Illusion Report

Jin Xueli couldn’t lie to herself.

The truth wasn’t pretty, but it was still the truth, no matter how ugly: when the host told her he could give her the location and method for obtaining the Original Liquid, she had, in that instant, completely forgotten about Jacqueline.

Whether that strange woman had been caught, whether she was still alive, was the other side of the same coin as the "bounty reward."

But in that moment, Jin Xueli had only seen the coin’s gleaming, golden side.

"The type of Original Liquid you described can be obtained at three locations within the Nest," the host said.

She held her breath.

"’Nest Permanence’ is a gas station brand built on the principles of environmental protection and resource recycling. A fine name, isn’t it?"

Perhaps it was professional habit, but the way he said those words sounded exactly like he was reading a sponsor’s ad. Jin Xueli froze for a moment before realizing he wasn’t actually cutting to a commercial.

"There are currently only three gas stations under this brand."

He then recited three addresses. Jin Xueli hurriedly dug the crumpled Blackmoor City map out of her backpack, clamped a flashlight between her teeth, and drew three circles on it.

The closest one was just over ten kilometers away.

"The ’Original Liquid’ you’re looking for is one of the products sold at ’Nest Permanence’ gas stations: ’Bio-fuel.’ You can obtain it from the self-service pumps. Be warned: if the on-duty employee inside the convenience store is watching you, you must not pump the fuel. You must leave immediately."

Jin Xueli repeated his words to herself twice, then she froze.

’Bio-fuel? That’s what the host just said, right?’

’The "Original Liquid" I’ve been searching for is actually "Bio-fuel"?’

’This is...’

’If I ask what kind of ’bio’ goes into this ’Bio-fuel’... will they figure out I’m not a resident?’

’Besides, I have a feeling I’d be better off not knowing the answer to that question...’

Jin Xueli fought back her curiosity and managed to swallow it down, giving a noncommittal "Mm-hmm."

"Because the on-duty convenience store employee is extremely deceptive, you must make certain it is not watching you before you begin fueling. Furthermore, ’Nest Permanence’ gas stations currently do not accept the following currencies or forms of payment—"

Jin Xueli froze. ’Oh, right. You have to pay for gas.’

"Standard Human World banknotes, coins, gold, silver, jewels, electronic currency, cryptocurrency, debts or credits, Illusions, information, secrets, human lives, resident lives, sexual services, non-sexual services, your firstborn child, your second-born child, or any of your children, regardless of birth order."

Even the host had to pause to catch his breath.

"Also not accepted: works of art, fixed assets, financial assets, NFTs, your personal happiness, any deals you’ve made with the devil, the ’horse’ and the ’blessing’ from ’a blessing in disguise,’ your memories, personality, or morals (if any), family, Paths, youth, health, lifespan, or anyone’s body parts."

’Who would give up their youth, health, or lifespan just to get gas?’

’No, wait, more importantly, what the hell does this stupid gas station even accept? Didn’t that list just reject everything of value?’

"What’s that ’(if any)’ after ’morals’ supposed to mean?" Jin Xueli wasn’t sure if she was more surprised, confused, or vaguely insulted. "Of course I have mor—"

She suddenly thought of Jacqueline and swallowed the rest of her sentence.

’...I got the reward. What does that mean?’

’Maybe Jacqueline made it back to Blackmoor City in time. But the residents hunting her saw her, they just couldn’t catch her. In that case, the residents would still have to give me the reward...’

’After all, I waited for over three hours. No matter how slow Jacqueline was, she should have found the scaffolding by then...’

Jin Xueli closed her eyes and let out a shaky sigh.

She didn’t have the courage to ask about Jacqueline’s fate.

When the host spoke again, Jin Xueli felt an almost overwhelming sense of relief and gratitude.

"If you ask the employee in the store, you will find out what you must pay in exchange for the Bio-fuel. However, if you ask the employee in the store, the employee will begin to watch you continuously, and you must leave immediately."

’...This is weird. The Knight Family must have gotten their Original Liquid from a ’Nest Permanence’ gas station. What did they pay with? How did they buy it?’

