CH 63.3

After a period of silence, Dai Wu speaks up again, “regardless, I just want to be able to live a normal life, even in the Tower.”

Xü Beijin smirks.

Dai Wu, shocked, asks, “you can’t be laughing at that, can you?”

Xü Beijin “…”

He puts up his stern face and says with a serious tone, “of course not.”

Dai Wu then shrugs and says, “just kidding,” then he seems hesitant, but still can’t help but ask, “did you know…”

“What?”

Dai Wu is struggling to speak, “you know… the Tower… these days…”

Xü Beijin’s brows are furrowing.

Dai Wu fails to clarify himself in the end, and just awkwardly smiles, saying, “never mind, I guess I’ll not ask.”

Xü Beijin “…”

What in the world?

Meanwhile, there is some ruckus coming from further in the amusement park, and the Server has also just told them what to do right now.

When Nightmares are large in size, such as this one, and the Missiontakers had too many possible things to do, NE would have a greater presence. It always appears at crucial moments to tell the Actors what to do.

So Dai Wu parts with Xü Beijin to head where he is ordered to.

While Xü Beijin is also heading towards the rowdiness as per the Server’s instructions.

He is feeling pretty surprised, even, because by his account, what he is doing seems a bit more than what is expected for an extra. Of course, he’s misled the Missiontakers into thinking he’s an important character too. Maybe that’s why the Server made an impromptu arrangement to put him where the Missiontakers are certain to pass by next?

This definitely is something fresh for him.

He walks forward step by step, pretending he is only passing by accidentally when the Missiontakers, who are here to gather information, see him. He meets Mu Jiashi, Collector and Fei.

The six Missiontakers have split into two groups. Collector cannot go with Baldie or Biceps, so this is how the team had to be split.

Fei also intentionally split up with Wu Jian, because she only trusts him here, so she needs him to check on what the other side is doing, and also to keep an eye on Baldie, who seems like a loose cannon.

Now, they have chosen to barge into the amusement park, literally.

Mu Jiashi and Collector approached the entrance the last time around, but many survivors were guarding, and so they made a detour.

But it goes without saying, that, after the amusement park has been ruined, it has already become a largely open area. They tried to enter through somewhere else, and though there were still survivors and resistance, but they managed to enter the grounds after a small brawl.

Though they have certainly announced their presence loud and clear, and survivors are converging on their location.

Mu Jiashi and co. saw Xü Beijin as he was heading towards the crumbled fountain to meet up with the other survivors.

The Server ordered him to go via a path that put him in a deliberate collision course with the Missiontakers, though, in order to be their expositional info-dump du jour.

Fei almost immediately spots the man with unkempt hair and wearing a white shirt. She murmurs, “the bookstore owner…?”

Collector rubs his chin, wondering, “why is he here?”

Xü Beijin is all ready to tell the survivors about the amusement park and the survivors when they rush towards him to ask, “do you remember us at all?”

Xü Beijin “…”

Forgive him for almost choking on his words.

He knows why they’re asking, though; they fear he might have lost part of his memories as well, but… can they not make it sound like he has terrible memory?

Xü Beijin is dissing inside, but on the surface, he is giving the three of them a casual glance followed by a casual nod.

“Great!” Fei makes herself look elated to hear, and says, “we’ve just arrived here, so we’re not sure what’s going on…”

And there the initiative passes over to Xü Beijin, who still insisted on an equivalent exchange, though.

The Missiontakers didn’t have much to say other than they realised their memories would be wiped out here.

Xü Beijin knew that already, and tells them so, because that’s what Baldie and Biceps used to get information from him in the first place. Then, he calmly says, “well… never mind. You owe me one.”

Fei is rapidly nodding her head.

In the stream, the viewers saw through the trickery, and are typing out their disdain, “don’t fall for it missiontakers! Beibei is leading you on, hard!”

Xü Beijin, glancing at the comments, can’t help but smile a little.

The Missiontakers are visibly tense, clearly taken aback somewhat by the smile; it looks awfully like he has some evil scheme in his head.

Xü Beijin has no idea the Missiontakers are already treating him as some chaotic neutral character as he explains the information he is given to the Missiontakers, even adding in information about the residence of Black Robe.

Fei looks shocked, falls into thought, and then say, “ah, I got it now, don’t worry, we’ll get it done.”

Xü Beijin “…”

You’re going to get what done now?

The viewers of the stream are hysterical already.

“oh oh oh! she must have thought Beibei wants to topple the black robe guy!”

“see, Beibei, you’re even telling her where he lives, it’s clear as day what you want”

“no wonder shes misunderstanding, even id wonder why Beibei is telling me so much if i was listening”

The corner of Xü Beijin’s mouth is twitching as he creases his brows. He is wondering what he could do now, because that is definitely not what he wants to do. But if he intentionally clarified that he had no such intention, wouldn’t the Missiontakers misunderstand even more?”

While hesitating, Collector suddenly points forward, asking with a smile, “is that the man in question?”

Fei looks up and her eyes glimmer. She replies, “a black robe, middle-aged, eagle nose… that’s him!”

Xü Beijin had no other option but to say, “you don’t have to do anything… He can also tell you something,” they’re coworkers, you know, so some modicum of respect is necessary, though he still needs to save his image, and says, “you owe me two pieces of information now.”

Fei quickly thanks him and goes after him with Collector.

Mu Jiashi doesn’t follow them, though, instead, asking, “I want to stay with him,” pointing to Xü Beijin, he continues, “can I?”

Fei knits her brows, but then her expression eases again. This bookstore owner is important in the Nightmare, so someone should stay by his side, and Mu Jiashi is at least the most reliable choice present – he has largely kept to his own and has not done anything outlandish since the Nightmare began.

There is also another thing to consider. That is, why did Xü Beijin move here from the bookstore? Is there some meaning behind it? Is the Nightmare about to enter another phase?

Keeping track of Xü Beijin would be helpful.

Fei then nods to Mu Jiashi and then leaves with Collector quickly, following behind Black Robe’s steps.

Xü Beijin then turns to Mu Jiashi, and can’t hold himself back from asking, “did you need something that you’re looking to talk one-on-one?”

He is still heading towards the fountain slowly right now, because the rules dictate that when strangers have come into the amusement park, they must assemble by the stage on the fountain, so that’s where he has to go.

He is curious why Mu Jiashi is following him, though – mostly because, given Mu Jiashi’s recent state of mind of being useless, it seems odd for him to suggest staying by another Tower resident to gather information or anything else… It does not line up with what he said.

That is why Xü Beijin wondered if Mu Jiashi actually had something to say to him instead, and so left the other Missiontakers behind.

He is right on the money, but Mu Jiashi says, “well, yes, I did have something I want to talk to you alone about, in the Tower, but… well, it’s good I met you in the Nightmare anyway.”

Xü Beijin blinks, confused.

“You might not know what’s been going on in the Tower recently…” Mu Jiashi looks like he’s fumbling for words, and reconsidering his wording over and over, “anyway, you know, basically, because of the dalao, Lin Qin, his… uh, fascination? Infatuation? Well, feelings, in any case, towards you… So…”

Xü Beijin interrupts Mu Jiashi, though, asking with his jaws on the floor, “wait…! You mean, Lin Qin, likes me? Like romantically?”