After an Infinite Flow Player Retires

Ye Jia stared at the open box before him.The two eyeballs floating within the thick and slimy blood reflected a faint light in the dim room, looking as if they were still alive. It rotated in the blood, like they were quietly looking around in the dark.In the darkness, Ye Jia’s eyes met with that pair of eyes.It seemed to be wanting to say something but it could only remain silent.He internally combed through his speculations and compared it with the clues he had gathered so far.The more he thought about it, the more connections he made.Ye Jia’s eyes narrowed slightly. His amber eyes reflected the blood in the box, looking like a drop of fresh blood sinking into the depths of a deep lake.Although the game had crashed and the ghost door had opened, but for some reason, Mother is currently unable to leave the game.And the Ghost King is Mother’s proxy while the other high-level fierce ghosts are tasked with the mission to look for her body parts --- From the human skins in M City to the missing heart in the woman’s chest and also the eyeballs before him….There must be some extremely strict restrictions on the organs that were required to be collected or Mother wouldn’t have taken this long and still be unable to leave.And now, the biggest question was……How much did Mother need? How far have the fierce ghosts progressed? How far were they from completion?----- For humans, how much time do they have left?Ye Jia’s brows were furrowed and his thoughts were a mess.The hand hanging by his side slowly clenched into a fist. His pale fingers turned white from the force and his neatly trimmed nails left crescent shaped nail marks in the palm of his hands.Suddenly, something cold lightly landed on the back of the young man’s hand.Like a snowflake, it silently fell and softly kissed his warm skin.Ye Jia was startled by this. He turned to look beside him.Ji Xuan had come over at some unknown point in time and was standing next to him. His scarlet eyes were lowered but his gaze wasn’t on the eyeballs floating in the pool of blood before them.He gently lifted Ye Jia’s hand and carefully spread open the young man’s clenched fist. His pale and cold fingers brushed along the nail marks left in the palm of his hand, much like a gentle breeze passing by.The young man’s fingers trembled.Ye Jia instinctively tried to retract his hand but he was unable to break free from the other person’s grip.Ji Xuan raised his eyes, his dark scarlet eyes looking fixedly at Ye Jia. His voice was low, with a hint of cold hoarseness:“Gege, did you know? You have a talent that you yourself have never noticed.”He reached out and gently touched the young man’s thin and warm eyelids with his fingers.Ye Jia was forced to close his eyes.“You always seem to figure out the key point.” In the darkness, the man’s hoarse voice sounded close at hand, “Disregarding all the irrelevant distractions, accurately pinpointing the crucial clues and source of the problem ---- Every time, in every instance, it has been like this.”Ye Jia was slightly stunned.He could feel the other party’s fingers slowly withdrawing after touching his eyelids.Ye Jia opened his eyes.The tall man before him had his head lowered. He placed a cold kiss on his open palm and looked up at him with a faint smile on his thin lips:“If you are unable to solve this mystery, then no one in this world can.”Ye Jia stared at the man before him. His eyes narrowed slightly and his expression showed confusion.Disregarding all distractions….?He was stunned.Ye Jia’s eyes widened little by little and he then conversely grabbed Ji Xuan’s wrist. His amber coloured eyes flashed a compelling light, like a sharp blade cutting through the darkness. Frightened and also excited, his breathing was a little unsteady.“Quick. We need to go back to M City.”.On the train.Chen Qingye, Wei Yuechu and Blast sat opposite Ye Jia. They all carried equally puzzled expressions.The slight bumps and vibrations in the train echoed through the deadly silent train carriage, making people drowsy. The entire carriage was empty. There was no one else apart from them.Chen Qingye frowned and pushed up his glasses.