In Virtual Reality 71 ☆ The Library of Eternal Life (5/10)

As Xu Jin Yi descended the book ladder, she glided effortlessly towards the visitor.
The girl standing at the door still clutched onto her long-handled umbrella, its wet surface glistening with the droplets of rain that trickled down, eventually forming a small puddle at her feet.

Her gaze was fixed in amazement on the figure who had descended the ladder three or two steps, their work badge adorned with a blue strap gliding through a graceful arc in the air.

“Good day!” Xu Jin Yi greeted the new customer with a smile, her curiosity discreetly hidden beneath her cordiality.

But to her astonishment, the girl clutching the umbrella stuttered and spoke in a tone that was riddled with fear.
“Wang, Wang-“

Wang? Wang? Wang-a-lang-a-ding-dong? Xu Jin Yi blinked as she struggled to make sense of the other party's incomprehensible and muddled language.

**

Zhang Rou Rou's mind was spinning.
She found herself in an eerie place resembling a library.
To her surprise, Wang Jin Long was standing there, laughing so handsomely.
He and laughing? The sight of him was enough to drive her crazy.
It was true that Mr Wang had invited her to explore the truth of the world, and she had agreed to it, but after months of getting along, she could sense an unknown depth beneath his charming face.

He was different when he was with her and Officer Cao.
His attitude changed depending on who he was talking to.
She couldn't help but compare the warm and bright person in front of her with the cold and calculating man she had seen in the past.

“Hello,” Zhang Rou Rou responded softly, clutching the umbrella handle tightly as she looked at the person in the pink hoodie like a vigilant animal.

The stranger's gaze fell upon her umbrella, “If you want to enter the library, please leave your umbrella at the door.” they kindly smiled.

Zhang Rou Rou looked where the hoodie was pointing and noticed an umbrella storage area.
She hadn't seen it when she first entered the library, but it seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The sight sent shivers down her spine, and she felt a chill run through her body that was worse than the cold rain and wind outside.

She was alone, without Wheatley by her side, and her “vision” wasn't working, so she panicked.
Her lips trembled as she tried to calm herself.
She gripped the umbrella tighter.
To anyone observing, it was clear that she was unwilling to cooperate.

Hoodie tilted their head and looked Zhang Rou Rou up and down.
Suddenly, they realized, “Is it too cold?” They smiled and approached the new customer, their right hand naturally circling around the girl's head from behind.
They quickly put on a warm, fuzzy, hand-knitted scarf for her.
“Make sure to keep warm.”

Zhang Rou Rou's ears registered the muffled voice of the hoodie, and she felt the warmth of the scarf around her neck.
Dazed, she gazed up at the figure before her.

“Mr Wang…?” she spoke without thinking, but the confusion in the hoodie's eyes silenced her.

They could have been twins.
Though their voices were dissimilar, could there indeed be a person who looked so alike yet bore no blood relation?

Zhang Rou Rou trailed behind the pink hoodie, her mind preoccupied.

“If it's an umbrella, let me help you put it away.
Please fill out your information on that counter over there,” the hoodie's smile was cordial yet urgent as they swiftly took the umbrella.

While the hoodie was occupied, Zhang Rou Rou twisted the scarf around her neck, her eyes fixated on the old, yellow-brown notebook in her hands.
After a moment of hesitation, she penned her name in black ink-

【Zhang Xiao Hua】

Who in their right mind would use their real name in this eerie place? Zhang Rou Rou's alertness peaked momentarily.

“Zhang Xiao Hua…”

Suddenly, a familiar voice resounded behind her, causing her to jump back in surprise.

The hoodie stood before her, appearing somewhat taken aback.
“Apologies,” they scratched their head, “did I startle you?”

Zhang Rou Rou clutched her scarf tightly, remaining silent.
The library's inexplicable nature, its eerie ambience, the sudden enchantment, and the familiar face–everything was uncanny.
Nevertheless, the hoodie's usual and amiable demeanour dissuaded Zhang Rou Rou from being overly apprehensive.
Though she remained cautious, she reciprocated the hoodie's kind behaviour with civility.

“Earlier,” the hoodie broke the silence, pointing at themselves with a smile, “did you call me Mr Wang? Do I resemble someone you know?”

Zhang Rou Rou gazed at the face before her, a strange sense of collapse overwhelming her.
It felt like a wicked character had suddenly transformed into an innocent one.
The abrupt change left Zhang Rou Rou dazed for a long time.
She couldn't help but add, “Almost identical.”

“Identical?” The other person sighed, their curiosity piqued.
With playful gestures, they poked their nose and face.
“How similar? Are the face and body very much alike?”

The playful manner of the stranger eased Zhang Rou Rou's tension.
The other person appeared like a recent college graduate, with clear, innocent eyes.

She carefully contemplated it.
“The face and body are very much alike,” Zhang Rou Rou compared Wang Jin Long's image with the person before her, “but your voice and demeanour are not.”

It was like comparing the sun in the sky to the sun reflecting in the mud, an imperfect analogy.

