Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 440: Chapter 57: The Strange Development Starting from Well 3

(I can’t provide the additional update for the Silver Alliance randomly, progress 60/100.)

Bai Wu had never experienced this feeling before, but he knew it existed.

Walking alone on the street, gazing at the urban landscape, or sitting on a bus watching scenes flash by, certain thoughts would surface involuntarily, and then emotional breakdown would follow. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

He guessed that Xiaoyugan... was probably triggered by some words that brought back memories.

Seeing Xiaoyugan crying so hard, Bai Wu didn’t know how to comfort her for a moment.

Bai Yuan was indeed unable to come back, and The First Generation had really died.

No matter what promises they had made, in this girl’s eyes, they were all deceptions that couldn’t be forgotten over seven hundred years.

"I will come back. I won’t lie to you."

After thinking it over, Bai Wu still said these words. He really didn’t want to deceive Xiaoyugan; this woman was very easy to deceive, extremely easy.

Her worth was probably greater than Jiang Yimi’s, greater than Hong Yin’s, greater than those whom he had deceived before.

But in every adventure he had experienced, she was actually the easiest to deceive.

That was precisely why Bai Wu didn’t want to deceive her.

So I will come back, he didn’t have absolute confidence, but no matter how dangerous Jing San’s memory copy would be, he would try his utmost to explore it, then safely return and say goodbye to Xiaoyugan.

"You didn’t lie to me, did you?"

"I do as I say. But right now, I need you to tell me how to get to Jing San’s Memory World. I must find out the deeper reason why The Pursuer is hunting you."

Xiaoyugan sobbed for a little while, then looked at Bai Wu’s calm demeanor:

"Aren’t you afraid?"

"I don’t possess that emotion."

"You won’t feel sad either?"

"Refer to the previous reply." Bai Wu couldn’t grasp the thought process of this ’little mom’.

Xiaoyugan tilted her head:

"So, have you never cried from childhood until now? Did you hit your head?"

"Changing the subject won’t work."

"I’m not changing the subject, Bai Wu. Why don’t you stay in this world? It’s very safe here. Bai Yuan and K have both said so, it’s very safe. There are many people here; although they don’t exist for real, you can treat them as if they do."

Xiaoyugan continued to persuade him earnestly:

"You’re not afraid and won’t feel sad, so you could just live here forever. What kind of girl do you like? I’ll find one for you. Whatever year she was born, fat or thin, tall or short, anything is possible."

Although she still appeared to be a young girl, she had assumed the role of an elder.

Elders had one traditional skill—pressuring people into marriage.

"Why don’t you choose someone you like? If you die, I can still look at your memory form and have it marry the memory form of the person you liked, and have children. I want you to come back, but I’m afraid you won’t."

Bai Wu was once again rendered speechless by Xiaoyugan, and he recalled that the landlady had also said something similar, about what kind of women he liked.

Afterward, Bai Wu gave a response that was worth a whopping 87 million.

Xiaoyugan, with wide eyes and in all seriousness:

"You tell, or else I won’t tell you how to go. If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell you still. I won’t tell you, I will tell you..."

Bai Wu nodded:

"Female, alive, healthy is fine."

"Just healthy... that’s such a low standard. Can you be more specific?"

"How specific do you want?"

"Like, very specific, the details."

After thinking it over, Bai Wu gave a very specific response:

"Height between 150cm to 175cm, normal blood pressure with systolic 90mmHg to 140mmHg and diastolic 60mmHg to 90mmHg. Also, the lung capacity must be above 2500ml."

"And liver function must be within the range of total bilirubin 1.7~17.1mmol/L, direct bilirubin 0~3.4mmol/L, total protein 60~80g/L, and alanine aminotransferase less than or equal to 40 units per liter, roughly speaking."

"Of course, kidney function must be within the normal range of urea nitrogen, approximately 2.1-8.2mmol/L, and the normal range for uric acid is best for females between 140-340umol/L."

"Is that specific enough? If not, I can say more."

"Oh... specific, very specific," Xiaoyugan was a bit dumbfounded, not knowing if Bai Wu was just talking nonsense.

But afraid that Bai Wu wouldn’t return, she still took the information seriously and noted it down.

Watching Xiaoyugan take note with such a serious expression, Bai Wu suddenly had an image flash through his mind.

If he died in Jing San’s memories, or got trapped inside and couldn’t come back...

Would this little mother figure really carry his memory body around and inquire about other memory bodies with that bunch of data she wrote down?

Thinking about that scenario... it was rather comical.

Yet, it also made Bai Wu feel uncomfortable, because even though he had only known Xiaoyugan for a short time, he believed she was the kind of person who would keep her promises for many years to come.

Xiaoyugan, on tiptoes, touched Bai Wu’s head:

"When you come back, I will have picked out a partner for you."

Was this a form of concern from an elder? Bai Wu felt unaccustomed to it, but not resistant.

