376: Chapter 377 A Dialogue Three Hundred Years Later and the "Second Door"

The news of Little Girl's return spread through the entire New Homeland in half a day, as if it had grown wings.

People flocked from all directions, gathering at the edge of the forest to watch the Little Girl who wouldn't let go of Madam Liu, and the two strange little beasts beside her—one silver, one with seven-colored fur—chasing and playing with each other.

"Little Girl! You're really back!"

"Is it fun over there?"

"Did you miss us?"

Questions pelted her like raindrops. Little Girl was surrounded in the middle, a bit overwhelmed, but she still answered them one by one:

"It's fun! The trees can sing!"

"I did! I thought of you every day!"

"I brought gifts for everyone—Huahua, stop chasing Bright Fur Ball, come here!"

The seven-colored little beast stopped reluctantly and ran to Little Girl's feet, looking up and making "ji-ji" sounds.

"This is Huahua," Little Girl introduced. "Bright Fur Ball's friend. Though they argue every day."

Bright Fur Ball crouched to the side with a cold, aloof expression that clearly said, "I am not arguing with it."

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

In the distance, Lin Jiang and the old man named Wang did not squeeze into the crowd; instead, they slowly walked up the hillside, standing where Cicada used to watch the sunrise.

"Three hundred years," Wang said softly, looking at the forest in the distance. "This place is different from my memory."

"You've been here?" Lin Jiang asked.

"No," Wang shook his head. "But I imagined it many times from your Master's descriptions. He said the New Homeland is a good place. There are trees, the sea, the sun, and a group of people who don't want to be harvested anymore."

Lin Jiang was silent for a few seconds before asking, "My Master... how did he go?"

Wang turned his head and looked at her.

In those eyes—one black, one silver—there was something very, very deep.

"Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Yes."

Wang was silent for a moment, then began to tell the story.

Three hundred years ago, after Qi Wangzhi sent Lin Jiang away by "faking her death," he continued to lurk within the Cracked Eye for twenty years.

In those twenty years, he passed on forty-seven pieces of intelligence and saved at least three thousand "children of destiny" who were supposed to be harvested. Every action was a dance on the edge of a blade. Every success was a step on the brink of a cliff.

In the twenty-first year, he was discovered.

It wasn't that there was a mole in the Cracked Eye; he exposed himself voluntarily.

That day, the Heavenly Court was going to execute a group of "Rebels" captured from the Ranch World—three hundred and seventy-three people, including the elderly, children, women, and men.

Qi Wangzhi was responsible for the escort.

Halfway there, he suddenly stopped, turned to those three hundred and seventy-three people, and said, "Run."

Then he stood alone on the only path leading to the execution ground, blocking the pursuers.

"He used your name," Wang looked at Lin Jiang. "'Lin Jiang'."

Lin Jiang was stunned.

"He said, 'My name is Lin Jiang, a person who should have died three hundred years ago. Living an extra twenty years is enough'."

"And then he died."

"Before he died, he asked me to bring a message to you."

Lin Jiang's lips moved, but no sound came out.

Wang looked at her and slowly spoke those words:

"'Xiao Jiang, live well. See the sun of that day for me'."

Lin Jiang stood there, motionless.

The wind blew from afar, swirling up a few fallen leaves.

She looked up at the sky.

The sun was hanging right at the edge of the sky, warm and shining on her face.

"Master," she said softly, "I see it."

Below the hillside, the crowd gradually dispersed.

Little Girl finally squeezed out of the circle, holding Madam Liu's hand as they walked toward home. Bright Fur Ball and Huahua followed behind, one aloof and one chirping, forming a sharp contrast.

Passing by tiny brighty, Little Girl stopped, knelt down, and looked at the small silver-blue tree.

tiny brighty's branches swayed gently, as if saying hello.

"tiny brighty," Little Girl reached out to touch its leaves, "I'm back. Oh, you've bloomed?"

On the branches, three silver-blue flowers trembled slightly, as if nodding.

"So pretty." Little Girl smiled.

She stood up and continued walking home.

After a few steps, she suddenly turned back to look at the two figures on the hillside—Lin Jiang and Wang were still standing there, talking.

"Auntie Lin will be happy," she said to Madam Liu, "Grandpa Wang is here."

Madam Liu nodded without asking why.

She just held Little Girl's hand and walked slowly toward home.

That evening, a small "welcome party" was held in the New Homeland.

It wasn't a grand celebration, but small gatherings organized by each household. A grill was set up in front of Zhao Iron Pillar's blacksmith shop, and Little Li's wife brought out basins of rainbow potatoes and roasted rabbit meat. Colored lights were hung in front of Senior Brother Zhang's technology center, and Silver Thorn rarely transformed back into human form, wandering around with a cup. Mu Wanqing's medical team sent specially made health tea, saying it was to "nourish Little Girl who has returned from afar."

