Author: Kinky

Criminal Psychology Ch204

Kinky4 Comments

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 204

When they walked out of the cabin, it was raining heavily outside in Hongjing.

It wasn’t the usual light rain in the city, but a torrential downpour. It seemed to have started after they landed and showed no signs of stopping.

Lin Chen took a deep breath of the damp air mixed with the scent of airport fuel and earth, which still felt comforting to him.

Xing Conglian held his hand, and they looked at each other, unable to express the thousand words they felt.

Wang Chao stumbled and collided with their shoulders. Xing Conglian turned around and caught him. The young man was so exhausted that he looked like he could sleep through the whole planet’s destruction if given a bed.

Xing Conglian pinched Wang Chao’s nose and ears repeatedly for a while, but eventually gave up and carried him on his back towards the exit.

After passing through the immigration checkpoint, Lin Chen noticed that Xing Conglian had pressed the button for the parking lot on the minus one floor.

“Are we going home first?” Lin Chen asked.

Xing Conglian turned his head and glanced at him, smiling. “Are you trying to test me, Mr. Lin?”

Lin Chen didn’t know how Xing Conglian suddenly became a psychologist, but under his gaze, he felt a sense of guilt. “No one has lived at home for so long, so why not go to a hotel first?”

He deliberately raised his tone at the end, but all he got was a faint “Hmm?” from Xing Conglian.

Xing Conglian had an expression of “tell me the truth”, so Lin Chen had no choice but to hold his hand and say, “I don’t want to go to the hospital. I have some psychological trauma.”

“That’s perfect,” Xing Conglian said seriously. “Mr. Lin can use his expertise and do some treatment…like the desensitization therapy?”

“Why are you so difficult to deal with? No wonder I had such a hard time chasing you,” Lin Chen joked.

Xing Conglian laughed out loud. They got off the elevator, and Wang Chao hiccupped on his back.

“You can also find something to do that makes me unhappy, and I’d be more than happy to back you up,” Xing Conglian said.

Lin Chen thought this was a really good idea. He stopped the person and reached into their pocket. Of course, when his hand reached down, Xing Conglian’s face had a moment of subtlety. Lin Chen coughed lightly, took his hand out, and in his hand was Xing Conglian’s work phone, not the one used in Dana.

Xing Conglian’s face immediately looked unpleasant. “Consultant Lin, we don’t have to go to the hospital.”

But before he finished speaking, Lin Chen had already turned on the phone. Xing Conglian showed an unusually ashen expression.

At the moment they entered the parking lot, Xing Conglian’s phone immediately started ringing continuously, and the message tone continued to ring like it would never stop until they reached Xing Conglian’s Jeep. Lin Chen glanced apologetically at Xing Conglian and then realized that the Jeep was the one parked at the Yongchuan subway station. It was unclear why it was now in the underground parking lot of the Hongjing Airport.

Xing Conglian opened the car door, threw Wang Chao into the back seat, and the teenager turned around as if he had found a comfortable place to lie down and began to snore.

“You had someone bring the car back?” Lin Chen asked.

“Yes.” Xing Conglian didn’t immediately sit in the driver’s seat but leaned against the car door and looked at his phone.

“After flying on a plane, you still have to drive home yourself. Don’t you feel tired?” Lin Chen opened the passenger door and fastened his seat belt.

“It’s tiring, but there are important things in the car that can’t be left elsewhere.”

Lin Chen didn’t know what he meant by “important things”, but he remembered the dozens of diamond VIP cards that Captain Xing took out of the trunk, so he decided to keep quiet.

Lin Chen sat in the car for a while and found that Xing Conglian hadn’t entered the car yet.

He didn’t know what Xing Conglian saw on his phone, but after a long time, he finally opened the car door and sat in it. He rested his hand on the gear lever and didn’t move for a long time.

Lin Chen looked up and saw that Xing Conglian’s expression was gloomy. There were probably some not-so-good things in the text messages he received just now.

“What happened?”

“Consultant Lin…” Xing Conglian handed him the phone, which showed the usual briefings from the police station.

——At 10:07 a.m. on June 10th, the identity of the unnamed male body stabbed to death in Hongjing Amusement Park has been confirmed. The deceased is Dr. Tan Kang, the senior president of the R&D department of Zhourui Pharmaceutical…

In the dim space of the car, the phone screen glowed with a faint white light. When he saw the words “Zhourui Pharmaceutical” and “Tan Kang”, he thought it was an illusion caused by the long flight and thinking about the case day and night, but it was obviously not the case. As the key R&D personnel and insider of the Zhourui Pharmaceutical case, Tan Kang was stabbed to death by someone before their plane landed.

