Zongman: The post-2D era

On April 1st, Junxun stood by, holding a freshly baked sandwich in his hand and handed it to Fengfeng, with curiosity and concern in his eyes.

"Come, eat something first and stop worrying." His words were gentle, with a touch of homely warmth.

Feng Feng took the sandwich and took a light bite. The warm bread and delicious fillings melted in his mouth, instantly awakening his taste buds.

He closed his eyes, enjoying this moment of peace and contentment, as if the whole world had quieted down.

Junxun still insisted and asked him: "Why don't you call Xueno, or is there any reason why you can't contact her?"

In a corner of the room, soft light shines on a woman wearing a retro cheongsam. She is the mysterious Ichihara Ikuko.

The dark green hue of the cheongsam looks even deeper in the dim light, outlining her graceful figure. She holds a small white pottery wine shell in her hand and shakes it gently. The wine collides gently inside the shell, making a crisp and pleasant sound, like drizzle tapping on the window frame.

Yuzi's eyes were deep and wise, as if she could see through people's hearts. With a faint smile on her lips, she slowly walked towards April 1st Junxun who was about to speak, her voice soft but with unquestionable power:

"Jun Xun, everything in this world has its destiny, and the love between men and women is even more subtle and unpredictable. Although you mean well, matters of love still need to be experienced and understood by them themselves. As bystanders, you and I, if we interfere too much, it will be bad."

Jun Xun's eyes suddenly became unusually firm. He gently but firmly grasped Feng Feng's left hand, which was holding the sandwich, and slowly raised it until both of them were staring at the bandaged forearm.

The sunlight shone through the gaps in the window frame, dappled onto the slightly pale bandage, adding a touch of heaviness that could not be ignored to this warm scene.

"Feng Feng, look," Jun Xun's voice was low and powerful, "I can lose my right eye. That is my own choice and the fate I must face."

"But what about you? You have already sacrificed so much for me and for everyone. I will never allow you to lose a hair because of me or anyone else, let alone an injury like this that will leave a mark."

"This is Utopia, your world, but you didn't anticipate the attack from Lady Spider, and now you don't even talk to Yukino on the phone."

Jun Xun's words were like heavy drumbeats, echoing in the quiet air. He slowly put down Feng Feng's left hand, his eyes moving across the room, as if he had penetrated the barriers of reality and looked directly at the invisible threat.

There was worry and determination in his eyes, and they finally fixed on a certain empty place in the room, where the precursor of a storm seemed to be brewing.

"Spider Girl... Is she really going to become the so-called concept god?"

Jun Xun's voice was low and powerful, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the bottom of his heart, carrying a heaviness that could not be ignored.

Chapter 822 Girl Spider Club

Thursday, October 6

After Yukinoshita Yukino and Tachikane's communication failed, they walked towards the student union office in silence amid the discussions of their classmates.

Behind the president's seat in the student council room, Yukino shook her head at the principal, Haruno, and said, "Except for you, my sister, there are no more than ten people in the entire school who support us."

"So we have become the enemy of all the teachers and students in the school?" Yang Naifong's eyes darkened as he asked, "You still can't contact Feng Feng?"

At this time, Ruby Hoshino walked into the open space between the buildings and also shouted with her hands to her mouth: "Feng Feng, I know you are in Miss Yuzi's store. Something big has happened."

Inside the bamboo sliding door, Feng Feng and April 1st Junxun stood at the entrance, silently staring at the open space and calling Hoshino Ruby.

On April 1st, Junxun's elbow gently touched Fengfeng, and there was a subtle sense of urgency and helplessness in that action.

"Let her in! This shop is also spider-proof for the ladies."

Feng Feng's gaze slowly shifted away from Hoshino Ruby's anxious figure, and a faint yet complex smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, as if responding to some kind of persistence in his heart.

He turned his head slightly and whispered to April 1st: "The one I am waiting for is not the one who is calling me. Everyone has his or her own mission and waiting, and I am still waiting for the wind that has not yet arrived, the shadow that can stand shoulder to shoulder with me."

After saying this, Feng Feng's gaze penetrated the gap in the bamboo sliding door and looked into the distance, where there was mist and clouds, and seemed to hide countless unsolved mysteries.

There was determination but also a hint of tenderness that was hardly noticeable in his eyes, as if in the haze he had already seen the figure who was about to meet him, slowly approaching on the invisible wind.

