Chapter 47 - Role Playing the Dark Horse Character

Chapter 47: Can Pulling Out the Cowlick Make You Stronger? 'Who exactly is that person?!' With this phrase, the comic series "Four-Way City" announced its conclusion, leading into a new storyline next episode. Li Li flipped further back and found a preview of the upcoming chapter, along with a notice of an interview with the cartoonist at the end of the next episode. She rested her chin on her hand, pondering as she fixated on the cartoonist's name. There's nothing particularly problematic about it; it's just that the cartoonist's pen name is rather intriguing. The author of the comic "Beyond Black and White" goes by the pen name 'Cartoonist,' simple and straightforward. "System, is this cartoonist a ghost or a human?" she asked with little expectation. The typically silent and inactive system responded surprisingly quickly, as if it were always on standby. [Please explore on your own.] Yet, her question remained unanswered. As expected, the system had no intention of letting her know too much. Li Li decided to set the question aside for now and headed to check the forum. Regardless, by the next episode, everything would be revealed. She was also curious about what the cartoonist would say in the interview. She exited the comic page and entered the forum, where discussions had already begun long ago and were still heated. 【Ahhhh I'm so excited I could run laps downstairs! So was it really him who saved Yi Ming? Wasn't it?! Little Corgi, your brother came to rescue you!!】hot 【Family reunited and loving, there's still hope! Bursting into tears, buying a house in Floating City isn't a dream!】 【Li Tao, what does the name Li Baige stand for?】hot 【Sobbing, I knew I'd never abandon this fandom! My beloved Li, you'll always be my favorite!】 【The cool and aloof aura, I knew there was something familiar, turns out it was you all along!】 【Slice? Experiment? Who exactly did Heige kill? Revisiting the surprise at the end of Desolate Dragon chapter! Analysis post】hot 【I declare my ship is real! Long live Heige and Li!】hot Dizzying new posts filled with content from the latest episode appeared constantly, and Li Li refreshed to find several new posts already bumped to the top. At that moment, her phone began to vibrate, signaling that her roommate, supposedly studying in the library, had sent her several exclamation marks. [Yao Yao: Li Li, you're a prophetic genius! My idol is still alive, ahhhh!] To which Li Li calmly replied. [Li Li: Weren't you supposed to be studying?] [Yao Yao: I'm too excited, I'm going to study right now!] A couple of seconds later, another message popped up. [Yao Yao: But my idol is alive, ahhhh!] [Yao Yao: I'm so happy, ahhhh!] Shaking her head, Li Li opened a forum post, deciding to let her roommate revel in her joy for a few more days. 【Li Baige! Is it what I think it is?!】 1st Post by the Host Ahhh is it you? Is it you, Cowlick Li! My dear! 2nd Post Get lost, don't you have your own favorite? Let me hug my Cowlick Li and husband Li Baige. Perfect one-man-one-wife system! 3rd Post Tears welled up the moment I saw the name. Little Corgi, your brother exists not just in your imagination; he's literally there helping you in reality! Indeed he came to save, seeing both Heige and Cowlick Li from the artist's short story! 4th Post Li hasn’t abandoned you all! ... 【I've totally grasped it; this ship is all about love-hate dynamics!】 1st Post by the Host Oh my god, Li Baige and Heige definitely have something going on! At the end of the Four-Way story, it was obvious Heige spared Little Corgi because of Li Baige! And thinking back to how Cowlick Li left at the very end of Desolate Dragon, wasn't he forced by Heige? Li Baige even wanted to kill Heige; isn't this the ultimate love-hate relationship? The player indulging the toy’s little whims, because he knows the toy is forever his. 2nd Post Ahhh it's so compelling! I need to read the author’s fanfics! ... 【Li Tao, what does the name Li Baige represent?】hot 1st Post by the Host It represents that his surname is Li, and he may have some connection to Heige. 2nd Post Now that's just stating the obvious. 3rd Post It represents that he is my idol, Cowlick Li! 4th Post It represents Yi Ming has a brother now! 5th Post It represents that Tang's promise can be fulfilled! 6th Post It represents happiness for Li's fans! ... 