APP: Chapter 148

Xie Chi suddenly heard this sentence and felt strange for some reason. He frowned, closed his eyes and opened them again. It felt like his entire body was enveloped by an inexplicable emotion that came from an unknown place. It was even a bit ominous. He didn’t know if this hunch came from his talent.

Xie Chi raised his head and became more concerned about the person the statue was based on. He asked other things at will. The old man’s eyes flickered and he refused. “This is part of personal privacy and the app has forbidden me from talking about it…”

Xie Chi expressed his understanding. “I was impudent.”

The old man took Xie Chi to walk around the hall and sent him out. Xie Chi stopped and asked the old man without any hope. “In the history of the app, is there a person called Lian Shi?”

Xie Chi had always been curious about whether his world’s greatest scientist who had invented gene arrangement and combination technology had even come to the app. The old man’s figure stopped suddenly.

Xie Chi noticed his body language and was surprised. “There is, right?”

The old man pulled him in again as he stepped over the threshold and whispered, “Where did you hear that name?”

“I live in a world where there is a scientist called Lian Shi.”

The old man’s expression tensed before returning to normal. He seemed to wonder, “Why are you asking about him? Do you have anything to do with him?”

Xie Chi didn’t want to expose himself when the other person didn’t reveal anything. In addition, he really had nothing to do with Lian Shi so he just asked, “Do you know him?”

The old man knew Xie Chi was being evasive. He stared deeply before nodding. “I don’t know him but I know there is such a person.”

Xie Chi’s expression slightly changed. Since the old man knew Lian Shi, it seemed this person had really come to the app. So his achievements recorded in history were all given by the app and the initial technology of making pets came from the app.

“Are you sure that the Lian Shi you mentioned and the Lian Shi I mentioned are the same person?”

“There are many people called Lian Shi but only one is a scientist.”

Xie Chi tentatively asked, “How… is he?”

The old man lowered his head and looked at Xie Chi’s rings again. Then he looked up and fine lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, his face looking like a dried walnut. “He was at the front-tier more than 30 years ago. Then he left and never came back.”

30 years ago.

Xie Chi was silent. He was 22 years old this year and a first generation pet. Lian Shi had become famous over 30 years ago. It was him, yes.

Xie Chi knew his next request was too excessive but he still wanted to confirm it. “Can you tell me his wish?”

He didn’t hold any hope. He even thought the old man might silently blame him for his presumptuousness but the old man replied, “He had two wishes.”

Xie Chi was slightly surprised. When talking about the first statue, the old man said it was inconvenient to disclose due to privacy. Then why wasn’t Lian Shi’s matter private? Why was he willing to take the initiative now?

“First, genetic modification.”

Xie Chi nodded. He already knew this.

“The second one.” The old man seemed to take a deep breath. He turned to look at the first statue and once he turned back to Xie Chi, his expression was calm. “He wanted the best genes.”

Xie Chi was stunned and thought this was very reasonable. If Lian Shi wanted to use the genetic modification technology to create better and more advanced people, it was normal to want the best genes. After all, these excellent genes could be used for genetic modification to create superior pets.

“Why are you looking at him?” Xie Chi’s gaze fell on the first statue of the handsome and elegant young man and he asked aloud.

The old man answered, “It is because Lian Shi successfully took away a small part of the demigod’s genes.”

Xie Chi was stunned. The first statue was of a demigod. Lian Shi made a wish and successfully realized it. He took away a small part of the demigod’s genes and used it to make pets. Shen Yi said he was a zero generation pet. He was originally an ordinary person but later received genetic modification and his own genes couldn’t be coped. So he had… the demigod’s genes.

Shen Yi must know Lian Shi. Xie Chi was now extremely sure of this. However, this had nothing to do with him. He just listened to gossip. He wouldn’t know unless Shen Yi said it later.

Xie Chi said goodbye to the old man and left. The old man stood alone outside the Ten Temples and watched him leave. He was stunned for a while before speaking to himself. “Maybe not all stars will fall in the end.”

***

After coming back from the Ten Temples, Xie Chi lived a life of watching horror movies day and night until seven days later when Su Qing smoothly came out of a horror movie and said goodbye to Xie Chi.

In the office, the morning sun shone and dispelled every inch of darkness in the small space. Ren Ze came over because he knew Su Qing. He was currently talking to Su Qing. Xie Chi leaned on the sofa and glanced at the message Yan Jing sent him.

Yan Jing had found the right horror movie.

