GBT Chapter 87

The day after the banquet, Lin Xibei sent Jiao Bai photos, a lot of them, all taken at the villa, with people and scenery.

Jiao Bai was in the lab on the second basement floor, familiarizing himself in advance with the friends he would meet in college. After feeding the white mice, he sat back in his chair, pushing off the ground with his feet.

The chair slid back to the instrument table, and he picked up the phone resting on it. He first liked Lin Xibei’s post before flipping through the photos, tapping and saving each one from top to bottom.

After saving them all to his album, he flipped through them one by one.

When he flipped to one particular photo, Jiao Bai’s finger hovering on the screen twitched. He swiped past it to look at other photos, but after a while, he swiped back and brought that photo up again.

The photo was of him and Qi Yi Liao. One was looking down, the other looking up, with two points of orange-red fireworks connecting them.

The background was the midsummer night sky and the blooming fireworks.

“Ai…”

Jiao Bai managed to utter a single syllable, but it wasn’t followed by “ya” or “yo.”

Instead, it was, damn.

Jiao Bai glared at the photo with the same intensity as if he were glaring at an enemy trying to ruin his grand plan.

He didn’t know that Lin Xibei had also sent the photo to Qi Shuang’s Second Older Brother, whom she’d met at the villa.

Qi Shuang’s Second Older Brother forwarded it to Zhang Zhen.

The photo eventually ended up on Qi Yi Liao’s phone and became the screensaver on his personal phone.

The morning before university registration, Jiao Bai received a message from an unknown number.

It was from Li Jue, asking him to meet today.

The meeting place was their hometown, Sha Shui Village.

As soon as Jiao Bai finished reading the last word, the electronic voice sounded.

[Player Jiao Bai, you have triggered the fourth mandatory mission. Please prepare.]

Jiao Bai knocked over the sesame paste he had nearby. In the past, he had eagerly anticipated mandatory missions. Once they started, he would get excited and thrilled, shouting, “Activity, here I come!” Now, he only felt like he was facing a knife.

The knife was held to his neck, pushing his head into a large bucket of dog blood.

Drink!

It was fucking nauseating.

Only a year had passed, but Jiao Bai was shocked at how much he had changed.

[Mission Location: Sha Shui Village.]

[Mission Target: Li Jue.]

[Mission Content: Please travel to Sha Shui Village accompanied by Zhang Zhen, and tell the mission target Li Jue everything about Wang Chuqiu, obtain a heartfelt confession from Li Jue, and his forgiveness. There is no time limit, but you must reach your destination within twenty-four hours.]

Jiao Bai: “…”

Forgive what? It’s as if he owed Li Jue something.

It wasn’t the mission’s fault.

Missions were matched according to the target. It was Li Jue who resented him, hence the need for forgiveness.

Jiao Bai pulled out a tissue to wipe the sesame paste off his clothes. Mandatory missions were small settings designed to push the progress when he was moving too slowly. He had done three already, and the core of the missions was: “Wealth and power are found in danger.”

The first time, in the rest room of Good Place building, he obtained Shen Er An and Qi Zi Zhi’s activity points. The mission had hidden pitfalls, and he didn’t know the two were there. Luckily, he managed to cover Qi Shuang’s mouth in time before he spilled the beans.

The second time, at Lanmo Mansion, he obtained Qi Yi Liao and Shen Ji’s activity points, at the cost of being slapped by Shen Ji while his ribs were injured and whipped with a belt, realizing that he had become part of the dog blood.

The third time, on the cargo ship, he obtained Qi Zi Zhi and Li Jue’s activity points, at the cost of having his hair pulled and slammed to the ground by Qi Zi Zhi. He and the latter fought each other half to death.

This fourth time, involving Li Jue breaking 50, he didn’t know what price he would have to pay.

Zhang Zhen had to come along.

Maybe this time Zhang Zhen would also cross 50.

Like the previous three missions, one adventure would push the progress of two friends forward a step.

