Chapter 865: Everyone's Thoughts

"So... are you also afraid you won't be able to keep reading?" I asked.

"I can't say for sure," Bai Yang shook his head. "Everyone has laziness, so it's just preparing in advance. If I don't finish a book in a day, I'll feel like I've 'owed' something, and the anxiety will get worse. That anxiety forces me to complete the task every day."

"Alright," I nodded, feeling like I still couldn't keep up with Bai Yang's line of thinking.

But it was exactly this coincidence that brought Bai Yang and me closer.

Getting close to Bai Yang relied on "seeking advantages and avoiding harm," while getting close to Jiang Ruoxue relied on "leg hair." These social skills aren't written about in any books. It seems the connections between people are even more mysterious than what's described in books.

The feeling of closeness with Bai Yang was hard to describe—like reuniting with an old friend or getting to know someone anew.

I was reconnecting with someone I'd thought about every day for five years, which was indeed a bit abstract.

From then on, I met Bai Yang every morning, and in the afternoons, I continued recruiting strong allies. This went on for about a month.

Bai Yang read books faster than I imagined; he could finish a theoretical book in just one afternoon.

He also started having specific requirements for the content. He only wanted books on economics, management, politics, or game theory. I once tried giving him some psychology books, but he didn't seem interested.

That day, I went to the bookstore to get books for him, only to find that the place had changed completely.

A male earth snake had taken it over, turning the bookstore into his "game arena."

This was ridiculous—the bookstore that had always been unclaimed was suddenly a game arena... How was I supposed to get books for Bai Yang now?

I tried approaching the pale earth snake and explained my purpose. He shook my hand and enthusiastically pulled me inside.

He told me that everything could be negotiated, but I also had to help him with something.

I quietly looked at him, feeling like I was encountering a second strange Sheng Xiao.

He seemed... a bit effeminate.

The pale snake told me that if I joined his "Bei Shang Hui," I could borrow books from here under the pretense of "borrowing," and I could choose any books, as long as I borrowed and returned them one by one.

But the problem was, all the books I gave to Bai Yang, he took back to his place. How could I return them to the pale snake one by one?

Maybe I should explain the situation to Bai Yang... and have him return the books to me every day after reading?

I was pondering the feasibility of this when I suddenly felt a wave of sadness.

What exactly was I doing...?

Honestly, Bai Yang hadn't made any promises to me or given me any advantages. He said he had "guaranteed my safety," but who could prove that...?

Maybe all these years, I'd been foolishly doing things for Bai Yang without him doing anything in return.

Now, for Bai Yang's sake, was I going to join this unknown organization and make deals with other Sheng Xiao?

The thought that I'd been doing pointless work for so long quickly made my eyes fill with disappointment.

"Damn girl," the pale snake said, looking at me. "What's going on? Why so sorrowful all of a sudden?"

"I... I don't know..." I shook my head. "I just suddenly remembered some bad things."

"That's fine!" the pale snake said. "I established the 'Bei Shang Hui' to help everyone get out of their sorrow!"

"Get out of sorrow?" I asked in confusion. "Do you mean the 'Bei Shang Hui' is for helping people overcome sorrow?"

Oh my god, from the name, I thought it was for creating sorrow.

"What's the specific format?" I asked again.

"Uh... I haven't thought it through yet... I came up with it on the spot for the grand opening... Probably just everyone sitting together, sharing their sorrowful stories or something like that?"

I never imagined a Sheng Xiao could be so casual...

"So, it's about us sitting in a circle, sharing our sad stories with each other?"

"Exactly! Isn't that great? You all need to vent! The more people with sorrow there are, the more you can share with, damn girl!" the pale snake said again. "Who else would set up a support group for the sorrowful? Only me!"

"But that's a mistaken idea," I sighed deeply, standing up. "Thanks for the kind offer, but I don't want to hear other people's sad stories. 'Sorrow' only multiplies when it's shared—everyone ends up with twice as much."

"Hiss..." the pale snake slowly furrowed his brow. "Why do I feel like I've heard your way of speaking somewhere before?"

I ignored him, feeling that the faint sadness from earlier had eased a bit, so I asked, "Pale snake... what do you think motivates each of us here to want to escape? Why are these people so desperate to stay alive?"

"Motivation...?" The pale snake reached up to touch his head, surprisingly showing a sorrowful expression.

I thought he'd keep being carefree and unserious, but unexpectedly, he sighed deeply and said, "I... don't know about others, but for me, it's for my lover."

"Your lover...?" I was stunned.

"Yes, he's still waiting for me at home. He's suffered for me, endured hardships for me—he's my entire reason for living." The pale snake frowned as he spoke.

I stared at the pale snake for a long time. He kept calling me "damn girl," making it feel like there was an age gap, and his snake-like appearance made it hard to tell his age. So, he was already a married man?

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Yes, surprisingly, it made sense.

When you can't find a reason to live for yourself, you can live for someone else.

But Bai Yang seemed so young... Did he have a wife?

The pale snake rubbed his eyes and said, "As long as I can escape this hellish place... even if I'm covered in wounds, I won't back down. That's my motivation."

"I see..." I nodded at him. "You've given me a very good idea."

Seeing I was about to leave, he felt unexpectedly reluctant: "You're leaving? You're my first guest... If you're not joining the 'Bei Shang Hui,' how about trying a game? The death rate is high—it's really thrilling!"

"I'll pass on the game. I just want to confirm one last thing... If I don't join your 'Bei Shang Hui,' can I still borrow books every day? I promise to borrow one and return one starting tomorrow." I turned back at the door and said, "If I run into others, I'll try to ask if they want to join your 'Bei Shang Hui.' That's the only bargaining chip I can offer."

"Well..." The pale snake shook his head after hearing this. "No... These books are my game props. If I let everyone borrow without conditions, I'd be the first to break the rules."

"Alright." I nodded in understanding. "In that case, farewell if we're meant to meet again."

I took a couple of steps, then turned back and said, "Oh, and change the name."

"What?"

"I mean for your 'Bei Shang Hui.'" I shook my head helplessly. "We had similar activities at our school, but they weren't called 'Bei Shang Hui'—they were called 'Mutual Aid Society.'"

"Huh?" The pale snake blinked. "'Mutual Aid Society'?"

"That name at least sounds like it's about 'mutual aid.' Yours is a bit scary." I waved at him and left the bookstore.

(Family and friends! The physical book for the second volume of "Ten Days of Doom," titled "Ten Days of Doom: The Labyrinth City," will have a live pre-sale on March 2nd at 7 PM on my Douyin live stream! If you're interested, feel free to follow!)