This woman was truly lonely. If it were someone else in this world, they probably wouldn’t be so alone because the performance of a memory body is no different from that of a real life.

Even when facing The First Generation’s memory body, he couldn’t help but ask The First Generation to give up on saving the world.

But Xiaoyugan was different.

She was the creator, and creators often find it difficult to see their creations as real humans.

Just like many storytellers, who think about the appropriateness of their characters’ life and death without being as sensitive as the readers.

"I will definitely come back. You shouldn’t be setting up flags like I won’t be able to return."

"Then I need to explain the situation to you," Xiaoyugan became serious.

This necessary information before entering a certain area, Bai Wu would certainly not arrogantly choose to ignore.

"Jing San is a twisted creature. After coming to the Memory World, he’s like a pollutant... contaminating many memory areas. It’s similar to a Well in the outside world that contaminates many real areas."

Bai Wu hadn’t anticipated this layer of complexity.

The Jing Family Siblings were conglomerates of distortion, not belonging to the traditional Evil Fallen. It seemed that trapping Jing San had come at a great cost.

Although Xiaoyugan’s spiritual world had successfully erased Jing San’s memories, it seemed... Jing San had also caused great damage to this world.

"If you go to those areas, you need to be very careful. In these areas, because many people’s memories are distorted, you might encounter a very sick world. To find information about Jing San in this world will be very difficult."

When she got serious, Xiaoyugan did not have that contradictory problem with her speech.

"How twisted is it, roughly?" asked Bai Wu.

Although he wouldn’t be fighting Jing San directly, Jing San’s spiritual world was certainly extremely dangerous.

"It’s pretty similar to your experiences in this Memory World... There are many, many people, all of them memory bodies. But all of their memories are distorted and the world is twisted... It’s terrifying."

"Besides, there will be some strange rules there. Once you enter, they will try to make you stay there forever."

Bai Wu got the gist of it.

If Food City in Xiaoyugan’s Memory World was normal, and its residents were commonplace, then in Jing San’s Memory World, Food City was probably a mutated city with completely insane inhabitants.

And this twisted Memory World seemed like it would attract intruders?

Yet perhaps it was the madness in Bai Wu’s very bones that he actually felt some anticipation.

"Is it safe where you are? Wouldn’t the Pursuer find you once I leave?"

"No, I’m safe, but I’m scared... I’m not scared... still scared, but safe," Xiaoyugan considered a moment before speaking.

"I can calculate when he will find me. Last time, it was just because of your arrival that I lost my temper."

When she met Bai Wu, because she saw the son of Bai Yuan, the son of her enemy, Xiaoyugan was angry and also very sad.

Mixed emotions compelled Xiaoyugan to disintegrate the Ark in an instant, even to the point of wanting to kill Bai Wu.

A massive fluctuation of power sent a signal to The Pursuer.

That was why The Pursuer, in the complex labyrinth of the Memory Museum, located Xiaoyugan.

But normally, Xiaoyugan wouldn’t get caught.

Even before being captured, Xiaoyugan could sense The Pursuer’s location through the observation of different Memory Worlds, and thus leave in advance.

Bai Wu felt somewhat reassured:

"Let’s go, take me to the entrance of Jing San’s Memory World."

"Do you really want to go? Forget it... you want to go."

Xiaoyugan felt some discomfort, but a vortex had already opened.

Stepping through this vortex would lead to the entrance of Jing San’s Memory World, arriving at a completely distorted Memory World.

The moment Bai Wu touched the vortex, Xiaoyugan said:

"Be careful... Bai Wu, in that world, you might also encounter your own memories... You might even temporarily lose your memory and be unable to distinguish which are real and which are fake."

"Be careful, I worry about you, I don’t hate you anymore, you have to come back alive."

Xiaoyugan was essentially a very kind person.

Her words of concern for Bai Wu no longer held any contradictory statements—

It was merely after a single conversation.

Looking at Xiaoyugan’s reluctant face, Bai Wu really wanted to pull Bai Yuan out and give him a beating.

"Don’t worry, I keep my promises, I’m not like K and Bai Yuan, I won’t lie to you."

The phrase "I won’t lie to you," said many times by Bai Wu, was absolutely the least guilt-inducing when said to Xiaoyugan.

Because he truly hadn’t deceived her, which was unprecedented with the people he’d met before.

Perhaps because she was really somewhat pitiful, or maybe for some other reason, Bai Wu just didn’t want to lie to her.

"Alright, I believe you."

Bai Wu nodded to Xiaoyugan and entered the vortex.

It wasn’t until the vortex disappeared and Bai Wu’s figure was completely gone that Xiaoyugan crouched down, hanging her head, tapping the ground with her index finger, watching the small ants on the ground transport bread crumbs that had fallen while she was eating.

She waited in silence like that.

