Welcome to Rewind World Game

Chao Yan lowered her head, her eyes very dim.

"No matter how many times... I just can't help it." She said softly, "People like these keep appearing, and yet I can't just ignore them. I try to believe in their goodness, but I always see their ugly side."

She continued, "By the way, you don't have to hide things from me when you do things. I know a lot about you. I know you're the deputy minister of the City Guardian Department, and I know you're the alliance hierarch of the Human Self-Rescue Alliance. I also know you're the Number One Player from the Dream Patrol Family, so you do not need to guard against me. I won't disclose your information, I'm not allied with Xiao Jingsan."

Su Ming'an looked at her, she seemed to know everything.

"Deputy minister, you haven't come to the Guardian Department for some time; there are many pending matters here that need you to finalize." The cloaked person said.

"Alright, let's go." Su Ming'an said.

They left the crowded street, walking towards quieter areas, until a scream pierced the silence.

"Ah—!"

Su Ming'an looked towards the source of the sound; a disheveled woman staggered out from the hospital, dressed in a blue and white patient's gown, her face marked with dark traces, black tendrils spreading across her body.

"The patient has escaped! Her late-stage Black Mist Disease has erupted! She's about to mutate!" The caregiver yelled behind, unable to stop the woman.

The woman saw Su Ming'an, a craving for flesh reflected in her eyes, she moved forward swiftly, attempting to bite Su Ming'an's neck.

Su Ming'an's eyes shifted subtly, his fingers curled—

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out.

A bloom of blood burst from the woman's chest, her throat emitted a gurgling sound, as she fell forward. Su Ming'an didn't reach out to catch her, her black hair brushed past Su Ming'an's shoulder, her heavy body crashed onto the ground.

As the woman fell, Su Ming'an looked into her eyes.

—Slightly reddened eyes, eyes blackened by corrosion from Black Mist Disease, eyes filled with despair and sadness.

"I... don't want... to die."

Her throat squeezed out shattered words, unable to voice more, her heart pierced by a bullet, vitality rapidly fleeing from her body. When Su Ming'an lowered his head, the woman had already turned into a corpse.

A gust of wind stirred, Su Ming'an raised his head.

The shooter blew off the smoke at the gun's muzzle, twirling the gun's handle, brushing away the caregiver.

Her ears adorned with large rhombus silver filament earrings, her face radiant, striding toward Su Ming'an with a laugh. The earrings clinked crisply, resembling her lively pair of eyes. A name tag bearing [City Guardian Department·Deputy Minister Assistant·Qiu Shui] hung from her chest.

"I have always said, late-stage Black Mist Disease patients hold no value for healing, can mutate at any time, bringing danger."

She tilted her gun handle upward, seemingly intending to touch Su Ming'an's chin: "You, you, deputy minister, always with a kind heart, think they might still be saved, insist on letting them stay in the hospital for treatment. See, when they really mutate at this moment, they are truly desperate."

Su Ming'an turned his head, avoiding her gun handle.

Qiu Shui glanced surprisingly, then smiled: "Alright, it seems you're in a bad mood today."

The gun twirled in her left hand, quickly withdrawn, simultaneously she raised her right hand, holding a pretty small wildflower.

"Then, today I'll give you a flower, wish your mood joyful." She laughed with crescented eyes, extremely radiant.

Su Ming'an's gaze shifted slightly.

He saw caregivers move forward, handling the woman's corpse on the ground. Over three-quarters of the woman's skin had turned black, fine tendrils pierced through her flesh, appearing extremely terrifying.

He knew Black Mist Disease was a fundamental disease spread by the black mist, yet he hadn't realized late-stage Black Mist Disease patients were this terrifying.

"This is Qiu Shui, your assistant." The cloaked person introduced to Su Ming'an.

"The deputy minister lost memory again?" Qiu Shui put away the flower, asked surprisingly.

"Yes, go hand the pending files to the deputy minister." The cloaked person instructed.

Qiu Shui nodded, led Su Ming'an deeper.

It was then, Su Ming'an vaguely heard a voice:

[I made such a bright entrance, yet he feels nothing? Really strange.]

[No wonder, a character with strategy difficulty of five stars, currently he only has a favorability of 10 points towards me, reaching 100 points is indeed very challenging...]

