“996?!”
The sudden appearance of 996 didn’t ease Pei Yan’s mind in the slightest.
When he received Shen Ju’s message, Pei Yan had been en route to find Pei Tai.
Xu Yun had only shown his face once during the board meeting, and after that, he vanished—no sign of him by Pei Tai’s side, nor anywhere in the company. So where had he gone?
Especially after getting Shen Ju’s message, Pei Yan felt a growing sense of dread.
Just then, he and Pei Kangnian had arrived at Pei Tai’s office door, only to discover that Pei Tai had slipped away at some unknown point!
Pei Yan turned on his heel immediately.
He first sent a message to Shen Ju, worried that a call might alert someone on his end.
But the message went unanswered.
Pei Yan’s unease mounted, and he finally started calling Shen Ju.
The calls rang through without being picked up.
Before leaving, he instructed Pei Kangnian to call the police right away, while he followed the location pin Shen Ju had sent, speeding off in that direction.
Pei Yan knew full well that Shen Ju’s final position wasn’t the one he’d shared.
And even if he rushed there now, he probably wouldn’t make it in time.
But he had no choice—he had to head to that spot first.
The longer he went without contact from Shen Ju, the more frantic Pei Yan became.
A bad premonition gnawed at him, a feeling that something unforeseen had happened.
Otherwise, Xu Yun wouldn’t have let Shen Ju reach out to him.
Until 996 appeared…
“What the hell happened?! How did Shen Ju end up in the river?!”
Pei Yan glanced at the navigation’s ETA to 996’s updated destination—over twenty minutes away!
“Tell me the situation right now, 996!”
996 spun in frantic circles as a little blue orb, on the verge of tears. It had considered dragging its host and Jian Yi upstream, but its tiny tendril couldn’t even grip Shen Ju’s hair, let alone two people. Helpless, it had rushed to Pei Yan—thanks to the channel it had previously opened for him, allowing it to convert into data and zip to his side.
But at this ETA, 996 sparked with crackling arcs of electricity.
It quickly recapped the events.
At least when it left to fetch Pei Yan, Jian Yi was still struggling in the river, holding onto Shen Ju. If no one reached them in time…
“What do I do, what do I do!!”
996 sensed Shen Ju’s dire state and nearly despaired. “Jian Yi’s only got one hand—he can’t hold on! The host’s already unconscious!”
Shen Ju felt despair too.
His consciousness clung to 996, but he couldn’t communicate with Pei Yan or it.
Pei Yan fell silent for a moment.
Seconds later, he blurted, “Can you restore Jian Yi’s left hand right now?”
What?
“What?!”
Shen Ju and 996 exclaimed in unison.
“If Jian Yi’s left hand recovers, they’ll have a much better shot.”
No—they’d definitely have a better shot.
As long as Jian Yi’s left hand restored itself now…
“But the Task Energy Bar isn’t full yet.”
Before Pei Yan could respond, 996 anxiously explained, “It’s not impossible in special cases, but the energy stored in this Task Energy Bar is exactly what’s needed for the reward the host originally requested… which is precisely enough to restore Jian Yi’s left hand and blur everyone else’s memories of his disability.”
“Whether restoring Jian Yi’s limb or blurring those memories requires an immense amount of energy!”
“…Especially blurring the memories!”
“Think about it—how many people has Jian Yi met from childhood to now?! Every single one who knows ‘Jian Yi’ would need their memories altered!”
“Even excluding those aware of the tasks, the energy demand is massive. And if it’s insufficient, restoring the hand could trigger unpredictable chain reactions. We absolutely can’t risk it! No way!”
This was the first time 996 had been so firm—proof it truly wasn’t feasible.
Shen Ju felt a pang of disappointment.
But Pei Yan seemed unsurprised.
After 996 finished, he declared, “Then fill the Task Energy Bar.”
“But—”
“There has to be another way.”
Pei Yan kept driving but shot 996 a glance, his tone unyielding.
“You said special cases are possible.”
“So, what’s the way to fill the Task Energy Bar?”
“996, no more delays!”
996 trembled violently. Sensing Shen Ju’s peril, it steeled itself. “The energy the host earns from tasks is bio-energy. We can’t force or actively absorb it—it has to be collected naturally. But… if someone willingly sacrifices their own bio-energy, it can fill the bar.”
“Especially… especially someone connected to the task—their bio-energy is far more potent and effective.”
“But…”
“But sacrifice always comes at a cost, right?”
Pei Yan finished for it.
With a sharp screech—, he slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the roadside.
He turned to 996. “I’m willing to sacrifice.”
No! Absolutely not!
Shen Ju rejected it without hesitation.
No—
996 chimed in, “That’s bio-energy! I don’t even know how much it’ll take to fill that last bit of the Task Energy Bar, but even 1% could burden you heavily. And it’s at 96.8%—still 3.2% short!”
“The remaining bio-energy might cost you your life—do you realize that?!”
Protagonist gong and shou interactions generate massive bio-energy because of their ‘protagonist gong and shou’ dynamic. But Pei Yan…
“3.2% is better than I expected.”
