Mortal Kombat: Scumbag Men Stealing Away Yandere Girls

"Where in this world are there bad people who would prioritize others' pleasure over their own desires? Even when robbing a bank, you never see robbers offering gold bars to the security guards first. If there are such good robbers, tell me where the bank is right now, I want to apply for a security guard position."

Before anyone knew it, the mutual insults from the Roses had stopped.

Suddenly, all was quiet, as if all the roses had come to life and were listening intently to Bai Weiran's words.

Bai Weiran suddenly held up a finger and smiled at Qin Ning.

"After all I've said, Qin Ning, have you noticed something?"

"...Who exactly told me these thoughts? Who gave me the awareness to think rationally for you, to empathize, and to think more deeply about the logic of the entire social structure?"

"Why didn't I become one of the perpetrators and others?"

Qin Ning blinked, then suddenly opened her eyes wide, let out a soft "ah," and covered her mouth with her small hand.

"Yes, it's not that I'm amazing. I'm sure I'm not the most foolish person, but I'm even more certain I'm not the most intelligent. I can't create a consciousness that's never existed before. This isn't the achievement of any one person, but rather the collective consciousness that everyone I've encountered on this journey of life has given me so far—"

"And I bring these ideas to you—so that you can start thinking, and that's how you experience this pain and contradiction."

“We are helping each other and transforming each other. We have not become children who cry and shout for the biggest piece of cake and become furious when they can’t get it.”

"Imagining others is the easiest way of life because social resources and rights are limited. As long as you reduce the resources and rights of others, you can gain more yourself. Those who have vested interests are more willing to comply."

"But countless people, before me, were already reflecting on this—that 'Malèna' was directed by a male director."

"He used this method to profoundly bring the predicament and microcosm of a society, the baseness of human nature and the othering of gender into his works, thus leaving his mark on history."

"You need to understand, it's not just me standing with you. I've seen countless others, many more conscious individuals from long ago, helping you as well as many living in the present who share my thoughts. If they didn't accept this, how could Bai Weiran have come into being?"

"So Qin Ning, don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Bai Weiran gently tapped Qin Ning's forehead, his gesture intimate but without any unnecessary ambiguity.

It's a kind of intimacy that's hard to define—whether it's kinship, romantic love, or friendship.

"Times have changed. Many people are working hard to push the wheels of time forward. They may not have become the mainstream voice, but they are also working hard."

"There is no need to be afraid. Fear is putting yourself in the position of the weak and the victim. First of all, this society allows you not to be weak. Many people have worked hard to create this complex, boring and resentful world. Rules are restrictions, but also another kind of protection. As long as you are willing to find a way, you can be taught, you can earn money, you can find a job in a company. Although there will be many difficulties, there is a way forward."

"These paths were paved for you by men and women who understood this principle earlier."

"Putting yourself in the position of the weak will make you panic; putting yourself in the position of the victim will make you so angry that you lose your bearings and vent that anger on people of the other gender."

"When the Qing Dynasty fell, those old loyalists cried and shouted for restoration. They cut off their queues, but they carried the queue of thought with them for the rest of their lives. It's the same now, in this new era, yet some people still cling to the script of old ideas—"

"Men are conflicted. They want the old version of the environment and the new version of the hero. They want to enjoy women serving them without thinking, but they also want women to have status and intelligence to show their status and enlightenment. They despise the old version of women for being not valuable enough."

"Women want a new version of the environment and an old version of the hero. They shout for a new version of independence, but also want the old version of complete support, singing the praises of love."

"If this were a business partnership, it would have definitely fallen apart from the start. However, the addition of a romantic element to create confusion and make things even more complicated."

"There's no need for creating a persona of another, or for the resentment, depression, self-harm, or self-mutilation stemming from the feeling that you deserve to die because you don't love me in a relationship—"

"Let those who want restoration struggle in this era, while we take a step forward together—"

He picked up a withered rose from the ground.

“New roses will always be born, and the death of these roses is something we should remember and cherish. All of history can become a part of us, but it is meaningless to cling to history. We cannot use the sword of the Ming Dynasty to kill the official of the Qing Dynasty. The harm that the previous generation of patriarchy caused to women cannot become the standard by which women demand men from men today.”

Qin Ning smiled quietly.

His large, clear eyes, with their distinct black and white features, possessed an unparalleled clarity.

"...Are you all standing with me?"

"Yes, and those people will neither abuse you nor other you. They will simply stand with you as a person. You may not see them, but their spirit and support are hidden in many places, supporting you just as they shaped me."

A gust of wind swept across the beach, and in an instant, all the rose bushes vanished.

All that remains is a clean beach, the starry sea, and Qin Ning and Bai Weiran.

The moon is out.

Chapter Fifteen: Glimmer

The starry sky, the coastline, the tide, and someone is talking.

The sound was very soft, mixed with the sound of the tide.

"I'm reminded of a game I really like."

"The game's producer is very special. He is skilled in art, knows how to write code, and while studying game design abroad, he also studied psychology. With this diverse background, the games he makes are very different from typical commercial projects."

