In Virtual Reality 110 ☆ EXTRA 1

"Name."

Silence hung in the dimly lit room.

"I asked for your name!" The cop's knuckles rapped sharply against the table, a jarring echo in the stagnant air, and it finally roused Wang Jin Long from his indifference.

Languidly, he lifted his eyelids. "There's nothing to say to you guys."

"I'm warning you," the officer retorted, his tone stern, "straighten up your attitude and tell the truth!"

"You're so noisy," Wang Jin Long remarked, his wrist shackles clinking ominously with every shift. Ignoring the officer's glare, he turned to address another figure in the room. "Get Cao Wei Min here; I'll only talk to him."

The record keeper remained motionless, and the male officer shared an uneasy glance with her. Just as he was about to speak, a commotion erupted from the opposite side of the door.

"I said it!" With an abrupt slam of his palm on the table, Wang Jin Long's voice held a chilling edge that surpassed even the officer's. "Get Cao Wei Min over here!"

Experienced detectives were no strangers to fierce criminals. The two officers in the room were unshaken by his outburst, but a knock on the interrogation room door interrupted their standoff.

"Officer Cao!"

Cao Wei Min entered, his presence commanding respect, but he wasn't clad in his usual police uniform. Instead, he offered a nod to the two officers. "You can leave; I'll take it from here."

"But..."

"It's fine," he assured them, "it's been approved from higher up."

With that, the room quickly emptied, leaving only Cao Wei Min and Wang Jin Long to confront the shadows of the past.

The dimly lit interrogation room cast eerie shadows, with a lone, flickering incandescent bulb overhead. Its feeble glow often wavered, its frailty juxtaposed with the glowing machines lurking in the room's corners.

Approaching the interrogation table, Cao Wei Min assumed a casual lean, his demeanor undisturbed.

In that very moment, Wang Jin Long raised his gaze, a sardonic grin curving his lips. "You think you've outsmarted me by betraying me?" he goaded.

"Believe what you want," Cao Wei Min replied with a careless shrug, "but what truly amazes me is your complete lack of suspicion."

Wang Jin Long hesitated briefly before retorting, "You're implying that, in your eyes, I've always been... gullible?"

Cao Wei Min had explored the mysteries of the Spirit Shenanigans, yet he remained a cop at heart.

Whatever set Wang Jin Long off, his eyes reddened, his voice quivering with hysteria. "Are you saying you've been lying to me all along?! Since Zhang Ruo Ruo returned?!"

"Why should I blindly trust your claims?" Cao Wei Min lowered his head, scrutinizing his weathered hands. He traced the calluses on his fingertips before lifting his gaze.

"Lieutenant Li and I have an understanding. Official surveillance won't track your movements during my operations. Even if you behave nothing like a human, even if you can traverse space through dark shadows, as long as I spend enough time with you, I will surely uncover your vulnerabilities," Cao Wei Min declared, his words laced with an eerie determination.

Wang Jin Long remained silent, allowing the weight of the situation to linger in the air. Finally, he broke the silence with a sardonic grin. "So, this squad of cops descending upon me today—was that your little scheme?"

Undeterred, Cao Wei Min replied, "Not entirely, overall."

In the cramped and enclosed space, peaceful conversations were a rarity for the two of them. Cao Wei Min continued, "Someone made a call to report on October 1st."

"—The caller said, on October 15th, in the year 2222, at noon, someone would escape from Hydrangea Park."

"—At first, the police didn't pay much attention to this matter. It wasn't until you confided in me a week ago about your plans for the 15th."

Wang Jin Long locked eyes with him, his expression unyielding. "So, you only had suspicions, yet you set a trap for me."

"Risk is directly proportional to income," Cao Wei Min smirked, appearing more adept at smiling these days. "And as it happens, we've caught a big fish like you."

"You've truly gone to great lengths for this," Wang Jin Long mocked. "You never seemed to believe my words. Does that mean you're not that concerned about Ye Cheng Jing either?"

"I've been searching for him for ten years," Cao Wei Min declared firmly. In the dim light, the young man smiled and lowered his head. "I started looking for him the moment he disappeared."

"— Perhaps I shouldn't ask for too much. If I avoid the amusement park, skip the roller coasters, abstain from eating, and forgo the performances, perhaps he'll remain by my side. After all, I never did embrace those rituals. I came into this world without any kin, and now, the lone connection I have is labeled as missing. What if lighting incense and burning paper is nothing but a curse, and he isn't truly departed? And then there's this Hungry Ghost Festival," he muttered, his gaze lifting to meet Wang Jin Long's, "I've brought him a firearm."

No matter how fervently he had hoped in the past, those hopes extinguished the moment the effigy was consumed by flames.

"Old Ye still has people who hold him dear. Count me among them, and there are his fellow comrades-in-arms, not to mention the entire nation, countless souls he's assisted—they all hold him close." Cao Wei Min extended his hand, gesturing toward Wang Jin Long's heart, and whispered, "But what about you? In this world, who else cherishes your presence?"

Wang Jin Long's lip curled into a cold sneer. "Why should I concern myself with that? In the end, it's all just self-indulgence. Anyone can boast and put on airs. It's all talk and no substance—"

*cough!*

At the doorway, the figure of another individual appeared, their arrival unnoticed. Lieutenant Li stood at the threshold, beckoning to Cao Wei Min. "Step outside."

