Chapter Three: Bidding Farewell to This World

“Tick, tick, tick…”
The sound of a clock’s hands moving echoed clearly in his mind.
[Stage One Star Gate—Qingliang Town, countdown to activation: 6:00:00.]
A clear, ethereal voice passed through, calming Ren Ye’s racing thoughts.

In an office thick with acrid smoke, Huang Wei sat in his chair, wearing a slightly guilty expression. “Believe me, we’ve already activated this brush before. The method was to copy while reciting the phrase; anyone who got it could use it. So, I really don’t know how it got bound to you... It might be related to that calling voice.”

Ren Ye lowered his gaze to his palm, his eyes dazed.

Just as the Star Mark Gate appeared, the ancient brush suddenly vanished from his hand. Immediately after, Ren Ye heard the ticking in his mind and that ethereal reminder.

And then… from the abyssal Star Gate, who was calling out to him? The thought sent chills crawling down his spine.

It was utterly bizarre—no amount of clever reasoning could explain it!

After a brief silence, Ren Ye felt he needed to steady himself. He looked up and beckoned, “Give me a cigarette.”

Huang Wei eyed him with concern, pulling out a cigarette as he softly asked, “Do you... feel any changes in yourself?”

Ren Ye took the cigarette, his right hand trembling as he flicked the lighter twice before finally igniting it. He inhaled deeply. “There’s a voice in my mind. To be precise, it’s a six-hour countdown.”

They locked eyes; Huang Wei’s lips twitched. “That means it’s fully bound.”

“So I have to go in?” Ren Ye felt the smoke burn his throat, frowning as he coughed twice. “No choice?”

“Yes.”

“So I only have six hours to prepare?”

“Right. After six hours, whether you want to or not, you’ll enter. In other words, the Star Mark Gate has already chosen you.” Huang Wei nodded.

Hearing this, Ren Ye’s gaze gradually calmed. “Did you take care of what you promised me yesterday?”

“It’s done.”

“Haha, I have six hours left before I leave this world. How about you accompany me for a bit?” Ren Ye smiled bitterly.

“Sure.”

Huang Wei stood up.

Ren Ye held the cigarette between his fingers, feigning calm as he commented, “Your cigarettes are fake—they choke the throat.”

Huang Wei looked at him oddly, then pointed. “Didn’t you notice? The cigarette you’re smoking… has no filter.”

“Huh?”

Ren Ye glanced down at the cigarette and froze instantly.

“You’re smoking it backwards—you lit the filter end.”

“...!” Ren Ye maintained his composed facade. “The filter’s better—stronger hit.”

Huang Wei could tell he was very nervous, still unsettled by the strange occurrences, but the kid was deliberately trying to keep a cool demeanor while talking to him.

Interesting.

With that, the two left the office together.

As they reached the main staircase, Huang Wei glanced behind him unconsciously and winked at a security camera.

Inside the monitoring room, over twenty people of various appearances stared intently at the screen showing Ren Ye’s figure.

At the front stood a young man in deep blue cloth, his back to everyone, his voice cold and clear. “Notify Huang Wei. Ren Ye, Shanghai City ID 001. Effective immediately, anyone who leaks any information about 001 without authorization will be treated as a traitor.”

“Understood.” The middle-aged man beside him nodded.

“Swish!”

Suddenly, a cold breeze swept through the room. The young man in blue vanished into a wisp of smoke, leaving behind only a talisman burning slowly to ash on the floor.

With his departure, the tension eased, and the room erupted in chatter.

“The Star Gate is calling an ordinary person? That’s never happened before.”

“This is insane. Huang’s really lost it this time! Damn red-eyed berserker luck.”

“Damn it, why isn’t Ren Ye locked up in our district’s prison?!”

“If he were mine, I’d have him meet a few tough ladies to ‘break him in’,” a glamorous woman said slyly.

“The last four all died; what can a newcomer achieve? Rare means hard.”

The room fell silent after that.

Gone was the lively discussion, replaced by anxious expressions.

---

That afternoon, outside an ordinary kindergarten, Ren Ye wore a baseball cap, sitting under a sunshade with Huang Wei, sipping hot coffee.

His gaze was vacant, staring ahead, his mind racing.

According to Huang Wei, four players before him had each faced two consecutive missions—and all had died.

