After Bai Liu finished speaking, he lowered his head and continued adjusting his tie. Mu Sicheng, meanwhile, was stunned.
During their conversation, Mu Ke, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly began to cry. His hands were clammy with sweat, his legs twitching as he jolted awake. He sat up abruptly, trembling violently, and instinctively clutched Bai Liu's white shirt in his arms. His eyes were unfocused, tears streaming down his face as he gasped for air, as if he were still trapped in the remnants of a nightmare.
Bai Liu leaned closer and whispered, "Mu Ke, you're alive. Calm down."
Gradually, focus returned to Mu Ke's vacant eyes. He stared at Bai Liu in front of him as tears gathered again in his reddened eyes. The white shirt clenched tightly in his hands slowly loosened.
Bai Liu noticed that Mu Ke seemed about to throw himself into his arms and took a slight step back, instead patting his shoulder reassuringly. "You're back in reality now."
"Bai Liu… w-woo… Bai Liu…" Mu Ke sobbed hoarsely, like a pipe torn open under overwhelming pressure. Seeing Bai Liu was the only thing that steadied him. He gripped the hem of Bai Liu's clothes tightly and looked up at him, tears pouring down his face.
His voice was raspy. "I thought I was going to die in that school! They tried to strangle me!"
Bai Liu lowered his gaze and spoke gently. "But you didn't die. You did well. You survived. It's over now, Mu Ke."
Mu Ke cried uncontrollably, his chest heaving. Mid-sob, he hiccupped, then raised his tear-soaked lashes to look at Bai Liu. He asked softly and cautiously, "I cleared the instance the way you told me to. I'm qualified now, right? You'll try your best to help me survive in the game… right?"
"I'll do my best to train you so you can grow stronger and survive on your own," Bai Liu answered readily.
Then his tone shifted, turning colder. "However, if you only want to rely on me, you'll become worthless. And I will quickly withdraw my investment in you. Do you understand, Mu Ke? I don't waste energy on things that bring no return."
Still crying, Mu Ke nodded frantically. His beautiful, tear-filled eyes made him look like a child who had finally received acknowledgment. "I will! I promise I will, Bai Liu!"
"I plan to have you follow me in the next game," Bai Liu said, handing him a piece of tissue. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "If you're willing, we'll clear 50 instances in 60 days. I want to take you to the league—but that means you'll have to grow up quickly."
Mu Ke took the tissue in shock and looked up at him. Bai Liu's expression remained calm and unreadable.
"Can you do it? If you can't, I'll arrange another training path for you. You don't have to follow me."
Before Bai Liu even finished speaking, Mu Ke bit his lower lip. His grip tightened around the tissue, and his shoulders trembled as he replied, "If you need me to do this… then I can do it."
"Mu Ke, have you truly thought this through?" Bai Liu asked evenly. "When discussing something with me, look at me directly. Lift your head."
Mu Ke slowly raised his head, still trembling slightly. Bai Liu clearly saw the expression he had been trying to hide.
The young man with a heart condition knelt on the bed, his eyes red and swollen. His fists were clenched tightly on his knees, his body shaking uncontrollably as he looked up at Bai Liu with a pitiful expression. He was obviously terrified by the idea of clearing 50 instances in 60 days. Fear filled his eyes, and he was barely holding back fresh tears.
To most people, he would look heartbreakingly fragile and beautiful—someone who naturally evoked sympathy.
But Bai Liu only asked calmly, "Mu Ke, you have other options. In this game, many players earn audience points simply by relying on their appearance. You could choose that path as well. Following me will be extremely difficult. Think carefully before answering."
"Follow me into the league, or become a visually popular player who survives on charged points with my support. Either way, you can live."
"Which path do you choose?"
Bai Liu's eyes widened as he looked at the stunned Mu Ke. "Follow me, and you will grow very quickly. From the perspective of your personal needs and the development of your abilities, I suggest you follow me first to raise your panel attributes. It would be best to enter the league with me. If you can't, you can help me in other areas. I can find other players for the league. You're just one of my backup options. I'm simply making up the numbers with you."
"So, your choice?" Bai Liu extended a hand to Mu Ke. He looked at him quietly, waiting for his answer.
Mu Ke knew about the league. He had also seen the fireworks and system notifications when he exited the game. However, he had come out quickly because he was too frightened after clearing it.
Any newcomer would want to escape immediately after clearing a game. Only Bai Liu, with his problematic brain circuits, would wander around slowly to gather information. Mu Ke didn't have the psychological strength to remain calm after clearing the instance.
After clearing the game, the feeling of drowning made Mu Ke recall the suffocating sensation he had experienced in Siren Town—when there had been no Bai Liu to reach out a hand to him.
The environment without Bai Liu made Mu Ke extremely afraid. Bai Liu had rescued him from the bottom of the sea and given him strong psychological support. In Mu Ke's mind, Bai Liu stood above the game itself. Bai Liu had even crossed the system barrier to save him, which gave Mu Ke an unparalleled sense of security. So when Mu Ke encountered a scene that nearly killed him again, he subconsciously sought a safe environment. In a dazed state after his mental collapse, he logged out to Bai Liu's place.
Mu Ke was afraid of the league. He knew it must be tens of thousands of times more dangerous than the single-player game he had just cleared. A newcomer like him would surely die there.
Mu Ke blinked his red eyes. His heart beat rapidly, and his long eyelashes were wet with tears. He looked at Bai Liu's outstretched hand, and his heartbeat gradually quickened.
