CH 3.1

There were 4 minutes and 55 seconds before the bomb exploded. 

“Ge… Will someone really come and save us?” 

Lin Lan’s hands and feet were also tied up. He sat next to Chu Feng like a zongzi,1https://www.easychineserecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/zongzi-1-500×500.jpg staring at the bomb strapped onto his ge’s body and the constantly decreasing time.  

“What if… what if the Guardian doesn’t come in time…” 

Ding! 

[The Guardian has sent you a message.] 

“The fish has taken the bait.” Chu Feng smirked. 

Seeing the smirk on his ge’s face, Lin Lan shivered in fear. 

Who wouldn’t jump for joy after receiving a Guardian’s message? They were like Gods that descended on people on the verge of death. Naturally, their first instinct should be to kneel down and beg for help. Who would be like his ge, treating the Guardian as a fish on bait? 

“Ge, won’t you go check what he sent?” 

“Why should I?” 

Lin Lan: …… 

Chu Feng’s white button-up was currently stained with blood, and his palm-wide face had tear streaks all over it. He looked as pitiful as pitiful could get, anyone would think that he was the victim here. 

No one knows that he was the true hunter. 

And hunters didn’t care what their prey had to say. 

Though the vibration had caught the attention of the kidnapper Xie Shiyus. 

Tyrant Xie Shiyu had a clown mask over his face right now. He wore black leather boots as he strode over menacingly. He held the gun with one hand, spinning it as if it were just a pen. 

All of a sudden, the gun was pressed against Chu Feng’s throat. “I’ve warned you before. Don’t you dare call the police.” 

The dark muzzle followed his throat, down to his collarbone, wrinkling his button-up as he warned, “You know what’ll happen to you if you do, don’t you?” 

Chu Feng turned away. 

The cold metal of another gun was pressed against his delicate face, patting it, “Who just texted you?” 

19-year-old Xie Shiyu suddenly appeared behind Chu Feng, threatening him. 

“I see all of you have gotten addicted to this role.” Chu Feng could only laugh, speechless, “Load some bullets in there. What kind of kidnapper threatens people with unloaded guns?” 

Both Xie Shiyus pouted as they kept their guns, feeling a little wronged by that comment. “I’m scared I’ll hit you.” 

“Be good and load some bullets. If someone attacks, shoot them.” 

“Oh.” 

They obediently loaded bullets into their weapons. 

They couldn’t see the bomb, nor did they understand the true reason behind Chu Feng’s sudden interest in roleplaying kidnappers and kidnappees. Lin Lan just watched, in a daze, as the bomb strapped on his ge’s chest slowly counted down to their demise while the man himself spoke as if discussing the weather, so relaxed he was even flirting with Xie ge! 

School tyrant Xie Shiyu obediently loaded all the bullets into his gun, but the message from just now still hung around his mind. He picked the phone off the ground, causing the system fairy into one corner of the screen, even the hair on its head was raised in fear. 

The system of [Lucid Dream City] was the true owner of all Dream Cities. All the characters inside the game had to listen to its orders. 

—Chu Feng’s Dream City was the only exception to all of this. 

It couldn’t control these Xie Shiyus, and things it couldn’t control naturally terrified it. It didn’t have time to hide before tyrant Xie Shiyu clicked on it. 

[Message unread.]

[Guardian X: I’m coming.] 

School tyrant Xie Shiyu stared at the screen with intensity enough to burn. His grip on the phone was so strong it wouldn’t be a surprise if it cracked right there and then. In the end, he scoffed coldly before clicking on the [Delete] button. 

Chu Feng had no interest in what the Guardian had to say to him, but his curiosity had been piqued by Xie Shiyu’s reaction. 

“What did he say?” 

“Not telling you.” School tyrant Xie Shiyu threw the phone back onto the ground while 19-year-old Xie Shiyu bent down to pick it up. He clicked on the recycling bin and took a look. 

“Ew! That’s so cringe, I bet it’s from some old geezer!” 

Saying that he stole a glance at the rearview mirror of the bus. In the mirror was the toned silhouette of 19-year-old Xie Shiyu next to 26-year-old driver Xie Shiyu. 

Driver Xie Shiyu looked into the rearview mirror and sneered, “Little bastard.” 

Seeing that, Chu Feng could already feel the incoming headache. He couldn’t handle this many Xie Shiyus at once, but he also couldn’t bear to delete any of them. 

Tyrant Xie Shiyu sat on the chair and said, “Who did you invite? Isn’t it supposed to be just you and me?” 

He toyed with the gun in his hand, adding nonchalantly, “Oh, and your cousin, I guess.” 

Lightbulb2 Lin Lan squeezed his eyes shut and pretended to be dead. 

Beep! 

Just then, Chu Feng’s phone let out a loud warning. 

[Time remaining: 4 minutes. The Guardian has already entered your Dream City. Rest assured, help is coming.] 

The prey has come. 

Chu Feng shushed the Xie Shiyus, signaling for them to keep quiet. 

