Chapter 1935: After the Rewind, Love You Again 10-11

"Master, it's been detected that you've been in deep sleep for over 24 hours. Do you need to activate the medical record?"

"The mechanical sound of the light brain echoed in the dim, empty room."

"Many documents lay scattered on the cold black tile floor, the dense text revealing the investigators' guilt."

"No need."

"A hoarse, weary voice replied."

"Ruan Fu sat up from the sofa; the shift from game to reality took only a few brief moments, and a trace of warmth still lingered on their lips."

"Ruan Fu instinctively pressed their lips, annoyance flashing in their eyes, and the echoing words lingered in their mind."

"How dare Jin Chen."

"After a long while, Jin Chen picked up the scattered documents from the floor, their expression grim."

"——"

【Detected: Villain Ruan Fu's Blackening Value -2, total 98!】

【Detected: Villain Ruan Fu triggered Heartbeat Value, Heartbeat Value +5, total 5!】

"Jin Chen returned to the wood house with two puppet toys, while the exhausted Ji Luo and Yun Zaozao looked dubiously at Jin Chen's back."

"Yun Zaozao's lips twitched momentarily, and they asked somewhat expectantly, 'Is Ruan Fu dead?'"

"Jin Chen gave a speechless glance at them and said, 'You're a death god incarnate.'"

"Whoever you look at seems to be about to die."

"Ji Luo widened their eyes, thinking: 'Has Ruan Fu found the clearance gold coin?'"

"Jin Chen: 'Hmm.'"

"Jin Chen had changed from their previous lax, passive attitude toward tasks, leaning against the wall to observe each player, their sharpness fully revealed."

"The three players who returned after being rescued quickly shared the story of how the first clearance gold coin was found with their teammates."

"Not long after, all the players knew that the Hope Team's captain could not only take on giant monsters alone, but would also give any clearance gold coins they found to their teammates."

"What the hell, a good captain of the New Era Empire."

"Other players expressed envy, jealousy, and hatred, even trying to find ways to rebind teammates, but the game's rules are rigid—no one can change them."

"That day's dinner supply was pork."

"Compared to the earlier rabbit herd, the wild boars in the forest were clearly more aggressive, and this time setting them on fire no longer worked."

"Everyone placed their hopes on the Hope Team; ultimately, Yun Zaozao came up with a solution, so the casualties weren't too severe."

"But shortly after, Jin Chen, in front of all the remaining players, drew their blade and killed a player."

"The corpse fell to the ground, and everyone was shocked!"

"What are you doing… are you crazy?"

"That player's teammate angrily questioned, their terrified resentment spilling out: 'It's already hard enough for us to escape here; with your strength so great, why must you slaughter us?'"

"Maybe… he just wants to kill us all to clear the game." A voice of doubt came from the corner of the wood house."

"Yun Zaozao even felt this was consistent with Jin Chen's selfish style, watching the scene with leisure, yet their heart sank."

"They did not think they could still kill Jin Chen now."

"This really isn't good news."

"Jin Chen's expression remained unchanged, utterly unaffected by the players' hateful and fearful gazes, saying, 'Look closely—he is no longer human.'"

"What… what!"

"Upon hearing this, the players were astonished, all crowding over; the bold ones opened the corpse's clothing, then immediately let go in fright."

"Livor mortis!"

"Not just livor mortis."

"The corpse felt limp and soft, even past rigor mortis, with a goat's hoof pattern on the neck—clearly it had once been possessed by a monster."

"This is a corpse that had been dead for a long time."

"He is the monster hiding among us..."

"Finally someone reacted, speaking with a trembling voice."

"'How do you know he's a monster? What if we killed the wrong person?' Some players were still angry, suspecting Jin Chen had just struck lucky."

"They were uneasy, more so fearful of Jin Chen's ability and the aura of killing without blinking; when a standout person appears in any opposing faction, no matter which side they're on, they become a target for all."

"Ji Luo and Yun Zaozao exchanged a glance, inexplicably feeling the scene was utterly absurd."

"In their impression, Jin Chen was always the most popular presence in the group, ingratiating themselves with everyone, silver-tongued, able to easily attract anyone."

"And the person standing before them now is completely different."

"Jin Chen wiped the blood from the blade tip, lazily glanced at the player who had spoken up, their deep gaze locking onto the fearful eyes, saying, 'If I don't kill him, he will kill all of you.'"

"Suddenly, the teammate standing beside the corpse exclaimed."

"A clearance gold coin flew out from the corpse that had been possessed by a monster, straight into Jin Chen's palm."

"The game's alert tone stalled for a few seconds, and no one expected a player to collect two gold coins by the next day."

"Jin Chen played with the gold coin, then looked at Ji Luo and Yun Zaozao, lowering their eyes in thought."

【Hey there, how do we balance this?】

"Ling Gun Gun also felt the same worry."