Lin Chen’s mind turned over countless speculations, but in the end, he could only say, “They move quickly.”

He glanced at the clock on the car and saw that it was exactly 1:00 p.m. in the afternoon. He was afraid that the police officers investigating the scene hadn’t left yet, so he asked Xing Conglian, “Shall we go and take a look?”

Before Xing Conglian’s gaze swept over, he added in advance, “I’ve recovered from my fever. It should be fine to stay there for a while.”

Seeing that he insisted, Xing Conglian nodded reluctantly and said, “Okay.”

……

Outside the window was the familiar scenery of Hongjing’s streets. Lin Chen leaned against the front passenger seat.

They had only been gone for less than half a month, and the students had not yet started their vacation. There was no change in the surroundings; not even in the configuration and speed of their journey to the scene of the crime.

Wang Chao turned over again in the back seat. Perhaps because he was starving or perhaps because he felt the familiar atmosphere, the teenager suddenly opened his eyes. Hearing the rustling sound coming from the back seat, Lin Chen turned his head and saw Wang Chao taking out a half-opened package of Pocky from the car door storage box and started to eat without hesitation.

Those were the snacks that the teenager had left in the car half a month ago.

Lin Chen couldn’t help but speak up. “It’s been stored for too long. Don’t eat it now. I’ll buy you some when we get out of the car.”

Wang Chao was still in a half-dream state, mechanically nodding his head but still stuffed the snack into his mouth.

“Just eat it. It’s all preservatives. It won’t go bad, and it won’t kill you,” Xing Conglian said indifferently.

“Wait, where are we going?” Suddenly realizing something important, Wang Chao woke up abruptly and asked, “Are you kidding me? We just came back from such a scary place. Don’t we need to take a break for ten or twenty days before starting work again?”

Xing Conglian withdrew his gaze from looking at Comrade Wang Chao in the rearview mirror and asked, “What does he mean?”

“Maybe he’s been spending too much money on in-game purchases lately, so he wants to scam overtime pay,” Lin Chen replied.

Wang Chao shouted, “A’Chen Gege, you can’t do this to me. Are we still good friends?”

Xing Conglian pretended to suddenly realize, “What should we do?”

Lin Chen pretended not to hear Wang Chao’s protest and said, “There’s no other way. If he doesn’t want to go, just forget it. Let’s get out of the car now?”

They were driving on the elevated highway, and Wang Chao looked outside in horror, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and complained, “A’ChenGege, when did you become like this?”

“Comrade Xiao Wang…” Xing Conglian dragged on, “Why don’t you understand yet?”

“Understand what?”

Xing Conglian spoke in the tone of a sociologist. “When a person’s identity changes, his behavior and way of doing things will also change accordingly.”

“What’s different about my A’Chen Gege?” Wang Chao was very confused.

Lin Chen had already guessed what Xing Conglian was going to say and couldn’t help but shake his head.

But Xing Conglian still smiled and said, “Your A’Chen Gege is now the head of the family, so we have to listen to him, understand?”

……

On the way from the highway to the amusement park, Wang Chao kept studying the term “head of the family”.

The teenager’s face was mixed with various expressions such as “flattering”, “admiration”, “speechless”, and “flunky”, and kept changing. Just before they arrived at the scene, Wang Chao stopped him and asked a very important question, “A’Chen Gege, if I want to call you Boss from now on, do I have to call Captain Xing sister-in-law?”

In any case, this question received a warning from Captain Xing himself in the form of a knock on the head.

Lin Chen was very clear that Xing Conglian brought up the topic of the head of the family just to make Wang Chao not too depressed.

The rain was still falling. Xing Conglian tilted the umbrella towards him, and Lin Chen looked ahead.

In front of him was a familiar, bright yellow warning sign. They were standing outside the waterside gallery where the victim’s body had been taken away. The scene-of-crime officers were hiding under the eaves, looking up at the clean crime scene washed by the rain with a sigh.

The ground markings were washed away very lightly, and the direction and position where the victim fell could be vaguely seen. There was no trace of blood on the small path paved with square bricks. The heavy rain was probably the best way to wash away the evidence.

They stood outside the crime scene for a while, finally catching the attention of the police officers under the eaves.

