Welcome to Rewind World Game
Chapter 615 - 612: "I Can’t Drag My Elder Brother Into This...

Chapter 615: Chapter 612: "I Can’t Drag My Elder Brother Into This...

"Click."

The TV screen showed the door closing, like a heavy tombstone falling, cutting off the sight of the young man with white hair in despair.

Sitting before the live broadcast screen, Mo Yan stared blankly at the scene—he knew, this might very well be the last time he saw his second brother.

Separated by a screen, an entire world apart.

Mo Yan had heard the cruel truth with his own ears, his second brother, whom he had grown up with, whom he practiced sword fighting with... had really become someone with a special identity and could never return.

He still remembered how, in their younger days, his second brother would frequently bring him interesting little toys from the city.

Bubble guns, yo-yos, cotton candy, Rubik’s cubes...

[Mo Yan, these are all yours, go and play, your second brother won’t fight you for them.]

[It’s okay, go on and play, these are all brought back by your second brother especially for you, since you’re my third brother.]

[You’re the youngest at home, and I, your second brother, will let you have your way.]

...

[Your second brother will always let you have your way.]

...

"Why..." Mo Yan murmured softly.

By his side, on the stark white hospital bed, his eldest brother Mo Xiao, whose mind was damaged, stared blankly at the television screen, like a rigid vegetative person, seemingly having lost all reactions to the outside world.

It had been a long time since Mo Xiao had spoken, but upon seeing the tears of Mo Wen on the screen, an unexpected tear emerged at the corner of his eyes.

The insane Mo Xiao still didn’t realize what was happening outside, it was just that, he understood that something very sad had occurred, prompting involuntary tears from his rigid eyes.

"... My brother’s mental illness isn’t cured, my second brother can’t return, no one is by my side, what should I do..."

Mo Yan lay down on the bed, the vague dampness overflowing as he suppressed his sobs.

He was accustomed to referring to Mo Wen as "second brother" and to Mo Xiao as "brother."

As for "eldest brother," that designated the brother from White Sand Paradise, Mo Yan’s special term for Su Ming’an.

On the bedside table, there was a photo of the three brothers. The tall and hearty eldest brother Mo Xiao was laughing heartily, the slightly shorter second brother Mo Wen made a "yeah" sign at the camera, and Mo Yan as the youngest brother stood foolishly on the side, hugging a sword, with the verdant Mount Hua in the background.

But now, no one could laugh like that again, nor could anyone gather together to take such a photo.

Not only was their hometown far away, but the people were no longer there.

Some had already left.

The distance between them was too great.

"If I could become stronger, if I could become someone with a special identity, could I... bring my second brother back?"

"No, I can’t think like that, there’s still my brother Mo Xiao, I have to take care of Mo Xiao..."

"But, but..."

In the silent hospital room, there was only the young man’s low weeping.

"I... have no other option..."

"Eldest brother..."

...

"...I can’t trouble my big brother..."

...

...

"—Hey, look, there’s someone sleeping on the street?"

"Judging by the clothes, he’s rich, and he even has a wristwatch on his hand..."

"Perfect, the ’market’ in district three is buying, one person could sell for a lot."

"Why do we still have to do this kind of job... damn it, I’m jealous of that gambler in street six, he sold his daughter and got to live comfortably, how come I don’t have such a beautiful daughter..."

Upon hearing someone’s voice, Su Ming’an instantly woke up. He had always been a light sleeper, easily disturbed by the slightest noise.

It was deep into the night, the street lamps beside the road were dim due to years of disrepair, and several tall shadows could be seen in the darkness.

They were holding firearms, seemingly looking this way, with one person walking forward, trying to grab Su Ming’an’s shoulder.

...The Fringe had become so chaotic that even sleeping on the side of the road, one could encounter people looking to traffick humans.

Su Ming’an grabbed the hand stretched out towards him, yanked, and his left fist landed a heavy punch!

[HP-287!]

A not-so-high damage value popped up; the man was just an ordinary human who, after receiving a punch, bulged his eyes and fell to the ground clutching his stomach, howling with pain.

"Click, click, click," the others immediately raised their guns, pointing them warily at Su Ming’an.

"Don’t move!" a man with yellow hair shouted loudly as he raised his gun and inched closer to Su Ming’an, "Take off your wristwatch and raise your hands!"

"Xike."

Su Ming’an merely called out.

The next moment, with a flash of white light, a wheelchair enveloped in a blue Defensive Barrier slammed forward, and the men immediately fired, but their bullets couldn’t penetrate it in the slightest.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" The barrier crashed into their bodies, as if a huge truck had charged head-on. The men staggered wildly, with crisp sounds of breaking emanating from their bodies as they fell to the ground, wailing continuously.

