Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

"You should get up first. Let's talk somewhere else."

The subway station has a lot of people, too noisy for conversation. Lin Wei helps the scruffy man, who is crying his eyes out, to his feet and quickly takes him away from the gathering crowd. He finds a secluded restaurant and reserves a private room. Then, he sits down, facing him.

The man has now calmed down from his emotional outburst. He's no longer impulsive, but just sits opposite Lin Wei in silence, his messy hair sticking out like dry weeds.

Lin Wei doesn't know what this disheveled man has gone through, or what happened to his daughter, that would make him throw away his dignity.

After all, he also came from Nagazora City. It's most likely related to the Honkai.

Was his daughter corrupted by the Honkai and is now close to death?

Lin Wei doesn't make assumptions. He knows that he's powerless to change that.

So he doesn't bother him, and just orders some food and tea. He pours a cup of tea and puts it in front of the man and then waits silently. He doesn't say anything or rush him.

Time passes, and Lin Wei finishes his cup of tea. The man hasn't said anything, nor has he touched anything on the table. Lin Wei smiles, pours a little more tea into the man's untouched cup, and continues to wait.

Lin Wei doesn't mind helping someone within his capabilities. Maybe he can change that person's fate, or even a family's.

But if the other party doesn't want to talk and remains silent, Lin Wei wouldn't force it. Nor would he initiate conversation.

He'll just treat this as taking an old friend out for a meal. After that, they can part ways and leave each other to fate.

"...Can you tell me, who exactly are you?" The food is served one by one. Lin Wei is silently enjoying the food when the man, who has been silent this whole time, finally speaks, his voice hoarse.

"I'm Lin Wei." Lin Wei puts down his chopsticks, takes his cup and nods to the other person before taking a big gulp. "What happened? Eat as we talk, there's no need to rush."

The man raises his head. His swollen eyelids are filled with exhaustion and struggle. He stares at Lin Wei's face, full of a gentle smile. "My family, friends, colleagues, business partners, they're mostly dead... I don't have the chance to go back to Nagazora City. I also don't know what happened there. I only know that a lot of people died there, a lot of people… within a very short time, disappeared without a trace…"

Lin Wei's chewing stops slightly. He looks at him seriously and continues to pick up food, casually asking, "You think I'm the one who orchestrated this, or at least a part of it, right?"

"..." The man remains silent, lowering his head again.

Ever since he met Lin Wei at the subway station a few days ago, that thought has been brewing in his heart, like a volcano about to erupt. He wants to ask him for his lost home…

But now, he's more regretful about his impulsive decision, because there is something more important.

"Don't blame me. I just happened to know some information beforehand. As for the rest, I'm no different from you." Lin Wei explains simply. Whether the other party believes him or not is not his concern. He raises his chopsticks. "Let's eat. You have something you want me to help you with, right? Tell me slowly, no need to rush."

Do you think I'd believe that? the man thinks silently.

The sudden disaster in Nagazora City, and the change in Lin Wei's character has led the man to perceive the scent of "lies" and "schemes" in his past experiences.

But whether it's a lie or a scheme, the man has reached the end of his rope. So, none of that matters.

The man grits his teeth, makes up his mind, and slides out of his chair. He falls to his knees in front of Lin Wei, "Lin Wei, I know that you must have secrets, and that you must work for a mysterious and dangerous organization, right? You might have a plot to take over the world, or you might have some other secret motives… I don't care about any of it. I've lost everything except my daughter… I beg you, please help me save her! As long as you can save my daughter, I'll do anything. I can even join you and work for you! Believe me, I'm useful! I can make money, a lot of money… I can also give you information, and cover your tracks… And, and..."

The man seems to be gathering the courage to say those words. The more he speaks, the more excited and incoherent he becomes.

Lin Wei looks at the closed door. Luckily, this is a private room, so it's soundproof…

Then, he looks at the pathetic man in front of him, feeling a headache.

His imagination is very vivid. Is he planning to die with me if I refuse?

Lin Wei stares at the trembling man for a long time, so long that the man begins to despair.

He sighs and makes his voice sterner, "Stop with all of this. Get up, sit down, and tell me what happened clearly. If I can help, I will. If it's beyond my power, then I'll just apologize."

The man before him is as pitiful as an ant, as small as an ant, as laughable as an ant.

Lin Wei looks at him, like seeing a mirror through time and space, showing himself from a year ago—

The self that was being corrupted by the Honkai, waiting to die in despair;

The self who did everything to get to Fu Hua;

The self who would have been destroyed if he took a single wrong step;

The self who had been looked down upon by Fu Hua with the eyes of one who was "an insignificant ant."

The self who had struggled through hell knows how torturous it is to feel despair. Putting himself in the man's shoes, he doesn't mind giving him another chance.

The man is relieved, hurriedly gets up, and sits back in his seat. He then drinks all of the cold tea, letting his heart that is still pounding to calm down. He shows a helpless smile, then slowly starts to tell his story—

On New Year's Day a year ago, during that joyous holiday, the man received a call from Lin Wei who was abruptly resigning. He was dumbfounded and upset. Why is this happening during a holiday? People are supposed to be giving blessings!

Soon after that, Lin Wei's words before hanging up, telling him to leave Nagazora City, confused him. What's that all about?

It would have just been a small interlude, but the man couldn't ignore it. For the next week, he felt inexplicably restless. He felt like something bad was about to happen, but he couldn't figure out the reason. That uneasy feeling wouldn't go away.

