Dying Together with Xi Chunzhi (Earlier Interlude)

Close Your Eyes at Night: Agreed!

Lord Ahua: So what if they're mid-tier? Think they're so tough? Aren't they just getting trampled by the big shots in the training camp?

Zhou Ming suddenly realized he didn't even need to join the fight himself. With Tu Ran's name attached, plenty of people were scrambling to defend her.

That was the difference between a big shot and an ordinary person.

Zhou Ming's heart ached with bitterness.

The comment section continued its fiery exchange.

Detached from the World: Are you all willing to offend every mid-tier and high-tier Pioneer just for one Tu Ran?

"He's trying to stir up division—getting all the mid-tier and high-tier Pioneers to gang up on Tu Ran," Qi Tongda pinpointed the key issue.

I'm Second Gen: If all mid-tier and high-tier Pioneers were garbage like you, then fine, consider them offended. But I believe the senior Pioneers, both mid- and high-tier, are outstanding—not just in ability but in character as well. Except for you.

Lord Ahua: I'm ashamed that someone like you is counted among the mid-tier and high-tier Pioneers.

"Looks like everyone's smart enough not to be led by the nose," Xiao Miao said, relieved.

Detached from the World: I can't be bothered to argue with you second-gen Pioneers who've never set foot in the Threshold. Let me tell you—someone like me, who's survived in the Threshold and earned a score as high as mine, is a hundred, a thousand times better than someone who only throws her weight around in the training camp!

Lord Ahua: Weren't you just saying you couldn't be bothered to argue? Then why go on and on after that? Can't hold back that boastful streak, huh?

Close Your Eyes at Night: I've seen plenty of your type. Oh, by the way, just to add—I'm actually a mid-tier Pioneer too. (Learning from @Detached from the World's phrasing)

Where's the Handsome Guy: Hahaha, I love the way you all talk. We should get to know each other sometime @Close Your Eyes at Night @I'm Second Gen @Lord Ahua

I'm Second Gen: Sure thing! DM me!

Lord Ahua: @My Name Is Tu Ran, big shot, why aren't you talking anymore? I want to hear the big shot's voice.

Zhou Ming: "..."

He regretted taking on this task from Tu Ran. It was nowhere near as satisfying as cursing people out with his own account, and he kept getting hit by the weight of Tu Ran's influence.

My Name Is Tu Ran: What about those other people who were cursing up a storm earlier? Why aren't they speaking up now? Playing turtle? Look at how brave @Detached from the World and @Beautiful Toenail-Picker are—looking forward to your replies.

Life Is Earned Through Fighting: Tu Ran, you're just as arrogant as Xi Chunzhi now. Xi Chunzhi is already dead. I wonder when you'll die too?

The moment that comment appeared, silence fell over the thread below it.

Xiao Miao, Zhou Ming, and Young Master Qi all sucked in a sharp breath.

The others before had insulted Tu Ran, but none had hit a nerve. This person had directly stepped on Tu Ran's explosion point.

Noticing their reactions, Tu Ran got up and walked over.

Seeing the line about "when will you die," she smiled.

It was a chilling smile.

Zhou Ming jumped up in fright and hid behind Qi Tongda.

The seat was vacated, and Tu Ran settled into it.

My Name Is Tu Ran: @Life Is Earned Through Fighting, your life sure was earned through fighting—not the "fighting" of struggle, but the "fighting" of stitching scraps together.

Qiangzi, Watching from the Back: ...Wow, even cultured people curse with style.

Life Is Earned Through Fighting: Heh, if you've got the guts, crawl through the internet cable and come find me.

He thought he was well hidden. In this verbal spat, aside from revealing his malice toward Tu Ran and Xi Chunzhi, he hadn't leaked any information that could reveal his identity. He was confident Tu Ran could never find out who he was.

What he never imagined was that the entire webpage before him lay wide open to Tu Ran—his personal information had already been delivered to her without a single omission.

My Name Is Tu Ran: Watch and wait.

After logging off her account, Tu Ran returned to her workstation and continued discussing the issue with Qiu Jian.

Zhou Ming, meanwhile, logged back into his own account and kept trading insults with the remaining hecklers.

Xiao Miao and Qi Tongda had no interest in watching his petty squabbles and returned to their own seats.

There were no assignments scheduled for the afternoon.

Tu Ran clocked out promptly at eight.

At eight thirty, she arrived at the IP address of "Life Is Earned Through Fighting."

Standing at the base of a hundred-meter building, Tu Ran looked up at the sky.

Her gaze settled on a dimly lit floor.

Wei Renji had returned from his district at seven in the evening. He was in charge of clearing gene monsters in the Federal Center, and after twenty-four consecutive hours of work, he was utterly exhausted. He washed up at home, then lay down in bed to sleep.

Before sleeping, he couldn't resist opening the Pioneer Team's official website.

The normally quiet site was bustling today because of the online brawl.

Behind the scrolling death notices in the upper right corner, there were 3,115 comments.

The moment he clicked in, he saw his name in many of the dialogue boxes: Life Is Earned Through Fighting.

Some were cursing him for overestimating himself, some were @-ing him with admiration, and others were discussing whether he and Tu Ran had some personal grudge.

Whether they were insults or praise, seeing his name become a hot topic alongside the Pioneer Team's standout figure Tu Ran filled him with irrepressible excitement.

In the darkness, his eyes fixed on the only source of light. Every time he spotted his ID in the dark chat boxes, he let out a chuckle.

His laughter echoed through the room, washing away his fatigue.

Suddenly, he saw an unfamiliar ID pose a question.

"Did you all notice those final words Tu Ran said?"

Watch and wait.

"Watch and wait..." Wei Renji muttered to himself, recalling the chill that had shot up from the soles of his feet the instant he'd first seen those words.

That inexplicable chill had left him restless all afternoon.

"Is Tu Ran planning to retaliate against Life Is Earned Through Fighting?"

"Aren't our IDs completely private? How could she possibly track down who it is?"

Wei Renji nodded at the screen. Right, she was just an ordinary Pioneer. How could she possibly figure out who he was?

She couldn't. Absolutely couldn't.

She must just be trying to scare him with those words.

"Wei, Ren, Ji."

Suddenly, a crisp female voice rang out from beyond the door. Wei Renji's heart skipped a beat, his limbs stiffening on the bed. In an instant, his body went cold from head to toe beneath the covers.

He was in the bedroom.

The voice had come from the living room.

Someone had silently picked his lock, entered his living room.

It had to be Tu Ran—she'd found him!

The next second, his bedroom door was kicked open from outside.

A beam of light shone directly onto his face.

Facing the light, Wei Renji couldn't make out who it was.

Not that it mattered anymore—he already knew who it was.

His voice trembled. "Tu... Tu Ran, how did you get into my house?"

His hand crept silently under the pillow.

"I'm using the Federation's best smart lock."

He felt the pistol he habitually kept hidden beneath his pillow.

Tu Ran took in his small movement without missing a beat.

She didn't act first.

She wanted to see what Wei Renji was really capable of, to dare say such audacious things.