Su Ming'an steadied his heart.

...Another favorability system?

Back in the Louyue Nation, Bai Lian carried a favorability system, she wanted to win Su Ming'an. Later as the plot unfolded, that favorability system gradually vanished. Now, it unexpectedly appeared on this woman named Qiu Shui.

Qiu Shui wanted to increase Su Ming'an's favorability to 100 points. However, she didn't know that Su Ming'an could hear her inner voice.

This favorability system couldn't monitor Su Ming'an's inner heart, it could only evaluate favorability based on Su Ming'an's outward attitude towards Qiu Shui. Su Ming'an merely relaxed his expression slightly, already hearing Qiu Shui's inner voice.

[Favorability increased to 15 points, great.]

Su Ming'an remained silent, only by continuing to listen could he understand what this favorability system actually was.

After passing through layers of password doors, Qiu Shui led him to a massive computer.

The room's setup was somewhat reminiscent of the Dawn System, ubiquitous with surveillance screens and computers. Qiu Shui clicked on the screen, saying, "Also, thank you for many decisions made before you lost memory, which let us oppose the Ark Project's proposal before its enactment, creating big trouble for the anti-war faction's members. Parliament sent a thank you letter to express gratitude."

Su Ming'an found it somewhat difficult to understand: "Ark Project?"

Qiu Shui smiled: "You really forgot everything with this amnesia. The Ark Project is the plan to research special medicines for Black Mist Disease."

Su Ming'an nodded: "Oh."

Then he asked again: "Researching special medicines, why do we oppose?"

Qiu Shui pursed her lips, she entered the password, finally retrieving the file. Instantly, black and white text appeared on the giant screen, allowing Su Ming'an to see clearly.

...

[Dear Deputy Minister Su Shize:

To ensure stability in world affairs and protect the interests of major financial groups, please remain silent during discussions regarding the 'Ark Project' topic.

Please sign the attached contract to delay the development of special medicines for Black Mist Disease.

Union Government·Paitar Member]

...

"Delay the development of Black Mist Disease vaccine and special medicines?" Su Ming'an muttered, doubting he was reading wrong.

He remembered a soldier named "Ming Luo" whom he had killed—Ming Luo's daughter died of Black Mist Disease.

When his daughter suffered in agony, Ming Luo could only stand helplessly by the bedside and watch. There was no medication that could alleviate his anguish. In the end, the people from the Church forcibly burned his daughter, leaving him powerless.

This was precisely what the Black Mist Disease caused.

It destroyed countless families and shattered many people's happiness.

And now—he saw talk of "special medication to delay Black Mist Disease"?

"Yes." Qiushui nodded: "You may not know what the special medication for Black Mist Disease signifies; it involves an extremely complex power structure. Now humanity has lost 80% of its land, and the entire social system is on the brink of collapse. The conflict between the Dream Patrol Family and ordinary people has become so severe. The top echelons must gather enough funds and resources to maintain this status quo."

Su Ming'an's heart grew colder.

"You can understand that—they must delay the appearance of the special medication so the top echelons will have enough time to link up with organizations like financial conglomerates and Ancient Martial Families, giving them room for withdrawal and investment." Qiushui said: "Once the special medication appears quickly, it will instantly collapse the financial circle centered around 'Black Mist Disease,' and when the conglomerates collapse, funds break, billions of families will be affected. Unemployment, mortgage, relief funds, stock prices could destroy the entire fragile financial system. Only by delaying the research on the special medication can the public slowly adapt to the era and prevent being overwhelmed by sudden changes."

She pulled out an electronic pen and handed it to Su Ming'an.

Her bright eyes, with a hint of faint sorrow, reflected his slightly stunned expression.

"So, Deputy Director, please sign your name and authorize this contract to 'delay the special medication for Black Mist Disease.'" she said.

Su Ming'an thought of the woman in pain just now.

...So those patients already in the late stages of Black Mist Disease can only sit idly by and watch themselves die.

...Even though the first generation of the special medication prototype exists that could save them, it cannot be released due to these economic reasons.

Qiushui watched Su Ming'an, advising: "According to population statistics from the Union Government, there are 47,298,321 people suffering from Black Mist Disease today. Among these over four million people, late-stage Black Mist Disease patients are less than a quarter. Compared with the billions of families affected by the era's upheaval, you know what to do."

