[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-three-towers-game":3,"chapter-the-three-towers-game-the-three-towers-game-chapter-243":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Three Towers Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2294380,4488,"Chapter 243: Ticket to the Weird Assembly","the-three-towers-game-chapter-243",243,"\u003Cp>The meeting in the Forbidden Zone ended quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Albert happily ran off to the seventeenth floor again, preparing to find Old Jin for a talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He likely understood Old Jin’s situation, so he didn’t harbor any unrealistic expectations that Old Jin would immediately come out of seclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, just like Wen Xishu, Albert was very eager to dig out all of Old Jin’s secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he left the garden, Albert said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You had best not climb the tower for a while.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why? Actually, I feel that rather than waiting for Mr. Jin to summon me... I might as well climb the tower first.\" Wen Xishu felt that he had already reached the time for a new round of tower climbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xun Hui and Wenren Jing were following behind; as soon as the two heard this dialogue, they immediately looked at Wen Xishu with the eyes one would use for a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of what Wen Xishu’s current strength was, the extent of this grind truly made the two feel inferior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was no wonder that in a mere three months, he could go from a death-row prisoner to a bunker legend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Albert said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't be in such a rush. Old Jin is about to go into seclusion, and what exactly he is doing in his seclusion, I don't know either. He is clearly already in a state of seclusion, isn't he?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And once he goes into seclusion, it will be next month, or perhaps even longer, before he can talk to us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am worried that your next tower climb will delay your meeting with him, so this time, just don't climb the tower yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu really wanted to refuse. Not climb the tower? Eat, drink, and be merry in the bunker? Indulge in debauchery? Enjoy life? No, that was too strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if Mr. Jin could provide some bombshell information, that seemed quite interesting as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Wen Xishu agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Albert, Xun Hui, and Wenren Jing all let out a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weird Tower Academy, Dean’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu had nothing to do for the moment, so he thought, why not deal with that student who had gone mad first?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was about to ask the Academy Spirit about that student’s background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as he was about to do so, the door to the Weird Tower Academy office was knocked upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Academy Spirit poked its head in:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Respected Dean, there is a gentleman named Zheng Zai who says he is your friend and wishes to see you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Zheng?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, it hadn't been many days since he last met Zheng Zai, but inexplicably, he felt as if he hadn't seen him for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let him in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Academy Spirit nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well. If possible, you could tell me your social connections so I can serve you more attentively.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu waved his hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Academy Spirit nodded, and before long, a familiar face appeared in Wen Xishu’s line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai was still wearing the iron muzzle, which made him look quite ferocious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he seemed a bit lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he saw Wen Xishu, Zheng Zai was happy from the bottom of his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Zheng, you came at just the right time; I was just thinking of looking for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu also smiled very happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the words \"Old Zheng,\" Zheng Zai became even happier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, he had been very afraid that after seeing Wen Xishu, he would find that a pathetic, thick barrier had formed between them, and that he would have to respectfully call him: Dean Wen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little Brother Wen, this Weird Tower Academy of yours is truly interesting!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai sat down opposite Wen Xishu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sit for a while first. After you’ve rested a bit, shall I take you for a tour?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would be great, that would be great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scratching his head, Zheng Zai decided to get straight to the point:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little Brother Wen, I came to see you this time actually to thank you... and, I found something. I was thinking, perhaps we could fight side-by-side once?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu became interested. He really didn't mind exploring the Weird Tower with Zheng Zai. But the problem was, exploring the Weird Tower was a difficult thing to do in a team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that Old Zheng had found some kind of item for teaming up?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai didn't immediately talk about the teaming up, but instead brought up something slightly more serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My father... is no longer a sinner. I have to thank you, Little Brother Wen. Without you, even if he died, he would still be a sinner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zheng Zai spoke, he stood up, preparing to kowtow to Wen Xishu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu immediately helped Zheng Zai up:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Between friends, why perform such a grand gesture?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told you about my past, didn't I? I once tried very hard to change my situation, to clear my father’s name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I participated in the Wenti Bureau’s competitions, climbed the Slaughter Tower, and finally started climbing the Weird Tower, all to bring attention to my father’s case...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But that time, the woman who was climbing the tower with us told me that my father was already dead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu still remembered. He had actually been quite moved at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai had said that this world had an invisible mountain that one could never finish climbing. He would take one step, and the mountain would grow two steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu had thought at the time that he might be the same, and that the Anquan Bureau would consume him too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But later on, he climbed too fast and soon reached the peak of the mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My father is indeed dead. Little Brother Wen, after you became a bunker legend, everyone related to you was given important roles.