“Why are we going back?”Wei Yuechu was also puzzled:“If it is really as you have speculated and the fierce ghost and monsters are currently collecting body parts to be able to bring Mother into the human world, shouldn’t we be trying to find the whereabouts of the other high-level fierce ghosts and disrupt their plans, making them unable to complete their task? What’s the use of returning to M City??”Ye Jia was expressionless as his gaze remained fixed on the table before him, as if he was studying the groves on it.Hearing Wei Yuechu’s question, he looked up.Ye Jia said:“Do you still remember the skinning case that happened in M City?”The three of them nodded.Ye Jia continued, “And I believe I also told you that I saw a rack filled with the skins of the victims at a dock in M City.”The three of them nodded again.Ye Jia lightly tapped the table before him with his finger, making a rhythmic sound.“It wasn’t just one, but an entire rack of it.”Chen Qingye was stunned, “Are you saying……..?”“Yes.” Ye Jia nodded.“Although there are strict restrictions on the organs that could be used to make Mother’s body, it doesn’t mean that there is only one in this world that can be used. Although we managed to intercept the eyeballs this time, Mother could still send out other fierce ghosts to find other eyeballs that meet the requirements. If we follow them from city to city, we will always be a few steps behind them.”The expressions of the other three gradually turned serious.Ye Jia narrowed his eyes slightly, “If we want to get ahead of them, we must figure out the key point.”----Just like how Ji Xuan gave him a reminder that night.And so, where was the key point?On a rainy night thirty years ago.That was the only trace of “Mother” appearing in the real world before the ghost door was opened.Ye Jia raised his eyes and looked at the three people before him, “I’ve checked the records at the police station. The human skinning cases have only occurred in M City and even the case of the heart disappearing and the ghost rampage, as well as……” His words paused for a moment but he continued, “even the city where the Ghost King Ji Xuan appeared was also in M City.”With his finger that was dipped in water, he tapped the map on the table that he had unconsciously drawn and said softly:“Although we don’t know the reason for it yet, M City seems to be the centre of the storm.”All of Ye Jia’s words went straight to the point. The three of them couldn’t help but fall into deep thought.Suddenly, Blast spoke up, “So then…..”The others turned to look at him.“Why on earth did he come too?!”The red-haired young man pointed expressionlessly to a seat not far away ---- There was a tall man standing at the junction between the carriages. His originally scarlet eyes had already been changed into a pitch black colour and he was at this moment filling a cup with hot water.Chen Qingye and Wei Yuechu, “……..”I knew you weren’t going to ask anything serious.But----They were actually also curious about the answer to this question.The two turned to look at Ye Jia at the same time.At this moment, Wei Yuechu seemed to have suddenly thought of something. She asked, “By the way, that night at the abandoned construction site, you said you could explain. What’s the explanation?”Ye Jia, “……..”Chen Qingye nodded, “Now that we have time, you can go ahead.”Ye Jia, “…….”Ah, was this what it feels like to shoot yourself in the foot?At this moment, Ji Xuan had already returned with a cup of hot water. He very naturally sat down next to Ye Jia with his two long legs crossed and, very suddenly, the space they were in felt cramped.Almost instantly, the white steam from the cup disappeared at a speed that was visible to the naked eye. It quickly changed from scalding hot water to warm water that could be directly ingested.Ji Xuan very naturally pushed the cup of water into Ye Jia’s hands.“You thirsty?”The other three were dumbfounded.They looked at the suddenly very approachable Ghost King before them, then looked at the cup of hot water and then at Ye Jia who sported a stiff expression. All three pairs of eyes were filled with curiosity.Ye Jia, “……...”You’re not helping at all!!!He took in a deep breath and said stiffly, “It’s a long story…..”“It’s okay, we have time.” Wei Yuechu answered calmly.Ji Xuan chuckled, “Oh, you’re talking about that matter.”He narrowed his eyes and his lips rose to form a slightly malicious smile, “We have known each other a lot longer than you three.”The other three were surprised.What?