Mu Ke knew Bai Liu was a very cold person. Bai Liu wouldn't save him every time. The first time he had saved Mu Ke, it was for the added value of the Merfolk Amulet. Now that item had already been used up.
Bai Liu wasn't a good man, but he was very trustworthy.
Mu Ke looked up at Bai Liu, his eyes vigilant and tentative like a small animal facing danger. "If I follow you, will you promise to keep me alive in the game as much as possible?"
Bai Liu replied patiently, "I promise."
All of Mu Ke's sense of security toward Bai Liu stemmed from this. As long as Bai Liu made a promise, he would never break it, no matter how desperate the situation. Bai Liu had promised not to give up on him easily and to do his best to keep him alive. The league sounded terrifying, but—
"Then I'll play in the league with you." Mu Ke placed his hand lightly in Bai Liu's. His voice was small, weepy, and nasal, carrying a trace of grievance. "I don't want to play alone."
Bai Liu lightly squeezed Mu Ke's hand before letting go, signaling that they had reached an agreement. "Yes, I understand."
Then Bai Liu put away the polite business expression he had used to persuade Mu Ke and quickly shifted into discussion mode.
"Mu Ke, when will you be ready? Once we enter next time, we likely won't come out for a long time," Bai Liu asked. "You seem to need proper rest, and you'll be gone for around two months. Shouldn't you talk to the people around you?"
"However, we don't have much time to prepare." Bai Liu looked at him. "I can give you at most one day. Is that enough?"
Mu Ke's lips trembled slightly. It was uncomfortable to shift into such a high-intensity mode so suddenly. Yet under Bai Liu's calm gaze, he quickly responded. "…Okay."
"Go home now, Mu Ke." Bai Liu picked up his phone and called his boss. As he dialed, he glanced at Mu Ke. "I'll ask the boss to pick you up. You have my address and phone number. Once you're ready, call me. You can come directly. Or do you need me to pick you up?"
"C-Can I come to you?" Mu Ke asked cautiously.
"Yes," Bai Liu replied indifferently.
The boss arrived soon after. This was the second time he had come to Bai Liu's small rental apartment to pick up young master Mu Ke, so he was familiar with the place. Although his expression was still strange, he respectfully greeted Bai Liu.
When he entered the room, he saw Mu Ke sitting on the bed with red, tear-stained eyes. The boss's expression twisted in distress.
There were still marks on the young master's hands and feet, as if he had been tied up (marks left by the game).
However, that wasn't what shocked the boss the most.
The most shocking sight was a tired but handsome male university student sleeping at the table. He had fallen asleep while waiting for Bai Liu to finish negotiating with Mu Ke and was wearing clothes with his university's logo. Bai Liu's coat was draped over his shoulders. The student slept soundly, as if he hadn't slept all night, dark circles visible beneath his eyes.
The boss's expression distorted as he looked at Bai Liu, who appeared calm but also had faint dark circles.
How many men did you play with in one night, you beast?!
When Bai Liu turned his head, he met the boss's overloaded expression. Bai Liu, however, never understood what the boss was thinking. He simply guided Mu Ke past him as if nothing was wrong.
Mu Ke followed the boss absentmindedly. Unable to contain his curiosity, the boss coughed twice and asked casually, "Mu Ke, the person in Bai Liu's room just now looked like a university student. What's your relationship with him?"
"Oh, that guy." Mu Ke's mood turned complicated and slightly sour as he thought of Mu Sicheng.
Mu Ke knew of Mu Sicheng—the fourth-ranked player on the Rising Stars leaderboard. Mu Sicheng was stronger than him and obviously more useful. He must mean something different to Bai Liu and have a closer relationship with him. It could be seen from Bai Liu's attitude.
When Mu Sicheng fell asleep, Bai Liu had actually draped a coat over him. He had even lowered his voice while speaking to Mu Ke, seemingly afraid of waking him. Mu Ke had stared at the scene, and Bai Liu had explained that Mu Sicheng was exhausted from the game and needed rest.
…This was treatment Mu Ke had never received.
Mu Ke had always been treated specially as a young master. Bai Liu, however, had been indifferent to him from the beginning, even slightly bored. The contrast in how Bai Liu treated Mu Sicheng made Mu Ke feel sour.
He snorted resentfully. "Him? He's just like me—one of Bai Liu's game partners. One day, I'll surpass him in Bai Liu's eyes! I'll make Bai Liu prefer playing with me! I'll play games with Bai Liu every day starting tomorrow! How can he be better than me?!"
The boss listened with a stiff expression, inwardly shocked.
Was the competition among you M-types this intense? Competing for jobs by playing games?!
"…You should take care of your body and not overdo it," the boss advised awkwardly. "Playing that can be exhausting. You should rest more."
"No," Mu Ke replied blankly. "Bai Liu assigned me a task. For the next two months, I'll play 50 games with him. We'll also play in five-person matches. I don't know if I can physically handle it. I've never played with others before. And Bai Liu only gave me half a day of rest. It's about to start…"
The boss was completely dumbfounded.
Fifty games in two months? And multiplayer ones at that?!
Bai Liu took leave from work when he was exhausted, yet he didn't even give Mu Ke proper time off. Mu Ke had to work overtime to play "multiplayer games." What a scumbag!
The boss thought bitterly:
Bai Liu, you beast. You're actually implementing the 996 system.