DA chapter 40

 

Xu Ying was about to leave. When passing Lin Jia, Lin Jia stood up: “Then I won’t disturb Deputy Chen anymore.”

Deputy Chen made a gesture meaning suit yourself.

Lin Jia picked up the cat and followed Xu Ying out. Xu Ying opened the door and saw Yan Xu. He said: “Captain Yan, release him.”

Yan Xu glanced at Lin Jia, holding the cat, as they stood behind Xu Ying. He walked into the meeting room and came out after a while. He had gone to confirm with Deputy Chen whether the person should be released.

After coming out, Yan Xu smiled at Lin Jia. “Released.”

After Yan Xu left, Lin Jia calmly fiddled with his cufflink. The whale-tail cufflink fell to the ground. Xu Ying saw it and picked it up for him.

“Thank you.” Lin Jia said to Xu Ying very naturally. “Could you hold the cat for a moment?”

The cat immediately became nervous. Although it wasn’t very smart, it knew this was Lin Jia’s real purpose for coming to the Inspection Team.

Xu Ying did not suspect anything and agreed.

Lin Jia handed the cat to him, lowered his head to adjust his cufflink, and said casually, “The cat is quite clingy. Sorry for the trouble.”

Xu Ying: “It’s okay.”

Lin Jia had already presented the opportunity right before the cat’s eyes. What remained depended on the cat’s performance. Although the cat was nervous and its heart was pounding, it had experience touching foreheads. Lin Jia had explained in advance that the cat was clingy, which helped Xu Ying prepare mentally.

The cat reached out at Xu Ying and carefully raised its head. While Xu Ying lowered his head to watch Lin Jia fix his cufflink, the cat pressed its forehead against Xu Ying’s.

One second, two seconds, ten seconds…

Lin Jia spent over a minute adjusting his cufflink while everything around them remained quiet and unchanged.

“Thank you.”

After fixing the cufflink, Lin Jia took the cat back from Xu Ying’s arms.

Movement came from nearby. Yan Xu had someone release Boss Zhou from the small, black room. Lin Jia no longer paid attention to Xu Ying and stepped toward the source of the movement.

The cat drooped its face and whispered: “Not him.”

Lin Jia laughed coldly. The cat did not dare speak again, nor did it dare raise its head to look at Lin Jia. It only dared to think about who its original self really was. But if the cat had raised its head, it would have discovered Lin Jia already wore an expression of expectation fulfilled.

Lin Jia had never thought that Xu Ying was the cat’s original self.

On the other hand, he already had another candidate in mind.

The reason he requested to see Xu Ying instead of the other candidate was simply a process of elimination. Once Xu Ying was eliminated, the likelihood of the other candidate increased.

Lin Jia remembered what the cat had said when describing its original self: ‘My original self must be some big figure threatening the Underwater Wold. There are many people in the Underwater Wold who want to leave, so why was I the only one separated out?’

‘Someone so determined to leave the Underwater Wold must have an upright character. Help me find my original self. Once I merge back with it, I guarantee I’ll protect you.’

Upright character.

Heh.

If that person really was the cat’s original self, it was not necessarily a good thing for Lin Jia. After all, that person was seen as a mad dog by everyone. Lin Jia could not guarantee that, after merging with the cat, the mad dog wouldn’t turn around and bite him.

Therefore, Lin Jia would not allow the cat to merge rashly, nor would he tell the cat that he had basically already identified its original self.

He would never completely rule out merging, but first, he wanted to fully understand this mad dog.

If the mad dog remained a mad dog, then there was no need to merge.

However, if the mad dog kept promises, then merging was possible.

A few steps away, the mad dog, the source of the movement, waved at Lin Jia. Old Zhou had been brought out of the small, dark room. He was in poor condition: his face was bruised, his lips were pale, and he needed support just to stand.

The mad dog barked at Lin Jia. “Lin Jia, your man has been released. Come inspect your man. First, I’ll state that I didn’t hit him. The injuries on his face are from him knocking into things himself.”