【Fan Creation: A solitary journey.】 1st Post by the Host First post dedicated to my idol. 2nd Post by the Host Sob, sob, your change is so drastic, I almost can't recognize you. What led you to become like this? I'm being torn apart, why do his eyes lack light? ooc warning, premise being that Cowlick Li left with heavy hearted reasons. ... 23rd Post I was initially overjoyed that my idol lived, but after reading this, I'm sobbing like a dog. Why do you have to torment me? Why! Is it Heige's fault, isn't it! He’s the one making my idol sad, right? He's the one forcing Li to leave, isn’t he! 24th Post Li's fans and Heige are irreconcilable! 25th Post My fragile husband, sighing woefully! ... Has Heige locked onto the villain script tightly? Li Li blinked and exited the post. Perhaps due to a lack of information currently provided in the manga, readers have unleashed their imaginations, forming all sorts of theories. While most assume Li Baige equals Li, some have different ideas. She proceeded to click on another hot topic and was surprised by its content, blinking in amazement. The idea from this host was intriguing! 【Slice? Experiment? Who did Heige really kill? Revisiting the surprise at Desolate Dragon's end! Analysis Post】hot 1st Post by the Host The latest episode had Little Corgi getting beaten up, Mo Mo's betrayal, and an ethical dilemma with only one surviving. Throughout the Four-Way City story, Little Corgi underwent growth. Post Desolate Dragon chapter, he learned resentment and dissatisfaction, recognizing his helplessness, teetering into a rabbit hole after Li’s death, futilely trying to save everyone. But in the Four-Way City, he got taught a lesson by Mo Mo: Kindness doesn’t guarantee equal respect. In his battles against powerful ability users for Mo Mo and You You, they might not have needed his help and would discard him without care if he were to be killed by 'Le Shan.' However, having realized all these, he still uttered: As long as you’re alright, it's okay. He still remained the kind-hearted, shedding corgi; He wouldn’t change because of Heige's words. Yi Ming is undoubtedly the light within Beyond Black and White. But those are side details. What shocked me most is the bounty hunter’s name. He’s called Li Baige! A name with no connection to Li or Heige would be unbelievable! Given the prior plot, Yi Ming found Li Baige familiar, the revelation is straightforward—our Cowlick Li! The host got too excited, previously thinking Li's death was abrupt, identity and background unrevealed, but there’s more storyline for him. Reviving popular characters after their supposed death in shounen manga is extremely common! Counting the instances Li Baige appeared in the Four-Way City: Meeting Yi Ming during Reunion Festival, just passing by. Blocking Heige’s lethal move for Yi Ming, with no face reveal. Finally, seemingly transforming into an elusive dove, no eye contact. Then comparing with Cowlick Li from Desolate Dragon chapter. [Li Baige's demeanor during the Reunion Festival.jpg] [First meeting with Yi Ming, being pulled away Li.jpg] [Agreeing to be family with Yi Ming.jpg] The host realized something off. Cowlick Li appeared more lively when with Yi Ming compared to Li Baige at the Reunion Festival, so Yi Ming’s feeling of it being an illusion is justified, this wasn’t our Li. The Cowlick Li we knew was cold-faced but soft inside, sassy, cheeky with Yi Ming, yearning for the light Yi Ming provided. Li Baige seemingly had no such awareness, as if he completely avoided contact with Yi Ming. His gaze was a stagnant pool, also resembling a fragile mirage. His eyes expressed a clear message: don’t come near me. So the host ponders, what happened? Why did our Cowlick Li turn out this way? 2nd Post Too much text, saving for later, but I agree with your point. 3rd Post Too long to read, sticking to the title specifically. During the Reunion Festival, I also guessed Li Baige was Cowlick Li, but him having no cowlick let me down. A cowlick-less Cowlick Li has no soul! So it’s indeed possible if we're talking about slicing or cloning. 4th Post Finished reading, only addressing the suspicion point. If Li Baige really is Cowlick Li, then what happened to make him this way? It feels like a foreshadowing. 