Chapter 38: Chapter 9. Bound to Meet Someday

Zhou Jinru recognized the Sarkaz guitarist with long, deep red hair on stage. It was Vigna, the vanguard operator he had obtained on the first day the game launched, widely known as Rhodes Island’s "Bean Dragon." With her low deployment cost, high attack stats, and a second skill that delivered heavy burst damage, she was a versatile asset, capable of both soaking up damage and quickly dispatching enemies upon entry. In short, she was a highly useful tool.

He kept his head down, moving against the flow of the crowd. Wherever he passed, he stirred the emotions of the people—a mixture of joy and surprise, with hardly a trace of anger. The connected threads of joy coalesced into a rushing river, and under his deliberate guidance, it instantly drowned out the sporadic flickers of resentment.

As the song ended, the four girls stood on stage, greeted by a modest round of applause from the well-meaning crowd.

It wasn't enough. Nowhere near enough.

"May I borrow this? Thank you."

Zhou Jinru snatched the microphone from the stunned host. Transformed, he spoke with deep emotion: "Ladies and gentlemen, the carnival tonight has only just begun. Let us dance under the stars. This new group must have even more brilliant works in store—but that requires your passionate response. I don't think the applause is loud enough!"

That was it—just the spark. The real ace was yet to come.

Zhou Jinru narrowed his eyes slightly, beginning to guide the emotional current. The river of joy he had gathered surged and crashed forward. Instantly, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers. The sound roared like a tidal wave, engulfing the entire stage, and even the four girls were caught up in the fervor, looking eager to perform more.

In the control booth, a staff member shouted, sweating profusely: "Director, they don't have any other songs registered, and the next act is a solo performance by a famous singer!"

The burly director looked at the script in his hand: "Let them continue. Why can't they play an unregistered song? An Infected group is causing such a sensation—why would you want to stop them?"

"But, the Infected..."

The director cut him off rudely: "Shut up. Remember, this is Lungmen! Everything must follow the rules. But the boundaries set by Lord Wei—no person or family can cross them!"

The music started again, and the revelry continued, much to the dissatisfaction of the famous singer waiting in the wings. He was a handsome young man who gripped his cane tightly, frowning. "Why are these filthy scraps of trash still playing on stage? They should be driven out to the wilderness settlements to work as forced labor. There is no place for them in Lungmen."

"Brother Bai, the situation is different now. The audience out there is buying it, so the director is letting them continue," said his young assistant, clutching a coat and staying by his side. "It's cold outside, Brother Bai. Put on your coat; we have to get to the film set tomorrow."

Brother Bai’s face was as dark as water. He let the assistant drape a black wool coat over his shoulders and muttered, "Why would Lord Wei suddenly change his stance? He used to expel the Infected. Why would he allow them to perform in Lungmen now?"

The poor assistant shrank, unable to utter a word. She wished she were a fool who couldn't understand what he was saying.

...

Handing the microphone back to the host, Zhou Jinru slipped into the crowd again, like a drop of water merging into a rushing river. He no longer needed to guide them; for a while at least, the people’s emotions would not quickly revert due to prejudice against the Infected.

He checked his remaining 57 Sanity points. Everything had gone exactly as he had planned. With enough Sanity, his emotional guidance acted like an invisible hand, kneading the inner feelings of the crowd and manipulating them through external sensory stimuli to achieve his goals.

In plain terms, he was "steering the narrative."

Zhou Jinru couldn't help but laugh at himself. If Rhodes Island ever fired him, working as an event host would be his best backup plan. Due to the nature of his talent, he could only guide others if he could perceive their emotions, so being a streamer was out of the question—not that he knew if such a profession even existed in Terra.

Who would have thought that a straight-laced guy from his past life would turn into a master of public opinion? Life truly was unpredictable.

Staring at the prominent "LV14" in his field of vision, he still wanted to go back and watch more recordings, pay himself a salary, and find a way to reach Elite status. A Doctor without any means of self-defense—getting kidnapped at the drop of a hat was no joke. What happened to "tearing apart Reunion with his bare hands"? He had nothing. Even Kroos could easily knock him down, let alone the "hexagonal warriors" like Nearl or Hoshiguma.

"Ah Guang, you were amazing just now."

A soft voice came from beside him. Zhou Jinru looked down to see two rabbit ears nearly touching his forehead. It was Liu Li. With so many people in the crowd, he was amazed she had managed to find him.

Had she been looking for him the whole time?

Zhou Jinru suppressed the strange feeling in his heart. "It was nothing special. Just some amateur tricks. Don't laugh at me."

Liu Li shook her head. Under the lights, her large, watery eyes flickered. "The people of Lungmen have prejudices against the Infected, and Lord Wei’s previous policies were all about expulsion. Because of this, many people intentionally suppress the legitimate rights of the Infected. They even believe that the Infected are not protected by Lungmen law..."

