Infinite Game Ch.86

Chapter 86 – Floating Duckweed Has No Roots [End]

The mouth of the small pub owner was probably really spiritual.

After drinking too much and enduring the nagging, Jiang Yujin chose the right moment—though not so timely—to stop and left the small pub to go home.

As he approached his home tonight, there was a lively atmosphere at his doorstep. When he was unlocking the door, he noticed a few people in the shadows behind him.

There were no lights here, but Jiang Yujin could see that the faces of the people who appeared were marked with the symbol that the headquarters recognized as scrap [0].

However, these people did not consider themselves scrap; they still thought they were acknowledged individuals and were still working hard to restore their glory.

A cold metallic object pressed against his back, and Jiang Yujin heard someone say, “Don’t move.”

Citizen Jiang was very considerate and didn’t move at all when told not to. Curiously, he asked, “What are you guys doing?”

“We want to use you to exchange for our boss who’s been locked up,” the bald one behind him said, “Blame it on your acquaintance with Xu Tonggui.”

They were originally members of the same branch, but when they returned from an outing, they found their base had been raided, and their boss was nowhere to be found. Later, they found out that Captain Xu Tonggui of the SIU single-handedly wiped out their branch, and their boss had been locked up in the SIU’s prison.

Based on what their boss had done, death would come sooner or later.

The bald one was informative and surprisingly polite. Jiang Yujin thanked this enthusiastic person for the information and briefly applauded the powerful predictive ability of the small pub owner.

The group of people prepared quite thoroughly, and a car was parked at the corner. Once they got in the car, they could leave directly.

However, the person who had been cooperative until now instantly refused, “No, I just drank, and I’ll get motion sickness if I get in the car.”

To some extent, he was considering his own well-being.

This person’s attitude was very determined, and surprisingly calm. He even tried to negotiate, as if completely unaware of his current situation, acting more like a friend than a hostage.

Unexpectedly, when he made this statement, the group was stunned. Black Beard, holding a gun against the person’s back, pressed the gun forward, attempting to make the other person realize the seriousness of his situation.

However, his threat was ineffective. The man in the wrinkled shirt turned around and began unlocking the door, seemingly prepared to enter.

Nonchalant, behaving as if he were not a hostage at all.

Footsteps echoed down the street, and several figures were illuminated by the streetlights. Black Beard frowned, then changed his mind on the spot and said, “Go inside.”

By “inside,” he meant into the house. The agency owner, Boss Jiang, was quite accommodating and didn’t stop the guests outside. He just reminded them, “Remember to take off your shoes when entering.”

Caring for the cleanliness of the room was everyone’s responsibility. He turned his head towards the stairs, warning that those who didn’t comply would be thrown down from there.

The man’s gaze swept over, maintaining a threatening appearance, but the group had no intention of following through.

After Black Beard entered the house, he was the first to step onto the wooden boards.

In an instant, everything spun. Light and shadows swiftly passed before his eyes and ears. Black Beard could feel himself rapidly descending, experiencing a dull pain in his back and shoulder blades, followed by the intense pain of his hand bones dislocating.

“…”

The remaining people inside the house still had their feet suspended above the wooden floor, frozen in place. They watched as the person who had been casually chatting with them moments ago caught the falling loaded gun, skillfully removed the magazine, and pulled back the bolt.

When the person looked up, a chill ran up their spines, causing a few of them to shudder involuntarily.

What this person said earlier was true.

…They only knew that Xu Tonggui had a family member under careful protection, but no one informed them that this family member was not to be trifled with.

Maintaining the same position for too long, someone couldn’t hold steady, and their feet slipped downward.

This person was also thrown down. The back and legs collided with the stairs, emitting a chilling sound that sent shivers down one’s spine.

The person who rolled down ended up in a peculiar posture in front of a pair of feet.

“…”

After the regular customer left, feeling uneasy, the pub owner decided to check on things. He looked down at the person at his feet, the blood on their face. His eyes widened gradually. Then, he looked up towards the stairs.

Jiang Yujin also saw the pub owner downstairs. He casually stowed the gun hidden in the darkness into his pocket and said to the two people behind him, “They slipped and fell. Go quickly and see if they’re okay.”

His voice was calm but carried a hint of urgency, as if genuinely concerned.

The other two people reacted quickly, rushing downstairs to assist the two fallen individuals.

Black Beard was the most severely injured, his face covered in blood. However, he was still conscious, though probably shaken, with dilated pupils and trembling all over.

With the help of the kind pub owner, the two people who had fallen down the stairs were loaded into an ambulance. The other two, with limbs relatively intact, accompanied them to the hospital.

Their car was nearby, and it would be best to leave at this time. However, the man in the wrinkled shirt had been watching nearby. Although he didn’t speak, the immense sense of oppression lingered. The other two dared not make any additional moves and had no choice but to go to the hospital.

Citizen Jiang called the hotline of the SIU. Soon, personnel from the headquarters arrived and took charge of the four individuals. Citizen Jiang’s tip-off was rewarded, and he would receive the corresponding bounty for reporting the criminals.