5th Post Did the poster above forget Heige's existence? Little Corgi barely survived getting beaten by Heige. Cowlick Li, however, seems fragile. Moreover, given the current clues, Heige seems to enjoy grooming and shaping others. Continue, host, keep us updated. ... 142nd Post by the Host The host was initially confident, but suddenly isn't so sure. Would the cartoonist arrange Cowlick Li's return so simply? The host reviewed the manga scenes at the end of the Desolate Dragon chapter where Heige appeared, eventually discovering something peculiar. [Two silhouettes chasing through a corridor.jpg] Was Heige really chasing Li at that time? It’s known that Heige was wearing a trench coat, and the silhouette ahead seemed to have a coat as well. However, upon closer inspection, it appears more fitted to the legs than an open trench coat would be. [Qing Yuchen standing in the corridor.jpg] The host found an image of Qing Yuchen talking to Yi Ming, and the movement of Qing Yuchen's coat matched the silhouette exactly! It's highly likely Heige was chasing Qing Yuchen and not Li! Thus, we don't know what exactly happened between Heige and Cowlick Li at that moment. With Heige known to do things whimsically for amusement, such as tormenting Little Corgi. Additionally, Li Baige shows interest in Heige's bounty, saving Little Corgi even in front of Heige. Thus, the host proposes two theories. 1. Cowlick Li and Li Baige are two separate people, yet closely related. Heige killed Cowlick Li, which is why Li Baige harbors animosity towards Heige. 2. Cowlick Li and Li Baige are the same person. Heige, much like with Little Corgi, played a grooming game with him and deliberately isolated him socially. ... 231st Post Wow, if you think about it like that, Cowlick Li’s situation is way too tragic! If it's theory 1, then Cowlick Li's revival is merely a false alarm, and Li’s fans would go insane. If it's theory 2, then there will be never-ending conflict between Li’s fans and Heige’s fans. In summary, the blade aimed at Li is just as sharp! 232nd Post Can I just say, despite everything, theory 2 is quite riveting? ... This host is the first to suggest that Li is not Li Baige. Li Li read through the post with great interest and then shook her head in regret. Beyond this, there’s also fervent analysis on the forum comparing the power levels of Heige and Li Baige, or Yi Ming and Li Baige, among others. There are analyses of the final whereabouts of Chao Xi, Mo Mo, and You You, discussions of the methods Heige employed to ensure Mo Mo and You You’s survival, and even speculation on what the cartoonist might say in the upcoming interview. Then, there's some light-hearted content as well. 【Cowlick Li, where’s your cowlick gone? Did Heige pluck it?!】 1st Post by the Host with Doge and Rose emoji Despite losing the cowlick, he became stronger! [chibi Li looking adorable.jpg] [A gloved hand plucking the cowlick from his head.jpg] [pure black screen.jpg] [Cowlick Li transforming into Li Baige, yay.jpg] ... Li Li: Protecting her head. Thankfully, that tuft on her head was still there! It usually takes a day or two for fan creations to ferment, and those who can create content overnight are truly passionate. Li Li browsed for a while longer before exiting the forum—it was already past two. On a whim, she switched accounts and entered a chat group filled with major fan content creators. And there she found the fan creator in a frenzy. ... "I knew I wouldn't lose interest in this ship! My love is for my idol alone!" Jiang Lan said as she typed furiously, "The choker, the earrings, he never fails to hit all my kinks!" "What are you doing right now?" her best friend asked over voice call. "Why are you spamming 'ah' in the chat? It’s hurting my eyes!" "I'm creating content, I have to!" Jiang Lan yelled into the void. "This storyline is all about Heige wanting control over Li, deciding for him to leave. And Li abandoning weakness, trying to escape his control! I’ve already written thirty thousand words in my head, let me spill it out!" Half an hour later, the fan creators' album increased by three images. Minutes later, chat members began to appear. [Li Li: Liked the post.] "My goddess thinks it’s great!" Jiang Lan happily slid off her chair, leaving just a hand reaching straight for the ceiling. "My ship is real!" Her best friend sighed. "You’re hopeless, but the content is delicious, how about some more?" ... On the update day, the forum gradually settled into a