"Unexpectedly, Jin Chen sold the gold coin for a high price in points to another player."

"Yun Zaozao gave a half-smile, not expecting anything, merely asking doubtfully, 'They all guessed you would give the gold coin to your teammates.'"

"Jin Chen was quite honest: 'No.'"

"'Only two gold coins remain; we three can't all leave at once.'"

"Ji Luo: '…So?'"

Jin Chen: "You will prepare ahead of time to kill me."

How frightening.

Ji Luo: "……"

Yun Zaozao suddenly felt a bit uneasy, squinting as he asked: "And Ruan Fu—why did you give him gold coins? Do you think he doesn't want to kill you?"

Jin Chen sighed deeply: "I love him."

How tear-jerking.

Ji Luo clicked his tongue: "A death full of tricks."

Yun Zaozao: "……"

Yun Zaozao clenched his fist, smirking: "Ruan Fu doesn't want your love; don't get carried away."

Jin Chen glanced at him nonchalantly: "Why do you care so much?"

Hmph.

Yun Zaozao strode straight to the second floor, his anger still unresolved.

【Detected villain Yun Zaozao triggering Heartbeat Value; Heartbeat Value +3, total now 3!】

Jin Chen stared in disbelief, looking toward the stairs.

【What the heck?】

What do I need his Heartbeat Value for!

【Then… you also can't control whether someone's heart is moved or not.】 Ling Gun Gun scratched his head.

Over the next few days, to other players Jin Chen seemed to have suddenly turned on a cheat—as if they were playing the normal version of the death game while Jin Chen was on speedrun mode.

Kill monsters on sight, blast through missions with violence.

Ji Luo and Yun Zaozao basically just win by lying down.

Ji Luo kept muttering to himself, secretly thinking Jin Chen was about to die, yet he was far more formidable than before—could he really be making a deathbed comeback like this?

Still doubtful, Ji Luo decided that after clearing the novice stage, he would immediately investigate whether Jin Chen truly had a fatal illness.

On the seventh day of the game, players without gold coins cleared it smoothly.

【Death Game welcomes your next visit.】

——

"Mr. Jin, you finally woke up."

Jin Chen was startled awake by the voice lingering by his ear.

He snapped his eyes open; beside him lay a youth almost naked.

Jin Chen: "……"

"Mr. Jin… oh no!"

The youth was kicked down.

"Did I sleep with you?" Jin Chen's voice trembled.

"... No, but if Mr. Jin wants it, that's also possible." The youth said somewhat shyly.

Jin Chen, expressionless: "Who are you?"

Why don't I have this memory!

【Of course, let me jog your memory!】

Ling Gun Gun retransmitted the plot from outside the game.

"I am…"

The youth bit his lip: "I am the person you brought back."

"You are the assassin hired by Cheng Chuang." Jin Chen exposed him without mercy.

Jin Chen was even more shocked: "Nowadays assassins are this perverted!"

Youth: "……"

Isn't that just treating the symptom!

"Then go die!" He swiftly drew his gun.

Two minutes later, the half-naked youth, along with his broken gun, was tossed out of the mansion—quite a Waterloo in his assassin career.

In the middle of the night, Jin Chen and the newly assigned light-brain Ling Gun Gun settled accounts.

As Ling Gun Gun would say: "The Pixiu overlord absolutely does not allow the Host to have any other intelligent system! Absolutely not!"

【Accounts settled! Please prepare yourself mentally.】

Jin Chen moved to the neighboring room, lay on the bed like a salted fish, blanket over his face.

【If all your assets in the Empire were divided into ten shares, four shares come from selling Ruan Fu's important data from the Imperial Research Institute, three shares from splitting Ji Luo's former mansion and assets, and two shares from using Cheng Chuang to conduct black-market business on the Star Net.】

Jin Chen clung to a last sliver of hope: "Is there still one share that's mine?"

【The last share comes from revenue generated by stealing Yun Zaozao's research results.】

This also means that if he returns what he owes, he will become completely penniless.

Jin Chen solemnly: "I think the game is still fun."

At least you don't have to face this painful truth.

Ling Gun Gun offered a bad idea: "You can juggle the main plot's corruption level, chasing a wife, starting a business, and playing the game—all with one hand each!"

Jin Chen: "……"

Jin Chen decided to sleep.

——

The day after exiting the game.

Jin Chen went to handle property liquidation and transfer early in the morning, then rushed to the place where Ji Luo currently lives, intending to return the share he had split from her ex-boyfriend.

In a somewhat cramped rental unit, Ji Luo looked at the property transfer certificate Jin Chen had brought and placed on the coffee table, and even went through special means to obtain an Empire citizen residence permit.

Ji Luo swallowed, inexplicably appearing hesitant to speak, "You… you're really about to die?"

This Jin Bapi actually really willing to return the money!