He sat quietly in his seat, not moving. 

The Xie Shiyus couldn’t hear the warning about the bomb, but they stood at their spots, quietly waiting for Chu Feng’s next order. 

Step! 

There was a sound coming from the roof of the bus. 

—Someone was here. 

Passengers on the bus shouldn’t be able to hear such a soft sound. The sound of the engine, the wheels squeaking against the ground, and the sound of loose windows clanking against the metal should have covered it up. 

But Chu Feng heard it. 

Both his hands were tied up by ropes, yet his focus and senses were those of a hunter. 

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Through mouthing the words alone, he told the Xie Shiyus, “Move according to plan.” 

X was sprawled over the bus’ roof, looking inside through the tiny gap. 

The little beauty had been tied up on the seat near the window, and his mouth was covered by some duct tape. Perhaps he had already gotten tired of crying for help, there was no sound coming from him. His head was hung low, hair sticking to his delicate skin from his sweat while his porcelain neck was like a dead swan. Pooled with tears, his soulless eyes reflected a scarlet countdown. 

Next to the beauty was another person tied up. According to the report, that was his cousin. He had been caught in between while he was here as a guest. 

All the kidnappers were wearing clown masks and holding guns in their hands as they patrolled all around the little beauty. One of the kidnappers sat at the very front of the bus, keeping the speed of the bus at a steady 55. 

X had read up on the bomb while he was on the way. The system files said that if the bus went below 50 or over 60, the bomb would explode. Even if someone just exited the bus, it would also explode. 

Yet it wouldn’t explode if someone boarded the bus. 

—That was something to take note of. 

It’s as if the bomb was waiting for someone to come save them from it. 

X squinted his eyes, a slight furrow between his brows. 

He had to assess the situation first. 

Time remaining: 3 minutes 45 seconds 

Chu Feng sat on his seat, his eyes roaming upwards more often than not. 

There were no more sounds coming from the roof. 

Chu Feng frowned. As expected of a high-ranked Guardian. He didn’t charge in hotheadedly without a plan just to save him. 

The higher the rank of the Guardian, the smarter, and the stronger they were. It meant they were harder to fight against. 

Chu Feng knew how convincing that video call had been. It was definitely enough for the Guardians to understand the severity of the situation. But it was a completely different matter when he was actually here. 

Smart Guardians would assess the situation before doing anything. They would never rush in without a plan. 

—This was also to prevent any players with bad intentions from taking advantage of the kindness of these Guardians, using them to extort the company. 

If a player was caught faking the situation, the game company could ignore the player’s cries for help, leaving them alone to fend for themselves. 

Time remaining: 3 minutes 36 seconds 

Chu Feng leaned against the chair and closed his eyes, retaining his calmness as he continued to act like the victim. 

Smart preys were always hard to catch. 

On the roof… 

[You have to be careful, X! Ordinary kidnappers would never use this kind of bomb. It’ll explode the second anyone leaves? Then how would they get away?] 

The [Smart System] in his earphone warned him. 

[Plus, these kidnappers didn’t request a ransom either. This entire situation screams suspicious. Don’t go in first, there might be a trap waiting for you!] 

Every Guardian would have a [Smart System] with them whenever they’re out on a mission. It provided them with a map, coordinates, the player’s basic information, and a short version of the entire situation in order to aid their rescue. 

But the system had multiple subsystems. 

[You’re wrong! This must be a crime of passion. They must want to die with him! Listen to me, X, you have to save the pitiful player!] 

X brought his finger to the earphone, preparing to turn it off. 

[Please don’t turn us off! I beg you, X, we’ll be so lonely without you with us.] 

“Then say something that’s actually useful.” 

[Our files say that the player is married to the kidnappers.] 

X frowned at that. Hearing the word “married”, he felt an unknown sense of displeasure. 

[See? I told you it was a crime of passion! I can’t believe his own husband wants to kill him. What are you waiting for? Go save him!] 

X stared calmly at the beauty on the bus. 

There were countless cases of “husband-kill-wife” in Dream Cities. 

Many wives would put their deceased husbands into the game. They would remember the corners of their husband’s mouth curving upward and their eyes would send this vision to their brain, which would then interpret that action as their husband smiling warmly at them. 

But the system’s interpretation wasn’t the same as the wife’s subjective opinion, it was made from a bystander’s objective viewpoint. They would interpret their husband’s intentions from the way they are acting. They were able to tell that the way their mouth was curved up wasn’t genuine and classified it as a fake smile. Their husband did not love them, they wanted to kill them. 

Although they hadn’t in reality. It was a different story in the game. 

[After analyzing data files, kidnapping intent stems from the urge to kill his wife.] 

[Have you confirmed the identity of the victim?] 

The smart system in his ear kept yapping. 

[Have you confirmed it?] 

X did not confirm it. 

All of a sudden, he found that the crowd of kidnappers was a little suspicious. 

Time remaining: 3 minutes 21 seconds