Chapter 465

Spirit power 100%.

"This little girl, why does she seem to know everything?"

Xiaojiuwo couldn't figure it out, why Huohuo didn't go with Xingqiri and Xing to Liúmèng Jiāo, yet she grasped a lot of firsthand information, practically the same as that Laatio professor. She was clearly setting off bomb buttons on the street, and as she did, she suddenly understood everything.

"If you ask me, the Masked Fool doesn't look simple at all; this bunch is just messing around with you, laughing and joking. What if Huohuo is a Joy Envoy?" Linghuan lay in the chair, leisurely enjoying the cool breeze from the air conditioner.

"Envoy……you're exaggerating, right?"

"It's just a metaphor, after all, the Joy Envoy even had a drink with Botio; this bunch hides really well—what if Liúmèng Jiāo also has their people?"

While talking, Linghuan noticed Longtiao staring intently at the skylight without blinking, not knowing what he was looking at.

"Longtiao, what are you looking at? Could it be Miss Zhigengniao?" Linghuan put on an experienced expression and advised, "It's normal for teenagers like you to want to take an extra look at an attractive opposite sex; feel free to speak up openly, and as your teacher I can understand that."

"Ah, no……Master." Longtiao quickly denied, "I'm just feeling that Mister Shajin has a really good temper. Even though the Masked Fool said a lot of unpleasant things to him, he didn't get angry at all, but Mister Xingqiri visibly flared up."

Of course, they're a Preserver, with a thick barrier in their heart; ordinary people might not really be able to provoke them.

——

"Well, well~, I'm just leaving. However, Miss Zhigengniao, I still advise you to think it over carefully——" Huohuo smiled meaningfully, "——Can people living in dreams truly stay away from pain and gain real happiness?"

"The last two gifts are for you. If the Harmony Dove Grand Festival still unfortunately takes place…please remember to use them at the performance site, don't lose them, okay?"

After handing over the last two buttons to them, Huohuo bounced away.

From afar came the call of the Ferry Raven, an omen that the Dream Lord was about to arrive. The two followed the sound to a square, awaiting the Dream Lord's descent.

During that time, Zhigengniao suddenly brought up her brother's eating habits; her brother, who liked sweets, stopped touching them after growing up. She felt that many things had changed during her absence, and wondered what had happened in the meantime.

"Even in a beautiful dream, someone must remain constantly awake."

Zhigengniao shook her head: "That person shouldn't be you, nor should it be any specific individual. Brother, you're burdening yourself too much. The paradise we agreed upon…shouldn't be like this."

"Pinokangni is just a dream. It cannot eliminate real-world worries and pain, bring true happiness…all it can do is offer people a place to escape reality, and that's all."

Xingqiri said calmly in rebuttal: "Do you still remember that old man? Without this dream, he might have already fallen into an irredeemable abyss."

"True…but even without Pinokangni, he could have taken another path. As far as I know, the Erudite Society has long been promoting the corresponding rehabilitation therapy. Although that life would be ordinary and much harder, now, while unconscious, he is receiving end-of-life care called Beautiful Dream, and his fate…is already sealed."

"Does Pinokangni give these people a future, or take it away?"

——

Huiye Daxiaojie wants me to confess.

"This cute miss's idea is really extreme……"

In the student council room, Shishang You slowly took off her earphones and spoke plainly.

"Extreme? But I think Miss Zhigengniao's idea is correct; if it weren't for Beautiful Dream, many people could continue moving forward." Yijingye Mizi, upon hearing Shishang You call Zhigengniao "cute," instantly felt a dull ache in her chest, angry and at a loss, and almost reflexively retorted.

"Oh? Shishang You classmate, don't you agree with Miss Zhigengniao's opinion?" Sigong Huiye elegantly set down her teacup, the base and tray making a clear clinking sound, "I also want to hear Shishang You classmate's thoughts."

"Hmm…actually, there's not really an opinion to speak of……" Facing Xiaomizi's sharp gaze, Shishang You scratched his head embarrassedly, "I just think that someone who truly possesses a future cannot have it taken away."

"Huh? What's that supposed to mean?"

In fact, we can use Shajin as an example—Shajin once became a slave, worth sixty copper coins, yet he still fought for a sliver of life and obtained the future he wanted. As for Pinokangni, how many people have better conditions than Shajin? Rather than saying Pinokangni took away their future, it's more accurate to say they voluntarily gave up their future, choosing to degenerate.

Shishang You spread his hands and continued: "It's like video games—some people get lost in them, while others can easily walk away. Can you say video games stole someone's future? That's not fair either. As for what Miss Zhigengniao said, 'Pinokangni cannot eliminate real-world pain'……isn't that obvious? Dreams were never given that function from the start, just like blaming 'playing games doesn't improve grades'—the problem is games were never related to learning in the first place."

"Hmm……that makes sense, then Shishang You, what do you think Miss Zhigengniao should do?" Baiyin rested her chin, thought for a moment, and continued asking.

"Since Miss Zhigengniao wants to solve people's suffering from reality, she should establish a charitable organization herself to help those in the galaxy who need help. This might better match what she has in mind as the meaning of 【Harmony】, right?"

——

"Before that, you should know… not everyone can walk toward the future." Xingqiri said calmly, 'The future to people is like the sky to birds. People mistakenly think flying is the nature of birds because they have never seen those birds that have fallen to the ground and died.'

"Do you remember the Harmony Dove we adopted when we were little? How did we treat it?"

"Zhigengniao nodded: 'We raised it seriously in the birdcage, feeding and changing water daily, grooming its feathers, and later… when we decided to leave Pinokangni, I opened the cage door and let it return to the sky.'"

"I was worried it would make you sad, so I didn't mention it in the letter." Xingqiri paused, her expression slightly sorrowful, 'Not long after you left, it fell outside your room's window.'