As a businessman, he is a bit superstitious, so he went to the temple to pray for answers, and spent a lot of money on it, but his restlessness only grew.

During another sleepless night, the man suddenly remembered what Lin Wei said on the phone and was suddenly calm. He seemed to grasp the situation. So, he sat up, grabbed his phone, and was about to call Lin Wei to ask him more questions, but it showed that number was no longer in service.

The trail ended here, but those words had taken root in his heart. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that something was about to happen.

So, a few days later, during dinner, he shared his thoughts with his wife, expressing his intention to move back to Shenzhou with the family.

His wife disagreed, saying that Chiba Academy was a difficult school to get into, so how can they transfer out of it just to move to a school they don't know anything about? Was he out of his mind?

His daughter also refused. Her friends and classmates were here. If they suddenly transferred, they would have to face a strange environment, new classmates, and new teachers, making her feel anxious.

Faced with his family's unwillingness, the man decides to drop the topic. Maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe he's just stressed at work and was hallucinating?

His wife also saw that her husband had something on his mind, so she compromised, saying that they can look around first. They can take things slow.

So, over the next few weeks, the man frequently traveled to several cities in Shenzhou, doing inspections, and he often brought his wife and daughter. He always felt it was better to keep his family close.

Then, on an ordinary weekend, after taking his wife and daughter to Shenzhou for their usual "trip," just before they boarded their return flight, he heard about flights being canceled, and then the news at the airport reported that an unimaginable disaster had occurred in Nagazora City…

...

Here, the man falls silent, as if trying to suppress the fear and terror that's about to engulf him—that day had been earth-shattering and he had lost almost everything.

Lin Wei pours him another cup of fresh tea, pats him on the shoulder in comfort, signaling that everything is over now.

Besides, he's already very lucky to have escaped. It's a miracle, isn't it?

The man trembles, silently sobbing. He also knows he's already incredibly lucky, but the feeling is so overwhelming that he can't breathe.

…

The story continues.

"Nagazora City has experienced an earthquake with a magnitude of over 9.0, with subsequent disasters such as a nuclear leak and a natural gas explosion. The government has already begun rescue operations, and residents of other areas have been advised to avoid going near the restricted area…" The news also displays a large red circle surrounding Nagazora City. The red circle is like a death sentence.

Seeing the news at the airport, the man's mind goes blank. He doesn't know what he's thinking. His young daughter was also at a loss, crying helplessly.

His wife screamed, then fainted.

After she was revived by having her acupressure points pressed, his wife was as if crazy, pulling out her phone to desperately dial numbers, but no one answered. So she dialed again, and again…

Until her phone's battery died, she wasn't able to get through to anyone, not a single person answered her.

Then, finally, she went insane…

"Husband, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stopped you... If I had listened to you sooner and we had moved away, then Mom, Dad, Little Jie, and Ao wei would not have died… Right? These nightmares wouldn't have happened, right?"

"I'm sorry, it was all my fault… it's all my fault… I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…"

Six months later, the mentally ill wife passes away. Before she died, she suddenly has a lucid moment, grabbing her husband's hand and desperately confessing.

Then, she was free.

And then, the last piece of the familiar world that was left crumbles, leaving only the man and his young daughter to live together in this strange and cold world…

…

At the end of his story, the man's suppressed sobbing finally erupts into uncontrollable crying. He's lying on the table, crying loudly. His arm knocks over the teacup, and the hot tea spills on his arm, but he doesn't notice. Just as the teacup is about to fall and break, Lin Wei grabs it.

The living must bear the burden of the unspoken.

Compared to that, death can sometimes feel like a release, right?

This damned world…

Lin Wei sighs, refills the cup, and places it far from the man. Then he prepares to leave, asking the waiter for some tissues. He wants to give the man room and time to grieve.

Just as he is about to get up, the man suddenly grabs his sleeve. He raises a tear-streaked, haggard, and dirty face and begs, "Please, don't leave…"

Lin Wei sensed his movements, but he doesn't dodge. He lets the pathetic man grab his sleeve as if he is grasping at a lifeline.

"Don't worry, I won't leave." Lin Wei pats the back of the man's hand, but the man is still unwilling to let go. He reluctantly releases Lin Wei's sleeve only after Lin Wei moves back to his seat.

"So, what happened to your daughter? Is she sick? Or did something else happen?" Lin Wei knows that the reason the man told such a long story and threw away his dignity was to evoke his sympathy and to receive his help. And he has succeeded.

How despicable… Lin Wei thinks, judging him by his own standards. He purses his lips and asks the question.

"No, no, no! She's very healthy. She'll definitely grow up safely!" Hearing Lin Wei's words, the man's eyes light up. His whole body seems to come back to life, saying excitedly, "She was kidnapped. I found the people who kidnapped her. They're in Singapore! But I'm powerless to save her… Please, Lin Wei, please save my daughter! As long as you can save her, I'll do anything. I can even join you and work for you! Believe me, I'm very useful! I can make money, and make a lot of money for you... I can also give you information, and cover your tracks... And, and…"

It's the third time he has said those words. But he seems unaware. It has become a demon in his mind, making him lose his rationality.

Lin Wei slowly exhales and looks at him. He asks seriously, "Who took your daughter?"

He feels like he's grasped something again.

The man's voice is agitated, nervous, and bordering on mania. "The Thousand Fists Association! They call themselves the Thousand Fists Association!"