"Do you think our company... really has top management?"
The hoarse and deep tone, implying indescribable sadness and resentment, was like a heavy hammer, carrying a mighty force, hitting 001's chest hard, making it creepy.
001 suddenly turned around: "What do you mean?"
025 looked at it faintly, the light around him slowly extinguished like a candle in the wind.
"actually… "
In the dark void, misty and far away, the giant tree reaching to the sky is silent, and the shimmering light walking back and forth is in a hurry, and there is little communication.
The atmosphere is dignified, and the slender branches sway without wind. Standing on the branches, 001 seems to be on top of the stormy waves.
In an instant, countless guesses flashed through its mind.
Bizarre, weird, and chilling thoughts flashed by like fleeting shadows, leaving only a mess, making it impossible to distinguish.
001 held his breath, staring at the spot of light in front of him tightly, with a suffocating breath in his chest, which was heavy and congested—it vaguely felt that the guy in front of him was about to reveal a very important secret to him, which was related to the truth of the mission world , the company's purpose, the past, present and future of the system...
"Actually..." 025 withdrew his light and turned into a dim spot.
—But in the next second, the light burst out!
"Hahahahaha, you idiot!"
025 laughed unscrupulously: "Of course there are higher-ups, what are you imagining, why do you have a scared expression!"
001: "..."
The idiot!
At that moment just now, I really believed that what shocking truth it would reveal!
001 turned around and left.
025 quickly caught up, followed behind 001 all the way, and said with a smile: "Ann, just kidding, don't be angry. I just saw you looking depressed, so I can help you out. How are you? Are you in the mood now? Better?"
"...if you could stop following me and stop talking to me, I'd probably be very happy."
"Hey, I'm out of touch." 025 asked, "You said you have something to report to the company, what is it?"
001 ignored it and just hurried on.
"Tell me, I have acquaintances in the high-level, maybe they can help you!"
acquaintance
001's footsteps stopped.
It turned its head and looked suspiciously at 025—the spot of light landed steadily on the branch, and it was pulling a slender leaf and swinging leisurely on the swing.
An unreliable look.
But... what if what 001 said is true
After pausing for a while, 001 said softly, "Do you know 125?"
"Crack."
With a very slight change, the thin leaves under 025's body broke from the roots, and the slender leaves that were torn off did not fall, but floated slowly, flying towards the depths of the pitch-black void.
Like a train that never turns back, drifting away.
025, thrown by the fine leaves, suddenly became very quiet.
After an unknown period of time, until 001's subtle weirdness surged up, 025 grinned slightly and squeezed out a series of low, hoarse smiles.
"125, it's very similar to my serial number." It's a little unnatural, the light is flickering, and the tone is very strange, "How do you know it?"
001 said: "Just tell me, is there any high-level people you know who have it?"
"No." 025 insisted: "Tell me first, how do you know it."
001 shook his head helplessly.
It uses short language to briefly describe the scene of its encounter with 125—in fact, there is no need to be concise, because 001 and 125 are a real meeting, so let it talk more, but it can't tell.
025 listened quietly.
The light spots around it gradually dimmed, almost undetectable, 001 saw everything in his eyes, and an inexplicable feeling suddenly rose in his heart.
The spot of light in front of me is so quiet, restraining all the active side—or in other words, it peels off the unskilled free and easy shell, exposing the sad and soft heart to the void, so lonely, like a homeless child , squatting quietly in the corner, hugging her knees with her hands, hugging herself tightly.
001 thought to himself, this guy must know Senior 125.
A glimmer of hope ignited in his heart, he quickly finished the story, and looked at 025 expectantly.
—Maybe this time, I can really get news from that senior
001 didn't expect that, after listening to his own description, 025 suddenly turned over and flew towards the distant branch.
001: "???"
It rushed in that direction and shouted: "Hey, who is the high-level person you know?"
"Idiot." 025 didn't turn his head back, "My serial number is 25, where can I meet some high-level people?"
"..."
"Don't follow me, go to the headquarters and submit a report! You have been away from the host for a long time, and it is against the rules to stay any longer!"
—Who was it that wasted the time
001 can't laugh or cry.
Still didn't get any news from Senior 125, it was a little disappointed.
But because of 025's interruption, 001's dull mood when he came was also resolved a lot, and now he was able to cheer up and rush to the headquarters quickly.
It was rushed, but there was enough time.
