Little Bai Liu (6) had bumped his knee against the edge of the baptismal pool when he crawled out in a daze. Now he limped toward the church doors, pushing them open with considerable effort.
Outside, teachers were running about in panic, shouting over one another. The same teachers who had been chasing him earlier now stood frozen, staring at the private hospital building still shuddering from the aftermath of the explosion.
Sparks flew from its upper floors like swarms of fireflies in the night sky, glowing fiercely.
"A floor of the private hospital just exploded! All the investors on that floor are seriously injured!"
"The hospital notified us that the children can't be matched tomorrow. The investors need time to recover. We're to wait one more day—until Thursday…"
"No choice. This batch of children won't be sent to the hospital until Thursday."
Bai Liu (6) held onto the church doorframe and watched the hospital burn in the distance. It glowed like embers scattered across a pile of coal—dim yet stubbornly bright.
Sparks spiraled upward like fireworks blooming from the ground.
He stood there in the cold church of the welfare home, soaked from head to toe after being dragged from the baptismal pool. He should have been shivering. Yet the reckless brightness and distant heat made the cold feel less unbearable.
His other self had bought him one more day to live.
Bai Liu (6) took out the wet phone and shook it. He hesitated for a moment because he didn't know if this thing could be used. The dean was supposed to take the phone and coin manager from him, but she died before she could.
Bai Liu (6) called Bai Liu's number once, twice, then three times. The other side didn't connect, but Bai Liu (6) didn't give up. He persistently called. He didn't know how many times he tried, but he eventually got through.
"Hey," Bai Liu (6) asked flatly, "are you still alive?"
The voice on the other end was hoarse from smoke inhalation, but it replied lazily, "I thought I was going to be blown to pieces, but I'm still alive. What about you? Haven't escaped the welfare home yet? Calling me this early?"
"Yes." Bai Liu (6)'s tone remained calm despite the failure. "There were dead investor monsters guarding the gate. I gave up."
Bai Liu didn't sound surprised. "It's a level two game. With that kind of death rate, it was never going to be easy to escape."
He coughed twice before continuing slowly. "Still, giving up at the sight of monsters isn't your style. I assumed you'd try to break through using items from the game manager. It was a rare opportunity. Were there other unforeseen circumstances?"
Bai Liu (6) parted his lips, pausing before answering. "Yes. I considered using Passengers' Blessing to force our way out."
"My plan was to let Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang rush out first and locate faster transportation—most likely a car on the new map outside the welfare home."
"There were many wealthy investors visiting today, and the private hospital is closed. They'll need to pick us up tomorrow. It's possible some vehicles were left parked outside. If we secured transportation, we could use Passengers' Blessing to stall the investor monsters at the gate. It would've been risky, but it was worth trying."
Bai Liu chuckled softly. "And while scouting the path, you could sacrifice Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang. That way, you'd eliminate them for me and still technically fulfill your deal. After all, you did help them reach the gate—you wouldn't have violated the transaction."
"In the end, you'd still bring out the children I asked you to save."
"One arrow, three targets," Bai Liu commented with detached admiration. "A good plan. Definitely worth attempting."
The corners of Bai Liu (6)'s lips twitched upward for a second before flattening again.
"So why abandon such a solid plan?" Bai Liu asked gently. "What happened?"
Silence lingered on the line before Bai Liu (6) finally answered.
"Something happened to Liu Jiayi. She coughed up blood while we were running. If we had escaped without immediate treatment, she would've died."
"There are doctors in the welfare home," Bai Liu said, faint surprise entering his voice. "So you stayed for her."
He clicked his tongue lightly. "That's… unexpected. I assumed you would've dropped her and run. The second option clearly benefits us more."
Bai Liu (6) clenched his fists. For once, he didn't snap back at the faint sarcasm.
"…Did I make the wrong choice?" he asked quietly.
"No." Bai Liu's voice softened a fraction. "From the perspective of conventional morality, your decision was the correct one."
Bai Liu (6) lowered his head. There was a subtle heaviness in his voice. "But neither you nor I gained anything from it. Calling it 'right' feels strange."
"That's because conventional morality is about giving to others," Bai Liu replied lightly. "Others receive the benefit—not you and me."
He smiled faintly. "Liu Jiayi kept her life. Her brother still has a living sister. Right now, he's thanking both of us."
"You did well, Bai Liu (6)."
Bai Liu (6)'s lips parted slightly. A rare trace of confusion crossed his face before it quickly vanished, replaced by his usual blank expression.
"Oh. Then tell her brother I don't do charity," he said indifferently. "Charge him. Higher than whatever benefits you and I would've gained. Still, all in all, it was a bad decision for me."
"—I didn't escape the welfare home."
"It's fine. I expected that you might not be able to escape tonight and prepared a fault-tolerant plan for your failure ahead of time." Bai Liu wasn't in a rush. "The hospital won't be able to take you tomorrow. You have one more chance to escape."
Little Bai Liu (6) raised his head to look at the still-burning private hospital. "You used the explosion and near-death experience for this opportunity?"
"Yes." Bai Liu added, "However, I'm not someone who gives things for free."
He said casually, "Next, it is your turn to pay for me, Bai Liu (6)."
Bai Liu (6) was quiet again. This time, he stayed quiet for a while as if he was thinking about something.
In the end, his eyelashes trembled. He avoided Bai Liu's question and wondered, "I'm curious about how you did it. The main identities of Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang don't seem easy. The system store is also on my side, and it is forbidden to buy large explosive items."
"How did you fight these two players who are more than one level higher than you in 10 minutes and successfully blow up the hospital with a bomb you got from an unknown place?"
Bai Liu (6) wondered in an emotionless manner.
Bai Liu lay on the ground that was darkened from the explosion. His face and body showed traces of injuries and burns. His clothes were torn by the explosion, and the hem of his hospital gown had been burned. One arm was gone, and his mouth was bloody. He looked extremely wretched.
However, his face had a satisfied smile like the plan was successful. He held the phone that hadn't been blown up with difficulty. This phone item issued by the system was quite amazing. It was fine even in this situation.
It wasn't blown up and didn't fail when soaked in water.
"Well, it was a complicated plan." Bai Liu spoke slowly. This meant he didn't want to elaborate.
"I charge by the minute for chats." Little Bai Liu (6) was very calm. "You can take your time."
Bai Liu, "..."