HTCYH Ch 2

Chapter 2: The Bureau vs. the Player Organization

“Get lost!” Tu Si took a step back, swatting away the man’s outstretched hand.

Only then did the burly man notice that Tu Si was actually half a head taller than him, with a prominent Adam’s apple. He cursed, “F***, you disgusting f***ing sissy.”

As he spoke, he threw a punch at Tu Si’s face. Tu Si didn’t move an inch, completely ignoring the incoming fist. Like a cat, he tilted his head and stared straight at the gently smiling male officer.

The moment the punch touched the tip of Tu Si’s nose, the burly man was suddenly thrown back into his seat by an unknown force. The male officer finally spoke. His voice was clear and soothing, his speech unhurried and exceedingly gentle, but what he said was: “Provoking again and again, stirring up trouble—do you really think the people of the Bureau are pushovers?”

His voice was soft and clear, like a mountain spring flowing down snowy peaks—crisp and refreshing, but carrying a penetrating chill. This coldness made nearby plants instinctively shy away. Yet, the male officer’s body gave off a delicious scent! It was the smell of food, one that made Tu Si’s mouth flood with saliva uncontrollably. His instincts screamed danger, warning him to keep away, but the alluring fragrance gnawed at his brain, tempting him to bind the man up and stash him away for a slow feast. His tendrils were already twitching eagerly beneath his sleeves.

“Heh, do you really think you’re cops? You think this is a society ruled by law? You gonna control heaven and earth too?” The burly man’s muttered curses snapped Tu Si back to reason.

He retracted his restless tendrils, looked up, and met the officer’s gaze. The man’s eyes crinkled with a smile, but beneath that lay a bottomless vortex. His pupils were so dark they seemed blue—like gazing into a deep, terrifying ocean. Tu Si instantly returned to his senses, reined in every trace of exposed emotion, and bowed respectfully to the officer. “Thank you, Officer, for stepping in.”

From the officer’s warning and the burly man’s provocation, Tu Si immediately deduced the dynamic in the room: clearly, the people present belonged to opposing camps. As someone who appreciated beauty, the first thing Tu Si did was offer goodwill to the fragrant male officer.

“Hah, this stinking little b*tch is already throwing himself at the Bureau the moment he arrives. Looks like he’s asking for a hard lesson.” This time, it was the sleazy fat man who spoke. Whether due to layers of fat or naturally narrow eyes, Tu Si could barely see anything but slits on his face. Strangely, even the pupils were tiny black dots shifting within the crescent-shaped whites. Combined with his smug, crooked smile, he let his eyes roam over Tu Si from head to toe, finally resting them on Tu Si’s face with a lewd arch of his brows, as if admiring him with approval.

But unlike the awe in the female officer’s eyes, this man’s gaze was invasive and predatory—there’s a world of difference between admiration and harassment. Tu Si, however, didn’t lash out. Pretending not to notice, he even batted his lashes and leaned into the attention slightly to glean more information. “You’re mistaken. My name is Tu Si. This is my first time entering the game—I’m still unfamiliar with the rules. If I’ve offended anyone, I hope you’ll forgive me.”

The fat man chuckled. “A newbie, huh? That’s good, that’s real good. Newbies are obedient. Tu Si, was it? Tell us, which faction are you going to join? The Bureau, or the Player Organization?”

Feigning surprise, Tu Si asked, “Factions? Are you all enemies?”

This time, the cool and dashing female officer finally spoke. “The Bureau and the Player Organization are merely rivals. But competition in the game world almost always ends in death or injury. Once you enter, you have two paths: One, keep playing games, farm experience, gather gear, and eventually ascend. Two, seek shelter from the Bureau—we’ll protect you until the game ends, and once you exit, we’ll sever your connection to the game permanently. From then on, cultivation is no longer an option. If you join the Player Organization, we’ll no longer care whether you live or die. Of course, if you choose the Bureau, whether you like it or not, we’ll forcibly cut your connection after the game ends. Our role exists to offer those who stumble into the game a chance to back out.”

After she finished, the burly man sneered, cigarette dangling from his lips, “Pfft, listen to that spin. The Bureau’s nothing but a bunch of sanctimonious hypocrites. ‘Protect you?’ Please. They just use you to risk your life in-game to hunt for items and resources, then confiscate everything and crush your path to ascension. But hey, they call it ‘giving you a second chance.’”

Tu Si understood now. One faction was a life-preserving group that severs ties to the game; the other was a social collective betting everything on godhood. The game was dangerous, horrifying, and almost certain death—but the divine power, the rewards, the chance to become a god still lured many to gamble. How many who survived would willingly give all that up to return to being ordinary? But those who encountered real danger would regret it too. The Bureau’s promise of severing ties must exist precisely to prevent people from backing out after using them to beat the game.

