"Kill him? Just like that?" Qing Ling was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected the test to be so simple—easier than playing games with Wu Dahai.
Gao Yang was also taken aback. It seemed too straightforward, almost suspiciously so.
"Yep." White Rabbit looked at the two of them. "Pretty easy, right? Cut off his head or stab him through the heart with something sharp. Same as killing a person."
"Killing him is simple, but what about the aftermath?" Qing Ling had her concerns.
"Don't worry, I'll handle it." White Rabbit, wearing white gloves, lightly tapped the walkie-talkie at her waist, hinting that she had backup and everything was under control.
Qing Ling hesitated no longer. She walked over to Niu Xuan, a small, sharp dagger appearing in her hand.
She crouched down, sliced open Niu Xuan's shirt, located his heart, and positioned the blade over his gently rising chest. Just as the tip was about to pierce his heart, Gao Yang called out, "Wait!"
Qing Ling stopped and looked at Gao Yang in confusion.
"Qing Ling, hold on a second," Gao Yang said.
White Rabbit turned to Gao Yang. "What? Don't want to join our organization anymore?"
"No," Gao Yang probed cautiously. "I just don't understand why we have to kill him. He hasn't even transformed into a beast." And how could you be so sure Niu Xuan is a Lost One? He didn't voice the latter thought, assuming White Rabbit had her reasons.
"No reason needed. Killing beasts requires no justification." White Rabbit's tone was casual. "But if you really need one, our organization needs awakened ones who are decisive, firm in their stance, and capable in battle. We don't want people who feel sympathy or pity for beasts."
"Just a Lost One." White Rabbit stepped forward and nudged Niu Xuan with her foot. "If you don't want to kill him, we can switch targets. Hmm, that girl Wan Sisi—does she like you? I can check if she's a Lost One later. If she is, why not kill her instead?"
Gao Yang was inwardly shocked. Her observation skills were sharp.
"Made up your mind?" White Rabbit urged.
Gao Yang stayed silent.
He wasn't some saint. Someone like Niu Xuan—if he died, so be it. It wasn't like Gao Yang had any connection to him. Besides, he wasn't even human, just a deluded beast.
But a few things bothered him.
First was White Rabbit's phrasing—kill this Lost One.
She could've just said, kill this beast. Why emphasize that he was a Lost One? At the very least, it suggested that her organization's attitude toward Lost Ones (deluded beasts) differed from their stance on other beasts.
Logically, other beasts were dangerous, and awakened ones would naturally seek to eliminate them. By contrast, if the attitude toward deluded beasts was different, it likely leaned toward the opposite—not eliminating them.
White Rabbit called this a test, but to Gao Yang, it felt more like a choice.
Faced with an "innocent" Lost One, White Rabbit was subtly manipulating them.
—Just a Lost One.
This line was meant to downplay the Lost One's significance.
Then, White Rabbit brought up killing Wan Sisi to "threaten" him. It was a classic comparison tactic: on one side, the cute and innocent Wan Sisi; on the other, the bullying Niu Xuan.
The choice was obvious.
It was like a trick couples used: a wife might first tell her husband she wanted a ¥20,000 bag, then later mention a ¥200 dress. Comparing the two, the husband would immediately say, "Buy the dress."
White Rabbit's behavior was pushing him and Qing Ling to make a snap decision: kill Niu Xuan.
If they killed Niu Xuan without hesitation, it would prove two things:
They believed Lost Ones could be killed.
They believed Lost Ones could be treated differently.
But these two points were contradictory.
Indifference to a beast's life suggested that, in their eyes, beasts had no "right to life." Yet, for creatures without such rights, they still made distinctions. It was like saying... I can't kill my own cat, but other people's cats are fair game. That was just hypocritical.
"If you won't kill him, I'll assume you're giving up." White Rabbit glanced at her watch. "Time's running out. I still need to clean up this mess."
Go big or go home.
Gao Yang made his decision: "I refuse."
"What?" White Rabbit thought she'd misheard.
"We won't kill Lost Ones." Gao Yang stood firm.
Qing Ling shot him a look: Are you crazy?
Gao Yang blinked back: Trust me! It's a trap!
"Seriously?" White Rabbit couldn't help but laugh. "Kid, don't overthink it. Those shounen manga are toxic—cut back on them. This is your only shot. I'm just following procedure. Miss this, and the organization's doors will never open for you again. Think carefully."
"I've thought it through. We won't kill him."
"Okay." White Rabbit shrugged and turned to Qing Ling. "The kid's out. What about you?"
After a moment's thought, Qing Ling made the dagger disappear. She decided to trust Gao Yang. Experience told her: This guy's luck is solid—at least he hasn't screwed me over yet.
White Rabbit sighed regretfully. "You two have good potential, and your sequence numbers are high. What a shame. Mind if I ask why you won't kill Lost Ones?"
Huh?
Did I fail? Was I overthinking this?
Gao Yang suddenly regretted his choice, but it was too late to backpedal now. He racked his brain and blurted out, "Because... order."
"Order?"
"I believe the world operates on its own order. Killing Lost Ones recklessly would disrupt that." Gao Yang kept a straight face, his tone dead serious.
White Rabbit seemed to ponder this.
Not convincing enough. Gao Yang quickly borrowed another line: "Delusion, greed, hatred, folly, life, death—all are void. Life is short, just a fleeting dream."
The girl in the White Rabbit mask looked startled. She stepped closer, tilting her head to study Gao Yang's eyes.
Through the mask, Gao Yang saw a pair of clear, almond-shaped eyes.
"Ah, you really do have the same eyes as our captain," White Rabbit said softly.
"What kind of eyes?"
"Hmm," White Rabbit mused. "The kind that look half-asleep and listless but actually seem incredibly profound."
Gao Yang thought: Just say dead fish eyes and be done with it.
"Are people with eyes like that usually really strong?" White Rabbit asked Qing Ling.
"No idea."
"And yet, you said almost the same thing as our captain." White Rabbit patted Gao Yang's shoulder. "Alright, test passed."
"Got it."
Gao Yang kept a straight face, but if he'd had a tail, it would've been wagging furiously—he'd gambled right!
White Rabbit turned and nudged the still-unconscious Niu Xuan with her foot.
"Rules set by our captain. Just three—remember them well."
"First, never kill a human of your own will."
"Second, never kill a Lost One of your own will."
"Third, no office romances."
"Violators are permanently expelled."
"..." Gao Yang wondered if he'd heard wrong. The first two rules sounded lofty, but the last one? What the hell? No wonder Wu Dahai's so desperate. Then again, even if office romances were allowed, that guy probably wouldn't have any luck.
"Are we part of the organization now?" Qing Ling asked.
"Not so fast. You're still on probation. To become full members, there's one final test." White Rabbit reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object. She tossed it over, and Qing Ling caught it—an old-fashioned brass key.
"Find the door this key opens and take a look inside," White Rabbit said.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Let me see." Gao Yang took the brass key from Qing Ling and immediately felt a sinister aura creeping up his fingers. Whether it was his heightened perception or just his imagination, he couldn't tell. He gripped the key tighter. "But where do we find the door?"
White Rabbit held up a finger. "One more hint: it's somewhere in Shanqing District."
"Any other clues?" Gao Yang wasn't about to turn down useful information.
"Let me think..." White Rabbit tapped her chin. "Be careful. Don't die."