Upon hearing this, April 1st sighed softly, but nodded silently, choosing to respect Feng Feng's decision. The two of them stood quietly at the entrance, becoming each other's strongest backing.

April 1st sighed softly, turned around and walked into the small kitchen of the store, with a hint of loneliness in his back. The store was filled with the faint fragrance of tea and the warmth of wood, but his mind had already drifted away.

Feng Feng still stood there, his eyes never leaving the gradually hoarse but still persistent figure of Ruby Hoshino.

The sunlight shone through the sparse clouds, dappled onto her body, giving her a layer of golden glow, but also reflecting the fatigue and anxiety on her face.

"Feng Feng, everyone in this city has gone crazy. They believe in the Spider Girl to a terrifying degree."

Every time she shouted, it seemed as if she had used up all her strength. Although her voice was hoarse, it still stubbornly echoed in the empty space.

"One of my actor friends made a public statement saying that he would feed ten poisonous spiders with his own flesh and blood!"

Feng Feng stared quietly. The water bottle in Xingye's hand was empty and fell aside unconsciously, making a slight sound.

"Feng Feng, come out..."

At that moment, a complex emotion flashed in Feng Feng's eyes, as if he recognized Xingye's persistence, but also seemed to be helpless about the unfinished business in his heart.

Finally, he let out a soft sigh, and that sigh seemed to transcend the boundaries of time and space, echoing the sigh of April 1st, but each carrying a different weight.

Then, he turned and walked into the store, his back firm and resolute, leaving Hoshino Ruby with a dreamy, untouchable back and the wind that was about to disappear in the clouds.

"A man without ambition, I will go and stop Li Huayin myself."

Hoshino turned and walked out of the open space between the buildings, but another boy in a high school uniform walked into the open space.

It’s just that the boy and Hoshino are in different worlds, and what they see and hear are different.

What Hoshino saw as an empty space turned out to be an old-fashioned shop in Oreki Houtarou's eyes.

Oreki Houtarou stood in front of the somewhat rustic bamboo sliding door and knocked gently on it.

With a creaky sound, the door slowly opened, and a mixture of tea fragrance and ancient wood scent blew towards me, as if I had instantly traveled through time and space.

He looked up and his eyes met the young man named Feng Feng behind the door. There was a hint of barely perceptible surprise in the eyes of both of them.

"Hello, I'm Oreki Houtarou."

He introduced himself in a steady and clear voice, with a gentle but slightly complicated smile on his lips.

"I heard that you're the only one around here who can solve the mystery of the Lady Spider. I...actually came here to confess something to you."

Oreki leaned slightly to the side, letting the sparse sunlight outside the door shine on his shoulders, reflecting the unquestionable seriousness on his face.

"The Spider Girl Club was actually a lie I made up to deceive a girl. But the development of the situation was far beyond my expectations. Now, I need your help to end it all."

Feng Feng nodded slightly, a hint of depth flashing in his eyes. He stepped aside to let Oreki Houtarou step into the store.

The store is simply yet elegantly decorated. Various bottles and jars are neatly arranged on the old wooden shelves, each of which emits a faint glow, as if carrying unfulfilled wishes.

On the low table in the center, a pot of tea was emitting steam, forming a sharp contrast with the tranquility surrounding it.

“This is the corner where desire and cost intersect.”

Feng Feng's voice was low and magnetic. He slowly walked towards the pot of tea, picked up an exquisite porcelain cup, and filled it for Oreki Houtarou.

"Everyone who comes here to seek help must understand that the realization of any wish requires a corresponding price in exchange. This is the law of balance in nature and the cornerstone of the existence of this store."

Oreki Houtarou nodded to show that he knew the rules, and asked, "What is the price I need to pay?"

Feng Feng said meaningfully: "I admitted that I was the president of the Spider Girl Club at school and denied the existence of such monsters as Spider Girls."

Upon hearing this, Oreki Houtarou frowned slightly and his eyes wandered among the quaint furnishings in the store, as if he was weighing this sudden request.

The sunlight filtered through the crack in the door, casting mottled shadows on his face, making his expression look both serious and complicated.

He took a deep breath and spoke slowly: "I... understand the weight of this. But, in order to correct my mistakes, I am willing to take this responsibility."