“As for our relationship…..It’s quite complicated.”The man's low voice carried a hint of ambiguity. His pale fingers lightly hooked around his collar and he proceeded to pull it down, revealing his clavicle.“Do you want to see the marks gege left on me?”Everyone, “!!!!!”WTF?!!!Big news!!! A shockingly big news!!!!!!!!!Ye Jia expressionlessly raised his arm and fiercely elbowed the stomach of the man beside him.Ji Xuan bowed down, hissing in pain.“…...So harsh?”Ye Jia raised his eyes to look at the three before them. They had all been rendered speechless by the shocking news and their minds were completely blank, staring foolishly at the two of them. They seemed to be continuously flipping back and forth between a state of disbelief and a state of mental breakdown.Ye Jia felt a headache forming. He raised his hand to massage his throbbing temples and said:“Alright…..In any case, this person is the child who has been following me around in the game.”Wei Yuechu was shocked.Her eyes instantly widened and she pointed her trembling fingers at the man who was smiling nonchalantly at the current situation, “Y-y-you…..”No way?!The cute little boy they saw at Dream Maker’s company…...was actually Ji Xuan?!Ji Xuan raised a brow and spoke up. What came out of his voice however was a young and tender voice belonging to a child.“What? You don’t remember me anymore? I’m hurt.”Wei Yuechu’s pupils instantly constricted, “!!!!”In an instant, all the hair on her body stood on end and goosebumps covered her arms.Fuck, this man is too scary!!!She slowly turned to look at Ye Jia, “Then…..when he said he made you angry, he was referring to…..??”“Oh, that.”Ji Xuan lazily leaned back in the chair. There was a hint of smile in his dark eyes, “I wanted to kill him at the time.”Everyone, “?!”Ye Jia’s expression didn’t change, “Yeah. He wanted to turn me into a ghost.”Everyone, “??!!”Wait a minute, what was with this development?Ji Xuan hooked his finger around his collar and pulled it down further, revealing the scar on his pale chest. His next words sounded somewhat regretful, “And that’s why I was taught a lesson.”Everyone, “……….”Their expressions were completely blank. For a moment, they didn’t know how to react to such a…..strange and unpredictable relationship.Ji Xuan suddenly seemed to think of something, “Oh right, in fact, I’m also his……”----Girlfriend.Ye Jia expressionlessly stepped on his foot with great force and even ground down onto it mercilessly.At this moment, the train speed slowed down as did the sound of the carriage shaking and metal clanging.Ye Jia lifted the curtain and looked out, “We’re here.”He stood up and slowly stepped over the man next to him, “Get ready. We’re getting off.”He walked off, leaving behind three pairs of eyes that were filled with the desire to know more-----Wait a minute, what was it?? What was he going to say?!The man before them gave them a small smile and the next second, without giving them a chance to react, the tall and imposing Ghost King was replaced by a thin young boy with dark eyes.He jumped off his seat and hurried off in the direction where Ye Jia disappeared.“Gege, wait for me!”Chen Qingye, “……..”Wei Yuechu, “………”Blast, “………”It was unknown who broke the silence first, “Don’t you guys find it a little scary?”“…..Yes.”“Very.”.Outside the station.Because he couldn’t step away from his responsibilities, Wu Su didn’t come to pick them up and had sent someone else over in his stead.Cheng Cezhi stuck his head out of the car and waved enthusiastically at the people before him with a bright smile on his face, “Over here!!!”He was a little surprised when he saw the young boy following closely behind Ye Jia, “Huh? Who is this?”Ye Jia seemed to only now remember this. He glanced at Ji Xuan and proceeded to say without a change to his expression, “Oh, that’s my friend’s child. He will be staying in M City for a few days.”“……” The expressions of the other three were slightly stiff.The veins on Blast’s forehead throbbed.Lying without a change to your expression. As expected of you, you scumbag!“Ohhh!! Hi there little one!” Cheng Cezhi became even more enthusiastic. He ignored the strange expressions from the other three and bent down and pulled out some candy from the glove box, “Would you like some candy?”Ji Xuan, “....