Zhou Jinru interrupted her, walking slowly ahead with his gaze fixed on a couple whispering sweet nothings nearby. "Teacher Liu, do you care so much about the Infected?"

Liu Li tucked her hair behind her ear, her tone solemn. "I only care about my students. I hope they can grow up in a healthy, civilized environment. Lungmen is a melting pot—a place where all kinds of people mingle. It accommodates everyone: the free and enlightened, as well as the arrogant and prejudiced nobles. My students are still children; they see things and imitate them, and it is inevitable that they might eventually become the very people they despise."

Joy. There was nothing but joy in Liu Li’s emotions.

Was she being sincere? Was she truly a teacher who cared for her students?

Zhou Jinru couldn't tell, and he didn't intend to dwell on it. "It’s getting late, Teacher Liu. I have a night shift, and I can't be away for too long. I'm heading back."

Liu Li nodded without saying more. Just as they were about to part ways, they heard someone shout from behind:

"Zhou! Is that you?!"

Zhou Jinru turned around to see a young girl standing under a streetlamp. Deep red hair, pointed ears, a petite frame, misty eyes, and... a look of utter fury.

He was stunned. Shouldn't a long-awaited reunion involve tearful embraces, pouring out one's heart, and three thousand words of lyrical prose?

Instead of a hug, he was greeted by a heavy headbutt that sent him crashing to the ground. The Sarkaz girl looked down at him. "You jerk! Where have you been living it up?!"

Zhou Jinru clutched his abdomen, gasping in pain. Vigna’s headbutt hadn't hit a vital spot, but those horns of hers were no joke. Just from that one strike, he felt like his internal organs had shifted; he nearly threw up the fish balls he’d eaten earlier.

"...Are you... satisfied now?"

Zhou Jinru wheezed. He looked up to see the amused expression on Liu Li’s face, while Vigna’s furious shouting rang in his ears: "Not enough! Nowhere near enough! Do you think one hit is enough?"

"Little Vigna, stop, please stop."

A girl ran over from a distance, breathless. She immediately saw Vigna pinning a passerby to the ground and looking ready to strike again. She rushed to intervene. There were already many onlookers; if this blew up, given that they were Infected, it might attract the attention of the L.G.D., which would be disastrous.

Zhou Jinru panted. He had expected this. Vigna’s temper was short; hitting him was the least of it. Not everyone was as gentle and considerate as Amiya, who reminded him every day that he couldn't rest and had to work overtime.

"How did you find me?" Zhou Jinru asked.

Vigna wiped the corner of her eye, sniffing, and said bitterly, "I’d recognize your back even if you were turned to ash!"

"Huh?"

Something was wrong here.

The girl who had chased after them heard their exchange and stopped in her tracks, pricking up her ears to listen intently, her eyes shining as if she were a spy uncovering a secret.

"The ground is too cold. Get up first."

Liu Li walked over gracefully and reached out to help Zhou Jinru. Vigna glared, dissatisfied. "Who is she?"

She was asking Zhou Jinru.

"I am a teacher at this school. Ah Guang is my colleague. It’s only natural to care about a colleague, young lady."

Another one causing trouble. Zhou Jinru felt a splitting headache coming on.

Vigna’s gaze grew increasingly hostile. A colleague? The scumbag Doctor left Rhodes Island to work at a school? Why hadn't Ch'en mentioned this? Ch'en said she had searched all over Lungmen and couldn't find him. Was it all a lie? Was everything under her control?

In an instant, several thoughts raced through Vigna's mind. She beat Liu Li to the punch, reaching out to pull Zhou Jinru up from the ground. "What’s this about 'Ah Guang'?"

"I’m going by the name Ah Guang for now. Don't listen to Teacher Liu; I’m just staying here for a few days, and I’ll head back once the outer ring is unsealed," Zhou Jinru tried to explain, hoping Vigna wouldn't overthink it.

Vigna bit her lip, stubbornly lifting her head to look Zhou Jinru straight in the eyes. Two trails of tears ran down her delicate face as she cried silently. "I won't ask about anything else for now, but I have one question: why did you leave us without saying a word? Not a single sentence, not even a note. We didn't even know if you were dead or alive. After we fought side by side for so long, did you not feel even a shred of attachment in your heart?!"

"Did you never care about us at all?!"

Her voice was calm to the extreme, yet it contained a surging ocean of suppressed emotion.

Wow, big news! Big news!

So this handsome man was Vigna’s old boss!

The girl’s eyes were sparkling, desperate to know the reason why.

Liu Li also watched in silence, curiously observing the pair. She remembered that the petite red-haired girl was the guitarist from the stage earlier. No wonder Ah Guang had volunteered to help; they were old acquaintances with a deep history.

"Alright, if you want to hear it, I'll tell you."