Lost in the Otherworld

Gao Yang made up his mind, "I refuse."

"What?" The White Rabbit thought she had misheard.

"We won't kill the Lost." Gao Yang was resolute.

Qing Ling shot him a sharp glance: Are you crazy?

Gao Yang blinked: Trust me! It's a trap!

"No way," White Rabbit couldn’t hold back a laugh, "Kid, I suggest you don’t overthink it. Hot-blooded anime can be toxic; watch less. This is your only chance. I’m just going through the motions here. Miss it, and the doors of the organization will never open for you again. Think carefully."

"I have thought it through. No killing." Gao Yang said firmly.

"Okay." White Rabbit shrugged and turned to Qing Ling, "The boy's out. What about you?"

Qing Ling hesitated, then made her dagger disappear. She decided to trust Gao Yang. Experience had taught her that this kid had good luck—at least he hadn't gotten her into trouble so far.

The White Rabbit sighed with genuine regret. "You two have pretty good potential, and your sequence numbers are high. Such a pity. Mind if I ask why you refuse to kill the Lost?"

Huh?

No way, did I fail? Was I overthinking this?

Gao Yang suddenly felt a twinge of regret, but it was too late to back down. He scrambled to find an excuse and blurted out, "Because... of order."

"Order?"

"I believe the world has its own order. Randomly killing the Lost would disrupt that balance," Gao Yang said earnestly, without a flicker of doubt on his face.

The White Rabbit seemed to be pondering.

It wasn’t enough. Gao Yang quickly invoked another line, "Greed, delusion, anger, birth, death—all are illusions. Life is but a fleeting dream."

The girl behind the White Rabbit mask seemed slightly taken aback. She stepped forward quickly, tilting her head to stare into Gao Yang's eyes.

Through the mask, Gao Yang caught sight of a pair of clear, almond-shaped eyes, pure and charming.

"Indeed, you have the same look as our captain," the White Rabbit’s tone grew much softer.

"What look?" Gao Yang asked.

"Well," the White Rabbit thought for a moment, "It’s the kind of look that seems drowsy and half-asleep, yet holds an unfathomable depth."

Gao Yang mused to himself: You could’ve just called it ‘dead fish eyes.’

"Are people with this look all very powerful?" The White Rabbit glanced at Qing Ling.

"I wouldn't know."

"You even say things similar to our captain." The White Rabbit stepped forward, giving Gao Yang’s shoulder a pat. "Alright, you’ve passed the test."

"Oh."

Gao Yang remained expressionless, though if he had a tail, it would’ve been wagging furiously—he had gambled correctly!

The White Rabbit turned and nudged the unconscious Niu Xuan with her foot.

"The rules were set by our captain. There are only three. Remember them."

"First, never kill humans voluntarily."

"Second, never kill the Lost voluntarily."

"Third, no office romances allowed."

"Anyone who violates these rules will be permanently expelled from the organization."

Gao Yang thought he’d misheard: The first two rules sounded noble, but the last one? What was that about? No wonder Wu Dahai was so desperate—though even if office romances were allowed, no one would likely be interested in him anyway.

"Are we officially part of the organization?" Qing Ling asked.

"Not yet. You’re still on probation. To be official members, there’s one final test." The White Rabbit reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object. With a light toss, Qing Ling caught it—a brass key, old-fashioned in design.

"Find the door this key opens, and take a little tour," the White Rabbit said.

"That’s it?"

"That’s it," the White Rabbit repeated calmly.

"Let me see." Gao Yang took the brass key from Qing Ling's hand, feeling a chilling aura creeping across his fingertips. He couldn’t tell whether his heightened perception was kicking in, or if it was simply his imagination playing tricks. Gripping the key tightly, he asked, "But where do we find the door?"

The White Rabbit held up a finger, "I'll give you a hint: it's somewhere in Shanqing District."

"Any other hints?" Gao Yang was always open to useful information.

"Let me think," the White Rabbit rubbed her chin in contemplation, "Be careful, and don’t die."