Road Obstruction

Thanks to the almighty 154 who had turned on the water and electricity in the run-down building, the two who had messed around for a while could have a nice, hot bath.

You Huo's damp hair were swept back using his fingers. His eyes that had been soaked in water appeared exceptionally clear. The darker his eyelashes were, the lighter his eyes appeared. It looked like a piece of clear glass.

"Did 154 pick you or did you pick him?" You Huo blinked off the water droplets hanging from his eyelashes and turned to ask Qin Jiu.

"I picked him, but his intentions were also the same. What a coincidence." Qin Jiu leaned against the glass door with his arms crossed. The muscles on his shoulders, arms and waist were extremely well-defined.

"And 922?"

"Also me." Qin Jiu held up two fingers and pointed at his eyes, "Picked him out from the database because he seemed more pleasing to the eye."

He thought for a while and added, "After you left, there was no such thing as 'backup' invigilators. They were all selected by the system and included into the database."

In fact, during the period before they rebelled, the system had already been considering recruiting new invigilators and a portion of those were considered as 'backups'. They were still examinees by name, but they dealt with matters invigilators dealt with.

021 was amongst them. It was during that time that You Huo had contact with her.

Later because of the rebellion, the system didn't feel at ease so it had those new spare personnel 'beaten back to their senses' before screening them once again and selecting the more qualified ones to take an invigilator's identity.

For 021 to be able to smoothly pass though this screening, it required a lot of her acting skills.

"Those selected by you turned out to be allies. Not bad." You Huo lightly commented.

Qin Jiu snorted and accepted this compliment, "It's pretty accurate in 99% of the cases."

"99%——" You Huo said without raising his eyes, "So the remaining 1% is with me?"

Qin Jiu instantly stored away his smile and said vague, "Not exactly."

"You have gone against someone else?" You Huo asked.

Qin Jiu: "...No."

"Then that's fine." You Huo picked up a towel and tilted his head as he looked at him, "Move aside. I'm getting out first."

Qin Jiu narrowed his eyes at him and then suddenly leaned down and gave him a kiss, "No, how can that be fine?"

You Huo: "?"

The bathroom here was very narrow. This tall gentleman relied on his height and terrain advantage to kiss You Huo into 'retreating'.

"I'm done washing. Let me out." You Huo leaned back and said with a frown.

It was ineffective.

Qin Jiu chuckled and continued to kiss him, pushing him back into the bathroom.

"I haven't yet." Qin Jiu said, "It's a bit boring washing alone. Would this boyfriend mind joining me to wash again?"

"I mind."

Qin Jiu kissed him again, "Please reconsider."

You Huo: "...."

He sullenly stared back at Qin Jiu for a while before turning the shower back on.

***

Anyway, when 154 finally came to knock on the door, they had basically returned to their well-dressed state.

"What is it?" Qin Jiu asked him.

"It's nothing, don't worry." 154 said, "I just checked. The invigilators and examinees from the Twin Towers should be arriving soon. It'll be in about two hours so I'm just here to let you know in advance to better let you be prepared."

"Why?" 

"Those early invigilators only cooperated with me earlier firstly because time was short and they knew that it wasn't the time to question things and secondly it was because the two of you were involved, mainly you."

154 said to You Huo: "They are after all your old subordinates and are willing to trust you. This trust is directed at you, not at me, so when the come, you may need to give them an explanation."

Qin Jiu: "Don't worry, those people are clever. Most should've already figure it out."

"I know, but they at least would have some questions."

You Huo nodded, "I'll talk to them when they come."

"And 922? How is he?" Qin Jiu asked.

"His memories were erased during an accident." 154 pointed to his head and said, "So the recovery process will be a little more uncomfortable compared to the average person. He said he felt dizzy earlier and fell asleep on the sofa. He probably will come looking for you when he wakes up."

Cold night air blew into the room, making 154 shiver.

He covered his face and asked, "Boss, what are you doing with the windows open in the middle of the night?"

You Huo sat on the sofa fiddling with his earring with an indifferent and cold expression as he listened to Qin Jiu speak nonsense, "It's a little hot. Just letting some air in."

Hot???

154 silently took out his phone to glance at the current temperature before quietly putting his phone back again.

"Another thing—–"

"Speak."

"Now that you both remembered, I think there is a need to ask. That time when you two rebelled, I was in the rest stop and don't know the specifics. Why did you fail in the end?" 154 asked, "It's best to know in advance to prevent it from happening again, isn't that right boss?"

Qin Jiu frowned. Of course, this wasn't directed at 154. He was just recalling the events in the ruins. He still couldn't remain calm when he thought about it because of those things that had happened to You Huo.

On the contrary, the one involved was a lot calmer. He patted Qin Jiu on the shoulder and said to 154, "It's because of my eyes."

"Eyes?" 154 couldn't be clearer about You Huo and Chu Yu's situation, "But the thing in your eyes should have been deactivated? I remember when I was removed, it was already abolished. Generally speaking, something that is abolished cannot be restored, right? The system itself cannot restore it." 

"Yes." You Huo said, "This was also something we have always found strange. Chu Yue and I have specifically confirmed that they were no longer working and disabled but it was activated halfway."

154's expression was a little poor.

Qin Jiu said, "If I am not mistaken, someone with a higher authority must've restored it but who at that time would have more authority than the head invigilator?"

154 said, "It can't be amongst the examinees or invigilators."

Qin Jiu and You Huo exchanged a look. They instantly grasped onto the key point in his words, "You mean...…a non-invigilator?"

You Huo seemed to have thought of something. He looked up and asked 154, "Are there still any of the original researchers left in the Invigilator's District back then? Ones that are not in examination centres and are not a kind of NPC."

154 thought for a moment, "Actually there is one."

"Who?"

"The original designer and the original leader of the research team." 154 said, "But there is a problem. I am a discarded part of the system so my part doesn't carry any of those important materials. I was later able to connect to the main body and copy some of it but I don't have anything about the original designer."

"Then how do you know that person's in the system?"

"Because in the past when there was a problem with the system, I could sense someone overhauling it. It wasn't the system's self-overhaul, it was someone helping it out."

154 thought for a moment and added, "But that was a long, long time ago when the system had only just officially started operating. I believe he stayed in the system to make corrections and adjustments from time to time but it never happened again after that. There was even a moment when I wondered if he had....died? Or turned into an NPC? Or perhaps his memories were also interfered with by the system such that he even forgot his own identity?"

You Huo fell into contemplation.

Although 154 didn't have any information about the system's creator, the things he said had provided them with some clues.

They could at least be certain that this person should still be in the Invigilator's District, may have taken some other identity and could access the systems core during critical moments.

Who could it be.....

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Who could it be....