Chapter 124: The Helpful Young Man

According to the intelligence from Fantasy City, Xie Liu arrived in W City, located deep within the ancient land of Huaxia. It was the season of blossoming spring, with grass growing and orioles singing in February. Wearing a trench coat and carrying a guitar bag, Xie Liu walked through the bustling streets, attracting many curious glances. His unconventional attire drew quite a few stares. Many whispered and pointed behind his back; clearly, his style was too eccentric. Most thought he was a cosplayer. Young people looked at him with curiosity and admiration, while middle-aged and older folks were more likely to respond with reproach and confusion.

But Xie Liu, the center of attention, paid them no mind. His right hand rested on the hilt of a knife, while his left twirled the stick of a lollipop in his mouth. The sweet taste stimulated his nerves, bringing a pleasant sensation. His eyes scanned the surroundings continuously. Though this wasn’t his first visit to W City, the place still felt unfamiliar. He had heard that in two months, the cherry blossoms at W City’s top university would bloom, and he wished to see them, though he had no leisure for that now.

Without the guidance of Xu Xiong or the psychic scanning from Li Shizhu, Xie Liu had to rely on conventional technology. After using his phone’s navigation for a long time, he finally found the subway entrance only after circling a building several times. Ignoring the strange looks from passersby, he queued at the ticket vending machine, muttering quietly to himself:

“They actually dare to hide right in the city.”

As the saying goes, the greatest concealment lies in plain sight. Xie Liu could somewhat understand the Special Alliance’s mindset. Fantasy City had always avoided outside contact. Though their network spread worldwide, they rarely interfered with the ordinary world’s affairs. Thus, hiding within an external city gave Fantasy City leverage—they dared not act recklessly and were constrained by outside forces.

The war between Fantasy City and the Special Alliance was everywhere and constant. Hundreds, even thousands, died daily, yet the outside world remained oblivious to this conflict.

Xie Liu calmly squeezed into the subway carriage, unconcerned by the gazes fixed upon him.

“Brother, where’d you get that outfit? Pretty cool. Tell me, I wanna get one too,” a fairly handsome student grinned and asked. Xie Liu rolled his eyes. His attire cost at least 150,000 merit points. Although the exchange rate between merit points and RMB was 1:2, those outside who knew of Fantasy City found it nearly impossible to convert merit points. Sometimes, it took 10,000 RMB to get just one merit point.

Merit points were issued based on the city’s output value from that year. Every item had a merit point value, and the sum of all items’ values equaled the total merit points issued. This meant item prices were generally fixed. If merit points leaked outside, the city would face a shortage of purchasing power, so most residents refused to exchange merit points for outside currency. This made merit points extremely valuable externally, often worth less than a fraction of their internal value.

Xie Liu’s equipment alone was worth over a hundred thousand merit points. Converted outside, he’d be a billionaire. The guy pestering him to get a set was naive. Xie Liu thought of rolling his eyes again but then reconsidered.

It was just cosplay gear, and buying a set wouldn’t be a big deal. He also needed a guide, and judging by the guy’s appearance, he was a genuine cosplayer. Hanging with him would help conceal Xie Liu’s true identity.

With this in mind, Xie Liu smiled and said, “Brother, this outfit was custom-made. You can’t buy it outside. But if you want, I can help you get one.”

“Really? Thanks a lot!” The handsome young man nodded eagerly. “By the way, I’m a student at X University. Which university are you from?”

X University was famous for its annual cherry blossom bloom. Xie Liu replied casually, “I’m not local. I’m a student at A University in S City. I’m here looking for someone, but I don’t know the area well.”

“Oh, you’re from A University? I know it. My cousin studies there. Haha, looks like we’re really fated to meet.” The guy was overly familiar, which made Xie Liu uneasy.

The young man laughed heartily and said, “I’m Wang Qi—Wang as in king, Qi as in morning star. What’s your name, brother?”

“Xie Liu,” Xie Liu answered offhandedly. “Xie as in thanks, Liu as in flowing water.”

“Where are you headed?” Wang Qi ignored the displeased looks from others in the carriage and loudly asked, “Want me to take you? I know this place well.”

“Wouldn’t want to trouble you,” Xie Liu replied cautiously. Something felt off about this guy—too eager, too familiar. If this were a genuine cosplayer bond, Xie Liu, as an imposter, might easily be exposed.