Two pairs of eyes swept over, and at first, the two officers just stared at them. Suddenly, a shout pierced through the rain curtain.

The voice grew louder and louder, and several people rushed towards them. Lin Chen thought they still underestimated the sudden appearance of horror.

In such a short time, Comrade Zhang Xiaolong had already rushed to their side.

What surprised Lin Chen was that the policewoman didn’t look at Xing Conglian but instead dreamily touched his shoulder with tears in her eyes and her voice trembling. “Lin… Consultant Lin… You’re still alive. That’s great!”

“Thanks to Captain Xing’s help, I’m still alive,” Lin Chen replied.

“You’re welcome.” Xing Conglian nodded in acknowledgment.

Perhaps because the umbrella covered Xing Conglian’s face earlier, Zhang Xiaolong didn’t even realize someone was standing next to her. She was completely absorbed in her own excitement. “It’s good that you’re back… It’s good that you’re back… Just like last time, why do you always encounter these kinds of situations?!” But before she finished her sentence, she seemed to sense something and looked towards his side in disbelief.

“Captain…Captain Xing!”

Captain Xing raised an eyebrow. “Yes, it’s me.”

“You’re back?!” Zhang Xiaolong was even more incredulous.

“Don’t you see that?” Captain Xing said.

“You saved Consultant Lin?”

Xing Conglian was very satisfied with the policewoman’s insight and proudly said, “Isn’t it obvious?”

Zhang Xiaolong’s face turned red. It seemed like if Xing Conglian continued speaking, she would get too excited and faint.

Their colleagues arrived one after another, and they chatted for a while before Lin Chen interrupted and turned his gaze towards the crime scene, asking, “What happened?”

Zhang Xiaolong had grown a lot and quickly took out her notebook from her pocket and got into work mode.

“The victim’s name is…”

Xing Conglian interrupted her. “It’s in the briefing you gave me. Let’s briefly talk about the situation at the time of the crime.”

“This is a vicious murder that took place in a crowded area. According to eyewitnesses, the footbridge was packed with tourists who were going to watch the water magic show. The victim was walking in the opposite direction, from south to north, on the footbridge. After walking less than 10 meters, the victim suddenly fell down. A man holding a child was the first to notice the victim’s abnormality and called on the surrounding crowd to avoid trampling. At first, they thought it was an acute heart attack, but then they saw a large amount of blood flowing out of the victim’s chest…” The female officer spoke softly, and Lin Chen looked towards the water. Even in the rain, he could feel the screams that erupted from the dark footbridge when blood seeped out.

Zhang Xiaolong tapped her ballpoint pen twice and handed her notebook to Xing Conglian. “This is the forensic report from the crime scene.”

[Puncture wound under the third rib on the left side. The wound is about 2.5 cm long. The victim’s heart ruptured, and he died on the spot.]

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Evil As Humans Ch135

Kinky9 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 135: Transformation

The morgue remained a void, with no visual, auditory, olfactory, or gustatory sensations.

Outside, people hadn’t left yet, so Zhong Chengshuo was dutifully playing the part of a corpse.

The slight vibration gradually faded away and ended with a dull thud of the heavy door closing. Then there were the clicks and clacks of mechanical locks, which Zhong Chengshuo could “feel” more vividly than before.

His senses were becoming sharper. If the previous touch was like a screen covered in dirt and fingerprints, someone had now wiped away all that grime, and everything he felt was fresh and new.

…A familiar yet strange feeling.

He narrowly escaped being gutted, and excitement and fear mingled as Zhong Chengshuo’s muscles trembled slightly.

He could finally think somewhat calmly.

The liquid on his body was slightly sticky, and the feeling was quite familiar. It was a high-end preservative solution that he often used. It could preserve cell activity to a certain extent and delay the decay of organisms. However, this solution had a shelf life, and to ensure the best preservation effect, it needed maintenance every 24 hours.

The people who came were here to “maintain” him. “No need for dissection at the moment” probably meant that his body was still relatively fresh and didn’t require special organ separation and preservation.

It seemed that this institution valued his flesh.

Sunken Society.

In an instant, Zhong Chengshuo came to a conclusion—Wei Huaqian was his blood relative. For cultivators, a blood relative’s corpse was excellent material for sacrifice.

As for whether the deceased was a science post in life, that was irrelevant—whether one was a cultivator or a scientist, once they died, the body they left behind was nothing but a “dead object”.