“Then I’m going.” Su Qing wasn’t used to socializing but he always felt it was impolite to say nothing. He came just to say goodbye. Now that it was done, he should go.

Ren Ze immediately stood up to see him off but Su Qing looked back at Xie Chi. Ren Ze jokingly glanced at Xie Chi. “I’m also a friend. Why does he only miss you?”

Su Qing lowered his head in an embarrassed manner.

“It is because I’m handsome.” Xie Chi smiled and walked over to see Su Qing off, speaking sincerely. “It will be better in the future.”

Ren Ze made a shameless expression behind his back.

Su Qing looked up, eyes slightly bright. “After you get your boyfriend later, will you come to us?”

Ren Ze was stunned. “‘Us’? Who else?”

Su Qing reacted and his face turned red with embarrassment. “No… no one.”

He asked again, “Will you?”

Xie Chi looked at this person. Su Qing had many good wishes like reunion and everyone being happy. He was sensitive and idealistic.

Xie Chi was about to open his mouth to promise when Yan Jing kept sending him messages. The vibration frequency was so high but he didn’t notice so the phone slipped directly from his fingers. Xie Chi glanced at Su Qing apologetically. After receiving the gentle gaze filled with permission, he bent over to pick up the phone and glanced at it. Xie Chi’s expression changed sharply and he tightened his grip on his phone.

“What is it? Which beautiful woman sent you a photo?” Ren Ze joked when he saw Xie Chi staring at his phone screen for a while.

Xie Chi quietly lowered the phone and glanced at him. “I’m gay, thank you.”

Su Qing laughed. Then he saw Xie Chi looking at him and once again asked seriously, “Will you?”

Xie Chi’s Adam’s apple moved twice before he suppressed his complicated mood. Ren Ze watched in shock as he stepped forward and hugged Su Qing. It was an empty embrace and was very gentlemanly. After that, Xie Chi spoke quietly. “Yes, Shen Yi and I will come back.”

“Shen Yi?” Ren Ze finally realized who they were talking about. He stared at Xie Chi and felt like he was hallucinating.

Su Qing’s eyes widened. Xie Chi knew! He also said it! He stared at Xie Chi. He didn’t have the heart to blame this person but he was embarrassed.

“I-I’m leaving. I’ll wait… for you to come back.” Su Qing no longer felt nostalgic. He walked quickly and fled.

Once the door closed, Ren Ze shook his chair and jokingly wondered, “What type of friendship do we have? Why don’t you hug me—”

Xie Chi looked up in an expressionless manner. “If you are also widowed then I can hug you.”

“Widowed? Who died—” Ren Ze originally didn’t think much. Then he suddenly stood up with a shocked expression. “Are you saying that Shen Yi is dead?”

“You heard me right. Perhaps I read it wrong.” Xie Chi threw his phone over with an indifferent expression.

Ren Ze stiffly took it and looked down. Yan Jing had sent 20 to 30 messages to Xie Chi with only the words: Shen Yi is dead. Ren Ze was deeply sorry for his ignorance. He glanced in the direction that Su Qing left and felt the phone in his hand was so heavy to the point he was unable to hold it.

“Why… didn’t you tell him?” Ren Ze wondered in a dry voice.

“Shen Yi wouldn’t want me to tell him. You have to understand that a man in a high position just wants to show omnipotence and hide all weaknesses. People like Shen Yi would rather let Su Qing think he was abandoned then to let Su Qing know he was dead.”

Ren Ze fell silent and his eyes dimmed. Xie Chi was right. If no one spoke, there was hope. Speaking would just cause long and endless pain. People like Su Qing needed hope to live.

Xie Chi received a video from Yan Jing. He kept calm and opened it. Ren Ze immediately leaned over to watch.

It was a forest of gravestones. The broad leaves were withered and covered the wet and dark land. It was filled with a blue fog and the bare and black trees were sparsely distributed. A cold and gloomy air could be felt across the screen.

Shen Yi’s body was injured and blood continued to flow. Xie Chi could even see his bones under his skin. His face was smeared with blood and his eyes were extremely deep and bright, constantly burning.

He was holding a blood-red long sword. The dazzling and deep red light of the sword was circling rapidly, breaking the fog and illuminating the gravestone forest. It seemed to be drawing the power of the heavens and earth to repair Shen Yi’s injuries but this was just a drop in the bucket.

Shen Yi was already at his limits. However, his enemies were by no means happy.

There were already three corpses lying on the ground. Three were still standing but apart from the one in the center, the other two had messy breathing and were injured. They stared at Shen Yi with expressions full of fear.