“No trouble at all,” Wang Qi said, raising a fist. “Just help me get a set like yours, and I’ll do anything you want.”

“Oh.” Xie Liu suddenly wondered if choosing this guy as a guide was a mistake. But seeing his enthusiasm, it seemed rude to refuse.

At that moment, the subway announcement signaled their stop. Xie Liu’s expression changed dramatically.

“Ah, we’ve passed the station…”

Though not as prosperous as S City, W City was still an ancient metropolis. The streets were bustling with traffic. After missing their stop, Xie Liu and Wang Qi decided not to ride back but got off and planned to take a bus back to transfer.

“Do you know this place?” Xie Liu showed Wang Qi a location on his phone. “It seems to be in an old neighborhood, and the positioning is inaccurate.”

Wang Qi glanced at the name, his face briefly flickering with surprise before asking, “That’s the old street in the southern district. What are you doing there?”

Xie Liu couldn’t reveal his true purpose and looked away, speaking casually, “Some old friends live there. They called me over to hang out.”

Wang Qi didn’t doubt him. “Oh, I know that place. I’ll take you there.” The young man smiled brightly. “It’s a bit far and across the river. The round trip will take until evening.” Looking at the sky, he added, “Wait a moment; I’ll call my girlfriend. If I’m late, she’ll nag me.”

“Go ahead,” Xie Liu smiled faintly. As a singleton, he silently endured the display of affection.

Wang Qi walked aside to make the call.

“I won’t hold it against you,” Xie Liu thought, eyes involuntarily fixed on Wang Qi.

“So, we’re going to the old southern street. You don’t need to wait for me…” Wang Qi rambled on, trying to persuade his girlfriend, “That guy’s really interesting, seriously. I’ll send you photos later…”

After several minutes of pleading, Wang Qi finally hung up. “She agreed. Let’s go.”

Xie Liu nodded. Wang Qi continued chatting, “Honestly, there’s not much to see there. Maybe I can take you somewhere else…”

If he didn’t need Wang Qi’s guidance, Xie Liu would have smothered him. But in this unfamiliar place, finding someone willing to help was rare.

The two talked incessantly as they walked for about an hour, finally reaching the dock. After purchasing tickets, they were packed onto a river-crossing yacht.

As the yacht reached midstream on the Yangtze River, the scenery on both banks slowly receded. Xie Liu and Wang Qi ascended to the second-floor observation deck. Seeing W City’s riverside view stirred memories in Xie Liu.

“It’s been years since I last came here,” Xie Liu sighed softly. Wang Qi looked surprised. “You’ve been here before?”

“Yes, but I was young and reckless then,” Xie Liu said, eyes distant. “I got handed a ‘nice guy’ card in full force,” he joked self-deprecatingly. “The flowers on both banks haven’t bloomed yet.”

Wang Qi’s gaze lingered strangely on Xie Liu. When Xie Liu asked about the flowers, Wang Qi snapped back to reality. “Not yet, but they’ll bloom in a few days. Both sides will be full of peach blossoms—really beautiful.”

“Oh? Is that so?” Xie Liu expressed interest. “But I won’t be staying that long.”

The yacht docked, and they took a taxi to the southern old street. Along the way, Wang Qi inquired about Xie Liu’s gear, assuming it was cosplay stuff. Xie Liu smiled faintly, giving few answers.

Soon, they neared the southern old street. Wang Qi said, “The place you want is a low-rent housing area. I used to work part-time there. Let me take you.”

“Thanks,” Xie Liu nodded and followed Wang Qi down the aged streets. Soon, he spotted the street from his mission’s photo.

“We’re here,” Xie Liu stopped before a dilapidated street, comparing it to the photo. Although there were slight differences, he recognized the place. “Thanks for showing me the way. This is as far as you need to go, Wang Qi. You should get back to your girlfriend before she gets mad.” He joked, “By the way, leave me your address. I’ll have your outfit made and sent to you.”

Wang Qi nodded at once. “Alright, I’ll go now. Here’s my address.” He tore a piece from his notepad and handed it over.

Xie Liu glanced, then pocketed it. “Until we meet again.”

Wang Qi waved and turned away. After watching him leave, Xie Liu faced the worn neighborhood ahead.

“Alright, now to find this cat-type cyborg.”