Dice In The Darkness: Cthulhu Calls

Chapter 232: A Different Bai Hecheng

Liu Xing couldn't help but feel that Yin En was truly courting disaster. It wasn't just a matter of playing both sides, but also the fact that Yin En hadn't informed Takayanagi Aoyin about his engagement to Sawada Yinyin. So, Liu Xing began to suspect that before Sawada Yinyin could bring a knife to cut down Yin En, Takayanagi Aoyin might have already shot him in confusion.

However, Liu Xing decided to adopt a "mind your own business" attitude and didn't plan to expose Yin En's "dark side."

At that moment, Juri Sonoda, who was nearby, noticed Liu Xing and walked over with a cheerful smile, patting Liu Xing on the shoulder. She said, "Hey, I didn't expect to find you tailing me, Liu Xing."

Liu Xing smiled and shook his head, explaining his situation to Juri Sonoda and introducing Yin En and Takayanagi Aoyin to her.

Speaking of which, both Juri Sonoda and Takayanagi Aoyin were like wanderers. They had previously worked undercover in the Dark Willow Gang and had made significant contributions to dismantling the gang. Now, they were on the run from the Shadow Clan and had chosen to seek refuge in the Cosmic Country.

As a result, Juri Sonoda and Takayanagi Aoyin quickly became good friends, chatting happily. However, Liu Xing couldn't help but notice the peculiar look in Juri Sonoda's eyes when she glanced at Yin En, especially when she learned that Yin En was Takayanagi Aoyin's boyfriend; her gaze was filled with disdain.

Obviously, Juri Sonoda must have known about Yin En's relationship with Sawada Yinyin, especially considering her profession as a journalist, she was adept at digging up information.

Fortunately, for now, Juri Sonoda didn't seem to have any intention of revealing the truth to Takayanagi Aoyin. Otherwise, Yin En's situation in this scenario would have turned dire.

Sensing the unfavorable situation, Yin En promptly decided to take Takayanagi Aoyin with him and excused themselves to go to the deck to enjoy the sea view. They bid their farewells. Liu Xing knew that Yin En also planned to search for the fanatic players from the opposing factions on the deck.

Watching Yin En and Takayanagi Aoyin departing, Juri Sonoda couldn't help but say to Liu Xing, "Hey, if I remember correctly, this Yin En should be the prospective son-in-law of the Sawada Family, right? Why is he confessing to Takayanagi Aoyin? Does he want to become a scoundrel, playing both sides?"

Liu Xing felt a bit awkward but nodded and said, "Well, that's true, but Yin En and Sawada Yinyin's engagement was just a childhood betrothal. It's not official, so Yin En should have the right to seek true love."

Juri Sonoda stroked her chin and remained silent.

"By the way, where's your sister?" Liu Xing, noticing the situation, decided to change the topic.

Juri Sonoda shook her head and smiled, saying, "I sent her to stay with relatives and transferred her to a local school. After all, she's still a high school student, and I can't let her education suffer. It wouldn't be right to drag her around with me for half a year."

Liu Xing nodded. In the past, many people in Island Nation chose to start working after graduating from high school. However, due to the immense job pressure in today's Island Nation, the term "salaryman" wasn't just an expression. So, high school students in present-day Island Nation tended to lean toward attending college rather than entering the workforce directly.

Liu Xing continued to chat with Juri Sonoda for a while before deciding to take his leave and search for the fanatic players from the opposing factions. After all, time was running out in this scenario, and there wasn't much time left for him and Yin En.

However, at that moment, Liu Xing spotted a young man wearing a sailor uniform entering the cafe. He had a familiar silhouette.

"Bai Hecheng?!" Liu Xing exclaimed in surprise.

Indeed, the newcomer was Bai Hecheng!

Liu Xing couldn't believe it. After all this time and after experiencing so many scenarios, he had encountered his very first teammate from the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall's first scenario, Bai Hecheng.

