IBO -Chapter 59 Confrontation

This novel contains sensitive and taboo content like R*pe, Mu**er etc. Read only if you are comfortable.

Song Yiran let out a sigh. He had still done too little—Xiao Zhong’er’s heart had been holding so much grievance.

And all this time, he hadn’t noticed Xiao Zhong’er’s hurt at all…

Song Yiran offered a solemn apology to Xiao Zhong’er. “So this second chance was something you traded for…

I’m sorry I didn’t notice the loss and disappointment in your heart in time.

I’m truly grateful for all the help you’ve given me over the years. I’m sorry for neglecting you.

I won’t do this again. From now on, I’ll treat everyone fairly.”

“Hmph! As long as you know that! I’m magnanimous, so I’ll forgive you! But you’d better listen to me—hurry up and run while you still can!”

The tear tracks on Xiao Zhong’er’s face hadn’t even dried yet when he arrogantly pursed his lips. Hah, men!

Song Yiran still shook his head.

Although Xiao Zhong’er could be naïve at times, he believed Xiao Zhong’er wasn’t truly foolish—he just didn’t understand certain rules.

He asked in return, “But what about you after I leave? Headquarters ordered you to take me with you. If you go alone, will headquarters really let you off?”

Hearing this, Xiao Zhong’er guiltily shifted his beady eyes away.

He forced himself to sound calm. “It’s fine. At worst, they’ll wipe my memory and toss me back to be remade at the factory.

When I come out again, I’ll still be able to live just fine.”

Song Yiran sighed again. He knew it—Xiao Zhong’er understood everything perfectly well.

How could such feelings not move a person?

He and Xiao Zhong’er had spent many years together.

Xiao Zhong’er had scavenged junk with him, raised cubs with him.

Xiao Zhong’er had encouraged him during his lowest moments, and congratulated him when he achieved small successes.

All along, he had treated Xiao Zhong’er as a reliable partner, as a dependable, adult system.

But he had forgotten that Xiao Zhong’er actually needed more care as well.

Xiao Zhong’er would always silently swallow his grievances, and would always give for him behind the scenes.

Xiao Zhong’er said that this chance to redo the mission was something he obtained by bribing his superior—who knows, he might even have emptied his entire savings just to help him.

Yet Xiao Zhong’er had kept this from him all along, only revealing it today.

And this time, for the sake of letting him live, he had even wanted to send him to another spacetime.

Xiao Zhong’er knew that after going back, he might have his memories wiped and be sent back to the factory to be rebuilt.

But Xiao Zhong’er never said any of this.

He simply, as always, wanted to help him.

Xiao Zhong’er had already given far too much for him. He didn’t want Xiao Zhong’er to sacrifice anything more for his sake.

Song Yiran gave Xiao Zhong’er a grateful smile. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me all this time. But this time, I don’t want you to risk yourself for me anymore. We can face this together. Worst case, we die—we die. I was already dead to begin with.”

“…You idiot… forget it, I can’t control you anymore!” Xiao Zhong’er puffed up angrily as he glared at Song Yiran.

He really couldn’t understand Song Yiran’s way of thinking. What could possibly be more important than being alive?

But even so, he couldn’t just leave Song Yiran alone. Xiao Zhong’er angrily stuffed a prop into Song Yiran’s pocket.

“Fine, then go! But if things start to go wrong, you run immediately.

I’ve already set the coordinates for you and picked a place suitable for human habitation.

If something goes wrong, just press the button and you can escape right away.”

The prop Xiao Zhong’er took out was very small—only a tiny bit bigger than his beady eyes.

But at this moment, Song Yiran felt that this prop weighed a thousand jin.

He could feel it pressing against his body from inside his pocket. The prop itself had no temperature, yet Song Yiran felt that it was scorching hot.

The heat traveled along his clothes, burned into his skin, and then burned straight into his heart.

What this prop contained was Xiao Zhong’er’s pure, sincere heart.

Song Yiran let out a sigh. This gift was far too precious.

He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air, then gave Xiao Zhong’er a big hug. “Xiao Zhong’er, thank you!”

“Hmph! Just take care of yourself—don’t get caught by the boss when the time comes!”

Xiao Zhong’er was so smug inside he was practically bursting. See? He was way more useful than those little brats!

But on the surface, he still put on an aloof, tsundere act.

As the saying goes, humans always stop cherishing things once they’ve obtained them.

From today onward, he was going to become a system that Song Yiran could never hope to reach!

“Alright, it’s time for us to set off!” Xiao Zhong’er squirmed awkwardly as he flew out of Song Yiran’s arms.

Song Yiran worriedly glanced toward the direction of the cubs’ dormitory. After they left, what would happen to the cubs?

But he felt that bringing up the cubs in front of Xiao Zhong’er right now wouldn’t be very wise.
“If we just leave like this…”

“Hah! Still thinking about those little brats?

Don’t worry. Even if we stay in the system space for several hundred years before coming back, only one second will have passed here.”

Xiao Zhong’er immediately understood what Song Yiran really wanted to ask.

What, kidding? He had spent so much time with Song Yiran—how could he possibly fail to guess such a simple thought?

**System World, History Department, Minister’s Office.**

The moment Song Yiran and Xiao Zhong’er stepped inside, they felt an oppressive pressure.

Song Yiran looked up at Minister 111, who was seated behind the desk.

