A Pressing Issue
Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil
Lin Qin looks quite surprised.
After thinking a little, he says with his usual, straightforward tone, “I’m really glad. I mean──I’m happy to stand by your side, Beijin.”
Xü Beijin smiles in response.
It’s probably too much to ask him to say something deeper, but he is alright with something on the same level. He wants Lin Qin to understand that.
For him, what’s most important isn’t Lin Qin’s value or abilities, but Lin Qin, the person.
The person’s companionship and support. The person who is his boyfriend, the one he loves.
His usual taciturn and introverted tendencies may make it difficult for Lin Qin to tell, especially since Lin Qin himself doesn’t know what love is.
That’s why, he should tell him directly.
Xü Beijin continues watching Lin Qin walk along, until finally, he’s back at the start of the path, where the silhouette of a gap can be seen in front of him.
Lin Qin, curious, asks, “why didn’t this gap appear before?”
Xü Beijin says, “while the bug is inside the Nightmare within the grey fog, and not just the grey fog itself. That’s why, this bug could only appear like this when NE is asleep.
Now, it exists at all times when returning from the boundary of the Tower to that Nightmare;
But, if you wanted to head back to the boundary through the Nightmare, what we did earlier still has to be repeated.”
Xü Beijin explains in detail, already knowing what Lin Qin must be thinking about.
So Lin Qin quietly goes ‘oh’ and keeps some rather outlandish thoughts to himself.
He also doesn’t seem to be questioning Xü Beijin’s identity at all.
He does ask, though, “so, NE is helping you now?”
“Kind of. I have partial access to his authority,” Xü Beijin replies, “temporarily.”
Lin Qin nods.
Then Xü Beijin tells him, “after going back to the bottom floor, head for Mu Jiashi and the others. I still have something to tell them.”
Lin Qin does so, and enters the gap, returning to the labyrinth.
After that, Lin Qin wakes NE up, and the Nightmare of the grey fog automatically runs into a Special End.
Xü Beijin continues observing Lin Qin, until he returns to the bottom floor, and he sighs in relief.
NE slowly and mechanically walks over towards Xü Beijin, saying, “your boyfriend is safe.”
Xü Beijin looks at him, then says uncaringly, “I don’t need to be reminded to get the Ultimate Nightmare up.”
NE nods, and points over to the control panel, saying, “ I suppose you’ve noticed my operations are being stalled.”
“The grey fog?”
“Yes…” replies NE.
Xü Beijin knits his brows a little.
NE explains further, “it is clear that players trust you more, and not me. Therefore, I’m planning to hand the Ultimate Nightmare’s business over to you entirely.
When… the final choice comes, wake me up again. I need some time to deal with matters related to the grey fog.”
Meanwhile, Xü Beijin makes it look like he’s unhappy being forced into this position, even though actually, he’s feeling extremely lucky inside.
Looking at NE, if he wasn’t certain that this has to be NE and nobody else, he’d be suspecting transmigration or some foul play.
The weird thoughts aside, he tells NE, “fine. You can go back to sleep now.”
Xü Beijin watches NE re-enter his standby mode, and narrows his eyes.
If NE wasn’t on standby, it might be more of a headache to get everything done.
It’s almost unbelievable how much NE is trusting him.
Then he realises it might be because NE is classifying him as being the same as him, an artificial intelligence.
Ha.
He and NE may have the same objective for now, but that does not preclude NE from still wanting to erase him.
NE would not just give up on eliminating the ‘useless data,’ and Xü Beijin, naturally, doesn’t want to die either.
His expression changes a few times as he thinks about stuff.
Though afterwards, he still puts his attention back on the control panel in front of him. For a short while, this will be his primary means of contacting his allies.
The location tracking is still on Lin Qin. He actually wants to talk to him some more, with how quickly events have progressed and all the feelings he’s experienced, plus how he and Lin Qin just reaffirmed their relationship, and he’s worried about Lin Qin’s identity…
Anyway, his mind is quite a mess right now. He would love to be alone with Lin Qin in peace for some time.
But now is not the time or the place.
Sighing, Xü Beijin forces himself to get serious business done first.
Lin Qin quickly finds Mu Jiashi and the others on the bottom floor, when apparently, it’s already the next day’s afternoon since Mu Jiashi and the others have entered Xü Beijin’s Nightmare. It seems they spent a bit more time than expected in the boundary of the Tower.
Lin Qin’s return takes the rest of the Missiontakers by storm.
Mu Jiashi asks him hesitantly, “dalao, you didn’t go to the top floor with him?”
“I couldn’t,” Lin Qin explains simply, adding, “Beijin has already contacted me from there.”
Mu Jiashi is wondering why Lin Qin can’t go to the top floor.
Is it simply because Lin Qin is an exception, or is it that no one else can enter the top floor?
Questions quickly flash through Mu Jiashi’s mind.
Though soon enough, Lin Qin tells him something that chases all the unrelated thoughts away, and he asks, “what did he say?”
That is when everyone can hear Xü Beijin speak up, like he’s right next to their ears, “I’m here.”
Everyone is stunned frozen.
Mu Jiashi turns his head around to look, finding his impression of Xü Beijin becoming ever more shrouded in mystery.
Xü Beijin gives them an oversimplified answer, “I’ve persuaded NE to temporarily transfer some functions of the game Server to me.”
The Missiontakers and Tower residents present, after the brief shock, start exclaiming in joy. They’ve all realised intuitively that this means they’ve achieved an important first step. They hug and embrace each other, applauding. It’s like a rave.
The depressing aura that blanketed the whole residence when Lin Qin stepped in has immediately been wiped.
They were all worried Xü Beijin might never return safely, or that everything they did was but for naught.
Just like that labyrinth that humanity poured everything they had to build.
Grand, flashy, but ultimately useless.
But Lin Qin and Xü Beijin’s good news has infused them with energy, making them realise, that hope is now in their grasp!
Mu Jiashi grips his fist tight, almost excited to the point of trembling.
He hears Ding Yi mutter by his side, “there might be hope… we can save her, right?”
Jiang Shuangmei excitedly responds to her, “of course! We’ll save everyone, too!”
Mu Jiashi can’t help but smile.
Shortly after, everyone calms back down.
Xü Beijin also patiently waits until the stressed Missiontakers and Tower residents have finished lashing out a little.
Then he asks Ding Yi, Dai Wu and Su Enya how his requests are coming along.
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