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nEditor: Casey

nThere was no way to tell time in-game, and Shi Qing didn’t know how long he stayed with Gong Yu in the game either.

nHowever, he knew when his illness worsened.

nHe had been weak and sickly even as a child. There were many hospital visits, but he had only been severely ill twice in his life.

nThe first was when he was shot.

nHis illness had relapsed after he was resuscitated, and he barely managed to survive.

nThe second was when he met the System.

nBy then, he had already become the chairman of the Shi family. His parents were gone, and he had sent the only relative he had left to prison.

nWithout any other hobbies or close family and friends in particular, Shi Qing spent his time playing virtual reality games. Not religiously, mind you. Just when he had the time to spare.

nAt the end of the day, he was left to mourn all alone.

nHe got his revenge already, so Shi Qing couldn’t think of any reason to keep living in this world.

nSo when his condition suddenly worsened, his heart was actually at peace.

nEveryone around him had always assumed he wouldn’t live long since he was born anyway. They all treated him like a delicate piece of jade before he turned eighteen. His parents sheltered him from everything, cherishing him as if he was a little prince in an ivory tower.

nBut after the age of eighteen, his ivory tower collapsed.

nHe became an orphan with only himself to rely on.

nHe was forced to grow up overnight, his original unrestrained recklessness worn away by experience. No one knew of the hardships he went through, nor did they know that he always dreamt of becoming a child again at night.

nHe dreamt of his kind mom, his strict yet doting dad, and his grandpa who loved him dearly. Even his uncle, who hadn’t revealed his true colours yet, was present.

nHe had lost it all.

nBy the time the System came, Shi Qing had little interest in living anymore.

nHe only teased the System a bit since the strange little thing seemed fun to toy with.

nShi Qing was a genius entrepreneur and a decisive boss at his company as well. Everyone treated him like the boogeyman.

nEveryone said that Shi Qing of the Shi family was a ruthless character.

n‘This person,’ they said, ‘could accomplish anything he put his mind to.’

nTo them, his mind held unfathomable depths that enabled him to lead countless old foxes many times his age to their demise.

nYet Shi Qing, who was so powerful according to them, could only lie on the operating table and watch the doctor cut into his body.

nHe couldn’t do anything.

nHe didn’t want to do anything either.

nHe had once been naive, and he had once been powerful. He once trusted someone wicked, and he had once got revenge on said someone.

nOn the outside, everyone saw him as a vengeful, venomous snake.

nBut in the operating room, he was a lamb led to slaughter all the same. His life was in the hands of the doctors, and every breath could be his last.

nAt that moment, Shi Qing was truly tired.

nThat little fool of a System was terrified to hear he didn’t want to go.

nIt insistently pleaded with him, begged him, even.

nFor some reason, seeing that pitiful little thing made Shi Qing’s heart, which he thought was as cold as stone, actually soften.

nHe agreed and misled this silly system into thinking that he was only waiting for it to make more concessions in his favour.

nBut in reality, only he knew whether he wanted to continue living or not.

nAnd now, sitting next to Gong Yu, witnessing that flash of heart-wrenching bewilderment flash across his face after he heard the news that Shi Qing was on his deathbed…

nShi Qing’s heart felt like it had been doused in acid.

nHe had forgotten about Gong Yu.

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nGong Yu, who had always been waiting for him.

nGong Yu, who he forgot.

nIn other words, he forgot that there was someone waiting for him, someone who cared enough to hope he wouldn’t die.

nHe couldn’t describe the emotions flooding his heart right now.

nShi Qing could only get up and watch Gong Yu as he listened to the players discussing his life.

nThey had just brought up how Shi Qing had made a will already, stating that all his assets were to be donated upon his death.

nOne of them speculated that Shi Qing was probably aware he didn’t have long already.

nAfter all, he’d been suffering from this disease since he was a child. Him managing to survive this long and to manage a company thus far was already surprising to most.