**

Xu Jin Yi relished the joke until her complexion gradually turned ashen.
No way…? “The person you're referring to,” she furrowed her brows and asked, “isn't it Wang Jin Long, right?”

The girl in front of her stared wide-eyed, visibly surprised.
“You…
you know Mr Wang?!”

Wang Jin Long.

He first appeared in the beta version of «Murphy Amusement Park».
Xu Jin Yi's last recollection of this name was in the Easter egg of «Elevator Safety Instructions», where he appeared to be roommates with NPC Zeng Zhi.

However, according to Zhang Xiao Hua's script information, Wang Jin Long and the original face model of the pink hoodie were indistinguishable.

How could this be?

In 'Murphy's Amusement Park,' though the name Wang Jin Long sounded tacky, his portrait model was undoubtedly a refined gentleman.
He looked nowhere close to the fresh and clean look of the default face model!

Xu Jin Yi asked, “He looks very similar to me?”

Zhang Rou Rou nodded.

“Do you have a photo of him?”

A photo…

“I haven't taken a photo with Mr Wang,” Zhang Rou Rou replied shyly.
“He seems to dislike the camera.”

After taking several pictures for Wheatley in the base, Zhang Rou Rou learned that Mr Wang would always rise from the sofa and retreat to his room.
After a few attempts, Zhang Rou Rou figured this out.

Xu Jin Yi gently rubbed her chin, lost in thought.
Zhang Rou Rou broke the silence, her voice trailing off uncertainly.
“I'm Zhang Xiao Hua.
What about you?”

“Call me Jss,” she almost blurted out her real name but quickly caught herself and added in a deep tone, “Ssilence.”

“Silence?” Zhang Rou Rou repeated, looking puzzled.

“Yes, as in the absence of sound,” Xu Jin Yi replied, tracing the character's shape in the air.
Zhang Rou Rou seemed lost in thought, so she changed the subject.
“How did you meet Wang Jin Long?”

[Hey, somebody copy pasted my translations on another site! Please show some love by liking my work on https://puukkiss.wixsite.com/inkydragon.
Without it, I may think that nobody is reading my work and consider abandoning it, which means you won't be able to find it anywhere else.]

Zhang Rou Rou hesitated before answering.
The memory was still fresh in her mind, and she wasn't sure how to articulate it.

**

In the coffee shop, Wang Jin Long clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on his phone.
The sound of voices filtered through his earphones, but he was too focused on paying them any attention.
He felt a surge of satisfaction as he thought about how he had tricked Zhang Rou Rou into leaving, using her dog as a distraction.

He had always known that someone like Zhang Rou Rou would fall for his ploy.
All he had to do was give her a task that wasn't too difficult, and she would let her guard down.
With Cao Wei Min out of the way, Zhang Rou Rou was easy pickings.

He almost jumped with a spring in his step.
The bug he had planted on her collar was still transmitting, although the sound was faint.
The twisted space in the “Spirit Shenanigans” crushed the small device that could transmit video.
Still, he had seen enough to know that the person he had encountered had been “Spirit Shenanigans” for a long time.
Those pure black, unadulterated pupils had left an indelible impression on him.

Wang Jin Long shuddered at the memory of those eyes.
He had felt the same way when he had encountered the strange woman all those years ago.
But he knew that the greater the danger, the greater the reward.
It was a philosophy that had served his family well over the generations, and it was what had allowed him to seize the opportunity back then.

He pressed down on his earphones, listening intently to the sounds coming through.
It was like a lifeline, connecting him to the world outside the “Spirit Shenanigans.”

**

Xu Jin Yi didn't rush Zhang Rou Rou for an answer.
Instead, she twirled the label around her neck, sporting a small smile.
“As you can see,” she gestured around the library, “I'm the librarian here.”

Before Zhang Rou Rou's arrival, Xu Jin Yi had already mapped out the layout of the joint internet game.
In this game, whoever holds the “Librarian” identity card is the sovereign of the game.
Although the game's system warned the librarians, there was no strict enforcement, leaving Xu Jin Yi uncertain about the consequences of disobeying the library rules.

“Would you like to borrow a book?” Xu Jin Yi inquired with a smile, though she acknowledged that the books in the library were far from serious.
Her eyes wandered, settling on light novels; at least they were something.

**

In the face of the pink hoodie's enthusiasm, Zhang Rou Rou hesitated briefly.
Her caution prevailed, and she muttered, “I'll look around first.”

Although the person before her appeared normal, her presence in the library was already unusual.
Zhang Rou Rou couldn't predict the consequences of casually agreeing to the other person's offer.

Upon hearing Zhang Rou Rou's response, the hoodie nodded and smiled.
“If you need anything, just call me,” they said while waving their library card.
“The librarian is happy to assist you.”

**

Xu Jin Yi breathed a sigh of relief once Zhang Rou Rou was out of earshot, her fake smile disappearing.
“Murphy's Amusement Park,” she murmured to herself.
“I need books related to Murphy's Amusement Park.”