On the phone.
Ji Tianle's comprehension in this regard was indeed much stronger than his: "It sounds very reasonable, I'll start by making my presence known right now."
"Mhm, good luck." Wen Bai's expressionless encouragement.
After hanging up, he looked at the sky. The weather was great today, cool and very suitable for sleeping.
Wen Bai prepared to go back to sleep and rest well.
Before he even left the hospital, Wen Bai heard people discussing.
"That girl was so good-looking and had such a good personality, why did she run off? Isn't her condition stable now?"
"She's from our ward. She was gone when we woke up this morning. They said she was still there during the night rounds. We're not sure if she left on her own or what happened. Her family has already reported it to the police and they're looking for her."
"So many people have gone missing lately, all young people. You better keep a close eye on your child!"
"Sigh! Because of this, the school is in a state of panic. They've notified everyone that parents must pick up their children and they can't go home alone."
"At first, they tried to keep it quiet, but now that it's blown up, everyone knows..."
"Isn't that so?"
Wen Bai overheard the conversation, which passed by like a gust of wind.
He rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit sleepy.
He stood by the roadside, looking down at his phone, wondering if he should ask Su Ying when he was going home so they could go back together.
Action is better than deliberation, Wen Bai sent a message.
Just then, a taxi pulled up in front of him.
Wen Bai glanced at the driver, who had good eyesight. He hadn't even hailed a cab yet.
After waiting for a few seconds, Su Ying still hadn't replied. He was probably too busy with patients to check his phone. Thinking about the number of people waiting there, Wen Bai made a decisive choice.
Wen Bai opened the car door, bent down, and sat in. He pulled the door shut, but it wouldn't budge.
A force opposed his direction of effort. He then saw a hand reach out and block the door.
"Hey! Wait, wait, wait..." an unusually familiar voice.
Wen Bai looked at the person squeezing in and didn't know what they were doing.
"I called this cab."
"I know."
"We're not going in the same direction."
Aren't Su Ying's and Ji Tianle's homes in opposite directions?
Ji Tianle decisively pushed Wen Bai inside, then shut the door and shouted to the driver ahead, "We're going the same way, Master, hurry up and drive!"
The taxi driver didn't say anything and sped off with a press of the accelerator.
"Aren't you supposed to be making your presence known? Why are you following me?" Wen Bai asked, disgusted.
"I thought about it. I can't just show up in front of Shuangshuang directly. I need a plan!" Ji Tianle had many friends, but didn't he have any self-respect? In front of those friends, he was very capable, and he wouldn't let them laugh at him.
Since Wen Bai was the only one he knew about, he naturally wanted to bring her to his buddies after he succeeded in his pursuit. As for others, the fewer who knew, the better.
Moreover, thinking about how his brother had actually taken the initiative to ask for Wen Bai's phone number today...
He looked at Wen Bai, from head to toe.
His face was indeed good-looking, and his physique was decent. His temper wasn't great, but he was alright as a person.
Why was he so attractive to others, even though Wen Bai seemed so annoying to him?
Seeing how this kid could simultaneously infuriate his elder brother and hold onto his sugar daddy's heart, he must be quite skilled in matters of romance.
Ji Tianle had no other great qualities, but he was brave enough to admit others' strengths.
Since Wen Bai was so outstanding in this regard, he was someone worth learning from.
Ji Tianle later realized that Wen Bai's sugar daddy looked familiar. Wasn't this the Doctor Su from the hospital?
He hadn't expected Dr. Su to be so wealthy and to be so wild in private.
But that wasn't his business.
Upon arriving at their destination, Ji Tianle intended to pay electronically. The taxi driver directly indicated he wanted cash. Ji Tianle understood immediately, took out cash, and paid before getting out.
"This driver is strange. Who uses cash these days? And he's so quiet and sullen."
The taxi promptly sped away. Wen Bai stared at the car until it disappeared from sight, falling into a long silence.
"What's wrong?" Ji Tianle saw that Wen Bai wasn't leaving and thought Wen Bai didn't want him to follow: "It's not that serious, are we not bros anymore?"
"I didn't tell the driver the address."
Wen Bai was certain he hadn't told the driver his address. He had been about to say it when he got into the car, but Ji Tianle had interrupted him. Ji Tianle hadn't stopped talking since he got in, and Wen Bai had forgotten.
It was only now that he suddenly remembered.
"What?!" Ji Tianle's expression went blank for a second, then his face changed.
He had been ambushed not long ago. If his friend hadn't been in the back seat, who knew how badly he might have been beaten. The attacker had shown no restraint, and his wounds still hurt!
However, the only thing he was sure of was that the person today was clearly targeting Wen Bai.
He had only gotten into the car on impulse after seeing Wen Bai get in. If he hadn't followed...
Ji Tianle took out his phone and made a call. This matter needed to be investigated.
There had been no results from his own attack until now. That person had a strong anti-reconnaissance ability, avoiding surveillance cameras and using his own car, making him impossible to find.
This time, there were surveillance cameras on the road, and the license plate could be traced. It wouldn't be like his incident.
System 001's voice suddenly appeared: "Host, what's wrong?"
Wen Bai sensed the connection with System 001: "Have you finished cleaning the virus?"
System 001 didn't say that it hadn't had any viruses at all, but after sleeping for half a day, it had restarted itself and felt much more energetic.
It vaguely said, "I, have finished cleaning."
Wen Bai explained the whole situation.
Then he asked, "In the plot of this world, are there any disappearances of people?"
"Yes, and it's a serial murder case."
"Was it solved?"
System 001 checked the plot: "It was solved. The killer was a man. The news reported it extensively, but his face was blurred, and they didn't give specifics, only his gender."
"Was it the taxi driver?"
"No, it was an unemployed person, according to the news."
Wen Bai: "Then I might be overthinking."
System 001 suddenly paused, dawdling: "Host, there's something I need to tell you now, because the plot, without external interference, will proceed along its established course."
Wen Bai had a bad premonition: "What is it?"
"There isn't much introduction to the host's original body in the world's plot. After I... cleaned the virus this time, I found my permissions were much looser. I saw all the plot details of the host's original body. The original body, after killing his father, disappeared for a long time. When he was found again, he was dead, dismembered, and died terribly. The reason why the original body's death was described so clearly in the plot was because the original body's corpse was the flaw at the murder scene. The killer was therefore caught."
Wen Bai: "..."
He was beginning to think System 001 was a bit of a scam, but he didn't know how much of a scam.
This was the perfect role it had chosen for him...
A role destined to be murdered...
In that case, the taxi driver, without ruling it out, was now highly likely to be the serial killer.
"But don't worry, Host. Since we're here, you definitely won't follow the original body's plot. I will protect you!"
Wen Bai, however, couldn't help but feel uneasy about System 001's guarantee.