| WRIAWW | You Haven't Answered My Last Question | 63
Zong Le: "..."
For some reason, even though it was a perfectly normal greeting, when it came from Joshua's mouth, it somehow sounded a bit sarcastic.
But before he could speak, the other survivors began to exclaim.
"Oh my god, it's Lord Joshua!"
"Isn't this an A-level mission? Why would the 1st come to an A-level mission?"
"Who cares about that now? Come on, the more important thing is that with Lord Joshua here, we're guaranteed a zero-casualty clear, right?"
No matter the mission, Joshua's appearance always sparked heated discussions. Whether it was an A-level or even an S-level mission, his presence alone was enough to make people see a flawless victory.
Regardless of their personal value, everyone wanted to build a good relationship with the Patriarch of the Temple. His popularity and strength were undeniable, and his appearance alone could make people feel assured.
Who wouldn't like a kind and powerful figure who could save your life?
Joshua was already accustomed to such scenes and handled them with ease.
"Lately, I've noticed everyone has been very active in missions. Since we're all striving to return to the real world as soon as possible, I should also do my part. Besides, during the last assembly meeting, I proposed that the three major guilds abolish the protection fees. It's only right that I come to see the results."
His words prompted the survivors to nod and praise eagerly: "That's right, that's right."
Those who took on A-level missions usually had their own fixed teams or were guild members.
The three major guilds had issued strict orders: if they encountered Joshua during a mission, they must not antagonize him. If it was related to the mission, they should assist him and try to increase their presence.
Even though this man had recently pulled the rug out from under the guilds and backstabbed them, they dared not truly turn against him.
After Liu Jianhua finished his praise, he noticed someone standing on the other side and couldn't help rubbing his eyes.
"Fuck, the talented newcomer?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately caught the attention of the survivors.
Sure enough, standing there was Zong Le, who had recently gained a lot of fame on the forums.
The face of this young man in black was now familiar to every survivor present.
"Our luck is pretty good this mission, running into the talented newcomer."
"Yeah, but the talented newcomer is only a C-level, right? How did he end up on an A-level mission? Can he handle it?"
"What are you talking about? Of course he can!" Liu Jianhua was overjoyed.
Back then, he was one of the first survivors to encounter Zong Le, but he failed to recognize his potential and missed out on this golden opportunity.
He regretted it immensely. If it weren’t for that little mishap, he could have been the one to recommend the talented newcomer into the guild, and would have been living in luxury.
But to his surprise, the same opportunity presented itself again.
Just two days ago, the Spiritual Guild held a special internal meeting regarding Zong Le. Shu Xingwen promised on the spot that whoever could bring the talented newcomer into the guild would not only receive a generous amount of survival points as a reward but also enjoy the guild's training.
Sensing a profitable opportunity, Liu Jianhua eagerly approached.
"Our guild master extended an invitation to you during the last S-level mission. Have you considered it?"
However, the Spiritual Guild wasn’t the only one interested in Zong Le.
Another A-level survivor from the Watchtower Guild, Dong Feng, clearly had the same idea.
Facing their enthusiastic invitations, Zong Le, feeling overwhelmed, could only wave his hand and say, "Sorry, I have no plans to join any guild."
But the members of both guilds didn’t believe him. No matter how much Zong Le tried to explain, they thought it was just an excuse.
Helpless, he could only say, "Uh... how about we finish the mission first?"
"Sure."
"Alright."
Liu Jianhua and Dong Feng exchanged glances and agreed, each secretly plotting in their hearts.
Zong Le breathed a sigh of relief.
The group didn’t waste any more time and entered the Blue Ocean Apartment.
In the brightly polished lobby, a receptionist in a suit was anxiously standing there, constantly checking his watch. When he saw them, he couldn’t help but loudly complain, "What time do you think it is? How come you’re only arriving now? The test sleepers hired by your company have no manners at all. I’m going to file a complaint on your app!"
The survivors were unfazed, and some even chuckled.
"If he can actually file a complaint to the main system, I’d respect his talent."
"True, true."
Their casual attitude completely enraged the receptionist. The metal door next to the elevator button reflected his distorted face.
Originally, the receptionist had planned to reserve some time to explain the situation to these test sleepers, but now it seemed completely unnecessary. His mind was filled with malicious curses, wishing they would all die in the haunted house.
Finally, the elevator arrived at the top floor of the apartment.
"Wow! This place is huge, but—"
The top floor had only one suite, and they walked out of the elevator door.
The receptionist walked ahead, using his fingerprint to unlock the door.
Zong Le, who had been lagging behind, coldly said, "You didn’t answer my previous question from before."
Joshua, who had been maintaining an elegant smile, finally turned his head. His silver hair slipped over his shoulder, shimmering with a soft glow under the dim corridor light. His cobalt-blue eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a complex emotion that was hard to decipher.