consensus. Most comic readers believe Li Baige is indeed Li, though a minority suggests the Black and White universe could include artificial humans or clones. Even fewer propose more interesting theories, such as Li and Li Baige having a split personality. At midnight, as the system announced its presence, Li Li put down her phone and closed her eyes. [Preparing for transmigration.] [Passage opened; may you become a popular character and bring new vibrancy to the comic.] ... ‘Twins’ Research Institute was located in a remote suburb of Four-Way City, a place often visited by unknown individuals, causing occasional disturbances. Additionally, due to the poor relationship between Le Shan and Yue Qing, they would avoid contact unless necessary. The Yue family's aristocrats hadn’t received any reports even the day after Heige visited the 'Twins'. Once she confirmed this, Li Li transformed into Heige's appearance, swapping her black trench coat for a navy hoodie, and changed the silver-edged mask into sunglasses, visiting this underground base once again in the night. Under the sunglasses, a red scar at the corner of her left eye was yet to heal. Li Li substituted the real damage Dan left with an illusion after her ability leveled up, but she hadn’t used her ability to erase the scar when she was still at C rank. She found it quite symbolic and thought it looked more like red eyeliner from a distance, adding a bit of a wild charm without compromising her style. 'Cube', which she initially blasted open with her ability, leaving an open-air cavity, had since been patched up. Thus, the exterior ground gave no signs of the tumult inside. She was only involved in the initial confrontation and door-kicking; what occurred afterward wasn't her concern. However, according to the comic's narrative, Mo Mo and You You returned to Tides, and 'Twins' should be safeguarded by Tides like before. This time, she came to see the people from Four-Way City's Tides branch. Li Li had mentioned she wanted to utilize these two organizations. Though she didn't intend to be an actual 'leader', she wasn't entirely dodging them either. The earth wall opened its door to her, and Li Li adjusted her sunglasses, stepping inside. The 'Cube' was without electricity, further supporting Li Li's assumption that Tides' people had visited. It was pitch black, and Li Li deliberately tread lightly. This darkness was eerily silent. A smile played on Li Li's lips, almost as if it was glued to her face. She moved through the box, seemingly the only one in the empty space. As she reached the center of the room, her foot landed on something, producing a soft cracking sound. In that instant— "Bam!" In the darkness, a flame suddenly ignited. A weapon! The bullet came almost instantaneously in the dark, and Li Li heard the sound of wind breaking. The Illusory Reality ability activated, illusion latching onto the bullet. It was about to vanish within the illusion. Yet as illusion covered the bullet, an unexpected situation arose. The illusion did not transform into reality! Maintaining her smile, she still located the bullet’s trajectory. She slightly tilted her head, allowing the bullet to whiz past her cheek, striking the wall behind with a burst of sparks. "Thump!" The trial ended abruptly, and both sides paused briefly in tacit understanding. A B rank? Or higher? Li Li pondered. This greeting was anything but amusing. The next moment, they moved. Her ability continued, rendering her invisible in the darkness. The opponent's location was as clear as a beacon. "Bang Bang Bang!" The bullets rained, targeting the source of the previous sound. The Illusory Reality ability, requiring a 5% chance for actions on the same level or above, meant any attack conjured through illusion would be ineffective if denied by the opponent. However, it only needed certainty in parts they had to make contact with! The darkness, like a giant whirlpool, engulfed her in the next second. She vanished entirely from the enemy’s sight. The bullets struck the wall, igniting a temporary light in the darkness. Where a person should stand in the room’s center, now engulfed in shadows, no silhouette remained. The next moment a snap echoed, as a flashlight’s beam unexpectedly appeared in the air. Like stage lighting on a ceiling, it illuminated the figure below. In the vast, empty box, a masked figure