Chapter 25: A Long-Forgotten Photograph

Ning Yun shook her head firmly. "Uncle Hu, you've watched me grow up since I was a child. When have you ever seen me tell a lie?"

"Besides, I'm not the only player who returned. There are four others. I'm not sure if the other three are from our country, but that player, 356, is definitely Chinese."

She had interacted with the person. In the game, all languages were automatically translated into the player's native tongue. However, one could discern a person's cultural background through their phrasing and behavioral habits.

"Uncle Hu, I believe I'm not the only one who vanished mysteriously. Why don't you check to see if there are any reports of people who disappeared five days ago and suddenly reappeared? You can cross-reference them with what I've said."

She trusted the strength of her country. If players participating in the beta test had vanished, their families would certainly have reported it to the police.

Before Hu Cunji could respond, Hu Zhongli spoke up suddenly. "Child, I believe you. Cunji, make some calls and confirm this immediately. If, after three days, things are indeed as Yunyun says, we must prepare early."

Hu Cunji’s brow furrowed, realizing the gravity of the situation. He believed Ning Yun, but he could not guarantee that the authorities would. Three days was an incredibly tight timeframe. He stood up abruptly, not even noticing his chair nearly tipping over.

"Dad, I'm going to make those calls." He looked at Ning Yun, his eyes full of apology. "I'm sorry, Yunyun, this matter is of great importance. You may be sought after by many people later; I will do my best to shield you from whatever I can."

Hu Zhongli stepped in before him. "Wait, let me call Uncle Wang first."

Hu Cunji immediately understood. His father was referring to Wang Qiang, who now held a high-ranking position. That was a man who could reach the very top.

Since Ning Yun had already decided to reveal this, she had long prepared herself mentally. "Grandpa Hu, Uncle Hu, it's fine. If anyone wants to understand the situation, I will certainly cooperate."

Her own relatives were long gone, but she still had elders and friends who cared for her. Even for their sake, she could not remain indifferent. She remembered Xiao Qichen hinting that the early stages of the game were the easiest time to die. After all, a large portion of the people on Blue Star were the elderly and children. If these people were forced into the game and left to survive alone, their fate would be sealed.

Since she was a child, her grandfather, father, and mother had all taught her by example. Now that she had entered the game early and knew its secrets, she had to tell the state. The situation was evolving even faster than Ning Yun had anticipated.

***

Hu Cunji reached out to a friend and quickly learned that thirty-seven people in China had vanished on the night five days ago—and that was just the number of reported cases. There were others like Ning Yun who had disappeared but, for various reasons, had not been reported. Because these cases left no trace on surveillance footage, they had hit the trending topics, putting immense pressure on the authorities. Thus, with a little digging, Hu Cunji gathered quite a bit of information.

"So, were any of them found?"

His contact let out a sharp sound. "Believe it or not, there was one. Right in your hometown, City X. But that person’s return was very strange; they appeared suddenly, and as soon as they came back, they started running around, shouting that the world was going to end, talk of doomsday and such."

Hu Cunji’s heart sank. "Old Xing, thanks."

"What are friends for? Besides, this isn't exactly classified information."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Hu Cunji hung up. He stepped outside and silently lit a cigarette, the smoke blurring his features. Within a few drags, the cigarette was a third gone. Ning Yun pushed the door open, looking at the silent Hu Cunji, unsure of what to say.

"Uncle Hu..."

Hearing her voice, he turned around, looked at her face, and slowly reached out to pat her head. "You must be exhausted from these past few days."

Ning Yun quickly lowered her head, letting her tears fall to the ground. Her voice was slightly muffled. "I'm fine. I was lucky—there were mountains, water, and the air was good."

But Hu Cunji didn't believe her. If it were as good as she described, why had the other returnee gone insane?

"Go back inside and get some sleep. Rest up, or you might not get much of a chance later."

Urged by Hu Cunji, Ning Yun returned to her room. Hu Zhongli had also finished his calls. "I've already spoken to Old Wang's side. Get some sleep today, don't worry about anything, and let your uncle handle the talking."

No sooner had Hu Cunji entered the house than his father sent him out again. His destination was the office of Wang Zhiqiang.

Ning Yun felt a warmth in her heart. Strangers only care if you are doing well, but those who truly care about you worry about whether you are eating and sleeping well enough. Aunt Zhang had already tidied up the room. "Yunyun, come, get some sleep. When you wake up, I'll make your favorite dishes!"

"Okay!" Ning Yun happily agreed.

As Ning Yun went into her room, Hu Zhongli signaled for his son to step outside. "When you get to Uncle Wang’s, don't mention Yunyun. Tell him exactly what she said, word for word. This matter is of grave importance. Do you understand?"

Hu Cunji felt a mix of frustration and amusement. "Dad, am I the kind of person to push a junior into the spotlight? Don't worry, I'll take the heat."

Seeing his confidence, Hu Zhongli couldn't help but scold him, "You brat."

At nearly forty years old, being scolded like that made Hu Cunji feel a bit sheepish. But thinking of the game Ning Yun described, he felt a heavy weight in his heart. If not for Ning Yun’s warning, how long could his own father, at his advanced age, have survived if he were pulled into the game alone? The thought of that possibility filled Hu Cunji with crushing pressure.

Inside the room, Ning Yun had already drifted into a dream.

It wasn't until the afternoon, as the sun was about to set, that Ning Yun woke up. She stretched and instinctively tried to summon the system interface. It did not appear before her eyes. However, the weather forecast and the time in the upper right corner remained.

In the upper left corner, there was now a countdown: "61:13:02."

There were only two and a half days left until the survival game officially descended upon Blue Star.

Outside, there was no sound. Ning Yun got out of bed, put on her shoes and clothes, and pushed open the door to find a familiar scene. Hu Zhongli was sitting on the sofa with a photo album spread across his lap. He was engrossed, his fingers tracing the photos with careful, delicate movements. In the kitchen, the hum of the range hood could be heard—Aunt Zhang was likely cooking.

"Grandpa Hu, what are you looking at?"

Ning Yun sat down and immediately recognized a familiar face. "Is this...?"

Hu Zhongli’s voice carried a sense of nostalgia. "This is a photo of your grandfather when he was young."

"Back then, we worked in the fields together, then we both got into college, joined the same workplace, and lived as neighbors for our entire lives."

When they were young, they didn't see eye-to-eye and competed over everything. They competed over who could harvest more wheat, who did better on the college entrance exams, who got married first, and whose children had better grades. Competing like that, a whole lifetime had passed them by.

"I won't have a chance to see him again," he whispered.