Lin Jia glanced at Yan Xu, then lowered his head and asked the cat, “Do you believe that?”

The cat whispered, “He definitely hit him! Believe him my foot!”

Lin Jia walked closer to the source of the movement, and the cat fell silent.

Seeing Boss Zhou in such a bedraggled state caused Lin Jia to frown slightly, but he still did not reach out to support the unsteady old man.

Yan Xu laughed quietly, walked through the crowd, pulled one of Boss Zhou’s arms over his neck, and looked at Lin Jia. “Is that your car outside?”

Lin Jia nodded.

Yan Xu supported Boss Zhou and helped him out of the Inspection Team. Xiao Yao, who had been waiting anxiously by the roadside, hurried out of the car and took Boss Zhou from Yan Xu.

Yan Xu turned back to look at Lin Jia, who walked out unhurriedly. A trace of confusion appeared in his gaze, but it was quickly hidden when Lin Jia brushed past him.

Suddenly, Lin Jia turned back.

Yan Xu raised an eyebrow.

Lin Jia asked: “Can I have your contact information?”

Yan Xu: “Sure.”

After the car engine started and the car drove away, Yan Xu folded his arms, holding his chin with one hand, and stared at the departing vehicle for a long while.

He knew Lin Jia had gone to great lengths to take Zhou Zhengxing away, but he couldn’t sense Lin Jia’s emotions. It was as if Lin Jia’s real purpose had not actually been to take Zhou Zhengxing away.

But if not that, could it really have been to get his contact information?

Yan Xu gave a self-mocking smile.

Xu Ying walked over and said to Yan Xu, “Deputy Chen is calling for you.”

Yan Xu put on an indifferent expression and turned around.

Inside the car.

Xiao Yao kept asking Boss Zhou about his health. After too many questions, Boss Zhou, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, got annoyed and said, “I’m fine, just weak.”

Lin Jia raised his head and looked at Boss Zhou through the rearview mirror and asked, “What happened to the injuries on your face?”

Boss Zhou replied, “I knocked into something myself.”

The cat was somewhat surprised. Lin Jia calmly asked, “How did you fall?”

Boss Zhou: “No food!”

The cat thought: Exactly! I knew I wasn’t wrong!”

Xiao Yao cursed Yan Xu several times, which the cat found quite pleasing.

Lin Jia asked, “What happened with Broken Cloud?”

Boss Zhou sighed. Since Lin Jia had gotten him out of the small black room, he figured that evidence had been used as leverage. He no longer hid anything and said, “Yan Xu, Deputy Chen, and I entered the Underwater Wold during the same period. After exiting the first Fish Belly, Yan Xu and Deputy Chen clashed with the Management Office. It became such a big issue that the Management Office had no choice but to change the regulations and create a newcomer shelter.”

“Not long after, Broken Cloud was established.”

“At first, there were only about a hundred people. Later, more and more people joined, and the conflict with the Management Office grew. I was just an ordinary member. At that time, I got injured, so I left Broken Cloud. Later, I heard that Deputy Chen left Broken Cloud and joined the Management Office. Everyone thought that he had betrayed Broken Cloud. Yan Xu persuaded people not to speak badly of Deputy Chen and repeatedly explained that he was doing it for Broken Cloud’s good. He even ordered that Broken Cloud do things according to the Management Office’s regulations from then on.”

“Actually, everyone’s level of thinking was only that high, so they couldn’t really understand. But people still listened to Yan Xu. No matter what they did, they had to report to the Management Office first. However, the Management Office was too slow to respond, so people became impatient and reported Deputy Chen’s name instead, hoping the Management Office would hurry up… Later, for some unknown reason, Broken Cloud gradually declined. No one could find the cause and could only watch as Broken Cloud slowly disappeared. Peripheral figures left Broken Cloud; core figures died one after another… Yan Xu also disappeared. When he appeared again, he was with the Inspection Team. Two years later, he was promoted to captain of the Inspection Team.”