This wasn’t knowingly heading into danger.

This was licking dog blood on the road.

On the road to survival.

Zhang Zhen was originally at the research institute. That day was just the day Qi Yi Liao had his biennial check-up. He had moved in last night and would have several tubes of blood drawn and several tubes of fluid injected, falling into a coma for three to seven days.

Hospital Dean Qi wanted to record all his bodily changes during that period.

He heard this time they had also added new drugs.

Zhang Zhen was worried that Qi Yi Liao would develop any problems, so he was constantly watching him. He received Jiao Bai’s call and hesitated before telling the already injected first dose of the drug Qi Yi Liao.

Qi Yi Liao gave him his gun. It was a silent order, and a reminder.

——The way you brought the person out, you bring him back.

Zhang Zhen at that time, holding the gun, puzzled and muttered a sentence: “Bai Bai is going to report to school tomorrow, how come he suddenly wants to go to his hometown to see that Li Jue?”

Qi Yi Liao’s consciousness was already blurred, but he still opened his mouth: “He’s not a child, whatever he does, he must have his reasons.”

Zhang Zhen realized at that moment what Qi Yi Liao was giving to Jiao Bai.

Approval, respect.

The mission didn’t say they couldn’t bring others, so when Jiao Bai set off, he was followed by a group of Qi family thugs, all old men. They had been with the Qi family for many years, Zhang Zhen trusted them.

Jiao Bai was eating the whole way. Even if he was a ghost, he had to eat his fill.

When they arrived at Sha Shui Village, it was almost three in the afternoon, the sun was high. Jiao Bai was wrapped from head to toe. He entered the village according to the memory of the original Wang Chuqiu, and found Li Jue’s house.

Everyone else was ambushed around, leaving only Zhang Zhen standing beside Jiao Bai.

Jiao Bai sighed. The day they had chosen was good. Qi Yi Liao had just lain down, and would have to lie down for so many days. He was afraid that by the time he woke up, the Qi family would be gone.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.

Damn it, he was already at the crater, and he was worried that the old pervert’s empire would be taken away. It would be fine if the empire was gone, they could just take it back. He was just afraid his life would be gone.

His neck had been so badly strangled by the thin wire, it had only just loosened up a little.

Jiao Bai cursed inwardly, and tapped on the keyboard of his phone to send a message to Shen Er An, but he still didn’t reply. He called, but the phone was turned off.

Great.

Like the invincible halo of the main lead and the main lead shou, the main leads had to show up at the most dog blood-filled juncture.

Jiao Bai tugged on the iron ring on the door.

The door didn’t open. A villager carrying a hoe passed by, looking at him strangely.

Jiao Bai didn’t take off his mask. This wasn’t his hometown. He didn’t need to establish a relationship with the people of Sha Shui Village.

Zhang Zhen was showing his face.

Everyone loved beauty. The villager stopped and took the initiative to talk to him.

“We’re looking for Li Jue.” Zhang Zhen responded politely.

“Little Jue, he’s on the mountain.” The villager turned around, the hoe on his shoulder sweeping through the air, almost hitting Jiao Bai. Zhang Zhen pushed it away.

The villager didn’t notice, and said, “Little Jue’s grandma passed away, she was just buried. He’s up there crying.”

Jiao Bai’s eyelids twitched.

It was over.

This wave of dog blood might be the sum of all his previous dog blood.

Because the tool person with very little screen time, but extremely important in “Broken Wings,” had gone offline!!

Li Jue’s grandma’s death was the second biggest turning point in this comic, after the drugging!!

Jiao Bai touched the Buddha amulet at his neckline through his sunscreen clothing. He stood for a while, then ran toward the mountain in big strides without stopping.

As soon as possible.

Even if he died, he needed to die quickly.

Jiao Bai found Li Jue in front of a new grave. All the Qi family members had scattered, surrounding this mountain.

No suspicious people were found nearby.

