes were glazed over, as if he had been brutally beaten by some ferocious beast, breaking more than a dozen bones.

His waiter sat quietly and gently beside him.

"Will you dare to run around like that again, Victor?"

The honest and courageous Victor would never lie or go against his own conscience.

"You'll dare to do it again next time."

"Then stay put until you repent." The Bloodhound chuckled, covering her mouth. Seeing her employer's arms and legs hanging up like a piece of dried bacon or char siu from a roast meat shop, she showed a satisfied expression.

"You'll do it again next time," Victor said firmly. "Next time, definitely."

These injuries were not sustained during the journey; they were merely a minor punishment from the bloodhound to its employer.

Bloodhound: "You've sent two letters home, Victor. Would you like to see them?"

Victor: "Do my parents send me letters from the underworld? Since when did Cerberus become willing to send letters from the underworld to the Human World? Keep your stuff; it might even be considered an artifact. But it's not surprising. Look under the bed in my old studio; you should be able to find a few coins, which could also be considered artifacts."

Bloodhound: "One of the boxes of pens was a gift from your two apprentices. They're doing very well at the Mimir Hot Spring Market and met a very reliable person, a Chinese man."

Victor: "All the Chinese people I know are reliable, except for my eldest apprentice who's a bit dim-witted. I hope he'll come to his senses soon, so he won't end up like me, getting beaten up by you every day."

"Heh," the Bloodhound licked Victor's face, its tongue lolling out. "No 'lying' at all! I love your stubbornness!"

Victor: "What about the other letter?"

"It was sent by Wen Bucai." The Bloodhound didn't find anything wrong with saying the name.

A flash of crimson soul power disappeared in an instant, and a heart-shaped tail wrapped around the Universal Elixir, injecting it into Victor's body.

He sprang to his feet with a swift movement, snatched the letter from the Bloodhound, and then stood like a statue, carefully examining the handwriting on the letter.

The signature at the end is simply "[Wen Bucai]" --

--Exactly the same signature as the guarantor on those Yellow Pages contracts for Chinese laborers on the Grand Canyon Railroad more than a hundred years ago!

"You're alive! You're alive!"

Victor was so nervous that he bit his thumb, tore off the sealing wax, and took out the letter.

[To my old friend--]

David Victor, this is Act Zero of the story.

Based on your writing style, you'll definitely leave a long, rambling message, and then let it explode like fireworks in the main text, right?

Haha! I don't have that habit; I prefer to be straightforward.

First of all, I want to say sorry to you.

--I added my blood to the farewell wine, so that you and Jack would contract a disease called [immortality]. I hope you won't become numb with the passage of time. Life shouldn't be a journey from passion to coldness.

I didn't know it would turn out this way. It seems I've lived for a very, very long time, much longer than you can imagine.

My cerebral cortex can't remember much. Every now and then, I lose important memories and gradually forget how I spent the previous part of my life.

Until I came to Mimir Hot Spring Market, where I have lived for over seventy years, sixteen years ago, I was on the verge of death due to an urgent investigation assigned by the BOSS, and I developed Alzheimer's disease.

The boss gave me a long vacation, until these last few days, when he sent your two apprentices to my side.

These two little ones remind me of many things, including your birthday.

I'm currently busy dealing with the Skull and Bones Society, cleaning up a whole bunch of messy crap at Mimir Hot Spring Market, and I even killed a giant, high-level cat the other day. I used its whiskers to make two calligraphy brushes for you. Try them out and see if they work. If they don't, don't even think about returning them! Hahahaha! I don't offer after-sales service!

--Vincent, Wen Bucai

Victor clutched the letter, his expression one of fanaticism.

"It was an amazing and incredibly enriching adventure! I'm going to gather material for it!"

The Bloodhound's fists made a cracking sound.

Victor immediately transformed into a good boy. "I still have updates to write."

The Bloodhound Lady was swearing and cursing.

"Look at me, Victor, look at me properly, like you were looking at that love letter from that other guy, fucking look at me? Even half the passion? Just half? Maybe then I'll soften up? Give in? I'll agree to let you go out and fool around!"

Victor: "No! I cannot betray my heart!"

At this very moment--

--Master Su Ling was standing at the door, holding a bag of potato chips and crunching away.

She wiped her mouth clean, clapped lightly, and was just as frenzied a gossip-loving group leader as Brother Qi.

"Wonderful."