A corpse, dead for three days, had emerged carrying that brush.

Then, upon activating it, the Star Gate opened, but an ethereal voice kept calling his name…

Ren Ye felt an overwhelming dread, as if the Lord of Death himself had singled him out.

Huang Wei, still looking greasy and scruffy, watched Ren Ye’s profile and asked softly, “Don’t you want to find an excuse to see your family? I have the authority.”

“If I mess up, I’ll die.” Ren Ye snapped back to reality. “Honestly, I’m scared. Seeing them would only make me more afraid.”

“Hm.”

Huang Wei said no more, pulling a thick envelope from his pocket and sliding it across the table. “Here’s the hundred thousand yuan you requested yesterday.”

“Thanks.” Ren Ye nodded but said nothing.

Huang Wei took a deep drag. “Also, based on your former unit’s compensation standards, I applied for an additional special fund of over 1.3 million yuan. You can access it now.”

“If I survive, I’ll claim the money myself. If not… give it to my dad.” Ren Ye forcibly shut out the chaotic emotions swirling in his mind. He needed to calm down to negotiate reasonable terms and protect his rights.

Huang Wei nodded slowly. “Actually, although this sum is quite large and there’s no precedent for early disbursement, I think it should be given, regardless of…”

As he spoke, Huang Wei felt proud, like a boss giving a sudden raise. He believed he was acting righteously and thoughtfully, with a hint of comforting intention.

Ren Ye caught the emotion, turning to interrupt. “Besides the money, is there anything else?”

“Huh?” Huang Wei hesitated. “What else would there be?”

Ren Ye adopted a businesslike expression. “I have a few requests.”

“Go ahead. I’ll take notes.” Huang Wei instinctively pulled out a small notebook.

For such a dangerous job, it was reasonable for him to make demands.

“You should know my situation. My parents divorced early. My old man struggled raising us siblings by writing online novels, so I have to think ahead for him.” Ren Ye looked at Huang Wei. “Can you arrange medical coverage for him through your department? Basically, covering his life, illness, and death, with a certain standard.”

Huang Wei blinked and exhaled sharply. “Okay, I’ll discuss it with the relevant colleagues, but this...”

“Also, our house is small. Could you arrange for them to get a new one according to your unit’s allocation standards? A seventy-year property right that can be bought and sold. Since I’m committing to you, I guess that’s not too much.”

Before Huang Wei could react, Ren Ye added a second request.

“…!” Huang Wei’s hand trembled slightly as he stared, surprised.

“And my sister’s in college. Her grades… well, let’s not mention that yet.” Ren Ye rubbed his palms. “But she’s eager to improve. Could you use your connections to help her get a guaranteed postgraduate spot?”

Huang Wei was dumbfounded.

“Oh, and help secure her job after graduation. Your unit probably needs ambitious clerical staff.” Ren Ye quickly added, “My sister’s quite attractive; she fits the image standards and comes from a scholarly family…”

“I checked. Your dad writes online novels but only knows how to write ‘chauffeur’ stories. Legally, he risks going to jail, you know?” Huang Wei interrupted. “Talking about a scholarly family might be a stretch.”

“Anyway, about my sister…”

“I get it, Ren.” Huang Wei set down his notebook and sat up straight, seriously analyzing. “How about this: your dad’s medical coverage follows West Lake Sanatorium standards, with a state funeral after death. Sound good?”

Ren Ye nodded immediately. “Perfect.”

“And your sister? Don’t put her in clerical work. I’ll talk to the higher-ups and have them supervise me, okay?”

“That might not need to be so high-level…”

“Right. And since your dad’s been divorced years, I’ll see about finding you a stepmother to sort out his later life.” Huang Wei added seriously.

“Let’s do it your way.” Ren Ye met his gaze.

“Damn!”

Huang Wei swore softly. “You really dare to dream, huh?!”

“I’ve given you my life. What’s there to fear?” Ren Ye said calmly, emphasizing each word. “Don’t elevate this to ethnic or populist talk. Three years in prison taught me one thing: both the individual and the nation deserve mutual devotion and love.”

They stared at each other. Ren Ye was unyielding, as composed as a Wall Street wolf.

In the end, the straightforward Huang Wei thought briefly before replying, “I can’t decide on anything beyond your personal benefits, but I’ll try my best. As for the house and your dad’s medical coverage, I’ll try to get approval in under a year.”