But Sunken Society didn’t have the ability to invade the Fu residence and commit murder on the spot. The attacker was likely a third party, and Zhong Chengshuo’s body had been handed over to Sunken Society.

Now there was a big knife hanging over his head—Zhong Chengshuo couldn’t say for sure when Wei Huaqian would use him for sacrifice. He needed to escape before the worst happened.

Before he escaped, there was one thing he needed to confirm.

Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t sure if he was dead or not, and he didn’t know if he would slowly rot away in this posture. Even zombies needed to ensure that their heads were intact. His situation was unprecedented, and he must be cautious.

He tried again to focus and strengthen his other senses. In the cold, empty morgue, all the sensations from his memories seemed distant and blurry. Only one thing remained clear in his chaotic memories—

It was warm, soft, and emanated the scent of Yin Ren.

Suddenly, the fear of “not being able to escape” amplified once again. Zhong Chengshuo trembled all over, and his body and senses were like a car with faulty brakes, becoming increasingly difficult to control.

He had a clear feeling that the emotion called “fear” was slowly seeping into him, bringing about various unknown changes. He had no idea what he would become, or how this would end.

However, there were two things that he could be clear about at the moment.

First, fear had its benefits for him.

Second, as the person just said, his nerves still had activity. Through his own verification, he could obtain some sensory functions through his incomplete physical body.

So “recovery” became simple.

If he had no clothes, he could steal them. If he had no weapon, he could steal one.

If he had no head, perhaps he could still steal one!

But before the time came… Patience. He must be patient.

Zhong Chengshuo endured the fear like being bitten by insects and ants, continued to turn over, and felt and adapted to this new state.

……

Shian Campus, Haigu, interrogation room.

The small room was locked, and all the devices were shut down. Thanks to the layers of magic defenses around it, it became an absolute island and one of the “most confidential” places in Shian.

This time, Fu Xingchuan sat on the side being interrogated. Professor Li sat behind the one-way glass; his face was frighteningly pale.

“You’re crazy,” Li Nian said.

“You just threw the big trouble of Xiang Jiang to me, and you think it’s not chaotic enough? Do you want to let Yin Ren continue to cause trouble? …Or is it that when you confirmed that he was the Great Master Zhong Yi, everyone in your Fu family planned to worship him as an ancestor?”

His hands clenched tightly on the interrogation table, and there was a faint green and black color in his eyes.

“Because the mortal he liked died, he will use Shian as a tool for revenge, and won’t listen to any objections—this is the evil you contracted, Fu Xingchuan. I’ve told you many times that you can’t gamble with ‘human nature’.”

No matter how good a person was, they would inevitably lose their reason when they were passionate. But for Yin Ren, no one could bear the consequences of his loss of control.

Fu Xingchuan took a sip of his latte and listened to the soothing music, playing with the tip of the potted plant’s leaves.

“Lao Li, take a breath,” he comforted. “Being too excited is not good for your health.”

“Fu Xingchuan—” Professor Li gritted his teeth.

“I know what you’re thinking. You think that the most urgent task is to figure out the type of evil Yin Ren is, grasp his weaknesses, so that Shian won’t be at the mercy of others.”

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes, I am no longer the head of the Emergency Management Department. I don’t want to use my brain to think about these things—ah, don’t smash the window. I’m kidding!”

Fu Xingchuan saw the one-way glass tremble and almost explode.

“Okay, okay, let me be serious. His plan is beneficial to Shian. Obstructing him will only make things twice as difficult!”

Fu Xingchuan sighed and looked at his reflection in the one-way glass. In the dim light, he seemed to have returned to that collective ward.

At that time, Yin Ren let the evil qi wrap around him, standing in the middle of the ward.

Yin Ren had extraordinary and eerie features. He was usually easygoing and had a gentle smile on his face. After getting used to it, it was easy to overlook the sharpness in his brows and eyes.

When this person shed that gentle outer layer, no one would think of him as a “normal person”.

Even Lu Xiaohe noticed something was off this time. The killing intent was so thick that it was almost tangible. Except for the immune Zhong Chengshuo, almost all living creatures could sense Yin Ren’s strength. Even the mosquitoes flying around made an emergency stop and flew straight out of the ward.

“This is a missing person case, and Special Investigation Unit 9 has always been good at tracking missing people, right?”

Lu Xiaohe didn’t move, perhaps out of shock or fear, while Ge Tingting, as a former “missing person”, was completely dumbfounded. Only “Missing Person No. 2” Huang Jin was forced to speak out by his desperate survival instinct.