Pei Yan closed his eyes briefly. “I’m a selfish man. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t do this. But if something happens to Shen Ju… if he really…” He trailed off. “I can’t picture a future without him by my side. But he’s different—he has so many people who love him, so many to keep him company. So, 996, help me.”
No, no!
I need you too!
Shen Ju didn’t know if he was crying, but he screamed silently, desperate to tell Pei Yan he needed him too—that his future needed him!
Yet the next second, darkness swallowed Shen Ju’s vision again.
Jian Yi clutched Shen Ju in the river, feeling more powerless than ever.
He’d never hated his disability so fiercely.
Even swapping to his disabled arm to hold Shen Ju—it still failed.
He couldn’t grip him tight, and Shen Ju nearly slipped from his grasp, swept away by the current…
Forget holding Shen Ju—he was losing his own strength fast.
Regret? Yeah, a little.
He wanted to grab the kid and give him a good thrashing.
Crashing the car into the river had been too impulsive.
And yet he’d gone along with it.
Jian Yi just regretted dragging Shen Ju down again.
He couldn’t save him.
His little brother hadn’t even fully embraced the love of family yet…
As consciousness faded, Jian Yi sensed something off.
A part of his body was… changing…
Seconds later, he jolted awake, eyes snapping open.
He stared at his left hand.
His left hand!
Whether from the shock of the moment or the surge from its sudden regrowth, fresh strength flooded him.
He held his breath, gripped Shen Ju tighter, and fought toward the riverbank.
In those desperate seconds, help finally arrived—thanks to Tang Yuexin.
“Hurry! Right there! Please, save them!!”
By the time her car reached this remote spot, she’d searched endlessly, risking her life to flag down passing vehicles.
Thankfully, these good Samaritans could swim.
They dove in without hesitation, pulling Jian Yi and Shen Ju to safety.
“Good thing this guy never let go—they weren’t swept away.”
Tang Yuexin rushed forward as they surfaced.
“How are they?! Jian Yi, Shen Ju—are you okay?! What’s wrong with Shen Ju?!”
Jian Yi had no time for words. On shore, he laid Shen Ju flat, stacked his hands on his chest, and started CPR.
“Shen Ju! Wake up!”
“Shen Ju!”
“Shen Chirp!”
The bystanders urged, “Try mouth-to-mouth! We’re calling for an ambulance…”
Before they finished, Shen Ju coughed violently, spewing water.
As if remembering something urgent, he woke in a frenzy, coughing and struggling to rise.
The man with the phone gaped. Awake already?!
Jian Yi froze too.
But waking was good. He exhaled in relief and pinned Shen Ju down. “What are you doing? Where do you think you’re going?!”
“Bro…”
Shen Ju’s voice cracked with tears.
“Pei-ge… Pei-ge, I have to find Pei-ge…”
As he spoke, he yanked at Jian Yi’s left hand—he saw it, restored. But joy wouldn’t come. Not for Jian Yi’s recovery. His mind was consumed by Pei Yan. He couldn’t spare emotions for anything else, couldn’t process more. He just needed to reach Pei Yan now.
“I have to find Pei Yan, I have to go to him…”
“996 isn’t responding, no word from 996, boo-hoo…”
Shen Ju wiped tears, frantically calling 996 in his mind—no answer. He staggered back toward the road.
The others were stunned.
Who’d expect someone fresh from near-drowning to bolt like that?
No one reacted in time to chase.
Tang Yuexin and Jian Yi were drained; the rescuers blinked in shock—wait, we have a car!
Where was the kid headed? They could drive him!
Catching up at last, they remembered to call ahead.
Jian Yi grabbed Shen Ju. “Don’t panic—call Pei Yan first to check!”
“Do you have his number?!”
“Yeah…”
Shen Ju’s hands shook as he took a proffered phone, punched in Pei Yan’s number, and dialed.
But hope flickered dimly.
His consciousness had been on 996; in that final dark second, he’d seen it act…
Jian Yi’s hand was back.
Tang Yuexin sensed nothing amiss.
It had worked.
Which meant Pei Yan…
Ring ring ring.
A phone trilled nearby.
Shen Ju froze.
Jian Yi, facing him, glanced behind—relief washing over his features. He smiled at Shen Ju. “Shen Chirp, now you can relax.”
Thump-thump-thump.
Shen Ju’s heart pounded, deafening in his ears.
The ringing grew closer—from behind.
Jian Yi took the phone, pressed Shen Ju’s shoulders, and turned him around.
Pei Yan must have floored it the whole way; he leaped from the car and sprinted over, still panting hard.
He hadn’t even reached Shen Ju before calling out, “Are you okay?!”
Shen Ju burst into tears and ran to him.
“Pei-ge!”
He threw himself into Pei Yan’s arms, clutching tightly at Pei Yan’s clothes. In a mix of urgency and anger, he cried out, “There are plenty of people who love me by my side! And in the future, there’ll be even more people with me! But you’re different! You’re different, okay?! Pei Yan… how could you… What if something happened to you? What would I do? I like you so much—I like you so, so much…”
“I want you to love me too. I want you by my side, now and in the future. You’re different—do you know that…”
“Baby.”
