Chapter 2903 - 1377: The Unknown (X)

"I oppose Xiao Liu’s proposal, which honestly doesn’t clash with my earlier performance of the An Sai waist drum."

Ji Wutong turned to glance at the ghost girl, who was full of righteous indignation floating behind him, pulling his hair in anger, and calmly said, "The reason for rejecting her proposal is simple. This girl is a perpetual child herself, with that unfortunate child’s heart remaining unextinguished for decades. She hasn’t had kids, hasn’t even dated anyone. What does she know about parental love?"

Bai Miemi floated half a meter higher, gritting her teeth, and started to kick Ji Wutong’s head vigorously, yet she said nothing. The reason was previously mentioned; she’s mainly afraid of further butt-spankings.

"Moreover, the situation back then and now are different. At that time, none of us were in a position to decide whether we would get involved, nor did anyone bail us out. By the time we realized big trouble was brewing, everyone was essentially beyond the point of no return. From this perspective, we actually had no choice."

Ji Wutong, defending against the ghost girl’s kicks by overlapping his hands behind his head, spoke nonchalantly, "But those children are different. First off, they don’t have to face those things. Secondly, considering the cause and effect they inherited from us, if they follow in our footsteps, that process would become extremely uncontrollable. To put it bluntly, it’s very likely that before we think of the ’Realm of Innocence’ as a solution, that sin would already awaken from reality under the tangle of cause and effect. By then... do you have confidence everyone will survive?"

He turned to lock eyes with Bai Miemi as he uttered the last sentence.

The latter pouted, puffed her cheeks, and turned her head aside. Although she still looked dissatisfied, the indignation between her brows had largely disappeared.

"We have to consider the collective interest, which, on a smaller scale, includes our own children—sweet darlings—and, on a larger scale, encompasses all living creatures in the Real World. We cannot take this risk, which is why we didn’t let the children follow our old path, no matter how talented they are."

Ji Wutong’s gaze turned surprisingly serious, and he said in a deep voice, "I don’t deny there’s selfishness involved here, nor do I deny that this somewhat deprives the children of their choice. But compared to the risk they and the world are about to face, I think paying such a price—of which they themselves aren’t even aware—isn’t excessive."

Bai Miemi curled her lips and then clung onto Ji Wutong’s shoulder like a koala.

"That’s why I played the An Sai waist drum earlier. This girl didn’t get much wiser as she gained seniority; instead, she became more foolish."

Ji Wutong chuckled while patting the ghost girl’s head on his shoulder, then turned to the crowd and said with a light laugh, "As for why I oppose Xiao Liu’s proposal, it’s actually simple: the idea isn’t realistic, nor wise, and frankly, it’s irritating."

Liu Li shrank her neck a bit, murmuring, "That serious?"

"It’s unrealistic because, as a phenomenon-level game, the ’Realm of Innocence’ has reached a high level of popularity. You all know we initially made it highly marketable to attract many players quickly. From the first test, it aimed to be a national-level entertainment project."

Ji Wutong shrugged, spreading his hands, "Under this premise, asking the kids—the ones in the age of playful exuberance and brimming with ideas—to quit the game is almost impossible. So there are only two solutions: first, tell them the truth about the game’s dangers, such as it could lead to world destruction, which would render all our efforts pointless; second... give no reason, just prevent them from touching the Game Cabin—you ready for that?"

Everyone exchanged glances but couldn’t say a word.

"Honestly, I can’t bring myself to do it. Even if I could, my two darlings would just need to act cute, and I’d gladly haul the Game Cabin back to them."

Ji Wutong made a funny face, laughing, "Wouldn’t you all do the same?"

"If Xiao Yu acted cute with me, I’d break his leg."

Cui Fan pushed his glasses up, saying coldly, and then made the same funny face as Ji Wutong, "And then I’d get my leg broken by my wife... Sigh, you’re right, can’t stop it, impractical and irritating."

Yi Nan nodded in acknowledgment, asking, "Understandable, but why is it unwise?"

Ji Wutong rolled his eyes, looking at him moodily, "Isn’t this reason enough?"

"It is, but knowing your character, you wouldn’t just let it go without saying everything you want to say."

Yi Nan turned to glance at Ji Wutong, expressionless, "So rather than letting you drag on with suspense, I’d better ask directly."

"You’re so annoying."

Ji Wutong instantly flipped him off with a middle finger and then lazily said, "Alright, alright, as for the ’unwise’ aspect, I could give two guesses. Although they’re guesses, the likelihood is quite high..."