Su Ming’an stopped his wheelchair, looking at the only man he had spared, a middle-aged man shaking in place.

"You just said, a gambler sold his daughter?" Su Ming’an stared into the trembling eyes of the middle-aged man, "What’s that daughter’s name? Where was she sold to?"

"Ah, ah, ah, don’t kill me!!" The man was terrified.

"I asked you—," Su Ming’an picked up his whitewashed collar with one hand, locking eyes with the man’s clouded ones, "What’s the name of the daughter that was sold?"

He had a bad premonition.

Even though he had left Xiaomei with a white cat, a person too kind and weak is hard to stand up for themselves, even with the strongest weapons.

The trembling words of the man confirmed his guess.

"Called, called Xiaomei! She was sold to a son of a Dream Making investor to be a mistress, and that gambler dad got a big sum of money and left to enjoy himself. I... I just happened to hear about it!" The man’s face was full of fear; he hadn’t anticipated that a disabled person sleeping by the road could be so ferocious, "Don’t kill me, don’t kill me! I was just trying to make a living..."

"..."

Su Ming’an took a deep breath:

"Xike, locate."

Xike was the AI with the highest authority aside from Dawn, capable of pinpointing the location of every resident.

"Locating, father or daughter?" Xike inquired.

"Save Xiao Mei."

"Resident Xiao Mei, an inferior persona engaged in gray market dealings in The Fringe, current location... Core Area (287, 187), Kristy Entertainment Club," Xike responded after a quick search.

Su Ming’an let go of the man whose pants were nearly wet from fear and activated his wheelchair, soaring out and rushing towards the coordinates.

Close to winter, this city was always exceedingly cold, with people donning thick cotton and down jackets, their breaths appearing frosty.

Amidst his swift flight, he saw discussions about New Year’s related topics in the barrage.

He suddenly realized that it seemed to be almost New Year’s.

This was the New Year’s celebrated by the people of Dragon Country within the World game, a very special New Year. People couldn’t return home, separated from their families.

Spending New Year’s with Lv Shu, Noel, Luna, Yamada, and Lu, these people, should be a very special experience.

He hoped the World game would give him a decent New Year’s Eve.

...

[The New Year’s Eve this year is January 31st, and today is January 26th! Looks like it’s New Year’s in just five more days!!]

[New Year’s? A festival in Dragon Country?]

[Adventurer Players won’t make it back to the Main God World for New Year’s reception, it’s a pity. I heard the Dragon Country region has prepared a grand New Year’s gala and invited many celebrities from the past.]

[A New Year’s gala version of World game... whether it’s the advanced structure system of virtual scenery in the forum, drama systems, simulation painting systems, or the cultural impact of the World game, it should all come through and be quite a spectacle.]

[Really looking forward to it.]

[Poor Xiao Mei, why didn’t she fight back? That white cat could have killed her father already.]

[Maybe she couldn’t bring herself to do it, killing her father by her own hands is too...]

[Hey, we’ll also be in this live room for New Year’s Eve! Let’s accompany Su Ming’an together; since he can’t leave the instance, we’ll spend it with him!]

[I’ve prepared lots of New Year’s greetings, let’s all send them out when the time comes.]

[If only Su Ming’an could interact with us, like those streamers who play word puzzles with the barrage during the holiday, or play word chain games, charades, and such, it would be really fun...]

...

The height of the wheelchair dropped sharply, landing on the street of the Kristy Entertainment Club.

The street was brightly lit and storefronts were adorned with colorful light signs.

Through the various splendid lights, Su Ming’an could see the chaos within... swinging lights, toppled over bottles, and swaying, distorted shadows. The cold night did not seem to affect these people’s all-night revelry, they hopped and danced as if they didn’t care about their emotional stability values.

"Who’s there!"

The security spotted him, and the lights swept over.

"Xike, open authority!" Su Ming’an ordered.

"Highest authority activated," Xike’s voice concluded, and above Su Ming’an’s head appeared a huge blood-red MBT, the mark of a Dawn Type Persona.

Su Ming’an had opened his authority to bypass identity checks directly to avoid hassle, but he hadn’t expected such a large number to be floating above his head...

He zoomed past the shocked security guards, bearing a huge red mark as he burst through the doors.

"Bang--!!"

Adorned with a cerulean defensive barrier, the wooden doors were violently smashed apart, splinters scattering everywhere.

"Clang, clang, clang--!"

Colorful glass from the lights shattered, sparkling against the crimson carpet.

Inside, a strong scent of alcohol and oppressive heat hit his face, turning his somewhat cold face from the night wind bright red.

