reincarnation npc, but tomorrow's ark

The time for the third version is drawing near.

Chapter Eighty-Six: Demeanor

No matter what the future holds for this land, Baiye's plans will proceed in an orderly manner.

Actually, he wasn't blindly moving forward; at least his past self had pushed the timeline forward to at least the sixth version. Even though his time travel has altered the world line, the people and events that change the world order remain the same—that won't change.

Moreover, since Luna didn't stop him, it means he's always on the right path, at least for now.

Too much happiness can be nauseating, but even so, people must swallow it.

'We are all greedy people, unwilling to part with anything within easy reach. We are surrounded by close friends, hold firm beliefs, and have people eagerly awaiting our return.'

……

Bai Ye used his invisibility to take a thorough tour of his company.

Although he could use the wind to scan the entire company's information, this amount of data was nothing to Bai Ye's frequently trained brain. Nevertheless, Bai Ye still enjoyed these occasional leisurely strolls.

Two years ago, he was sneaking around the Lungmen Guard Bureau building just like he is now. Time flies, and now he has grown to a point where even his past self would have to look up to him.

"Ah."

Bai Ye smiled and walked back to the previous laboratory. Standing at the door, he "saw" through the wind that Miss Xuezhi had sat back down at the table and started her work.

Clearly, the girl had emerged from her negative emotions, and Bai Ye's words, to some extent, did indeed boost her confidence.

Bai Ye knew that the girl needed recognition. She wasn't actually bad; it was just that in the past, due to exclusion and discrimination, her value had never been recognized, and coupled with her timid personality, she had become the way she was now.

Now, the power armor will be the girl's stepping stone to success. This will bring her more attention and recognition. For the timid girl, this is an opportunity to become stronger.

Moreover, Bai Ye believed that the girl would become even better through her interactions with Rhodes Island peers.

-------------------------------------

Bai Ye walked out of Lobotomy Corporation.

He wandered aimlessly through the streets of Lungmen, passing the university, the young girl with film and her companions leaving school, ignoring the old man selling fish balls, and brushing past a young man with a small fish-cleaning knife and a fierce look in his eyes...

"Won't you come and try some candy? I specially prepared it for the Requiem Night celebration."

Finally, as Bai Ye passed by a candy shop, he was stopped by an old but powerful voice.

"Candy store?"

Bai Ye snapped out of her daze, looked up, and realized that she had unknowingly wandered outside a candy store.

This candy store is no different from other shops; it looks quite ordinary.

Of course, the candy store itself isn't anything special; what's interesting is the owner.

That was the "Rat King," Lin Ge Rui, the king of the gray forest, the lower city of Lungmen, and the gray zone.

"It seems the wind was right; I've arrived here."

Bai Ye snapped out of her daze.

"Why have you become so eccentric, young man? It's been a while since I've seen you, and you've turned into this?" The Rat King looked at Bai Ye as if he were looking at a strange person.

Bai Ye smiled:

“I’m just communicating with this city… Sometimes, I also need to clear my mind, follow my feelings, and let my inner strength guide me.”

This is also a kind of development of power; Bai Ye wants to make his active filtering of information a subconscious passive behavior.

To give an example, in the past, the flow of information throughout the city would pass through Bai Ye's brain, and he would carefully search for every single stream.

Now, Baiye wants to learn how to make all the streams flow through unimpeded, but leave behind some useful gold dust.

This was just an experiment. From entering a state of absentmindedness to being interrupted and forced to exit, Bai Ye discovered that he had indeed gained something. However, he still needed to figure out a way to exit voluntarily.

He also needs methods to ensure his safety when he is in a trance.

……

"Today's young people..."

Lin Gerui shook his head. He was getting old and had experienced too much. To him, any young person standing in front of him was as easy to understand as a blank sheet of paper.

It was as clear as the lines on his outstretched palm as he leaned on his cane. He didn't need to look down; he knew it all perfectly well.

That's how it used to be with Bai Ye; he could see longing and desire in this young man's eyes.

A very easy-to-understand young man.

However, as time went by, and as the young man stood before him again and again, the Rat King found that he could see him less and less clearly.

Even now, Bai Ye is like a fleeting, unpredictable breeze.

You can feel his presence, but you can't grasp him.

At first glance, it appears as simple and transparent, unbelievably so, but upon closer inspection, one discovers that they are facing the omnipresent universe.

"You already have the demeanor of a grandmaster."

The Rat King knew that Bai Ye was not a fool who was just trying to be mysterious or showing off.

He does indeed already show signs of becoming a grandmaster.

"You flatter me." Bai Ye waved his hand with a smile. "Since you're here, give me some candy."

"You really like sweets?" the Rat King asked with a smile.

"Because we couldn't eat it in the past, we've been craving it ever since."

At the Loyal Fertility Academy, everything is measured down to the milligram, as cold and impersonal as a machine, leaving no room for negotiation.

In Bai Ye's mind, sweets are a luxury.

……

“What a strange little fellow…” The Rat King shook his head, then handed some chocolates to Bai Ye. “So, have you made up your mind?”

“I won’t be directly involved in your program, but my protégé will; she’ll be interning at Penguin Logistics.”

"In that case, I guess I'm considered to be involved?"

"It seems you won't abandon your apprentice, will you?" The Rat King tapped the ground with his cane.

"Actually, if there's anything you want me to do, you can just say so. You and Wei Yanwu have helped me a lot, and I don't mind doing something for you—well, on the condition that you tell me your plans."

