Star Trace Gate

Late at night, 23:10.

Ren Ye and Xiao Shuai came to the rooftop of Tiangong Building together. They stood beside the fence in the cold wind, quietly looking at the surrounding night view.

The rooftop was where the two submitted the task to Song Mingzhe. There were still about fifteen minutes left until the agreed time.

They had just asked three guards on duty in the inspection room downstairs, and finally learned that in the entire building, only Song Mingzhe and Old Yan had the key to the inner vault...

It can almost be concluded that the person who stole the fire talisman from the inner treasury was Song An.

He raped the female guards in the inner storehouse, and killed two others by brutal means. He quarreled with Lao Yan on the 39th floor and killed him. These behaviors seemed to be clever, but they left many clues, which only fit Song An's personality characteristics.

He has a twisted mind, violent tendencies, is young, and doesn't think things through...

Ren Ye faced the cold wind that swept across the rooftop and reviewed everything carefully in his mind. He finally concluded that there was no problem with the evidence and inferences in his hands. Even if he went to court, he could perfectly prosecute the brat.

However, Ren Ye always had a vague feeling of uneasiness and discomfort in his heart, but he couldn't tell why.

He looked into the distance absentmindedly and remained silent for a while.

“Damn, I’m so tired…!”

Xiao Shuai looked at the flashing neon lights outside the building and couldn't help but sigh, "Since entering this star gate, I've been on edge all the time... I thought it would be safer if the six of us acted together tonight... Who knew that I would be almost killed by the old night watchman again."

Ren Ye came back to his senses after hearing this and turned to look at him: "You don't look well."

Xiao Shuai turned around, sat down on the ground, and sighed softly: "When you are nervous, you don't feel scared; only when you are quiet and think about the experience just now, will you feel a lingering fear...!"

He sat on the ground, leaning against the rooftop wall which was more than one meter high, letting the cool breeze blow on his cheeks.

"really."

King Huai also imitated the other's posture and sat on the ground: "However, I have always been curious about something."

"what?"

Xiao Shuai called out some food and offered some to Ren Ye: "Is it about me?"

"Correct."

Ren Ye ate the braised beef handed to him by the other party and said with a smile: "It may not be polite, but I am really curious...!"

"Just tell me." Xiao Shuai replied nonchalantly.

"I've always felt that anyone who can enter this star gate must not be a simple character." Ren Ye laughed awkwardly and blinked his eyes and said, "Everyone is the leader of the team in the migration area, and they must have experienced the secret realm with more death mechanisms... So, it stands to reason that the psychological quality of the eight people should be relatively strong... But you...!"

"Ah."

Xiao Shuai sneered: "You've laid out so much groundwork, aren't you just trying to say... I'm a coward?"

"I'm sorry, brother. Please forgive my rudeness." Ren Ye apologized immediately: "But this is what I meant."

"...Don't insult me ​​wantonly just because you're my elder brother." Xiao Shuai rolled his eyes, took a big bite of the pancake, and whispered as he chewed, "You're so smart, but you're still trapped in a misconception."

"how to say?"

"Those who can enter this star gate are indeed captains; but captains are not necessarily capable." Xiao Shuai said pretentiously: "This sounds very philosophical, right?"

Ren also thought about it carefully, and nodded: "What you said makes sense. Indeed, not all captains have the ability to withstand pressure."

"My ancestors were from the Blue Star. Later, we accidentally found a huge secret realm, which is the so-called exclusive star gate... Hey, brother, have you heard of the exclusive star gate?" Xiao Shuai was a little afraid that Ren had never seen the world.

“I’ve heard of this.” Ren also revealed an expression of being puzzled and impressed: “Then your ancestors must have been very powerful, right?!”

"It's OK. My family has a sixth-grade rank." Xiao Shuai replied calmly, "Moreover, we are the powerful family of the ancient exclusive star gate, ruling an area that is no less than the ancient capital. It can be regarded as a paradise."

Shit, at first I thought he was just showing off, but after talking to him more carefully, it seems like he is really showing off.

Ren Ye was a little surprised in his heart: "Oh my God, there is really a sixth-grade master in your family?!"

"Ah."

Xiao Shuai nodded slightly: "My family has existed in that exclusive star gate for more than two hundred years. So, I can be considered a Blue Star person. After all, I have learned the culture and customs here, but I was not born on Blue Star."

"Oh." Ren nodded.

"Before I entered the third rank, I didn't have to worry about food and drink, nor did I have to be terrified about self-improvement." Xiao Shuai munched on a piece of cake and said softly, "In addition to personal promotion tasks, most of the accumulation tasks and level-up tasks were helped by special people. Even if there were personal promotion tasks, I would have a large number of magic weapons, talismans, and many ways to save my life... So before coming to the migration area, I didn't even know how to write the word death, nor how high the sky outside was."

"From a family like this, it's reasonable that you have a weaker ability to withstand pressure, right?"

