Chapter 157

Chapter 157: All Are Outsiders

At the N level, the “roof” of Borderland, the Special Affairs Bureau’s most unusual lookout deck, Yu Sheng was still shaken. Even after seeing incredible sights through many Doors, this small island floating in nothingness and the majestic stream of light spanning the sky took his breath away. The void and the glow at The End Web even drew him toward a certain idea, a thought of the world’s End Web.

But maybe that thought came not from the view, but from the topic at hand.

Yu Sheng rattled the ice in his glass and watched the clear crystals bump together for a long time before he spoke: “I’ve heard the world outside Borderland is huge. I’ve seen far off scenes on the other side of those Doors. Li Lin and the others told me that even the Special Affairs Bureau can’t reach the world’s End Web. Beyond the Youth Form River, nobody knows how many wonders are in the wide universe.”

“You’re right. The world is very big. Most people living in Borderland never think about that, but people like us have to think long term,” said Bai Li Qing, unhurried. “Even so, we are more than eighty percent certain that ‘Foxy’ comes from ‘outside’ rather than from some far, undiscovered place within this universe.”

Yu Sheng frowned: “Why?”

“The reasons are many,” said Bai Li Qing with patient clarity. “We analyzed her hair samples. Some components are beyond our understanding. We assessed the level of the ‘hometown’ civilization in her memories. If such a civilization really existed here, the universe should be full of their traces. The ripples from their star sailing would show up in the background radiation and spread across spacetime. We also used certain occult methods… are you interested in hearing them?”

Yu Sheng waved it off: “No need. It’s enough to know you reached this result seriously.”

[Foxy’s hometown is very far away. I knew that from the start, but I didn’t expect it to be outside the world.]

[Back in the room, when Bai Li Qing told us the current findings and asked Foxy those questions, I already guessed this answer. For most people it would be hard to imagine. For me, it isn’t that hard to accept.]

[Because I know I also come from a distant place. In that way, Foxy and I are alike. We are both outsiders.]

[Which is farther, my hometown or hers? Which is harder to return to? Will that quiet little seaside city from my memories really be behind some Door? Can Foxy’s faraway home be reached again through a crack? If her home lies beyond this world, then where is mine? Is that little city even in this world?]

[In the end, is this “world,” the one that includes Borderland, really what I think it is? I’m not sure anymore.]

Bai Li Qing said nothing. She simply sat across from Yu Sheng, her colorless eyes fixed on the man before her without looking away.

In her sight, a pair of phantom eyes slowly opened far away. Like her own, they lacked color, hazy as if projected in the void, and from another angle they too watched the thinking Yu Sheng.

A flat, emotionless voice sounded in Bai Li Qing’s mind: “Unbelievable. I am looking right at him, yet I still can’t see what he is. It’s like he isn’t here at all, and still he gives off a strong sense of presence. He’s very interesting, sister.”

Bai Li Qing kept her face unchanged as she answered in her mind: “Don’t fool around. Don’t cause misunderstandings.”

“It’s fine. No one can see a ‘gaze,’” said the eyes, calm and cool. “I’m only satisfying my curiosity.”

Yu Sheng turned his head to glance back, then faced Bai Li Qing again and pointed behind him with his thumb: “Is that your friend?”

“…??!!” said Bai Li Qing, truly taken aback.

Yu Sheng was shocked too, mostly because he had always thought she was expressionless. He had not expected this sister to widen her eyes so much.

The next second, Bai Li Qing blurted out: “You can see her?”

“Uh… am I not supposed to?” said Yu Sheng, blank for a moment. He pointed at himself, now sure that the big eyes floating up behind him knew Bai Li Qing, then turned and greeted the eyes politely: “Well, I’m Yu Sheng. You…”

The eyes vanished at once.

Yu Sheng raised his brows in surprise.

He had noticed the eyes from the start, since they didn’t hide and were huge. A quick glance from the corner of his eye was enough. He had been startled for a heartbeat, but he saw that Bai Li Qing’s face did not change and read in her gaze that she also saw the “big eyes,” so he calmed down. After all, in Boundary City he had seen plenty of weird things. He treated the big eyes as another normal “phenomenon” of this place. But judging by Bai Li Qing’s reaction now, he thought he might have misread it.

Bai Li Qing stayed dazed for the longest time since she became Director of the Special Affairs Bureau. After a long moment, she smoothed her expression, ignored the mental noise still buzzing in her head, and said to Yu Sheng: “You are the first one to see her, other than me.”

Yu Sheng opened and closed his mouth, at a loss: “I didn’t know. She was just floating there. She really is your friend? An invisible friend? Who is she?”

Bai Li Qing looked conflicted. After a long struggle she let out a sigh: “She is my sister.”

“…?” said Yu Sheng, speechless.

He wanted to say, Your younger sister’s looks are very unique, but after hesitating he kept that line to himself.

He also noticed that Bai Li Qing did not want to discuss it with outsiders. So he coughed twice and said: “There must be a story there, so I won’t pry. But why did she pop out just now? And why did she leave as soon as I said hello? Did I scare her?”

“Yes,” said Bai Li Qing with a sigh.

“Then please apologize to her for me,” said Yu Sheng.

“Alright,” said Bai Li Qing.

[She does look a little tired,] thought Yu Sheng as he studied the Director Sister across from him.

He shook his head, drained the ice water, let out a long breath, and stood up.

“Let’s head back,” he said.

“Don’t you want to ask more?” said Bai Li Qing, puzzled.

“Ask what? About Foxy, or about your sister?” said Yu Sheng with open hands. He smiled and gave a small shake of his head: “I know what I need to know. I won’t pry into your private life. As for Foxy, unless we actually find her homeland and have a way to send her back, I don’t care much about the rest.”

He took a few steps toward the nearby “elevator,” then stopped as if something occurred to him. He turned back to Bai Li Qing and said: “Wait, there is one thing. By your earlier words, both Foxy and the ‘Dark Angels’ came from ‘outside,’ right?”

“Yes,” said Bai Li Qing without dodging the point. She added honestly, “But all we know is that there are ‘existences’ beyond the world. We know nothing about what ‘outside’ is actually like. We have no clues about the origin or purpose of the Dark Angels, nor about Foxy’s homeland.”

“Alright,” said Yu Sheng with a brief nod, not caring much about that last part. He went on, thoughtful: “If you get any intel about the Dark Angels in the future, can you tell me right away?”

Bai Li Qing looked surprised. She watched him and hesitated for two seconds: “You mean you want to…”

“I promised to send her home. She keeps saying she doesn’t care, but I want her to have the right to choose,” said Yu Sheng seriously. “I don’t care where the Dark Angels came from or what they want, but I am very interested in how they drilled the ‘hole’ to get in. Also, if Foxy and her father and mother really crashed in the Night Valley because of the Dark Angels, then I have a score to settle with them.”

Bai Li Qing watched the earnest Yu Sheng in silence. No one could tell what ran through her mind. After a moment, she nodded.

“Alright. Since you asked, the Special Affairs Bureau will give ‘Hotel’ priority on sharing that intel,” she said.

“Thank you,” said Yu Sheng.

“I will say one more thing,” said Bai Li Qing after a pause. “You seem to care a lot about the people around you. You should know that dealing with the Dark Angels is very dangerous.”

“I know. More than one person has warned me,” said Yu Sheng with a wry smile. “But what can I do? She calls me Benefactor, and in this world she has no other family.”

“I understand,” said Bai Li Qing with a small nod.

She asked nothing more. For some reason, after hearing his answer, she seemed just a bit more at ease.