Loud beats and dynamic rhythm music hammered people’s eardrums, causing him to frown.

As he broke through the doors, the dancers let out shrill screams, grating to the ears.

"Sir--" A few waiters in white suits stepped forward, as if trying to obstruct him, but upon seeing the large MBT above his head, they froze in unison.

...What’s going on here?

...Has the City Lord come to find pleasure too?

"Club," Su Ming’an muttered the term under his breath, aware that this wasn’t an innocent place, one might even call it a red-light district.

What kind of father could stand to push his flesh and blood to such a place?

Perhaps he was too young, had seen fathers that were too good, and had never witnessed such depravity.

"Lord of the City, our club operates legally, and here’s the business license..." a waiter quickly explained.

Ignoring them, Su Ming’an charged inside, his wheelchair colliding and knocking awry a waiter delivering alcohol, with a shower of glasses with differently glowing drinks scattering.

Nearing the coordinates, the private room’s door was tightly shut, and from inside came a man’s voice.

"I’ll teach you... Drink this glass, and I’ll take care of you from now on."

"Huh? Not drinking? You TM... A dirty woman, what high ground are you posing on? Otherwise, you think your gambler father who is deep in debt wants to stay alive? Xiao Mei, you wouldn’t want to be an unfilial daughter, right?"

"Still resisting? Hold her down for me! Damn it, today I’m going to let her know..."

"Bang!"

With lock elimination activated, Su Ming’an burst through the door.

Inside the room, three youths sat on the sofa, their music blasting nearly deafeningly. In front of them were several garishly dressed women swaying their bodies with over-the-top and unrestrained dance moves; their deep purple hair swinging and dancing, creating an ambiguous atmosphere that filled the booth.

In the center of the sofa, there was a girl being pinned down.

She appeared so frail that she could almost sink into the sofa. Her eyes were dim and lusterless, with tears rolling down her cheeks. That spark of life which once flickered like an elf’s, seemed to have melted away like ice and snow.

She struggled, like a piece of red cloth tearing apart, and one could almost hear the ripping sound of her soul.

When Xiao Mei left that gambler father, she hadn’t felt much of a stir.

She just thought, it was finally over.

She had paid off her final debt of gratitude for her life.

Her future had been severed long ago, with no one able to hear her cries.

So... back then, in the alley, when she held up a bright red umbrella for the boy soaked in rain, she was truly happy.

He was the most prestigious person in the City-State, only because of being pursued all over the city with a red warrant was he able to meet her, who lived like a rat underground.

This was the first time she got to know someone on an equal footing.

She chatted with him, cooked for him, tidied up the bed for him to stay in, they picked up scrap metal in the metal mountains, went for fortune-telling, went to the movie city to watch the film "Can a Mechanical Heart Dream of the Thing of Truth," like the purest of friends.

When he looked at her, his gaze was equal and respectful. Not like her nightly visitors whose faces were always filled with desire and ugliness.

Until her father told her, the family debt had crushed him. She became a commodity in a monetary transaction, a package to be discarded in a bid to free himself from a burden, a counterweight on the scales.

Whether it was cowardly kindness or boring sympathy, she couldn’t let go of her blood-related father, she didn’t dare see him killed by debt collectors, she... agreed to him.

But at this crucial moment, she became scared.

Her father had taken the money and left, and she no longer needed to worry about anyone else.

In the City-State’s rules where "suicide was prohibited," she began to contemplate suicide.

Her hand reached towards her bosom—there was a silver six-pointed star handgun, a gift from Acto before he left, and when she received this gift, her first thought wasn’t that she could protect herself, but—"Can this handgun be used for suicide?"

The men beside her roughly grabbed her shoulders, her hand touched the metal in her bosom, their vulgar words rang in her ears, and it was hard to imagine these people having higher personas than her.

"Dammit, what’s the act for, aren’t you just a whore..."

"Tear her clothes off for me, I don’t believe she can still be so defiant naked."

...It’s over, Xiao Mei thought.

She had been weak her whole life, she wanted to be brave for once at the end of it.

She closed her eyes, her finger touched the safety catch, but then suddenly heard a loud bang.

"Boom—!"

The door was smashed open, the pulling at her halted.

The room seemed to fall into an eerie silence, even the ear-splitting rock music stopped in an instant.

She seemed to have a premonition.

She slowly, slowly lifted her head, and saw the light spilling in from outside—and the boy whose eyes were always clear.

He still looked at her quietly, that gaze still level, respectful. It didn’t waver with disgust, despite her awkward position or the fact that half of her body was exposed.

He suddenly appeared there, at the most critical moment.

