Chapter Five: The Meeting

Jiang Yu followed Jiang Mu to Jiang Yi’s home, where they were greeted at the door by their sister-in-law, Chen Jiayi.

"Sister-in-law, is my eldest brother home?"

"He is. Come on in, you two."

Chen Jiayi led them into the house and brought them to a room. "Your eldest brother has been waiting for you. Go on in."

As soon as Jiang Yu entered, she saw the man sitting there. It had to be said, he looked quite like her. If she and Jiang Mu only shared a twenty-percent resemblance, she and the man before her easily shared sixty percent.

"Eldest Brother." Jiang Yu followed suit and greeted him.

"You’re here. Have a seat."

A period of silence followed. No one spoke, and the atmosphere grew slightly awkward. Finally, it was Jiang Mu who broke the stillness: "Eldest Brother, what’s the plan now?" He had brought her here as requested, so why were they just sitting around? If he didn't intend to communicate, why bother having him bring her at all?

Jiang Yi looked up from his work as if he had just realized they were still there. "Xiao Yu, what do you think we should do next?"

Jiang Yi ignored Jiang Mu’s question and stared directly at Jiang Yu instead. She felt a flicker of surprise, but given the anomalies of this place, it seemed somewhat expected.

"What is your purpose in getting close to me?" Jiang Yu asked, sidestepping his question.

Jiang Yi tapped his pen rhythmically against the desk, seemingly contemplating how to answer.

Jiang Yu turned to look at Jiang Mu. "Jiang Mu, the truth is, you aren't really my family, are you? Was the story you told yesterday just a way to gain my trust? What exactly do you want from me?"

"Sister, I’m not lying to you. Everything I said yesterday was true." Jiang Mu pointed at Jiang Yi. "It was all his idea. Eldest Brother told me to bring you here. If you have questions, ask him. This whole thing has nothing to do with me."

Jiang Yu looked from one to the other, confused. Were they truly her family?

"Xiao Mu is not lying to you; we are indeed family," Jiang Yi said, rising and walking over to her. "Xiao Yu, you are truly my sister, born of the same parents. However, you are also the Jiang Yu from another world."

Jiang Yu didn't react with shock; she had already guessed as much. Perhaps her rebirth into this world had been their doing as well.

"And so?"

"And so, I am asking for your help to guide us through this world-ending catastrophe."

Jiang Yu stared at him for a long time before suddenly laughing. After a while, she calmed down and said, "Since you know I’m from another world, can you guess why I came here?" Without waiting for him to reply, she continued, "The world I came from already failed. What makes you think I have the ability to help you?"

"Because we have no other choice." They had waited for this day for a long time—ever since the Master had calculated the coming apocalypse and simultaneously glimpsed a single sliver of hope for this world.

"I have a few questions. I’ve taken over your sister’s body. Do you not hate me?"

"No. Her sacrifice is worth it."

"She was treated as a sacrificial lamb. Did she know?"

"She did. She had always been prepared to make that sacrifice."

"What do you want me to do, then?"

"Are you agreeing, then?"

"Yes. After all, I don’t want to see humanity go extinct again." Jiang Yu had actually considered trying to reach the leadership of this country, but she hadn’t known how to gain access.

"I want to take you to see someone."

Jiang Yu had already deduced that Jiang Yi was part of the government. The person he wanted her to meet was surely a high-ranking official.

"Fine."

Seeing the nature of the villa complex, Jiang Yu knew that its residents were far from ordinary. There were undoubtedly special personnel hidden nearby to ensure their safety.

Jiang Mu, standing to the side, had not said a word. He kept his head bowed, listening quietly to their conversation, his thoughts unreadable.

"Does your brother not know about all this?"

Jiang Yi followed her gaze toward Jiang Mu. "He doesn't. But I suspect he has sensed something." Jiang Yi stepped forward and patted Jiang Mu’s shoulder. "Xiao Mu, you stay here. I’m taking your sister out for a while."

Jiang Mu did not leave the room until the two of them had gone.

***

"Sir, this is Jiang Yu, the one from the other world."

Shen Mubai looked at Jiang Yu. She was indeed different from the Jiang Yu he had seen before.

"Please, have a seat."

Once they were seated, Shen Mubai continued, "Miss Jiang, I trust Jiang Yi has told you everything necessary. The fact that he brought you to me proves that you have agreed to help us. If you have any conditions, feel free to state them. As long as it is within our power, we will grant them."

"My only condition is that you do not interfere with me," Jiang Yu stated.

"Agreed."

"Miss Jiang, can you tell us if your world experienced the same apocalyptic catastrophe?"

The memories were painful, but Jiang Yu briefly described what had occurred in her former world.

"Are these 'variants' really that difficult to kill?" Shen Mubai was struck by the realization that ending this disaster would be far harder than he had imagined.

"They are easy to deal with in the early stages; firearms and ammunition can wipe them out. But in the later stages, they become increasingly difficult to handle. Aside from those who have awakened innate abilities, ordinary people simply cannot face them."

Jiang Yu shifted her tone. "Actually, what’s harder to deal with than the variants is the mastermind behind this catastrophe. Unless we eliminate him, the variants will continue to invade this world endlessly. Unless we become strong enough to rival them."

"Are you talking about the System? Has it bound itself to you again?"

Jiang Yu nodded calmly. "Yes, the System in this world has bound itself to me as well."

Shen Mubai asked with concern, "Then hasn't our entire conversation been overheard by it?"

"It hasn't. This time, unless I want it to know, it will never find out."

In this life, Jiang Yu had no intention of being brainwashed by this so-called System again. She hadn't destroyed it yet for two reasons: first, she lacked the power to do so; second, keeping it wasn't entirely useless—at the very least, she could trade it for items she needed.

Most importantly, she feared that if she destroyed this System, another would take its place. If the next one didn't bond with her, it would be another nightmare.