NOVEL WEB Chapter 108: Have I Become Stupid?
Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
What just happened?
The sudden turn of events left Lin Wei utterly bewildered.
He even had the absurd urge to ask Anna if she had given this thing to many people before.
Of course, he only thought about it. If he actually said it out loud, a slap across the face would be the least of his worries.
This was a big problem…
Lin Wei hated change, because it represented the unknown and the uncontrollable.
Compared to racking his brains amidst the chaos of a storm, he preferred a simple, predictable life.
But…
Why couldn't he escape it?
He sighed inwardly.
Fine, if I can't escape it, then I won't.
I'll just go with the flow, whatever happens, happens!
Lin Wei steeled his resolve.
Because no matter how unwilling he was to admit it, he had to accept one reality: the moment Anna decided to take off half of that heart-shaped pendant and solemnly hand it to him, the future related to her would never be the same.
Even if he found Chen Tianwu and pushed him towards her, the story wouldn't follow the "original track." Forcing it would be like carving a mark on a boat to find a lost sword – futile, and might even make things worse. [ Kè zhōu qiú jiàn – literally "carving a mark on the boat to search for a sword," a Chinese idiom describing someone clinging to outdated methods, unable to adapt to changing circumstances.]
Therefore, Lin Wei could only accept this reality.
At least, he could console himself: the uncertainty of the "absence of the Herrscher of Rock (Star), from known to completely unknown," an event that would happen in the future, compared to the immediate threat of "watching Anna, the future Herrscher of Ice, die before his eyes, or undergo a premature Herrscher transformation here,"
Between these two, Chen Tianwu's problem seemed less significant.
Putting aside his inner turmoil, Lin Wei touched the pocket containing the pendant again, making sure it was safe. He spoke solemnly to Anna,
"I understand, Miss Anna. I'll keep it safe."
Since he had chosen to be bold, he had to see it through. There were no regrets in this world.
"Yes! Let's go. Remember to protect yourself."
Anna, however, didn't have such complicated thoughts. Seeing Lin Wei accept her gift, she felt relieved. Happily grabbing his arm, they walked side-by-side into the darkness.
The reason it looked dark was because the well-lit network of tunnels they had been traveling through, although poorly designed, had excellent lighting.
Compared to that, the dark void before them, so out of place with its surroundings, looked ominous. It was clearly the entrance to the thieves' den.
The only reason they hadn't charged in immediately was because they had been momentarily stopped by the final hurdle of "trust."
Walking inside, the passage wasn't deep. Carefully rounding the only corner, Anna saw what was inside and instantly deflated.
"What? It's just an underground parking garage!"
She complained, inwardly blaming herself for wasting time earlier. Now, they had completely lost their target…
While she was feeling dejected, Lin Wei remained calm, smiling reassuringly.
"It doesn't matter if we lost them. We can just find another one. Besides, we might not have lost them after all."
"How could that be? The one you tricked earlier went back empty-handed. They'll definitely notice something's wrong. I doubt there will be a second chance…"
Anna was still dejected. Lin Wei looked at her, surprised. This silly girl is actually quite smart.
"Wait, you said… might not? What do you mean?"
Suddenly, Anna remembered Lin Wei's words. Her eyes lit up. She leaned in, wanting to know more. She was so excited that she almost knocked Lin Wei over.
Okay, I take that back…
Lin Wei quickly steadied himself, a vein throbbing on his forehead.
"Shh…"
He signaled for Anna to be quiet.
Realizing she had been too impulsive, Anna blushed and lowered her head, asking softly,
"What did you find?"
Lin Wei shook his head, leading Anna into the somewhat crowded parking garage. They found a comfortable spot to sit. He spoke casually,
"Just wait and see."
"You…"
Anna gritted her teeth, irritated. Who are you trying to impress with your mysterious act?
"Don't be impatient."
Lin Wei, seeing Anna's annoyed expression, chuckled and explained,
"I also know a few things about Coral Island. When I first arrived, the taxi driver was very enthusiastic and told me a lot about this place. 1.8 million permanent residents, plus a similar number of transients, all crammed into this small island city. It's only because of the advanced technology and urban planning that everything runs smoothly."
Anna tilted her head, not understanding why Lin Wei was changing the subject, but politely didn't interrupt.
"But even with the most advanced planning, this city is still very crowded. Look at where we are now. This kind of multi-level parking garage is probably standard on Coral Island."
Lin Wei gestured around them. Anna followed his gaze. The garage was indeed very crowded, with vehicles stacked like honeycombs, separated by grid-like barriers.
"If they can stack upwards, they can also store downwards. There are probably several levels of 'car elevators' underground. If you don't believe me, you can find a gap and look down… Heh, clever little devils, hiding their lair's entrance in a place like this. If we hadn't followed them, even a god wouldn't have found it!"
Even so, they still chose a remote location to meet with their "cargo." They were incredibly cautious.
Lin Wei gritted his teeth. These "moles" were truly experts at hiding. No wonder Otto couldn't find them.
If he hadn't used his cheat, seeing the answer in the hijacked surveillance footage, he would have been clueless for a while.
He had to admit, when it came to digging and hiding, World Serpent was the undisputed champion.
Not to mention their bases hidden deep underground, which Schicksal wouldn't find unless they were actively revealed;
These guys even dug a tunnel all the way to Britain just to ambush Rita.
(ノへ￣,)
Lin Wei couldn't understand. Was it really necessary?
