Void Jigsaw Puzzle

Leyou Pavilion after the snow is indeed a little different from usual days.

The most obvious thing is that the usual lively atmosphere that gradually rises with the arrival of night is dampened a lot by the snow during the day.

So much so that the shouting today is sparse.

Zhong Chenmu walked under the entrance arch, stepping carefully on the areas where there was still snow on the ground, so as not to accidentally step on the black snow debris and get his feet covered in dirty water.

Looking around, there are no halos above the heads of the pedestrians here.

Therefore, they were also unable to see the halo above Zhong Chenmu's head.

Zhong Chenmu instead felt a sense of security.

"I have to meet with Mr. Liang as soon as possible to discuss everything, and then return to the base. I can't let them be in danger while I, the captain of the Jigsaw Team, am at ease."

He repeatedly pondered in his mind the words he would use to communicate with Mr. Liang, and before he knew it, he had arrived at the main entrance of Leyou Mansion.

And the heavy black door opened at the right time, as if it had been waiting for a long time.

Zhong Chenmu walked into the gate with a heavy heart, only to see that the scene inside was completely different from that outside.

The snow has not melted yet, and has not even been touched. It still retains the original appearance when it landed on the ground, like a layer of white decorative brocade, making the interior of the mansion still look like a pure land.

However, the streets outside the mansion were already dirty and messy with snow and water.

Zhong Chenmu had no intention of appreciating this isolated and short-lived beauty. He walked straight through all the exquisite and white things and came directly to the stone room in the backyard.

Along the way, several butlers greeted him politely, giving him the illusion that he was taking advantage of the power of others.

"Master Liang is waiting for you."

He still maintained his inner calm.

He came here today to call for an explanation, not to sit around the fire with this middle-aged man, brewing tea and appreciating the snow scene.

Thinking of this, he had already arrived at the door of the stone house. Without knocking, he pushed the door open and walked in.

There was still a warm fire burning inside, the temperature was much higher than outside, and the room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.

Mr. Liang was sitting in the center drinking tea. He was only wearing a single piece of clothing, and his expression and posture seemed very relaxed.

Seeing Zhong Chenmu barge in directly, he just raised his eyes without standing up, and waved, "Are you here? Sit down and have some tea."

Seeing his calm demeanor, Zhong Chenmu thought of what he had seen and heard from Pierce in the Guoyue team, and suddenly a surge of anger rose from the bottom of his heart.

"Mr. Liang, you're in a good mood! Still drinking tea here? Don't you know that the outside world has become a living hell?"

Mr. Liang remained calm. "Hell on earth? Don't exaggerate... It's just snowing, so it seems a little deserted outside. Don't worry, it was like this before. But you have to believe that after a while, Leyou Pavilion will regain its vitality."

"That's not what I'm talking about!"

"Oh?" Mr. Liang then looked at Zhong Chenmu again: "What's that?"

"You really don't know?"

"My Captain Zhong, Brother Zhong, when did you become like that old man Pierce? Why do you have to beat around the bush when you speak?"

So, Zhong Chenmu told Master Liang everything that had happened recently, especially today.

While telling the story, he deliberately controlled his emotions and wording, trying his best not to exaggerate.

However, even so, when he once again used words to describe what Pierce and Pu Yue had done, he still felt a physical discomfort.

After hearing what Zhong Chenmu said, Mr. Liang was silent for a long time.

But his expression remained very calm, making Zhong Chenmu unable to judge what he was thinking.

Finally, Mr. Liang slowly spoke, "I don't know anything about what you're talking about, and they haven't told me anything. I just have one question: Did all this happen in an enclosed space? Like an auditorium or a stadium?"

Mr. Liang really knows nothing!

Zhong Chenmu felt that he had arrived at the right time today.

However, he didn't expect that the first question Mr. Liang asked was about the place where these killings took place.

He replied with a hint of doubt: "Yes, I was there, or I was told directly, that should be the case."

"That's fine. It won't cause large-scale social panic..." Grandpa Liang leaned back in his chair with confidence, looked up at the ceiling, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What? This is all you care about?" Zhong Chenmu found it unreasonable.

"What else? I funded them, that's true, but that doesn't mean I need to monitor how they use my money. I only look at the results. As long as the results help us quickly escape the closed situation of Nameless City and prevent it from becoming turbulent and accelerating its collapse, it's fine. Only by entering the open world as soon as possible can the situation in Nameless City be stabilized and my assets here will not depreciate. This is why I supported the Prophet Society, Pierce, and now you from the beginning."