“Did you ever think there would be an ending like today when you fought against me in the beginning?” The man in the middle smiled and spoke in a cruel tone.

Shen Yi sneered and swallowed all the blood that was rising in his throat. There was a strange light in his eyes. “Who told you it is the end?”

“What do you mean?” The man frowned. He seemed to think it was ridiculous that Shen Yi would talk so tough even when dying.

Shen Yi smiled evilly. “If I live, you are finished. If I die, you are also finished.”

“This… is just the beginning.”

Deep fear was reflected in the eyes of the two people on the side. It was obvious that the previous fierce battle had left a shadow on them. The man in front of them fought one against six and killed three. One man was going to go up and kill him but the person in the middle raised his hand to stop it, as if to give Shen Yi his last dignity.

Shen Yi used the last bit of his strength to raise the blood sword. The other man who was still alive turned his head with an unbearable expression.

Shen Yi killed himself.

In the faint blue gravestone forest, the blood sword lost its owner and made a humming whine. The sword shone red before dimming.

This generation’s movie emperor fell. It could be imagined what sensation this video would cause once it was released. Xie Chi rejoiced that Su Qing had left the app first.

***

Yan Jing rushed to Xie Chi’s office and panted by the door like a pug. “Xie Chi! Six of the top actors besieged Shen Yi and he died!”

Xie Chi felt that these words were too familiar. It was just that the individual and the number had changed. It went around and around. There was a warning. How similar was the plot? History was always repeating itself.

He just hadn’t expected that this would eventually happen to Shen Yi. In fact, even the demi-god died, let alone Shen Yi.

He heard about Shen Yi’s death but he was unusually calm. Whether it was good or bad, at least there was a result. Even if he died, it was better than leaving things undecided. The world was fickle. He had to learn to adjust and do what he could do.

He and Shen Yi had only met once. They weren’t unfamiliar but they definitely weren’t familiar. He didn’t have any deep emotions. He remembered Shen Yi’s help and was glad to be with him, but Xie Chi had to go on with his own life. He had always been clear about this. He had never relied on anyone. Shen Yi had fallen but it was only Shen Yi. He, Xie Chi, hadn’t fallen.

“Xie Chi…?” Ren Ze and Yan Jing didn’t know if comfort was appropriate. They looked at each other with a bit of anxiety.

“I’m fine.” Xie Chi opened the video and fast-forwarded blankly. Then he stopped at Shen Yi’s last words. “He said that it isn’t finished.”

“These words weren’t directed at the peak actors.” Xie Chi paused. “They were for me.”

Ren Ze knew a bit about the relationship between Xie Chi and Shen Yi. He saw that Xie Chi was calm and was relieved. He originally thought that Shen Yi was Xie Chi’s support but now it clearly wasn’t the case. He could also think rationally.

Xie Chi’s phone rang. As if out of some strange intuition, Xie Chi smiled. “It has come.”

He unlocked his phone.

[You have received a letter from Shen Yi. Note: This letter will only be sent when the trigger condition is met.]

Xie Chi knew that the so-called trigger condition was Shen Yi’s death. Xie Chi clicked on it and read it line by line.

“Emotionally, I believe I won’t fail. Intellectually, I knew that I must leave something before. I will state in advance, this definitely isn’t because I don’t think I can do it.”

Xie Chi felt helpless? Was there a need to care so much for reputation?

“Xie Chi, when you read this letter, I will be dead. Unfortunately, you won’t have a partner who can give you orange items. I’m sorry for that but…”

“You will directly inherit all my items and points. Are you surprised?”

Xie Chi, “…..” What black humor.

Xie Chi continued to read.

“This is the last wish I made to the app. It should be a privilege of being the movie emperor for so long. The moment I die, points will automatically be deducted to achieve this wish.”

“Don’t be too happy. If you are willing to accept my points and items then you must also complete the last journey for me.”

“I’m not forcing you. You can choose to give it up. I just have to tell you that Pet won’t let you go even if you give up. You may have to face two or more of the top 10 actors with your current strength.”

“In addition… I’m laughing when I write this. Xie Chi, I am your father. Don’t be angry. It is a real father with the same genes. By the way, do you know Lian Shi? He is your grandfather.”

“Son, do you want to inherit your father’s legacy?”

“In addition, don’t tell Su Qing that I’m dead. He is your little mother. Remember to take care of him for me.”

Xie Chi raised his head after reading it. He met Ren Ze and Yan Jing’s worried eyes and said, “He can go fu*k himself.”

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Proofreader: Purichan