“I’m willing! I’m willing to pay no matter the price!” Looking at the umbrella held in Su Zimo’s hands, Wu Qing shouted quickly, as if trying to save something.
But the next second, Wu Qing saw a figure holding a black umbrella suddenly appear behind Su Zimo. The black umbrella lifted slightly, enough that he could see the face underneath.
“Ahhhh!”
Wu Qing, who originally had longing and expectation on his face, suddenly crawled a few steps to the side in fear and turned his head to look at Mr. Black Umbrella’s face.
“What did you do?” Seeing Wu Qing’s appearance, Su Zimo didn’t turn around to directly look at the adult Mr. Black Umbrella, but looked out of the corner of his eyes to see that the figure had appeared beside him.
[What did Ido?] Tha black umbrella in his hand tilted. [Does frowning count?]
“……” Su Zimo always felt that this was a serious umbrella, ah.
“You stay here. When the time is up, the task is over.” Su Zimo put away the pen and opened the umbrella that was stolen by Wu Qing, feeling the special chill its surface brings.
After advising Wu Qing, Su Zimo turned around, preparing to walk in the direction away from the platform. After all, Wu Qing was a human being. When he was staring at him, Su Zimo couldn’t go where he wanted to go.
“Don’t you look down on me?” Wu Qing just sat on the ground, punching the floor of the station with his fists, and raised his head to look at Su Zimo in disappointment. “Don’t you think I’m mean? A thief? Don’t even virtual characters in this game like you laugh at me?”
“I didn’t laugh.” Su Zimo turned around and looked at Wu Qing apathetically, but said seriously, “There is nothing ridiculous about trying to survive this kind of thing.”
Su Zimo did everything he could to find commodities after entering the nightmare world. Wasn’t that also in order to survive?
In fact, Su Zimo was very weak since the start. Even as a patient who couldn’t coordinate his limbs, he still rushed into the nightmare world. Even if there was no door behind him, even if there was no newly-discovered metal pen, even if there was no black umbrella… As long as he still had hope about living, Su Zimo could continue to break through.
It’s human nature to survive.
“So, I did nothing wrong? Everyone does unscrupulous things on order to live?” Wu Qing asked again, as if to both himself and Su Zimo.
“Everyone has freedom to do everything. Just don’t think about controlling what others think of you.” Su Zimo doesn’t know Wu Qing, and his understanding was only based on the small amount Gan Yuan said, so he didn’t want to discuss his values and outlook on life with him.
For Su Zimo, whatever Wu Qing does is with his freedom, but everything he does will also affect other people’s views on him, which is the freedom of others.
Su Zimo didn’t know that Wu Qing didn’t care about Gan Yuan’s views, even hated them. He didn’t know that Wu Qing would continue to squander the Gan family’s money, contacts, and resources. If he did, he would feel emotional.
After all, Wu Qing didn’t know a man named Su Hewen. He didn’t know what kind of effort Su Hewen exerted in order to bounce back and become a respected and feared existence in the Su family.
It’s precisely because Su Zimo does not understand Wu Qing that he can only say some specious chicken soup. <sup>1</sup>
“You’re lucky. You survived.” Su Zimo looked at Wu Qing sitting on the floor and gave a shallow smile. “Starting from the next time, you’re a veteran.”
After speaking, Su Zimo didn’t delay any longer and went straight to another part of the station, leaving Wu Qing to sit there alone in a daze.”What the hell are you?”
“That umbrella… should be mine…” Wu Qing lowered her head and grasped the ground tightly with her fingers so no one could see his change in expression.
As he traveled, Su Zimo didn’t forget to look around, thinking that he would at least find some commemorative goods to sell. Perhaps it was because he was too focused, Su Zimo was silent and didn’t pay attention to Mr. Black Umbrella following him.
[What are you looking for?] The eccentric Mr. Black umbrella was obviously not a person who enjoyed being silent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to help in Su Zimo’s dream when he was stolen before.