However, this reunion didn't bring Liu Xing the joy of meeting an old friend. After all, he was now certain that Bai Hecheng was a fanatic player from an opposing faction. More importantly, Bai Hecheng had a scroll of parchment in his possession, the purpose of which Liu Xing was unsure of.

Judging from Bai Hecheng's reaction when he opened the parchment, it was undoubtedly of much higher quality than Liu Xing's torn page from "The Secret Scripture of Xuanjun." Furthermore, Liu Xing suspected that Bai Hecheng's SAN value, his mental stability, was dangerously low by now.

Although SAN value was a player's second life in the game, for fanatic players, it was also a restraint. As SAN value decreased, fanatic players could become increasingly unhinged and unpredictable.

"Bai Hecheng? Liu Xing, have you met a friend?" Juri Sonoda asked curiously.

Liu Xing nodded and said, "Juri, you should know about the Castle serial killings in England some time ago, right?"

Juri Sonoda chuckled confidently and replied, "Of course, I know about that case. It was quite sensational at the time. A fallen nobleman killed over a hundred foreign tourists, and it seemed to involve Eldritch God rituals... But if I recall correctly, a few Chinese tourists were the ones who exposed the case. That means you were one of them, Liu Xing, right!?"

Juri Sonoda suddenly became excited and looked at Liu Xing with curiosity. She continued, "Wow, Liu Xing, why didn't you tell me about this sooner? I've always wanted to interview such a major news story. Can I interview you later? I want to know how you guys discovered that the Castle Lord was a serial killer. Oh, and I'm also curious about the gunfight in the mansion area..."

Liu Xing looked at the professionally enthusiastic Juri Sonoda and nodded quickly, saying, "That shouldn't be a problem. But the issue right now is that I suspect Bai Hecheng is up to something."

After that, Liu Xing shared Bai Hecheng's story with Juri Sonoda. "Here's the situation: Bai Hecheng's personality was already a bit odd to begin with, and when you add that strange parchment scroll into the mix, I strongly suspect that he has become a cultist!"

Liu Xing conveyed his "reasonable" suspicion to Juri Sonoda, and he was relieved to see that KP Li Shunchan didn't question it. It seemed that "he" had already confirmed Bai Hecheng as a fanatic, making their actions much easier.

At this point, Juri Sonoda fell into deep thought. After a while, she spoke, "I do know a bit about cultists because I've studied some cases involving cultist ritual murders. These people have seriously skewed moral compasses. If that parchment scroll is as significant as it seems, then it's essential for us to keep an eye on Bai Hecheng. As a journalist, my instincts tell me that Bai Hecheng might be planning to create a big news story here on the Yueshihao cruise, as cultists tend to thrive on sensationalism."

Liu Xing, seeing that Juri Sonoda was on his side, breathed a sigh of relief. After all, Juri Sonoda was a valuable ally, especially in situations where information needed to be gathered, especially since both he and Yin En were "in the dark."

He nodded and told Juri Sonoda seriously, "Juri, we'll be relying on you from now on. You're a professional journalist, so you can investigate Bai Hecheng's intentions aboard the Yueshihao better than we can."

Juri Sonoda smiled and nodded confidently, saying, "Of course, you can count on me. I'll see what I can uncover if Bai Hecheng is indeed planning a big news story."

Liu Xing smiled back and reminded Juri Sonoda to stay safe. "I feel reassured, but please be careful, Juri. Bai Hecheng likely has accomplices on this cruise ship, and given the current situation, even the ship's crew could be working for him. So, you must be cautious in your investigation. These cultists won't hesitate to resort to violence if they discover you!"

Juri Sonoda nodded, fully aware of the dangers of dealing with cultists, as their actions and mindset were far from rational.

Just then, Bai Hecheng suddenly noticed Liu Xing and approached with a cheerful smile. He said, "Liu Xing, I didn't expect to see you here. It's been over half a year since we parted ways in England."

