Rules-related weird stories: 4016.

Chapter 638 Wei Liang and the "Principal"

Lin Yi immediately pictured Angers, a roguish and handsome figure who combined the style of an English gentleman with that of an old rogue.

Immediately following was a series of tapping sounds, clearly indicating that someone was tapping the table with their fingers, seemingly lost in thought.

The scene before him gradually became clearer, and the surrounding environment and the figures within it gradually emerged.

At first glance, this looks like a dormitory.

It was a very normal dormitory, almost no different from the dormitory Lin Yi remembered.

However, there weren't many people in the dormitory.

Besides Wei Liang, there was only "himself" and a stranger—no, that's not right!
Upon closer inspection!
This doesn't seem to be a dormitory at all!
There were far more than just a few people here; there were many, many, many more people here as well!
He could sense that there were other beings, some of whom he could only perceive through his senses and who he couldn’t even define as “humans,” quietly staying around them.

The presence of these feelings made this small square table in the dormitory feel like a council meeting—the kind of feeling one would have in a Western cabinet or parliament.

In a room with uneven lighting, the dormitory is at the center, surrounded by tiered seating areas hidden in shadows, as if countless people are sitting there.

In this cabinet-like environment, the limited light almost entirely fell on Wei Liang.

The only stranger whose appearance was clearly visible was a middle-aged man with silver hair who had a roguish charm.

The middle-aged man's silver hair was meticulously combed, his facial features were clean and sharp, and there were some light white stubble on his jawline.

He was wearing a sharp black suit with the cuffs slightly rolled up, and his appearance was very similar to Dumbledore in his middle age, but to Lin Yi, he was more in line with the image of Principal Angers in his mind.

Almost the instant he saw this person, a title came to Lin Yi's mind—"Principal"!
That "principal" of S City University!
They had actually met the "principal" before?

And that cheeky voice at the beginning was undoubtedly Wei Liang's!

At this moment, Wei Liang seemed to be negotiating with the "principal." He rested his chin on one hand, while the index finger of the other hand was gently tapping the table. His gaze was somewhat casual as he looked at the "principal" sitting directly opposite him.

At this moment, the aura of this legendary "principal" was completely overshadowed by Wei Liang.

"Is this still the Liangzi I know?" Lin Yi rubbed his eyes. If the person in front of him didn't look exactly like "Wei Liang" and if "he" wasn't also present, he would definitely doubt the other party's authenticity.

After all, he had never seen Wei Liang like this before, a combination of laziness and solemnity, with a calm exterior but an indescribable sense of powerful pressure.

Just then, Lin Yi heard the "principal" slowly speak: "If nothing unexpected happens, this dark area of ​​S City University can exist in a stable state for hundreds of years, or even nearly a thousand years..."

“But I can’t wait any longer. You, all of you… since you’ve appeared in this ‘time,’ it naturally means that you can’t wait any longer either.”

"In that case, why not take this opportunity to amplify our respective strengths and achieve an exponential breakthrough?"

"Tap...tap...tap..."

Wei Liang tapped the table lightly.

"Oh dear...that's why I said it's difficult..."

“I knew things were going to get really bad when you touched the ‘first’ threshold… Besides, I’ve known you for so many years, I know your personality inside and out…”

"You didn't come here to discuss this with me, you came here to inform me..."

"This is difficult...it's really difficult..."

Wei Liang said he was difficult to deal with, but the corners of his mouth couldn't be suppressed from turning up.

What shocked Lin Yi was not Wei Liang's demeanor when he was communicating with the "principal" face to face, but the way Wei Liang kept calling the "principal" "you little brat," and yet the "principal" didn't seem unhappy at all.

The "principal" asked, "Isn't that what you think?"

“Since that time, for countless years, I have only heard of you in the legends of history... But this time, you, who are like a dragon that appears and disappears without a trace, have appeared before me in this manner.”

"The legendary, no, even in legends one might not be qualified to meet the 'Council of Time'..."

"This makes me presumptuously assume that you've actually been waiting all along, waiting for me to touch the threshold of the 'initial' before you appeared, right?"

"Just as you understand me, I also understand your logic all too well..."

“Not everyone is qualified to sit at your table. They aren’t qualified, and neither am I… But at this moment, I am qualified to be a ‘chip’ in your hand.”

"Moreover, I can feel more clearly than ever before... that you have actually been waiting for me for a long time."

"Oh dear..." Wei Liang sighed with a laugh, "This is difficult, very difficult..."

"First, I need to correct you. I have absolutely no idea about this 'Time Council,' and don't jump to conclusions... Second, your understanding is just your understanding."

"However, if we really want to try, we're not completely without a chance."

"So, what are your plans?" the "principal" asked.

Wei Liang said, "That's not the logic... It's not that I have any plans, but that you have plans. Your plans are what force me to be here."

The "principal" seemed to realize something, and his expression changed slightly: "You mean, my departure will lead to the destruction of the world?"

"It's just the butterfly effect, you don't need to blame yourself too much." Wei Liang didn't refute, offering a completely useless word of comfort.

The "principal" looked distressed: "If the consequences are this severe, I'll have to weigh the pros and cons..."

Wei Liang said, "Then you've misunderstood... I didn't mean to comfort you, I just wanted to tell you that in countless timelines, there are always a few 'events' that are bound to happen no matter what."

"The occurrence of major events is not something that can be decided by one person alone..."

The principal said helplessly, "The 'Time Compensation Theorem,' right..."

Wei Liang said slowly, "To put it in the long term, there's the demise of those ancient civilizations; to put it more recently, there's the demise of our humble lives... Some things are called 'self-destruction,' aren't they?"

