Under the cover of night.
On the elevated highway leading to Suzhou City Airport, a matte gray Porsche 918 Spyder sped along.
" Teacher Fox God, why do I have to go to Japan?" Su Hang asked, puzzled, from the passenger seat.
Having sworn absolute loyalty to Su Hang and vowing not to deceive in any way, Liuli answered truthfully, "Our Imperial Crown Team has a branch in Japan, and we spent a lot of money to recruit you so that you could be in charge of Japan branch."
Su Hang suddenly realized, and then cautiously asked, " Teacher Fox God, how often can I return to China?"
"I can never go back to China," Liuli said.
"Huh?" Su Hang was stunned. If he could never return to China, what would happen to his family back home?
Liuli saw through Su Hang's thoughts and reassured him, "Don't worry, your teacher will take good care of your family. Although you can't go back to China, you can still contact them by phone."
"This sounds like something out of a telecom fraud operation in Myanmar." Su Hang scratched his head, then said, "But I know very well that Teacher Fox God isn't a bad person."
"Of course, teachers aren't bad people," Liuli said softly. "Teachers are the best people in the world to you, even more so than your family."
Su Hang blushed deeply; to him, these words were no different from a confession. "Thank you Teacher Fox God."
[8 PM on October 8th].
As Liuli carried Su Hang to Suzhou Airport, her tense nerves gradually relaxed. As long as her senior Su Hang boarded the plane and landed in Japan, he could spend the rest of his life happily in Japan.
"Everything's arranged at the Japan branch," Liuli said gently, straightening Su Hang's clothes. "Your food, clothing, and lodging will all be taken care of by the Imperial Crown Team branch. If you encounter any problems, just contact [ Eve ]."
" Eve?" Su Hang was slightly taken aback.
"It's our Imperial Crown's supercomputer, the robot Eve who invited you to join the team. If you have any trouble, just text her," Liuli said with a smile. "She'll help you solve any problems."
"Oh, oh." Su Hang suddenly realized something and stammered, " Teacher Fox God, aren't you coming to Japan with me?"
Liuli said softly, "I will be stationed at the Imperial Crown headquarters."
A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed Su Hang's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "Then, Teacher Fox God, we'll meet again sometime."
See you again someday.
Despite her deep reluctance, Liuli had no choice but to steel herself and turn away. However, before she could take two steps, an airport news broadcast rang out.
"We have an urgent news briefing. At 5 PM today, a family annihilation tragedy occurred in Kunshan City. Police have preliminarily determined it to be a case of mutual killing within a family. Below are photos of the victims..."
Liuli trembled violently. She slowly turned around and looked at the airport news broadcast screen. Three photos of the deceased, with their eyes blurred, appeared on the screen. They were Su Guihua and her family of three!
" Teacher Fox God." Su Hang walked out of the waiting hall with vacant eyes, like a walking corpse. "My aunt's family is dead. Why did they kill each other?"
"Teacher... the teacher saw it."
Liuli clutched her head, staggering back a few steps. She simply couldn't understand why the airport's large screen would suddenly broadcast a murder news story. And why, of all things to do, was the murder of Su Guihua's family?
Su Hang, pale and weak, forced a smile and said, " Teacher Fox God, could you please take me home?"
"Listen to your teacher, you can't go home." Liuli suddenly grabbed Su Hang's shoulder, her tear-streaked face contorted in a terrifying grimace. "You have to take a plane to Japan, or you'll die, you'll die!"
" Teacher Fox God, today is the happiest day of my life. It's so wonderful to have met you." Su Hang broke free from Yugong Hu's hands and hailed a ride-hailing car to go home.
Why?
Liuli knelt on both knees, pounding her fists on the ground. She was about to send her senior off to Japan, so why did the airport screen suddenly broadcast news of Su Guihua's family killing each other?
"I see."
After the archive time was moved back, and considering Su Hang's multiple suicide attempts at midnight, Liuli trembled all over and finally understood that it wasn't Su Hang who wanted to die, but this world that wanted to kill Su Hang!
Everyone is destined to die from the day they are born. The world has already written the time and manner of death for everyone, just like Su Hang, whose time of death was jumping off a building at midnight on October 8th.
This was the ending the world had written for Su Hang's death. No matter how much Su Hang struggled or how much external forces interfered, it could not change the fact that he committed suicide by jumping off a building at midnight on October 8th!
"My opponent is not a person, nor an organization, nor a country, but the world!"
Large tears fell to the ground, her Liuli white teeth biting her lip, blood seeping out continuously. The inner torment was driving her to the brink of mental collapse, but thankfully Eve's voice rang out just in time.