Lin Jia glanced at the cat. The cat listened in surprise, apparently not expecting that Yan Xu had also belonged to Broken Cloud. But then, the cat quickly became indignant. In the cat’s eyes, Yan Xu had abandoned Broken Cloud.

Lin Jia noticed a key point: in Boss Zhou’s words, the unit of time used was “years.”

He asked: “Time in the Underwater Wold is different from the real world, right?”

Boss Zhou paused and asked, “Why ask that suddenly?”

Lin Jia: “Yan Xu doesn’t look very old. Is he even twenty-two?

Meaning, eight years have passed since Broken Cloud was established. Did Yan Xu found Broken Cloud at age fourteen? That sounded absurd.

Boss Zhou thought and said, “Early twenties, probably. But you’re right; time in the Underwater Wold is really different from the real world.”

Lin Jia already had an idea about the flow of time, but he asked specifically to confirm.

“According to newcomers who entered after passing through, one day in the real world equals a quarter of a day in the Underwater Wold.” Boss Zhou sighed with a bitter smile, “Our lifespan is long here. Stay in the Underwater Wold for eighty or ninety years, and your age will only increase by one year.”

This matched Lin Jia’s calculation of the flow of time.

From the meteor shower until Lin Jia entered the Underwater Wold, exactly fifteen days passed. In the Underwater Wold, that equaled three years and seven months, which matched the time when Yan Xu entering the Management Office.

The answer became even clearer: Yan Xu was most likely the cat’s original self.

Only some concrete evidence was missing. Another uncertain aspect was whether Yan Xu would honor the promises he made while in cat form. Although Lin Jia knew he was not a good person, he preferred to deal with good people.

Everything that needed to be asked and known was already clear in Lin Jia’s mind. He leaned against the seatback and closed his eyes to rest, but his thoughts would not settle.

The Underwater Wold and the real world flowed differently. In real-world time, he had been gone for less than a day. If he could return early, the group could continue operating instead of shutting down.

What he needed to do now was approach Yan Xu, determine his character as soon as possible, and let the cat merge with Yan Xu to fulfill the promise. Even if Yan Xu’s morality did not meet Lin Jia’s standards, he still had to approach him and learn how to leave the Underwater Wold.

He was certain that Yan Xu knew how to leave the Underwater Wold.

The matter of Sharp Knife being raided by the Inspection Team was temporarily resolved. Old Zhou still paid a considerable fine to the Management Office to continue living in the base. Group funds were tight, so they had to consider entering the Fish Belly to earn fish spirits. Old Zhou shamelessly asked Lin Jia to go out again.

Lin Jia neither refused nor agreed; he just collected some skills from the others in Sharp Knife. Some could clean, some could sing and dance, and some were funny…

Then, he threw himself into another matter.

There were too many forum posts. Even popular posts became outdated within two or three days and were buried under newer posts. Lin Jia’s trade post, which originally attracted no attention, was no exception.

Lin Jia planned to find a fixed storefront so that clients would know there was a place where their needs could be met and laborers could register to provide services.

He learned that property in the Underwater Wold could be bought or rented through the Management Office. However, Lin Jia did not plan to rent because renting meant restrictions. The Management Office could take the property back at any time, which would affect his business. However, he also did not plan to buy because he lacked the funds.

He ultimately chose Sharp Knife’s base as the location. In exchange, Lin Jia would enter Fish Belly once more. As before, he would hand the fish spirits over to Boss Zhou, who would distribute them.

That day, accompanied by Boss Zhou and Xiao Yao, Lin Jia brought the cat to the Bounty Hall once again to look for a suitable cloud layer.

Lin Jia set his sights on a three-star cloud layer. A three-star cloud layer was the most suitable choice because the fish spirits obtained were worth more than one- or two-star ones. The difficulty level was also moderate for Lin Jia; it didn’t put his life at risk.

Lin Jia quickly confirmed the cloud layer he would enter.

