Guo Yun: Plays Ye Shunguang, teammate Ye Shiyuan

[The National Fortune System urgently notifies the Dragon Kingdom studio that the following content will be completely blocked.]

A line of cold red text abruptly occupied the center of the live stream screen, the scarlet halo stinging the eyes, and even the comments that were scrolling endlessly in the bullet screen area paused for a moment.

"???"

"what?"

"What's going on? This stunt again!"

"Kids, they're hiding under the covers looking at their phones in the early hours of the morning when they're suddenly hit by a brightness attack."

"No, it's just dawn here. Where are you from?"

"Last time they at least covered up half the story, so at least we could guess the gist from their snippets. This time, however, they've completely blocked everything out? They're not even giving us a chance to guess, are they?"

"Damn it! I knew this lousy system was up to no good! Ye Shunguang must have some crucial information they're afraid we'd find out!"

"Calm down, upstairs. It might involve some world-class secrets. If it's broadcast, it could cause a huge problem."

"Secret my foot! It won't affect us here..."

"Wait...did you guys notice? The system notification mentioned the Dragon Kingdom studio, not everyone from Dragon Kingdom!"

This comment was like a bombshell, instantly causing an uproar in the comment section. The viewers who were complaining were all stunned, and then a flood of discussions swept across the screen.

"Holy crap! It really is! Only the studio is blocked? Doesn't that mean..."

"Zhou Liming! It's Zhou Liming! He went out with them!"

"Holy crap! Zhou Liming is still outside! He can hear us!"

"Zhou Liming, you stand up straight! Listen carefully! Memorize every single word!"

"Please, Brother Zhou! This is a matter of utmost importance, concerning Ye Shunguang and the very fate of our Dragon Kingdom!"

"Dawn: Suddenly I feel the burden on my shoulders is heavier than Mount Tai."

"Brother Zhou, please don't get distracted! We, the off-site support team, need you to sort out what happened!"

In stark contrast to the clamor of the bullet comments, a deathly silence hung heavily over every inch of the air in the crowded ropemaker's workshop in Wildfire Town.

The last rays of the setting sun had long been swallowed by the night. The wind outside the window gradually picked up, stirring up dust and pebbles from the street, which pattered against the cracked glass, making a soft "rustling" sound.

Ye Shunguang sat in the folding chair, his fingers unconsciously stroking the rough fabric of the chair. Those few minutes of silence felt like an eternity.

She could clearly hear her own heartbeat, each beat heavier than the last.

Her gaze fell on Zhe, watching the boy with his head down, his gray hair obscuring his eyes and brows, revealing only a taut chin.

His hands gripped the edge of the metal toolbox beneath him so tightly that his knuckles turned a nearly transparent bluish-white from the force, and even the veins on the back of his hands bulged out.

Ye Shunguang's throat moved, feeling as dry as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper.

She knew that what she was about to say was a lie, a woven lie with a sliver of hope.

After all, seeing Zhe's appearance, which was filled with despair, she really couldn't find any other words to comfort him.

Words like "please accept my condolences" and "everything will be alright" seem too pale and powerless in the face of such a heavy reality. They are like a dull knife that only keeps tearing at Zhe's wounds.

Moreover, there was no way to bring him into the team. The next operation required a rope maker, otherwise they would be unable to enter or leave the cave.

She took a deep breath, trying to make her voice sound steady so it wouldn't tremble with guilt...

"...Actually, I think I saw your sister in northern New Elidu..."

This sentence was like a pebble thrown into a stagnant pond, instantly creating ripples in the workshop.

Zhe's body stiffened abruptly, the stiffness even more intense than when he heard the name "Ling" before, and the metal toolbox beneath him made a dull creaking sound.

Immediately afterward, as if stung by something, he almost sprang to his feet. His movements were so fast and abrupt that he knocked over several parts boxes behind him, scattering chips and resistors all over the floor with a crackling sound that was particularly jarring in the deathly silent room.

His eyes widened suddenly, and his previously empty and confused dark green pupils now seemed to be lit like torches, bursting out with amazing light.

The light was a mixture of disbelief, ecstasy, and eagerness, as well as a hint of vulnerability that dared not be touched, like a drowning person grasping at a straw, afraid that if they exerted the slightest force, the straw would crumble into dust.

"What?!"

A hoarse shout broke through his throat, his voice distorted by excessive excitement, trembling deeply, and tinged with a barely perceptible sob.

