Infinite Game Ch.32

Chapter 32 – …we broke up?

The vehicle slowly stopped in front of the hotel. Shi Bu paid the fare and got off, proceeding to check in at the front desk.

The hotel room had been arranged by the company, a luxurious single room. It was bright with sunlight, well-equipped with facilities. He glanced around, then bent to charge his phone. However, upon seeing the time on the electronic clock on the table, he froze momentarily. He needed to rush to the factory on the outskirts of the city, but time was completely against him. He retracted his charging cable, grabbed his briefcase from the side, and swiftly left the room.

He had arrived in F City in the afternoon to visit the factory. The factory, situated in F City’s largest industrial park, was his destination to assess whether the machinery required a complete upgrade, among other tasks. His emotional intelligence was lacking, but his intellectual capacity sufficed. As long as it involved work matters, he seemed quite normal and even reliable.

He spent the entire afternoon and half the evening at the industrial park, extending his work slightly. He managed to address pending issues that had been dragging on, finally leaving before the latest expected closing time.

There were no more scheduled transports from the outskirts to the city at this hour. The industrial park arranged a vehicle to directly take him back to the hotel.

Waving goodbye to the car that had brought him back to the hotel, he suddenly remembered he hadn’t checked whether his dear friend had replied to his message. Patting his pocket, he found it empty.

It seemed he had left his phone in the industrial park.

Meanwhile…

Jiang Yujin was still on the way to F City. His eyelids drooped, reflecting an almost lifeless state.

The situation was somewhat difficult to explain. In simple terms, he encountered frequent problems on the highway to F City. He had set off in the afternoon, but a truck transporting piglets had an issue with its cargo compartment along the way, resulting in piglets falling out continuously. Despite many people helping to retrieve the piglets and clear the road, it took a considerable amount of time. Now, it was completely dark, and he was still on the road.

Inside the compartment, there were other people chatting and speaking loudly on the phone. Faint smells of snacks lingered in the air. He glanced at his almost-dead phone, indicating a critically low battery, and eventually closed his eyes slowly.

*

It took Shi Bu nearly an hour to return to the hotel, only to spend another hour getting back to the industrial park.

With the round trip taking two hours, when he returned, there was no one on the roadside in the park… except for one person.

On the other side of the road, a figure with the brim of their hat lowered had a dark, eerie symbol of ‘0’ marked where their face met the neck. They casually walked away.

Shi Bu glanced at them briefly, unconcerned, his mind focused on his phone, and he walked into the industrial park.

The park seemed very economical; the streetlights were off at this late hour. Everywhere was engulfed in darkness except for the security booth. However, the security guard inside wasn’t diligently working, slumped over the table, sleeping in a peculiar position.

—Shi Bu interpreted it unilaterally as sleeping.

Then, something disrupted the tranquility fit for sleep. A dark shadow appeared on the rooftop of the factory building, then descended from it. Its limbs moved in a crisp and hair-raising manner.

There were more than just one of these creatures. With the light behind them, standing on the ground, people could see numerous densely packed figures continuously crawling. Their shapes exceeded the boundaries of normal imagination.

These unidentifiable creatures appeared large and moved swiftly while crawling. In just a brief glance, the fuzzy tentacles on their heads had already reached right in front of Shi Bu’s eyes, aiming precisely for his pupils.

Shi Bu instinctively reached for a nearby streetlight, but before he could touch it, something flashed in the air. A massive tentacle was severed in mid-air, narrowly missing Shi Bu’s nose before falling away.

A figure jumped down from the factory roof, their features faintly illuminated by the pale moonlight, their clothes billowing in the wind.

Tall and handsome, resembling a high schooler.

Chen Jing landed lightly on the ground, he squatted before springing up. With a long knife in hand, it glinted momentarily in the light as it ruthlessly pierced the carapace of the strange species, slashing a long portion forward. The strange species was severed in the middle, green fluid gushing out instantly.

*

Finally getting off the long-distance bus, Jiang Yujin squatted by the roadside for a while before flagging down a car. He went to the hotel mentioned over the phone by Shi Bu, only to find out from the front desk that the person hadn’t returned yet. He then checked the address of the factory where Shi Bu’s company was located and left the hotel, taking a cab to the outskirts.

The journey from the city to the outskirts was a significant trip. The driver seemed quite pleased and engaged in conversation throughout the ride. Jiang Yujin, still feeling the effects of the bus ride, usually talkative in town, leaned against the window, finding solace in the wind outside and speaking very little.

When they were still some distance from the destination in the industrial park, the driver stopped. Jiang Yujin slightly leaned forward to look out the window and saw that the road ahead was blocked by several barriers, indicating no passage.

Glancing at the map, the driver said, “The industrial park is not far ahead, but unfortunately, you’ll have to walk a bit more from here.”

Jiang Yujin got out, and the driver turned and left.

As his feet touched the ground again, the night wind blew, clearing his somewhat hazy mind.

A road stretched ahead, dividing into two paths. Jiang Yujin glanced around and in the unlit part where the headlights hadn’t reached, he spotted a figure, seemingly wearing a hat, appearing out of nowhere.

