Returning home, Qin Xuezhong once again examined her consciousness void. The red mist had been completely dispelled, and on the dead light mass, in addition to the scattered memories of the original owner, there were some red memory fragments. Qin Xuezhong skillfully touched and explored them. She expected to uncover some truth about the virus, but instead, she found a love story.
The opening scene was set in a not-so-high-end bar. Performing on stage was Yue Zhao. He appeared somewhat downcast, yet his eyes sparkled with a certain light. Smiling, he looked in the direction of Fifth Ningyi and said in a clear voice, "This next song is for you."
Thus, Fifth Ningyi fell for Yue Zhao. She began to frequent this bar, and being the daughter of the Fifth family, she had plenty of money to spend. She and Yue Zhao started dating, even buying a small apartment where they sometimes cooked meals together. At the same time, she used her wealth to pave the way for him, hiring the best management company, production studio, and public relations team in the entertainment industry.
Yue Zhao indeed showed some talent and gained fame in less than six months. She was very happy and even began to consider marrying him, wanting to be together forever. However, just like the cliché of a rich girl falling in love with a poor boy, their relationship faced strong opposition from her family. Her father, Fifth Suofeng, the chairman of the Fifth family, bluntly stated, "You can support as many young stars as you want; I won't interfere in your private life. But don't forget, you are the daughter of the Fifth family. Marriage is not about feelings; it's about family interests."
Fifth Ningyi, who was inherently strong-willed and extreme, couldn't accept this. She started to think about whether she could go incognito and elope with Yue Zhao to another place. However, at this moment, she noticed that Yue Zhao began to change. The man who came from a slum lost himself easily after gaining fame and fortune. He started spending less time with her, surrounded by other women, even encouraging her to accept the family's arrangements and marry early.
Yue Zhao even privately told others, "That woman should just hurry up and get married; she's always bothering me... Now she just wants to control her man, and if we marry, wouldn't that just be like putting me in a cage?"
Fifth Ningyi's world collapsed. She had no idea what to do. One day, while Yue Zhao was recording in the studio, she silently returned to the bar where they first met. She didn't even know why she was there, just quietly drinking alone. At that moment, an old man with graying hair sat down beside her. He said, "Do you want an everlasting, unchanging love?"
Seeing this, Qin Xuezhong realized that perhaps the illusion from the concert that day wasn't just a collection of information she had gathered, but rather a fragmented assembly of Fifth Ningyi's scattered memories. Tang Kede, the former demon king, might indeed be in Xigu City!
The memories continued to unfold. On a clear night, Fifth Ningyi called Yue Zhao out. He feigned patience and asked, "Ningyi, what's wrong?" Fifth Ningyi smiled tenderly, full of anticipation, but did not speak. Instead, she waved her hand, and several people behind her directly bound Yue Zhao and stuffed him into a car. Waiting in the vehicle was Tang Kede, his eyes glinting with madness.
After this incident, Fifth Ningyi visited the initial bar again and handed a small box to the bartender. She told him, "Someone will come to retrieve it later; just give it to whoever says, 'I'm here to pick up the thing left by the little rabbit.'" Then, she handed the bartender a large sum of money.
In the next scene, Fifth Ningyi appeared in a brand-new laboratory. The original Yue Zhao was inside, barely recognizable. His skull had been reduced by half, exposing his complete brain, which was connected by numerous delicate data lines. One side of his body was devoid of skin, revealing bloody muscle tissue, and his back displayed his entire spine, with many tubes inserted into it.
Yet, he remained with his eyes closed, a smile on his face, as if lost in a beautiful dream. Fifth Ningyi's gaze didn't linger on him; instead, she looked eagerly toward the other side of the room.
There, stood another Yue Zhao. He was full of sunshine, cheerful, with a spark in his eyes. When he saw Fifth Ningyi looking at him, an uncontrollable excitement broke out on his face. He quickly stepped forward, said nothing, cradled Fifth Ningyi's delicate face, and kissed her. Then he spoke, "I've waited for you for so long."
The scene ended here. By now, Qin Xuezhong was clear that Tang Kede had created a clone of Yue Zhao. However, no one would believe that Tang Kede was simply helping Fifth Ningyi in her romance; he must have a bigger plan. She even speculated that perhaps the anti-invasion team had known for a long time that Tang Kede had returned to Xigu City. Maybe he had reached some kind of agreement with the Fifth family, which explained the silent standoff between the two sides. Everyone was waiting for an opportunity to gain the most benefit or to deal directly with Tang Kede.