"How surprising. After all you've been through, you're still hung up on is such a trivial matter?"
Joshua looked at him with an inscrutable gaze.
Although Zong Le didn't fully understand the scrutiny and assessment in that look, nor the depth of trying to dissect someone's mind through minute details, he instinctively felt uncomfortable: "If you want to kill me, there must be a reason, right? Do you usually walk down the street, see someone coming your way, and just decide to kill them because they are not pleasing to the eye?"
"Of course not," the silver-haired patriarch smiled, flatly denying it. "Killing doesn't need a reason. And in most cases, those about to die usually think of fighting back desperately, and are not like you, obsessing over finding a reason."
"Of course, if you really want to know the answer, I’d be happy to tell you."
Seeing Zong Le's expression grow increasingly worse, Joshua changed the subject: "Our first encounter was during an S-level mission at Tianmen Mansion."
"Yes, that's right."
Having already learned from the forum that the silver-haired man before him was highly intelligent, Zong Le was extra cautious during the conversation, afraid that any word might lead him into a trap or unconsciously sway him.
He wasn't the type to think deeply, he always acted straightforwardly, never beating around the bush, and disdained hiding himself. Fortunately, he had always been self-aware, so he was particularly vigilant now, like a feline facing a venomous snake, fully on guard.
This wide-eyed, ready-to-pounce-at-any-moment demeanor greatly amused Joshua.
"The Madam of Tianmen Mansion is surnamed Xue, and she owns a luxurious confessional room."
The black-haired young man's ears twitched alertly, and a sense of foreboding suddenly arose.
Sure enough, the next sentence was: "I had a private conversation with Madam Xue inside, but unfortunately, it was overheard. Coincidentally, that conversation contained many secrets that should not be revealed. Given the gravity of the matter, I had no choice but to kill the witness."
Zong Le's irritation deflated like a punctured balloon.
He had always been a man of clear principles. When he had inadvertently overheard Joshua's secret, he had felt guilty for a long time. But thinking that Joshua didn't know about it, he had ultimately covered it up with the attitude of "you don't know, I don't know."
He never expected that Joshua had been fully aware all along. This made him feel the shame of being caught red-handed and doing something wrong, his ears burned involuntarily.
No matter what, he believed in owning up to his mistakes. Avoiding things was not his style.
Zong Le took a deep breath and looked directly into Joshua's eyes: "You're right, I did hear it. Although it was unintentional, it was still my fault, and I apologize for that. However, I can assure you that I have never revealed your secret to anyone."
Seeing his serious demeanor, Joshua's smile deepened.
He knew his guess had been correct.
—The man before him indeed had an unusually strong sense of morality.
During this time, Joshua had gone through all the forum posts about Zong Le. After reading them, a question naturally arose: Why would someone with such powerful, extraordinary abilities be willing to follow the rules and play this game of make-believe with the survivors?
Along with that came more questions.
How could he have gained such strength in just a month after entering the Infinite Space?
What was his true identity? Why had he never heard of his name before entering the space?
Could he be the ultimate weapon created by the laboratory?
Unlike the other survivors in the Infinite Space who knew nothing, Joshua, as the Saint, knew more. But knowing more didn't necessarily bring clarity, instead, it only led to more confusion.
Unfortunately, the current situation didn't allow them to chat privately any further.
After entering the lavishly decorated penthouse, the survivors exclaimed in awe.
"Wow, a 180-degree floor-to-ceiling window! My god, you can see the entire Guiyi City from here!"
"Last week, when I was on a mission in the eastern district, I thought Guiyi City was all about that 19th-century style. I never imagined it could rival international styles. Look at the interior design of this apartment, it's all top-tier brands."
The receptionist, seeing that they had no sense of urgency at all, was furious.
He sneered, "Your task is to sleep here until tomorrow morning. At 7 a.m. sharp, I'll come to collect your corpses then. Heh, good luck."
Bang—
The heavy sound of the mechanical lock echoed through the hallway. This meant that until tomorrow morning, they would be locked inside this haunted house, surrounded by darkness on all sides. No matter what terrifying things happened inside, there would be no escape.
Surprisingly, everyone's expressions were relaxed.
This mission had a 1st-level survivor, which at least guaranteed that as long as they weren't instantly killed, they could survive. Survivors of this level had all mastered advanced skills and had life-saving cards up their sleeves, so they wouldn't be instantly killed upon encounter.
"Joshua, you take the lead."
The others naturally assumed that the brainy ones would lead the mission, and Joshua didn't refuse.
"There's still some time before evening. There was a fire evacuation chart posted at the entrance earlier. This apartment complex is quite large, so we can split into pairs and see if we can complete the side quests first."
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