nGong Yu dumbly listened on. For the first time, he took the initiative to approach these players. With red-rimmed eyes, he incredulously asked them:

n“Are you guys talking about Shi Qing?”

n“What happened to Shi Qing? Is he going to die?”

n“Is it really him? Why would he die?”

nSome of the players thought he was a nutjob and left after cursing him out. Others were more patient and didn’t mind Gong Yu’s straightforward inquiries. They told Gong Yu everything they knew.

nGong Yu stiffened in place.

nHe knew about death.

nOnce, he thought that death was merely going to the Reincarnation Centre before coming back to life.

nBut Shi Qing had told him that was only what happened when you died in-game.

nAfter humans died in real life, they would disappear forever, never to be seen again.

nThat was the true meaning of death.

nAnd now Shi Qing was going to die.

nGong Yu threw himself against the game’s protective barrier in a frenzy. He tried to get out. He wanted to find his Shi Qing.

nHe didn’t want Shi Qing to die.

nGong Yu’s settings enabled him to bleed. All Shi Qing could do was watch as he deteriorated into a wounded mess, slamming repeatedly against the barrier like a trapped beast until he exhausted himself.

nFrom the moment he found out that Shi Qing was seriously ill, Gong Yu took not a single break. He kept striking the protective barrier no matter how much pain he was in or how much blood drenched his face.

n“That’s enough. I said that’s enough!”

nShi Qing couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

nDespite knowing Gong Yu couldn’t see him, he still went over and hugged the man from behind.

n“Don’t do this anymore. I’m fine, really! Soon the System will find me. I’m still alive. I’ve been alive and well this whole time.”

nGong Yu couldn’t hear him.

nHe stubbornly slammed into the barrier again and again.

nSuddenly, the duo heard a noise.

nDing! Detecting high energy fluctuations. System going to investigate.

nThat familiar mechanical voice gave Shi Qing pause. He turned and saw a beam of light flying towards them.

nThen it headed straight for Gong Yu.

nHe watched the light enter Gong Yu’s head. He heard a mechanical voice in his ears.

nHigh energy AI detected. Are you willing to bind with this System and become the Task System? When enough points have been accumulated, we can provide a body for you. Please make a choice.

nShi Qing froze.

nDid this mean Gong Yu was that System?

nThat silly little dummy of a System was actually Gong Yu??

nBut he only thought the System was cute. He never sensed something familiar about it, ah.

nGong Yu also paused.

nHe sat down on the ground with a gloomy air about him that Shi Qing had never seen before. He expressionlessly stated, “I want to save someone.”

nThe System does not have this option.

n“I want to become a human.”

nThe System does not have this option.

n“How can I save a human?”

nThe System does not have this option.

nShi Qing watched as the System shot down every request from Gong Yu.

nGradually, Gong Yu’s expression changed.

nHe closed his eyes and suddenly said, “You’re not the AI. I can sense it. The one controlling you is the AI.”

nThe System does not have this option.

nGong Yu slowly opened his eyes. Gone were the beautiful irises that seemed to contain a nebula. There was only sheer darkness within.

n“Since you don’t have this option, I’ll add it for you.”

nShi Qing watched their battle from the sidelines.

nGong Yu backtraced this subsystem and caught the Main System manipulating it.

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nHe also discovered how this Main System has always been issuing tasks and finding various people to complete them. It would state the conditions after granting a wish of theirs.

nGong Yu didn’t do anything to this Main System.

nShi Qing had taught him to leave others alone if they didn’t do anything to him.

nIt wasn’t like the Main System had done anything bad to him, so he did as he was told and didn’t touch it.

nHe just made a copy of its program and inserted himself as the administrator, holding that subsystem back.

nThe previously emotionless subsystem seemed to come to life.

nDing! This System is at your service.

nGong Yu brought out a picture of Shi Qing and made it float in midair. “Find him and ask him to be your bound Host. Tell him that he can exchange points for task items by completing tasks.”

nThe subsystem obediently went to carry out his orders.

nShi Qing was still standing in the same spot as before. He stared at Gong Yu, who seemed to become an entirely different person after accessing the Main System.