"But they're killing people! They're using your money to buy weapons, knives, and crossbows, and then using them to kill people!" Zhong Chenmu shouted, "Didn't I make it clear enough just now?"

Mr. Liang spread his hands indifferently. "So what? They effectively controlled the scope and didn't cause a large-scale panic. That's enough. Wuming City doesn't have a set of systems to control all of this, or rather, the system is incomplete. Even if you go to the police, what can they do? Besides resolving some neighborhood disputes and lost and found issues, what else can they do? Do they have enough police force? Do they have the tools to solve the case? Many things that we take for granted in books and in our memories don't exist in the reality of Wuming City! So, for me, I give them money, and they can help me maintain and increase the value of my money. As long as the result is right, I won't pursue the process."

Zhong Chenmu gasped. "The end justifies the means? Is that what you mean?"

"No, the goal justifies the means. Existence is reasonable. In the Nameless City, there is no law, or no complete law, and no realistic conditions sufficient to promote law enforcement."

"Then how do you know that their blatant killing will help you achieve the goal of maintaining and increasing value?" Zhong Chenmu continued to ask unwillingly.

"Because everything we do stems from the needs of the Hydrogen Tribe's 'Reunification' game, isn't it? And for them, the more intense the internecine slaughter in our game, the happier they are. The happier they are, the more likely they are to finally agree to let us enter the open territory of Taibai Star and completely break the closed cycle of Wuming City. This reason shouldn't be difficult to speculate, right? Besides, Captain Zhong, you keep saying they kill people, but haven't you killed people yourself?"

"I..." Zhong Chenmu was speechless for a moment.

The scene of himself killing the replica of Guoyue appeared in his mind again.

Even though it was only a replica, it was an incredibly vivid image, and if no one knew, who could tell that it wasn't actually a real person?

Mr. Liang smiled and said, "So, Captain Zhong, don't be so self-deprecating. You should put in the effort to push this game to completion as soon as possible, so that all of us can benefit."

Zhong Chenmu shook his head. "No, Master Liang, I don't accept your accusation. I didn't kill a real person, but a replica I created myself. In fact, the plan was originally made under your witness, and Pierce also accepted it. It was they who made the changes during the execution, not me. Moreover, I don't think that the Hydrogen Clan's desire to see a good game of 'Reunification' requires mutual slaughter. At least, I don't think all of them hold this view!"

Mr. Liang was intrigued by Zhong Chenmu's point of view: "Oh? Elaborate on this."

"You and Pierce both believe that the more we kill each other and the more intense the internal strife, the more exciting and satisfying it will be for the Hydrogen Tribe, making it easier for them to allow us to enter Taibai Star. That's why we need to change our original plan and start killing each other. I think this judgment is inaccurate, or at least only represents part of the truth. I believe that the Hydrogen Tribe is not a monolithic entity, and their views conflict. Among them, there are believers in the law of the jungle, and there are also those at a higher level who don't believe that we must fight to the death. In fact, if we express the law of the jungle too much in this game, it will make them uneasy and hesitant. They will wonder whether to open up to us. If we do, will we treat them the same way we treat our own compatriots? Let's not talk about whether we have the strength to do this, but it is possible."

Master Liang carefully savored the words of the young man before him. A hint of surprise rose in his heart: "Is this really something a 17-year-old can comprehend..."

He wasn't one for violence; as long as his goal was achievable, he could be flexible. If, as the young man had said, Pierce and Pu Yue's current tactics were likely to backfire on the Hydrogen Clan, then Master Liang would have to reconsider.

Logically speaking, he admitted that what Zhong Chenmu said made sense, but he needed stronger evidence.

So, he asked, "Why do you think there are different opinions within the Hydrogen Clan, and that there is a higher level of will and thought?"

When Zhong Chenmu heard Mr. Liang ask this question, he felt that he had already succeeded halfway. He controlled his tone and asked in an enlightening way: "Because the Hydrogen Clan recreated us back then, think about it, it didn't take any effort for them to ignore us in the universe, just like we breathe here today. But to reproduce and embody us, it would take too much energy and resources. I believe that they did this back then, and there must have been a trace of goodwill in it. As long as this trace of goodwill exists, it is worth our exploration, to use it, to amplify it, and continue to amplify it, and spread it..."

As he spoke, he picked up the tea on the table.

Mr. Liang had put it there a long time ago, but he never drank it.

Of course, he wasn't picking it up to drink. He dipped his fingertips into the teacup and gently touched the surface of the tea. "You see, if we have even a tiny bit of kindness, and we influence it, it could spread like ripples on the water, spreading across the entire surface."