He would always save her from falling into the abyss, like a knight descending from the heavens.

He never showed her any scorn or disgust. It seemed that in his eyes, she was forever clean, forever equal, a woman with a soul essentially the same as his.

This scene, like something out of a clichéd melodrama where the hero saves the damsel, was actually unfolding before her eyes, yet it made her doubt if it was a dream too beautiful to be true.

"He, he is... the Lord of Acto City!!" The young scion of the "Dream Making" group investors recognized the figure often seen on television screens immediately.

The young scion took a few steps back in fear, sobering up significantly in an instant.

Although the City-State did not expressly forbid this kind of trade of the flesh, if Xiao Mei really didn’t want it, their coercion would be illegal. If his records were tarnished, his life would be ruined.

"Lord of the City, what brings you here? Ah, is there someone among these dancers you fancy? You are also a regular here...?" A fat, big-eared young man rubbed his hands together, trying to change the subject.

The dancers in the dance floor were so scared that they collapsed on the ground, haunted by the bloody scene of the crucifixion they had witnessed on the screen during the day.

Su Ming’an didn’t look at them, nor did he pay any attention to the fawning fat man; he just reached out his hand toward the girl who was deep in the crimson sofa as if caught in a whirlpool of blood.

"Let’s go, Xiao Mei." he said.

His voice remained even, his gaze clear, as if he hadn’t seen the sordid mess around him or the purple bruises on the girl’s body.

Xiao Mei’s nose tingled.

Her hand trembling on the gun.

"...Am I dreaming?" she asked hoarsely.

She stared at him, dazed.

Moments later, she stood up, her whole body shaking as she straightened, stepping on the soft carpet, her bare feet touching the fine fluff, shivering with cold until she coughed.

Su Ming’an watched her all the while, until she reached his side and took his hand.

At the touch of his warmth, her defenses seemed to suddenly collapse, and she began to sob loudly,

"...I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I wanted to care for myself too..."

"The white cat you left with me was powerful, but no matter how strong it is, it can’t contend with the ways of this world. I... I had nowhere to go..."

"I... I wanted to grow up in the classroom too, I wanted to dream beautiful dreams, but they forced me, there’s always someone forcing me... It seems like there are many paths in life, but in reality, I can’t take any of them..."

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."

"Hmm." Su Ming’an waited for her to finish crying and said, "I know."

She leaned on the side of his wheelchair, unable to support her; he couldn’t even stand himself. So she stood there trembling, all her strength propped on the armrest.

The room was so quiet it was almost deathly silent; the three young men remained frozen inside, still reeking of alcohol.

In the hallway, the rushing servants were silent as cicadas in winter, no one daring to anger the City Lord.

The air became eerily still, the room silent.

"—So, do you want to punish them?" Watching this deathly silent scene, Su Ming’an asked softly.

The three young men trembled in unison at his words, turning deathly pale.

Begging eyes turned towards Xiao Mei, the young scion immediately knelt down, his earlier vulgarity nowhere to be seen.

"Xiao Mei, Xiao Mei, I saved your gambler dad! It was my money that paid off his debts! Without me, he would have been beaten to death by the debt collectors!"

He crawled over on his knees, almost clutching at her ankles.

...It was almost the exact same gesture her father had made when pleading with her.

Merely because of the City Lord sitting beside her, the young scion who had lorded over her like a towering mountain had become a dog.

He looked extremely wretched.

"Xiaomei! Our transaction was mutual consent! I gave your father a sum of money to send him away, how kind-hearted of me! I considered your family’s situation; you can’t repay kindness with enmity! Please, I beg you—"

His trembling voice echoed through the club, with the doors of rooms on both sides tightly closed, and the guests too afraid to even let out a sound of music. Only his panic-laden and fearful voice resonated.

Xiaomei took a deep breath.

Her complexion was pale and sickly; her illness seemed to be getting worse, and a hint of crimson could vaguely be seen at the corner of her eyes, like the upturned tail of a red phoenix.

A moment later, she turned her head away.

"Let’s... go," she whispered.

"Excessive kindness is just weakness, Xiaomei," Su Ming’an said.

She wiped away the bright lipstick on her lips, revealing somewhat purplish lips.

The white cat beside her leaped into her arms, and she’ll barely embraced it, her form sinking slightly.

"I... can’t bring myself to do it," she murmured through her lips: "I just... can’t blame others. What he said is right; it was indeed a transaction with mutual consent, and I... am just feigning high-mindedness, maintaining a worthless dignity even though I am already so tainted. I know I am weak, I know I am foolishly good, but I... just can’t bring myself to do it."

"Hmm," Su Ming’an said: "Then let’s go."

