“Not entirely.” Qian Wu replied. “Because each of us was already dead when we entered, theoretically you can only contact Zhou Liu’s family, not her personally.”
These words made both Qi Xia and Li Shangwu frown, while Qiao Jiajin completely froze.
“But wouldn’t that be very strange…?” Li Shangwu thought for a moment and asked again, “If it was such a large-scale earthquake, why did only we die? How are our families safe and sound?”
“I don’t know.” Qian Wu answered. “And I don’t want to know. Rather than investigating why my family didn’t die, I’d prefer to let them live well.”
“You’re right…” After learning that his daughter Xuanxuan might have survived, Li Shangwu’s mood had clearly improved considerably. But soon another question began circling in his mind—
He turned to look at Qi Xia, hesitating to speak. Qi Xia understood his meaning and sighed, saying: “Officer Li, when I was fourteen, I had no family.”
“You…” All the questions Officer Li wanted to ask got stuck in his throat, and he couldn’t say anything.
Hearing the conversation between the two, Qian Wu couldn’t help but interrupt and ask: “What… Old Li, you didn’t contact the fourteen-year-old Qi Xia?”
“That’s right.” Officer Li nodded, his words carrying deeper meaning. “I don’t know where the problem lies.”
“Is it possible that Qi Xia has always been like this?” Qian Wu smiled. “How many sentences he tells us are true? I’m afraid it’s not just you—I’m from the same year as Qi Xia, and I can’t contact him either.”
“What?”
Both Officer Li and Qi Xia were startled at the same time, but Qi Xia quickly recovered and said: “I’m used to being alone. It’s normal that you can’t contact me.”
“Being alone… I remember you said you had a wife, right?” Officer Li asked again.
Hearing this, Qian Wu was slightly stunned, then looked at Qi Xia with a puzzled expression.
A wife?
“Yes.” Qi Xia nodded very seriously. “I have a wife. I hope she’s alright.”
Although Qian Wu looked puzzled after hearing this, he never spoke. He turned to look at Nineteen and asked: “Can we still do it today?”
Nineteen wiped the sweat from his forehead and shook his head: “No… my ‘Faith’ can’t hold on much longer.”
“Then let’s leave it at that for today.” Qian Wu nodded and said to Qi Xia and the others, “I invite you to stay here for a day. Tomorrow, after Nineteen recovers, I have some things I want to tell you.”
The three looked at each other and found no reason to refuse.
“We have some food. Let’s eat something here this afternoon.” Qian Wu smiled and nodded at everyone, then got up to leave.
“Wait a moment.” Li Shangwu called out to him.
“What?” Qian Wu turned around and asked.
“Does your ‘Cat’… still take in people?”
Hearing this, Qian Wu smiled slightly, then nodded: “Of course. Officer Li, you’re naturally born to be a member of ‘Cat.'”
“Me?”
“Like most people here, you don’t want to leave at all. You just want to earn some money for your daughter, right?”
“Yes… you even know this?”
“Just stay here.” Qian Wu nodded at Officer Li. “From now on, you’re our comrade. I can give you a number that will satisfy you.”
Officer Li had never imagined that joining “Cat” would be this easy—there wasn’t even an “assessment” or “interrogation.”
“So I can’t be called Li Shangwu anymore?” Officer Li asked again.
“That’s right.” Qian Wu nodded. “That name no longer belongs to you. From today on, you’re a ‘Cat’ wandering the ‘Land of the End.’ We’re ‘Zodiacs’ without titles—we are all the same person.”
Both Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin looked at Officer Li. Although they weren’t particularly close yet, parting ways with Officer Li at this moment somehow felt sad.
“Why are you showing such expressions?” Officer Li laughed heartily. “I joined ‘Cat,’ I didn’t die. I think this person called Qian Wu—this man… woman seems quite decent. She probably won’t stop me from associating with you, right?”
“Of course.” Qian Wu nodded. “You can even move around freely. When there’s a mission, Zhou Liu will tell you.”
“Let’s shake hands.” Zhou Liu extended her hand with a flat tone. “Remember to shake hands with me after each revival. I stay with Fifth Brother at all times and will relay his missions.”
Officer Li slightly extended his hand and touched Zhou Liu’s. Zhou Liu quickly withdrew her hand.
Her lips slowly moved a few times, quietly saying something.
Officer Li’s ears suddenly heard her voice: “Test, test.”
“Li Shangwu received, please proceed.” Officer Li responded habitually.
“Tch, no need to be so formal.” Zhou Liu waved her hand. “Fine, as long as you can hear me.”
At this moment, Qi Xia suddenly thought of something and turned to look at Zheng Yingxiong hiding behind him.
Zheng Yingxiong took a few breaths, then said in a low voice: “Although it’s very faint… I still smelled it—the delicate fragrance of ‘Sound Transmission.'”
After hearing this, Qi Xia looked up at Zhou Liu and asked: “May I ask what your ‘Echo’ is called?”
“Tch, ‘Sound Transmission.'” Zhou Liu said impatiently. “Does this wise guy have any advice? Do you also need my ‘Sound Transmission’?”
“No, I don’t need it.” Qi Xia shook his head. After three rounds of verification, this was enough to prove that the child called Zheng Yingxiong could accurately identify the other person’s “Echo.”
But what was going on?
Was this his ability?
“That child…” Qian Wu turned sideways to look at Zheng Yingxiong behind Qi Xia. “I haven’t asked until now—is he one of your people too?”
“Yes.” Qi Xia nodded. “We’ll stay here together for now.”
“Alright.” Qian Wu nodded and turned to Song Qi. “Old Seven, arrange rooms for them.”
“Okay, there are still a few rooms behind Twenty-One. I’ll settle them there for now.” Song Qi nodded.
“No, Officer Li doesn’t need to stay behind Twenty-One.” Qian Wu shook his head. “Give him the room in front of mine.”
“What…?” Song Qi was stunned. “Fifth Brother, did I hear wrong? You… the room in front of you is…”
Zhou Liu also slowly frowned: “Tch, Fifth Brother, what are you doing? Isn’t this person ‘Li Twenty-Two’?”
“When did I say I was giving him ‘Twenty-Two’?” As Qian Wu spoke, his eyes kept staring at Li Shangwu. “From today on, Officer Li is ‘Four.’ He ranks before me.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone in the room frowned in confusion.
Four?
“Why?!” Song Qi asked with a face full of incomprehension. “Fifth Brother, you’ve always been the leader of our ‘Cat.’ What do you mean by giving him ‘Four’ now?!”
“You’ve misunderstood something.” Qian Wu shook his head, then revealed a complex smile. “It’s not that I gave him ‘Four,’ but rather that he gave me ‘Five.'”
These words left everyone slightly stunned.
“You… you mean…” Officer Li blinked, as if accepting some fact. “A long time ago… I was ‘Four’ here?”
Qian Wu nodded. Nearly seven years had passed, yet he still remembered that casual remark—
“You’re just Zhang San, Li Si, Qian Wu, and Zhou Liu.”