…”Ye Jia coolly glanced at him, “Why aren’t you accepting?”Ji Xuan’s lips twitched. He reached out to receive the candy.Ye Jia, “Not saying thank you?”Ji Xuan took in a deep breath and finally forced out:“…..Thank you.”Cheng Cezhi’s laughed heartily, “Oh, no need to be polite. You can call me Brother Cheng from now on…..”Before he could finish speaking, Ye Jia had already picked Ji Xuan up by the collar and thrown him into the car. He pointed at the long queue behind the car and said calmly, “It’s getting late. We shouldn’t block the road here.”“Oh, that’s right!” Cheng Cezhi hurriedly started up the car.Inside the car.Ji Xuan raised his eyes and looked at the young man sitting beside him.From his angle, he could only see the other party’s cold and defined jawline as well as his slightly pursed lips which gave off an air of indifference and coldness.The smile on Ji Xuan’s lips deepened.He unwrapped one of the candies he was given, placed it in his mouth and then reached out and quietly hooked his finger around the other person’s pinky.On his first attempt, the other party moved away.The same happened on his second attempt.…..After who knows how many times, Ye Jia finally didn’t have the energy to continue messing around. He eventually gave up and silently accepted Ji Xuan’s sneaky actions.Ji Xuan slowly took advantage of this. From one finger to two fingers, finally, he was holding onto the other person’s entire hand.He raised his eyes and once again looked at the young man’s expressionless face. The candy was melting very slowly in his cold mouth but mellow sweetness slowly spread from the hard candy starting from the tip of his tongue. It made even a fierce ghost with an empty shell like him feel like his body contained a hint of sweetness.Ji Xuan raised his lips in satisfaction and stopped fiddling around.Very soon, the car stopped outside the Bureau headquarters. Four adults and one child got off.Cheng Cezhi stuck his head out, “You guys go up first. I’ll go park the car!”Ye Jia looked at the three people before him, “What we need to find right now is how Mother is selecting her body parts. Only by knowing this will we be able to determine her next move.”He looked at Chen Qingye, “Can you look into all the victims involved in the skinning case?”Chen Qingye nodded, “Of course.”Ye Jia looked towards Wei Yuechu, “You look into the case involving the murder of the wife.”“Okay.”“As for you….” Ye Jia looked at Blast and seemed a little hesitant, “You can go with Chen Qingye, okay?”Blast was angered, “Hey, what do you mean by that? Why did you hesitate?! You’re looking down on me?”He was so angry, he rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight Ye Jia.“No, no, no. It’s just that there were many people involved in the skinning case. I was worried that Chen Qingye wouldn’t be able to handle it without your help….” Ye Jia lied without a change to his expression.Blast looked at him suspiciously, “Really?”Ye Jia nodded, “Really.”“That should be expected.” Although Blast’s expression was still serious, the corners of his lips couldn’t help but rise.“Okay, okay, let’s get to work then!” He dragged Chen Qingye over towards the entrance to the Bureau. As he left, he used his elbow to nudge the other party, “Hey, did you hear that? Ace said I….”The figures and voices of the two people moved further and further away until they could no longer be heard.Ye Jia, “…….”He sure is easy to coax.Wei Yuechu, who was left behind, looked at Ye Jia and asked, “What about you?”Ye Jia raised his hand and showed her the metal box in his hand, “I’ll go to the forensic department to see if this person’s identity can be found.”“Why didn’t you do it at the capital?” Wei Yuechu didn’t understand.Ye Jia paused. He however didn’t tell her about his suspicions regarding the main headquarters and just smiled lightly, “M City is the key after all.”So he had to return as soon as possible.Wei Yuechu nodded, “Oh, that’s true.”She waved at Ye Jia, “Good luck!”Ye Jia turned to look at Ji Xuan beside him and raised a brow, “You still want to stay like this?”Ji Xuan sighed with some regret and returned to the appearance of an adult man.Ye Jia expressionlessly shook off the other party’s hand and ordered lightly:“Let’s go.”Ji Xuan looked down at his empty hand and sighed again.As expected.As soon as he turns big, the benefits from earlier would be instantly taken away. Damn.Ye Jia went to find the forensic doctor first. He showed them his Bureau employee card and then gave the other party the eyeballs, asking the other party to contact him as soon as they get a result.But even after doing this, he didn’t leave.