Chapter 89: The Caring Orphanage

Little Bai Six paused and went on to explain: "And you didn't say anything to me last night like good evening, which is normally what I would say to the owner when I get paid, but you are the owner, so you don't have to say that to me, and you didn't say it last night, and it's a bit odd to start the evening with good evening. "

It is true, Bai Liu recalls, that he only seems polite and courteous to strangers when he has money to take, and that Bai Liu can say anything strange, such as to Zhang Gui's master, without noticing it himself.

"How did you come up with the idea of letting Muke talk to me on your phone?" Bai Liu asks with a smile. "And how did you end up with Muke tonight? And how are you doing tonight?"

The player's side of the phone is tied and cannot be exchanged, but the child's side of the phone is not.

But with almost all children out on the phone with extreme difficulty, the idea of having one child take another child out and handing that phone to another child to speak the moment the call is answered is something Miao Gaojiang, who has never received a phone call from a child, has probably never thought about.

The execution and obedience of children is much lower than that of adults, especially when compared to the adults who have already been in the game. Gaojiang, even Bai Liu himself was a bit surprised by little Bai six's rare ability to execute.

Although he knew he would probably do anything for money, Bai Liu raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard little Muke's voice on the phone.

little Bai six reported flatly, "Because of the christening tomorrow, the teacher has asked that investors and parents be informed so many kids came out to call tonight but so far apart from the ones I haven't managed, there are some kids who were drawn out by the sound of the flute so the deformed kids aren't running after us and things are ok."

"As for why I'm with Muke tonight, I think you're asking the obvious question." little Bai six's tone was cold and disgusted, "Didn't you ask me to babysit two kids for you last night? One of the kids you said you paid me to look after was a blind girl, I now know her name is Liu Jiayi, and one is this Muke, the girl I can't get in touch with at the moment, but Muke and I sleep in the same room, and when I call you tonight for the money, it will be Muke in the same room."

"I meant for you to hear his voice to give you an inspection, to verify that the little kid was in pretty good condition and could run and cry, but I didn't expect a situation on your end, so I just stopped talking and gave him the phone to pretend to be your investment child."

There was a subtle pause in little Bai six's voice and then he questioned Bai Liu quite directly, "Actually, I think when you told me last night that you were paying me to help someone, you were doing it so that Muke would call you now, weren't you?"

Bai Liu's voice had a slight, very subtle chuckle in it as he leaned lazily against the wall, "You could say that."

When he told little Bai six that I would pay you to look after this Muke and Liu Jiayi, he knew that tonight little Bai six would drag one of them out to call him.

His fourteen-year-old self's penchant for money had never been stronger, and there was no way he would pass up such an opportunity to get his hands on it, but Bai Liu had grown up as a relatively deal-abiding person, so he would not easily cheat the person he was dealing with, and the best way to verify the success of the deal was for young Muke to speak directly to Bai Liu and say that he was okay.

And little Bai six certainly did so.

"You can just ask me to drag Muke out and call you tonight, no need to beat around the bush with me." Little Bai six's voice had the distinctive youthfulness of a teenager, but it was also very cold because it was too calm, "I'll do anything for you if you pay me."

"But then you would have known in advance the hostile plan I was going to make against the other two investors." Bai Liu said nonchalantly, "You would have guessed what I was going to do, what kind of terrible threat I would face, knowing what the call would mean to me, and you might have betrayed my plans to my enemies when you made the call in exchange for more money from my enemies, which is something you would have done, wouldn't you? "

There was a long silence from the little Bai six.

Bai Liu gave a soft laugh, "I can't let you guess what I'm going to do, because you're a very dangerous guy too."

"I even feel that you are more dangerous to me than anything else in this game, but fortunately I know you, and I tell you the truth on the basis of what I know about you, Bai six, that I will certainly give you more money than any other person in the world, and I will even give you all the money I have."

Bai Liu lowered his eyes slowly: "There will never be a more generous man than I am to you, Bai six."

Because I am you and you are me, money circulates strangely between you and me across time and latitude, but the essence is all ascribed to the identity [I], and the money I have is owned by you and me at the same time, but the money Bai Liu has is not diminished by a single cent.