"Mother, now is not the time to give up. We can still Death Save Reload, and maybe we can save Father next time."
"You... you're right." Only a sliver of light remained in her Liuli eyes. Her arms fell limply, and she swayed as she stood up, getting into the Porsche 918 supercar. "It can even Death Save Reload."
Back to Jinxiu Residential Complex.
Sure enough, senior Su Hang was already standing on the edge of the rooftop.
" Teacher Fox God, I love you."
Su Hang spread his arms and began to fall freely.
Bang!
The hatch of the Imperial Crown slammed shut.
The clock struck midnight.
Su Hang's body at the bottom of the building was lifeless.
Inside the Imperial Crown.
Her Liuli eyes were filled with deathly stillness, with only a sliver of light remaining. She didn't cry, she didn't grieve, and she didn't say a word. She simply put on her stream-of-consciousness device, tapped on the keyboard, and retrieved the saved data.
The save point was originally set for 6 PM on October 8th, but it has now been changed to 8 PM on October 8th, moving the save point back two hours.
Liuli knew very well that each time she Death Save Reload, the save time would be moved forward by two hours. When the save time was moved forward to midnight on October 8th, it was the exact moment Su Hang jumped to his death.
She will never be able to save her predecessor Su Hang.
There are now only two chances left to Death Save Reload.
"Mother, everything is ready."
Liuli nodded expressionlessly. "Initiate the emergency plan for Death Save Reload."
[The fourth Death Save Reload has begun. The save point will be 8 PM on October 8th.]
Suzhou Airport.
Liuli arrived at Suzhou Airport with Su Hang in her car. Eve's voice rang in her ears. "[Mother, the fourth Death Save Reload was successful. The current time is 8 PM on October 8th.]"
" Teacher Fox God, you look terrible," Su Hang asked with concern. "Did you have another nightmare?"
"Hmm." Liuli nodded blankly. "I dreamt that you jumped off a building and committed suicide. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown; I didn't even have the energy to grieve anymore."
"Huh?" Su Hang was stunned. In the short time they spent together, the Teacher Fox God had four nightmares, each time about him jumping off a building to commit suicide. It is said that dreams can reflect reality.
Is he really going to jump off a building and commit suicide?
But the Teacher Fox God was in extremely bad shape, Su Hang felt he had to do something. He ran to the vending machine next to him and bought a 330ml can of sugar-free cola.
It's a bit chilly.
Su Hang unzipped his jacket and warmed the sugar-free cola with his body heat. Although iced sugar-free cola tastes better, Teacher Fox God is a girl after all, and drinking it cold is not good for her health.
" Teacher Fox God, I used to have nightmares a lot, especially after waking up in the morning. I would feel extremely desperate. Whenever that happened, I would drink a can of sugar-free cola, and my spirits would instantly improve."
Su Hang opened the bottle of sugar-free Coke, handed it to him, and said, "Try it."
"Oh."
Liuli accepted the candy expressionlessly, took a sip of the sugar-free cola, and her delicate body trembled violently. The familiar sweet and refreshing taste instantly reminded her of the moments she had spent with her senior Su Hang.
Yes, what exactly is causing her mental breakdown? She spent ten years developing the time machine, the Imperial Crown, just to come to a parallel world and persuade her senior Su Hang, not to take his own life and to live a good life.
So what if the opponent is the world? So what if I witness my predecessors die four times in a row?
She hasn't completely failed yet; the tragic ending of her predecessor Su Hang's suicide can still be rewritten!
Liuli roused herself, her crimson eyes shining brightly, dispelling the numbness and desolation.
" Eve."
"I'm here, Mother."
"Hack into the airport system and shut down the airport's main display screen."
"Yes, Mother."
A moment later, the airport's large screen went out due to an intermittent malfunction, and the news of Su Guihua's family's deaths did not appear.
Sizzle~
Liuli tore off a strip from her skirt and used it to blindfold Su Hang.
" Teacher Fox God, what are you doing?" Su Hang blushed. The unique fragrance of Yugong Hu from the skirt made him feel confused and at ease.
"Listen to what the teacher is saying." Liuli took out her noise-canceling headphones from her pocket. "The teacher will put you on the plane to Japan later. Before you arrive in Japan, don't take off your blindfold or the headphones."
"Okay, okay." Su Hang completely trusted Yugong Hu and obediently put on his noise-canceling headphones.
Liuli led Su Hang by the hand and walked into the waiting hall. Many passengers were looking at news about murder on their phones, whispering and talking loudly.
