Chapter 531 - 472: Jin Xueli and Kai Luonan, the Movie Projectionist

Chapter 531: Chapter 472: Jin Xueli and Kai Luonan, the Movie Projectionist

After nearly ten minutes of conversation, she still thought Kai Luonan was insane.

If this old man held several Illusions and was the most likely to win, but wasn’t even an official contestant, then wasn’t it a perfectly reasonable plot for him to be drunk on power and suddenly lose his mind?

Yet people could be so contradictory.

Jin Xueli thought he was insane, but at the same time, she felt she was going insane too—because she completely believed him.

"I don’t know much, so I can only tell you the bits of information I just shared. You could say that Resident of the Coil lied to you, since it didn’t have the ability to fulfill its promise. Or you could say it didn’t lie, because it did know that money is still useful somewhere."

Kai Luonan seemed to get lost in thought over his own words. He was silent for a few seconds before murmuring, almost to himself, "Perhaps after I win the Ruling Game, I’ll have a clear understanding of everything..."

"But I still have... I still have so, so many questions," Jin Xueli said, dazed.

If anything, she was even more confused than before.

"Then I wish you good luck."

Kai Luonan lifted his eyelids. "I’ve said my piece. Now it’s your turn."

’That’s it?’

’He says a few words, and I’m just supposed to hand over the radio?’

Even though Jin Xueli knew she had no other choice and that money was now worthless, she was still reluctant. "The information you gave me is incredible and should be quite valuable, but... aren’t you going to throw in anything else?"

Kai Luonan raised a hand toward the outside of the car. Just then, a faint POP came from outside, like the sound of a sealed bag being squeezed open, but it originated from mid-air.

Jin Xueli turned her head and immediately understood.

On the nearest building, the "black shell" that had sealed it suddenly split open with a small rupture.

From that rupture, human cries of panic, pleas for help, and a burst of crazed laughter suddenly erupted. "It’s coming! It’s coming! To the third floor, the third floor is still—"

"No, the one from the fifth floor fell to the third—"

"Stop!" a woman’s voice screamed. "You almost touched the door!"

The wave of frantic sounds flashed past, then was quickly enveloped once more, vanishing into the thick darkness.

Blackmoor City returned to silence.

"So?" Kai Luonan said slowly. "Do you still want money?"

Jin Xueli stared blankly at the building, now deathly still and shrouded in darkness.

"I give you money, and then you wait for dawn? Wait for the survivors in Blackmoor City to crawl out of their buildings, go back to work, open their shops, and deliver your takeout?"

Kai Luonan chuckled. "Why not let go of your old preconceptions and give me the radio now? When I become the ruler, perhaps I’ll see that you cooperated sensibly and make things a little easier for you."

"...Or else what?"

Kai Luonan didn’t speak.

Those dim, murky eyes lingered quietly in the depths of Jin Xueli’s consciousness, as if watching her from inside her own mind.

"I get it," Jin Xueli finally said. "I’m not an idiot. I used to want to trade the radio for money. Now that money is meaningless, trading it for my life... that’s, that’s a decent deal, I guess."

She said that, but she was on the verge of tears.

If it weren’t for the detestable and vaguely terrifying Kai Luonan in front of her, Jin Xueli would have probably been bawling already.

"I’ll tell you where it is... I’m not interested in the Ruling Game anyway. It’s useless to me."

She didn’t have much ambition. Even after becoming a contestant in the Ruling Game, she never thought about using it to become some kind of Nest ruler. From the very beginning, all she ever wanted was money.

Lots and lots of money. Enough for her to breathe a sigh of relief, enough for her to sleep soundly, enough so she wouldn’t have to be afraid of this life anymore. That was all.

All she wanted was money, and now even that small wish had become an illusion.

Jin Xueli bit her lip hard. She wanted to cry, but a white-hot, bitter surge of resentment and anger, like boiling poison, churned and bubbled in her heart.

’...By what right?’

’Even if the radio is useless to me and I can’t trade it for money, by what right does Kai Luonan get to force me to hand it over?’

’It’s my thing. I can put it wherever I want, give it to whoever I want. If Chaisi were here, I’d even give the radio to him right now—Kai Luonan wouldn’t get a turn in eight lifetimes.’

’But Kai Luonan has several Illusions now, and I don’t know what abilities he has...’ Jin Xueli had to tell the truth, but she couldn’t tell the whole truth.

"...I’m actually a very smart person," she said in a small voice, her head bowed like a docile lamb.

’I can’t just lift my head and let Kai Luonan see the resentment and anger on my face.’

"There was a group of Jin Xuelis specifically responsible for moving the radio. That group moved the radio to several different locations, because..."

Jin Xueli paused here.

She didn’t know how to explain their motive, and she was even more unwilling to tell Kai Luonan about the "novel character" curse she was under.

"Because we were afraid that even after moving it once, it would still be discovered."

After a moment of stagnant silence, Kai Luonan looked like he wanted to chuckle, but didn’t.

His gaze and his face remained sunken in the dim depths; only a faint sound came from his throat.

"Anyway, those Jin Xuelis—which is to say, me—came up with several genius ideas. But as for the radio’s final hiding place, if I don’t tell you, you’ll never find it."