"All that money?" Little Bai Six's tone remained cold, but there was an inexplicable irony to match his words, "Then you are a rare and not at all self-serving kind man, Mr. Investor."

"I am indeed very selfish and self-interested, and greedy, so I am definitely not like that to others." Bai Liu was not offended by the sarcasm and his face remained unmoved by the affectionate smile, "But anyways, you are the most special person to me in this [world], so I must have no reservations about you."

little Bai six did not reply to Bai Liu's remark, but merely maintained a subtle, indifferent, sceptical silence.

Bai Liu went on to say, "But I can understand what you're thinking. You must be thinking that humans are instinctively selfish and self-serving creatures, so why should I, as an investor, go against my instincts and do this for a stranger like you? There must not be such a person in this world, and even if there is, it must be pretending to get more benefits - after all, there is no free lunch in the world, is there?"

Across the table, the little Bai six lapsed into another eerie silence, and it was clear that Bai Liu knew exactly what the fourteen year old was thinking.

"I thought the same thing when I was your age." Bai Liu leaned against the wall, his eyes slightly closed as he tilted his head back.

Because of his physical weakness and the existence of the orphanage, a copy of which has a special meaning for him, as well as the presence of little Bai six, an in-game NPC, Bai Liu is rarely able to dwell on his past.

What was he like when he was fourteen? Bai Liu thought he wouldn't remember much.

For man is indeed a very forgetful creature, and perhaps it is true that man's memory lasts only seven seconds, and that the rest is just something that man constructs from his own shallow sense memory to deceive, confuse and comfort himself.

But the moment he hears little Bai six's cold, emotionless voice, the moment Bai Liu closes his eyes, he can remember what he was like at fourteen.

Aloof, aloof and at odds with everything around him, no one can understand this scrawny little boy who spends his days reading horror stories and is always looking at all the horror stories and games about horror that are available in the orphanage.

When Bai Liu was fourteen, he was less able to hide his face and disguise himself than he is now, and he looked at people with a trifle of repulsion and a cold aura that made him a stranger.

This of course has a lot to do with Bai Liu himself.

While the other children in the orphanage had trains or blocks donated by kind-hearted people, Bai Liu's favourite toys were scary dolls with missing arms and legs, and while the other children were reading comic books and storybooks, Bai Liu was reading books like "The Long and Thin Ghostly Murder Story", which had no idea how it had been donated to the orphanage.

But in those days, before these human cubs were socialised and imbibed with all sorts of adult rules, every child in the orphanage would also fight to the death for good toys, good food, the chance to be adopted by their parents, and even a less damp straw bed.

No one had taught them to do so, and it was something akin to a biological instinct to stomp on others in order to live better for themselves, and Bai Liu realised this early on, so he stayed further and further away from these people.

And there are two people in the orphanage who don't fight about these things at all - Bai Liu and Lu Yizhan.

Bai Liu didn't need these things because he preferred money, which is not usually given to children in orphanages, and Lu Yizhan gave them up because he thought other people needed them more, so this fool gave them up.

Lu Yizhan has foolishly given up better food, better toys and the chance to be adopted, looking at the happy smiling faces of others using the fruits of his exploitation, when all they need to do is to give Lu Yizhan a simple and shallow thank you, which makes the fool scratch the back of his head and smile even wider than the other person.

"I used to think that there were no humans in this world who gave all for others. Bai Liu's voice is soft and calm, "Even if one gives for others, it is to get that sense of self-giving and self-satisfaction that has been brainwashed by the world's moral code, and is still essentially for one's own pleasure."

"There are no purely good people in the world, only purely bad people."

The sound of little Bai six's breathing rushes across the room as he pulls little Muke, still whimpering, into a late-night run through the children's home, but Bai Liu knows he is listening.

The little guy hadn't hung up yet as it was billed by the minute, a really hard working chaperone - albeit a child worker.

Bai Liu's voice takes on a bit of a very lazy and idle laugh as he seems to recall something very funny: "And then when I was firmly committed to these ideas, I met a douchebag who volunteered to be my friend."