He took two steps forward, almost right in front of Ye Shunguang, his eyes burning with fire as he stared intently at her face, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through her skin and reach the depths of her heart.

His breathing was rapid, like a broken bellows, and his warm breath brushed against Ye Shunguang's face.

"What did you say?! You've seen Ling? You've really seen Ling?!" He raised his hands, wanting to grab Ye Shunguang's shoulders, but stopped in mid-air, his fingers curled up, as if he dared not touch her, afraid that everything in front of him was just an illusion.

Ye Shunguang was startled by his appearance and instinctively shrank back. She could clearly feel the surging emotions emanating from Zhe, like a flood about to burst its banks, almost overwhelming her.

Her tail tightened involuntarily, the hairs at the tip standing up slightly and trembling violently in the dim light.

"Where exactly?" Zhe's voice rose several decibels, tinged with an almost obsessive urgency. "Where in the north is she? Which void? Which area? I have to go there right now! I have to find her right now!"

As he spoke, he turned and tried to rush towards the door, his steps frantic like a headless fly.

"Hey?! Don't be in such a hurry..." Ye Shunguang quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. Zhe's arm was very thin; she could clearly feel the outline of his bones and his pulse pounding violently with excitement. Her voice carried a hint of panic, "Let me finish! Going over now won't help!"

Zhe's steps suddenly stopped.

He seemed to have all his strength drained away; his body swayed, and he almost fell to the ground. He slowly turned around, his gaze still fixed on Ye Shunguang.

His gaze was too heavy, too intense, carrying a silent accusation and plea, as if if Ye Shunguang uttered even half a "no," he would immediately collapse and die in front of her.

Ye Shunguang felt flustered under his gaze and subconsciously avoided his eyes. She tightened her grip on her fingers, steadied her voice, and tried to make her tone sound more believable.

"...At that time, I was on a mission on the edge of a hollow in northern New Elidu, eliminating the skeletons that were entrenched there."

She spoke slowly, her voice not loud, but clear enough to carry throughout the room, "The concentration of ether that day was very high, several times higher than usual, and the air was filled with a pungent, sweet-smelling fishy smell."

She paused, as if recalling the scene, a hint of weariness and dazedness flashing in her eyes.

"Just when I had dealt with several hundred goblins and other creatures, and was so exhausted that I could barely breathe, I thought I saw your sister."

Upon hearing these words, Zhe's body trembled again, and a glimmer of light returned to his dimmed eyes. He held his breath instantly, not daring to even exhale, for fear of interrupting Ye Shunguang.

"She was squatting next to a bunch of sophisticated-looking equipment, her fingers flying across the buttons and screens with practiced ease, as if she were debugging something. There seemed to be someone next to her, but I only glanced at them briefly and didn't get a good look."

Her gaze drifted to the darkness outside the window, as if she could truly see the scene from that moment.

"Judging from her clothes... she was wearing a jacket over a black shirt, which was worn in some places and covered in dust. Her hair was short and blue, tied up in a messy way, and the stray hairs on her forehead were stuck to her cheeks with sweat."

Ye Shunguang described her carefully, trying to make every detail match Ling's image in the game, but he didn't dare to be too certain, lest he leave a flaw. "She looks... very focused, her eyes are fixed on the screen of the device in front of her, her brows are slightly furrowed, as if she is solving some problem."

She noticed that Zhe's shoulders relaxed slightly, an instinctive reaction to hearing that his loved ones were "still alive."

"Her face was a little pale, probably from being exposed to the void for so long," Ye Shunguang continued weaving his lie, his voice soft as if afraid of disturbing something. "But her overall condition... at least for the moment I saw her, she seemed conscious and alive."

Zhe let out a suppressed whimper, like the sound of some wild beast in extreme pain. His eyes reddened further, tears welling up but stubbornly refusing to fall.

"And then?" he asked urgently, his voice hoarse. "And then what happened? Why was she there? Why didn't she come back? Why…?"

His questions came out like a machine gun, each one filled with deep confusion and bewilderment.

Ye Shunguang's voice gradually lowered, as if she had fallen into a deeper memory. She lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow on her cheek.

"I was very far away at the time, separated by the ruins of several collapsed buildings. The etheric turbulence was very severe, and communications were completely cut off. I wasn't even sure if it was a hallucination caused by my fatigue."

She paused, a hint of apology in her voice, "And at the time... I wasn't in a very good state either."

The topic shifted somewhat abruptly, but at this moment it provided her with a reasonable explanation—why she hadn't taken any further action, and why her memory was so hazy.

