Chapter 9: Members of the Tower

The old man turned his head, but before he could clearly see who had arrived, he caught a vague glimpse of a black blur darting from the doorway. The next instant, he felt his left cheek go numb, and his perspective rose sharply as his body was sent flying. It was only then that he realized the intruder was a girl of seventeen or eighteen. As he landed three or four meters away, the girl still had her right leg raised, and the old man immediately understood that it was she who had kicked him into the air a second before.

His back was pressed hard against the wall, remaining there for a long moment as if stuck, until the slipper from his left foot, which had been spinning in the air nearby, finally fell to the floor. Only then did he slide slowly down the wall. As he hit the ground, he heard a sickening "crunch" from his facial bones, followed by a wave of agony he had never experienced before. Perhaps it was an illusion, but he could faintly smell the scent of leather boots. All his senses seemed to return to him only after he hit the ground, as if Roland’s kick had caused his soul to lag behind his body.

The old man shrieked, a sound far more desperate than the "help me" Fang Xiaoling had cried out earlier. Yet, no matter how loudly he screamed, and even though the soundproof door was now wide open, not a single household in the hallway opened their door to investigate.

Fang Xiaoling was still trapped in the lingering shock and horror of the moment. She did not even notice that Roland had bent down, set the shotgun aside, and carefully removed the needle from her ankle.

The old man, initially unable to speak from the pain, saw the silent Roland tightening the connection between the needle and the syringe. A sense of impending doom washed over him, and he endured the agony to speak, hoping to steer the situation toward a better outcome: "A high school student who knows how to use a gun? It seems I underestimated who you are. My apologies."

Roland said nothing. She simply stood up with the syringe and walked toward the old man. Her expression was calm, devoid of anger or murderous intent, like a housewife returning a kitchen knife to its rack—mundane and routine.

"Listen, I’m a member of the Tower! I am protected by the Halo. If you dare touch me, you—" Before the old man could finish, the needle pierced the skin of his throat, penetrating his vocal cords.

Roland steadily depressed the plunger of the syringe, her breathing as even as ever. "Whatever you intended to do to her, I’m returning the favor."

Fang Xiaoling stared blankly at everything unfolding, almost forgetting her own existence. When Roland turned to face her, the entire world vanished; there was only Roland, and the rhythmic sound of her leather boots hitting the floor.

"Are you alright?" Roland’s gentle inquiry completely shattered the tension Fang Xiaoling had been holding onto, washing over her heart like holy water capable of melting all things.

"Sister!" Fang Xiaoling lunged forward, throwing her arms around Roland and burying her face in her chest, breaking into uncontrollable sobs.

Roland gently patted Fang Xiaoling’s head, whispering repeatedly, "It’s okay now, everything is fine..." like a loving mother soothing a terrified child.

Fang Xiaoling did not want to stay there any longer. She tried to stand up, but her legs were weak and sore, refusing to obey her. Even though Roland had eliminated the surrounding danger, she remained trapped in a whirlpool of fear.

Fang Xiaoling had always loved movies. In her mind, she had always assumed she was as brave and strong as the heroines in inspirational dramas—that she would respond rationally to danger and, at the very least, would not be paralyzed by baseless fear. But reality had held up a mirror, forcing her to recognize her own mediocrity.

As she thought this, Roland crouched down with her back to her, motioning for Fang Xiaoling to drape her arms over her shoulders. "It’s alright. The first time I encountered danger, I was so scared I couldn't even scream for help. You did just fine."

In the dim, spacious room, a dozen puppets still hung and swayed slightly, yet Fang Xiaoling felt a sense of warmth. She clutched Roland’s neck, and the nervous unease in her heart suddenly dissipated. Drowsiness and exhaustion followed, and the sense of security radiating from Roland made Fang Xiaoling yawn involuntarily.

As they neared the door, Fang Xiaoling couldn't help but glance at the old man slumped against the wall. Under the flickering, weak light, he had completely transformed into a human-shaped puppet.

"Sigh—" Fang Xiaoling couldn't help but sigh and close her eyes. She wasn't pitying the man who deserved his fate; she was lamenting how many twisted human desires were hidden behind the invention of such drugs. "Roland," she asked weakly, "do people become inhumane once they get rich?"

"There have been inhumane people throughout history; it has nothing to do with how much money they have." Roland carried her home and placed her gently on the sofa. "Rest here for a moment."

"Where are you going?" Fang Xiaoling asked nervously, not wanting Roland to leave her side.

"To get you a glass of water." Roland stroked her hair. "Don't worry, I won't let you out of my sight."