And behind it, 025 withdrew his light, hid behind a branch, silently watched the light spot in front disappear into the void, but still stayed where he was, standing there for a long time.
"High level..."
It bit these two words heavily, and squeezed out a sneer from its throat, which was full of irony, but immediately, the light spot rose slightly, like a boy looking up at the lush branches and leaves above his head.
The high canopy blocks out the sky like an emerald green, fluorescent cloud.
"... 125."
025 murmured softly, with a very light tone, a call that did not expect a response.
After a long time, a few faint particles of light slowly flowed out from the center of the light spot. The particles were transparent, transparent and soft like flowing water, like leaves, slowly drifting towards the depths of the darkness.
It is a few crystal clear teardrops.
…
001 doesn't know what happened behind him.
It carefully wrote a report, in which it elaborated on the host's mental health problems, and submitted it to the headquarters. Every day after that, 001 was immersed in anticipation.
But it waited and waited, but did not get the approval from the headquarters.
Until... it broke up peacefully with the first host.
By that time, the once optimistic and cheerful boy had become gloomy like the sea. Although the experience of several worlds did not change his youthful appearance, it left countless deep and visible scars deep in his heart.
All the tests of choice, the pleasure of destroying the dead, and the confusion of the drunken beauty's knees melted the shackles of the whole world into pitch-black iron chains, entangled in the depths of the young man's soul.
He is like an ancient tree deep in a secluded forest, which still sprouts in spring, but if you peel off the bark, you will be able to see all the twisted, entangled, and innumerable dark growth rings.
001 is having a hard time.
It tried its best to apply for a residence permit in the small world with the best conditions for the boy, and begged the headquarters to retain the boy's protagonist's life, so that he could really enjoy a wonderful protagonist treatment.
It was difficult, but thanks to 025's help, they made it.
— 025, this guy is usually unreliable, but he knows the tricks that many headquarters auditors may not know, and can play an important role at critical moments.
001 appreciates it.
And the boy's experience also warned 001, it began to pay attention to protecting the mental health of the host, and tried to become talkative and optimistic, making itself a bright spot in the host's mission career.
It's not easy for an ignorant novice system.
But for a determined, determined system, it's only a matter of time.
001 did a great job.
It took over more tasks and gradually became more handy, and its number soared all the way, from rookie 001 to system nova 033.
During this period, it has not given up submitting reports to the headquarters, and the content of feedback has gradually developed from simply "pointing out problems" at the beginning to "feasible solutions", "testing mechanisms" and "reform cost budgets".
Headquarters never responded.
The 33rd host is a particularly arrogant young man, arrogant and stubborn, who regards 001 as a tool to complete the task, and conducts daily soul torture—
"Why should a system have a mind?"
"Did I ask your opinion?"
"Shut up, who told you to talk?"
001 was extremely distressed.
There is no way, it can only minimize the sense of existence, unless the young man is in danger of life and death, he will never say a word.
But the boy was still not satisfied.
Especially after experiencing several worlds, he became more and more arrogant after getting used to being the protagonist, and his methods became more cruel when facing the villains.
001 is a little uncomfortable.
It tries to euphemistically convey a concept to the teenagers—the headquarters also has a villain system, and some of those villains may not be heinous people, they are just a little bit of luck, and they are forced by the task.
The boy scoffed at this.
"Luck? Luck deserves his bad luck. Flies don't bite seamless eggs. Since he is bound to the villain system, he must be a bad bird. Besides, did I let you talk?"
001: "..."
It suddenly became deeply aware of the pathetic nature of the system.
The system is controlled by the company and controlled by the host. It is purely luck to meet a host.
But after thinking about it, 001 felt deeply sad for the host.
It shrank behind the boy, felt the unique fluctuations between systems, swept over the system mimicry that hid its body in the corner ahead, watched the numb villains rushing forward one by one, and was chopped down one by one by the protagonist like chopping vegetables and melons. At a loss.
—What kind of system is bound, whether to be the protagonist or the villain, isn't it just luck
001 suddenly misses Senior 125 a bit.
After going through 125 hosts, how did it manage to maintain its original heart
001 doesn't understand.
The reply from the headquarters has not yet been issued, but it is a little tired.
…
Fortunately, 001's period of confusion did not last long.
It was during the mission of the 33rd host that it met a person in the small world.
— like a ray of light that illuminates darkness.
The author has something to say: The next chapter of Youyou is online XD