Chapter 328 - 324: Wang Shaojie

The blue rabbit uttered a terrifying theory that sent a chill down Zhang Wenda’s spine.

If what he said was true, then there was no longer any distinction between the different numbered Thought Waves. The very concept of a planet was also gone.

All past concepts had been completely annihilated. Everyone’s perception of time and space had been utterly destroyed by 1999, their world dismantled and reforged from its very foundations.

The world was gone. Or rather, all that remained were these strange, monotonous regions. This was the new world they had to explore.

But Zhang Wenda quickly shook his head. ’That’s impossible. No matter how powerful 1999 is, at most it’s just an extraterrestrial object. How could it destroy the entire Earth, the entire universe? Is it some kind of creator god of everything?’

The rabbit pointed to the seemingly endless pool wall that Zhang Wenda had broken through. ’Then how do you explain all this? Do you really think our old understanding of the world was correct, faced with an existence like 1999?’

’Are the Earth and the universe really the way our textbooks taught us? Is it possible we’ve been wrong from the very beginning?’

Zhang Wenda didn’t speak. He truly didn’t know how to explain what was happening.

Suddenly, he looked up at the somewhat familiar man before him. He needed to be sure. "Tell me everything you know! Don’t leave out a single detail!"

Tempted by the food, the man named Wang Shaojie spilled everything at once, leaving no detail out.

However, as the man spoke, Zhang Wenda’s heart sank lower and lower.

According to this guy, at least among the people he’d met, not a single one had ever returned to the former Thought Wave Two. They called these nearly endless, empty spaces, like the "Poolside Midsummer," the Threshold Realm.

There were strange ways to travel between these Threshold Realms, but no one knew where the spaces came from. All they knew was that they all arrived here after seeing a flash of golden light.

Some of these Threshold Realms were extremely dangerous, while others were safe. No one ever knew what they would find when exploring an unknown Threshold Realm.

But compared to the bizarre dangers of these places, a more pressing problem faced the survivors: basic necessities. People have to eat.

He didn’t need to explain that point. Watching the guy sprawled on the cold white tiles, piously licking up the fallen instant noodle crumbs with his tongue, was enough to show how scarce food was.

"Is it rare to find food in any of the Threshold Realms?" Zhang Wenda asked.

"Some special Threshold Realms have food, but places like that are incredibly rare."

Zhang Wenda thought of the bag of food that had been prepared for him in advance and couldn’t help but wonder, ’Could he have known this would happen? Is that why he prepared food for me beforehand?’

A flicker of warmth spread through his heart, but it was immediately followed by a surge of vigilance. ’No, no. I can’t think about this. I can’t let them influence me again.’

Even with his memories deleted, the influence of Area 1 followed him like a ghost.

At this moment, Wang Shaojie paused before continuing, "I heard from others that there’s a Threshold Realm full of cotton candy trees. I don’t know if it’s true, but whenever a place like that is discovered, other groups fiercely compete for it. It can even lead to small-scale wars."

"Groups have already started forming in just four months?" Zhang Wenda looked up at him again.

"Yeah. Like the Big Circle."

The name instantly made Zhang Wenda clench his fists. He never thought he’d encounter the Big Circle again under these circumstances.

Suddenly remembering something, Zhang Wenda quickly asked, "Is there a Third Line group?"

Hearing this, Wang Shaojie, who had just been staring at the instant noodles, suddenly lowered his head. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his voice choked with emotion. "Gone. They’re all gone."

"You... were you very attached to the Third Line?" Zhang Wenda asked hesitantly, looking at his unusually emotional reaction.

"Of course! I used to be a member of the Third Line!" Wang Shaojie’s voice trembled with emotion.

’What? This guy was with the Third Line?’ Zhang Wenda had spent a fair amount of time with the Third Line himself, so how had he never seen him before?

"Oh, huh? Wait a minute. What did you say your name was? Wang Shaojie?" Zhang Wenda froze. He stared at the man’s face, which looked more and more familiar.

’Isn’t this the guy in the white coat from the Xinhua Bookstore, the one who gave me that pep talk?’

’I didn’t recognize him at all! His front teeth were missing, and his face was gaunt from starvation.’

"Didn’t you used to work at the Xinhua Bookstore in Thought Wave One? The one in charge of Superpower exchanges! The cheapest one, ten yuan a pop?"

Hearing Zhang Wenda reveal his background, the man looked at him blankly. "Do you know me? Who are you?"

"It’s me! It’s me! I came looking for you before!"

Zhang Wenda said, pointing to his own face. But Wang Shaojie’s face was a mask of confusion; he had truly never seen this face before.

It was only when Zhang Wenda pulled the yellow figure from his Inner World, revealing the form of little Zhang Wenda, that Wang Shaojie had a flash of understanding. "Oh! It’s you!"

Perhaps because they had met a few times before, the two quickly became more familiar. At the very least, Zhang Wenda was no longer dangling the remaining half-bag of noodles in front of him, but had handed it over.

Wang Shaojie excitedly tore open the seasoning packet, poured it onto the noodle brick, and began chewing on it in big mouthfuls. "Where did you find this food? Can you take me there? I haven’t eaten a proper meal in so long."

Zhang Wenda knew what he was getting at. Recalling the residential complex, he shook his head and said, "That place is very dangerous. Don’t count on gathering food there. One careless mistake and you’re dead. The risk isn’t worth the reward."

"Then... then can you give me some more food? I’m so hungry," Wang Shaojie said, looking at Zhang Wenda with longing.

"Pace yourself," Zhang Wenda said. It wasn’t that he was being stingy; he just knew that someone who had been starving for a long time could die from suddenly overeating.

Watching Wang Shaojie go to the edge of the pool, stick his head in the water, and gulp it down in an attempt to make the instant noodles swell up more in his stomach, an idea suddenly popped into Zhang Wenda’s head.

"Do you still consider yourself a member of the Third Line?"

Wang Shaojie, his hair dripping wet, turned to look at him, a bitter expression on his face. "Does it even matter if I’m with the Third Line anymore? The Third Line is gone."

"No, the Third Line still exists." Zhang Wenda revealed the badge that Tan Yougen had given him.

"If you are, then as the deputy director of Bureau 507, my rank is higher than yours. From now on, you’re under my command. Any objections?"

"You? The director?" Wang Shaojie stared at Zhang Wenda, dumbfounded.

"What? As 03, am I not qualified?"

When he saw all sorts of strange creatures materializing behind the man, Wang Shaojie quickly stood at attention and saluted Zhang Wenda. "Yes, Director!"