"Not feeling well? What do you mean?" Zhe asked instinctively, showing concern and curiosity upon hearing this.

"The users of the Azure Sea Sword, who are also the successive leaders of Yun Kui Mountain, all met their end... being devoured by the power of the sword, eventually losing their five senses and memories, becoming crippled." She said softly, her tone calm, yet heavy with emotion.

Zhe stared at her, his eyes wide with shock and a complex mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately said nothing.

Ye Shunguang rubbed her temples, her eyes becoming somewhat dazed, as if she had truly returned to that perilous edge of the void.

"At that time, I could only focus all my attention on the battle. I had to concentrate all my energy on controlling the power of the Azure Nether Sword to dodge the attacks of that high-level skeleton. It was a... Particle Dopegana, I can't quite remember what it turned into."

Ye Shunguang took a deep breath, his eyes filled with guilt as he looked at Zhe.

"When I finally regained some consciousness and dragged my almost broken body out of the rubble..." her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "there was no one there anymore. Only the equipment left behind and some scattered parts remained."

She paused for a long time, and the only sound in the room was the hum of the equipment running.

"At the time, I was in a very bad mental state due to the side effects of the Azure Nether Sword. I couldn't even stand steadily and could only drag myself away with difficulty. I wasn't even sure if what I just saw was real or a hallucination caused by mental confusion."

Zhe's lips trembled as he stared intently at Ye Shunguang, as if digesting every word she uttered. The flame in his eyes did not die out; instead, it burned even more fiercely because of this faint glimmer of hope.

"You mean..." His voice was hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed from the depths of his throat, "that Ling might still be alive? That she might... might have been taken away? Or that she left on her own?"

"I don't know." Ye Shunguang shook his head honestly. "I really don't know. I can only tell you what I saw, but it was too brief and too blurry. And..."

She bit her lip, but still voiced the cruel possibility: "And that was three months ago. In a place like the Hollow, three months... anything can happen."

Zhe swayed, as if struck by those words. But he quickly regained his balance, a near-obsessive light gleaming in his dark green eyes.

"No." He shook his head, his tone suddenly becoming unusually firm. "If she's still alive, if she's been taken away... then she must still be somewhere. She's so smart, so strong... she must still be trying to find a way, she must still be there..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already quite clear.

Looking at Zhe's appearance, Ye Shunguang felt a mix of emotions. She had achieved her goal, but why... did she feel guilty...?

Just then, Zhe seemed to suddenly remember something, turned around abruptly, and rushed to the main unit in the center of the room that was emitting a pale blue light.

"Fairy!" he shouted at the mainframe, his voice trembling with excitement, yet carrying an undeniable commanding tone, "Initiate highest-privilege search! Search for all data related to the short-haired blue woman and the portable ethereal monitor during the Northern Hollow Disaster of New Elidu!"

The timeframe is set three months ago, around the time of Ye's disappearance! The area is locked in the hollow region on the northern edge of Neo Elidu!

As he finished speaking, the pale blue light on the top of the Fairy host suddenly shone brightly.

The light was more intense than ever before, almost bathing the entire room in an eerie blue hue. On the projection screen, data streams began to scroll wildly, at a dizzying speed.

The other devices in the room emitted a "buzzing" protest, and the screens of several terminals began to flicker, clearly indicating that Fairy had forcibly requisitioned their power.

"Warning: Current power reserves are less than 30%. Forcibly activating the highest-level search will cause the core module to overload." A cold, emotionless electronic voice rang out in the room, and a striking red warning appeared on the holographic projection: "It is recommended to reduce the search precision or narrow the search range."

"I can't worry about that anymore! Search!" Zhe slammed his hand on the terminal screen, his eyes filled with stubbornness. "Execute it immediately! I want all the relevant data, even fragments, even noise, I want it all!"

His voice held an almost frantic urgency, as if if he were even a second too late, that sliver of hope would slip through his fingers.

"Command confirmed." The electronic voice paused for a moment, then continued, "Search initiation... Database connection in progress... Search time range set... Region locking complete... Keyword filtering initiated..."

The data stream on the holographic projection scrolled faster, and red warning text flashed incessantly on the screen, as if protesting the owner's capriciousness. The room lights flickered a few times due to the rapid power consumption, becoming intermittent.

Several of the terminals that were previously running went into sleep mode due to insufficient power, their screens going dark instantly. Even the old-fashioned refrigerator in the corner clicked and stopped working.

