Clown Game
Chapter 318 - 305 Doubts (Part 7)

Chapter 318: Chapter 305 Doubts (Part 7)

Today, Bai Xiong didn’t go to work.

Instead, he came to a coffee shop with this colleague whom he had never seen before.

It was strange that there was such a coffee shop on this street. You see, the people living nearby were all office workers without a hint of interest in life, and there were neither shopping districts nor schools around. The owner of this coffee shop must have water in their brain to have set up shop here.

Moreover, the owner was a slovenly middle-aged, obese man.

But none of that mattered anymore. What Bai Xiong cared about more was the guy in front of him.

...

"You say, you’ve worked at the factory for many years now?"

"Yeah, I started working here right out of school. Look at me, I’m already in my early twenties," the person said calmly. Aside from his face, he seemed like a normal person. "Well...although I think it’s important for colleagues to maintain good relationships, but...isn’t it a bit much for you to drag me out to skip work?"

Bai Xiong tried his best not to seem panicked, "I’m sorry... I really have something very important to take care of, so please, you must help me. I can compensate you—pay, or any other request."

"Haha... there’s no need," the other person said with a smile, waving his hand dismissively, "but continue with your questions."

Bai Xiong took a sip of his drink and gathered his thoughts, "Alright, you said your name is Chen Xiao?"

"Yeah, do you need to ask so many times?"

"Are you sure?"

"What... what kind of question is that, who wouldn’t be sure of their own name?"

"I’m sorry."

"No problem, continue. I suddenly find you quite interesting. I even feel like you and I used to know each other well, it’s such a strange feeling."

Bai Xiong nodded, not understanding what was going on, "Yes, it’s really strange... But you’re sure you’ve never seen me before?"

"Absolutely not!"

"But we’ve been working in the same factory for many years, and you’ve never seen me?"

"Yes, it’s a bit odd, but it’s not like it couldn’t happen."

"Yeah, it’s not impossible," Bai Xiong said, rubbing his face. He had no idea how this conversation should progress.

Chen Xiao.

That homeless man.

I watched him slit his own throat and fall in front of me.

That was just two days ago.

Yet now, this man had appeared before me, transformed into a colleague of mine.

His appearance was so sudden, like maggots in a corpse, those flies, and the uncle who got hit and killed last week.

"I want to ask a question... a really strange one... uh, please don’t get angry," Bai Xiong said tentatively.

"Ask away," Chen Xiao said, spreading his hands with interest.

"It’s just... do you think, have you ever died before?"

"..." Chen Xiao looked bewildered, then after a few seconds: "Huh???"

"I’m sorry, let me change the question. Uh... do you think you’ve always been normal? Like, have you ever had something wrong with your mind?"

"... Huh?"

Bai Xiong hung his head in agony.

"Then... have you ever picked through trash, slept on the streets, stuff like that..."

"... Huh?"

"Oh my, how should I ask?" he muttered to himself, on the edge of despair, before he had to look up again.

"I’m really sorry, but... let’s ask this way, do you think this world is real?"

"..." Chen Xiao did not look as surprised this time, but he fell silent for a while: "Hmm, why do you ask?"

Bai Xiong continued rubbing his face, as if every word he spoke carried an immense psychological burden, "Well... you might not believe me, but... I’ve seen you before."

"Oh? When?"

"Just a few days ago."

"Really? I don’t remember that."

"You definitely wouldn’t remember... because back then,

hmm.

you were a homeless man."

"..." Chen Xiao blinked again, perplexed, "What did you say?"

With things having reached this point, Bai Xiong didn’t care anymore and decided to just let it all out.

"I knew you before, but you weren’t my colleague, you were a homeless man. You used to nestle in a corner of the wall on the way back to my house, filthy. Of course, you knew me too—we had spoken quite a lot. You told me one could live without eating or drinking, and you also told me that this world is actually a highly socialized collective consciousness, that you and I are fake, you even killed people, watched the bodies rot, maggots breeding, flies buzzing all over the room, and in the end, you died, right in front of me, suicide. You stabbed your own neck with a knife..."

Bai Xiong, with his eyes closed, blurted out all these words in quick succession, then took a deep breath afterward.

He felt like he was going insane.

In the few seconds after he finished speaking, Chen Xiao seemed to be dumbfounded across him.

His face expressing "Are you out of your mind?" while looking at Bai Xiong; to be honest, it was already quite good that Chen Xiao hadn’t smashed the coffee cup right into the other’s face by now.

Time passed slowly, and Bai Xiong even began to wonder if his face had turned red.

"Hmm...." Chen Xiao dragged out the sound, probably unsure of what to say.

"You mean, I’ve died before?"

"Uh... according to my understanding, objectively,... actually... yes."

"..."

"And then I assumed another identity, with a new set of memories, and reappeared before you?"

"Yes!"

"I used to doubt this world, you didn’t believe it, and now you believe it, but you’re trying to convince me?"

"Hmm... yes."

"You know what? I think you’re the crazy one," Chen Xiao said.

"Yeah, I also think I’ve gone mad."

"But... I also feel... that what you’re saying is the truth..."

Bai Xiong was taken aback. "Huh?? What?"

Chen Xiao spread his hands in frustration: "I don’t know how to say this, but I feel like what you are saying is true, all that nonsense about me having died, having killed someone, it all actually happened, oh, no, I should say it didn’t happen, because this world doesn’t exist." He scratched his head as if arguing with himself: "Ah, what am I saying?? You know... even though I really have no impression of you, we haven’t even met for two hours, but... okay, but it seems I have truly pondered over the issues you mentioned, because the moment I heard your words, those thoughts reignited from within my mind... uh... stirring... I must find it laughable, heh, because I suddenly feel a bit like laughing... Hehehe... I’m wondering... should I just, die again, perhaps."

...

...

No one knows how this matter started.

Not even the people involved!

Anyway, at this moment on the rooftop, Chen Xiao and Bai Xiong stood side by side.

"I mean, I feel like I’m an idiot." Chen Xiao peered down, "It’s so high!"

Bai Xiong’s face was filled with distress: "Yeah, I’ve got a wife, I have a home... what am I doing?"

"What are you afraid of? Didn’t you say you saw me slit my throat?"

"But... do you realize what we’re doing right now? Jumping off a building!!"

"Yes, but... let’s jump. I feel quite eager to do so, ah, it’s really fucking annoying, my consciousness is urging me."

"Alright, alright! I know how you feel, you said it when you were a homeless man, this is the disconnection of consciousness and body."

"I said such a thing?"

"You did, and right after saying it, you died!"

"Oh, so... jump?"

Bai Xiong rubbed his hands together fiercely, then slapped himself twice.

"Jump! Just fucking jump!!!"