Li Jue seemed to be just an ordinary employee of “Di Ye”, and was not associated with Shen Ji, the big boss. It was his personal decision to ask Jiao Bai to come to his hometown.

Jiao Bai walked to the grave and bowed.

Li Jue was kneeling on the damp grass. It had rained in the morning, and the ground was still wet and muddy. His pants and shoes were covered in mud, and so were his fingernails.

“I didn’t think you’d come.” Li Jue’s voice was very hoarse. His eyes didn’t look at Jiao Bai, but at the tombstone.

Jiao Bai’s soles sank into the mud. He glanced at it. Zhang Zhen had bought him these shoes.

“This paper money is for you to burn.” Li Jue pulled out the paper money from a red plastic bag. “When my grandma was alive, she said you were so good, but after she was admitted to Nancheng Hospital, you didn’t even visit her once.”

Jiao Bai ignored him.

“You should burn it.” Li Jue’s voice tensed up. “If it wasn’t for last year, when you got on Qi Total’s car, and I was worried you’d chase after him, I wouldn’t have gotten involved in the sea voyage, suffered so much, and been pushed into the sea, and gotten sick for a long time. I wouldn’t have even had the chance to be with Grandma… You hurt me, you caused Grandma to die without saying much to me before she died… If I had stayed in Nancheng, she could have lived a few more years, she wouldn’t have left so early…”

Jiao Bai laughed.

Li Jue, clutching the paper money, raised his head. His cheeks were terribly thin, without a trace of blood. A pair of abnormally swollen red eyes glared at Jiao Bai: “What are you laughing at?”

“Sorry, it’s too funny, I couldn’t help it.” Jiao Bai said, but his face was still smiling.

It was too fucking funny.

From Qi Zi Zhi to Shen Ji, to Li Jue, one by one, they had to blame the deaths of their family members on him.

Truly worthy of being a character in the annual dog blood king, “Broken Wings.”

This mentally retarded taste was consistent.

“Stop laughing!” Li Jue stood up trembling. Before he could touch Jiao Bai, he was pushed away with force.

It was Zhang Zhen who pushed him.

Li Jue was pushed and fell on the grave. His hand was hit by the tombstone and bled. The hatred in his eyes was replaced by bewilderment: “Benefactor…”

Zhang Zhen’s expression was stern, his brows furrowed.

Li Jue didn’t make a fool of himself like he did on the ship. His gaze went back and forth between Jiao Bai and Zhang Zhen, before returning to Jiao Bai: “You have everything.”

Jiao Bai chuckled, I don’t even have a life.

“University, friends, you have everything.” Li Jue got up and knelt in front of the grave, looking down at his bleeding hand, “What about me, I have nothing left.”

Jiao Bai signaled Zhang Zhen to be patient. Zhang Zhen couldn’t understand why his brother had come all the way to listen to a person with an unclear mind crying and complaining, a bunch of negative energy.

Li Jue scattered the paper money that Jiao Bai didn’t touch, lit it, and burned it one by one: “I didn’t get into my dream school, I thought the extra relatives didn’t belong to me, the teacher was very disappointed in me, and the person I liked hated me to the core.”

“The grandmother who depended on me passed away, and I still had to raise money for her medical expenses… I…” The paper money in Li Jue’s hand trembled and fell, “My life is over. Xiao Qiu gege, do you think I deserve it?”

Li Jue said softly: “You didn’t want to help me, so you faked your death to trick me, and hit me for your friend Shen Er An. Those two hits definitely didn’t fully vent your anger. I have this ending, are you finally comfortable?”

Jiao Bai smelled the burning paper money and finally spoke, “Have you finished talking about your suffering?”

Li Jue didn’t answer. His thin little body was shaking. He didn’t know if it was grinding his teeth in anger, or crying.

“If you’re done, listen to me.” Jiao Bai stood and looked down at Li Jue. He began to tell the story of Wang Chuqiu’s short life, “I knew from a young age that I wasn’t their biological son. My parents had no blood relationship with me. After they gave birth to Xiao Yu, I was just a dispensable piece of furniture. I’d been in the house for so many years. It would be a pity to throw it away, so they might as well use it first. Anyway, it doesn’t take up much space.”

