After leaving the Elder Council with Bluesea, Chen Xiaolian did not accompany him to the Hive, the main camp of the Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild. Obviously, Bluesea did not lie; he didn't want too many people to know about Chen Xiaolian's arrival.
After dropping Chen Xiaolian off at Zero City and settling him in a hotel established by one of the permanent teams, Bluesea departed.
Before leaving, Bluesea instructed Chen Xiaolian to rest for the night and promised to continue showing him other parts of Zero City the next day.
Chen Xiaolian entered his own room and, being cautious, didn't do much. Instead, he simply ate something and lay down on the bed to rest.
He couldn't completely trust Bluesea. Although Bluesea seemed sincere, the secret Chen Xiaolian carried was significant, with potential implications. Chen Xiaolian wouldn't trust someone completely based solely on their outward attitude.
This was Zero City, and Bluesea was the leader of the Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild.
Although this hotel belonged to another team, Chen Xiaolian couldn't be sure if Bluesea had done anything here.
Recalling Bluesea's demeanor and tone in front of the main control screen in the underground Zero City of the Elder Council today... Although he appeared normal, Chen Xiaolian couldn't shake the feeling that something was slightly off.
The reason Chen Xiaolian felt something was off about Bluesea's attitude...
It was too good!
Too sincere, too friendly, too... candid!
There's no such thing as unconditional love in this world, nor is there unconditional hatred.
Although he owed the Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild a favor for the blood refining incident, ultimately, that was Skyblade's doing; he simply lent his hand. Chen Xiaolian wouldn't naively consider this debt to be truly his own.
...
Bluesea sighed. Standing by the window in his room, outside the large French windows, were blue skies, white clouds, the sea, and the beach... Even the clouds in the sky and the breeze blowing in from outside felt so natural.
But Bluesea furrowed his brow.
Because he knew, it was all fake.
The window was fake; it was just a highly realistic holographic projection. Even the faint salty scent of the sea breeze he could smell was so convincing... but it was all artificial, generated by the Hive's control system to simulate natural wind to the maximum degree.
Standing here, it seemed like he was facing the sea, but if you reached out your hand, you would puncture through this illusion.
Perhaps others standing here would marvel at the magic of this technology.
But not Bluesea!
Every time he stood here, every single time, he felt a deep sorrow in his heart!
Fake things would never become real.
No matter how beautiful the illusion, it was nothing more than a mirage, a dream that could be shattered with a touch.
"No matter how beautiful, it's still a prison," Bluesea murmured softly to himself.
He turned and walked to the table, sitting down. The young man, Guan Shan, immediately brought over a cup of coffee and placed it in front of Bluesea.
Bluesea took a sip, the taste was authentic. If a coffee expert were to take a sip, they would undoubtedly recognize it as authentic Cuban Geisha coffee without hesitation.
However, it wasn't.
Bluesea was well aware that no matter how realistic the taste, it was all created within Zero City, utilizing illusion simulators to maximize the simulation of the planting environment of Brazilian Geisha coffee, and then produce the item.
Although the taste was incredibly close, that legendary, one-of-a-kind Caribbean-flavored coffee.
But it was fake, nonetheless.
Bluesea's muttered "prison" remark was heard by Guan Shan, but the young man's expression remained unchanged, showing no hint of surprise or oddity.
After taking a few sips, Bluesea set down his cup and gestured towards the sofa in front of him. "Sit down," he said.
Guan Shan sat down, adopting a posture that was... how should I put it? It neither appeared overly tense nor too relaxed. It was a rather peculiar sitting position, as if he was entirely relaxed yet prepared for any challenge at any moment.
"Tell me about this person, your impressions after interacting with him," Bluesea said, tapping his fingers on the table.
Guan Shan pondered for a moment before responding slowly, "Cautious, distrustful."
"Right," Bluesea nodded. "Cautious, because he harbors a significant secret, hence the concealment. And what about the distrust? How do you see it?"
"Normal," Guan Shan's reply was succinct. "If I were him, holding such a major secret, I wouldn't easily trust others either."
"Hmm," Bluesea's attitude seemed ambiguous, but then he suddenly said, "Say a few more words."
He didn't specify what "say a few more words" meant exactly, but Guan Shan seemed unsurprised and remained calm, considering for a moment before saying, "Not moving."
Upon hearing this, Bluesea's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of curiosity flashing in them. "Oh?"
"Cautious, either fearing harm from others or suspecting ulterior motives, so we simply do nothing, let him relax, let him build trust," Guan Shan explained.
"Don't we need to investigate him thoroughly? He's in Zero City now, our territory," Bluesea said with a slight smile.