Despite the risk of exposing herself, Jin Xueli finally couldn’t resist asking, "Other than that, what else would cause the employee to watch me?"

"That’s a good question," the host replied gently. "Speaking to the employee will get you watched. Making physical contact will get you watched. And when the employee gets bored, it will also watch you."

’Who knows when that thing will get bored?’

’But basically, as long as I don’t talk to it and it’s not looking at me, I should be able to buy the Bio-fuel, right?’

As for what to use for payment, Jin Xueli decided she would figure that out once she got to the gas station.

"Well then, I wish you good luck," the host said in a low voice. "It has been my great honor to help two more listeners achieve their respective goals on today’s program. To all our listening friends..."

Jin Xueli quietly hung up the phone.

Before setting off, she rubbed her face hard a few times, trying to compose herself.

’Chaisi must have run into some terrible luck, right? He’s probably dead by now.’

’If he hadn’t suddenly vanished from the Human World for so long, the task of finding the Original Liquid wouldn’t have fallen to me.’

’If I hadn’t had to come looking for the Original Liquid, I never would have heard about the bounty, never would have run into Jacqueline... I need to stop thinking about it.’

Jin Xueli suppressed the countless thoughts clawing at her mind.

’I’ve already come this far, what’s the use in looking back? Human life is the cheapest thing there is.’

’Isn’t it the same in the Human World, not just the Nest?’

’There are eight billion people in the world, after all.’

’If one dies, there’s still an endless supply of blurry faces, with no fundamental difference between one and the next.’

’On the bright side, if I can get the "Original Liquid," I could even push out the Knight Family and become Scott’s exclusive supplier.’

’Then, maybe I’d get more than just 3%... That would be a life I never even dared to dream of.’

Jin Xueli’s earliest memory was of living in a trailer.

A trailer as long as a bus, it crammed in a driver’s seat, a toilet, a kitchen, a small living room, a bedroom... it crammed in half her childhood, and her entire home.

She and her mom squeezed onto a bed in the back. Every time she rolled over, she could see a corner of the window.

It was a window, but she couldn’t actually see the other trailers and the families living in other cars outside—the glass had broken long ago, and her mom had sealed it shut with silver duct tape.

Whenever her mom’s boyfriend came to spend the night, she would be sent to sleep on the sofa in the small living room.

The sofa always had a sticky smell of grease and tobacco. The only way Jin Xueli could avoid the stench was to hang her head off the edge, half her body dangling down like she was dead.

She didn’t know how much money a person needed to be happy in this world, but she figured the more money you had, the more hope you had.

Jacqueline had been right: the less money you have, the less you understand what big money is. That was why Jin Xueli had to do everything in her power to get the biggest number she could in her lifetime.

Jin Xueli had already had a small taste of money.

This world was so rich, so abundant, so interesting, so delicious... She would never resign herself to being locked out of the truly wonderful part of it for her entire life.

So, no matter how many chances she was given to choose again, Jin Xueli knew she would never choose a stranger’s life over this. The choice she made tonight was the best choice she could have made.

From a distance, the "Nest Permanence" gas station didn’t look much different from an ordinary one.

The biggest difference, and the most disappointing thing for Jin Xueli, was that it didn’t have the large price sign that most gas stations have out front. Without a price sign, there was no way to know what to use for payment.

The white and green "Nest Permanence" sign hummed in the darkness, illuminating a patch of concrete. Two rows of gas pumps sat silently in the shadows, their six flat, metal faces watching as Jin Xueli approached step by step.

It was too blurry to see if the pumps had an option for "Bio-fuel," but since the host said they did, it had to be there, right?

Behind the pumps were the transparent glass doors and windows of the convenience store. The shop was bathed in white light, like a model of the Human World preserved in formaldehyde.

A few promotional posters for new products were taped to the display window, along with a public notice written in an indecipherable Nest script. A sign on the door read "OPEN."

She was too far away to see if anyone inside the store was watching her...

After thinking for a moment, Jin Xueli made a wide circle, starting from the furthest corner and hugging the wall as she crept toward the convenience store entrance. As she moved, she craned her neck to peer inside, her hand gripping a hammer tightly.

’...Doesn’t look like anyone’s there?’