Chapter 5: Binding

At the entrance of the Apartment Building where Yi Ya rented a place, Lü Yang bumped into Yi Ya who was coming downstairs, along with her two female classmates Lin Yin and Hu Yulan. As soon as Lin Yin saw Lü Yang, she smiled and asked him, “You’re so early?”

Yi Ya seemed to know Lü Yang was there to see her, and she asked him somewhat unhappily, “What’s the matter?”

“Where’s your sister? Isn’t she with you?” Lü Yang looked behind Yi Ya. He guessed that if Yi Yi had run off angrily to Yi Ya’s place, she would probably be lying in Yi Ya’s bed sleeping late right now. For Yi Yi, sleeping in late was more important than anything.

“What’s wrong with you?” Yi Ya frowned.

“Don’t joke around. Your sister disappeared early this morning. She packed all her clothes and luggage and left. I don’t know what made her so angry.” Lü Yang spoke very seriously to Yi Ya.

When Yi Yi was around, Lü Yang didn’t feel much, but once she was gone, he became very worried. In Lü Yang’s view, Yi Yi, who was a bit scatterbrained, wasn’t very capable of surviving or taking care of herself.

“You’re crazy! I’m not in the mood for jokes early in the morning; I need to hurry.” Yi Ya glared fiercely at Lü Yang, turned around, and went after Lin Yin and Hu Yulan.

“Hey! Stop!” Lü Yang grew anxious and reached out to grab Yi Ya’s arm, pulling her back.

Yi Ya’s words and expression were very different from how Lü Yang had known her recently, but he wasn’t in the mood to think about it now.

“What are you doing?” After Lü Yang grabbed her, Yi Ya looked left and right, her face turning red.

Lü Yang let go, thinking to himself, last night I even hugged you, and today you blush just from me grabbing your arm? What’s wrong with these sisters? One ran away, and the other is giving me a death glare. What terrible thing did I, Lü Yang, do?

“I’m not joking. Is your sister not at your place? She disappeared this morning, and I can’t find her anywhere.” Lü Yang asked Yi Ya with an even more serious expression.

“I am the only daughter in my family. What sister?” Yi Ya stepped back a few paces, looked at Lü Yang as if he were an alien, then quickly turned and ran away.

“Damn! Even if you’re mad, you don’t have to be like this! And I don’t even know what you’re angry about!” Lü Yang watched Yi Ya’s retreating figure and cursed in frustration.

There was nothing he could do. Lü Yang went upstairs himself and knocked hard on the door of Yi Ya’s rental for a long time, but there was no response from inside.

Breaking the door down was impossible. Lü Yang could only stare helplessly at the Iron Gate.

After Yi Yi’s Mobile Phone broke last time, Lü Yang said he would fix it, but Yi Yi said no one ever contacted her anyway, and if she wasn’t at the rental, she was definitely with Lü Yang, so she didn’t need a Mobile Phone. Now that she had suddenly run off, Lü Yang couldn’t even contact her.

…

After returning to his own rental, Lü Yang kept thinking about where Yi Yi might have gone and suddenly thought of Lin Yin, who rented with Yi Ya. Lin Yin didn’t talk much and was the honest type. She usually got along quite well with Lü Yang. If Yi Ya refused to admit Yi Yi was with her, Lin Yin definitely wouldn’t lie to Lü Yang.

Thinking of this, Lü Yang quickly picked up his Mobile Phone and dialed Lin Yin’s number. As soon as the call connected, before Lü Yang could speak, Lin Yin’s voice came through, “Lü Yang, what were you arguing with Xiao Ya about this morning?”

“Never mind that! I want to ask you something serious.” Lü Yang spoke very seriously to Lin Yin.

“Okay, what is it?” Lin Yin also became serious.

“Did Xiao Ya’s sister Yi Yi go to your place this morning?”

“Lü Yang, Xiao Ya said you were acting strange, and you really are. Xiao Ya and I grew up playing together since we were little. Xiao Ya is the only daughter in her family. What sister?” Lin Yin sounded very surprised.

“What day is it today? It doesn’t seem like April Fools’ Day, right? Are you all ganging up to mess with me?” Lü Yang grew a bit angry.

“What exactly happened between you and Xiao Ya? Who is this Yi Yi?” Hearing Lü Yang say this, Lin Yin seemed even more confused.

“Is Yi Yi at your place or not?” Lü Yang raised his voice a bit.

“Who exactly is Yi Yi? Does Xiao Ya have a sister named Yi Yi? Is it a cousin or something? Is she your girlfriend? Then what’s going on with you and Xiao Ya?” Lin Yin seemed completely baffled. If she was acting, she was doing it too convincingly.

(Many readers have questioned in the book review section about Yi Yi’s disappearance and how only the protagonist remembers her, while others have no memory of her. Since this involves spoilers, it won’t be explained here. Just keep reading and you’ll understand.)

While talking to Lin Yin on the phone, Lü Yang accidentally saw the Apple iPad 2 that Yi Yi had left on the Worn-out Sofa. He suddenly seemed to think of something important. Without saying anything more to Lin Yin, he quickly hung up the phone, walked to the sofa, and picked up the Apple iPad 2.

…

“Yeah, how boring. It even threatened me, saying if I can’t complete the Task before Zero Hour, my Eerie Points will turn negative, and then I’ll be erased from the world before midnight.”

“Hahaha, do you think you’re a pencil mark? Can you be erased by an eraser? Almighty God! Almighty Jobs! Please erase Miss Yi Yi, so I can have the whole big bed to myself!”

…

As soon as his hand touched the Apple iPad 2, something that had happened yesterday suddenly appeared in Lü Yang’s mind, sending a chill down his spine.

Erased from the world? What kind of joke is that!?

Lü Yang instinctively pressed the power button of the Apple iPad 2, but unexpectedly felt a stabbing pain in his hand like a needle prick. He quickly pulled his finger back and looked at it, finding a small blood spot, just like from a needle prick.

But soon, the blood spot disappeared, and the pain in his finger vanished completely.

“What was that?” Lü Yang examined the area around the Apple power button in surprise but found nothing. He touched it again with his hand, but no more needle pricks happened.

Just as Lü Yang was checking the power button, some words flashed very quickly on the Apple iPad 2 screen. They passed so fast that if Lü Yang hadn’t glanced at it instinctively, he would have missed them.

It showed something about DNA scanning and identity locking, but it flashed by in an instant, and then the normal startup screen appeared.

Lü Yang looked at his finger again, wondering if he had imagined it. What tablet computer locks DNA and identity upon startup? Modern technology hasn’t reached that point yet, right? Even if the technology could do that, would such high-end tech be used on an ordinary civilian iPad 2?

Shortly after startup, a prompt message popped up on the Apple screen: “Dear master Lü Yang, the previous owner of this computer, Yi Yi, has been erased by The System due to negative Eerie Points. You are now the new owner of this computer. How would you like to handle the previous owner, Yi Yi? Complete erasure will be automatically performed in ten seconds.”

Below the prompt message were two options: ‘Complete Erasure’ and ‘Save and Restore.’

Lü Yang was startled and quickly selected the ‘Save and Restore’ option before the ten-second countdown ended.

The iPad displayed an error message: “To save the previous owner Yi Yi, at least 100 Eerie Points must remain in the account. The current account Eerie Points are negative. Unable to perform save and restore. Next attempt must be made within one year from the date Yi Yi was erased; otherwise, the original owner will be permanently erased.”