“You’re comparing Qi Xia… to a machine?” Yun Yao said.
“Yes, and that’s exactly why I want to collaborate with him,” Lin Qin replied with a smile. “When you know there’s such an incredible machine, don’t you feel tempted to take the risk and make it your own?”
“But you also said… it’s dangerous,” Yun Yao countered. “Aren’t you afraid he might hurt you one day?”
“It’s hard to say… I’ve interacted with Qi Xia for some time now,” Lin Qin continued softly. “Though he appears cold and aloof on the surface, his psychological issues are severe—anxious, sensitive, obsessive. Yet, deep down, he yearns for companionship and often radiates a profound sense of helplessness.”
Lin Qin’s analysis ventured into territory none of the others had explored before, leaving them to simply listen.
“He’s contradictory. He frequently suppresses his own thoughts, which means, in a way, Qi Xia is actually afraid of forming deep emotional bonds with us, his so-called ‘teammates.’ It could interfere with his plans. And yet, he still goes out of his way to save every person he can when the opportunity arises.”
“That *is* contradictory…” Yun Yao murmured. “First, you say he’s as cold-blooded as a machine, then you claim he wants to save everyone… Can someone really have such a mindset?”
“Absolutely,” Lin Qin nodded. “From a psychological standpoint, this inconsistency suggests one of those states is Qi Xia’s disguise. So tell me… which is the act—his ‘cold-bloodedness’ or his ‘kindness’?”
Her words practically spelled out the answer. Qi Xia’s usual demeanor was unnervingly indifferent, yet his actions often betrayed that facade. That had to be his mask.
“But I still don’t understand… If he’s pretending, what’s his goal?” Yun Yao pressed.
“That, I truly don’t know,” Lin Qin admitted. “All I *do* know is this: Qi Xia might have actually escaped before. And if I follow him… there’s a real chance I could escape too.”
Seeing the confusion on their faces, Lin Qin explained the strange old man from her world—a brilliant but insane figure who showed no reaction to being called “Qi Xia,” yet would spiral into madness at the mere mention of “Yu Nian’an.”
“You mean… you’ve seen Qi Xia in the *real world*?!” Yun Yao asked in disbelief.
“Not firsthand,” Lin Qin shook her head. “I told Qi Xia about this. I suspect he was at the hospital where my friend worked. That’s how I learned of him.”
Zhang Chenze, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “So… have you formed an alliance with Qi Xia?”
“Yes, though it’s fragile as a cicada’s wing,” Lin Qin replied. “But if I had to choose, I’d side with Qi Xia over someone like Chu Tianqiu or Xu Liunian. I know far too little about them.”
A heavy silence settled over the group. Zhang Chenze’s mind felt even more tangled than before.
Everyone here was striving to escape—compared to them, she had done nothing at all.
“But that’s *Endless Life* we’re talking about…” Yun Yao said wistfully. “When *Endless Life* descended… I was standing right in front of the display. No one could understand its power better than me. The deafening toll of that bell shattered car windows, and the screen was completely obscured by *Endless Life*. If that’s not a ‘miracle’… then what is?”
“So your stance is…?”
“Simple,” Yun Yao stated. “*Endless Life*’s potential is too immense. If it can truly create a person at will, I choose to support Xu Liunian.”
Her stance clearly diverged from Lin Qin’s, though the latter didn’t seem perturbed.
At its core, Qi Xia was just a clever man who might escape—if a better opportunity arose, she could abandon him without hesitation.
Zhang Chenze nodded slowly. “Yun Yao, do you really think creating a ‘Wen Qiaoyun’ would help us in any tangible way?”
Yun Yao lowered her head briefly, then smoothed her hair before looking up. “Think about it. Qi Xia alone is already this formidable… What if—just *what if*—he truly believes there’s someone even stronger than him and manages to manifest her? That person would overturn *Terminal Land* entirely.”
“Stronger than Qi Xia…” Lin Qin murmured the words, feeling them slip beyond her comprehension.
Such a being… no, it couldn’t even be called a “person.” Could a creature like that truly exist?
Qi Xia’s thoughts were already inscrutable to her. If something even more unfathomable emerged… what would *it* think?
What would *it* do?
A terrifying entity beyond imagination, utterly unpredictable—it couldn’t be human. It would be more like a “god” than Qi Xia ever was. And if that were the case… would this “god” even side with the “participants”?
*Why* would it help them?
“I can’t… My thoughts are a mess…” Lin Qin pressed a hand to her forehead. “But something about this plan feels *wrong*… I have a very bad feeling about it…”
As she spoke, she covered her nose and mouth, as if recoiling from an unseen scent.
Yun Yao knew it was a gamble—executing it would be incredibly difficult.
Not only would they need Qi Xia to regain his *Echo*, but they’d also have to deceive him.
In *Terminal Land*, fooling an ordinary person was easy. But tricking Qi Xia? Nearly impossible. The slightest clue could unravel their carefully woven lies.
After a moment of contemplation, both Yun Yao and Lin Qin turned to Zhang Chenze.
They had made their positions clear. Only she remained uncommitted.
“I…” Zhang Chenze sighed. “Given my principles, I know far too little about all this. Whether it’s Qi Xia or *Endless Life*, this is my first time delving so deeply. And my life’s creed has always been the same—without full information, I won’t make a hasty choice. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone.”
“So you… refuse to choose?”
“Exactly,” she nodded. “I might align with Chu Tianqiu’s approach. Though we’re teammates sharing a room, none of us should interfere with Qi Xia’s actions. Let things unfold naturally. At least for now… we shouldn’t take sides.”
The three had clearly diverged in their views. Fortunately, the room held more than just them—their gazes shifted toward Li Xiangling and Tian Tian, still silent on the sidelines.
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