“What do you mean?” Huang Jin’s voice was extremely dry. “You want us to investigate…the case Zhong Chengshuo mentioned? You… ahem, you’re giving us too much credit.”

In the face of such a bizarre attack, Shian would definitely send out strong personnel to investigate in detail. No matter how they looked at it, there would be no room for a C-level investigation team to get involved. Even Ge Tingting, who had just joined, understood that.

Furthermore, for C-level investigation teams, this unknown enemy was too powerful. Huang Jin was very visibly shaken, perhaps thinking of the scene where Zhong Chengshuo was easily shot to death.

“I just want this case. It doesn’t matter if you are credited or not,” Yin Ren responded casually.

Fu Xingchuan naturally heard the underlying message. With a regular mission, Yin Ren could legitimately use Shian’s resources.

“The key is that I know everything about you. Lu Xiaohe, as the most senior member, has only been in Shian for two years. You all have a clean background and aren’t very loyal to Shian. That’s the best way.”

Yin Ren’s words were surprisingly blunt.

Huang Jin immediately looked at Fu Xingchuan, who saw deep doubts and fears in the young man’s eyes—how could he say such things directly?

Comrade Fu Xingchuan stuck his two fingers in his ears and focused on observing the chandelier in the ward.

“…It’s not easy to investigate with only one person.” After a moment of silence, Lu Xiaohe spoke in a hoarse voice.

“I can assist as the rear commander for the investigation.”

“Huh? Lu Xiaohe?!” Huang Jin exclaimed.

“You must have some feelings if you haven’t immediately applied for a transfer. In the face of that attacker, Shian cannot protect us. This is not a problem that can be solved by not participating in the investigation or switching teams.”

Huang Jin clicked his tongue, looking away in embarrassment without answering.

“Zhong Chengshuo was a newcomer like us, but he was killed just like that, and we don’t even know why. What if that guy was trying to create a terror attack—who can guarantee that we’re not next? Rather than passively waiting to die, I’d rather explore and then die.”

Lu Xiaohe clenched the sheet in the ward. Her hair was messy, and she looked a little haggard.

“Yin Ren seems to be quite formidable…an evil? A person? This is a good opportunity. Maybe we’ll make a big discovery.”

“I want to participate too.” Ge Tingting typed one letter at a time.

“I’m sad that someone I know was killed.”

Huang Jin’s expression twisted for a while, and after about five minutes, he slapped his face and sighed heavily. “Okay, anyway…”

He stole a glance at Yin Ren.

“Anyway, if this path doesn’t work, it’s useless for me to switch teams.” As he said this, he glanced in the direction of the headquarters of Shian, as if he were looking at someone in the distance.

Faced with the support of his colleagues, Yin Ren just nodded lightly.

Fu Xingchuan withdrew his gaze from the chandelier and looked at Yin Ren. Knowing him well, Fu Xingchuan thought Yin Ren would show some emotion at this moment. However…

“I understand.”

Yin Ren didn’t show a soft expression, he just stood there. Wrapped tightly in the evil qi, he was like an overly exquisite statue.

“If I can find him smoothly, I will give you a reward.”

Huang Jin smiled bitterly. “At this point, whether there’s a reward or not, it doesn’t matter…”

“Each of you can make a wish. Anything is fine as long as it doesn’t involve bringing the dead back to life,” Yin Ren said softly.

The evil qi around him suddenly tightened, and Fu Xingchuan’s heart trembled. Yin Ren’s aura had undergone subtle changes—this evil was like a ferocious beast that had just exposed its paw pads before. At this moment, that person had completely revealed his bloody claws and fangs.

At that moment, on a certain street.

With a cigarette in his mouth, Qiu Fang was walking in the most chaotic area of Haigu. He hummed a song and looked at the passing crowd in a good mood. However, in that instant, for some reason, he shuddered.

“This aura… is strange.”

He extinguished the cigarette butt and looked towards Haigu Municipal Hospital.

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The new era of borrowing heads for King Yama.

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Evil As Humans Ch134

Kinky5 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 134: The Missing Person Case

The Fu Residence, Ancestral Hall.

Fu Wuya swayed the willow branches listlessly. He didn’t even feel like watching TV. According to the usual practice, he had sheltered a bunch of people before and needed to rest to recover his strength. But now, even the Fu family’s ancestor dared not rest and completely ignored the rule of “ignoring outside affairs”.