Having said that, Xiao Shuai turned his head and looked at Ren Ye, seemingly without any shame, but asked with a somewhat depressed look in his eyes.

"So, your team was not formed by yourself at all?" Ren Ye asked.

"Yes."

Xiao Shuai nodded slightly: "The people in the team are all bodyguards brought from home."

"I really envy your life...!" Ren also sighed.

"I'm jealous." Xiao Shuai shook his head and said, "There are unfair things in life, but there are also fair things."

"That's very contradictory." Ren Ye answered thoughtfully.

"It's very contradictory. What's unfair is that I was born with more than others; but what's fair is that no matter what your background is, you have to experience life on your own. The smoother the beginning, the harder the end. No one can always lie under a tree and enjoy the shade. This so-called powerful background can prepare dishes for you that are a hundred times richer than others, but the one who eats it, swallows it, and digests it has to be you." Xiao Shuai said philosophically, "I'm in pain, confused, cowardly, and timid now... It's all because I had it too easy in the beginning. If I could be as resilient as Xiao Yuan, I wouldn't have been so defeated in the six-choice situation. Now I think it's so stupid."

“That really makes sense.”

Ren agreed: "So, you came to this star gate to prove yourself?"

"Not entirely." Xiao Shuai paused: "It's mainly because of a woman."

"woman?"

"Yes, she and I are engaged and will be married soon, but she called me a loser." Xiao Shuai said shyly, "We can be considered childhood sweethearts, so...what she said is very important to me."

"…She is stronger than you?"

"As long as it doesn't involve a life-and-death duel, I will definitely not submit to her." Xiao Shuai argued first, then added with twinkling eyes: "But she is much stronger than me in her heart."

"Because of a word 'trash', you entered the SSS+ Guide Star Gate?" Ren also sighed: "You are a fucking romantic."

"Brother, can I say that I regret it? She called me a waste... I still have two taels of meat, and I can sleep with her sooner or later, why bother to fight for this moment?" Xiao Shuai said helplessly: "My dad is right, when walking, you can't take too big steps, otherwise it's easy to tear your balls... In the past, someone always took me flying, this time I have to rely on myself completely, and the gap in my heart is a bit big."

"Trash." Ren Ye commented instinctively.

"Brother, I gave you money, can you praise me?"

"Smart trash." Ren Ye thought for a moment and replied.

Xiao Shuai was stunned: "Why is it a smart waste?"

"Because even though you are useless, you have used your wisdom to find the thickest thigh in this secret realm." Ren Ye said pretentiously: "This round, I will transform into your father and take you flying!"

"Snapped!"

Xiao Shuai slapped his thigh and said, "I can give you the Star Source."

"make a deal."

Ren nodded solemnly.

"It's almost 23:20. I guess Song Mingzhe will be back soon." Xiao Shuai leaned his head against the wall, glanced at the clock on the building, and said softly.

For some reason, Ren Ye was stunned when he heard this, and instinctively murmured: "23:20...!"

"What's wrong?" Xiao Shuai asked immediately when he saw that something was wrong with him.

"...!"

Ren did not respond, but fell into concentrated thinking for a moment.

The discomfort and uneasiness he felt inside became stronger.

Xiao Shuai was not familiar with Ren Ye's condition, but he did not disturb him. He just flipped his hand and a red silk appeared on his palm.

This was obviously a magic prop that only women would use, but Xiao Shuai loved playing with it in his hands, staring at it blankly as it danced with the wind.

23: 18.

A man in a windbreaker was taking the elevator to the rooftop.

……

2401, inside the duplex.

The sound of a girl in a wheelchair crying and shouting could be heard from the second floor.

Brother Hong lowered his head and sat on the chair, cursing with an expression of extreme disgust: "Fuck, you little beast."

The old cadre seemed relatively calm, just looking down at the ground in thought.

“Damn it…!”

Brother Hong listened to the wheelchair girl crying even more intensely and couldn't help but stand up.

"Snapped!"

The old cadre grabbed his wrist and said simply, "Can you change anything?"

"...!"

Brother Hong was speechless.

"This is a reflection of the past, and it may be an interpretation of something that has already happened. They are all residual souls. If you go up and kill Song An, our mission will fail, and then you will die. After who knows how long, another group of players will come, and this plot will be played out again." The old cadre said calmly: "Brother, is there any point in stopping it?!"

When Brother Hong heard this, veins popped up on his forehead and he looked very annoyed and hesitant.

"Squeak!"

At this moment, the door of the duplex was suddenly opened gently.

Daxiong walked in first with a sneaky look on his face. He pointed at Brother Hong and the old cadres and said in a low voice, "Seventy-nine, eighty!! Stand at attention, and don't let anyone get out!"

When Brother Hong saw him, he immediately sent a message: "Still pretending to be an old man, go up and see your sister!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Nobita instantly heard crying and shouting from upstairs.