And World Serpent wasn't just good at digging, they were also experts at breaking into other people's holes.
Didn't Schicksal have an underground base in North Africa to protect the 2nd Divine Key? World Serpent broke in without giving them any time to react.
It was like showing off their skills right in front of the experts.
…
Anna only half-understood, inwardly wondering if he was just making things up.
Just then, the sound of gears grinding and machinery turning echoed, amplified by the enclosed space.
In the corner of their vision, a car slowly descended, revealing two black and red constructs standing silently. Before the platform fully stopped, they stepped onto the ground and walked towards Lin Wei and Anna.
Lin Wei held back the restless Anna, calmly watching as the constructs approached. The one in front continued walking past them, while the one behind suddenly stopped.
"Oh no! Get back!"
Anna was startled, pulling Lin Wei behind her.
"No need… cough, cough… Anna, calm down."
Not using his Stigmata's power, solely relying on his own strength to activate the Divine Key was taking its toll. Lin Wei was about to catch his breath when Anna's sudden pull almost choked him. Ignoring that, he quickly grabbed Anna, not even bothering with honorifics.
"What did you do?"
Anna also realized the construct hadn't attacked them. It was just standing there. She knew Lin Wei must have done something. She relaxed, looking at him, waiting for an explanation.
"Look over there."
Lin Wei casually pointed, then continued patting his chest and clearing his throat, unwilling to speak more. His throat was dry and itchy.
"I'm sorry, I was too impulsive. Are you okay?"
Seeing Lin Wei's state, Anna felt embarrassed. Ignoring everything else, she quickly went to support him, gently patting his back.
"I'm much better."
Lin Wei lifted his cane and gently shook it. The construct, as if receiving a command, turned and walked back towards where it came from. Another identical car, except with an intact door, rose on another platform.
They really have a lot of tricks, Lin Wei sneered.
"I temporarily hijacked it, wanting to see if it could open the gate for us."
Lin Wei explained. Anna nodded, suddenly understanding, but inwardly wondering when he had done it. She hadn't noticed a thing.
As they spoke, the controlled construct returned to the car, trying to connect its identification information, but failed.
It walked to the front of the car, lifted its black faceplate, revealing a barcode on its face, and aimed it at the dashcam. This time, it received a response—
"Verification failed. Access denied. Revoking access…"
Lin Wei frowned, releasing Pandora's control, letting the construct return to its post.
Anna watched the construct walk away as if nothing had happened. Turning back, she asked Lin Wei worriedly,
"What do we do? Were we discovered?"
Lin Wei shook his head,
"No. If we were discovered, it would have attacked us the moment I released control. Even if it couldn't identify us, those 'rats' hiding in their shell could have manually intervened – but they didn't."
These guys were incredibly cautious. They didn't even allow their own people to return shortly after leaving?
Was this a security measure to prevent being held hostage?
Lin Wei, who also considered himself a master of caution, could only express his admiration…
"That's good."
Anna breathed a sigh of relief, then hesitated.
"But… we still can't get in, can we?"
Anna only had training in fighting Honkai. She had no idea how to handle this situation. She regretted not asking Rita Rossweisse for some tips on infiltration and hacking.
She bit her lip, glancing at Lin Wei, thinking that if she had those skills, she could be of some help.
She hated feeling so helpless.
"Don't worry, I have other ways. You forget I'm a hacker? This is my specialty."
Lin Wei, noticing Anna's fleeting glance, patted her hand reassuringly. He walked straight to the car and bent down slightly.
He pretended to be busy for a few minutes. Anna's heart raced, her hands instinctively moving closer to her weapons, afraid something would happen to Lin Wei.
"Verification successful…"
A emotionless AI voice suddenly announced. The car beeped, unlocking.
Lin Wei stood up, turning back with a "mission accomplished" expression, gesturing for Anna to follow.
Anna breathed a sigh of relief, quickly catching up, her admiration for Lin Wei growing.
As soon as they stepped onto the parking spot, the platform began to vibrate. Lin Wei quickly opened the car door, pulling Anna into the back seat with him. They watched as the platform descended, the still-open car door being ripped off by the rising ground!
"Ah, thank you…"
Anna whispered her thanks, then blushed slightly, moving away a bit. They were a little too close. The somewhat ambiguous atmosphere in the cramped car made her feel uncomfortable and awkward.
Although she knew that, as a Valkyrie, her physical abilities meant the incident posed no real threat, and she could have easily jumped onto the car roof;
She still felt grateful to Lin Wei, as if he had truly saved her.
Lin Wei didn't overthink it. It was just a reflex. Looking out the window, he watched as their parking spot descended. Soon, another identical car, except with an intact door, rose on another platform.
They really do have a lot of tricks, Lin Wei sneered.
"Um, there's something I've been thinking about, and I want to discuss it with you."
Anna still didn't know Lin Wei's name, but she seemed oblivious. She hesitated, then spoke,
"You're such a skilled hacker. How about joining my organization after this is over? It's called Schicksal. It's very powerful, fighting bravely for humanity's destiny…"
Anna had wanted to give a grand speech, but remembering what she had seen and experienced after leaving HQ, she faltered. She quickly composed herself, discarding those inappropriate thoughts, and spoke seriously, with a hint of hope,
"I'll vouch for you using the Schariac family name. You'll definitely be able to showcase your talents in Schicksal!"
Lin Wei was stunned. He couldn't keep up with this girl's train of thought.
Have I become stupid?