At Fu Wuya’s strong request, The Fu family equipped him with a complete set of instant communication devices.

Professional personnel came and went, covering Fu Wuya with all kinds of obstructions for a week to ensure both his psychological and physical health. The strong human presence made him uncomfortable, and even the willow branches were withered.

There was no choice. Zhong Yi had run outside. If he did not clarify the whole story of the event, Fu Wuya would not be able to sleep.

For the Fu Family, which was full of loyal believers of the “Great Celestial Master”, Fu Wuya kept this secret that no one knew how to describe. Fortunately, there was still Fu Xingchuan outside, so the old ancestor didn’t have to bear the outrageous reality alone.

At this moment, the broadcast screen stopped at the Haigu Municipal Hospital.

The screen showed the emergency ward of Unit Nine, with exactly five hospital beds. Two of the beds were empty, and the sheets were tucked into the mattress, flat and smooth without any wrinkles.

Ge Tingting and Lu Xiaohe were arranged on the side close to the window, with nameplates on the head of the bed. The two girls had lost their usual vitality and looked like two stiff mannequins. Huang Jin’s bed was on the other side of the ward—he sat cross-legged at the head of the bed with a gloomy face, playing with a carving knife non-stop.

On the screen, Yin Ren was wearing a high-necked white line shirt with a suitcase by his side.

He sat quietly next to one of the empty beds, looking like he was about to move in.

“I received the post-mortem email from Zhong Chengshuo, and I saw the addresses he copied. You all received it too,” Yin Ren said.

His tone was so calm that it was a bit scary. However, his face was almost integrated with the white shirt, and there was a hint of redness in the corners of his eyes, indicating that he was not as indifferent as he sounded.

Yin Ren rarely wore such bright colors as white. At the moment, he was wearing the same shirt as Zhong Chengshuo. His hair was loosely tied, and there was a strange sense of oppression.

Fu Xingchuan, the carrier of Fu Wuya’s vision, nodded and looked straight into the camera. “We have all received it, and I have asked Li Nian. The situation is special now, and we will cooperate with Zhong Chengshuo’s wishes and not notify his parents for the time being. However…”

“There is no ‘however’,” Yin Ren said. “If you are worried about not being able to hide the problem…”

He waved his left hand, and the air distorted for a moment.

“Zhong Chengshuo” appeared in the ward out of nowhere. He was wearing the same high-necked white shirt as Yin Ren, with dark eyes like two deep wells. His slightly long bangs hung over his glasses, and every detail, from the brand carved on the frame to the sneakers he was wearing, was extremely vivid.

These days, the memories of the past few months have chewed repeatedly on Yin Ren. And they were like a carving knife, sharpening those subtle details.

A lifelike illusion.

“’We’ will always be together, going back to accompany the elders until the end. As for all those messy procedures of yours, do as you please. Zhong Chengshuo has written everything in the email. He understands this better than me.”

Yin Ren didn’t look at the phantom of Zhong Chengshuo. He slowly withdrew his hand, allowing that familiar shadow to instantly dissipate.

“You’re still staying in Shian?” Huang Jin muttered.

“Mhm. He’s not here, and I have no concept of dealing with electronic data and such. I need assistance. Whether it’s a targeted attack or a random one, I will bring him back.”

Yin Ren raised his gaze, which appeared slightly dimmer than it had been in the past.

“As for the person who made the move, they must disappear completely.”

Faced with these outrageous statements, Fu Xingchuan coughed twice and didn’t say anything. He was now just an innocent and injured lower-level combat advisor, and it made no sense to pay attention to the “outrageous remarks” of a senior employee.

Moreover, the real reason why Yin Ren stayed in Shian was tacitly understood between the former Great Celestial Master and the Fu family.

[Fu Xingchuan, do you know about “The Other Side”?]

Yin Ren asked this after his “processing meeting”.

Phenomenon A-A1, “The Other Side”. Shian’s high-level executives tended to call it “The Other Side.” Currently, it had been confirmed that Phenomenon C-B4 “Gap”, Phenomenon A-D512 “Archive”, Phenomenon A-A2 “Divine Descent”, as well as hundreds of anomalies large and small, were all related to “The Other Side”.

Both in the metaphysical and scientific world, the understanding of “The Other Side” was even less than that of black holes. Only those with the ability of a Charon could truly come into contact with “The Other Side”, so the research they could do was extremely limited.