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s the same for me. The irony is... back then, I was always suppressed by people from the Wenti Bureau. Whatever ranking I achieved, they would ignore it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even when I took first place...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But now, that leader from the Wenti Bureau has come to my door to apologize. Because public opinion has started to overturn the verdict on my past!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Because I am also a hero, I am a friend of the bunker legend, so I must also be great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The backroom dealings of the Wenti Bureau at the time were widely reported by the media under Officer Liu Jinsen...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everyone has started to sympathize with my past. All of a sudden, I have become a hero with a tragic past who finally saw his hard work pay off.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Isn't it ironic? And that’s not even the most ironic part.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Logically speaking, Zheng Zai should be happy recounting these things, but Zheng Zai couldn't be happy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression carried confusion. Wen Xishu was also slightly confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Zheng was indeed quite tragic, and could be called a hero; this wasn't ironic at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, Wen Xishu understood what this was all about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Officer Liu Jinsen also brought me some things. He told me to handle them myself and that he wouldn't interfere.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officer Liu is truly attentive to his friends... Wen Xishu had to admire that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is what you call widening one's path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What kind of things?\" Wen Xishu asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s evidence of my father’s crimes. Evidence that my father committed crimes, heh. Real, existing evidence... He wasn't wrongly accused; he truly, definitely... was a sinner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai laughed at himself, his smile bitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu suddenly understood why Old Zheng was confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I lived wishfully in the filter of my father, but my father was actually guilty; he wasn't wrongly accused... and now, he is innocent.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a good thing for me, yet I suddenly fear this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Little Brother Wen, you have been to the Desire Tower many times... My life is lowly, I have never been to that flashy world. Is it only the bunker that is... so reckless, or is every world like this? Always like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu looked at Old Zheng’s confusion and could feel the impact Zheng Zai felt in his heart when Officer Liu handed him the evidence of his father’s crimes...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zheng Zai’s father hadn't committed crimes, then Zheng Zai would likely be enjoying the fruits of his labor right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had always longed to prove his father’s innocence, risking his life for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only... Zheng Zai’s father had truly been innocent, how good that would have been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, Zheng Zai’s father had finally been \"exonerated\" amidst the carnival of public opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, Zheng Zai knew the truth about his father. It turned out that his father had deserved his punishment back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this very moment, the people who had wronged Zheng Zai back then were apologizing to him, and Zheng Zai’s father had become a hero who died an unjust death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu could understand; no wonder Zheng Zai felt it was all so ironic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is always like this, Old Zheng. I cannot lie to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, the world is always like this. When you have power and strength, you can turn right and wrong upside down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crows can be white, deer can be horses, and one can be blamed for another's mistakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you going to accept it, Old Zheng?\" Wen Xishu asked softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai shook his head:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't know. I'm thinking, Officer Liu Jinsen... gave me everything. He said this is the rule of the world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I could destroy this incriminating evidence and have a happy ending for everyone. Or... I could let my father bear the infamy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I am very conflicted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai was still shaking his head, shaking it incessantly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Compared to climbing the tower to save the world... Brother Wen, I shouldn't be bothering you with such matters, but I am truly confused.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What should I do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have a long time to consider this, Old Zheng. I cannot give you advice, although I have guessed what you will do in the end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai was slightly stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu recalled that a certain big star once said that after you succeed, everyone around you is a good person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems that is indeed the case now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this very moment, the problem Old Zheng is facing, if not for the fact that Old Zheng is his friend... from the perspective of a pure passerby, it is quite interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A person who wholeheartedly craves fairness and justice now holds power, standing at the crossroads of distorting fairness and justice versus upholding fairness and justice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How will Zheng Zai choose?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu had the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Zheng Zai was silent for a long time, he sighed softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If I choose to dispose of that incriminating evidence... then, wouldn't I have become the person I hated most back when I was desperately trying to prove my father's innocence?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, Zheng Zai loathed everyone who distorted right and wrong. Why should good people be thrown into prison?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why were so many bad people enjoying themselves in the Desire Tower?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai shook his head again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I cannot be this kind of person... I cannot be this kind of person.