Li Jue stopped burning the paper.

Jiao Bai put his hand behind Zhang Zhen, who looked sad, patted him, and continued to speak. He had to get Li Jue’s forgiveness, and the other person had to confide in him.

Bullshit mission.

“Three years ago, I dropped out of school and went to Nancheng, not to work.” Jiao Bai said as if he was telling a story. It was actually a story, this was Wang Chuqiu’s life, not his.

“I was bought by the Shen family.” Jiao Bai said, “They asked a master to calculate and felt that my life chart was beneficial to the Shen family and Shen Ji, so they gave my adoptive parents ten million and bought my life. My life and death were up to them.”

Li Jue murmured: “Not working…”

“Am I crazy, dropping out of school to work after only one year of high school?” Jiao Bai smiled, “I even sent you money, I don’t have a diploma or social experience, and I’m still a minor. You dared to take the money I sent.”

Li Jue’s lips trembled.

“Xiao Jue ah, your living expenses are gege’s money from selling himself.” Jiao Bai bent down and said in his ear, “How good was gege to you?”

Li Jue shed tears: “How could it be like this… I don’t know anything…” He grabbed the hem of Jiao Bai’s pants, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Jiao Bai tsked, so he was blaming him now.

“Because I like you.” Jiao Bai said softly.

Li Jue’s eyes widened.

Zhang Zhen was about to draw his gun, but the muscles on his back were pinched, so he put the half-exposed gun back.

“I don’t know if you’re clear about the Qin Lin Garden area, it’s a wealthy area, and I was locked there for two years, like a dog.” Jiao Bai said, “You understand dogs, right? If they tell you to go east, you have to go east, otherwise they’ll tighten the dog chain and beat you.”

“The Shen family gave me living expenses every month, and I was afraid you would overthink it, so I sent it to you in batches.” Jiao Bai grinned, revealing his tiger teeth, “See how much I like you.”

Li Jue looked at him blankly, tears streaming down his face.

Jiao Bai reined in the arc on his lips: “When you came to Nancheng to meet me, you noticed my change and felt that I was distant from you, didn’t you?”

Without waiting for Li Jue to speak, he answered himself: “That’s because I finally got out of the dog kennel, I thought of a way to get into Three Middle School, I wanted to continue studying, to live for myself. Was I wrong, Xiao Jue?”

Li Jue shook his head crying.

“Qi Zi Zhi told you that the Qi family was harmed by me.” Jiao Bai said, “This requires mentioning Qi Shuang, he’s Qi Zi Zhi’s younger brother. He and I conspired to plot against the Shen family and staged a car accident with me present. I used a fractured left hand as the price to break away from the Shen family.”

“Fate likes to trick people too much. I used all sorts of methods to leave the Shen family, but became classmates and roommates with Shen Ji’s son, and then friends. I got entangled with the Shen family again. Shen Ji went crazy and wanted to play with me, the one he hadn’t looked at in those two years. I didn’t want to be played with, so I negotiated with him…”

Jiao Bai had already changed the hand that was pinching Zhang Zhen to a light pat: “The night before I fell into a coma in the hospital, Shen Ji made me kneel in the Shen family ancestral hall. During my coma, I was married, and when I woke up, I saw my leech-like adoptive parents.”

At this point, Jiao Bai stopped and looked at Li Jue without saying a word.

Li Jue clutched a handful of paper money, his nails piercing deeply into it: “I didn’t know any of this, I thought you went to Nancheng to work, I thought Uncle and Aunt were your biological parents, that’s why I called them and asked them to come and be with you…”

Jiao Bai nodded: “Yes, you didn’t know any of it.” Your brain hasn’t grown yet. Automatically don’t know.