Jin Chen's expression unchanged, his deep eyes drooping, he responded silently, very fitting the state of a terminally ill patient weary of the world.

Immediately afterward he saw guilt on Ji Luo's face.

……Guilt?

Jin Chen lifted his eyelids, alertly glancing around the room.

The half-open door of the rental unit suddenly closed.

"Long time no see, old friend."

The slowly approaching footsteps were heavy, as if carrying hatred from long years.

Jin Chen turned stiffly and collided squarely with Cheng Chuan.

【Villain Cheng Chuan currently Blackening Value: 95!】

Three years of prison life shed Cheng Chuan's former frail programmer's weak aura, making him extremely sharp; his gaze toward Jin Chen was distorted and sinister.

Jin Chen: "……"

How did Cheng Chuan just appear!

You villains really have to gang up!

Jin Chen glanced at Ji Luo, who had silently put away the property certificate.

Ji Luo covered her face, clutched the property certificate, and retreated to the bedroom, locking it from inside, letting them argue.

【Detected villain Ji Luo's Blackening Value -10, total now 60!】

【Send a help message to Ruan Fu.】

Jin Chen urged.

【Sure!】

Jin Chen tugged at the corner of his mouth, his expression instantly becoming flustered, guilty, and longing, his pupils trembling.

"Long time no see."

Cheng Chuan narrowed his eyes, staring at him for a few seconds, his low, distorted tone like a metal spike scraping glass, making one feel extremely uncomfortable.

"Every day these past three years, I've been thinking of you."

Jin Chen somehow produced a cigarette, lit it with melancholy, the sincerity in his eyes leaving no room for doubt.

"These past three years, I've also been thinking of you."

Click.

A bullet chambered, a black pistol extended from Cheng Chuan's sleeve, pointing straight at Jin Chen.

"Heard you're about to die?"

Thus Jin Chen's guilt gave rise to helplessness, he let out a weak sigh, "Yes, I have a terminal illness."

"What illness?" Ji Luo also curious.

"Brain tumor."

Jin Chen's face unchanged, heart unmoved.

At worst, just rewind once.

"Cheng Chuan, whether you believe it or not, I can explain what happened three years ago."

In just a few minutes earlier, Jin Chen reorganized the original plot, finding the true other reason that landed Cheng Chuan in prison.

"I don't believe it; I won't believe a word you say! Tell it to the grim reaper!"

Cheng Chuan's emotions surged suddenly, he trembled extremely pathologically, yet his hand holding the gun remained steady, pressing against Jin Chen's brow, ready to pull the trigger.

At this moment, downstairs of the rental unit, inside the car.

Ruan Fu was actually tailing Jin Chen to this place.

The person secretly following reported Jin Chen's morning property liquidation schedule, and also that they had found Ji Luo.

Indeed, there was a sense of urgency to settle affairs.

But now, Ruan Fu stared at the strange message on the optical computer, her fingertip lightly tapping the intelligent driving interface, and opened the car door.

In the nick of life or death, Jin Chen ultimately couldn't hold back and struck back.

Jin Chen reversed his grip, pressed Cheng Chuan onto the coffee table, knocked the gun away, gazing at his painful struggle, and whispered, "Sorry."

"Cheng Chuan, I hope we can have a proper talk."

Suddenly footsteps came from outside the rental unit, more than one person.

Cheng Chuan, not knowing what he thought of, distorted hatred spread with the smile at the corner of his mouth, he turned his head and asked, "Three years ago, you said you wouldn't forget me."

"As long as I take the prison sentence for you, once out you can make it up to me, right?"

The situation urgent, even though Jin Chen sensed there was more to those words, he still earnestly nodded, "Yes."

"Then let's do it."

Cheng Chuan's tone extremely low, also carrying a deliberately feigned ambiguity, "This is the compensation you owe me."

At the same moment, the rental unit's door was kicked open.

Ruan Fu clearly heard this exchange, stood at the door with a cold expression, her gaze sunk as if looking at a corpse.

"Three years ago, Jin Chen, you've got quite the means."

As it turned out, he still missed one that wasn't investigated.

Jin Chen: "……"

The atmosphere inside and outside the house was deathly silent.

What is this bastard Cheng Chuan saying?

Jin Chen didn't understand; he decisively released Cheng Chuan, so angry he was almost babbling.

"You're talking nonsense; I never agreed to that."

"We are pure and honest brothers."

In the next instant, another gun in Cheng Chuan's hand pressed against him, "Are you trying to deceive me?"

Three years ago, following the original plot, the original self could only be double-dealing.

Under double pressure, Jin Chen's fingertip twitched, Spiritual Power forced back, he staggered half a step and spat a mouthful of blood.

"Ruan Fu, you didn't say I... cough cough, I can only die by your hand?"

A crematorium can exist, but not both at the same time.

Jin Chen only wanted to escape this place of right and wrong.