“You’re too kind, Leader.” Mole also grinned at the three of them. “Everyone knows I’m a fence-sitter, so there’s no need to remind me separately.”
“You’re actually proud of that?” Chen Junnan frowned. “Were you the same when you were my teammate before?”
“Of course, absolutely.” Mole nodded. “Do you have any other questions for me now?”
Seeing Mole’s blunt honesty, Chen Junnan shook his head helplessly.
“I have one last question,” Chen Junnan said.
“I’m all ears.”
“You know Old Qi is planning something big… What if he doesn’t stop there in the end?” Chen Junnan asked. “Will you still be able to comfortably become the ‘Celestial Rat’?”
“Good question.” Mole chuckled. “The beauty of this plan is that I always appear to be on this ship—in other words, I’ve always been with these rebels. If they succeed one day and reach the top here, I’ll join them forcefully as a ‘teammate.’ If they fail, I’ll see it coming and immediately report to ‘Tianlong’ and ‘Qinglong’ to redeem myself.”
“You’re really something,” Chen Junnan said. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll go tell Old Qi right now?”
“Not at all.” Mole shrugged. “If he’s truly Brother Sheep, he’ll understand that my thinking is perfectly logical. He’ll get it.”
“Fair point.”
Chen Junnan seemed to sense Qi Xia’s mindset—he definitely wouldn’t reject someone like Mole.
After a pause, he added, “We’re basically here to help Old Qi confirm whether a teammate is reliable. At the end of the day, our goals align. For now, we might as well be on the same ship.”
“Thank you for your trust.”
“Turn off that annoying music,” Chen Junnan said. “Can’t you listen to something with a bit more taste? Is foreign heavy metal rock really that good?”
“Leader, it’s not that I don’t want to.” Mole walked over to the radio and pressed stop, then ejected the tape. “This is the only tape I found in this place.”
“A… tape?” Chen Junnan blinked. “This place has tapes?”
He took the cassette from Mole’s hand. The cover was completely faded, the artist’s name unreadable.
“Yeah, I was curious too.” Mole nodded. “Haven’t you noticed? There are not just MP3s here, but radios, tapes, even vinyl records and players I’ve never seen before.”
“What are you getting at…?” Qin Dingdong asked. “This is a city, isn’t it? Finding gold bars here wouldn’t even be surprising.”
“True, gold bars wouldn’t be odd. But what I’m saying is…” Mole narrowed his eyes with a bitter smile. “What era’s city could possibly have so many different generations of music players coexisting?”
Mole’s words made Chen Junnan frown slightly.
It was a question he’d never considered before.
Everyone here came from different time periods, but what era did this city itself belong to?
Most of the street signs and storefronts were too dilapidated to discern their age, leaving only these small, intact objects as clues. But upon closer thought, this place had convenience stores and Go clubs, crumbling rural inns and towering office buildings in the distance. Not to mention prisons, schools, and farms all coexisting.
Would these things realistically appear so densely in a single city?
“So what’s your point?” Chen Junnan asked.
“Nothing much. Just that this place is a mess,” Mole replied.
“But it’s been a mess for a while now, hasn’t it? It didn’t just start today.”
Even so, Chen Junnan found it strange. If everyone here came from different time periods, that was eerie enough. But if the city itself was a patchwork of eras… what was the builder’s intention?
Could a city like this really exist?
“Fair enough.” Mole nodded. “This place isn’t just chaotic—it’s rotten to the core, from the people’s hearts to the sky, from thoughts to actions. Maybe everything started with this jumbled city.”
Chen Junnan agreed. “It’s hard to investigate now. Maybe before the city fell into ruin, it would’ve been easier to spot the clues.”
“Exactly. Everyone just wants to escape, so no one cares how this place was built.” Mole smiled. “Leaders, it’s been a pleasure chatting today. My ‘concert’ ends here. Do put in a good word for me with Qi Xia.”
Mole walked to the door, opened it, and stepped aside. “I won’t see you out.”
Chen Junnan, Qiao Jiajin, and Qin Dingdong exchanged glances. There was no reason to stay any longer, so they slowly walked out. Mole escorted them to the gate.
By now, they were certain of Mole’s stance. Those who became Earth-level “Zodiacs” were never saints. Organizing such a group for a plan like this made them all sweat for Qi Xia.
They had barely taken two steps outside when something strange caught their attention in the sky.
Chen Junnan looked up—countless black, droplet-shaped objects were spreading through the air like a swarm of locusts.
The black particles hovered for a few seconds before suddenly darting in countless directions, as if homing in on targets.
“Bloody hell!” Qiao Jiajin shouted. “Danger! Get back inside!”
Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong immediately realized the danger and turned to sprint toward the building.
But Mole stood coldly in the doorway, blocking them.
Chen Junnan stared at him in disbelief. “You damn rat, don’t just stand there! That black rain’s about to fall!”
“Sorry, everyone.” Mole’s voice was calm. “You’ll have to wait outside for this ‘storm’ to pass.”
“Why?!” Chen Junnan yelled.
Mole narrowed his eyes slightly. “This is the last question I’ll answer for you. When the rain truly falls, I’ll be inside listening to music—unable to hear a single word you say.”
Qin Dingdong and Qiao Jiajin didn’t understand, but Chen Junnan seemed to grasp something.
If even an “Earth-level” was hiding… was this the “Celestial Moment”?
“The reason I won’t let you take shelter inside…” Mole sighed. “…is because no matter where you hide, those black droplets will find you. My game arena would be ruined. Lucky for me, you didn’t join my game—otherwise, I’d be repairing walls starting tomorrow.”
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