When the SIU mentioned the reward, their eyes showed a slightly strange emotion while looking at the four criminals. In any case, it wasn’t a positive mood.

The four criminals approached this person straightforwardly, literally handing over money, and it was the money from the SIU.

The pub owner later learned that these four individuals were notorious kidnappers, intending harm to the agency owner. Due to their oversight, two of them accidentally fell down the stairs, preventing their sinister plan from succeeding.

The almost-victim, the agency owner, Boss Jiang, received genuine comfort from the pub owner afterward, and was finally taken away by Xu Tonggui who rushed to the hospital.

The incident of drinking couldn’t be kept a secret, and the Safety and Health Mini-Class resumed its session.

On that night, Citizen Jiang dreamt of the Safety and Health Mini-Class. In his sleep, he couldn’t resist reaching out to pat Xu Tonggui’s head, asking the master to stop the lecture.

After the Safety and Health Mini-Class, Jiang Yujin joyfully welcomed his big son back home for the first time after half a month of military training at university.

Carrying their luggage, Chen Jing and Zhang Xin got off at the familiar place. Chen Jing casually took Zhang Xin’s backpack as they disembarked and, upon lifting his gaze, saw Xiao Pang already waiting at the station.

The three of them had made plans to meet before the holiday break and decided to hang out at Chen Jing’s house. Chen Jing and Zhang Xin attended the same school and often commuted together. Xiao Pang, recently arranged to study at a school by the SIU, wasn’t with them, having arrived at the station earlier to wait.

He appeared relaxed, and when he saw the other two, his gaze paused for a moment before he casually looked away.

Even if it was just half a month, returning to this place made it seem like something had changed. From one end of the street to the other, people who knew Chen Jing would first be puzzled, as if not recognizing him, and then would greet him with a smile.

When they reached the downstairs of the building, the barbershop was still open. Behind the half-open glass door, a person was smoking while looking down and cleaning the tabletop. Upon hearing footsteps, he lifted his eyes and coincidentally made eye contact with the three college students.

Chen Jing took the lead and greeted, “Hello, Uncle.”

The barbershop owner put out his cigarette and asked, “Bringing friends home today?”

Chen Jing nodded, about to continue upstairs, but he noticed Zhang Xin’s expression gradually changing. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhang Xin was deep in thought, her mind racing.

—This voice is very familiar, and the figure sitting behind the glass door is also familiar. She must have heard and seen him somewhere.

Rainy day, in the park, a conversation between two people.

Zhang Xin was still pondering.

No, it should be even earlier.

—Rainy day, river water, a sky full of golden-red flames, a person holding an umbrella.

The once blurry memory instantly became clear. Zhang Xin opened her eyes wide, lowered her voice, and said, “Is this person Yuan Sanshui?”

Her voice trembled at the end, turning the statement into a question. Even she found it hard to believe.

The person inside the place they had passed by so many times before was the one many people were looking for, the one who had disappeared without a trace. It was absurd but strangely plausible.

After all, they had Chen Jing’s unreliable dad as a precedent. As long as they thought of this person, other seemingly absurd things didn’t seem that absurd anymore.

Coming over happily for a visit, they didn’t expect this unexpected discovery. Xiao Pang glanced at the barbershop several times and then shifted his gaze away, whispering, “What if he gets too excited while cutting a customer’s hair and ends up burning their hair?”

A truly intriguing question.

Chen Jing didn’t think it would happen because his dad, who could easily stir up emotions, managed to keep his hair alive in the hands of others. So, there shouldn’t be a problem with anyone else.

The three of them went upstairs. Footsteps and the sound of luggage echoed, and before the university students could knock on the door, it swung open.

The one opening the door was Xu Tonggui. He was tall and had long legs, looking not easy to mess with, but he was wearing an apron, giving off a completely homely vibe.

Chen Jing was used to this sight, but the other two were momentarily unable to accept it, their CPUs almost overheating.

Three pairs of slippers were ready at the entrance, indicating that other guests were also present today. Xu Tonggui greeted, “You’re back.”

A white furry figure emerged from the kitchen.

“…”

Seeing the white hair, Chen Jing immediately knew that this person must have done something recently.

The person who had been up to something lately emerged happily but froze for a moment upon seeing the two tanned figures at the door.

“…”

After a brief silence, there was an earth-shattering burst of laughter. Jiang Yujin looked at the two who were as sunburned as black eggs and couldn’t help but burst into laughter, leaning back, while Xu Tonggui stood behind him to catch him.

Due to their recent military training sunburns, Chen Jing and Zhang Xin fell into silence. Xiao Pang, who had been holding back laughter all the way from the station, couldn’t resist and joined in with a couple of laughs.

When the laughter, which had caused sore cheeks, subsided, the people sitting in the living room also looked over.

After regaining his composure, Jiang Yujin patted Chen Jing’s shoulder and introduced with a suppressed laugh, “Let me introduce you to… Silly…em…Shi Bu. Just call him Uncle.”