Ye Shunguang felt a little anxious as he watched this scene.

She had only intended to fabricate a vague, unverifiable "witness account" to rekindle Zhe's hope. But she hadn't expected Zhe's reaction to be so intense; now she was in trouble.

If Fairy can't find any relevant data, will Zhe think he's lying? Will he completely break down because of it?

But what if... what if the search actually finds something? The "bell" she described doesn't exist at all!

Ye Shunguang's heart began to beat faster and faster uncontrollably, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her palms.

She watched Zhe standing in front of the Fairy mainframe, completely absorbed in his work, his slightly trembling shoulders, and his clenched fists...

Oh no, I've lost all my conscience.

I feel like I did something really cruel. I gave him hope, only to shatter it with my own hands.

Time passed by, second by second.

The room was eerily quiet, save for the low hum of the Fairy mainframe and the whooshing of the cooling fans at full speed. The sounds were particularly jarring in the silence, like a lament for this doomed search.

Zhe stood motionless in front of the main unit, his back ramrod straight, like a frozen sculpture. His eyes were fixed on the holographic projection screen, on the frantically scrolling data stream, without even blinking.

Ye Shunguang could see his profile—tightly pursed lips, a taut jawline, and slightly trembling eyelashes. He was waiting, waiting with all his might.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes have passed.

The data stream on the holographic projection screen began to slow down and eventually stopped. A simple search results interface appeared on the screen:

Search complete

Total data volume: 1.7PB

Matches: 0

[Related fragment data: 3]

[Suggestion: Expand your search scope or adjust your keywords]

Zhe's breath caught in his throat for a moment.

His shoulders slumped, as if the strength that had been supporting him had been drained away in an instant. He slowly closed his eyes, his lips trembling, as if he were suppressing something.

Ye Shunguang's heart sank.

As expected... there was nothing there.

She was about to say something—words of comfort, apology, or explanation—when Fairy's electronic voice rang out again, interrupting her thoughts.

"Anomaly signal remnant detected," the cold voice said. "Three months ago, a brief, non-standard ether transmission signal was detected in the northern edge of New Elidu, at coordinates X-1478, Y-308. Signal duration: 0.3 seconds. Signal characteristics: 73% similarity to the standard output frequency of portable ether monitors."

Zhe suddenly opened his eyes.

A startling light once again burst forth from those dark green pupils.

"What?!" His voice became shrill with excitement. "Specific data! Show me the specific data! Time! Frequency! Waveform! Show me everything!"

"Data retrieval in progress," Fairy responded.

On the holographic projection screen, a set of complex data charts began to appear. It was an extremely brief signal waveform, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, leaving only a faint trail of light.

Detailed data is labeled next to the waveform:

• Time: Three months ago, Ye Shunguang disappeared the day before yesterday.

• Coordinates: Northern edge of New Elidu, approximately five kilometers from the area described by Ye Shunguang.

• Signal frequency: 7.83GHz, which closely matches the commonly used frequency of portable Ethernet monitors.

• Signal strength: Extremely weak, almost drowned out by background noise.

• Signal characteristics: Non-standard encoding, cannot be directly decoded.

Zhe stared intently at the data, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets. His breathing became heavy, and his chest heaved violently.

"This signal...this signal..." he murmured, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Why didn't I notice it before? Why didn't Fairy report it?"

"I'm sorry, Master, the signal strength is below the standard detection threshold and the duration is extremely short, so it has been automatically classified as background noise by the system," Fairy explained calmly. "It will only be extracted from the noise database and re-analyzed when a high-level, detailed search is performed."

Zhe's fingers slid across the screen, zooming in and out on the data. His brows were furrowed, his gaze intensely focused, as if he wanted to etch those numbers and waveforms into his brain.

Ye Shunguang stood to the side, completely stunned.

She had only told a lie, a well-intentioned but false lie. But why... why did Fairy actually detect the relevant signal?

The coordinates are similar, the times are similar, and even the signal characteristics are similar...

How is that possible?

Did Ling really appear in that time and place? Did the lie she subconsciously fabricated... inadvertently touch upon some hidden truth?

Ye Shunguang felt another chill rise up his spine.

Looking at Zhe's almost out-of-control excitement, and at the renewed flame of hope in his eyes, she suddenly felt a strong sense of guilt.

She exploited Zhe's weakness, fabricating a false hope. But now, this false hope seems... to have come true?

No, not necessarily.