[Are you looking for… merchandise?] Before Su Zimo opened his mouth, the black umbrella came close to his face. [I saw it when the human brought me over. This nightmare world is very poor. I’m afraid everything is worthless except the metro.]
Why did the black umbrella know about commodities?
Su Zimo stopped blankly, turning around for the first time and trying to clearly see the front of Mr. Black Umbrella.
After Su Zimo turned his head back, he found that the figure standing opposite him was black and white, tall and thin, but half a head taller than him. He used the umbrella to block his face, but allowed Su Zimo to see the dark lips and very white skin color on the small portion of exposed face.
“What do you know?” Su Zimo’s forehead tightened as he looked at the black umbrella in front of him.
[I don’t know what’s going on. I always have a headache.] The black umbrella tilted, as if it was trying to distract him. [Probably because you always knock the umbrella on the ground. The tip of the umbrella is like my head, you need to be careful.]
“The tip of the umbrella is your head?” Su Zimo’s eyes twitched slightly. “Does this umbrella correspond to your body piece by piece?”
[Yes. There is also the umbrella face, umbrella skeleton, umbrella handle… umbrella handle…] The black umbrella suddenly came over.
“…” Su Zimo remained silent for a few seconds. He didn’t know what the umbrella thought of, but he wanted to throw away the black umbrella in his hand.
[What are you thinking about? Just kidding.] The black umbrella appeared behind Su Zimo in an instant, reaching out and tightly clutching his right hand around the umbrella. [Child, this umbrella promised someone to fulfill one of your wishes.]
"
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His hands were cold. Very cold.
The body close to Su Zimo’s was also very, very cold.
[I can give you wealth to rival a country.] Black Umbrella’s cold voice was enticing.
“Although the wealth of the Su family doesn’t rival a country’s, it’s enough for this life.” Su Zimo shook his head, feeling that the temptation of money was too little for him.
[I can give you a very powerful weapon.] Black Umbrella continued to persuade him.
“Can it be sold?” Su Zimo was somewhat interested. He was hoping that the weapon provided by the black umbrella could be sold at a high price, so he wouldn’t have to run An Yu Yi Yu so anxiously.
[…..I’m afraid not.] Black Umbrella was a little depressed for a few seconds before continuing to ask, [Isn’t there anything missing from this child’s side?]
Su Zimo thought for a while, then broke free from the other person’s clinging body and turned away thoughtfully. “If you really want me to tell you what’s missing near me, then I’m missing a housekeeper.”
When the Su family dealt with his grandfather’s matters, Su Zimo felt that Housekeeper Bai was unreliable. Not only was he unable to maintain his calm during important events, but the staff under his watch were lazy, even gossiping with other staff members about the Su family.
So Su Zimo demoted Housekeeper Bai, allowing him to help with the gardening work before his contract expires.
It also worked as a deterrent to other lax staff members.
Yes, Su Zimo now lacked a trustworthy and handy housekeeper.
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Although Su Hewen said that he would personally select the most competent housekeeper and be in charge of them, Su Zimo had his own ideas.
The unscrupulous black umbrella looked incompetent, but he may be able to provide unexpected assistance when his position as the new Su family head is still precarious.
[En?] The figure under the black umbrella was completely stunned. [Housekeeper?]
[What weapon is that?]
Su Zimo secretly calculated the risk of this wish, and after feeling it was stable and profitable, smiled and asked Black Umbrella, “Mr. Black Umbrella, can my wish be fulfilled?”
In fact, Su Zimo also needed powerful weapons. After all, powerful weapons would ease his way in the nightmare world. But the reason he didn’t agree to the black umbrella before was because he felt that it would be safer to have the black umbrella than some unknown weapon.
“After leaving this world, I’ll tell you about housekeepers, but before that…” Su Zimo looked up at the black umbrella that was half a head taller than himself. The fine chain of his glasses crossed his neck, and the thin metal frame was set against his porcelain white skin. “Can you tell me everything you know about commodities?”