[Number: D3155]

[Cloud thickness: approx. 410 m]

[Cloud volume: approx. 0.8 km]

[Cloud height: approx. 1,500 m]

[Estimated descent time: approx. 24 hours]

[Estimated number involved: approx. eight people]

[Estimated difficulty: approx. three-star]

[Estimated sinking city area: Second District]

[…]

The Second District is where the Jialing Hotel is located and where Lin Jia is staying. Three hours before D3155 descended, Lin Jia took out his phone and sent Yan Xu a text message.

[Lin Jia: Jialing Hotel restaurant, 19:00 tonight. I wonder if Captain Yan has time.]

After sending the message, Lin Jia looked at the cat that had just come out after being bathed and said, “I invited Yan Xu to dinner.”

The cat was shocked. “Why invite him to dinner? Do you have so much money you don’t know what to do with it?!”

Lin Jia asked with unclear meaning: “You hate him that much?”

The cat shook the water off its body. “I’ve said it many times. I just hate him.”

The cat sounded a little aggrieved. “You never take what I say seriously.”

The phone dinged, and Lin Jia received Yan Xu’s reply.

[Yan Xu: As far as I know, D3155 will land in the Second District at that time.]

[Lin Jia: So, dare to come?]

[Yan Xu: I have something to do, but I’ll try to make time.]

Lin Jia got up to get ready. It was the autumn-winter season in the Underwater Wold. Lin Jia put on a light wool trench coat and changed his cufflinks to bullet-head ones.

The phone dinged again.

[Yan Xu: Arrived.]

Lin Jia pushed the door open with the cat and went out.

Because the D3155 cloud layer was descending, the bustling Second District had grown silent. The restaurant wasn’t operating; there were no lights inside. Only the table Lin Jia wanted was lit by faint candlelight, with dishes prepared in advance on it.

Yan Xu had arrived one step ahead of him. Instead of sitting down, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the low, descending cloud layer outside. The cloud layer was already level with the window, obscuring the view with a hazy mass.

A strip of light reflected off the floor-to-ceiling window. Lin Jia approached with a flashlight, slowly turning off the beam as he got closer.

By candlelight, Lin Jia saw Yan Xu turn around.

Yan Xu was not wearing the inspection uniform, but rather his own clothes: a light gray hoodie with an embroidered image on the front that Lin Jia could not understand, jeans, and work boots.

Lin Jia withdrew his gaze, pulled out a chair, and sat down, seeming somewhat hesitant to speak.

Seeing this, Yan Xu sat down too and said: “Say whatever you want.”

Lin Jia raised his eyes. “How old are you?”

Yan Xu: “Don’t remember. Twenty-two, maybe.”

Lin Jia said nothing. Yan Xu asked, “After asking about my age, shouldn’t you tell me yours?”

Lin Jia: “Captain Yan can find out that I live here, but he can’t find out any other information about me.”

Yan Xu raised an eyebrow. He had indeed found out that Lin Jia was 23 years old, one year older than him, but the passage of time in the Underwater Wold had blurred the concept of age, so it was no longer that relevant.

Yan Xu: “Why ask that?”

He picked up the cup and drank some water. Then he added, “And while you’re at it, tell me why you invited me. I’m too lazy to guess.”

Lin Jia lowered his head to eat. “Without knowing my purpose, Captain Yan still dares to attend a Hongmen banquet.”[mfn]The Hongmen Banquet refers to a historical event in 206 BCE where a seemingly celebratory gathering concealed a plot to assassinate Liu Bang, symbolizing hidden danger and political intrigue.[/mfn]

Yan Xu smiled indifferently. “I’ve offended quite a lot of people. The worst danger is someone wanting to harm me.”

Lin Jia glanced at the continuously descending cloud layer. Once the cloud layer reached the bottom, the candlelight on the table would reveal their location to the cloud layer, which would then pull them in.

During that time, Lin Jia heard Yan Xu say, “I feel like you don’t want to harm me, but you also didn’t sincerely invite me to dinner.”

Lin Jia looked straight at Yan Xu. “Captain Yan, guess?”

Yan Xu slapped a revolver onto the table. “Do you think I’m too lazy to guess? I can’t guess. But if you really want my life, be direct so I don’t sit here feeling uncertain and creeped out.”

