At Director Xiao’s order, everyone apart from You Zhengping simultaneously pressed their hands to the installation’s input. 

The ripples on the koi emitted a weird radiance. Because of the fluctuation of the radiance, the black and white koi seemed to be swimming in circles. As the black and white colors fluctuated, everyone felt all of their energy involuntarily pouring towards the koi’s black eye. Now, they couldn’t have let go even if they had wanted to. 

Meanwhile, the radiance lit up in all the world’s Protection Organization bases. The light rose into the air. If someone had been in space looking down on earth at that moment, they would have seen countless beams of radiance gathering into an enormous Yin-Yang symbol, wrapping around the world. 

Sensing this power, the dark clouds in the sky roiled more violently, as though trying to oppose the gathering of the power. 

Yu Hua’s expression was calm, but from the condition of the dark clouds, it was clear that he was having a hard time holding on. 

It wasn’t pleasant at all to feel as though your whole body had been sucked dry. Junjun wasn’t part of the Protection Organization. A second ago, he had been at home, calmly doing his problems. The next second, he was experiencing this feeling as though even his soul were going to be pulled out. He was a little scared. Just then, a furry paw stepped onto his foot. Junjun looked down. It was Xiao Ha. 

Director Ha had one front paw pressing on the absorption installation and one stepping on Junjun’s foot. In the reflected light of the koi, the husky’s somewhat stupid face seemed unusually spirited, like a lone wolf in the night. 

Looking at the dog’s paw on his foot, Junjun wasn’t scared anymore. Though he was still bewildered, he and Xiao Ha were good friends who had played with a scooter together, had crossed worlds together, had done math problems together. He trusted that Xiao Ha wouldn’t hurt him, and he trusted that Xiao Ha could protect him. With Xiao Ha here, he had courage. 

Courage arose from the bottom of his heart. Through Junjun’s special ability, that mental cohesion was transmitted to each person’s heart. 

Zhen Li looked at Yuan Luori to his left and Cen Xiao to his right. He had a sense that after using his power this time, he would no longer have his big wardrobe and alternate dimension stomach. But that was all right. The world wasn’t full of convenient tricks. When you ate, you had to rely on your own body to digest the food, and if you liked clothes, you had to spend money to buy them. The important thing was, the world would still exist. 

Yuan Luori stood between Zhen Li and Luo Huai. As his power left, he found his vision becoming better and better. It turned out that what had been impacting his vision all along had been his origin ability. Because he saw too clearly, he instinctively didn’t want to see at all. The wish had impacted his eyes through his special ability. That had made him near-sighted and astigmatic. 

Yuan Luori’s vision was restored, and he could no longer see the awful power of Yu Hua and the System. He was rather glad. As Junjun’s power spread, there was a moment when Yuan Luori sensed Luo Huai’s happiness beside him. 

Yuan Luori looked at Luo Huai. He saw the stars on Luo Huai’s arms being taken one after another by the koi. As those bits of mental energy vanished, Luo Huai’s gloomy expression gradually brightened. 

It was Luo Huai’s dream to lose his power, to not to be forgotten anymore, and for the memories he kept and couldn’t return to their original owners to go to a good resting place. 

“Let’s protect the world together,” Luo Huai said quietly. 

He watched those bits of mental energy, which had refused to scatter for so long, at last go to rest. He smiled involuntarily. 

Beside Luo Huai, Lian Yufan watched as a star that was tied to him flowed into the koi. Lian Yufan reached out, wanting to persuade that star to stay. 

This was different. It was his mother’s memory. It contained all the details of his parents’ relationship, and his mother’s memories of him. If these memories were lost, his mother would never remember him. 

Lian Yufan reached out. In his mind, he saw his mother’s wan face at the sanatorium, her eyes filled with too much exhaustion to bear, her cry of “I would rather not have loved at all,” and the helpless wails in the night. In the end he let go, letting the star slip through his fingertips. 

Not everyone could have firm convictions and steady nerves like the Protectors. Not everyone could bear the weight of the world. So let these memories drift away on the wind. 

Watching as that star was absorbed by the koi and turned into energy, a tear traced the corner of Lian Yufan’s eye, flowing over the teardrop mole. 

That teardrop mole had originally been manufactured to change the character of his appearance. Now it merged with him, seeming like a wound that would never heal. 

Beside Lian Yufan, Huan Zixu noticed his sorrow. In an unfeeling tone, Huan Zixu said, “Reality will never be as perfect as a movie. There’s no such thing as a happy ending. Living means having regrets. These regrets impact your past, but don’t let them impact your future. To use your own principle, letting regrets about a period in the past disrupt your happiness for decades in the future—the numbers are unequal.” 

Lian Yufan glanced at Huan Zixu. He looked like an expensive flower, but he had the unbeatable survival instincts of a weed. No matter the circumstances, no matter the pressure, as long as there was a chance, Huan Zixu would haughtily straighten his spine and keep walking into the wind. 

“I’ll learn to be a cockroach spirit like you,” Lian Yufan said. 

Without him being aware, the tear at the corner of his eye had been blown dry by the wind. 

After sparing a bit of attention to console Lian Yufan, Huan Zixu took Feng Kui’s free hand. 

Feng Kui didn’t say anything. He was aware that A-Xu had two goals. One was to make him live like a normal person, the other was to kill the System. Today, both of these goals would be realized. Huan Zixu would have no regrets. 

As for Feng Kui, Huan Zixu’s happiness was his happiness. He was very glad now, more than ever before. 

This happiness was transmitted to the just awakened “Guan Shaoguang.” It was the power that had roused him. He felt weak. He didn’t know who or where he was, or what they were doing. He was lost and blank as a piece of paper. 

