Chapter 144. I’m Dead

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Arc 8: I am a dead bird.

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Chen You was in a bad mood.

Why? Because his memory was having problems again.

Fuck!

Chen You felt as if his memory was a long river, and something was stirring in it. Now the river is churning violently, sweeping up all the silt on the riverbed and causing the fish, shrimp, and crabs to die.

The water in the entire river was extremely turbid.

Chen You’s head hurt so much. He used his yellow claws to try to reach, but could only reach his neck. He felt so hopeless that he wanted to cry.

“444, can you please stop doing this? I really hate it when you play like this!”

System was scolding another host when suddenly pots and pans were thrown at it.

“This matter has nothing to do with me.”

Chen You hah, “Still not admitting.”

System said, “It’s for you to believe it or not.”

Chen You’s small eyeballs rolled, feeling the system’s attitude was a bit strange. Could it be that he had misunderstood?

But his memory was indeed confused. Those worlds were not clear. Whatever he could barely remember would be forgotten at any time.

It’s like a kite whose string has cracked and is about to break.

“Then tell me, what’s going on?”

System said, “At that time I signed you up for the memory data reset function experience, but you were reset to zero with a single click. At the end of the last world, you created a small bug, so the data was restored.”

“The higher-ups are currently holding an urgent meeting to come up with a solution to this situation.”

“So your anomaly isn’t caused by us.”

“……”

Chen You hehe, “Don’t tell me, it’s my fault.”

System said, “What else?”

Chen You, “Teasing me.”

System said, “You separated your soul from your body in one of these worlds and stayed there for longer than usual. I told you it would have some mental effects.”

Chen You said, “I remember you said to wait until I returned to the real world.”

“Moreover, what do mental problems have to do with memory?”

System said, “Mentally retarded.”

Chen You, “…”

So, he started on the road to mental illness before he even went back?

A vague curse word flashed through his mind, and Chen You was startled. Holy crap! System can curse? He fumed, “Did you just greet my mom?”

System said, “It’s not your mom, it’s the mother of another host. That’s it. I’m busy.”

Chen You called it back, “What should I do? You can’t just ignore me!”

“What about the target? Is it still Yan Shu?”

System cursed again, quite aggressively, but when it came to Chen You, it became more normal, “I’m really busy, so I’ll just keep this short.”

Chen You’s beak twitched, “You say.”

System said, “Pray.”

Chen You said, “Goodbye!”

He lay down, resting his left claw on the right one, looking pensive.

Trust the system for the time being.

The target of this world’s mission should be Yan Shu, as he agreed to accompany him.

If he dares to lie to him, he’ll be screwed.

Chen You instinctively pecked at the birdcage with his beak, from top to bottom. He couldn’t help but peck at the cage continuously.

It’s scary! I’m a bird now, and not just a small bird, but a big bird.

Although it was not weighed, from his bird’s eye view, it was at least comparable to an old hen.

Chen You lifted one of the bird’s claws to loosen the pressure on its butt. He tried to calm himself and absorb the memories of this bird’s body. It was a large mass. This was a bird with a story to tell.

When the big black bird was still a small bird, it was sold to a bird dealer and eventually to a family.

There was a naughty little boy in that family who loved to pull a tuft of white feathers from the bird’s forehead. Every day when he got home from school, the first thing he did was put down his schoolbag, and the second thing he did was to pull the big black bird’s feathers.

How can a bird in a cage fight with humans? It will only be abused.

Thanks to the little boy’s tireless efforts, the big black bird’s forehead soon became bald. The male owner of the house took one look and thought, aiya, damn it,  how did it become so ugly? It’s really detrimental to my mood. I’ll sell it and buy another one.

So the big black bird moved to the second family, which had no children.

The big black bird’s forehead was no longer damaged, but its ears were.

When the male owner was at home, the female owner was a good wife and mother. She spoke softly. She kept the house in perfect condition and always treated the man of the house as her top priority making him feel proud. She was very good and there was nothing wrong with her.

The couple couldn’t be more loving.

Once the male owner worked overtime, the female owner would change out of her conservative clothes and go out to the nightclub to party.

The husband works in construction and was often on business trips, which was a real hassle. The wife raced against time to get things done.

She would bring the young ones home specifically, and as soon as she got home, she would hug them and chew them. She was so crazy and energetic, just like an old horse.