“Excuse me. If I want to check the forensic reports for a case from thirty years ago, where should I go?” Ye Jia stopped the other party and asked them this.“Thirty years ago?” The other party was surprised, “If it’s something that long ago, it might not have been entered into the digital system yet. Why don’t you go and check the filing room?”Under the other person’s directions, Ye Jia arrived at the filing room.The dimly lit room smelled of old paper.He walked slowly between the shelves, his eyes sweeping over the unfamiliar dates.Suddenly, Ye Jia’s footsteps stopped.His gaze landed on the top shelf not far ahead. The date on the spine was slightly blurred:September 12th, 19XXA date he would never forget.Ye Jia pursed his lips and reached up to take down the dust covered stack of documents.He opened the file and looked through it page by page, but wasn’t able to find the familiar name.How come….?Ye Jia frowned. He once again slowly went through it.It’s really not there.----A few pages were missing.And those pages happen to include the autopsy records of his mother and father’s bodies.Ye Jia’s eyes narrowed slightly.He found the duty records from back then on another shelf. His eyes stopped for several seconds on a very familiar forensic doctor’s name.Ye Jia secretly wrote down the address the other party had registered on the file and then returned the documents back to their original locations.He then said to Ji Xuan who was waiting at the door, “Let’s go.”.Before them was an old residential building. It looked rather old, with green moss clinging to the brick walls. Sheets and blankets of various colours hung outside in the open space.A tall and slender young man stood before it, looking up at the tall residential building. He then proceeded to enter.The corridors were dimly lit and smelled of dust and food.Ye Jia stopped outside one of the doors. He paused briefly, his line of sight stopping for a few seconds on the faded 303, and then curled his fingers and gently knocked.Stumbling footsteps sounded behind the door and there was also the sound of things being moved.An elderly voice sounded, “Coming, coming….”The sound of the metal lock clattering was particularly loud in the deadly silent corridor. When the battered door opened, an old woman’s wrinkled covered face appeared. She looked particularly old, with every gully on her face representing the years that had passed. Her turbid eyes narrowed as she looked through her thick reading glasses, “Who is it?”Ye Jia pursed his lips and quietly said:“Hello Dr. Chen, I’m….I’m a distant relative of one of the victims in a case you’ve once handled. I’m here to ask a few questions….”“A case I’ve once handled….” Dr. Chen pushed up her reading glasses with a scrawny and dry hand and shakily shook her head, “I’m already very old and no longer remember much about the past. You probably came all the way here for nothing….”“Wait…” Ye Jia hurriedly reached out to hold open the door the other party was about to close:“Do you still have any impression of the Qi Rou and Ye Huiyong case?”Dr. Chen’s actions stopped.She looked up and carefully looked over Ye Jia before finally sighing and letting go of the door, “Come in.”“Terrible, extremely terrible.”The old lady weakly walked in while using a cane to support herself, “Even despite working in this field all these years, I don’t often see such a terrible case…”She turned back and asked:“Haa…...Since you’re their distant relative, do you know what happened to that child?”Ye Jia’s voice was restrained, “It is said that he seemed to have disappeared.”Dr. Chen was slightly startled.“Oh heavens.”Although more than thirty years had passed, she could still clearly recall that case -----A young boy completely soaked from the rain sitting on the chair at the police station shivering uncontrollably with his face pale and his lips blue. From the front of his shirt to his trousers, he was covered in blood. There were however no traces of tears in his eyes. He just sat there, staring blankly at the space before him.He had experienced an unimaginably terrible night.In just one day-----He lost his mother.And his father turned into a murderer.