Jin Xueli glanced furtively at Kai Luonan. Seeing that he wasn’t interrupting, she continued, "There’s a Museum of Modern Art in the Nest."

Kai Luonan didn’t move.

"Last month, I got some intel when I entered the Nest and made a trip to the Museum of Modern Art."

’Was that really in November? Thinking back on it now, it feels like a lifetime ago.’

"In the basement of the Museum of Modern Art, a new Illusion has formed. It’s a giant candle that takes up more than half of the basement floor. It’s so big one person can’t move it; there isn’t even an exit large enough for it to pass through, so it’s still in its original place."

All of the above was true, so she spoke without any psychological burden.

Kai Luonan’s expression was like a bottomless, rippleless swamp, making his thoughts impossible to guess.

’Chaisi was loyal to this kind of person? It must have been Stockholm syndrome, right?’

"I—or rather, the group of Jin Xuelis responsible for moving the radio—came up with a great idea."

At this point, Jin Xueli grew cautious.

’Not a single word that shouldn’t be said can be said. That’s the only way I can keep the radio and have a chance to escape from Kai Luonan.’

"Because that candle Illusion, just like a real candle, can be melted with heat. The only difference is, when it cools down, the Candle Tears are reabsorbed, and it returns to its original state, looking as if it had never been melted at all."

Jin Xueli didn’t dare to lie—she was afraid Kai Luonan would see through it.

’But if every sentence is the truth, and I just conceal a part of the whole truth, it’s hard for anyone to see through it, right?’

"I, oh, I mean, those Jin Xuelis conducted a special experiment. After melting the candle, they placed a worthless Illusion in the Candle Tears. When the candle cooled and returned to its original state, that Illusion was encased inside... When they melted the candle again, the Illusion fell right out, perfectly fine."

Kai Luonan slowly nodded.

"At the top of the candle," Jin Xueli said. "If you melt that part of the candle, the radio will fall out of the Candle Tears."

’What if Kai Luonan forces me to go with him to get the radio?’

The thought had just taken root in her mind like a weed when Kai Luonan spoke. "You’re telling the truth."

’So he really does have the ability to distinguish truth from lies?’

"Do... do you need me to go with you to get the radio?" Jin Xueli asked tentatively.

But Kai Luonan smiled. "No, of course not."

Jin Xueli held her breath.

"I know you’re telling the truth. Besides, before I made the other Jin Xuelis disappear, I saw one of them near the Museum of Modern Art. I also know about ’Candle Tears.’ If Damian could tell you about it, he could certainly tell me."

’...What?’

’Damian? The person who told me about "Candle Tears" was the radio host—no, just how much did Kai Luonan already know before he came to ask me?’

’He couldn’t possibly also know about Morando—’

Jin Xueli quickly cut off her train of thought.

"The radio is in the Candle Tears; I’m certain of it now," Kai Luonan said. "Bringing you along would just create unnecessary complications. The journey there crosses most of the Nest. Who knows what accidents might happen along the way?"

He praised her with an almost kind, almost sincere tone, "You’re a sharp young person, with quick reflexes. I’ve always had an appreciation for talent. Seeing you, I can’t help but think it’s a pity. A pity Chaisi didn’t discover you sooner and have you join the Kai Family."

Jin Xueli’s heart began to pound.

For some reason, sweat began to bead on her back and neck.

"If you were given a chance, who knows what new troubles would arise for something that’s nearly a done deal," Kai Luonan said, as if concluding. "So, I’ll just go get the radio myself."

Jin Xueli should have been relieved, but she couldn’t relax.

She added in a small voice, "But...?"

It seemed like there was another "but" peeking out from behind Kai Luonan’s words.

"But," Kai Luonan smiled, "I wouldn’t feel at ease leaving you behind alone."

Jin Xueli stared at him blankly.

"Even if the radio is truly useless to you now, you’d still be resentful about being forced to give it up. That’s just human nature. After I leave, heaven knows what tricks you’ll pull. Maybe you’ll notify a friend who’s nearby, or even Chaisi, to grab the radio before I can."

"Then... then what are you going to do?" Jin Xueli asked softly. "Kill me?"

"Believe it or not, for a very absurd reason, I can’t kill you with my own hands. For the time being, I can’t personally kill any contestant in the Ruling Game."

Kai Luonan shook his head regretfully but seemed to have no intention of explaining.

"...With your own hands? Then what you mean is...?"

"As I said, I’ve already obtained the ??? Illusion."

Kai Luonan said conversationally, "It has a function that lets people ’watch a movie.’ I originally thought this function was incredibly boring and useless, but I never expected to be wrong. Tonight, two opportunities have come up in a row for it to be of great use."

Jin Xueli gripped the edge of her seat tightly.

"You’re under a novel character’s curse. Once your past is exposed to ’readers’ or an ’audience,’ you die, don’t you?"

As Kai Luonan spoke, he turned his head toward the car window.

He seemed to be facing an untold number of "readers," and he gave a slight smile. "You all must have been curious for a long time about what exactly she’s been through. Well then, let’s all watch together."