Fang Xiaoling remained silent until the glass of warm water was placed before her. She then asked in a soft voice, "Roland, after this traversal, once we both go back, what are your plans?"

Roland hadn't expected such a question. She placed the glass in Fang Xiaoling’s hands. "Naturally, I will continue to look for a way to break the curse."

Fang Xiaoling began to fidget. "That’s not what I meant. I’m asking about your future."

"You mean after the curse is broken? I have thought about that before. Believe it or not, I want to fall in love—a normal romance, not for the sake of completing a mission, but simply being together because we like each other."

Fang Xiaoling was still unsatisfied with the answer. She said anxiously, "I’m not asking about that! I’m asking about you and me. After we finish this traversal, would you be willing to... do you understand?"

Roland’s eyes widened. She looked at the girl in surprise, suddenly feeling her face grow warm. Having lived for ten thousand years, she had seen everything, yet this time, she couldn't help but feel shy. "You... you mean?"

"Yes!" Fang Xiaoling set the glass on the coffee table and grabbed Roland’s hands. Her eyes sparkled. "Will you? Will you be my sister forever?"

"Huh?" Roland finally grasped her meaning. After a long pause, she stammered, "O-of course. Goodness, why make the atmosphere so intense over such a small thing?"

Before Fang Xiaoling could respond, Roland hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, don't you want to know what that old man meant by 'the Tower'? It’s actually an organization, only..."

Before Roland could finish, Fang Xiaoling interrupted. "I don't want to know about that. It’s probably just some conspiracy by rich people to exclude ordinary folks, right?"

Roland was surprised. Fang Xiaoling, with her simple mind, had actually guessed correctly.

Fang Xiaoling continued, "I’ve seen enough of that in movies. Let them do whatever they want; I don't want to get involved. By comparison, I’d rather learn more about you, sister. For some reason, I feel like you’re becoming closer to me."

"Ugh—stop saying such mushy things!" Roland felt goosebumps rise all over her skin. She desperately searched for another topic. "Right! Do you know how I found you?"

Fang Xiaoling paused. She hadn't had time to think about it, but now that she did, the old man’s door should have been soundproof. How did her sister find her?

Fang Xiaoling blinked. "Is it the telepathic connection between sisters?"

"Shut up." Roland cut her off, sighing helplessly. "The diamond ring I gave you is actually a micro-tracker. It was meant to ensure you reached school safely, just in case. But then I noticed your movement pattern was strange—you walked into the elevator and came back, and you hadn't knocked on the door for a long time. I realized something was wrong."

"Wow, so you were already looking out for me back then? You were worried I’d have an accident. You’re so kind, sister!" Fang Xiaoling’s eyes seemed to glitter with stars. She said admiringly, "By the way, you were so cool. I will never forget that dominating sweep, your cold back, the calm expression you wore in the face of crisis, and..."

"Please, act normal." Roland glanced at the clock on the wall. "It’s already noon. It seems we’ve wasted quite a bit of time. I need to go complete my mission now. Are you coming with me, or do you want to go back to school?"

"I’m coming with you!" Fang Xiaoling jolted up from the sofa as if afraid Roland would leave her behind. "Sister, can you call me 'little sister' from now on? I feel like that would be more intimate."

Roland didn't answer. She only thought to herself that the old man must have truly terrified Fang Xiaoling, but there were some things that had to be said, regardless of her mental state.

"Xiaoling, I have to tell you something." Roland closed the door and said seriously, "During this traversal, I will definitely complete my mission faster than you. Therefore, the rest of your mission will have to be completed on your own."

"Huh? On my own?" Fang Xiaoling’s heart sank. "Sister, are you abandoning me?"

"It’s not that I’m abandoning you. Your target is a first-year high school student, right? That means you’ll need to find opportunities to interact with him in school, which isn't a one-day task." Roland walked away without looking back, as if her decision were already set. "I can't stay in this child’s body in this world waiting for you forever, can I? If I’m not quick, and my target falls for someone else, the mission difficulty will increase. Besides, if I finish first and return, I can check on the status of your real body and the changes in the surroundings. Perhaps I’ll find a clue."

Fang Xiaoling summarized Roland’s speech in her heart as: "I am going to abandon you and head back first."

Even last night, these words might not have devastated her, but now, after spending these few short hours together, they made Fang Xiaoling feel truly heartbroken. "But if that’s the case, doesn't it mean I’ll be left all alone in this world?"

Roland remained silent for a long time before resolutely pressing the elevator button. "I suppose that’s true."