"He kept asking me why I was alone, starving himself to save food for me, and just froze when he found me reading some really bloody weird books, then sneaking out to get me some for me." Bai Liu said in a flat tone, "But I was cold to him from start to finish, he was giving without getting any satisfaction and I thought he'd give up soon."

The little Bai six over there finally spoke up and asked, "Has he given up?"

"He stayed away from me for a while halfway through, and I thought he'd given up." Bai Liu paused, "Then one day at noon I saw a [long, skinny ghostly figure] doll in the back of the yard."

It was a very clumsy, long, thin ghostly figure with a doll set costume made from unwanted sheets from the orphanage and a tattered hat that looked like some schoolboy's failed craft project, waving his scarf and ragged clothes in a silly say-hi to Bai Liu.

Bai Liu's regular reading during that time was the story of the long, thin ghostly figure, as the orphanage was not donated any more books of this kind.

But Lu Yizhan may have misunderstood Bai Liu's fondness for this strange legendary creature. As a teenager, Lu Yizhan surreptitiously stayed up late to make such a doll, hiding it under his blanket, and then put it on his head and stood in front of Bai Liu, bouncing around in front of him, panting and sweating, his eyes clean from the poor quality cloth doll set, but red from his late night.

Lu Yizhan sees Bai Liu as one of those children who love animated characters, and he purely wants Bai Liu to be happy because of this.

But he didn't want Bai Liu to thank him, and certainly Bai Liu didn't appreciate him, because it was ......

"...... He's so stupid. " little Bai six spat with an expressionless face.

"Yeah, that's what I thought at the time." Bai Liu let out a low laugh, "I just looked at him like he was stupid and then politely explained that I wasn't a small fan of long, skinny ghostly figures, I just liked reading these horror stories and watching these strange, scary creatures eating stupid, errant humans, I liked horror stories like that."

little Bai six said after a moment's silence, "I like it too, but I don't think he ...... likes it."

I can only say that no normal child would like it. At that time, Bai Liu was the odd one out in the orphanage because the books he read and the drawings he made were not normal and very gory.

Books and games and even the Muppet toys that Bai Liu looks at twice, they guard Bai Liu as if he were a potential prisoner of the law.

In fact, to some extent, this defence is correct.

Bai Liu has reined in his blatant hobby and is pretending to be a good boy who has lost his way.

Lu Yizhan is not a fan of such unconventional horror stories and games.

But just because he doesn't like it doesn't mean he can't make Bai Liu like it, and he knows Bai Liu likes it, he just pretends not to.

"He really didn't like it, but the guy was always well liked, and he scrounged up lots and lots of horror games and horror story books from somewhere." Bai Liu, eyes still closed, recalls, "Lots of them really, and then sent them to me full of them without the teacher's knowledge, for me to play and read."

Little Bai Liu was silent for a while this time and he asked, "Why did he do that?"

"That's what I asked him." Bai Liu's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "He said, aren't we friends? This is something I can do for you, so I did."

Little Bai six wondered from the bottom of his heart, "Since when have you been friends with him? I don't remember you agreeing to this, do you?"

"I don't know," Bai Liu says. Bai Liu says, "But Lu Yizhan just assumed it wishfully, and when I told him that the odds were I was a freak and might do something bad later, he told me very seriously that if I was going to be a bad person, he would be the police to catch me."

Bai Liu gave a soft laugh, "So he reassured me that he wouldn't let me be the bad guy, because a cop's friend can't be the bad guy."

"He played a lot of horror games with me for many, many years, and then he gradually recognised that I was a not-so-normal person, but he stuck with me as a friend."

"Why?" little Bai six asked again, he was a little confused this time, "You can't understand each other at all, would it do him any good to be friends with you?"

"Nothing good came out of it, I'm a pretty troubled person in every way. " Bai Liu is quick to admit this, "I'm not good at being a person, but that friend of mine isn't friends with me for any benefits."

little Bai six: "That's for what."

Bai Liu: "He just wanted to have a friend in order for me to have a friend."

Lu Yizhan's reason was so simple, he wanted to be friends with Bai Liu, he wanted to make Bai Liu happy, he wanted Bai Liu to have a friend, no sympathy or pity, he just thought that, so he went ahead and did it.