Approaching, Jiang Yujin greeted politely before asking, “Do you know how to get to the industrial park?”

The person on the other side looked up, emitting an inexplicably hoarse sound from their throat, lips curling up. Along with the twitching of the inscription of ‘0’ on the face, they pointed in a direction and slowly said, “That way.”

Jiang Yujin glanced at the person before smiling, nodding in thanks, and headed towards the indicated direction.

*

The park was teeming with insect-like creatures beyond description.

Chen Jing rescued the person who appeared in the park and led him to a relatively safe place, asking, “What are you doing here?”

Shi Bu was about to answer, but upon seeing the tall and handsome high schooler, remembered something Jiang Yujin had mentioned on the phone. So, he closed his mouth, choosing not to speak.

The other party remained silent. Chen Jing’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “It’s very dangerous here. You should leave first.”

In no time, Xiao Pang also arrived, pointing in a direction and saying, “It’s dangerous here. This area has been cleared. Just keep going in this direction, and you’ll be able to leave.”

There were too many of these creatures, and for the moment, they couldn’t clear them all, so they had to temporarily create a path.

Neither he nor Chen Jing expected to encounter someone linked to ‘Zero’ on their first day in F City. After following this person here, they suddenly disappeared, coinciding with the appearance of these creatures.

These are Ant Walkers, named with ‘Ant’ in their title, but entirely unrelated to ants. They move in groups, exhibit territorial behavior, and drive away anyone or anything invading their territory.

The industrial park was evidently claimed as territory by the Ant Walkers.

Though unsure how the person released these creatures, it was certain that these strange species were closely linked to them.

Ignoring Xiao Pang’s suggested route, Shi Bu continued toward the building he had been in previously.

He needed to retrieve his phone; that was his goal, everything else was just irrelevant interference.

His pace quickened as he brushed past a metal railing.

The metal railing detached, twisted, and deformed, rapidly reshaping in his hands.

A silver firearm appeared in his hand, aiming at the approaching Ant Walkers.

A small bullet pierced through an Ant Walker’s body, and in less than a second, the creature exploded.

Without aiming, he traversed through the group of strange species, the gun continuously targeting the incoming Ant Walkers.

Explosions echoed in the night. The metal railings and streetlights along his path severely deformed, forming arcs almost impossible to create by mere human strength.

The number of Ant Walkers rapidly decreased.

Perhaps this person didn’t need protection at all. Metal objects along the way decreased, and his firearm effortlessly switched from one wave to another, never ceasing, seemingly endless. The creatures were eradicated from afar, unable to get anywhere near him.

Chen Jing frowned, “Shi Bu?”

Xiao Pang hadn’t reacted until the bodies of the Ant Walkers fell beside him. He quickly seized a weapon in his hand, his not-so-large eyes widening slightly.

In a short time, a new path had been cleared, and they watched as the person ahead entered a building.

The walls of the building seemed to be made of a special material, impenetrable to the sharp feet of the Ant Walkers. They crowded outside, attempting to force their way in, emitting a high-pitched sound with peculiar sonic waves.

Dodging the attacks of the creatures, Xiao Pang counterattacked, then, when the creatures were immobilized, he covered his ears, trying to block out the piercing noise.

Clearly, the person inside the building couldn’t endure the sound either. A window on a certain floor of the building opened, and a figure appeared, carrying something much larger than the previous firearms on his shoulder.

“…”

Boom! A loud sound reverberated, followed by an unstoppable buzzing in the ears, then suddenly, the world seemed to quiet down.

Indeed, the world quieted down. The number of Ant Walkers sharply decreased, and the scuttling of limbs diminished significantly.

Xiao Pang took the chance to glance around, trying to locate the origin of the continuously emerging creatures. His gaze paused in a certain direction, and he nudged the person beside him, hesitantly saying, “That person… seems familiar.”

Chen Jing plunged his knife into the abdomen of an Ant Walker that was still attempting to approach. He then turned his head following Xiao Pang’s line of sight.

“…”

Behind the crawling figures, someone was peering around the entrance of the park, seemingly trying to communicate with the security guard stationed in the booth.

The guard had already permanently fallen asleep. Consequently, the individual crossed the railing and entered the park.

Chen Jing’s head began to ache.

Assigning the task of locating the source of the creatures to Xiao Pang, Chen Jing quickly sprinted towards the entrance.

Some of the Ant Walkers had sensed something amiss and were also lunging toward the person at the entrance.

The person standing there widened their eyes, seemingly taken aback.

Chen Jing was faster than the creatures. He split the Ant Walker charging towards Jiang Yujin in half, reacting in time to step back, avoiding the green viscous liquid that splattered around.

Honestly, Jiang Yujin was genuinely startled.

It was his first time encountering such large, flapping bugs.

The high schooler shielded him to the side, eyebrows twitching, and asked, “How did you end up here?”

Jiang Yujin explained, “I wanted to try a specialty of F City. I didn’t know when you’d be back, so I came on my own.”

