Do You Have Any Opinion on Mechanical Cat Ears? (CAT EARS)
From a researcher's perspective, Wen Xu couldn't wait to examine those recovered robots, yet feared this might just be a trap.
He hesitated anxiously, unsure how to proceed and his first instinct was actually to report to Ji Yiwei.
This subconscious thought startled Wen Xu himself. Had someone previously claimed he'd place absolute trust in a madman, he would've scoffed. Yet now, he fell silent. Ji Yiwei had bundled all willing and unwilling hosts together, molding them into one—no finesse, just sheer force.
Though delegating authority to Zhou Yuechu, he'd unmistakably become the leader of the "New White Bird Project."
Just as Wen Xu was about to call Ji Yiwei, he shuddered. Ji Yiwei was likely sleeping soundly right now—disturbing him would spell disaster!
And most crucially...
Wen Xu stared speechlessly at his communicator.
Ji Yiwei hadn't left anyone his contact number! Meaning unless they knocked on his door, no one could reach him!
From start to finish, Ji Yiwei had only ever contacted them through thoroughly concealed numbers!
He must've been out of his mind to think of Ji Yiwei as some conventional leader.
Unconventional·Ji Yiwei: Handle your own work, busy accompanying San-San, don't @ me.
Unconventional·Ji Yiwei: What work? Figure it out yourself, don't interrupt San-San time.
Ah!!!
In utter despair, Wen Xu could only call Zhou Yuechu and explain the situation. She too found the robots' sudden reappearance suspicious and worth investigating but agreed they should report to Ji Yiwei, even if it meant knocking on his door.
But when to report posed a real dilemma.
At night? Ji Yiwei would be asleep.
During the day? He'd be with System 2333... Not that they distrusted System 2333, but whenever Ji Yiwei was with him, his mind... wandered elsewhere!
So basically, there was no opening! Ji Yiwei's days were blissfully packed—either sleeping or... not focusing on work!
Zhou Yuechu fell silent for a long while.
"It seems we'll have to resolve this ourselves first, then present the results to Mr. Ji Yiwei."
This approach wouldn't take much of Ji Yiwei's time and is unlikely to draw his ire while still showing due respect.
Wen Xu's eyes lit up instantly.
"Yuechu-Ji Yiweie, is this a special directive from Mr. Ji Yiwei?"
Zhou Yuechu shook her head mournfully.
"No. Pure intuition."
"..."
While the hosts agonized over how to report to Ji Yiwei, he slept peacefully until roused by System 2333.
The system tugged at his blanket with its tail. Ji Yiwei cracked his eyes open slightly but pretended to remain asleep, prompting 2333 to pinch his nose.
As the black-furred ball drew near his head, Ji Yiwei suddenly flung the blanket over them both.
"Meowrrr!"
2333's screen eyes had long curved into happy crescents. He laughed, and Ji Yiwei laughed with him—both thoroughly enjoying this game.
"Again?"
2333 whispered and Ji Yiwei happily obliged.
They played around for a while until the cotton stuffing from the quilt started flying out. As the cotton drifted onto the screen, System 2333 sneezed, suddenly snapped out of it, and vigorously shook his cat-like head.
No, no! Can't keep playing like this!
Ji Yiwei was truly a bewitching consort leading nations astray—he still had important matters to attend to!
They were about to enter [The Great Lake], and according to Ji Yiwei, they'd be conducting a joint operation with other hosts.
System 2333 suspected this was related to the White Bird Project, and truth be told, he really enjoyed collaborative missions. With multiple hosts working together, their systems could chat while handling tasks.
Since other hosts would be present, he needed to be an exemplary host system—bringing his A-game to properly prepare for [The Great Lake].
Ji Yiwei had worked hard to make him a top performer; now it was his turn to return the favor and make Ji Yiwei shine!
"Ahem!" System 2333 forced himself to ignore both the quilt and Ji Yiwei, who was hugging it with unmistakably inviting eyes, adopting a serious tone.
"We can enter [The Great Lake] tomorrow or the day after."
"Today I'll go dark to complete the final pre-departure procedures—using currently parsed information to simulate possible main and side story developments."
He couldn't resist glancing at Ji Yiwei, whose tea-gold hair was slightly disheveled and wearing a somewhat aggrieved expression.
"You could take a nap," he suggested kindly.
But Ji Yiwei stubbornly shook his head.
"I'll watch over San-san."
Instantly, System 2333 recalled the story of the little duck fetching foot-washing water and was deeply moved by Ji Yiwei's devotion.
He gently bumped heads with Ji Yiwei before floating to the only intact pillow on the bed and powering down—all external functions ceasing, even his levitation, causing him to drop softly onto the fluffy pillow.
He immersed himself completely in the simulations, feeling utterly at peace.
True to his word, Ji Yiwei stayed awake, moving the pillow onto his lap and keeping watch over San-san with wide eyes. Though exhaustion made him yawn repeatedly, his dark eyes never wavered for a moment.
When sleep became unbearable, he took out a sewing kit and began mending the quilt.
