Infinite Nightmares

After hearing Tang Xingxiong’s impassioned words, Zhang Wenda’s expression shifted slightly. He looked at her in disbelief.

"Is what you’re saying true?"

"Wenda!" The rabbit was about to speak but was cut off by Tang Xingxiong. "If you don’t believe it, go ask around. We in the Big Circle might do many things, but we never, ever lie!"

She suddenly took a few steps forward, grabbing Zhang Wenda’s hand. Her expression was dead serious as she said, "Come on! Join us! You won’t be bound by anyone else’s rules! Come and create a Thought Wave of our very own!"

"You’re a talented man, and talent like yours shouldn’t be buried! Join us, and only then can you break free of your shackles and become who you were truly meant to be."

Seeing a flicker of hesitation on Zhang Wenda’s face, the rabbit started to speak, but it found that its signature three-lobed mouth was gone. When it touched the spot, there was only smooth skin.

A hint of sorrow flickered in the Crow’s eyes. "To be honest, I was once just like you. We’ve had similar experiences. But that doesn’t mean we were the ones in the wrong."

"I..." As soon as Zhang Wenda spoke, everyone present turned to look at him. Under their collective gaze, Zhang Wenda declared, "Alright! I’ll join your Big Circle!"

Hearing Zhang Wenda’s reply, Tang Xingxiong was immensely satisfied. The beaks of the three crows curved upward slightly, forming a collective smile.

"Excellent. One day, you’ll be grateful for the choice you’ve made. Now, come with us. I’ll introduce you to your future friends." Tang Xingxiong sidled up to him, practically leaning on Zhang Wenda as she started to walk.

The sight made Saber, who stood to one side, grind his iron teeth with an audible CRUNCH.

"Wait. Give me three days. I have some business to take care of in Thought Wave One. It’s about my family!" Zhang Wenda said, his tone making it sound like a momentous decision.

Since Zhang Wenda had agreed, this small request was of course no problem. The three crows spoke in unison, "No problem. Do you need our help? We’re all on the same side now. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything."

"I don’t need it. I can handle it on my own," Zhang Wenda said firmly, his jaw tight.

"Excellent. We’ll come for you in three days." As the Crow finished speaking, the beak of the crow on the left opened to its widest, and it spat out three pieces of chalk glowing red, blue, and yellow.

Tang Xingxiong picked up the three pieces of chalk and swiped them lightly across Zhang Wenda’s arm. The chalk vanished in an instant, and in its place, Zhang Wenda’s Tri-Core instantly surged to its maximum capacity.

"Take it. Now that you’ve joined the Big Circle, there’s plenty more where that came from."

With that final sentence, the three crows gave Zhang Wenda a collective, flirtatious wink, then sashayed away into the darkness.

The once-bustling street fell silent and empty. The rabbit stared at Zhang Wenda in shock.

Frozen to the spot, Zhang Wenda was silent for a moment before looking at the other two. "Let’s go! What are you standing there stunned for? What if the people from the Big Circle come back?"

This turn of events took not only Song Jianguo by surprise, but Teacher Rabbit as well.

"You... you were lying when you agreed to join her?" the rabbit asked in astonishment, its mouth now restored.

"Of course!"

"That woman didn’t seem easy to deal with, and you’re injured. Rather than fight to the bitter end, it was better to pretend to agree and create an opportunity to escape."

Zhang Wenda said this as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, then glanced at his fully charged Tri-Core. ’I didn’t think I’d get a nice little bonus for free,’ he thought.

"Whatever’s going on between the Big Circle and the Third Line has jack shit to do with me. I just want to stay alive and get rid of this monster that’s on me. I couldn’t care less about anything else."

Song Jianguo walked over, looking surprised, and gave Zhang Wenda a light nudge with his elbow. "Well, I’ll be. I guess you’re pretty sharp when you’re not being a stubborn ass."

"What’s that supposed to mean? When have I ever *not* been sharp?" After trading a few barbs with Song Jianguo, Zhang Wenda helped the rabbit up and they started toward the Xinhua Bookstore.

As the red sign came into view, they all breathed a slight sigh of relief. This was Bureau 507’s territory, after all. The Big Circle would definitely be wary of making a move here.

"You scared me to death back there," the rabbit said. "I almost thought you’d actually believed Tang Xingxiong. The Big Circle is no good. Joining them would mean going completely astray."

"Honestly, I was a little swayed at first. But when she started telling her sob story, something felt off. I could tell she was just selling me a fantasy," Zhang Wenda said, popping a lollipop into his mouth to help himself recover.

"How did you know she was just selling you a fantasy?" Song Jianguo asked, rubbing his stomach.

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda let out a cold snort. He slowly raised a single finger and declared with absolute certainty, "Intuition. The intuition of a wage slave!"

"I’ve honed my sixth sense for that kind of workplace PUA to the level of Huajin. I don’t even need to hear what they’re saying. I can just look at their micro-expressions and know they’re selling a fantasy."

"Wow, you’re so amazing," Song Jianguo said, leaning on his spear and plopping down onto the ground. "So, what now? Just wait here? I’m getting sleepy."

Zhang Wenda glanced at the closed doors of the Xinhua Bookstore. "We wait. We’ll figure it out when 2826 gets back. What’s with that kid? What’s taking him so long? It couldn’t have been that far."

’At least we’re safe for now,’ Zhang Wenda thought. ’If the Big Circle people actually dare to start something here, I wouldn’t mind prying open the doors of the Xinhua Bookstore and rushing to the second floor to drag someone else into this mess.’

That night, aside from Song Jianguo who was sleeping like a log in a cat bed without a care in the world, both Zhang Wenda and the rabbit remained on high alert, vigilantly watching the dark, empty street.

Fortunately, it seemed Zhang Wenda’s "anti-PUA" strategy had worked. Aside from a few rats, the night passed without incident.

When Zhang Wenda saw someone hunched over, pushing a bicycle down the road, and the distant scent of fried dough sticks began to drift through the air, he knew the crisis had passed, at least for the moment.

"Go on, get us three servings of breakfast." Zhang Wenda nudged the drooling Song Jianguo with his foot and pulled out twenty cents.

"ARGH! SO ANNOYING!" Despite his grogginess, the collar around Song Jianguo’s neck compelled him to reluctantly snatch the money.

Staying up all night did have its perks, like getting the first batch of freshly steamed meat buns and crispy fried dough sticks straight from the fryer. They always tasted a little better than usual.

The rabbit took a huge bite out of a green-skinned, shredded radish bun that resembled a large dumpling. Spicy red oil immediately oozed from the opening.

Chewing on the bun, it said, "I’m afraid your machine-headed friend has run into trouble. He’s been gone for a full day and night. That’s more than enough time to get back from even the most distant Thought Wave."

Zhang Wenda popped a soup dumpling into his mouth. He was starving after being up all night. He never understood why pulling an all-nighter always left him either with diarrhea or ravenously hungry.

"Yeah, I figured as much. I hope the kid’s alright. But I don’t think the Big Circle would dare make a move against 2826 out in the open. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be afraid of coming out during the day."