Welcome to Ability Store

Chapter 367: Chapter 357: Identity Confirmation

To some extent, Lin Qing was also very curious about what the other party was really up to.

Her appearance was the first thing she could rule out, especially after seeing the woman named Liuli. Whether it was her looks, figure, or attire, everything seemed out of place in this ruined world. Just standing in the crowd would make her the center of attention. Even though it wasn’t clear what their relationship was, the prerequisite of being teammates was mutual trust. It was definitely smarter for him to have intentions for Liuli than for herself.

Could it be that the other party wanted to find an excuse to have a private chat with her?

If that was the case... actually, it could be done in the camp, but it was a bit too conspicuous for Chen Xuan to propose such a condition.

Besides, what could he possibly discuss with her?

He was merely a newcomer to Jiang City.

It couldn’t possibly be related to the answer she was searching for, right?

Thinking about it... Lin Qing felt a bit uneasy herself.

However, once they entered the subway station, Chen Xuan did nothing and didn’t even try to initiate a private conversation! He merely had her sign an electronic sublease contract and then rented her a High-Level suite—this process could be completed with an ID card, and the transaction results would be recognized and protected by various outposts. The sublease duration was one day, and the rent was zero. She didn’t fully understand the significance of this contract, but it seemed to be all the other party sought.

"Wait... that’s all?" As Chen Xuan and others turned to leave, she even instinctively called out to them.

"That’s right, have a good rest." Chen Xuan nodded, "There are many things to do tomorrow."

With that, they truly left her alone in the room.

Lin Qing felt both amused and annoyed; if this had been more than a decade ago, she might have suspected this was some prank live-streaming show.

Since she was here, she might as well sleep as he wished.

Lin Qing did not sleep on the bed; instead, she picked up the blanket and threw it onto the sofa, then lay down herself.

Strangely enough... a sense of drowsiness quickly followed.

She couldn’t remember how long it had been since she lay on a soft bed. In the wild, it was always solved with a tent and a sleeping bag. Even when sheltering in an outpost, she would usually lay a mat in the public area. Rooms and beds weren’t necessities; she had long grown accustomed to the hard texture against her back.

Yet at this moment, she had to admit, survivors were willing to tie themselves to Credit Points just to exchange them for a narrow shelter, and it made a bit of sense.

If she emptied her mind and forgot everything outside the outpost, the scene before her was almost indistinguishable from pre-war times.

She stretched out a foot and precisely turned off the kerosene lamp on the coffee table.

Darkness instantly swallowed everything, but compared to the darkness in the wild, this blackness offered a sense of comfort.

Lin Qing even had a dream.

In the dream, she seemed to return to peaceful times, becoming a clerk in a small shop. The same soft couch and low coffee table, though there was no shortage of electricity there; the room was always bathed in warm, soft light. On the coffee table were not a lighter and a kerosene lamp, but a TV remote and potato chips.

...

This sleep felt endless; when Lin Qing stretched and opened her eyes, she felt refreshed, as if all her fatigue had been swept away.

"You’re awake?" Someone asked.

She quickly retracted her stretched arms and turned her head to see that it was the girl named Liuli speaking.

Beside Liuli sat another masked person; judging by the figure, it was likely also a woman.

Only a bedside lamp illuminated the room, maintaining a dim environment, clearly for her sleep’s sake. Still, having a light meant that the subway station had lifted the power restriction, indicating it was daytime outside now.

"How long did I sleep?" Lin Qing lifted the blanket, sitting up from the sofa.

"About eight hours," Liuli glanced at the wall clock, "It’s almost two in the afternoon now."

"What, two o’clock!?" She was taken aback, amazed at how she had wasted half a day; something that had never happened before.

Indeed, outposts were beds of complacency for one’s spirit.

No wonder these refugees lost their fighting spirit; the Fireline Band’s determination to not rest in the subway station was surely the wise choice.

"The canteen has no food left, but we have instant noodles here. I’ll make you a pack now."

"Gurgle..."

Lin Qing wanted to refuse, but her mouth couldn’t open.

Forget it, she thought, going back to the camp meant eating the team’s emergency supplies; mooching this meal would lighten the logistics burden.

"Then... thank you."

When the noodles were ready, they called Chen Xuan over.

"How was your sleep?" Chen Xuan asked with a smile, a look that made Lin Qing feel a bit wary.

"...Alright." She replied cautiously, "Is this what you were after?"

"Yes." He nodded decisively, which she didn’t expect, "I want to have a chat with you."

Lin Qing couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth; she hypothesized so many scenarios and imagined all sorts of possibilities yesterday, and nothing happened. Now, she was calm and composed, and he suddenly wanted to chat?

"Alright then." She picked up some noodles and put them in her mouth dismissively, "Go ahead, I’m listening."

"Your name isn’t Yuyan. Your real name should be Lin Qing." Chen Xuan stated bluntly.

"Pfft." Lin Qing was instantly choked, coughing up the noodles from her throat as she looked at him in shock, "Where did you hear that name?"

"Does it matter where I heard it?" Chen Xuan frowned.

"Of course it matters, because I’m also looking for this person!" She replied.

The two stared wide-eyed at each other for a while.

The atmosphere became inevitably awkward.

Chen Xuan hadn’t expected such a response from her—what did she mean by saying she was also looking for that person... Could there be others named Lin Qing? But he had verified through the Ability Store that this person before him was indeed Lin Qing—after the lease contract took effect, Room 202’s backdoor had also changed, no longer leading to the precarious apartment building, but directly teleporting to the Binjiang Garden Subway Station.

This kind of verification was far more reliable than bloodlines, DNA, or any other form of evidence.

He also understood why Lin Qing had disappeared from the guest list.

Logically speaking, she had never made a deal with the store, so she wouldn’t be considered a guest. The premise of reserving a room on the second floor was to register as a guest. Once a guest died, they would simultaneously disappear from the guest list and the tenant register. However, she hadn’t died; her life path had been reshaped by history, resulting in such an unusual phenomenon.

But now that it was confirmed she was indeed Lin Qing, Chen Xuan wasn’t as eager as before, "That’s great, it seems the person we’re looking for is both named Lin Qing. Can you tell me what the Lin Qing you knew was like?"

The other party first suspiciously scrutinized him for a few moments, then vigilantly shook her head, "You answer my question first. Where did you hear that name from?"

"From the past." Chen Xuan shrugged, "To me, you are Lin Qing, and it was also you who told me that name."

Lin Qing pointed to herself incredulously, "I told you? Come on... We only just met two days ago!"

"Yes, from your perspective, I only appeared yesterday, but in my memory, you’ve been with me for over a year. We fought together against the Dimensional Limit Mechanism, trying to save a future headed for doom."

"Ha..." She twitched the corner of her mouth, "Mr. Chen, are you a member of the Evangelical Association?"

"It’s normal for you not to remember because you genuinely haven’t gone through these experiences." Chen Xuan was not discouraged, knowing how inconceivable this was for her, "The Lin Qing I speak of is from another timeline, in the end, she successfully changed the future, which is the world you see now—but this change also affected her, turning her into the person you are today."

Lin Qing involuntarily took a step back.

The person before her... must be mad.

This was a rational reaction; he had been contaminated by Evangelicals last night and was now exhibiting symptoms of madness, otherwise how could he spout such outlandish nonsense?

Yet the emotional reaction stirred turmoil within her heart.

Why?

His expression, the way he looked at her, and the tone he used when speaking... all seemed to prove his words were true. If this was an act, it would be a truly extraordinary performance.

She... actually wanted to believe him.