[I heard people talk about ways to find high-value goods.] Black Umbrella lifted the one in his hands, [This is indeed much better than looking for those worthless things around you.]
[This station has nothing but a few ghosts. If you want a product, you’ll need to look at other stations.] The voice of the black umbrella disappeared from Su Zimo’s side as soon as it fell, then appeared in front of him a few meters away.
Other stations?
Su Zimo remembered the other trainers who had stayed on the metro.
The black umbrella stood motionless in front of Su Zimo for a moment before speaking quietly —
[Keep up, don’t lose it.]
His small tone of resentment was obviously revenge since Su Zimo had just lost him.
“Mr. Umbrella, what should I call you by?”
Su Zimo followed the black umbrella all the way to the edge of the platform. Between the platform and the dangerous railroad track, there was a narrow path that could only be used by one person. It was covered with a sheet of iron and looked a little fragile.
It’s just that when the black umbrella walked forward, there was no sound from the metal road under his feet, as if the person walking on it didn’t weight anything.
[I don’t have a name.] Black Umbrella snorted. [Only unscrupulous umbrellas will allow themselves to be named by others.]
“You can give yourself a name, at least so it’s convenient to call it.” Su Zimo found that the umbrella in front of him became more serious.
[I don’t have a name, but the ‘people’ who know me will always yell, ‘Run, that damn umbrella is here again,’ so this child can call me a ghost umbrella.] Black Umbrella’s recounted with a smile.
With that said, the ghost umbrella walking in front of Su Zimo disappeared suddenly, and the black umbrella he held instantly became colder.
[This should be a shortcut to the next station. Although it feels like time passes slowly while sitting on the metro, the space within each nightmare world is actually very small, so it’s not very far between each station.]
Although the ghost umbrella’s human figure disappeared, his voice still rang around Su Zimo. He could even feel a cool wind blowing across his ears.
“Squeak–“
Su Zimo stepped onto the narrow metal path and listened to the ghost umbrella as he listed the excellent names he had considered for so many years, but in the end had decided that they weren’t good enough.
Thanks to the cool and strange voice, Su Zimo didn’t feel any discomfort from the darkness around him.
After passing a few bright white billboards, Su Zimo actually saw a brand new white station ahead, just as the black umbrella said!
After a short delay, Su Zimo caught up with the racing metro using only two feet.
After speeding up and walking forward for a while, Su Zimo found that the platform was the one he was on at the beginning. The lights were bright and the environment was clean, but there seemed to be no one there.
Perhaps it was because such a clean and empty station gave the trainers a sense of security, but Su Zimo, who was standing in the dark on the edge of the platform, saw Gan Yuan, Xiao Yuyang, and the other five trainers carefully exit the metro and look around.
The next second, an accident happened.
They were in the middle of the station, and on both sides were two tracks for the metro to go in different directions.
When the trainers exited the metro and they were directly opposite the well-lit empty track on the other side of the platform, a similar new white metro drove into the station at an extremely high speed.
“Ding–“
The bell range, the door to the other metro opened, and five figures in hiking gear exited.
It was Gan Yuan and Xiao Yuyang who were at the front of the group!
“Ahhhh!” Seeing themselves exactly on the same side of the platform, Gan Yuan couldn’t help screaming.
For a time, even Su Zimo didn’t know which side had the real trainers.
[Here is what you need.] The voice of the ghost umbrella rang in Su Zimo’s ears.
Translator’s Notes:
This one was fun! Loving that dialogue between SZ and BU _(:3｣∠)_
~~~
BU: What can I provide for you? Riches, weapons, a loving relationship?
SZ: What’s that? Can it be sold?
BU: QAQ
BU: Ah, I can be anything you want me to be.
SZ: Be my servant.
SZ: What should I call you?
BU: How about ‘yours’ (´ε｀ )♡
Footnotes
<ol>Chicken Soup is motivational or comforting words/advice, specious means something that seems helpful or true but is actually not.</ol>