"Brother, quickly check the local news channel! A family of three was murdered this afternoon in Kunshan City."
"Holy crap? That's terrifying! The police have released the names of the three victims: Su Guihua, Su Wei, and Su Xiao."
"I heard they had a blood relative named Su Hang. I wonder how Su Hang will feel upon hearing the news of the passing of his three blood relatives."
Her Liuli eyes were cold and sharp.
She knew better than anyone that what seemed like normal gossip about the passenger news was actually the world's way of triggering Su Hang's death. After all, once Su Hang learned of the deaths of Su Guihua's family, he would choose to commit suicide by jumping off a building.
I won't let you succeed.
Liuli Li's crimson eyes were sharp. Su Hang, who was wearing an eye mask and headphones next to him, had his sight and hearing completely shut down. He could not access external images or sounds, so he naturally could not know about the deaths of Su Guihua's family.
Arrived at the boarding gate.
Liuli saw Su Hang off onto the plane. The cabin was empty. This was a passenger plane that she had chartered in the name of the Imperial Crown Group, and it had been temporarily converted into an unmanned aircraft Eve the supercomputer Eve.
No pilot is needed; the aircraft can automatically fly to Kyoto Japan, using only its built-in cruise control function.
Liuli asked.
" Eve, how are the arrangements in Kyoto, Japan?"
"Don't worry, Mother," Eve said seriously, "Once Father lands in Kyoto, Japan, he will be transported by a driverless car to the most luxurious [ Imperial Crown Building ] in Kyoto."
"Afterwards, Father will be placed under house arrest in a room on the top floor of the [ Imperial Crown Building ]. Considering that Father may develop mental problems and face a risk of suicide due to prolonged living in such a small room."
"I have purchased the largest shrine in the area, renamed it [ Imperial Crown Shrine ], and secretly built all sorts of entertainment facilities for my father's amusement and relaxation. He will live out the rest of his life happily, like an emperor."
Liuli nodded.
That's good. He couldn't give his senior Su Hang absolute freedom, so he could only limit Su Hang's freedom to the greatest extent possible to ensure a happy and fulfilling life for him.
Liuli took one last look at Su Hang before getting off the plane, but her heart was still pounding. After all, the plane hadn't taken off yet, and nothing was set in stone.
"We must ensure a smooth takeoff."
Liuli's palms were sweating, and her heart finally settled down when she saw the passenger plane carrying her predecessor Su Hang take off into the sky.
"It worked?"
Liuli's face was pressed against the glass wall, her whole body trembling violently. This time it wasn't pain or sorrow, but excitement and ecstasy. Now, her predecessor Su Hang to Japan, and two hours later, he would land at Kyoto International Airport.
It is obvious that his suicide by jumping off a building at midnight has been successfully rewritten.
"I did it! I've conquered the world!"
Overjoyed, Liuli finally triumphed over the world after her fourth Death Save Reload, ushering in the dawn of victory.
"Come on, Eve, let's go home."
11:59 PM.
Rooftop of Jinxiu Residential Complex, Suzhou City.
Wearing a white lab coat Liuli stood on the edge of the rooftop, gazing at the magnificent and bustling metropolis. "This world is more beautiful than ours."
Eve, in her holographic projection, laughed, "Because of Father's existence in this world, Mother added a layer of love's filter, making it all seem exceptionally beautiful."
"Yes," Liuli said, her hands in her white coat pockets, filled with emotion. "If our world also had such a senior, I would probably think both worlds are equally beautiful."
Eve urged, "It's almost time, Mother. We should return to our world."
"I'm really a little reluctant to part with it."
Despite failing to save his predecessor in this world many times, he ultimately managed to rewrite the ending of his predecessor's death, thus bringing a somewhat imperfect conclusion to the story.
Goodbye, senior.
As Liuli ascended the Imperial Crown, she looked towards the edge of the rooftop, the spot where her predecessor Su Hang, had committed suicide four times. "From now on, live a good life on your own. In another world, Liuli will pray for you Qiancheng."
The hatch of the Imperial Crown slowly closed.
Sudden!
Just then, Liuli's cell phone rang. It was an unfamiliar number, but the number segment indicated it was a local Suzhou City number.
"Um?"
Liuli frowned and clicked to answer the call.
A familiar male voice came from the other end of the phone.
" Teacher Fox God, I love you."
Her Liuli eyes gradually widened.
Bang!
The hatch of the Imperial Crown closed.
The clock struck midnight.
Su Hang's body at the bottom of the building was lifeless.