Liu Xing realized that the in-game time had indeed passed by more than half a year since their last encounter. He had forgotten the exact timeline of the Castle scenario, but he remembered that his second scenario, the Harvest Festival, had taken place in late summer. Now, in the midst of winter, it had been more than half a year.

Although Liu Xing already knew that Bai Hecheng was his enemy, he had to maintain a faade of friendliness. He replied, "Yes, time flies, and it's been over half a year since we last met. It's quite unexpected to meet in such unique circumstances. Truly, the world is unpredictable."

Bai Hecheng, aware of Liu Xing's hidden meaning, smiled and said, "Indeed, the world is unpredictable. It's like Liu Bei and Sun Quan during the late Han period. Originally, we were mutually beneficial and could have united against Yuan Shao."

Liu Xing chuckled, surprised that Bai Hecheng had suddenly brought up the story of Liu Bei and Sun Quan. As a Three Kingdoms novel enthusiast, Liu Xing was familiar with the tale.

In a nutshell, Liu Bei, being a legitimate member of the Han dynasty, naturally held the position of the Governor of Yu Province, while Sun Quan, despite being born into a prestigious family on the border, had received no support from his family. Through their individual efforts, both managed to establish themselves in their respective territories.

Initially, Liu Bei and Sun Quan had a good working relationship. Their combined civil and military talents governed Yu Province effectively, and they kept the border tribes from encroaching. However, due to differences in their ideals, they eventually turned against each other, with Sun Quan defeating Liu Bei and becoming the ruler of Yu Province.

Although good times didn't last, Liu Xing didn't read too much into Bai Hecheng's words. He smiled and said, "Paths diverge, and alliances change when ideals differ. There's nothing wrong with that."

Bai Hecheng nodded and continued to smile, "You're right, paths diverge when ideals differ. Well, I have some matters to attend to, Liu Xing. Let's chat later... if fate allows."

Bai Hecheng then departed gracefully.

"Liu Xing, Bai Hecheng doesn't seem as strange as you described him. From his demeanor, he appears quite normal," Juri Sonoda said, puzzled.

Liu Xing nodded. Indeed, as Juri Sonoda had mentioned, Bai Hecheng seemed much more normal now.

However, unusual circumstances often concealed hidden dangers. Liu Xing began to suspect that Bai Hecheng had successfully transformed into a Ghoul, and as a Ghoul, he would no longer be affected by SAN values. After all, mythical creatures like Ghouls typically didn't possess SAN values.

Thinking along these lines, Liu Xing seriously told Juri Sonoda, "Juri, you should remember that I told you before that humans can become Ghouls."

Juri Sonoda nodded and exclaimed in surprise, "Are you suggesting that Bai Hecheng has become a Ghoul? That sounds insane! Besides, he doesn't resemble the Ghouls you described at all."

Liu Xing managed a weak smile and explained about the existence and abilities of Ghoul Elders. However, he was also trying to dissuade Juri Sonoda because the current Bai Hecheng was nothing like the crazy Bai Hecheng from the past. Liu Xing was concerned for Juri Sonoda's safety, as he couldn't be sure of Bai Hecheng's true capabilities. If Bai Hecheng discovered her investigation, it could be extremely dangerous.

Although Juri Sonoda was just an NPC in the Cthulhu RPG Game, in this lifelike world, Liu Xing had come to treat these NPCs as real people, and he didn't want Juri Sonoda to risk her life to help him.

After listening to Liu Xing's explanation, Juri Sonoda nodded with a serious expression. However, she also seemed eager and said, "I see. It seems this investigation mission will be quite challenging. But I'm prepared for it. Even if Bai Hecheng is a Ghoul Elder, he won't be able to hide from me. Remember to keep your phone signal open 24/7. If anything unexpected happens, you must come to my aid."

Liu Xing had no choice but to nod earnestly. He took a small bottle from his pocket and handed it to Juri Sonoda.

Inside the bottle was Qingming Rain.

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