CH 94

Bai Liu saw the constantly crying Mu Ke and tried to make him stop but after several attempts, it didn’t work. Even if Bai Liu said something like ‘I order you not to cry,’ Mu Ke would just cover his mouth. However, there were still tears in his eyes. He pitifully said that he couldn’t stop and maybe it would take a few more minutes.

Mu Ke didn’t think he particularly loved to cry. He didn’t know why but every time he saw Bai Liu, he was like a wronged child seeing his parents. His parents allowed him to complain to them and Mu Ke felt like he had endless tears. He felt a bit embarrassed but he couldn’t help it.

Mu Ke lowered his head and felt ashamed, but also felt a bit of… subtle joy.

Bai Liu stopped caring about the crying Mu Ke. He turned to Liu Huai who had an indescribable expression.

Liu Huai’s face was saying, ‘You usually fool your teammates like this, right?’

Bai Liu didn’t see it and started another topic in a calm and serious tone. “Shall we talk about the next plan?”

Liu Huai controlled his expression, his gaze toward Bai Liu a bit complicated. He had seen the whole process of Bai Liu fooling Mu Ke and couldn’t help sighing. “I still can’t believe I was so easily persuaded by you to join your team. It means going against Miao Feichi’s group. Even if I clear this instance, there will be subsequent troubles.”

“Yes, if I didn’t join your team, it would be difficult for you and your sister to get through the instance.” Bai Liu raised his eyes. “Your sister Liu Jiayi will likely be a blood sacrifice or eaten by Miao Feichi.”

Convincing Liu Huai was a very simple thing for Bai Liu so finding Liu Huai and wooing him was an easy idea.

The monster in Mu Ke’s room had resurrected but Bai Liu had used up Mu Sicheng’s speed skill. If he wanted to rescue Mu Ke from the ICU, he had to get through the nurses and enter the ICU.

Bai Liu himself couldn’t do this alone. He couldn’t let Miao Feichi’s group do it again either. It wasn’t impossible to deceive them to break in once but Miao Feichi’s skill had depleted his physical strength. Like Bai Liu, this empty physical strength couldn’t be restored with a physical strength recovery agent. Therefore, Bai Liu would have to deceive Miao Gaojiang, a player with low movement speed.

The skills of Miao Gaojiang weren’t very useful for Bai Liu who needed to escape.

Bai Liu needed a player with high speed and who was good at concealment and escaping. Bai Liu knew his weaknesses and needed a player he could control. There was no person more suitable than Liu Huai.

Liu Huai and Miao Feichi’s group were on the fifth floor. Finding this person’s ward was very simple. The fifth floor only had three new patients: Miao Feichi, Miao Gaojiang and Liu Huai.

The signs for the new patients’ wards were different. It was easy to tell Liu Huai’s ward after removing Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang’s ones. He had the two heavy chips, Liu Jiayi and the life recovery medicine in his hands. Convincing Liu Huai didn’t even take him a minute.

Liu Huai fell back on the hospital bed and stared up at the foggy ceiling with somewhat distracted eyes. “You said that Jiayi will be the hunting target of our group of ‘investors’ because we need to water our bed with the blood of children to survive?”

“I will correct two inaccuracies in your words. First, to be precise, it isn’t that we need to pour blood on the bed to survive. It is that we need to eat the blood ganoderma lucidum that grows on the bed from the blood. It is the life recovery medicine for us terminally ill patients.” Bai Liu patted the bed that Liu Huai was lying on.

Liu Huai raised a hand to cover his eyes and pressed his lips tightly together as if trying to avoid something.

Bai Liu looked at Liu Huai, raised a second finger and calmly continued. “Second, I told you. Liu Jiayi isn’t the only hunting target of the investors but her blindness makes her vulnerable among the children’s team.”

Bai Liu’s tone wasn’t rushed or slow. “You know Liu Huai, there is the underage Miao Feichi who likes to eat children’s meat on the children’s side. My child said that Miao Feichi likes to follow behind Liu Jiayi while swallowing his saliva. As a blind child, Liu Jiayi is at an absolute disadvantage in all aspects. She is a very good target for little Miao Feichi.”

“It can be said that your sister Liu Jiayi is a double hunting target.”