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Wen, I understand now. I will return the items to Officer Liu Jinsen. Is this... the answer you saw?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu did not deny it; he nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Old Zheng. Whatever you do, I can understand it, but I also know you, so I know there is only one way you will act.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Power is good; it can make a group of people distort right and wrong for you, and you can also use power to toy with others.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When we have no power, we despise those who abuse it. Now that we have power... we might also become one of the evil dragons.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But fortunately, my friend, Old Zheng, you are a noble guy. This is not conducive to getting by in an environment like the bunker... but I believe that one day, if we work together, we will allow good people to get ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai discovered that Brother Wen really had a talent for speeches; he had a kind of hot-blooded urge to go and do something big with Brother Wen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being told this by Wen Xishu, Zheng Zai was no longer so conflicted and pained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By the way, I am now... fourth on the Heavenly Ladder Ranking. Hehe, I will catch up to the third place. I feel like I can surpass him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I've been climbing the tower lately too! My Weird Sequence 123: All-Consuming Nourishment, even gained a rune. This means I won't have an episode for a short time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu was very curious about this sequence. He still remembered that Zheng Zai had previously even used this sequence to eat a ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A certain horror mission involving a grandfather crawling out of a coffin had its entire style changed because Zheng Zai ate the grandfather...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention, Wen Xishu felt that Zheng Zai's sequence was actually quite strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the same during the previous fight; controlling Zheng Zai with the gamepad could even make that Zheng Zai recover health.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me about your sequence?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sequence of the fourth person of the Weird Tower, All-Consuming Nourishment, is a very useful sequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply put, you gain the nourishment of whatever you eat, and it isolates the fatal dangers brought by the food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai has now also obtained a rune, an exclusive rune called Accumulate Strength and Release Thinly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a period of time, it will suppress the power of the sequence, but after the suppression is lifted, the sequence will be exceptionally powerful for a short time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This rune was obtained by Zheng Zai the last time he climbed the tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu had to say that this rune was very suitable for Zheng Zai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A very powerful and practical sequence, very great, Old Zheng, congratulations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I also obtained something... called a Weird Assembly Admission Ticket, a double pass.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu did not expect that Old Zheng could actually come up with a new thing in the Weird Tower that even he had never heard of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was very curious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What the heck is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn't understand at first either. It was only after I asked the Guide that the Guide told me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu couldn't help it:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did it not give you a 'three-part combo'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai didn't understand what a three-part combo was; he shook his head and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don't really understand. Anyway, the Guide said that if you clear the Weird Tower in a weird way, and a certain weird behavior is repeated often, you might get a Weird Assembly Admission Ticket.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That's true, Wen Xishu pondered for a moment; Old Zheng's way of clearing the tower was probably just eating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eating from start to finish, if he isn't weird, who is? No wonder he would be issued a Weird Assembly Admission Ticket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A double pass means... I can fill in the name of one more friend. This way, when I climb the tower, I can forcibly summon my friend to climb the tower with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai suddenly felt a bit embarrassed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I thought about it, whether it's A-Miao or anyone else... they probably wouldn't think that being invited into the Weird Tower is something that reflects friendship; it's more like something that would break a friendship.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably only you, Brother Wen... would think that being invited to climb the tower is something that reflects friendship.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why is there a feeling of being both praised and scolded? Wen Xishu wanted to laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Guide said the admission ticket will take us to a specific level, not too high... but we might encounter many equally weird existences.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, the rewards obtained will break through the level restrictions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought about it, I'm not confident, so Brother Wen, are you willing to experience this special Weird Tower mission with me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu felt this was really not bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Zheng's level shouldn't be high... if he goes in, presumably even if the mission is difficult, he should be able to handle it with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the prizes of the Weird Assembly breaking through level restrictions made Wen Xishu very interested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fine, I promise you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really? That's great! Brother Wen!\" Zheng Zai almost jumped up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he didn't know what challenges he would face, with Brother Wen there, he felt exceptionally steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Zai asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then Brother... when do we set off?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait for my notification. I'll tell you next time I climb the tower. But I can't leave the bunker yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wen Xishu really wanted to see Mr. Jin now. Because his addiction to climbing the tower was acting up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he really couldn't rush this matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2844,"2026-06-20T04:46:43.057Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","5fb95718c8da846c1171db6fb90c57f34db87283e7aafa092c21786f024416f9","the-three-towers-game-chapter-244","the-three-towers-game-chapter-242",281,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-three-towers-game-cover.jpg"]