Chapter 830: Hope

Di She nodded thoughtfully.

"Is that so...?"

"That's right," Qi Xia said. "Everyone hustling here isn't living for 'life,' but for 'survival.' They're all gripped by immense anxiety between life and death every single day. How could they feel at ease just because the environment is comfortable? Would someone facing death at any moment care about the cooking techniques of the food they ate that day?"

"I see... and even some 'Sheng Xiao' have more to worry about than just life and death," Di She said with a bitter laugh. "After all, not many 'Tian' around here are normal."

"Besides," Qi Xia continued, "in your impression, how many 'Sheng Xiao' have ever joyfully accepted these fine surroundings? When they're quietly eating in their rooms, how many of them have ever shown a smile?"

"You're right—no one is happy because of these things, but as I said, everyone here carries such deep sorrow in their hearts, and the 'Sheng Xiao' are no exception," Di She said seriously. "Even if all the 'Sheng Xiao' here have grown accustomed to these so-called gifts, if you try to break it all, plenty of people will oppose you."

"I expected that," Qi Xia said. "Even if I clearly tell everyone that I'm here to save them, many will still resist. When there are countless paths ahead, people usually choose the safest and most practical one. They won't give up what's in front of them for an uncertain future."

"So, you think... how many 'Sheng Xiao' can you gather at most...?" Di She asked. "There are nearly thirty 'Di Ji' now, and ten 'Tian Ji.' Out of roughly forty people, how many do you think will be on our side?"

Qi Xia thought for a moment before replying, "At least eleven."

"At least eleven...?" Di She paused slightly. "And at most?"

"At most, 'Sheng Sheng Bu Xi.'"

"'Sheng Sheng Bu Xi'...?" Di She blinked. "What does that mean? What is 'Sheng Sheng Bu Xi'?"

"It's a belief," Qi Xia said. "Only those who are completely mad could possibly understand this belief."

"Is that true?"

Qi Xia stared into Di She's eyes for a while before saying quietly, "It is."

Di She nodded slightly, as if something else had occurred to him. "So, what role do you plan to play in this team?"

Qi Xia pointed at Di She's back and whispered, "I... will have the same role as your surviving 'eye.'"

"My 'eye'...?"

"'Tian She' realized you were on the verge of total collapse, so he left you with one surviving eye," Qi Xia explained. "That eye gave you hope and your last bit of sanity. Not only do you not resent 'Tian She' for your wounds, but you even feel grateful for that eye."

"You're saying that all of us have 'died,' and you're the only surviving 'eye'," Di She nodded. "Are you going to take the remaining eyes to search for hope?"

"No, I won't favor any one 'eye'," Qi Xia said, patting Di She's shoulder. "I'm going to take all of you—the very land where all the 'eyes' survive—and together, search for hope."

"Ah...?"

Qi Xia's words not only stunned Di She but also left Chen Jun Nan and the other two nearby completely baffled.

"So, no matter how many 'Sheng Xiao' try to stop me, I won't back down," Qi Xia said. "We'll go forward with this body as it is."

"Qi Xia," Di She called out, "I'm not as smart as you, so I can't guess what you're planning, but I'll do my part."

"Good," Qi Xia nodded.

"You little rascal, if you ever manage to get us out of here, help me peel off this skin," Di She said. "Even if I die after it's off, I don't want to go back wearing this stinking snake skin."

"Don't worry," Qi Xia said. "I'll peel off everyone's skin."

Di She smiled at that and walked over to a chair to sit down.

"In that case, I'll wait for your message," Di She said.

"No need to wait for me," Qi Xia replied. "Whenever you think the time is right, you can strike at 'Tian She.'"

"Is that so?"

"Even if I don't launch the plan, it doesn't matter," Qi Xia said. "You could become the new 'Tian,' and then all the managers on those trains would be at your disposal."

"Killing 'Tian She' wouldn't be a problem for me," Di She said, "but I could never become the new 'Tian.'"

"How so?"

"Because no 'Sheng Xiao' dares to kill another 'Sheng Xiao,' especially a 'Tian'," Di She explained. "Even if I could do it, I wouldn't survive afterward."

"What are you worried about?" Qi Xia asked. "Tell me, and I'll handle it for you."

"Ha..." Di She laughed. "Qi Xia, I trust you, but I doubt you can fix this. After all, the two people in charge of this matter are beyond your reach."

"How do you know I can't solve it if you don't tell me?" Qi Xia pressed.

Di She sighed and said, "As I told you, 'Tian She' is crucial to the entire train. He keeps it running smoothly and provides a lot of research results to 'Tian Long.' If 'Tian She' is threatened, 'Tian Long' won't just stand by."

"Don't worry," Qi Xia said. "If you kill 'Tian She,' you'll become the one with the most knowledge of his research results. After all, 'Tian She' conducted the most 'experiments' on you, and you've always presented yourself as diligent, even though you know it's all a facade—and 'Tian Long' might not realize that."

"So you're saying..."

"Yes," Qi Xia nodded. "If you kill 'Tian She' and 'Tian Long' kills you in return, then this place would lose all its 'research personnel' at once. That would mean losing two key figures, so it's unlikely he'd do that. At most, he'd punish you."

Di She listened and slowly furrowed his brow, sensing that Qi Xia's reasoning made sense.

"This is a very practical management issue," Qi Xia said. "Even in the workplace, someone who drives another to quit isn't blamed by the boss. Everyone thinks they're irreplaceable, but from the higher-ups' perspective, it's not the case. So, you can go ahead and kill 'Tian She' without fear, then assure 'Tian Long' that you'll handle all the previous work—and do it even better than 'Tian She.' That way, you'll be completely safe. 'Tian Long' won't kill you from any angle; he'd only punish you. And since he still needs you for the research, the punishment would be light."