Outside the window, a storm slowly gathered, and the cloud layer covered the clustered buildings.

Lin Jia lowered his gaze to look at the revolver on the table. Candlelight stained the silver gun body with a hint of red.

He quietly rubbed his fingertips together as he said, “I’m not that foolish. Even if I wanted to harm you, I wouldn’t choose this moment or this gun.”

His fingertips warmed under his rubbing. Only then did Lin Jia reach out and place his warm fingertips on the gun. He slowly pushed it toward Yan Xu. “I invited Captain Yan only because I want to enter the cloud layer with him. If danger appears, I think Captain Yan will help me, considering that last time I saved you.”

He used the same reasoning that Yan Xu had used when inviting him to dinner.

Their gazes both fell on the revolver. Lin Jia spoke and acted naturally.

They both understood clearly that there was no lifesaver at all, only a clumsy excuse that they had both already used once.

Yan Xu had used this excuse to invite Lin Jia to dinner to probe him.

Now Lin Jia used the same reason—his purpose…

Yan Xu laughed without much emotion.

He reached out to take the gun back but paused slightly when his fingers touched it. The cold gun body still retained some warmth from where Lin Jia had touched it.

Yan Xu narrowed his eyes. Looking closely, he could still see the neat, oval-shaped fingerprints left on the gun.

Lin Jia said: “If Captain Yan still says nothing, I’ll assume he agreed.”

Yan Xu raised his head: “Didn’t you already count on my agreement?”

So he used this clumsy excuse, openly displaying his ‘other motives’. Yan Xu understood; Lin Jia knew he was probing his intentions, and Lin Jia was using this as bait to lure him in.

Lin Jia smiled: “But I still want one definite answer from Captain Yan before I dare feel at ease.”

Yan Xu was rebellious by nature and refused to give Lin Jia the answer he wanted.

Disappointment didn’t show on Lin Jia’s face. He lowered his head to eat again, very elegantly—after every bite, he used the napkin to press his lips.

Feeling Yan Xu’s gaze, Lin Jia swallowed the food in his mouth and looked up at Yan Xu again. “In the Underwater Wold, you can’t move an inch without fish spirits. I hope Captain Yan can guarantee my safe exit from the Fish Belly.”

Yan Xu laughed softly. Knowing that the person in front of him was flawless, he could not be bothered to investigate further. Once they entered the Fish Belly, he would sooner or later discover this person’s purpose.

Only then did Yan Xu finally put away the gun. His fingerprints covered the fingertip marks left by Lin Jia.

Then, Yan Xu continued along with Lin Jia’s words: “D3155… Too bad I didn’t prepare. Whether I can become your guarantor is hard to say. Don’t expect too much from me.”

Lin Jia had already expected this: “Prepared for Captain Yan.”

Yan Xu clicked his tongue, feeling like he had boarded a pirate ship. Not wanting to be so easily dragged aboard by Lin Jia yet unwilling to get off without understanding anything, he raised the corner of his lips in a bad smile. “First, I’m not obedient. I don’t follow commands, and there’s a high chance I’ll ruin whatever plan you’ve arranged. You…”

Lin Jia answered without hesitation. “I accept.”

Yan Xu froze for a moment, shrugged, and smiled. “Alright then.”

Outside the window, the storm grew more violent and the cloud layer seemed to spread into the restaurant. Neither of them spoke again, quietly eating dinner before entering the cloud layer. Only the cat wore a long face and grumbled inwardly.

Why insist on calling Yan Xu into the cloud layer? Annoying! Lin Jia didn’t take it to heart at all. Sad!

The white mist grew thicker, quickly blurring the restaurant scene.

Afraid of losing contact with Lin Jia, the cat jumped onto Lin Jia’s lap.

The thick fog quickly filled the entire restaurant, extinguishing the weak candlelight. Soon, however, the fog began to disperse. But what appeared was not the restaurant again, but an unfamiliar scene.

Lin Jia maintained his sitting posture until the scene before his eyes became clear.

 

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