"Could it really be that the loop was closed just because Lao Lin made a few casual remarks later? Oops, did I let it slip...?"

Wei Liang glanced at "Lin Yi" sitting next to him, and "Lin Yi" immediately nodded in understanding.

“You see…” he looked at the “principal,” “It’s impossible! But since it’s a ‘predetermined’ thing, then at least we can control it to some extent.” “For example… ‘your voluntary departure.’ Of all the factors, this is at least one that we can subjectively control.”

“That’s what makes it so difficult…sigh…” Wei Liang rubbed his temples. “The more detailed the information, the more comprehensive the considerations become. It’s a real headache…it’s better to know nothing at all. When disaster strikes, we can just throw out our cards and fight if we can, or die if we can’t…”

Lin Yi was dumbfounded. He could understand each of these strange terms individually, such as "predetermined events" and "butterfly effect," but he couldn't quite understand them when they were put together.

And what on earth is this "Time Council" that Wei Liang vehemently denied?

It doesn't look like something that's just a figment of imagination!

However, Lin Yi, from this perspective, knew that Liangzi, though seemingly slacking off, was actually two-faced. If there hadn't been something to talk about, Liangzi would have refused from the start and wouldn't have wasted so much time talking to him.

The principal sighed helplessly: "If it really breaks out, the world is completely unable to cope with it at its current level. The whole world is nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust in the torrent of the times."

"No, that's not all. If we're talking about a solution, even in the era when the original adults still existed, there was practically no way to deal with it..."

What, then, is the future left for humanity?

The "principal" looked at Wei Liang, his lion-like, resolute face filled with sorrow, a look of deep compassion.

Wei Liang tapped the table lightly, making a "tap...tap...tap..." sound.

Are you reflecting on yourself, or are you asking me?

"Of course I'm asking you."

"I don't know either." Wei Liang shook his head slightly.

"Someone who gambles with time can't even see through time in the end... I don't believe it," the "principal" said.

"Yes."

The sound of lightly tapping the table stopped abruptly in Wei Liang's hand.

He slowly sat up straight, and the light and shadows shining down from above tilted accordingly, making his face look sinister and terrifying.

Lin Yi then noticed that Wei Liang was not wearing a baseball cap.

"Playing with time...? You're making unwarranted judgments about things you don't even understand..."

"I know more about the timeline than you do, and as for the future left to humanity... I can't see it either."

"Humanity's future is like viewing flowers through the mist or the moon reflected in a river—a glimpse of reality within illusion, and a hint of fragmentation within that reality..."

"When you think you're working very hard, there are some people who work ten, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand times harder than you... and you're still making assumptions."

The principal frankly stated, "So, whatever your plan is, and whatever you need me to do, I will absolutely cooperate."

Wei Liang slowly leaned into the shadows, the shadow behind him seemingly materializing, supporting his back.

"If you want to go to sea, then go to sea. Before you go to sea, leave us what you should leave behind, and leave the things that should remain on campus on campus. We will naturally come to your rescue."

"That's it? It's that simple?" The "principal" looked surprised.

“Yes, is that all… Is it really that simple?” Wei Liang said. “Emmm… Well, for you, it’s certainly not a difficult thing.”

The "principal" asked, "So, how much do you need me to leave behind?"

Wei Liang said, "We need two kinds in total."

The principal's expression shifted slightly. Wei Liang had said two kinds, not two different things.

"The first option is to leave it at the school. I need you to leave the 'Bronze Key' and the 'Ouroboros Ring' in the clock tower with the 'Mourner' inside. We'll go get them from him."

"You mean 'Night Watchman-02', right..."

“That’s true… it should be the ‘Night Watch’ now.” Wei Liang nodded slightly. “You can give it these two items. As for the Time Compass ‘Time Zero,’ we’ll find a way to get it ourselves.”

The "Headmaster" said, "After 'Night Watchman-01' sacrificed himself, the Time Compass shattered. I vaguely felt that the 'Bronze Key' was related to it, but I've searched for it without success... I didn't expect that you already knew the clues. Very well, I'll entrust those two items to you."

Wei Liang continued, "The second option is reserved for us; I need the blueprints from when the campus was built."

The "principal's" expression changed slightly, and his eyes narrowed involuntarily.

Wei Liang slowly explained, "The blueprints for the campus were only possessed by the group of 'architects' who originally built the campus, and each architect only had access to a portion of them. Only by piecing them together can the entire campus be assembled."

"But I know it's a cover-up."

"You have the complete blueprints in your hands."

"Now, hand it over. I won't beat around the bush with you anymore. You should believe that I can take violent action on campus, but that would mean the campus would collapse."

"Give me the blueprints, and after we study them, we will find a near-perfect route of action."

The "principal" placed his hands on the table, his lion-like golden eyes fixed on Wei Liang, and said in a deep voice, "You want to completely release 'her,' right?"

"Oh dear...this is tricky..." Wei Liang laughed helplessly. "Now that you've found out, are you going to hand it over or not?"

“Hand it over,” the principal said.

Wei Liang was slightly taken aback.

“I don’t believe ‘her,’ but I believe the adults’ assessment of you, and I believe in you,” the “principal” said. “The adults say you are a gambler with principles; no matter how unreliable your actions may be, the answers you give are always reliable.”

Wei Liang's lips twitched slightly, and he couldn't help but scratch his head lightly. Lin Yi seemed to hear him muttering, "Damn... is my image really that good? How come I didn't even know it?"

As the "principal" spoke, he took out a booklet comparable to "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation" and placed it on the not-so-large desk.

The book's cover features a castle with the title "Layer Anchor Points and Architectural Design Between Black Moon Outpost and S City University" prominently displayed...

(End of this chapter)