in white robes looked up towards the new ceiling light. And just then... “Good evening.” The voice of a young man with black hair sounded from behind the person in white robes. In an instant, the person in white turned and forcefully leaped back, deftly gaining distance. Simultaneously, twenty rifles appeared in front of the person in white, launching an attack toward the young man before he even had a chance to look up. “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Firelight and the smell of gunpowder filled the air, illusions shattering amidst the smoke and flickering like a dimming bulb or a wavering reflection on water. In the next moment, the person in white looked up, capturing the final moment as the illusion faded away. The bullets cascaded against the rear wall, causing it to collapse in a cloud of dust. Clean and efficient, much like the work of the most dedicated assassin. The flashlight’s beam dimmed temporarily, and Li Li, hidden in the darkness, felt slightly challenged. If her opponent refused to observe, refused to interact, acting as an emotionless assassin, the likelihood of her attack succeeding would be greatly reduced. The issue lay in her lack of understanding of the opponent's stance, preventing her from immediately determining the role she should perform. Yet, Li Li sensed without a doubt that the opponent was definitely targeting her. So, she continued to test the waters. The flashlight reignited, exposing the whereabouts of the person in the white robes to Li Li in the darkness. Navigating the darkness was second nature to her. The person in white turned defensively, yet the illusion trailed them closely. “Are you looking for me?” The voice echoed once more, and the person in white didn't turn around, instead raising twenty rifles to fire in unison. Again, the gunfire illuminated half the room, and Li Li suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Suddenly, she recalled a particular image. A phantom appeared out of nowhere in front of the person in white—a black-haired young man adjusting his sunglasses with one hand and holding a rifle in the other. He then pulled the trigger. “Bang!” As the bullet exited the rifle chamber, rifles appeared before the person in white, bullets firing, and the two met mid-air— Then collided together. The phantom's attack was effective! In the darkness, Li Li’s lips curved into a slow smile. She knew exactly what to do. Author's Note: Quick heads-up! Forum analyses do not determine future plot developments! Ahhh, thank you, supporters! I’m thrilled, but just one supporter equals two updates—not one! So, two supporters equal four additional updates. With well-reasoned comments, the update count ramps up, now totalling 20. Too many, really—it's overwhelming, truly neverending QAQ (Considering closing additional updates for now, as it’s really too overwhelming and impossible to catch up.) Today’s usual updates cover yesterday’s, makeup for the break, not counting as extra updates. Tomorrow, let’s see how it goes. I'll strive to meet the expectations. Additionally, I want to address something—I really enjoy fans’ extended settings or writing fanfic and fun content. I love it, but I'm not fond of writing guidance, especially unsolicited write-for-you guidance. Guessing what the plot might be is totally fine. I wholeheartedly welcome that. Fanfiction can be written however desired, and discussing possible events is completely okay. I love to read those discussions. Although Jinjiang doesn’t show likes, I’ll quietly give thumbs-ups. But please refrain from speculating on future plotlines and then saying, "I don't like this, author, don’t write it this way." That’s because I might not have intended to write it that way in the first place, and revealing this kind of comment is quite disconcerting. I’ve long included in the synopsis that I’m not fond of writing guidance. I’m not an exceptionally skilled master; I don’t aim to write grand epics. I just want to express my own ideas and finish this book well. Thank you very much for cherishing my narrative; however, my personal capabilities are limited, and I may not fulfill every reader’s preferences. If there’s something you don’t like, feel free to put it aside or leave it without needing to specify in comments. I apologize. In any case, thank you to all the angels who subscribe and accompany me, mwah!