But in any case, Zhe had already come to believe it.

He has grasped at this lifeline and will never let go, even if it means his death.

"Anything else?" Zhe asked eagerly, his voice filled with an almost greedy thirst. "Any other signals? Even the faintest, most indistinct ones would be helpful!"

"Searching continues," Fairy responded. "Due to extremely low signal strength and significant noise masking, analysis will take time. Estimated completion time: 37 minutes."

"Continue!" Zhe said without hesitation, "Put all the resources into it! If the power is low, use the backup battery! If the system is overloaded, lower the priority of other modules! I only care about the results!"

"Command confirmed."

Silence fell in the room again, broken only by the low hum of the Fairy mainframe running at full power.

Zhe finally turned around and looked at Ye Shunguang.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions—gratitude, urgency, guilt, and a rekindled, burning vitality.

"Thank you," he said, his voice still hoarse but no longer lifeless. "Thank you for telling me all this. Even if it was just a vague sighting, even if it was just a faint signal... at least, at least it gave me a direction."

He paused, took a deep breath, and stared directly at Ye Shunguang with his dark green eyes.

"Ling might still be alive," he said, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness. "She's alive, she's somewhere, she's waiting for me to find her."

Ye Shunguang opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he said nothing.

What else could she say? Tell Zhe that it might all be a coincidence? Tell him that she wasn't sure if what she saw was real? Tell him not to have too much hope?

She couldn't bring herself to say it.

Seeing the light rekindled in Zhe's eyes, seeing him transform from a walking corpse back into a living person, she suddenly felt that even if this hope was based on lies and coincidences, it was better than utter despair.

"I will find her," Zhe continued, as if assuring Ye Shunguang, and as if as assuring himself, "No matter where she is, no matter how long it takes, no matter what the cost... I will find her."

His gaze fell on the equipment in the room, the instruments salvaged from 6th Street, the terminals connected to Fairy, and the technology he once thought he would never need again.

"I need more powerful data processing capabilities, more precise scanning equipment, and a broader intelligence network." His voice gradually calmed, and his thoughts began to clear. "The resources of Wildfire Town alone are not enough, nor is Fairy's suppressed computing power. I need..."

His gaze returned to Ye Shunguang, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"I need to leave here. I need to go somewhere with more resources, somewhere with more intelligence, somewhere... somewhere I can find Rin."

Ye Shunguang's heart skipped a beat.

She understood the meaning behind Zhe's words.

"Do you want to join us?" she asked directly.

Zhe nodded without hesitation: "Yes. You are a Void Hunter, you have official status and authority, you can access resources that ordinary rope craftsmen cannot. And..."

He paused, his gaze falling on Ye Shunguang's face. "You're the only one who might have seen Ling. Following you might lead to more clues."

Zhe's technology is undoubtedly top-notch. He can access Fairy, process complex void data, and maintain a rope-making system in the event of resource scarcity.

His addition will undoubtedly greatly enhance the team's survivability and intelligence gathering capabilities.

On the other hand, Tetsuya's condition is unstable. His emotions fluctuate greatly, his goals are singular and obsessive, and he may make irrational decisions in his search for his sister.

More importantly... she lied to him.

If one day Zhe discovers the truth, that her so-called "witness account" might just be a well-intentioned but false lie, what will he do? Will he break down? Will he hate her? Yes...

"I can be your rope craftsman," Zhe continued, as if he could see through Ye Shunguang's hesitation. "I can provide you with remote support, ether concentration monitoring, cavity navigation, equipment maintenance... I can do all the work that a rope craftsman can do, and I can do it better than most people."

His tone carried the confidence of a technician, the only thing he could still offer in this despair.

"Furthermore, I can teach your team members about ropecraft." His gaze drifted to the window, as if he could see Zhou Liming standing guard outside the door. "The man who came with you... he has a high sensitivity to technique, I can sense it. If he's willing to learn, I can teach him."

Ye Shunguang's breath hitched for a moment.

She knew she had no reason to refuse.

In this timeline heading towards destruction, more power and more technology mean more hope for survival.

And Zhe is undoubtedly an extremely valuable top-notch technical talent in this apocalyptic world.

Moreover... if Ling is really still alive, and if that signal really came from Ling, then finding Ling might be the key to solving the mystery of this world line.

"Okay." She nodded.

A very faint smile appeared on Zhe's face; it was the first time Ye Shunguang had seen him smile since entering the room.

"Thank you," he said softly.