Liu Huai slowly clenched his fists and put down the hand covering his eyes. He turned to stare straight at Bai Liu.

Bai Liu continued calmly, “As for me, I promised my friend to protect your sister. Your sister’s successful call tonight was the result of my child protecting her. I said I would protect Liu Jiayi because she is the child my friend wants to adopt.”

Liu Huai took a deep breath and sat up. He sat cross-legged on the bed and watched Bai Liu. “I believe this now. Then tell me, what shall we do next?”

“The logical thinking of this game is basically clear.” Bai Liu leaned back, opened the drawer of Liu Huai’s bedside table and took out a pen from it. It wasn’t known where he got it from but he pulled out a book’s blank title page and wrote on it as he started his analysis.

Bai Liu was accustomed to writing simply when analyzing. He tapped the pen on the paper and started to write the key words: Level 2 game, 50-80%.

As he wrote, Bai Liu spoke. “Love Welfare Institute is a level 2 game with a mortality rate of at least 50%. This game divided up our health and gave us two identity lines, an adult and a child. We each respectively occupy 50% of our health value.”

Bai Liu wrote two ‘50’s on the paper and drew a confrontational arrow between them. “Our two identity lines aren’t a cooperative relationship from the beginning because this game has the setting that only 50% of players can survive. A more reasonable setting is that we should have a confrontational relationship with this group of children who share our health bar.”

This was why Bai Liu always had a type of vigilance against little Bai Liu (6). In a way—

“We are enemies with these children.” Bai Liu glanced up at Liu Huai who had a heavy expression and continued. “The life recovery medicine finally verified my thoughts.”

“Our investors group has to draw the blood of the corresponding child to survive. Based on the timing from the Mother Goose nursery rhyme that says ‘Born on a Monday, christened on a Tuesday, married on Wednesday, took ill on Thursday, grew worse on Friday, died on Saturday, buried on Sunday’, we have to draw the blood of these children before we become seriously ill, i.e. before Thursday in order to smoothly survive. Otherwise, we will die from the disease after a day.”

Bai Liu wrote the words ‘ddl (deadline): three days later’ on the paper.

“It is the same for the group of children. It is only by fleeing the Love Welfare Institute before Thursday that they can avoid their blood being drawn and survive. Their main task is to escape the welfare home.”

Bai Liu’s finger tapped the pen like he was thinking. “In fact, I think little Bai Liu (6), my child, has noticed the confrontational relationship between us. The act of me handing my weakness over to him earlier made him realize what I was trying to do and gave him the ability to wipe out my life at will. This delivery made him ultimately choose to enter a cooperative relationship with me.”

Liu Huai stared at Bai Liu who only had 6 points of health. The moment he met Bai Liu’s ancient, calm eyes, he shivered as he understood what Bai Liu was going to do.

“I want to confirm again. You are willing to give your life for your sister, right?” Bai Liu gazed at Liu Huai, his tone so calm and quiet that he didn’t seem to be talking about his own life or death. “Mu Ke and I are nearing the bottom of our health points. I believe you can see the approach on our side.”

Bai Liu declared calmly, “We will protect the small, not the big.”

The reason why little Bai Liu (6) was finally willing to trust him was because Bai Liu was willing to sacrifice himself for little Bai Liu (6), letting little Bai Liu (6) live. Therefore, Bai Liu willingly offered his weakness that would allow little Bai Liu (6) to easily kill him.

Little Bai Liu (6) also understood this and was curious about Bai Liu’s total dedication and sacrifice without any reason. This was what Bai Liu wanted. No one knew better than him what it took to win the trust of his 14 year old self. It was to become Lu Yizhan, who would sacrifice himself without any reason.

The 14 year old Bai Liu had trusted Lu Yizhan because between hurting himself and hurting Bai Liu, he knew that Lu Yizhan would choose to hurt himself. Now the 14 year old little Bai Liu (6) would trust the current investor Bai Liu, who turned into his own Lu Yizhan—an investor who would selflessly give to Bai Liu (6), even if it meant his life.

Liu Huai’s face was cloudy and uncertain.

Bai Liu didn’t seem to see Liu Huai’s expression. He withdrew his gaze and continued looking at the paper in his hand.