111 was in a human form. She was currently leaning back in her chair, sizing up Song Yiran and Xiao Zhong’er.

The instant 111’s gaze swept over him, Song Yiran felt an indescribable sensation.

After a moment, he realized what it was—the oppressive aura of someone in a higher position.

Song Yiran swallowed and then glanced at Xiao Zhong’er beside him.

Xiao Zhong’er should be more experienced than him. He decided to imitate how Xiao Zhong’er handled things.

However, when he turned his head, he discovered that Xiao Zhong’er’s entire system body was trembling like a sieve.

Xiao Zhong’er didn’t even dare to look at 111, only staring fixedly at the floor.

Song Yiran sighed, silently shifting his body to the side to block Xiao Zhong’er’s trembling figure.

At the same time, he secretly chatted with Xiao Zhong’er in his mind. “Why are you so scared of your minister? Relax, we didn’t do anything bad.”

“No, I’m scared! It’s like how you humans were afraid of meeting the discipline director back when you were students.”

“The boss, to me, is basically like the dean of discipline.”

“Ah, so that’s how it is! Then your reaction actually makes total sense! Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

“Are you two done talking?” A cold, stern voice suddenly cut in.

Song Yiran looked toward the source of the voice in shock—it was 111!

Song Yiran could no longer maintain the calm on his face. Inside his head, he was screaming hysterically.

“AHHH! You never told me your boss could hear our conversation!!”

“AHHH! I forgot about that too!

It’s over, it’s over—Boss heard everything!

Boss definitely heard me compare her to the dean of discipline!

It’s over, we’re completely finished!

Boss is definitely going to kill a system to silence it, then destroy the evidence! Wuwuwu……”

Xiao Zhong’er’s body trembled even harder, his little bean eyes squinting shut in terror.

“Please rest assured, you two. I have no intention of killing a system to silence it.”

111’s cold gaze swept over Xiao Zhong’er, who was so frightened that he didn’t even dare to tremble anymore.

111 took a sip of the tea on the table. “How about we talk about something you’re interested in?”

She revealed a dangerous smile, casually tapping the tabletop with her fingers in a steady rhythm.

“For example, the memories you’ve lost.”

“From now on, you have the opportunity to ask me questions.”

111 didn’t explicitly say who she was referring to, but even Xiao Zhong’er knew—it was Song Yiran.

Song Yiran narrowed his eyes. He hadn’t guessed wrong after all—this really was 111’s doing!

At this moment, he desperately wanted to walk up and demand what exactly she was trying to do, but that would be far too dangerous. He decided to lie low for now.

The atmosphere in the office instantly dropped to freezing point. No system or human spoke.

111 waited for Song Yiran’s response. Song Yiran remained silent. Xiao Zhong’er was thinking about how to escape.

Song Yiran was the first to break the eerie silence. He tried his best to keep his voice from shaking.

“Can you tell us… what exactly you want to do?”

“Song Yiran! Are you crazy?! You’re just going to ask her directly like that?! Boss definitely won’t just tell you her plan!”

Xiao Zhong’er was dumbfounded by Song Yiran’s approach. How could simply asking the boss make her reveal everything?

Just as Xiao Zhong’er expected, 111 did not tell them the truth.

“Unfortunately, you are not qualified to know that yet.”

“Is it related to the collapse of the timeline?” Song Yiran had no choice but to change the question.

“Yes.”

“Does the timeline collapse have anything to do with me and Xiao—555?”

Song Yiran almost blurted out “Xiao Zhong’er,” but in front of another system, he decided not to use 555’s nickname.

“No.”

“Then why did you erase my and 555’s memories?”

“This is destined history.”

Song Yiran found this answer utterly baffling.

Being tormented by 111’s riddle-like responses, Song Yiran felt completely drained. He took a deep breath and asked again, “…Is my mission really to raise children?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want us to stop the collapse of the timeline?” Song Yiran proposed a guess.

“No.”

“Do you plan to make me and 555 repeat this mission over and over again?” Just imagining it made Song Yiran frown.

“No.”

“555 bribed his superior so that I could get another chance to redo the mission—was that at your instruction?”

“Yes.”

Even Xiao Zhong’er was shocked now. So this was the boss stirring things up behind the scenes!

Then weren’t all his little savings spent for nothing?

Wuwuwu… he’d saved up that stash of pocket money for so long… QAQ

“What exactly do 555 and I need to do to satisfy you? What do you really want from us? I’ll fully cooperate with you, but can you please tell me what you want us to do? I don’t want to be kept in the dark.”

Song Yiran had had enough of this riddle-speaking system. Was it really that hard to just talk properly? Why did everything have to be cryptic?

But at this moment, all he could do was unleash a very small amount of restrained rage.

“Your mission has already been completed. Very soon, the gears of history will begin to turn.”

“You mean…”

111 began clapping rhythmically, looking as if she were sincerely congratulating them.

“Congratulations. From now on, you no longer need to worry about the collapse of the timeline.

Contractor of 555, your and 555’s mission has already been completed.

From here on, you only need to focus on raising the children. No matter the outcome, this mission will be judged a success.”

However, the playful smile at the corner of 111’s lips only made Song Yiran more wary of her.

“One last question—was this entire matter planned by you alone?”

This time, 111 still didn’t give a direct answer.

“This is the guidance of fate.”

That answer sounded even more baffling than before.