Lu Yizhan is the first strange human being to appear in Bai Liu's perception, a person whose existence almost overturns Bai Liu's view of the world - a superior, unprivate, highly moral, just plain good, in Bai Liu's world view He is a textbook self-giving fool.

Bai Liu was the only friend he ever had in his life.

"There are still these purely good people in this world, who exist against evolution and human instinct, so they live a hard life." Bai Liu said softly, "but they just exist, and you will meet them soon."

Yes, Bai six, you will meet this friend who will play games with you, make you laugh by pretending to be a long, skinny ghost, and keep you company for many years, Bai Liu whispered in his heart.

"Such people are rare, aren't they?" little Bai six's tone was as light as ever, "It's a miracle in the world that you've met one, I won't meet such wishful giving fools."

"You will." Bai Liu smiled up, "You still met me didn't you?"

"I also knew you were a bad boy, Bai six, and I knew there was a chance you would betray me, but I ended up telling you my plan." Bai Liu's tone was soft with a very odd bit of seduction, "You're really important to me, more important than the plan, even more important than me."

"You're the most important person in this place to me." Bai Liu smiled, "I promise I'll be your strange and reliable friend."

This time Bai six was silent for a long, long time, so long that Bai Liu thought he was going to hang up, and then little Bai six changed the subject in a very hard tone, "You like horror games too? Have you ever played any fun ones?"

Bai Liu's eyes drooped carelessly as the corners of his mouth curled unnoticeably as he slowly and leisurely chatted with Bai six, "Yeah, I've played two really good games, one called Siren Town and one called Burst Last Train."

At fourteen, he is still very gullible and mildly impressed by Lu Yizhan's self-sacrificing type of bigot.

If he had met a twenty-four-year-old Bai Liu, it would have been much more complicated.

Bai Liu didn't have much time to counsel his fourteen-year-old self, and he didn't think little Bai six needed it either, as he told this long list of stories just to set the stage for convincing little Bai six to cooperate with him wholeheartedly - because unfortunately the best tool to compel little Bai six - his points, or money - had already been thrown out to Miao Feichi and the others. Bai Liu has already thrown out all his points, or rather money, to Miao Feichi and the others.

This is also a dangerous point, as Bai Liu now has a lower point total, i.e. money total, than Miao Feichi, and this total of props that are very much in the hands of little Bai six is less than his enemies.

And soon after little Bai six met them the next day, this very perceptive child would soon realise this - that Bai Liu was not as rich as Miao Feichi.

This is awkward, as little Bai six knows that they are hostile, and from what Bai Liu knows about himself, little Bai six is bound to fall back on the side with more money, and he will probably betray his information to Miao Feichi, the father and son - Bai Liu knows very well that at fourteen he is not a very obedient child either. Bai Liu knows that at fourteen he is not a very obedient child, and that little Bai six is only obedient to his money.

Even if this would lead to his own death little Bai six wouldn't care, his desire for money was much stronger when he was fourteen than it is now.

So Bai Liu needs a point other than money that can hold little Bai six back from doing whatever he wants to do for money, and that point needs to be as good as the money, and from Bai Liu's known experience - a great tool to hold himself back is Lu Yizhan.

The reason Lu Yizhan was able to keep the money hungry Bai Liu from committing crimes for so many years was not only because of the man's unusual obstinacy and his determination to be Bai Liu's friend, but also because Bai Liu was very curious about Lu Yizhan. Bai Liu was very curious about Lu Yizhan.

Bai Liu is a relatively inquisitive person, with an appetite for exploring all sorts of bizarre and inhuman behaviour, and in Lu Yizhan's case his curiosity has never waned over the years.

Bai Liu is curious about how long this Lu Yizhan, a geek like himself, can be a good person, about what drives this person's behaviour, and when this curiosity is strong enough, it can even offset Bai Liu's desire for money to some extent.

Lu Yizhan does not exist in this copy, so Bai Liu tells little Bai six that such a person exists and takes on the role of Lu Yizhan himself, Bai Liu extracts the element of Lu Yizhan that holds the most power over him - that curiosity. It is this curiosity.

Little Bai six became curious about him and wanted to explore the logic of his behaviour, and that is where the story begins.

Just as he did with Lu Yizhan.