Bai Liu wasn’t affected at all by Liu Huai’s struggling emotions. He just continued to analyze it indifferently. “In my opinion, It is unlikely that drawing the blood from one child will create a blood ganoderma lucidum that will save us. It is because this game’s lowest mortality rate is 50%. If one child’s blood allows one person to survive, I don’t think it is a normal mortality rate for a level 2 game.”

Bai Liu wrote ‘6’ → ‘3’ on the paper.

“From this perspective, the game has more settings. Looking at the 50-80% mortality rate of the level 2 game. This is a six player game. Then the player’s death toll should be between 3 and 4.8.”

Bai Liu used a few pen strokes to draw a little girl. “However, this instance also has a special point. There is a player on the child’s side: Liu Jiayi.”

Liu Huai heard Liu Jiayi’s name appear and his eyes fixed on Bai Liu’s face. Bai Liu continued without any incident, “In the case of there only being five children whose blood can be drawn and assuming that the mortality rate is as low as 50%, only three players need to die. Assume that Liu Jiayi died of having her blood drawn to fill up one of the dead spots and assume that all the surviving players are us investors.”

Bai Liu focused on writing on the paper: Maximum clearance efficiency of investors.

“Then if all the above favorable conditions for investors are met, three investors can survive. According to this ratio and the mortality rate of 50%, an investor will require at least 1.6 children’s blood to pour on the bed.”

Bai Liu wrote ‘1.6’ on the paper and drew a small circle around the ‘1’ and the ‘6.’

His eyes were steady. “Then who is this ‘1’ and who is this ‘0.6’? The game has given a very obvious hint.”

“The child we have invested in is the core source of our blood, i.e. the ‘1.’ We can pour the blood of the child we invested in on our bed. Then we just need to add 0.6 of another child’s blood and we can produce the blood ganoderma lucidum that heals our terminal illness.” Bai Liu calmly drew a X and smeared the 1.6. “This plan was rejected by me because the cost-effectiveness of clearing the instance is too low.”

“Under the possibility of the highest cost performance ratio and that an investor will likely need the blood of 1.6 children to pass the instance, if one investor doesn’t draw blood then 1.6 children will be saved.”

“Our group of blood-sucking adults is far less valuable than their survival method of clearing the instance.” Bai Liu drew a protective cover over his small drawing of Liu Jiayi on the paper and looked up at Liu Huai. “Thus, I decided to give priority to the health of the children in this game. The life recovery medicine is invalid for me and Mu Ke and we won’t do this main task.”

Bai Liu spoke up to here and paused meaningfully as he watched the pale Liu Huai. “However, you and I are in different situations. We might’ve chosen to sacrifice ourselves to protect our young selves but if the plan works, we won’t die. We will clear the instance.”

“Liu Huai, your situation is different from us.” Bai Liu stared at the still silent Liu Huai. “You and Liu Jiayi are two independent and hostile individuals. If you choose to protect Liu Jiayi, there is a high probability you will die because you can’t get her blood.”

“So how will you choose?”

It was obviously a cruel choice but Bai Liu asked in a tone that was curious and inquisitive. He raised his eyes to look at Liu Huai, his eyes serious and focused as if he wanted to observe a different type of creature from himself.

What would Liu Huai do for his sister? Was the love for his sister really like that strange fellow Lu Yizhan? Was it to the point where someone could give up their own interests for this type of unnecessary emotion?

In particular, Liu Huai was a person with a very strong desire to survive. Bai Liu casually thought about it as his pen went over the protective shield he casually drew to represent the little girl Liu Jiayi. The protective shield was covered with strange black spots, as if it had been covered with a shadow.

Liu Huai sat silently on the bed, his hands holding the daggers hanging down beside him. He appeared silent and numb, but his breathing was very rapid.

Bai Liu quickly withdrew his gaze. He had seen the struggle and fear on Liu Huai’s face that distorted his facial features. It was a fear of the looming unknown that couldn’t be controlled.

The fear and hesitation was very real. Liu Huai’s fear and retreat from death made the love he previously claimed he had for Liu Jiayi feel like just words. Bai Liu soon felt dull. He got up and stopped observing Liu Huai, only thinking indifferently, ‘This is no different from the self-righteous ‘love’ I have seen before.’