The big black bird in the cage was hanging in the living room. Its eyes could be closed, but its ears couldn’t be covered tightly.

After a few days, the big black bird began to doubt its life, and after struggling for more than two months, it fell ill.

As expected, it was sold again, and this time it was abused and deprived of food and water.

Who is the big black bird? It’s not one to easily accept fate. In the end, it managed to get up from where it fell, survived with its strong willpower, and finally saw the dawn of hope in life.

This is the family it lives in now.

There was delicious food and drinks, no mischievous children, no duplicitous mistress, and no strange noises. It was wonderful.

There’s a saying that goes, born in adversity, die in comfort.

The big black bird lived a life that was too comfortable. It became lazy and gluttonous. Its body became as fat as a ball. It didn’t work out. It just ate and waited to die every day by just hanging there.

It was a sudden death.

Chen You knew that big black bird had died in the same way as he did, so he sighed silently, bird bruh, we’re both courting death, and neither of us is any better than the other.

He continued to process the big black bird’s memories, scratching its body and mentally asking the system, “Old 4, what kind of bird am I?”

System replied after a moment, very busy,  “Big Black Bird.”

Chen You asked, “What kind?”

System said, “Just a big black bird.”

“…” Chen You circled in the cage, “What about name?”

System said, “Heihei.”

Chen You rolled his bird eyes upwards, “Hey hey my bird! I’m asking you, what’s my name?”

“Who said hey to you?” System said, “I was talking about the hei as black in the big black bird, the repeated syllable.”

Chen You was desperate. Even the name was so casual. I really have nothing to say.

There was a noise at the door, it was the mistress picking up her daughter who is a college student from the bus station.

This family’s parents cherished their daughter dearly. Even now, in her sophomore year, they still picked her up from college every Friday and dropped her off at the station on Sunday afternoons. They also insist that their daughter call to let them know she is safe, twice a day, five days a week.

Horrible!

Both parents firmly refused to allow their daughter to live in the dormitory.

They were so nervous, as if the dormitory was full of evil spirits.

Chen You came out from the Big Black Bird’s memories. As an outsider, he didn’t comment. Every family has its own way of raising children.

This is all fate.

After the sound of the door lock turning, the voice of the mistress was heard, scolding her daughter.

“School is a place for learning, a sacred place. Now, you young people are treating it as a place to hang out with bad people. Each generation is worse than the previous one.”

A young voice followed, clear and energetic, now mixed with anger.

“Ma, are you done? You went to school without a word to spy on me, embarrassed me in front of my classmates. You kept talking all the way here making the people in the bus laugh at me. And when we got home, you’re still speaking. What do you want from me?”

“I’m not in a relationship at school, and my grades haven’t dropped. I’ve already done everything you said. Why can’t you just let me feel better when I get home?”

The girl with the ponytail walked from the entrance to the living room without changing her shoes, “If you keep doing this, I’ll live on campus next semester and won’t be back.”

The mistress threw the front door key onto the coffee table with a stern face.

“Who are you talking to? I’m your ma. You’re so disrespectful? Did your teacher teach you that, or did you learn it from one of your friends?”

The birdcage on the balcony shook. Chen You, craving opera, got so excited that the bird’s claws darted into the small water jar.

As luck would have it, at this moment, Chen You’s bird body lost its balance and slammed headfirst into the cage door, flashing twinkling stars before his eyes.

Damn, being a bird is so fucking hard.

Chen You struggled to his feet, only the family drama could save him.

The quarrel in the living room continued, and both mother and daughter’s voices rose, suddenly breaking into high notes.

The mistress kept saying phrases like, ‘I’m your ma, and my intentions are for your own good’, and ‘If you don’t listen now, you’ll regret it later’.

The girl with the ponytail was comparing herself to her classmates, saying that someone’s family never cared about her, and someone else had a boyfriend since middle school, yet still managed to get into university and be in the same class as her.

In short, every word she said was the opposite of her own mother’s, and her ability to play the devil’s advocate was amazing.

It’s clear at first glance that she has a lot of patience and her skills are superb, built over time.

Soon, the mother and daughter began to revisit old matters, bringing up some past events.

Judging from the situation, today it’s either you die or I die.

Chen You shook his wings, flew up in the cage, and landed. He was a little worried that he wouldn’t have dinner tonight.

Those two in the living room looked like they were about to smash the pot.