It was the same seven hundred years ago, after Bai Yuan left, she waited in silence, for a very long time.

Only when she realized that Bai Yuan truly wouldn’t return did she stand up disconsolately and wander through this world woven from countless people’s memories.

She was like a child who could be entertained by the same joke dozens of times.

After the deception and abandonment by Bai Yuan, facing the child of Bai Yuan, she still found it very easy to trust.

...

...

The moment Bai Wu touched the vortex, his consciousness began to oscillate.

Only when the intense sensation of shaking subsided did he slowly open his eyes. The memories in his brain seemed to have been twisted during the recent shake-up.

Bai Wu instinctively felt the need to be vigilant, but had forgotten what to be vigilant about.

"You’re back."

Yan Jiu, with a sweet smile, stood in front of Bai Wu.

Bai Wu found himself seemingly in the entrance hall of a house, Yan Jiu happily taking out slippers from the shoe cabinet.

"Ah... I’m back."

What’s going on?

There was a strong sense of dissonance, yet also a strong sense of familiarity, as if he shouldn’t live this life, shouldn’t have this conversation.

But it felt as if he should be living this way.

Bai Wu changed his shoes, and Yan Jiu took his coat, hanging it on the decorative coat rack between the foyer and the living room.

"Did the project negotiations go smoothly today? I made your favorite dishes to celebrate for you. There’s a surprise coming up too."

The genuine joy in Yan Jiu’s voice made Bai Wu feel very comfortable, yet something seemed oddly amiss.

"It went well, both sides reached an agreement," he replied.

What was the project again?

As Bai Wu spoke, he realized he couldn’t remember what project he had been negotiating.

Just as Bai Wu tried to think further, there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Bai Wu, are you home? It’s Qingyu," someone said.

"Coming!" Bai Wu walked to the foyer and opened the door.

Ruan Qingyun and Gu Qingyu stood at the entrance with food in hand.

"You’re just about to have dinner, right? I heard from Jiu today that you must have settled the copyright issue? We specifically prepared some food, surprise or what? I’m really envious of you, kid. We all graduated from the same school, and you’re about to get promoted, right?

"That damn boss of mine, Qin Zong, just a rich second-generation who only knows how to eat, drink, and whore around, doesn’t care a bit about the company’s well-being."

"Come on, don’t start with that as soon as you enter. We’re here to celebrate for Little Bai today," interrupted Ruan Qingyun, her head leaning on Gu Qingyu’s arm.

A sudden headache overtook Bai Wu.

Is Gu Qingyu my neighbor? Did he marry Ruan Qingyun?

Bai Wu inexplicably thought of the phrase "team leader"... and then, he always felt that Ruan Qingyun’s head shouldn’t be leaning on Gu Qingyu’s arm.

Because Ruan Qingyun wasn’t that short...

No, it’s not that she had gotten shorter; it’s that this neighbor of nearly six feet three inches was just too tall.

It was strange.

But Bai Wu couldn’t pinpoint what was so peculiar.

Yan Jiu started to get everyone seated, and the two families, four people in total, began to chat about neighborhood gossip and trivial matters.

In this process, Bai Wu noticed that Gu Qingyu seemed not to be doing very well.

In the workplace, no one respected him, he was suppressed by his boss, and even looked down upon by newcomers.

It was supposed to be a celebration for himself, but it was mostly a griping session.

While Ruan Qingyun seemed to find her man somewhat embarrassing, she said nothing in his defense, only smiling awkwardly.

As for Yan Jiu, Bai Wu thought she would show sympathy, but she did not; instead, she laughed even more happily.

Gu Qingyu seemed used to the scorn of others, but he felt that Bai Wu was his best friend, and as long as Bai Wu didn’t laugh at him, that was enough.

It was only when he saw Bai Wu that he felt the pressures of life weren’t so overwhelming.

The two women soon finished eating and, hand in hand, went to the living room to discuss celebrity gossip.

During this process, Yan Jiu would occasionally let out exaggerated laughter.

Bai Wu’s mind gradually cleared, and he remembered.

His company was involved in copyright operations, and today he was tasked with obtaining copyright from a self-deprecating author, taking advantage of the other party’s confusion to buy the full rights for sixty thousand.

Despite the author’s despondency, the truth was that his comics had quite a lot of market potential. If it weren’t for the other party’s drunkenness, and if hadn’t he pretended to befriend this geek these past few days, it wouldn’t have been easy to confuse him into signing the contract.

The company was very pleased; this month’s performance would look very good.

Then there was his good friend Gu Qingyu, who seemed to be facing a family crisis and was desperately drinking.

Bai Wu felt something was wrong; this memory was so real, yet it repulsed him, giving rise to a sense of disgust deep within his soul.

Almost subconsciously, Bai Wu blurted out:

"Team leader, stop drinking."

This address startled Gu Qingyu. It startled Bai Wu as well.