He put on a pair of gloves before touching her bare arm, pulling her up to sit on the armrest of the wheelchair.

"Xike, head to Central City," he said. "And, record these people’s behavior."

"Understood," came the cold voice of Xike: "City-State resident O-1092, Core Area resident Morton of the Teko Villas, violated City-State Ordinance 039, records to be filed as criminal. City-State residents T-1298 and M-1982, as accomplices, are subject to a downgrade in persona."

Xike smiled gently at the three individuals.

For a moment, its perfect smile seemed somewhat sinister: "You can go back and pack up now; by tomorrow morning, the Hawk Hound Army will likely come to take you to prison."

The three turned ashen.

The young master decked in gold and silver was motionless as if his soul had departed, looking like an empty husk without a spirit.

"You..." Xiaomei hadn’t expected their punishment would still be so severe, even though she didn’t wish to pursue the matter.

"The City-State’s laws cannot be violated; I just wanted to see your desire," Su Ming’an said. "Let’s go."

As his wheelchair turned, the young master broke down in sobs:

"City Lord, you can’t do this! My family is an investing family of Dream Making Group; I am the heir. If I go to prison, future investments will..."

"It’s okay, there will be a suitable persona to take over your family business," Su Ming’an said indifferently: "With me, there is no such thing as ’family business,’ only virtue matches position. After the Dawn System has collected your crime data, the persona assessment will be fine-tuned more accurately, not allowing generation after generation of parasites... to live in the most privileged places."

Su Ming’an enunciated the word "parasites" heavily, causing the young master’s face to blanch as he slumped next to the door, the smell of alcohol evaporating from him.

Shattered glass from broken bottles pierced the young master’s groveling legs and knees, oozing fresh red blood.

"Rumble..." The sound of wheels rolling, Xiaomei met the somewhat fearful gazes of the servers.

She sat sideways in the wheelchair with her legs suspended in the air, leaning her entire body against the backrest of the wheelchair, shaking with cold.

"Do you have a coat?" Su Ming’an knocked on the bar.

The dazed server came to his senses and immediately found a black coat.

The coat was draped over Xiaomei, covering her exposed skin.

She clutched at the coat, staring blankly at him.

"Let’s go," Su Ming’an said.

The automated wheelchair drove itself out of the entrance, and then— it lifted up, leaping into the sky, leaving everything behind.

A feeling of weightlessness gradually arose, as Xiaomei saw the club that seemed like a devil’s den getting farther away, she suddenly started to sob.

Rising off the ground, soaring into the high sky.

It was like a fairy tale, where the knight came to Dragon Fortress to defeat the enemy and rescued the trapped princess. Together, they rode a white horse, flying towards the Cloud Fortress in the sky.

...She knew her fantasy was too ridiculous, too naive, but her limited education only reminded her of fairy tales she had heard as a child, she found it hard to describe the feeling of relief at this moment, it was a freedom where all burdens and encumbrances were cast off.

"You’ve come to save me again," she said. "I once thought I was rotten to the bone, completely rotten, but you always come to save me.

Lord of Ya Sa City, the distance between us is too great, I nearly believed... this was a dream before my suicide."

"To the question you asked me before, I answer you now," Su Ming’an said: "Although I can’t see thousands of others like you for the time being, since I have seen you, I have to save at least one."

Xiaomei wiped away her tears, smiling.

"Then I, am truly fortunate."

Her smile was like the sprouts in a flower bed, possessing a pure and innocent beauty.

Despite her body having endured countless devastations, her smile remained clean.

Su Ming’an heard the system’s alert.

...

"Ding dong!"

[Perfect Completion Progress (TE2): 65%]

...

Xiaomei is related to TE2, and being with her can increase his Perfect Completion Progress.

He had already planned to rush through this TE, to take up the "only one player can perfectly pass an instance" and consider progressing other TEs to perfect the SSS perfect pass.

He saved Xiaomei, not just because she was Xiaomei. If it had been Xiaomao, Xiaoxiao, Xiaocheng, or anyone else related to completing the task, he would have saved them.

"Lord of Ya Sa City, today on the street, I heard a lot of gossip about you. They say your methods of execution are too cruel," Xiaomei’s soft voice came through.

As he turned his head, he could see her long hair blowing up in the night breeze, her face embellished by her remaining makeup, framing her dark eyebrows and a pair of clear, peach blossom eyes.

"But I think... you are actually very gentle," she said.

"Gentle?" Su Ming’an didn’t expect this descriptor could also be applied to himself.

Players spoke to him with reverence or caution.

They called him "selfish," they called him "great," they called him "proud."

...Few people described him as "gentle."

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