Bai Ye smiled and continued:

"I don't want to be kept in the dark; one riddle teller is enough."

Chapter 87 Feeling Powerless

"Rat King" Lin Gerui looked at Bai Ye standing in front of him.

It was a smile so radiant you could see the light shining through it, but the pressure it exerted was no joke.

Of course, Lin Gerui was not intimidated by this oppressive force that had no murderous intent. He was just surprised that the reserved young man from back then had grown to such a level.

No, he originally possessed talent, but he deliberately hid his brilliance for a long time, hiding himself in darkness, and intentionally letting himself be tarnished in his self-abandonment.

And now, he has finally returned to his original form.

The Rat King couldn't help but laugh again.

There is absolutely no such young talent in the Great Yan Dynasty—no, comparing Bai Ye to those young lads is an insult to him.

Although her age and appearance are extremely deceptive, Bai Ye should indeed be compared to those important figures at the top of the Great Yan Dynasty. Even the Rat King himself feels that he can no longer be compared to those at that level.

The so-called equal dialogue was merely a pretext, given that he was older and had more resources, giving him the leeway to stand in front of Bai Ye and act superior.

……

"Young man, don't be in such a hurry. How about we go for a walk together?"

The Rat King looked around; this was hardly a good place to chat.

"I don't mind. Do you need me to help you?" Bai Ye smiled and winked.

"Although I am indeed old, I haven't reached that point yet." The Rat King ignored the fact that his shop was still open and walked outside with Bai Ye.

No one dares to cause trouble at this candy store, so it doesn't matter if it stays open like this.

Bai Ye remained noncommittal about the Rat King's words. Of course, such an old fellow wouldn't fall down so easily. When he was in Longmen, he often saw the Rat King taking a stroll and doing his morning exercise.

The Rat King was very successful. Ordinary people didn't know him at all, but those who did know him were in the gray area and wouldn't speak out casually, so he lived a very easy life.

"Is today Friday?"

“Hmm, Meiyu is right.” Bai Ye glanced at the system panel floating in front of him, which displayed the standard Terran calendar time.

Today is indeed Friday.

"I remember a lot of you guys saying today is... what Friday was it again? I understand less and less what young people are saying these days."

The Rat King's words made Bai Ye laugh, and he shook his head:

"Ha, you're joking again. I don't believe you wouldn't understand Crazy Friday. You're a 'promising rap star,' 'Sha Xuanfeng.akaMC.Ge Rui,' what trendy stuff can't you accept?"

"You know all this? What exactly did Wei Lao Er tell you?" Lin Ge Rui was stunned. What was all this about? Even his daughter, Lin Yu Xia, didn't know that he had once rapped in Longmen.

Even the High Priest came that time. The two of them joined forces to fight the Emperor on the stage, but unexpectedly, all three of them lost to an unknown little girl from the Dragon Gate firefighters.

If we're just talking about rap, that girl is unbeatable, because her speaking speed seems to be double speed; no matter how fast she tries, none of the three can match her. In the end, she got the majority of the votes.

"In short, everything at the Ice City Hotel is 30% off today."

Bai Ye shook his head:

"I don't want to go anywhere else, the fish ball stalls on the roadside are enough."

Bai Ye had just passed by a stall while lost in thought and remembered the aroma; it was quite nice.

He wanted to try it.

Lin Gerui was somewhat surprised, then he came to his senses and smiled:

"Do you know the relationship between that stall owner, Uncle Dong, and me?"

"What are you talking about?" Bai Ye asked, completely bewildered.

He just wanted to try the fish balls and see if they were as delicious as the rumors suggested.

Lin Gerui observed Bai Ye's expression and realized that he didn't seem to be faking it; it was just a subtle coincidence.

……

The two walked to Uncle Dong's fish ball stall, where Bai Ye saw the dead-eyed guy she had met in her absent-minded state earlier helping out.

"A newly recruited apprentice?"

"Lin? You actually come out during the day?" Uncle Dong was clearly taken aback when he saw Lin Gerui, not expecting the Rat King to come to his stall.

"What do you mean? Can't I come out during the day?" Lin Gerui smiled when he saw his old friend.

"This is Ah Jie, a young man from the dock area. I called him over to help out," Uncle Dong introduced. "His skills are quite good, but unfortunately he only knows how to kill scaled fish and make sashimi. He's still learning how to make fish balls."

The young man with fierce eyes bowed to Bai Ye and Lin Gerui.

Bai Ye smiled and nodded at him, then sat down with Lin Gerui on a bench by the flower bed.

This is considered the central park of Longmen. It's still daytime and a weekday, so there aren't many people.

"With your suggestion, Lungmen has indeed become much more stable."

Lin Gerui then got down to business.

"However, while things have stabilized internally, things have become unsettled outside. Due to the surge in the number of undead, all sorts of strange and monstrous things have started to emerge from outside."

"I heard you did something big on that kid Xiaota's turf? That really made quite a stir."

Lin Gerui was quite impressed by Bai Ye's ruthless methods.

Having ability and having courage are two different things, but both are equally important. Bai Ye's ability to act so decisively certainly demonstrates courage, but his capacity to bear the consequences of his actions also shows his ability.

Of course, out of personal motives, Lin Gerui would still attribute some of the credit to his old friend's daughter.

Without Talulah's help and support, Bai Ye would naturally not have been able to do it.

……