Little Girl was pulled into five meals by different households, her belly becoming round and full. Finally, she collapsed on the grass holding Bright Fur Ball, unable to move.

"Can't eat anymore..." she said weakly.

Huahua crouched beside her, still eating—it had just discovered that the rainbow potatoes in the New Homeland were tastier than the fruit over there and was burying its head in the food.

Bright Fur Ball rolled its eyes, its expression clearly saying "disgraceful."

In the middle of the night, Wen Youyi sat alone beneath the Memorial Tower.

The silver-blue flame at the top of the tower burned quietly, casting his shadow long.

Footsteps came from behind.

It was Wang.

"Can't sleep?" The old man sat down beside Wen Youyi.

"Yeah," Wen Youyi nodded, "thinking about some things."

"What things?"

"You." Wen Youyi turned to look at him. "The last liaison of the Cracked Eye, personally coming here three hundred years later, surely isn't just to bring Little Girl back?"

Wang smiled.

In that smile was a calmness after seeing through the world's vicissitudes.

"Smart," he said, "it really wasn't just to bring her back."

He paused and looked at the forest in the distance.

"Something has happened within the Heavenly Court recently."

Wen Youyi frowned. "What happened?"

"The three hundred and seventy-four seconds of hesitation three years ago made the System suspicious of all middle and high-level personnel. A large-scale purge lasted for two years, and tens of thousands died. But after the purge ended, the System discovered a problem—"

Wang turned his head and looked at Wen Youyi:

"The people who were purged were the ones who were truly 'loyal'."

"What?"

"Most of those who truly hesitated survived," Wang said, "because after hesitating, they immediately performed 'compensatory actions'—proactively reporting colleagues, over-fulfilling tasks, and even personally executing their own subordinates. The System judged that they had 'corrected themselves' and let them stay."

Wen Youyi was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly understood.

"So the high-level officials of the Heavenly Court now are actually a group of... 'people pretending to be loyal'?"

"Yes," Wang nodded, "they know the System's weaknesses, they know how to deceive the System, and they know how to do their own things right under the System's nose. And—"

He paused, his voice becoming very low:

"They have started contacting the Cracked Eye."

Wen Youyi's pupils constricted slightly.

"Why contact the Cracked Eye?"

"They want to know one thing," Wang looked at him. "If one day they are willing to 'hesitate,' is there anyone outside who can catch them."

Wen Youyi fell silent.

This was not a small issue.

If those "pretending to be loyal" high-level officials of the Heavenly Court really defected, what would it mean?

It meant there were cracks within the Heavenly Court, cracks that could spread to the core.

But it also meant that the New Homeland had to be prepared—prepared to accept those people, prepared to face possible retaliation, and prepared to bear the cost of "catching them."

"What do you want me to do?" he asked.

Wang looked at him, those eyes—one black, one silver—holding something very, very deep.

"It's not about what I want you to do," he said. "It's about you all thinking clearly—if that day really comes, what will you do."

He stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes.

"That child," he looked toward the direction of Little Girl's home, "the last thing she learned was to 'open the door'."

"Open the door?"

"Not an ordinary door, but a door of consciousness," Wang said. "Her consciousness can now connect to any 'willing to be connected' person. If those Heavenly Court high-level officials really decide to defect, she can use that door to 'bring them over'."

Wen Youyi was silent.

Little Girl again.

That nine-year-old child had to bear such a responsibility once more.

"Is she willing?" he asked.

Wang smiled.

"Go ask her."

The next morning, Wen Youyi went to find Little Girl.

Little Girl was squatting in the yard, washing Huahua—that fellow was covered in rainbow potato scraps, and Bright Fur Ball was watching from the side with a look of disdain.

"Little Girl."

"Hmm?" Little Girl looked up.

Wen Youyi knelt down beside her and told her everything Wang had said.

After finishing, he asked, "Are you willing?"

Little Girl thought for a moment and asked, "If those people come here, will they steal our rainbow potatoes?"

Wen Youyi was taken aback. "Probably not."

"Will they bully Mom?"

"No, they won't."

"Then okay," Little Girl nodded, "let them come."

Wen Youyi looked at her, not knowing what to say.

Little Girl continued washing Huahua, saying as she did:

"Uncle Wen, don't worry. My door is very big now; it can fit a lot of people."

"And," she looked up, her eyes sparkling, "Auntie Cai said the bigger the door, the bigger the world you can see."

"I want to see a bigger world."

Wen Youyi was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Alright."

He stood up and turned to leave.

"Uncle Wen!"

He looked back.

Little Girl held Huahua and waved at him.

"Remember to let me read that book of yours when you're finished writing it!"

Wen Youyi smiled and nodded.

In the distance, in the forest, tiny brighty's branches swayed gently.

In the empty space beside it, several silver-blue saplings had sprouted at some point.

A new generation was growing.

(End of Chapter)