Luckily, when he had just opened his eyes onto this strange world, an entirely unmixed feeling of happiness met him, as though this world were greeting a solitary person. Under the influence of this feeling, “Guan Shaoguang” also smiled slightly. 

The Destroyer 187 whom Yuan Luori and the others had captured in the amusement park had originally been unwilling, but when Junjun’s special ability touched him, a fighting spirit began to burn in his heart. He turned into the wind and yelled to Yu Hua, “Boss, go for it, get rid of the System!” 

One might well ask whether any leveler didn’t hate the System. Supposing there was an opportunity, who wouldn’t want the System to disappear forever? 

This was probably Destroyer 187 summoning up his courage with the boost of everyone’s emotions. 

His high spirits infected Cen Xiao, too. Cen Xiao said to You Zhengping, already standing on the white fish’s eye ready to receive enormous power, “Boss, we’re entrusting all our power to you! There’s also my 500 yuan, and the food you scrounged off us before, so you…you… When you get back, have Yu Hua cook us a meal to settle your debts!”

When you get back… Such naïve words. Only a young man could say such a thing. Director Xiao shook his head. His subordinates hadn’t known cruel war. They had lived in a relatively peaceful world. That was why they thought You Zhengping had a hope of coming back. But in reality, in reality…

In reality, he also hoped You Zhengping and Yu Hua would come back. 

The young people’s energetic and positive, always optimistic feelings infected Director Xiao through Junjun’s powers. He said to You Zhengping, “When you get back, we’ll forget about your cover-up. I’ll have a Merit Citation, First Class medal issued for you.” 

As Director Xiao said this, everyone’s powers completely flowed into the koi. Everyone at once fell down in exhaustion. They couldn’t lift a finger. 

They could only watch You Zhengping at the center of the power. His expression was grave. The power of all the world’s Protectors entered You Zhengping’s body. Different types of power wandered beneath his skin, in his veins, among his nerves, in the depths of his bones, almost violently, as if unwilling to come together and ready to break out at any time. 

Coming together was instinct, and separation was instinct, too. 

Power assembling and then dispersing was an unalterable natural law. 

You Zhengping had to find a balance with this power, which constantly wanted to separate and also wanted to absorb his original power. He had to rely on his own mental force to completely subdue this power. 

He didn’t only want to go fight the System with Yu Hua because he loved him. More than that, it was because this was a Protector’s mission. 

The rebelling power burst You Zhengping’s skin and veins from within. His muscles and bones also split apart one by one. You Zhengping’s gaze blurred. He saw Yu Hua standing in front of him looking worried. He seemed to want to enter the installation to help him. 

“No need,” You Zhengping squeezed out a few words between his teeth. “I want it all!” 

Since he was so greedy, in order to contain that greed, he had to possess this power! 

The space around him warped and twisted. You Zhengping was at the center of energy storm, bloody all over. 

Yu Hua was burning with anxiety. Finally, he couldn’t resist taking a step forward. 

Just then, You Zhengping found a common idea among the violent powers. This was a conviction held by the donor of each power. They joined with You Zhengping’s thought to become a thought group. 

The conviction of protection.  

Whether giving power or absorbing power, everyone had the same thought in their hearts. 

With the thought group as a lead, the powers thoroughly sank into You Zhengping’s body. These powers healed his wounded body. Gradually, You Zhengping’s body was restored to as good as new, and the Source Project installation gradually dimmed. 

The Yin-Yang symbol in the sky was quietly absorbed into You Zhengping. When the last radiance of the koi disappeared, You Zhengping opened his eyes and took a step forward, breaking the Source Project installation. 

You Zhengping: “…” 

He looked awkwardly at Yu Hua. “No wonder you were always breaking furniture at first. Having your power suddenly increase like this, it really is kind of hard to control.” 

“Then don’t control it.” Yu Hua jumped onto the installation. “Use it to handle the System.” 

“Okay.” 

After You Zhengping answered Yu Hua, he gave Director Xiao and the Protectors a salute. “I pledge with my life that I will fulfill my mission.” 

Director Xiao’s energy was drained. He couldn’t budge. He was being supported by some young soldiers and could only blink, saying with difficulty, “We’ll be waiting for your victorious return.” 

Yu Hua took You Zhengping’s hand as he waved it towards Director Xiao. A stack of folders fell at Director Xiao’s feet. He said, “I’m not certain about this battle. I can only say that the probability that this world will survive is 70%, the probability that the levelers and the other worlds will survive is 50%, the probability that Xiao You will return to this world is 30%, and the probability that I will survive is 1%. 

“I’m entrusting you with their futures. You’ll see where to go from there.” 

Director Xiao glanced at the folders. They had each of the studio members’ names written on them. 

“You don’t need to worry about them being disloyal, either. I’ve written the rules of the studio. Even if I don’t return, the remaining power will be enough to bind them,” Yu Hua said. 

Huan Zixu remembered “clever people may be victims of their own cleverness” and finally understood why his originally correct guesses had always gone towards the wrong conclusion at the last moment. He looked at Yu Hua and said, “You…”

Yu Hua didn’t give him a chance to finish. Leading You Zhengping by the hand, he turned and pulled out the “rule writer” brush.  

The brush flew into the sky and drew a long gash across the dark clouds. 

The black clouds were torn open by the pen, revealing a strange and frightening place. 

A streak of lightning flashed out of that place. You Zhengping unleashed his spatial barrier, easily blocking the lightning. 

“Let’s go,” Yu Hua said to You Zhengping. 

“Okay.” You Zhengping smiled. 

Then the two of them vanished without a trace, as though they had gone to another world. 

---

Author's Note

Cen Xiao: Even when the sky is falling down, I still have to be a third wheel. You two have to come back and give me a chance to be a third wheel! 

Yu Hua: …Suddenly I don’t want to come back.