Feng Feng smiled gently, with a hint of subtle approval hidden in that smile. He walked over to Oreki and gently pushed the porcelain cup in his hand in front of him. The fragrance of tea filled the air, as if it could wash away all the dust.

"Remember, this is not just a public statement, it's also an examination of your heart. When you stand in front of everyone and deny the existence of the Spider Lady, you are also admitting your past recklessness and mistakes."

"You are my other half, your denial is my denial."

Feng Feng's words echoed gently in the air. He slowly turned around and took out an object from an old wooden box in a corner of the store. It looked ordinary but exuded a mysterious aura.

It was a box of exquisite matches, with intricate patterns carved on the surface, and it seemed that each pattern contained ancient power.

He gently opened the lid of the box, and three matches lay quietly inside, flickering a faint but firm light.

"These matches are extraordinary." Feng Feng's voice was low and solemn. He handed the matchbox to Oreki Houtarou, his eyes full of seriousness.

“They can ignite the fire in your heart when you need light and courage the most. Remember, no matter what kind of spiders or monsters you face, keep your heart calm and firm, and light it like the little match girl, and you will be safe.”

Chapter 823 The First Match

Friday, October 7

Yukinoshita Yukino stared at Feng Feng's name on the screen and was slow to answer the call.

Behind the president's seat in the student council room, Yukino murmured, "I can handle all the teachers and students in the school, are you ready to handle Spider-Girl?"

"Ruby Hoshino told me that the spider girl forced you to flee from this world. Now that I think about it, you didn't contact me because if we contacted you, would it expose your location?"

Xueno's fingers trembled slightly on the screen, but she finally touched the answer button. Her ears were instantly filled with Feng Feng's deep and firm voice: "Xueno, believe me."

These five words were like a ray of warm sunshine in winter, penetrating the haze in her heart.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to agree, the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from afar broke the silence in the room.

The door opened slightly, and a dazzling golden light suddenly rushed in along with Li Huayin's figure.

She was wearing a school uniform, but it couldn't hide her unique boldness. The sunlight shone through her half-open hair, casting mottled shadows, reflecting in her eyes full of concern and anxiety.

Li Huayin stood at the door, his eyes quickly swept across the room, finally fixed on Yukino's hand holding the phone tightly, and said: "Found it."

The spider girl in her right eye seemed to understand something instantly, and a complex emotion flashed between her brows.

The air froze at this moment, and an invisible network of cause and effect quietly spread between the three people.

Feng Feng's cell phone screen seemed to have become a window to another dimension, with the shadow of the girl spider wriggling in it, and her cold gaze penetrated the pixels and locked onto him.

With a subtle and shrill hissing sound, invisible threads quietly spread from the edge of the screen, instantly crossing the boundary between virtual and reality, wrapping around Feng Feng's fingers, and then quickly spreading to his entire arm.

Those silk threads flickered with a faint blue light under the light, as if woven from the deepest fear of the night, tightly binding him. Each thread seemed to contain an indescribable power, making Feng Feng feel an unprecedented pressure.

His brows were furrowed, but his eyes flashed with an unyielding light as he tried to use his willpower to fight against this sudden attack.

There was a tense and weird atmosphere in the air. Time seemed to freeze at this moment, leaving only the Spider Girl's sinister laughter echoing in the ears of the three people.

On April 1st, Junxun, who was beside Fengfeng, brought the candle he had prepared close to Fengfeng and ignited the spider web of the girl spider.

The spider girl laughed sarcastically and said, "You are overestimating yourself. I have already webbed Feng Feng's soul. He is already my prey."

On April 1st, Jun Xun moved swiftly and decisively. He walked out of the shadows quietly, holding an ancient candle tightly in his hand. The flickering candlelight emitted a warm and firm light, which was particularly dazzling in the cold air.

He walked forward steadily, his eyes determined, as if he could penetrate all illusions and fears.

As he approached step by step, the flame of the candle gradually approached the dark blue spider web that entangled Feng Feng. The spider girl's sneer echoed in the air, with a bit of disdain and provocation: "A mere ordinary fire, you want to challenge my power?"

However, there was no wavering on Junxun's face on April 1st. He whispered an ancient spell, and the light of the candle suddenly increased, turning into a dazzling flame that directly touched the seemingly indestructible spider webs.