How to start Meursault

"I don't regret it."

Wow even.

He Jian couldn't find a polite enough expression to deal with this.

In an instant, more than a dozen possibilities were derived in his mind, most of which looked like the finale of a family movie, and the rest were basically horror movies.

After all, sometimes it's hard to tell if it's Bruce's flash of inspiration or a bad sense of humor.

—The more kids Bruce took in, the worse his sense of humor became.

Out of caution, He Jian said, "You know I'm just joking, right?"

He'd never really doubted Bruce's beliefs in that regard, it wasn't the sort of thing to prove, although he did find a ton of evidence.

(Those emails to Princeton's proud stupid dad. Those self-defense exercises that were actually unnecessary. Putting up with the antique vase he smashed while trying to practice magic, the floors that couldn't be restored and the accidentally doubled Bats in the Batcave. And how many times he has slipped into other worlds again and again.)

He could swear by the locators that Bruce had implanted in his lower left third molar and in his right forearm (and maybe more he didn't know where exactly), they were both past the stage of not regretting it.

"Whenever you say that, I'll answer it that way."

Bruce didn't seem to feel that he was too provocative and awkward at all, but Tim, who was next to Hejian, couldn't control his expression—he was probably a little bit closer to laughing.

"...Is there any progress?" Very helplessly, He Jian changed the subject.

"I need you to start writing your report now." Bruce made a perfectly reasonable request.

But this description—

Didn't mention the degree of world exclusion, is it because Bruce hasn't told his other self He Jian the real reason for coming here so far?

Forget it, there will be no loss on this side anyway.

He Jian lazily tilted his head back.

"I've finished writing it a long time ago." He threw a small black cube at Bruce - I don't know where it was hidden before, and it was obvious that he was searched.

Bruce decided that after going back, he would have a good talk with He Jian about the boundaries of trust.

This is actually not a new problem at all. He discovered it a long time ago, almost as soon as he brought the child back.

——He Jian has a very wrong reference standard for the cognition of emotion.

It's a bit like a frame of reference, or an axiom as a premise in a mathematical system. Some things seem to be completely unshakable and self-contained in Hejian.

To put it simply, He Jian obviously possessed strong insight and reasoning ability, and after he realized [-]% that he was bound by family affection, and that this relationship was partly caused deliberately, He Jian's reaction was very abnormal.

On the one hand, He Jian did spend a little time thinking about whether this relationship is appropriate, and even tried to reflect by referring to similar situations in a task world, but on the other hand, he did not mind revealing that he was thinking about this issue at all. Be happy.

Bruce felt that reading the mission report provided by Hejian was very challenging to his heart.

Among them, the thinking that should be closely connected with emotion is completely independent.

As he contemplates which side he's a better fit for - black, white, or gray - He Jian clearly writes that he knows Bruce has deliberately blocked his choice.

Well he doesn't mind.

Then He Jian wrote in a rather cheerful tone that he 'found himself more suitable for gray' and was thinking about 'a career choice that would not cause trouble for Bruce'.

After thinking about whether family affection is an excessive shackle, He Jian's report to Bruce was even more outrageous.

For words like 'Life is short, enjoy yourself while you can', Bruce had to think over and over again what He Jian wanted to express——

Are you ready to cherish the time you spend with them?Or are you ready to make life less 'short'?

Considering Eliza's record of directly killing her husband and children, Bruce can't guarantee that He Jian will not follow his mother's example.

None of this is as startling as the 'criticism' left to Bruce.

After discovering that He Jian had disappeared again, the self-criticism was placed neatly on the table in He Jian's room.

Its content is not a review at all, the first sentence is 'I am going to a world that is very similar to ours, but without me. '

Just looking at this line of words is enough to speculate He Jian's purpose, not to mention the conversation he had with Bruce on the gargoyle stone statue.

From that time on, Bruce actually began to sort out all the data and intelligence He Jian gave him before, thinking about what he should do in the worst case.

The current situation is actually much better than the worst he imagined——

Except that He Jian seems to lose control easily in this world, everything else is fine.He Jian also saved Damian's younger brother, which should be considered an improvement.

But He Jianhui allowed himself to be taken to the bat cave in this world, probably because he was not used to opposing any requests from his family.

Bruce flicks through the data like he's reading a normal report, which he doesn't share with his alter ego.

To be honest, he and the other him are now direct competitors, but the other party doesn't know it yet.

Although He Jian may feel awkward, in order to let the world recognize that He Jian is very important to him, some unconventional expressions and actions are necessary.

Bruce believes He Jian has seen this.

"So your mother is a dark creature." Damian said, his expression a little hard to tell.

He Jian wondered whether it was a mother's problem involving the little brother, or a pet problem.

"True, but completely humanoid, no horns, wings or tail, obsessed with art, mainly music, from staying too long in the limbo ring below, I always believed she picked my dad because she thought he was Music deserves a real devil to go to him, and she can make do with it."

"It sounds... very similar to the plot of a girl manga."

Damian's tone didn't sound like he was mocking—

Wait, he actually knows what girls' manga will draw?

"In fact, it might be more like the Adams family." He Jian tentatively corrected, "Shoujo manga will be brighter, and there will not be so many themes of death."

Damian actually nodded in agreement.

Well, it looks like the little brother has at least gotten started.He Jian, who thought he was already at the bottom of the pit, secretly cheered in his heart.

"You died many times, and you can retain the memory of your death after resurrection, isn't that true?" Suddenly, Damian asked such a question.

He Jian felt a little regretful that he could guess what Damian really wanted to ask almost without thinking.

"I can. However, in this world, maybe because it doesn't belong to the record, I can't stay on the other side, and I always resurrect immediately."

Sorry for not meeting Alfred.He Jian finished it silently in his heart.

This answer seemed to be completely expected by Damian, and he didn't show any wavering.

After a short while, he spoke again: "Your world is far from that day. You must let another me keep Pennyworth safe."

This request...is very Damian's personal style.

Saying 'I'd choose to send some people to another world if necessary' or 'I'm not going to let it get to the point where you're the only one protecting Alfie' doesn't seem appropriate.

"I swear I will do it." In the end, He Jian simply made a promise.

But what about Damian's other grandfather?

As if aware of what He Jian was thinking, Damian issued his signature tone, and then explained: "I believe that father will stop the Leviathan incident in time, and Di Lixia will not have the motive to assassinate grandfather. As for you His fighting skills are not enough to deal with a large group of assassins."

It is indeed possible according to the chronological order. He Jian smiled and raised his hand to beg for mercy. This Damian is just like him talking and not letting people.

——If only it were that simple.

The last time He Jian's world exclusion rate increased was after Bruce of this world tactfully praised He Jian's plan.

The reason for stopping the growth is clear, but what is the specific reason for this growth?

If this is what the world line induces He Jian to hear and be recognized.

Bruce briefly read the version of the report that He Jian gave him, and compared the version of He Jian's confession to the world, and vaguely speculated on a possibility.

Before being forcibly locked in this world, the information the world can get from He Jian is not sufficient, and more can only be judged from his behavior.After He Jian is counted as His, He can know more accordingly.

It is very possible that when He Jian was only in a semi-fixed state at the beginning, the positioning of the world derived from his behavior made a big mistake. For this reason, the world line had to be distorted and rearranged again, resulting in the last Rising world exclusion.

If this conjecture is true, Bruce may be able to use this to create an opportunity to consider certain flaws in He Jian's character.

He paused the thoughts in his head and looked at his other self.

"I don't agree with what He Jian did." Bruce lied unwaveringly.