This mother-daughter fight ended with the girl slamming the door.

The mistress wiped her tears on the sofa in the living room.

This is a side that the girl with the ponytail cannot see, but Chen You saw it.

Ai.

Everyone is the same. His mother also controls everything about him, and the reason is ‘it’s for your own good’. It’s absolutely universal.

Chen You looked down through the balcony window. It was a summer evening, still bright, and grandparents were playing with their grandchildren in the neighborhood.

The sounds of children laughing and playing echoed one after another.

Chen You’s bird head leaned forward with a heavy heart. Could it be that in this world, he could only be confined in a tiny cage?

Then how could he possibly see the mission target?

Is the target the master of this house? Chen You was just beginning to daydream when the door opened. This time it was the owner.

He used his bird eyes to see the owner’s beer belly, alarming hairline, and short, fat body.

No.

Chen You was sure.

So far, the target’s assets are very consistent, a handsome face, long legs, a thin waist, broad shoulders, and all kinds of chest and abdominal muscles.

Regarding this point, Chen You was grateful to the system. If the target had a set of gold teeth, he really didn’t know how to get rid of it.

That’s how it’s portrayed in TV dramas, the male owner is like double-sided tape, sticking his wife and mother together. You can’t live without me, and I can’t live without you.

This method can also be used on daughters-in-law and daughters.

The owner helped to communicate with both sides, and the mother and daughter reconciled during dinner.

Everyone is family.

Chen You smelled the delicious food and fluttered around in his cage, come and see! There’s a big black bird starving to death here!

It’s useless.

Chen was exhausted, weakly clinging to the cage bars, give me a mouthful of food...

The girl with the ponytail came over, took out the dung sheet from under the birdcage, and scrubbed it with a brush, leaving it to dry.

Chen You was back to full health. There’s food!

The girl with the ponytail left for a moment, then returned with a small insect. Her smile was dazzling, “Heihei, do you want to eat some?”

Chen You glared at the little bug, his stomach churned, his neck twisted, his claws kicked, and he fell into the cage.

“I miss Heihei so much.” The girl with the ponytail threw the little bug out the window and said to the cage, “Heihei, have you gone to heaven? You must have.”

Chen You jumped up, no way, meimei! I’m right in front of you! Are you blind?

The mistress’s voice came over, “Didn’t your ba say to go out and buy one tomorrow, one that looks just like Heihei?”

The girl with the ponytail curled her lips and said, “Even if they are exactly the same, they are not Heihei.”

Her expression was sad and heartbroken. “Heihei, I missed you so much…”

Chen You felt a chill run down his spine.

So, not only am I a bird, but also a dead bird at that?

The girl with the ponytail touched the cage and whispered, “It’s been almost a month since you left. I feel like I’m dreaming.”

Chen You shuddered, meimei, it’s not just you. I feel the same way.

Yes, it was just a dream, fake, all fake!

The owner said something while picking his teeth.

The girl with the ponytail reacted strongly, “Doesn’t Xiaohui at Laolao’s house have a cage? Why does it need Heihei’s?”

(*Laolao: Maternal grandmother)

Her eyes reddened, “Heihei is gone, so is its home going to be given to someone else?”

“Ba, I don’t agree!”

The owner said she was ignorant, why was there an empty cage hanging on the balcony since it was dead.

The girl with the ponytail said, “Aren’t we going to buy another bird? Then this cage will be useful!”

The owner slammed the table. He didn’t want to come home to see a cage that had been used by a dead bird. He said, “Your Laolao wants it now, so just give it to her. If you buy another bird, I’ll buy a new cage too.”

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s go to Laolao’s house tomorrow morning.”

The mistress also spoke up, saying it was just a cage, no big deal.

The girl with the ponytail stomped her foot in anger and went back to her room.

Chen You leaned against the corner of the cage and shivered, “444, what’s going on? They can’t see me!”

System said, “You are dead.”

Chen You looked down at the bird body. The claws were claws, the feathers were feathers, nothing special. “…Why don’t I feel it at all?”

System said, “I still say the same thing.”

Chen You said, “Get lost!”

His paws were shaking with fear. Oh my god, this world is unplayable.

All night, Chen You howled in his cage and was at his last gasp at dawn.

In the morning, the dead bird Chen was put into the back seat by the house owner and drove onto the highway.

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