Clown Game
Chapter 339 - 326: The Plan

Chapter 339: Chapter 326: The Plan

Chen Xiao didn’t even look back.

"Him? Of course, he likes you. Since almost a year ago, when you were still wearing glasses and pretending to be a ’three-no girl,’ he has been like this. Otakus like girls with that vibe. After you took your glasses off, he got even more hooked because of the stark contrast. You know that."

"Indeed, I can feel it, but I haven’t appeared for a long time. Does he still feel the same way?"

"Of course. Otakus don’t interact with many girls in real life, so once they fall for someone, it’s not so easy to just forget them," Chen Xiao responded.

"That’s really sad!" Qiu Mujin shook her head.

"Yes, for an ordinary man like him, it’s really a pitiful thing to fall for someone like you who pours her thoughts into the entire world. After all, the settings of reality and the 2D world are completely different. But... this fat otaku isn’t so useless."

"Oh?" Mujin was taken aback. "You mean, because you’ve been freeloading here every day, you feel guilty and want to help him out? You don’t seem like that kind of person though."

"Of course not. I’m just telling the truth. Look at this cafe; starting a business in this location is not something ordinary people dare to do. From a shop seen everywhere to now drawing customers from blocks away—this is no less challenging than dealing with those monsters. Forget about his capabilities, at least he dares to follow his dreams, unlike those men who whine about not having a girlfriend every day yet refuse to change themselves. Actually, such people are rarely seen even within the Foundation. Muscles or weapons are just superficial; true strength lies in the spirit. Who knows, perhaps after he embraces your world view, you two might seriously make a good pair."

Mujin shrugged noncommittally, "Hmm... a dreamy otaku, that does seem pretty nice... but that’s not what I meant by ’pitiful’... Rather, I’m going to die."

...

...

Chen Xiao was stunned, speechless for a moment, and instinctively observed her expression and actions, only to realize that she probably wasn’t joking...

"You’re going to die?"

"Yes, probably in a few months."

Chen Xiao frowned, trying to digest the information. "Why? Some incurable disease? But given your abilities, saving one person should be a breeze."

"Yes, it’s a pity. I’m not just going to die. I’m going to vanish..." Qiu Mujin said calmly, as if discussing something trivial: "Everything has its price, especially for me. Oh right, you know about the aunt paradox, don’t you?"

Chen Xiao nodded, "Hmm... the one where you travel back in time to kill your aunt, right? Of course, I’ve heard about it."

"Yes, exactly. In fact, due to paradoxes, such things can’t really happen because the world will try everything to avoid it. And I’ve done such things too much... Actually, I should have been erased a long time ago. I’ve just been delaying this day from coming. It won’t be dying in the usual sense, but completely vanishing, wiping out all traces of me. Then you won’t remember me anymore, and everything related to me will get replaced by other things. Everything will keep moving forward except... without me." She took a bite of her cake and blissfully closed her eyes.

Chen Xiao stayed silent for a long while.

"That’s... really a sad story," he said awkwardly, then quickly changed the subject: "Hehe, but let’s talk about the Pacific Division business now. I can’t wait to get an item from there."

Mujin, unfazed by his heartless behavior, put down her spoon, "Alright, we should talk about that... After this mission, your ’Giggling Bird’ team will be officially promoted to level B, and Mother Bug has been captured..."

"Captured?"

"Yes, Mother Bug was captured alive, and she will be sent to the Pacific Division for evaluation and containment in a week. And at that time, you need to go there as well."

"Ah?? That coincidental? Right at this crucial moment I need to make a trip to the Pacific Division? You didn’t leak this info, did you?" Chen Xiao wondered. "Also, what am I supposed to do there?"

"It’s not a coincidence; we’ve been waiting for this moment. In fact, if it weren’t for your team taking on this task, the courier wouldn’t have been so urgent to bring you here. And the reason you have to go to the Pacific Division is simple, being the only person who has truly experienced Mother Bug’s ’collective consciousness’ control, your description will be extremely valuable for documentation because psychic impact containment items are incredibly precious. So you’re not just going; you might actually enter the containment area."

"Oh, I see!" Chen Xiao responded thoughtfully. "But how did you know all of this?"

"Of course, we have our own ways."

"Cut it out, with all that secrecy," Chen Xiao scoffed. "Isn’t it that kid called A-Ming? Looks all high and mighty, turns out he’s an S-level containment item..." He was talking when he suddenly paused: "Oh, I get it now."

He exclaimed, "So, Bai Xiong and I weren’t the first to betray the Foundation, right?"

...

...

Mujin raised an eyebrow, "Hmm? Why would you think that?"

"Just came to me naturally, hehe..."

"Well, if that’s what you think, then let it be," Mujin said indifferently, giving no further explanation.

And Chen Xiao did not pursue further, knowing that if there were indeed such a person, asking would not get him any clues: "Let’s stick to the main topic then. If what you said is true, and in a week I am invited to enter the ’Pacific Division’, what should I do?"

"What you need to do is simple," she said, pulling out a key from her pocket. "Find any door, and then just insert this key into the lock."

Chen Xiao took the key from her hand. It looked ordinary, but it was not hard to imagine that this key must have come from the ’Locksmith’. However, Chen Xiao looked at the key in his hand, troubled.

"Hmm... I know this key is powerful, perhaps even capable of distorting space-time, but forgive my frankness, finding a door with a lock inside the Foundation isn’t an easy task."

Mujin chuckled softly.

"I know, but don’t worry, when I say there will be one, there will definitely be one..."