Chapter 105 Passage to Heaven
The adolescent's accent and grammar were quite peculiar, leaving the listeners perplexed. Qi Xia pondered the situation before him; this adolescent was clearly from {Passage to Heaven}, but why was he here?
"Who are you…?" Officer Li asked.
"Ge, my name is Kim Wonhun," the adolescent said, a charming smile gracing his handsome face as he bowed again, this time directly toward Officer Li. He then looked up and inquired, "May I ask which ge is Qi Xia?"
Everyone turned to Qi Xia, who could only walk forward with a resigned expression and reply, "That’s me."
"Great! Ge, I’ve been waiting for you here for a long time," Kim Wonhun said.
"Waiting for me?" Qi Xia replied, confusion evident in his voice.
"Yes," Kim Wonhun nodded. "I want to ask you a question."
The others, unfamiliar with Kim Wonhun, exchanged puzzled glances.
Ignoring her, Qi Xia focused on Kim Wonhun's intentions. "You’ve been waiting for me just to ask a question?" It seemed he anticipated what the question would be.
"Exactly zheyang," Kim Wonhun affirmed. "Ge, can we talk alone for a bit?"
Qi Xia nodded and trailed Kim Wonhun a short distance away from the others.
"Ge, someone asked me to ask you, {When did you arrive here}?"
Upon hearing the question, Qi Xia paused momentarily, as if contemplating something significant. Could {Passage to Heaven} truly be trusted?
If they were to act as they did last time, flitting about like headless flies in {End Point}, the conclusion would probably remain unpromising; in that case, perhaps trusting Chu Tianqiu once would be a prudent choice.
In a low voice, Qi Xia replied, "My physical body has been here for eleven days, but my consciousness has only been here for four."
"Ya, shibal [1]…" Kim Wonhun cursed under his breath. "Chu ge really is a god-like man…"
"What did you say?" Qi Xia queried, his surprise evident as he looked at the adolescent before him.
"Ge, to tell you the truth, this is the first day for everyone here, yet today, following Chu ge's instructions, I asked many people this question and not a single one said {the first day}... Do you think Chu ge knows something?"
Of course, Chu Tianqiu knew something. If his guess was correct, then he retained the memories from the last instance.
But what concerned Qi Xia even more was why Chu Tianqiu had asked this question during their previous encounter. Had he retained his memories from that time as well? Could it be that... they arrived here even earlier than he did?
After undergoing two cycles, had Chu Tianqiu gained even greater experience? With each iteration, he retained his memories, enabling him to strategically select his teammates based on past knowledge. If that's the case, then the power of {Passage to Heaven} was likely beyond Qi Xia's imagination.
Observing the two engaged in hushed conversation, Xiao Ran approached at an awkward moment, feigning nonchalance as she inquired, "So what are you two talking about?"
Kim Wonhun smiled slightly and said, "Ge, let’s go back over there, my next words need to be announced to everyone."
Kim Wonhun approached the group once more and inquired, "Everyone, we’re currently gathering skilled people to form an organization aimed at tackling the games together. Qi Xia ge has already answered the leader’s question and has been permitted to join. Are you all nayang interested?"
"What is the… purpose of the organization you mentioned?" Officer Li asked cautiously.
"Ya, it’s like a strategy group for participating in the games, ge," Kim Wonhun explained. "The games come in various types, and we can have certain people participate in specific games based on their strengths nàyàng."
Officer Li scrutinized Kim Wonhun for a long moment before asking, "Are you of Korean descent?"
"Yes, ge," Kim Wonhun nodded. "I live in a region of Yanbian (Korean Autonomous Prefecture) where few people speak the dialect of the Han ethnic group (mandarin Chinese), so I’m not very good. Please forgive me if I make a mistake when speaking."
Officer Li nodded in understanding as his city had a considerable population of Mongolian residents.
"Who sent you to find us?" Qiao Jiajin inquired.
"It's the ge who was from the same room as me, his name is Chu Tianqiu," Kim Wonhun replied earnestly. "He’s a very smart person, and I’m carrying out one of his orders nayang."
Qi Xia pondered, stroking his chin as he carefully contemplated the situation. Frankly, he had little knowledge of Chu Tianqiu; his entire awareness of the individual was confined to the understanding that {he possessed a diary capable of orchestrating an escape from this place}.
"Kim Wonhun, did Chu Tianqiu extend his invitation solely to me?" Qi Xia asked.
"Yes, but not entirely," Kim Wonhun patiently explained. "Chu ge invited you zhèyàng, but you can bring whoever you want. A da ge named Zhang Shan also just joined, and he also brought his people nàyàng."
‘Zhang Shan…’ Upon hearing that name, Qi Xia was suddenly reminded of Ole Lu and Specs. He now understood why Zhang Shan had brought those two along; they were indeed worthy of being teammates.
He cast a fleeting glance at the eight individuals beside him and suddenly had an epiphany. Charging into the games with such a large contingent would undoubtedly introduce numerous uncertainties. Given their considerable numbers, why not invite everyone to {Passage to Heaven}?
This approach would not only allow him to shed any deadweights but also present an opportunity to acquire the notes. To eliminate a drop of ink, the most effective strategy was to cast it into the ocean.
"Can all nine of us join?" Qi Xia inquired.
"Of course," Kim Wonhun replied. "Chu ge said that as long as you agree to join, we’ll do our best to accommodate any requests you make."
At this point, the collective began to hesitate.
They were willing to join Qi Xia's team because they had witnessed his capabilities firsthand. However could this {Chu Tianqiu}, who has yet to make an appearance, truly be trusted?
"Everyone, I am joining {Chu Tianqiu}'s organization," Qi Xia declared before anyone could gather their thoughts. "If you agree, you may follow me; if not, you can act on your own."
The collective exchanged uncertain glances.
"Oh, right," Kim Wonhun added, "According to Chu ge, it will be hard to find food and water in the coming days, but our organization will do its best to ensure everyone’s food distribution."
"That good?" Qiao Jiajin remained skeptical. "What’s your motive for letting us eat and drink for free?"
Kim Wonhun glanced around at the group before responding, "Our goal is to break through all the games nayang. Our organization doesn't support freeloaders, so all members must follow Chu ge’s orders. He will lead us out."
"All the games…" The listeners were momentarily taken aback. Why must they break through all the games when escape is merely collecting {Dào}?
"Then how are the {Dào} allocated?" Xiao Ran inquired.
"More work, more rewards," Kim Wonhun replied. "Chu ge isn't too concerned about the {Dào} nayang, so no one needs to worry."
Qi Xia sensed that Chu Tianqiu seemed to be taking a rather unusual approach. All of this likely tied back to the {diary} in his possession. Could it be that the method to escape wasn’t simply collecting {Dào}, but rather breaking all the games?
"Qi Xia ge, what do you say?" Kim Wonhun asked one last time to confirm Qi Xia’s intentions.
"No need to say more. I’m in," Qi Xia replied.