"One more question, please."

Swiftly, he turned, gazing down at Wang Jin Long from his elevated stance.

"The one who invited you to the park was Silence. Do you think Silence might also be the one who reported to the police?"

A shadow passed over Wang Jin Long's face.

Observing his reaction, Cao Wei Min snorted and exited the interrogation room.

Lieutenant Li ushered Cao Wei Min outside and then pivoted to address Wang Jin Long. "Jiang Wen En, someone will be paying you a visit shortly."

The individual addressed by name displayed a brief moment of bewilderment, disbelief etched across his face. "Who? Who told you that name!"

Lieutenant Li paid him no further mind, departing alongside Cao Wei Min, who was also growing increasingly perplexed, leaving behind Wang Jin Long's furious cries. "You damned scoundrel! Cao Wei Min! Cao Wei Min, return to me?!!"

As they ventured further from the room, the eerie cries and wolf howls faded into the distance, leaving Officer Little Cao to rub his ears and mutter, "That noise had more punch than me."

Lieutenant Li shot him a sharp glance, his gaze lingering on this seasoned comrade who often felt more like a wayward child. Recollecting the recent events, he was tempted to give Little Cao a couple of well-placed kicks.

"Be straight with me, were you seriously considering clearing the scene and detonating the bomb?"

The request for the bomb had come directly from Cao Wei Min himself, but Lieutenant Li had initially shot it down. However, not long after, he overheard the forensic department staff discussing an ex-officer who had resigned a few months back, suddenly reaching out online, inquiring about something that nearly sent him dialing the police.

"I didn't actually get it..." Little Cao, sensing Lieutenant Li's sternness, retreated hastily. "I won't even think about it again!"

"I'll hold you to that!" Lieutenant Li chided, then fixated on Little Cao for a prolonged moment before letting out a sigh. "You know, agreeing to go undercover with you was a terrible idea. By the way, your friend has already given a statement. If everything goes smoothly, it'll be a valuable asset for our next moves. Plus, there's been a surge in Spirit Shenanigans incidents lately. I have a hunch the government might roll out some necessary policies."

Cao Wei Min nodded, not anticipating Lieutenant Li's follow-up.

"And then there's you."

"Me? What's the matter with me?" He gestured to himself, somewhat baffled.

"Return to the team."

Cao Wei Min: "..."

He lapsed into an abrupt silence, and Lieutenant Li suddenly glimpsed the introverted young man who had arrived five years ago.

"Wang Jin Long wasn't the only one who knew about the Spirit Shenanigans," he said in haste. "There are others, including that 'Silence' character. I want to reach out to them more."

"This has nothing to do with your return to the team."

Cao Wei Min mumbled under his breath, "He told me I wasn't cut out to be a cop, and I think he was right."

"Cao Wei Min!"

"Yes, sir!" He spoke louder, his voice carrying determination. "I know what I'm saying, I know what I'm doing, I know all of this may be very dangerous, I know all of this may be utterly meaningless!"

But I have to do it.

He didn't say that out loud, but he knew Lieutenant Li would understand.

The middle-aged man took a deep breath and remained silent for a very long time. Looking into those eyes so similar to those of his dearest friend, he finally lowered his head. "Remember to visit home often."

**

After several months, Cao Wei Min returned home once again.

Because of the noise he made going upstairs, half of the residential building lit up.

Fortunately, the door lock hadn't rusted. He turned the key to the right a few times, unlocked it, and finally pushed it open.

After not seeing it for a few months, there was a bit more dust. He quietly cleaned up and then pulled out some clean clothes from the wardrobe, placing them into a small suitcase. After tidying up, he stood up and looked at his little room.

On that wall, a multitude of Spirit Shenanigans messages had been pasted throughout the years, forming intricate and convoluted patterns, much like the irregularly woven threads of a spider's web.

His eyes lingered on that spider's web for one last time, etching it deep into his memory before he closed the door. Cao Wei Min doubted he'd reopen it anytime soon.

Today, the sun was splendid, casting its golden glow over the surroundings. Cao Wei Min dragged his small black suitcase through the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, making his way to the parking area.

The suitcase found its cozy nook in the trunk, and Cao Wei Min settled into the driver's seat, his fingers dancing on the steering wheel. He retrieved his phone, hesitated for a fleeting moment, then tapped the shutter button.

In the phone's camera lens, he appeared far more serious than his years would suggest, his face etched with the weight of time. Surprisingly, this picture managed to coax a smile from him.

With a turn of the key, he ignited the engine, and the little black car began its journey away from the place he had called home for the past ten years.

A spirited female voice broke Ye Du's reverie.

Hu Jing Jing, with a playful tilt of her head, inquired, "What's caught your eye, mister?" A mock frown appeared on her face as she continued, "You promised there'd be something amazing to eat around here. Where is it?"

Ye Du flashed a sly smile and pointed to a specific spot. "Right there."

"Where?" The girl turned her head with bubbling excitement, following his indication. However, her enthusiasm dimmed as she muttered, "Kebabs..."

"Don't underestimate this place," Ye Du chuckled. He turned his gaze towards the direction the car had departed, his voice softening. "That's the kebab shop I've cherished for twenty-five long years."

——— Translator's Notes ———

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