Why did “The Other Side” exist, whether there was real life within it, and what kind of impact it had on this world were all unknown mysteries. For some reason, research in this direction always seemed to be difficult to make progress.

These should have been Shian’s top secrets.

…But Zhong Chengshuo was able to learn about the existence of “The Other Side” through his own efforts.

And now, the culprit was precisely using methods related to the “Gap” to move and attack, which was inseparable to “The Other Side”. Regardless of whether Shian cared about Zhong Chengshuo personally, they must investigate his “missing person case” thoroughly.

After understanding all of this, Yin Ren only left behind a few words.

[Shian has always given us interesting tasks, but this time I want to propose a task myself. His case is mine… Whether the attacker is on this side or the other, I will kill him.]

“Since everyone is here, I’ll be straightforward.”

Yin Ren stood still, with a surging and majestic evil qi constantly flowing around him. It was like a semi-transparent giant snake that kept circling around his body. This was Shian’s territory, and countless aura monitors surrounded Yin Ren, but none of them sounded any alarms.

“This is a missing person case, and Special Investigation Unit 9 has always been good at tracking missing people, right?”

……

At the same time, the missing person struggled to turn over underground.

The good news was that Zhong Chengshuo had learned how to turn over without a head. The bad news was that there was no sign of his head growing back. The ruptured wound was still open, without even a hint of new flesh growing.

That strange and unfamiliar emotion constantly enveloped Zhong Chengshuo.

His thoughts seemed to be out of his control, constantly sliding in a negative direction. Zhong Chengshuo tried to concentrate on his thoughts, but the annoying emotion kept disturbing him and hitting the pause button on his thinking.

Is this “fear”?

If he was provoked like this, would that person lose control? If the Evil Spirit Yin Ren were to appear, would Haigu already have disappeared in a mushroom-shaped cloud?

It was too scary.

But when he turned over, he thought again that maybe he wasn’t that important.

Yin Ren had lived for fourteen hundred years…three hundred and sixty years…no, a hundred and eighty years. He and that person had only spent a few months together, and he was at most like a stone that fell into a surging river, causing only a small splash. Perhaps that person could soon emerge from the shadows, move to the Fu residence, and continue to live comfortably.

This possibility was better, but Zhong Chengshuo tasted another kind of vague fear.

He didn’t want to be forgotten by that person.

Fear was like the surrounding low temperature, making his thinking slow and his joints stiff. Zhong Chengshuo could only slowly adapt to this new feeling. Although it was only a new emotion, it made him feel itchy and uncomfortable all over, like being pricked by needles.

His body didn’t respond well, but unfortunately, he couldn’t determine if it was the side effect of “fear”, or the natural reaction brought by “death”.

Unable to think smoothly, Zhong Chengshuo could only turn his body over and try to keep it flexible.

Keeping active was always a good thing, but unfortunately, the space here was too small to do push-ups.

Crack.

Just as Zhong Chengshuo was trying to develop a new way of exercising, a slight vibration came from the metal door.

Zhong Chengshuo’s hand slipped, almost causing him to fall onto the metal wall, but he managed to barely hold on. He had to admit that it was difficult to maintain his balance without a head.

He straightened his legs, positioned his arms, and resumed the appearance of a corpse.

There was a faint tremble… Footsteps were getting closer. The metal door above his neck suddenly shook, and the metal compartment was pulled out entirely. A gust of air brushed past his chest, but fortunately, the compartment was cold enough that it didn’t give him goosebumps.

The air was trembling, and the person approaching seemed to be saying something. Something cold and damp kept wiping his body, and he tried his best not to tense his muscles. He wasn’t sure if continuing to play dead was a good idea—if these people decided to dissect and store him, there would truly be no hope for him.

He needed to know what the person was saying, but he had no ears.

If only he could grow organs on his body like Yin Ren, it would be great. Zhong Chengshuo suddenly had an idea. He used all his strength to imagine what he would look like with ears growing on the back of his head.

The only result was that he almost choked, and his skin twitched, but his body didn’t change at all.

What should he do?

If this had happened earlier, he might have chosen to accept his fate calmly. But now, the fear seized him again, regardless of the situation.

Will the bone saw or dissecting knife be the next thing coming at him?

… If he couldn’t grow organs, he could only rely on identifying the vibrations in the air. He had no head, so he wasn’t sure if bone conduction would still work, but this was his last hope.

