Chapter 92: The Angel’s Secret

“Ah? Me? Is he asking about me? I play all sorts of games, I’ve tried everything.” Wang Tianming was startled by the question, wondering just how much Zhang Da had witnessed to steer the conversation toward “games.” Surely, if someone had seen the incredible transformation of the longbow, a typical person would only ask about “magic,” wouldn’t they?

‘Could it be that this fellow is actually a participant in the “Destiny Game”?!’

The more Wang Tianming considered it, the more he found the possibility compelling. He decided to meet the unexpected with the unchanging, adopting a facade of foolishness to conceal his thoughts.

“Oh, I see. There’s no need to be nervous; I’m not a dean of students, so I won’t concern myself with whether you play games or not.” Zhang Da nodded, then casually added, “I often notice you tapping away on your phone. You’re quite injured, aren’t you? What kind of game could be so captivating that even though you can barely sit up, you seem so spirited when playing it?”

“I graduated from university ages ago, so a dean of students wouldn’t hold any sway over me now.” Wang Tianming gently shook his head. “Alas, there’s simply no alternative. I’m currently unable to move, confined to this bed. Without games, I would truly be bored out of my mind.”

“Oh, that’s true, of course.” Zhang Da nodded once more, then, using his left hand to support himself, he settled back onto the hospital bed. At last, he posed another question: “Have you… have you ever seen an angel?”

“No, no, I haven’t? Why? As a Chinese person, even on my deathbed, I’d expect to encounter Black and White Impermanence (TL Note: Heibai Wuchang, deities in Chinese folk religion responsible for escorting the dead to the underworld), so how could I possibly have seen an angel?” Despite his outwardly firm denial, Wang Tianming’s heart was already thrashing wildly within him. This Zhang Da absolutely knew something; he was certainly problematic!

“It’s not necessarily true that Chinese people can’t encounter angels. Do you know how I ended up in here?” Zhang Da rolled over, turning his back to Wang Tianming, and spoke almost to himself. “I simply saw an angel flying in the sky late one night, and in that moment of stunned distraction, a car grazed me. The next thing I knew, I was being brought into this hospital.”

“You must have been mistaken,” Wang Tianming immediately retorted, without a moment’s hesitation.

Zhang Da did not continue speaking. The steady, even rise and fall of his blanket suggested he had drifted off to sleep, but with his back turned to Wang Tianming, Wang Tianming couldn’t discern whether he was truly asleep or merely preferred not to speak further.

Wang Tianming, however, chose not to dwell on the topic. Regardless, it seemed Zhang Da likely knew something. If he were an ordinary person who had witnessed Wang Tianming’s transformation into an angel, the exposure of such a secret would undoubtedly stir up considerable strife. Wang Tianming couldn’t fathom how much evidence Zhang Da might have had in his possession.

If Zhang Da was not an ordinary person, but rather, like Wang Tianming, a participant in the “Destiny Game,” then even greater caution was warranted. Perhaps his ultimate trump card had been inadvertently revealed to Zhang Da, signifying that he had already lost, at least in terms of intelligence.

Yet, after that particular night, Zhang Da never again spoke a word to Wang Tianming, nor did he intentionally glance in his direction. The conversation from that evening seemed to have never truly existed, as if it were merely a trick of Wang Tianming’s own memory.

Wang Tianming, for his part, was quite content with the newfound peace. If the other party were to probe further, given his current precarious condition, it would prove incredibly difficult to respond without inadvertently exposing the “Destiny Game.” Furthermore, Wang Tianming vaguely recalled that this Zhang Da appeared to be the leader of a group of ruffians, and Wang Tianming utterly detested dealing with such individuals, always finding them to be utterly unreasonable.

Until Wang Tianming was once again summoned by the “Destiny System,” Zhang Da refrained from doing anything further to trouble him. This brought a measure of relief to Wang Tianming, who reasoned that even if this fellow were also a participant in the “Destiny Game,” it couldn’t possibly be such a profound coincidence that they would happen to cross paths in this manner, could it?

And just like that, Wang Tianming’s fourth game commenced.