At least now, Qin Xuezhong had a crucial clue in her hands—the item that Fifth Ningyi had left in the bar. Perhaps it could lead to the next breakthrough.
Without waiting any longer, she disregarded the late hour and headed straight out. The bar from the memory fragment was called "Fragmented Bar," located on the outskirts of the ghetto. It was late at night, and the bar was quite crowded.
Bars in the slums had a distinctive characteristic—they were very exclusive. If someone unfamiliar or nervously dressed entered, they would immediately attract the attention of many, including thieves, con artists, robbers, cults, and scam rings. Even the bartender would ponder whether to dilute the drinks or subtly raise the prices. In short, the experienced residents of the ghetto could assess, with just a glance, how much money you probably had, whether your clothes were worth stealing, or which mechanical implants on your body could be easily sold.
It was akin to walking into a den of wolves.
As soon as Qin stepped through the door, having undergone counter-surveillance training, she instantly noticed ten pairs of eyes sizing her up. After seeing her simple attire, which was popular in the ghetto, five people withdrew their gazes. Noticing her calm expression, three others lost interest in her—this was a look she had learned during her time wandering around the ghetto apartment, with a droopy mouth and slightly squinted eyes, projecting an attitude of "You can kill me if you want, but I don't care."
Most people here carried themselves that way.
Among the remaining two, one was a lewd man, likely attracted by her being a woman, eager to approach; the other was the bartender, curious to see if she was there to drink or to gather information.
The lewd man approached first, probably a bit drunk, slurring, "Hey beautiful, can I buy you a drink?"
Qin Xuezhong said nothing; instead, she delivered a swift kick to the man's groin. In the slums, she had seen enough harassment; the women here were tough and made it clear they could inflict harm to scare off would-be attackers. Besides, everyone had undergone some form of body modification, and you never knew who was stronger.
To be honest, it was her first time doing something like this, and she felt a bit nervous. Fortunately, the man collapsed, groaning in pain, and didn't retaliate. Perhaps due to his drunken state, he even vomited on the ground.
"Fifty points for cleaning fee," the bartender said indifferently, then turned to Qin Xuezhong, "What can I get you?"
"Boat liquor with cola," Qin Xuezhong said in a practiced tone. "And some snacks."
This was actually her first time ordering alcohol, but she had often heard others do so during meals; it seemed to be the most popular way to drink in the ghetto.
The bartender nodded, mixing the drink while asking, "You're out late tonight?"
The bartender thought to himself that Qin Xuezhong looked quite attractive, and her demeanor seemed nice, so he was interested in chatting.
Qin Xuezhong remained silent, simply shaking her head to indicate she didn't want to talk. She didn't rush to ask for anything, wanting to have a few drinks first to ease her mind after today's events involving consciousness transfer, fainting, entering a dreamscape, and reading the memories of the deceased. Even now, her head felt a bit heavy.
The bartender took no offense, leaning against the bar and watching TV.
Qin Xuezhong drank quickly, finishing a whole cup in just a few minutes. But with the consciousness void nearby, even if her body felt slightly weak, she remained clear-headed. She tapped the table, pointing to her cup, signaling for another.
The bartender raised an eyebrow and reminded her nonchalantly, "Slow down."
"I know my limits," Qin Xuezhong said coolly.
Having gone through so much in just a few days since her arrival, she had learned to play it cool.
After sipping half of her second drink, she finally said, "I'm here to pick up the thing left by the little rabbit."
Upon hearing this, the bartender hesitated for a moment, then casually replied, "I've never seen you before."
Facing such a low-level probe, Qin Xuezhong responded, "The one you've seen is no longer coming."
The bartender paused, still not giving up, asking, "Did you bring any money?"
Qin Xuezhong dismissed him with a smile, "Don't play tricks; she already paid you."
Finally conceding, the bartender said, "Please wait a moment."
He crouched down and rummaged behind the bar, retrieving the small box that Qin Xuezhong had seen in the memory fragments.
She turned to the side as he opened the box.
However, as she opened the box, she glanced at the bartender's expression—curiosity, but not nervousness. It seemed that although this bartender was slick, he still had basic boundaries and wouldn't pry into others' belongings. Someone who was overly curious and prying into others' privacy wouldn't last long in Xigu City.
Qin Xuezhong redirected her attention.
—Inside the box was only a key. She recognized this key; it was for the small house that Fifth Ningyi had bought when she was secretly dating Yue Zhao.