Su Ming'an paused in silence, then set down the pen: "There will be a way."

He didn't understand what the appearance of the special medication would bring, nor the framework of how the social economy operated. These were things that required years of learning.

But he knew, perhaps he shouldn't sign.

At this time, Chao Yan held his hand, signaling him to pick up the pen again.

"If you don't sign, there will still be thousands of people who will." Chao Yan said: "The upheaval of a world doesn't depend on one person's will unless you are as strong as a deity, able to easily influence everyone's destiny so they won't be confused by the era's turmoil. Otherwise, you cannot change it. Even if you don't sign this agreement today, the fifty-eight political bodies have already figured out what to do."

Her voice was cold, each word clear.

"You know what to do, right?"

"After the Sixth World's White Sand Paradise, millions of psychiatric patients appeared in the Main God World, who similarly didn't receive good assistance, and at that time, there were also unseen people making choices for them."

Su Ming'an's spirit moved, looking towards Chao Yan.

...She even knew that.

Su Ming'an gazed at his pen; his hand once held the lives of billions, and now signing his name could also influence others' destinies.

Chao Yan held his hand, the pen tip touched the tablet, and Su Ming'an released his fingers.

"Clatter."

The electronic pen fell to the ground, leaving a black mark on the screen.

Su Ming'an turned around and strode away.

Since signing or not signing wouldn't change the situation, he chose to follow his true heart and not sign.

…

"First Dream Patrol Family, welcome to join the City Guardian Department, there will be a meeting later, hope you can attend." Shangqing said: "Tonight, the First Tower will open. Facing the unknown, humans will always have fear, hoping your presence can soothe their fears."

Shadow nodded.

He opened the door and was met with a vast venue, thousands sitting in their seats. As Shadow entered, a tidal wave of applause erupted at that moment, warmly welcoming the first Dream Patrol Family's arrival.

The lights shone on Shadow, he squinted slightly, listening to the calls like the roar of sea waves, as if he was in the midst of extreme group fanaticism.

"First Dream Patrol Family! First Dream Patrol Family ah ah ah!"

"I like you! I like you! First Dream Patrol Family! Marry me!"

"Look at me! Look at me! Look at me!"

People continuously shouted loudly, as if loud voices could bring satisfaction.

Shadow pursed his lips, walked onto the stage, raised his hand, slightly lowering it.

In an instant, the whole venue was completely silent.

Shadow stared directly at the camera.

From the moment he stood in place of the body, Shadow had prepared to stand in the spotlight—this was for an entire world. But when this scene truly arrived, it made him somewhat sentimentally thoughtful.

Although there were tens of thousands sitting in the venue, it seemed a small number, but looking out across the dense crowd was overwhelming, not to mention the tens of billions behind the live broadcast.

Shadow turned his head and whispered to Shangqing: "What should I say?"

Shangqing was slightly stunned and then said:

"Considering that you're attending the First Tower tonight, we won't take up much of your time. However, the military and the Union Government are somewhat dissatisfied with your joining the City Guardian Department, and many independent political bodies want to poach people; maybe you could respond."

"Of course, staying silent is also a response. You can also ignore this topic and talk about something else."

Shadow nodded, indicating he understood.

He turned around, looked at the excited people, smiled and said: "Hello everyone."

In an instant, wild cheering seemed to lift the roof. Outside the eaves came one wave of shouting after another. People raised their signs high with lights, and more held tablets, repeatedly scrolling through expressions of the First Dream Patrol Family.

Shadow was about to speak but suddenly heard a command from Su Ming'an. With a smile, he said: "For the first time publicly meeting everyone, I want to ask you all a question."

"Please say!" Journalists in the front row raised their microphones, cameras clicking.

"We will do our best to answer!" Agents sitting at the red tablecloth table craned their necks expectantly.

"..." Including Players like Lu Meng, Rimu Sheng also sat among the seats, watching the "Number One Player."

Shadow lowered his hand slightly, quieting the scene.

He faced the microphone and calmly said:

"—Regarding the 'Ark Project' and Mizushima Kawa Sora, may I inquire about it?"