The big son had already mentioned that Zhang Xin and Xiao Pang would come to play, and this “Silly” had been pestering him to meet his nephew, whom he hadn’t seen before. He kept pestering, and Jiang Yujin was finally persuaded to let him come today.

Today, Shi Bu was dressed in a dress shirt and trousers, complete with glasses, giving off a successful and elite professional vibe.

The elite professional spoke up, “Brother, were you about to say something earlier?”

Jiang Yujin waved his hand, “Illusion.”

The elite professional looked at the others, cautiously seeking confirmation, “Brother Xu?”

Xu Tonggui said, “Illusion.”

So, it was just an illusion.

Shi Bu smiled and shook hands with each of the university students, showing genuine warmth.

He had some intelligence, but not too much.

In less than a minute of meeting, the three university students had a good grasp of his true nature.

Chen Jing, sunburned into a black egg, returned home and put down his suitcase. The first thing he did was to put on an apron and join Xu Tonggui in preparing lunch in the kitchen.

The remaining four people sat in the living room, chatting and munching on melon seeds, while the sound of the TV played in the background.

Shi Bu looked towards the kitchen where the two were working. As he peeled sunflower seeds for his brother, he commented, “Brother Xu and my nephew get along quite well.”

Having just met, his address to Chen Jing had already changed to “my nephew.” Putting aside this title, Xiao Pang and Zhang Xin both agreed with his words.

They had always found it hard to imagine what these two would be like together. Unexpectedly, they got along harmoniously, resembling a father with his son.

Citizen Jiang emitted a fatherly sound, reminding these individuals that he was, after all, a father.

Zhang Xin withdrew her gaze from Chen Jing and casually mentioned, “He seems to have quite a few admirers at school.”

Instantly, the three people became interested, and Jiang Yujin lowered his voice, “Tell me more.”

In reality, there wasn’t much to elaborate on because they were all in the same school, and gossip was inevitable. Since the end of the opening ceremony, Zhang Xin often heard the other person’s name being mentioned due to his good-looking appearance.

Objectively speaking, this person did look good. Although he came off as a bit reserved to others, he was polite, respectful, and had a good temperament. Because of their good relationship, people often asked her about his contact information.

Zhang Xin proved to be a true friend, resisting various temptations and remaining true to her principles, not betraying her friends.

Citizen Jiang gave a thumbs up to Good-friend Zhang.

Shi Bu glanced at the two people in the kitchen, then looked at White Hair sitting beside him. Handing the peeled sunflower seeds to his brother, he said, “If brother wasn’t too young for love, he could probably have a few more boyfriends.”

The two university students looked at White Hair munching on sunflower seeds and recalled the photos they had seen before at school, thinking it made sense.

Jiang Yujin laughed without saying a word. The person who had been quietly washing vegetables in the kitchen came out.  Shi Bu received a knock on his head, he covered it while inhaling sharply.

Jiang Yujin enjoyed the spectacle, laughing and saying, “Deserved.”

After finishing the melon seeds in his hand, Jiang Yujin took the lead to inspect the kitchen. Seeing everything was almost ready, he opened the door and went downstairs to call the barbershop owner.

In order to sustainably catch some free meals in the future, he couldn’t always keep taking advantage of people. He had to invite them over for a meal, and today at lunch was quite suitable.

The barbershop owner was dragged upstairs by him.

The dining table at home was a bit old but very sturdy and large.

At first, only one person sat in the corner, with a bowl, a dish, a bottle of wine, a lamp, and a room full of silence.

Because it was too quiet, someone learned to play the TV during meals.

Later, there were two people, and the variety of dishes increased. The time for meals became more regular, and conversations gradually appeared at the dining table.

Later on, there were three people sitting here, and family matters such as the rule that one must sleep before midnight were decided here. The voice of someone protesting was considered an ineffective objection.

Now, the table was surrounded by people. The person recently prohibited from drinking due to being caught secretly drinking raised the milk in his hand and said, “Today, everyone is celebrating Boss Jiang becoming the father of everyone here, and—”

Jiang Yujin couldn’t finish his words as the barbershop owner slapped his forehead, and the milk in his hand almost spilled.

He turned to complain to Xu Tonggui about the barber shop owner’s violence. Xu Tonggui raised his hand, slowly rubbing his forehead.

Shi Bu, ignoring his own brother, joined the group of university students, inquiring about who might be secretly in love.

Occupied by the constant barrage of words and gunfire-like chatter, Chen Jing managed to take away the bottle of wine from White Hair, a bottle that was almost within his silent reach. Xiao Pang and Zhang Xin watched the silent struggle between the two, smiling on the side.

Even without the sound of the TV, the room remained lively.

In this place, the floating duckweed took root, and from then on, it had a home and bloomed.

<< TOC

**TN

THE END.

Oh man, I’m gonna miss them. The novel is so short. I’m not used to it. XD

I will pick up another novel later. By the way, I still have an ongoing TL Supernatural BG romance LINK. This novel has more action and adventure than romance.

Thanks for reading~ See yah later~ <3

*Edit – I’m TLing this author’s QT novel – Becoming the Villain’s White Moonlight. Check it out~