Bai Weiran spoke slowly, while Qin Ning leaned against him, lowered her eyelashes, and suddenly interrupted him.

"Brother Weiran, there's something I need to tell you honestly."

"Ok?"

"Actually, I don't like playing games."

Qin Ning pouted, her expression a mix of arrogance, apology, and guilt.

"I don't like games, not because you spend more time at work and less time with me. Take that away, I just don't like games. There's no reason, I just don't like them—"

"So every time you bring it up, I'm actually secretly refuting you in my mind, or I'm just spacing out..."

She glanced at him.

"You're not angry with me, are you?"

Bai Weiran responded with a smile.

“Whenever you talk to me about your life, about an actor’s failed performance, an orchestra’s failed performance, a high fashion show being a disaster, or when you’re torn between ten shades of lipstick—whether to choose a dusty rose or a spring cherry blossom shade—I have to be honest with you, I’m always daydreaming.”

"Especially when you use voice chat, I often reply to you while working and chatting with you at the same time. I feel that this is a small thing for me and not interesting—you won't be angry with me, will you?"

"You actually!?" Qin Ning narrowed her eyes, as if she was about to get angry, but the next second, her expression suddenly turned strangely serious, and she burst out laughing.

"I thought Brother Weiran was better than anyone else, but I didn't expect him to be like this too."

She chuckled, her face showing no anger, but rather a playful glint in her eyes.

"There's nothing we can do; people just can't share the same feelings."

Qin Ning reached out and pinched his cheek.

"But since you've so sincerely admitted it, I'll be merciful and listen to you this once!"

"You can continue talking about your game today, and I'll pretend to listen attentively with great interest."

"Well, thank you so much!"

Then he continued speaking.

"This producer made a game that is very special. He removed the interference of game commands to the greatest extent possible, giving it the cleanest visuals. The game is not a typical competitive or highly social game. There is almost no text in the game that needs to be read."

"There are not only visuals, but also the characters that players control."

"In a dark world, the player plays a little person holding a candle. You explore this world, climb mountains, cross rivers, walk through forests, and glide through deserts. Then, you meet another player, and you share each other's candlelight, and then the faint light becomes a little brighter."

"Even so, the light of this candle is still very dim, only able to illuminate a small part of this dark world."

"You may meet this person by chance and continue your journey of exploring the world by candlelight, or you may travel together and explore this dark world with a brighter candle."

"I really like this game," Bai Weiran said with a smile.

"Aside from the fact that its optimization is really not good, the performance consumption is too high after playing for a long time, and my Melon 11 phone started to overheat, so I had to quit the game in the end. But I really like the meaning that the producer has given to this game."

Qin Ning smiled mischievously.

"But if Brother Weiran plays this kind of game without a single word, Sister Guoguo will lose her job on the spot and cry herself to sleep in the bathroom. Are you willing to do that?"

"Don't worry, I don't have the ability to create this kind of work." Bai Weiran waved his hand.

"This is related to the producer. It is a unique piece of content that incorporates all the creator's own insights and experiences. It cannot be imitated or learned."

"That's right. If we make Wei Ran unable to speak, and completely deprive him of the opportunity to express himself, I estimate that Wei Ran will be so depressed that he will die."

Bai Weiran: …………

He flicked her forehead with his other hand.

"I see you're quite stubborn, Qin Ning."

"I learned it from you; you become like those you associate with."

One flicked the other's forehead, the other covered his forehead, and they both laughed at the same time.

"Human thought is like a small candle. Someone once lit me in the darkness, and I, in turn, light you up, Qin Ning. I think this is the best thing."

"The reason I used that game as a metaphor is truly unavoidable; my life is barren, my work is a game, and even the metaphor is a game—"

Qin Ning leaned against the person quietly for a long while, then suddenly looked up at him.

"Brother Weiran."

"Ok?"

"You know what? I used to be terrified that you would die."

"Because you died, I felt like I was all alone again."

"...And now?"

"I'm not afraid anymore, not afraid at all."

"Because I... can do more for this world... although I haven't figured out exactly what that is yet, but I at least understand one thing: to eliminate my previous fears, it's not about expecting someone to save me, it's not about some perfect image that can change the world, it's about myself who can change the world."

"It's not enough for just me and Weiran to be happy. I want more people to be better. I want others to know about my contradictions and struggles, my pain and pain, my fear and anger, and then provide one of the thousands of possible solutions for people who have the same troubles as me."

Bai Weiran couldn't help but clap his hands.

“Well said, I’ve thought of a term.”

"What noun?"

“A hero in the shadows,” he said with a smile.

"There is no Demon King in the world, no evil world-destroying villain that we need to save, but we are surrounded by endless discrimination. We will not fight the Demon King, nor will we raise our hands to stop the heavenly fire from destroying the world, but we can start from ourselves and become a mediator against discrimination and objectification."

"Light one candle at a time, gather the glimmer of light together, and let everyone illuminate the ground beneath their feet."

"From stopping fear and anger, we should delve deeper into the formation of this line of thinking, realize the reasons for our fear and anger, and instead of focusing on the consequences, return to the causes for discussion."