So tired.
But must protect San-san.
System 2333 wasn't just simulating mission paths—he was also planning tonight's secret operation.
Yes, tonight he would take a step beyond normal cat-ball system permissions: personally entering [The Great Lake] to attempt deeper world analysis.
System cat-balls primarily relied on the Main System's database for world analysis. The Main System, possessing countless worlds, maintained a terrifyingly vast database containing each world's landscapes, character relationships, and basic parameters. Systems were responsible for analyzing and refining these broad strokes into actionable intelligence for hosts.
This part really depended on each system's individual capabilities.
No one knew how the database's foundational data was acquired, nor had anyone witnessed the Main System updating it. Perhaps the database's contents were simply bottomless, remaining inexhaustible no matter how much was used.
System 2333 could feel Ji Yiwei's gaze resting on him throughout, and in his mental simulations, Ji Yiwei's voice remained a constant companion.
Ji Yiwei himself was naturally absent, but System 2333 had asked this veteran host numerous questions beforehand. So at this moment, the experience of the most powerful host in the Infinite Space was accompanying him—not just in his deductions, but also as he successfully entered the [Great Lake] at night, floating onto a mist-shrouded path.
The eerie foggy environment terrified System 2333. Trembling, he called out to Ji Yiwei's experience.
"Ji Yiwei's experience, a-are you there?"
[I'm here.]
Just like Ji Yiwei himself, the experience responded gently and promptly, which slightly reassured the quivering system.
[Yes, turn left now.]
The further they progressed, the thicker the mist became, with gray fog swirling around.
System 2333 had always been afraid of ghosts, and being physically immersed in such an uncanny setting made his mechanical cat ears stand rigid with tension. The blinking vertical-line eyes on his screen radiated sheer terror.
Along the desolate, damp path grew grotesquely twisted dead trees, while the hoarse cries of night birds echoed from afar.
With each birdcall, System 2333's long tail coiled tighter around himself until only his blinking vertical-line eyes remained visible, the entire sphere shivering uncontrollably.
Wuwu, so this is what it feels like to physically enter a world! Ji Yiwei really goes through so much normally, wuwuwu!
[San-san, don't be afraid. I'm here with you—nothing will happen to you.]
[Look, someone's coming. Hide by the roadside first.]
The experienced host's guidance was patient and meticulous. System 2333 hastily floated off the path as faint footsteps reached his sensors.
Multiple people were approaching—more than one, it seemed.
Panicking, he scanned his surroundings. Beyond the dead trees, there wasn't even a bush to hide in. Meow meow, where could he possibly conceal himself?!
The footsteps drew nearer as their owners' figures distorted by the thick fog. One set of steps was light yet faltering, accompanied by an odd extra tapping sound; the other footsteps dragged heavily, as if hauling something weighty.
Gradually, an overpowering fishy stench filled the air.
[The tree, San-san.]
System 2333 climbed a tree, powered down his display, and hid cautiously.
The two figures finally came into view.
The three-legged footsteps belonged to a cane that were supporting the old woman, her emaciated face scarred all over. Behind her lumbered a hulking young man with distorted facial features that was silently dragging a massive fishing spear.
The expressionless crone stared into the misty void where nothing currently existed.
Her face twisted strangely as she rasped:
"The pilgrims foretold by the prophecy this year... still haven't arrived."
Hidden System 2333: "..."
S-sorry about that! After obtaining the [Great Lake], so many things happened that he'd delayed forever—these waiting NPCs or monsters must have suffered!
So the world's opening narrative began unfolding even before the host arrived.
System 2333 had an epiphany.
Wait... then what about all those worlds he'd acquired but never visited due to various circumstances...
NPCs & monsters subjected to abandonment: GODDAMMIT!
This was prophecy purgatory—a life sentence without parole!
System 2333 was hiding very carefully, not daring to make a sound. Unexpectedly, though the old woman appeared frail with age, her gaze was sharp as lightning, instantly locking onto the roadside. Terrified, System 2333 held its electric currents in, afraid of being discovered—lest the poor cat-eared orb end up suffering who-knows-what.
The old woman's eyes swept the area, while the tall young man behind her stirred restlessly, his harpoon scraping faintly against the ground.
Squinting, the old woman knew the mist was impassable—travelers would lose their way within. Only the road and its edges offered temporary refuge. In this utterly exposed place, the withered trees along the path stood in grotesque poses, barely clinging to a few leaves. On one slender branch of a dead tree hung a single shriveled black fruit.
A desiccated fruit, an omen of decay, a pilgrim's harbinger of death.
No one.
No place to hide here either.
Finding nothing amiss, the old woman withdrew her gaze. Leaning on her cane, she led the tall young man back along the path they'd come, moving slowly.
After they'd gone quite a distance, the shriveled fruit first plumped back into a round shape, then poofed out two cat ears. With a nimble flip, it righted itself on the branch, now perched upright.
Poof.
The shriveled fruit—System 2333: "..."
Ji Yiwei's damn experience was such a pain!
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