Pei Yan was first taken aback, but then he immediately pulled Shen Ju even tighter into his embrace.
He had no idea how Shen Ju knew about his earlier conversation with 996, but he could tell Shen Ju was terrified right now.
“I’m sorry,” Pei Yan murmured lowly. “I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“Don’t cry, Baby…”
But Shen Ju still sobbed uncontrollably in Pei Yan’s arms, crying until he had no strength left. Pei Yan carried him into the car.
Jian Yi took one look at the situation and pulled Tang Yuexin along with the few rescuers who’d saved him away first. He figured Pei Yan wouldn’t want them around at a time like this.
Besides, even if Pei Yan still remembered them, Jian Yi had no desire to get involved.
He still had the phone number Shen Ju had called from, so Jian Yi borrowed a phone again and sent a message: the rescuers were taking them to the hospital first, so Shen Ju didn’t need to worry—just handle his own stuff. Jian Yi had no clue what had happened or why Shen Ju had woken up in such a panic, but something big must’ve gone down that he didn’t know about. So he wanted to give Shen Ju some space.
And that’s exactly what happened.
After confirming Pei Yan was unharmed, Shen Ju pressed him for details and learned the truth: in the final moment, 996 had depleted all its energy to fill the Task Energy Bar.
“What about Brother 996…”
Pei Yan shook his head. “I don’t know. After it filled the Task Energy Bar, the whole orb went dark. But right before it vanished, a glowing white orb took it away.”
Shen Ju clenched his fists, on the verge of tears again.
996 had saved them in the end.
Pei Yan unfolded Shen Ju’s hand and held it gently in his own, wanting to say something comforting—but words felt utterly inadequate right now.
He didn’t even know what had happened to 996.
“Baby, I…”
Pei Yan pressed his lips together. “I’m sorry.”
Shen Ju shook his head, his voice thick with sobs. “No, I’m sorry. I was the reckless one. I didn’t take the tasks seriously enough. If I’d filled the energy sooner, if I’d stuck to my role better, if… if I’d just tried a little harder, then Brother 996 wouldn’t have… It was me…”
[Host, you’ve been plenty serious.]
Shen Ju froze. “Brother 996?!”
Pei Yan paused too, looking at Shen Ju.
“It’s 996.”
He’d heard 996’s voice as well.
[It’s me.]
996’s voice sounded a bit sheepish: [Turns out you care about me that much, huh? Heh heh.]
[But I probably can’t keep serving you anymore.]
Shen Ju tensed up immediately. “Why…”
[Huh? ‘Cause the task is done!]
Pei Yan gave a helpless smile. “He was worried something bad happened to you.”
[Oh, right—almost did. But it turned into a blessing in disguise!]
996’s voice brimmed with thrill: [I did burn through all my energy at first and nearly got scrapped. But at the critical moment, Senior 007 saved me!)]
[Plus, I submitted a report pointing out some outdated and human-rights-ignoring rules in the Management Bureau’s management. They want a more detailed report from me, so they topped up my energy as an exception. If it passes, I’ll be on the same level as Senior 007!]
The Management Bureau knew by now that its tasks with this host had been full of bugs, yet they’d still pushed progress to 96.8%. A bit more time, and it’d have succeeded anyway.
And since his points touched on human rights issues, they took it seriously—enough to overlook his bugs and the unauthorized energy drain into the Task Energy Bar.
No need to mention any of that to the host, though.
Everything was over now, anyway.
[Host, forgive me for not showing up right now. Our binding is ending too. But once I’m done with the report, I’ll come visit!]
[Do well on your college entrance exams, okay.]
Shen Ju wiped his tears. “Brother 996, at a moment this sentimental, why’d you have to bring up the exams?”
[Haha.]
“I’ll miss you, Brother 996. Thank you.”
Shen Ju murmured softly, “Thank you so much.”
Pei Yan spoke up too. “Thank you.”
[Aw, no need to thank me.]
996’s voice bubbled with joy: [I loved meeting you both! And after all this, I’m a mature system now too! Thank you!]
“Alright, no more thanks then.”
Shen Ju said, “I’m looking forward to the day we meet again, Brother 996.”
[Yeah!]
[Bye for now, Host.]
“Bye, Brother 996.”
After 996 said goodbye, Shen Ju felt something leave his body.
He knew it was 996.
His tasks were done.
All done.
“No, you’ve still got me.”
Pei Yan took Shen Ju’s hand and leaned down to press a kiss to his lips. “Baby, I’ll always be by your side.”
Shen Ju sniffled. “You better mean that.”
“Of course.”
Pei Yan murmured lowly, “I love you so much—how could I ever leave you?”
“But earlier…”
Pei Yan shook his head. “On one condition: you’ll always be by my side too.”
Shen Ju looked up into Pei Yan’s eyes. “I will. I’ll always be by your side.”
“Pei-ge, you’re not alone. Someone loves you. Someone will stay with you.”
“You?”
Shen Ju smiled at Pei Yan. “Me.”
Pei Yan pulled Shen Ju tightly into his arms. “Then we both better keep our word.”
“Of course.”
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