Guan Shan shook his head. "Not advisable. A cautious person, no matter what, will only heighten their suspicion at any sign of disturbance. Even if we handle things perfectly, once he notices any anomaly, even without evidence to prove our involvement, he will naturally associate it with us—this kind of thing doesn't require evidence. Any slight disturbance will only increase his vigilance."
At this point, Guan Shan chuckled. "I remember you once told me a principle: to make someone take off their clothes, strong winds will only make them wrap tighter, but sunshine will make them open up."
Bluesea's face lit up with satisfaction.
"Skyblade spent his whole life seeking a way to break free from the prison. He may have found it, or maybe not. But now, it's apparent that this Chen Xiaolian seems to be hiding something. Plus, Skyblade chose him before he died... perhaps..." Bluesea shook his head. "Perhaps the method to break free from the prison lies with him."
"Yes," Guan Shan said calmly. "If Chen Xiaolian is a boat that can reach the other shore, we don't need to aggressively seize control of the boat. We just need to approach him, gain his trust, and then know when this boat will set sail, ride along with the wind, and reach the other shore... Our goal is to cross the river, not to seize the boat."
Bluesea looked at Guan Shan again, his gaze serious.
This time, Bluesea was silent for a few seconds.
"How long have you been with me?" he asked.
"Seven years," Guan Shan's face showed a hint of embarrassment. "It'll be seven years next month."
Bluesea nodded thoughtfully. "Over these years, I've kept you by my side, and you've probably felt somewhat unfulfilled. Your older brother follows Old Qiao around, constantly on the move, enjoying a certain level of prestige. Several others from your batch have become leaders of various field teams, each standing on their own. But you, you've been tied to me. I imagine you've felt somewhat aggrieved."
Guan Shan smiled bitterly, a tinge of shame on his young face. "My older brother and the others from my batch are indeed far more powerful than me. It's my own lack of strength that confines me to running errands for you."
Bluesea looked at him. "Strength can be cultivated. In this system, there are many external forces that can be utilized to enhance your abilities. You can use equipment, resources to improve skills, enhance battle pets, or even utilize potions... There are countless methods, and obtaining an [A] class isn't a cost that a permanent team can't bear. Moreover, your talent isn't lacking. You've always been inconspicuous, simply because... I feel like you haven't put your heart into improving your strength."
Guan Shan fell silent.
After a moment, he looked up and said, "I believe that being by your side, I can learn more than I could running around outside."
"You've learned quite a bit already," Bluesea smiled faintly, taking another sip of his coffee.
Pausing for a moment, Bluesea glanced at Guan Shan. "You're someone close to me, I treat you like a disciple of my own, so naturally, I understand your character. In the future, there's no need to put on airs in front of me. That shy and embarrassed demeanor, you can dispense with it."
"Yes," Guan Shan immediately straightened up, his expression becoming more composed, retracting the earlier expression of "a young person feeling bashful after being praised by an elder."
Most importantly, although Bluesea had seen through him, Guan Shan showed no hint of embarrassment, his demeanor calm.
Bluesea chuckled. "You've become quite accustomed to my ways, both in character and vision. But now, you lack a bit of perspective. Here's the thing: from today onwards, I'll entrust you with a task. Drop everything else in your hands and focus solely on this."
"Yes," Guan Shan replied steadily. "Your command."
"Chen Xiaolian," Bluesea took a deep breath. "Befriend him! Make a genuine effort to befriend him! When you can truly become good friends with him, then you'll have fulfilled the task I've entrusted to you."
Guan Shan pondered for a moment. "So, you mean, I should befriend him? And perhaps use some... means?"
"Means will be necessary, but don't rely solely on them," Bluesea shook his head. "I'm telling you to befriend him, not to curry favor or make false friendships. Genuine friendship requires sincerity; only then can you receive sincerity in return. Matters of loyalty and friendship cannot be tainted with falsehoods."
Guan Shan made an effort to digest Bluesea's words, nodding in understanding, his eyes gleaming with determination.
"I understand, I will truly become friends with him!"
...
Chen Xiaolian lay on the bed, eyes closed, seemingly resting, yet his mind was actively processing everything he had seen and sensed at the main control screen in Zero City today. Like scenes from a movie, every moment replayed in his mind.
He appeared to be asleep, but his mind was remarkably alert with each passing second.
And just as he was replaying the encounters of the day in his mind, his personal system suddenly received a strange message.
Normally, messages received by the personal system were prefixed with "System Prompt."
But this one was exceptionally odd.
"???? : Connection established, accept? Yes/No?"
Chen Xiaolian abruptly opened his eyes, sitting up in bed!