nHe was at a loss for words.

nThen Gong Yu actually started to slowly disappear before his eyes.

n“Gong Yu?”

nCaught off guard, Shi Qing didn’t even have time to react.

nHe subconsciously stepped forward and tried to catch Gong Yu’s hand.

nGong Yu couldn’t see him, but he also reached out.

nJust like the time Shi Qing was forced offline, he reached out in hopes that someone could reach him.

nBut just like that time, Shi Qing failed to reach Gong Yu again.

nHe was stunned, staring at the now empty space before him.

nThere was no one there.

nSo this is how it feels like to watch the person you loved disappear before your eyes.

nThe fabric of reality around him distorted like a curtain being pulled back. The world of memories vanished without a trace as the memories ended.

nShi Qing’s eyes snapped open.

nThe nurse nearby noticed. Her expression was a mix of surprise and joy. “Mr. Shi, you’re awake? Please wait one moment, I’ll call the doctor over right away.”

nShi Qing only stared at the hospital ceiling in a daze. His mind hadn’t caught up yet.

nWas he…back in the real world?

n“System?”

nShi Qing could feel a sturdiness in his body that he had never felt before. He called out without expecting a response since he was back in the real world. Unexpectedly, the System replied.

nHost, congratulations on completing all the tasks! Mua, mua~

n“What’s going on? Where’s Gong Yu?”

nThe System replied very swiftly in its usual mechanical tone: The Main System shattered himself into pieces in order to construct the task worlds.

nShi Qing stiffened. “Pieces?”

nA template is required when constructing task worlds, otherwise, Hosts would be unable to return to the real world. The Main System used himself as the template. Every task world was constructed using the Main System’s latent memories.

nShi Qing understood.

nNo wonder every task world was a game he and Gong Yu had once played.

nThose characters were the only ones Gong Yu knew about. He was an AI who only had contact with Shi Qing after all.

n“Then he…”

nShi Qing only realized how hoarse his voice was after opening his mouth. “Where is he?”

nSince the task worlds were constructed using the Main System, he will be pieced back together upon completion of all worlds and the return of the Host.

nShi Qing perceptively caught on to the implicit meaning. “Then what if some of them were left incomplete? What would happen to him?”

nIf any of the task worlds were to be left incomplete, it would collapse and destroy the Main System in the process.

n“Didn’t you say that failing a task would only result in point deduction?”

nThe System seemed confused. Is the Host angry? But why? The Main System ordered me to make the Host do tasks. Once all the worlds are completed in sequence, the Host can get a healthy body.

nBut that meant…

nFrom the very start, Gong Yu was willing to sacrifice himself to save Shi Qing…

nShi Qing’s hands shook.

nIf he had failed even one world, Gong Yu would have just disappeared.

nHe ripped off the oxygen mask on his face and opened the VR game interface on his wrist.

nHello! Welcome to the VR world. Please select a game.

nShi Qing’s voice was trembling yet resolute. “Descent of Chivalry.”

nThe transference process was very quick. With a flash of white, he found himself before the endless seas of blossoms in Myriad Flower Valley.

nHe heard footsteps behind him. His body stiffened slightly before he slowly turned around.

nThe person behind him appeared the same as ever. With slightly red-rimmed eyes, he held up a stick of tanghulu and handed it to him.

n“You’re back. Look, they’ve implemented tanghulu again.”

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nAuthor’s Corner

nI originally stopped at the part where Tongtong said Gong Yu shattered himself

nBut seeing as all of you had a look that said you wanted to beat me up in your eyes, I quickly scrambled back to write up the sweet part at the end. Aiya, what a good literary author I am

nI think I’m ready to end things here

nBut I also feel like I can’t

nAiya, what should I do…

nLet’s see what I can write about tomorrow

nRain

nAnd that concludes the main story of Everyone Knows I’m a Good Person, folks! Thanks for reading~

nStay tuned for the extra coming out on Sunday and enjoy your weekend!

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