“That day on New Year’s Eve, which was also the time you encountered me getting in the car, I was used by the Shen Old Madam to replace Shen Er An, who was being taken away by Qi Zi Zhi, which is why Qi Zi Zhi kidnapped me.” Jiao Bai said, “During those days on the cargo ship, I didn’t know I was a member of the Qi family, it was the third brother Qi Zi Zhi found, I only found out after I was rescued by the Qi family ship.”

He squatted down, and looked at Li Jue at eye level: “Xiao Jue, you misunderstood me.”

“Of course, this is just my side of the story, you may not believe it.” Jiao Bai took away the few paper bills clutched by Li Jue and threw them into the fire pit. “During the period on the cargo ship, I didn’t blame you for not being able to help, otherwise I wouldn’t have held you and sang a lullaby to you, haven’t you forgotten.”

Li Jue’s eyes revealed a recollection: “No… Didn’t forget…”

“As for me faking my death, I wanted to use your words to get revenge on Qi Zi Zhi, I was harmed so badly by him, can I get revenge?” Jiao Bai smiled.

Li Jue thought of being… shrunk back: “Qi Total spat out a lot of blood at that time, he was almost dead, he was in a lot of pain.”

“Karma, that’s what he asked for.” Jiao Bai found a branch and poked at the fire, “That night on the last day of the college entrance examination, I hit you in the small hotel, it wasn’t all for Shen Er An, it was for you too. He’s the Shen family young master, if you do that, you’re done too. Moreover, you disappointed me.”

He warned Zhang Zhen not to move with his peripheral vision, and at the same time grasped Li Jue’s cold, delicate hands: “In my heart, you are the kindest person in the world, you shouldn’t have done that kind of thing, ruined yourself.”

“The kindest in the world…” Li Jue’s cheeks were full of tears, his face was full of self-mockery.

“When you were going to jump off the building, I pulled you back. Did Chu Dongshan tell you that he misunderstood that I was going to push you off the building?” Jiao Bai continued the mission.

Li Jue shook his head blankly.

“No, I knew it, you always forget this and forget that.” Jiao Bai sighed, “He was taught a lesson by the Old Master because he fired a gun at me.”

Li Jue sobbed uncontrollably.

“If it wasn’t for Mr. Qi’s timely rescue, I would have died at that time.” Jiao Bai looked frightened. These were real emotions, not acting. The feeling of a bullet grazing his head couldn’t be described.

Li Jue immediately clenched Jiao Bai’s hand.

Jiao Bai felt the blood come out of his clenched hand, but he restrained his urge to swear and said, “Look, I’m also very miserable, right?”

Li Jue shed tears sadly, without shaking his head or nodding.

“Can you forgive me?” Jiao Bai asked.

Li Jue opened his mouth with difficulty: “If you had told me all… If you had told me everything… I…”

“Forgive me?” Jiao Bai interrupted him.

“I don’t blame you,” Li Jue shook his head continuously, “I really don’t blame you… I’m just sad, I don’t want you to be estranged from me… Xiao Qiu gege, don’t like me anymore, I’m not worth your love…”

Jiao Bai breathed a sigh of relief without showing it. Okay, now it was Li Jue’s heartfelt confession segment.

“Don’t worry, I don’t like you anymore.” Jiao Bai burned all the remaining paper money. The ashes floated in front of his eyes, stinging them, “You misunderstood me, you even blamed me for your grandma’s death, the human heart is made of flesh, I won’t like you anymore, Xiao Jue.”

Li Jue murmured: “That’s good then.”

He cried and laughed: “It’s good that you don’t like me, I’m a jinx, if you don’t like me, then…”

“Xiao Qiu gege, I’m really so happy, you said so much to me, you told me all your things, I feel like we’re back when we were kids.” Li Jue looked at the distant mountains and forests, his voice broken, “It’s still better like before, everything is better.”

Jiao Bai was looking at Li Jue’s activity points, 49.99.

The avatar was no longer a torn marriage certificate, but a one-inch photo of Shen Er An.

Li Jue’s obsession was still there.