Tu Si continued observing the pair of attractive officers on the left. His heart ached—his love of beauty made him want desperately to join the Bureau. Unfortunately, the reward of the bone fragment left him no choice but to continue playing. Still, the two men from the Player Organization had left such a bad impression that Tu Si’s favor for them had dropped below zero—he had no intention of teaming up with those freaks. So he said, “I choose neither faction.”

The moment Tu Si spoke, the previously silent male officer opened his eyes, casting a fleeting glance at him. There was an unreadable flicker in his gaze, but it vanished in a blink. Then he softly chuckled, “A very powerful choice.”

The burly man burst out laughing, stomped out his cigarette, and sneered maliciously, “Well then, congratulations on making a choice that guarantees death.”

Tu Si said nothing. He simply nodded at the man—a polite but provocative gesture. And because he immediately sat beside the female officer afterward, the burly man couldn’t act out and had to settle for cursing and spewing threats about how Tu Si would wish he were dead.

Tu Si ignored him and instead turned to the female officer, asking, “May I ask how I should address you both?”

She replied, “Just call me Fang Xia. And this one here, you can call him Wuming.”

“Wuming?” Tu Si silently repeated the name, mocking inwardly at how obviously fake it was—like he wanted everyone to know he was hiding something. Out loud, however, he said, “Mm-hmm, Officer Fang Xia, Officer Wuming—nice to meet you.”

Fang Xia continued, “No need to call us officers. Just use our names. Although the Game Regulatory Department is part of the police force, we mostly do investigations. We don’t deserve the title.”

Tu Si nodded obediently. He was just about to ask more about the Bureau when the distant sound of suona horns began—coming closer and closer. Gradually, the tune revealed itself: “A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.” The sound grew louder and louder—suonas, gongs, firecrackers—all deafening.

Tu Si straightened up and sat properly, going on high alert.

Then a multicolored paper-mâché matchmaker entered the hall, head wrapped in a scarf, adorned with a giant red flower, hair piled high behind her. In her left hand, she held a tobacco pipe; on her right shoulder, she carried a long red silk ribbon. Swaying with every step, she tottered into the main hall.

Only when she got close did they see the red silk ribbon trailing behind was tied to a lavish paper bride. The bride held a memorial tablet in her arms and was dragged stiffly into the hall.

Once she was positioned, the matchmaker danced out dramatically. At the entrance, a boy in red with a red dot between his brows and bright red lipstick entered holding a rooster.

A loud voice shouted from outside: “Phoenix coronet and bridal robes, binding of hair and lifelines!”

The boy tied one end of the red string from the bride’s hair to the rooster’s neck.

Then the voice from outside shouted, “First bow to heaven and earth! Second bow to the parents! Husband and wife bow to each other! Bound as one, in life and in death! Hold each other’s hands and grow old together!”

With each call, the paper bride and the boy were pulled to kneel in ceremonial bows. After the rites were completed, the boy picked up the rooster and turned to leave. But the red string around the rooster’s neck remained attached. The bride was dragged forward and fell face-down. Still, the boy kept walking, and the bride was dragged along the ground. The rooster began to struggle as the string tightened.

When the boy passed the silent, frail girl sitting across from Tu Si, there was a crack—the rooster’s neck snapped. Blood splattered all over the girl, making her cry out in shock. But her voice was immediately drowned out by the call from outside: “The rites are complete! Escort the bride to the bridal chamber!”

The boy, as if nothing had happened, carried the lifeless rooster and dragged the bride into a room in the western wing.

He stepped inside, and bang!—the door slammed shut. The music cut off instantly. Silence fell upon the main hall.

Everyone turned toward the doorway. No one noticed the eight boys with pink blush and red forehead dots who now stiffly emerged from behind the screen.

Tu Si turned his head and jumped—one of them was standing right beside him. The yellow-haired punk across the room cursed loudly in fright, while the burly man instinctively kicked the boy.

The boy flew back, crashing into the long altar table. One corner pierced straight through his gut. They could see now that the boy’s body was made of peachwood. Though his face looked nearly human, his nature was that of a doll. The boy, with limbs twisted awkwardly, stood up in a grotesque puppet-like motion and walked back to the burly man’s side. The man frowned and kept grumbling.

When the boy stood still again, all the doll-like boys spoke in unison: “Thank you for attending the ceremony. This humble home opens its doors for you. The private rooms have been cleaned and food is prepared. Honored guests, please follow us. We wish you sweet dreams tonight.”

And so, everyone was led back to their rooms by the boys.

Tu Si’s room was the same one he had entered the game in. The table he’d previously ransacked was now pristine and neatly arranged. On the tea table sat elegant dishes—four entrees and one soup—visually appetizing. Unfortunately, Tu Si had no sense of taste and couldn’t judge the flavor.

He extended his tendrils and absorbed all the food, confirming it was free of danger. Still, he couldn’t shake the profound sense of unease in the room, as if he were constantly being watched. So, he released his tendrils and draped them over every object in the room, blanketing everything in a layer of golden vines. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.