“I mentioned wanting to visit the park, and the driver dropped me off here.” He scratched his head. “Looks like this isn’t it.”

An absurd reason, but somehow it made sense in this person’s context.

Chen Jing: “…Indeed, this isn’t the place.”

Observing the squirming insects around him,  Jiang Yujin asked：“Are these creatures from the Game?”

Astounded, he said, “The things in your game are really strange.”

Chen Jing remained silent, intending to lead the person away to a safer location.

Xiao Pang rushed over, gasping, claiming he had found the source of the emerging creatures but was struggling to handle it alone.

As he spoke, several gunshots echoed behind him.

Finally retrieving his phone, Shi Bu turned back towards the entrance, planning to head back and rest. Amidst the movements of the creatures, he happened to notice the person standing at the entrance.

Jiang Yujin glanced at him, saying nothing, his fingers twitching slightly at his side.

Only Shi Bu understood his intention.

It was a signal to swiftly resolve the situation and leave this place.

Reacting instantly, Shi Bu hid the phone he had just obtained to his pocket, touching the nearby metal.

In almost an instant, the entire metal casing outside a factory building vanished.

Different from shooting one by one previously, this time, he headed straight towards the direction Xiao Pang had just come from.

The park suddenly fell into silence, followed by a bright flash. With the light behind them, they could see countless lifeless Ant Walkers thrown into the air.

Apart from appearing foolish, Shi Bu was actually highly efficient in his actions.

He promptly filled the hole where the Ant Walkers emerged, eradicating the remaining creatures.

With the task completed, Shi Bu withdrew his gaze and walked toward the entrance.

Before he could show a silly smile, Jiang Yujin took the lead, warmly patting the guy’s shoulder, praising, “Buddy, you’re really amazing.”

He was good at praising people and keeping a certain distance, warm yet with a sense of unfamiliarity.

But it didn’t matter; Shi Bu knew how to pick up compliments well. When he heard the praise, his face lit up with a full smile. Luckily, he was facing away from the two high schoolers and wasn’t seen.

The two high schoolers watched the guy with disheveled hair and unreserved attitude, daring to link arms with someone he just met.

Shi Bu laughed, and Jiang Yujin laughed too, softly saying, “We don’t know each other. Avoid talking to anyone on the way back. If there’s anything, we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

The very obedient and honest man nodded. Jiang Yujin patted his shoulder before stepping away, joining the high schoolers.

It was just an accidental encounter. In the midst of the silence, Shi Bu departed alone, while Jiang Yujin turned to link arms with the high schooler again, smiling as he asked, “So, why are you guys here again?”

The same question the high schoolers had asked him earlier, now directed back at them.

Xiao Pang was busy trying to come up with excuses, while Chen Jing, unfazed, said, “We’re on a community project. We left something here and came back to retrieve it.”

Jiang Yujin raised an eyebrow and then nodded.

Xiao Pang had a knack for this and managed to find a ride back to the city late at night.

As the car entered the city, Jiang Yujin got off midway, casually saying, “The hotel I’m staying is nearby, so I’ll get off here.”

He stood by the roadside after getting off, watching the vehicle drive away.

*

At night, there were no more buses from the outskirts to the city. Shi Bu’s phone was running out of battery, so he had no choice but to walk back to the city.

After a few hours, or perhaps a bit quicker, he finally caught sight of the city lights again.

The good news was he made it back to the city, but the bad news was the hotel was still far away.

It was probably quite late by now. Most shops were closed, except for the 24-hour convenience stores.

There were few people on the streets. Some workers were riding electric donkeys through the city. As he turned a corner, he saw another convenience store—the brightest spot on the street.

“Welcome, come again next time,” the sound of the store door opening greeted him.

Shi Bu turned and saw someone coming out of the convenience store, holding a bottle of water.

Sharp facial features, iron-grey eyes, dressed in a black combat suit, muscles defined.

Shi Bu paused, then waved. “Brother Xu!”

Xu Tonggui glanced sideways, his inorganic grey eyes looking over with a heavy sense of unfamiliarity.

Shi Bu seemed to be born without emotional perception systems. With a turn of his toe, he happily walked towards the person standing at the convenience store entrance, saying, “You’re indeed still alive!”

This person knew him.

Xu Tonggui glanced at the other person without saying a word, observing quietly.

Shi Bu said, “Why didn’t you go to A City to see him?”

“Him,” Xu Tonggui lowered his eyes and slowly uttered a name, “Jiang Yujin?”

He guessed correctly.

The person in front of him changed expression, seemingly surprised, “You actually called him by his name?”

Fingers tapped slowly on the water bottle as Xu Tonggui didn’t respond to the statement, instead asking, “Did he tell you we broke up?”

Shi Bu was startled by this question. “He never mentioned it to me.”

Xu Tonggui stopped tapping the bottle with his fingers.

The truth came out.

“…”

On a street corner, Jiang Yujin was not feeling at ease leaving the silly guy wandering around, so he searched for half of the city, and finally found him.

Jiang Yujin slowly crouched in a corner, covering his face in agony.

He was too late.

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