As soon as the mission completion alert sounded, Jiao Bai left immediately.

“Xiao Qiu gege…” Li Jue’s cry came from the grave. It was as if a piece of sandpaper had been stuffed into his mouth, rubbing his throat, and the sound was very strange.

Jiao Bai didn’t stop, and the branches scraped against his pants. His feet lifted up, bringing up a string of mud.

The reminder that he had broken 50 came, but he didn’t look back, didn’t stop to think about what caused Li Jue to break 50, let alone check Li Jue’s data and the world room, and continued to walk, walking very fast.

This damn dog blood was in front, hurry up and retreat!

“Xiao Qiu gege…”

Li Jue didn’t catch up, just kept shouting, without a follow-up. He just shouted Jiao Bai’s name, the voice changing a hundred times with each call, as if there were countless words to say. But he wouldn’t say it.

Jiao Bai ran down the mountain, sweating profusely and soaking all over. He was about to speak to Zhang Zhen, who had been silent all the way, but his pupils shrank suddenly.

There was a white circle around Li Jue’s avatar.

White flowers were being outlined in the upper left corner.

Li Jue committed suicide.

He was the main character and couldn’t die. Someone else would be unlucky.

Now, at this moment, this moment, I was that other person! Jiao Bai rubbed his face hard, and his hands were covered in cold sweat. There was still some time between Li Jue breaking 50 and joining the group, he couldn’t die at this time.

Jiao Bai was very calm inside. He turned around to go back the way he came, but Zhang Zhen grabbed him.

“Where are you going?” Zhang Zhen’s eyes were red, he was feeling bad, he didn’t want to think about the hardships his brother had suffered and the sins he had committed along the way. It was like a knife slashing wildly at him. He really didn’t like that Li Jue, he didn’t speak clearly, and didn’t say thank you to Bai Bai from beginning to end.

“See Li Jue.” Jiao Bai’s body temperature was dropping. The dirty words had already rushed to the top of his head, “I suspect he couldn’t think straight and hit the tombstone. He can’t die, damn it, if he dies now, I…” It’s over!

Half of the white flowers had already been outlined. Jiao Bai broke free from Zhang Zhen’s hand, but was grabbed again. He was trembling with anxiety. Damn, damn, damn!

Zhang Zhen frowned, he wanted to say don’t bother, but the kindness that was still retained in the depths of his heart came out.

That was a human life.

“I’ll go take a look, you get in the car first.” Zhang Zhen said.

Jiao Bai refused: “Let me go.” Whoever went would be tricked by the main character’s halo, he might as well go himself.

“I’ll go, I’ll be back in a while.” Zhang Zhen pushed Jiao Bai into the car, “You stay in the car, don’t get out.”

Zhang Zhen said, closing the car door. He was also afraid that Jiao Bai would get out of the car and run around, so he locked the car door. Then he threw the lock to the brothers, telling them to stay in place and guard.

Zhang Zhen went up the mountain alone, but when he reached the middle of the mountain, he heard a panicked shout. Zhang Zhen turned back and looked down the mountain.

“Boom—”

The car his brother was in exploded in his eyes, shaking the birds and insects on this mountain.

Zhang Zhen’s legs lost consciousness and couldn’t lift up.

The deformed car parts were blown everywhere, and the car body was broken in two.

Black and red flames piled up and spread. A huge fire soared into the sky.

“Ah!” Zhang Zhen roared as he rushed down the mountain, rushing into the fire with tears on his face.

The brothers desperately held him back.

The exploded car was still burning, the fire was very big. It was burning, burning, as if the painful cries for help from the youth were coming from inside.

Then it was gone. Nothing was left.

Zhang Zhen looked blankly, tears streaming down his face, mixed with the blood he didn’t know when it overflowed, flowing into his chin in embarrassment. He raised his gun and fired all the bullets into the sky.

His trembling and stiff hands threw the gun away, bent his knees and knelt down, his head slammed against the muddy ground, and a tearing wail came from his throat.