“You’re alright.” Ren Ye gave a thumbs-up.

“Hah! When these requests go up for review, they’ll probably think you and I are related.” Huang Wei seemed overwhelmed, tossing back a gulp of coffee.

They fell silent for a moment. Ren Ye squinted at the kindergarten, a faint smile touching his lips.

Across the street, a young kindergarten teacher accompanied by three staff members led a little girl around three years old toward them.

---

Ren Ye stood to greet her, others stepped aside respectfully. Only the little girl eyed him shyly.

“Duoduo,” Ren Ye crouched by the roadside. “You’ve grown so much.”

He had only seen this little girl once—on the day of his court hearing.

“Who are you?” she asked, stepping back.

Ren Ye was silent for a long while, gently stroking her small head in the sunlight. “I’m your dad’s friend—the best friend.”

“They say… I don’t have a dad.” The girl blinked wide eyes, her face tense. “Why are you a friend then?”

Hearing this, Ren Ye was speechless. He studied her features closely, reminded of his own friend’s face.

He was always smiling, the team’s joy, the artistic backbone.

“You do have a dad, and you must never forget him.” Ren Ye showed her the envelope Huang Wei had given him and slipped it into her backpack. “Take this home to your mom. Tell her to read the letter inside.”

“Mom says I can’t take other people’s things.”

“Take it anyway. He’s friends with your mom too.” The kindergarten teacher encouraged gently.

The girl finally nodded slowly. “Thank you, uncle.”

“Mm.” Ren Ye stood and waved. “Please take her back, teacher.”

“Goodbye, uncle.”

“Goodbye, uncle.”

The visit was brief—just two or three minutes. The girl was led back to the kindergarten by the staff and teacher.

Ren Ye watched them go.

“You’ve done a lot for this family.” Huang Wei stood beside him quietly. “The dead are gone; you can’t live in the past forever.”

Ren Ye turned to him. “Do you know why I fired seven shots and killed those two suspects?”

Huang Wei shook his head.

“If I hadn’t had that colleague, I’d be dead. I hate those suspects, and I hate myself.” His voice was hoarse.

Huang Wei said nothing, standing quietly.

“Sigh.”

Ren Ye sighed deeply, hands in his pockets. “Compensation standards are twenty times the average previous year’s income plus forty months’ salary. Over a million sounds like a lot, right? But that money has to support four elderly and one child… In this society, is that much?!”

Those words sparked vivid images in Huang Wei’s mind—he recalled their negotiation and imagined the hardships of a single mother with a three-year-old girl.

“This kindergarten charges the lowest fees around, but the child’s father is a martyr.” Ren Ye patted Huang Wei on the shoulder and walked toward the waiting business van.

Huang Wei stood still for a long moment before following, pulling out his phone to dial. “Hello? Lao He, I need a favor... Can you help get a spot for a second elementary school student? Not a relative’s kid—a friend’s little girl, about three years old.”

“That’s tough, brother. Last month my cousin almost begged me...” The voice on the other end started to complain.

“Tough? Just get it done. It’s easier than having one more dinner with someone.” Huang Wei understood why Ren Ye brought him here and responded with action.

---

That whole afternoon, Huang Wei accompanied Ren Ye to various places—his old workplace, former school, even the street food stall he frequented… They met several people Ren Ye cared about, yet not his father or sister.

Not because he didn’t want to, but because he feared seeing them would snuff out the courage he had just mustered.

Of course, this was somewhat irresponsible from a familial perspective. Yet for some reason, Ren Ye felt a strange mixture of fear and longing toward the bizarre fate confronting him…

He was afraid, but he wanted to go.

Perhaps more than three years had only made Ren Ye appear calmer and quieter on the surface, but deep down he refused to fade away as just a murderer marked by the past.

That afternoon felt like his sudden farewell to this world—after all, just yesterday he was happily working in prison, stepping on a sewing machine…

As evening fell, the sun dipped low, casting the earth in twilight.

Ren Ye sat in a guest room, holding a notebook Huang Wei had given him.

Opposite him, Huang Wei leaned against the TV cabinet, silent.

“Tick, tick-tick…”

The ticking sound returned to his ears, followed by a voice.

[Stage One Star Gate—Qingliang Town, countdown to activation: 10:00.]