Bai Liu thought he could see in Liu Huai the type of thing that made Lu Yizhan incomprehensible to him. Yet in the end, it was still the same. People could easily say things like ‘I love you’ and ‘I’m willing to give up everything for you.’

Meanwhile, the words they spat out had no taste at all. Their sweetness was only for themselves. They ended up giving others spit-stained crumbs that were worthless garbage. After all, people were selfish.

Bai Liu opened his mouth and spoke casually. “If you want to clear the instance as an investor, I can ask little Bai Liu (6) to help draw…” Liu Jiayi’s blood.

“Bai Liu, if I die, will your friend really adopt Jia Jia?” Liu Huai looked up at Bai Liu with fear and horror on his face, as well as some faint anxiety.

Liu Huai was like a breeder forced to let go of his cubs. There was a type of nervous uneasiness on his face. “Jia Jia can’t see and she likes to stick to me. I’m afraid she won’t be good by herself after I leave. I feel that your friend is very good and will take care of her. If you are willing to help me think of a way to heal her eyes…”

The university student who hadn’t graduated started talking about the parenting of a human child. It was a bit of a contradiction, making him more mature like a parent of Liu Fu and Xiang Chunhua’s age.

The frightened look on Liu Huai’s face never faded but all the things he mentioned were about Liu Jiayi’s affairs. It seemed he was more afraid that his death would make Liu Jiayi’s life bad, rather than his death itself.

“She doesn’t like to sleep alone at night. There is a bear that I sewed for her. It is a bit old but she likes it. If you take her out of the welfare home, remember to take it away with you. She doesn’t talk much usually but she is well behaved. She just gets scared when she can’t hear any sounds so put on the TV for her. She likes hamsters but isn’t good at looking after them. Don’t buy them for her. She will cry miserably if they die…”

Bai Liu was quiet for a moment. He watched Liu Huai and interrupted this person. “You really want to sacrifice yourself for your sister?”

Liu Huai replied instantly. “I don’t need to think about it. I came into this game to give her a brighter future. This means that she has to live.”

Liu Huai’s thinking was very clear. He glanced at Bai Liu and showed an ugly, very bitter smile. “Bai Liu, it would be different if I was a strong player like you and Mu Sicheng. However, I’m not. I have no way to bring her to a brighter future but there are some things I can do. I will try desperately to let her live. This is the only thing I can do for her.”

“Real death isn’t a difficult thing to accept.” Liu Huai seemed to finally sigh with relief. His shoulders sank and he shook his head like he was consoling himself. “I knew this day would come sooner or later when I entered this game. It is just that Jia Jia isn’t good yet. She hasn’t seen what I look like and I’m always unwilling…”

Still, feeling unwilling was useless. In this game, Liu Jiayi would have to die if he wanted to live. This cruel game didn’t give him more opportunities to feel unwilling.

“I-If I could live by killing, I would do everything…” Liu Huai’s shoulders slumped and he remained silent for a long time.

Tears slid from Liu Huai’s eyes onto the daggers held tightly in his hands. He tried to kill his best friend with these daggers in order to survive. Yet in the end, he met someone he couldn’t betray.

Bai Liu didn’t disturb him. Liu Huai sat on the bed where blood needed to be poured. His face was as pale as a corpse about to lie in a coffin while his hands trembled slightly. Bai Liu found it ridiculous. Liu Huai was afraid of death to this point. Yet despite knowing he was going to die, Liu Huai’s first reaction was for Liu Jiayi and then himself. This type of emotional reaction made Bai Liu feel incredulous.

Liu Huai lowered his head and smiled bitterly. Then he clenched his fists, took a deep breath and raised his head.

“Bai Liu, I remember that your personal skill is trading. If I die, I can give you something very useful.” Liu Huai watched Bai Liu, his expression showing a tired dejection. He had an expression like he had freed himself of something and was empty. There was only fear and tears in his eyes as he grabbed Bai Liu’s hand, his tone choked up. “The premise is that you help me…”

“Let Liu Jiayi see again, right?” Bai Liu saw Liu Huai’s tired and desperate face before calmly retracting his gaze. “Wait until you are dead before talking about it. I don’t do short trades.”

CG 10K event

Proofreader: Purichan