In the face of the unknown fear, Zhong Chengshuo forced himself to keep calculating.

Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate.

Surprisingly, the fear turned into an adrenaline rush. He had no heart to beat faster; only skin that was extremely sensitive. Every wisp of air, every touch, became a sharp blow.

“Woo… woo…” The vague tremor stirred his nerves.

The vibration in the air seeped through his skin, penetrated his cold flesh, covered his bones, and echoed constantly inside his body.

“Hey… the material condition is good. No signs of decay or mutation… no need for dissection… for now…”

It was a recording of the examination.

“Wound cross-section recorded… no special growth observed… Hmm… It seems that a nerve is emerging from the cross-section…”

Zhong Chengshuo quickly dispersed his focus, and the person’s voice instantly became blurred. A sharp metal was placed on the cross-section of his neck, and Zhong Chengshuo’s attention was completely scattered.

“Did I read it wrong?”

The inspector carefully examined the frozen wound for a while.

It wasn’t until he was pushed back into the morgue drawer that Zhong Chengshuo felt a little relieved… No, he let go of his fear a little.

Regarding his escape plan, he suddenly had a ridiculous idea.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Criminal Psychology Ch203

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Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 203

Lin Chen didn’t know how much “medical fees” Xing Conglian paid, but the amount of money that could support Duan Wanshan’s wish was probably not a small number.

Normally, after hearing such an answer, most people would probably ask him, “Where did you get so much money?” while ordinary couples and spouses might also ask the other party, “Did you spend so much money with my consent?”

But Lin Chen thought the relationship between him and Xing Conglian wasn’t destined to be ordinary like this. Speaking of which, he didn’t know Xing Conglian’s exact background, experience, and life, but he fell in love with this person and decided to be with him. This in itself was a ridiculous thing, but… Lin Chen turned his head to look at the man who was already sleeping soundly on the narrow sofa bed on the side of the cabin—love itself was quite ridiculous.

After thinking about these things for a while, Lin Chen also fell into a deep sleep.

……

China, Hongjing.

Dr. Tan Kang, who was in charge of the research and development of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s new drug, suddenly opened his eyes. He seemed to feel a simple discussion about his company in the rainforest deep in his mind, and suddenly felt a strange palpitation.

At this moment, he was sitting in the conference room on the 20th floor of Zhourui Pharmaceutical’s headquarters, and his ears were full of fierce arguments. As the head of the laboratory responsible for the development of the new drug “Nordren”, he was urged by dozens of calls to participate in the EIF meeting in this office, but the so-called “discussion” was purely a quarrel.

A few days ago, after a key employee in the promotion department died, the Food and Drug Administration finally issued a license for “Nordron” to be listed, but this didn’t ease the tense atmosphere within the company.

Even though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, the CEO’s gloomy expression on his face said it all.

In any case, this revolutionary new drug that should have been smooth sailing, was always like a turbulent undercurrent. It was like a thin and vicious chain, tightly wrapped around the neck of every insider.

Dr. Tan Kang looked at the blue sky and white clouds outside the 20th-floor window. For a small moment, he was thinking about what it would feel like to open the window and step out, but his thoughts were limited by the glass window that could only be opened up and down.

He shifted his gaze to his notebook, gently opened it, and saw his daughter’s photo attached to the inner page.

He carefully thought about it. How long had it been since he saw his daughter since he came to China to work? 105 days, and this number was likely to continue to increase.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that it was ridiculous to choose to end his life for some salvageable things. Family always changed one’s mindset when they least expected it. Dr. Tan Kang pressed the ballpoint pen on the notebook, making some decisions.

Finally, the meeting ended. Dr. Tan Kang hugged his notebook, squeezed through the angry people, gave up taking the elevator with the other employees, and prepared to walk back to the R&D laboratory on the 10th floor.

The pharmaceutical company was always so bright and clean; even in the emergency passage, there was a clean smell of disinfectant, and he himself was very used to this atmosphere.

He slowly walked down from the 20th floor to the 19th floor when suddenly he heard a slight creaking sound from the safety corridor door on a certain floor.

Not sure if it was due to the anxiety caused by the new drug on the market or for some other reason, he had a vague feeling that someone had walked into the emergency corridor.

Therefore, he deliberately stopped and listened carefully for a moment, but there were no footsteps, and no sound of footsteps could be heard either above or below the hallway.

He pretended to step down two floors, making a clear sound of the leather shoes rubbing against the tiles.

Just then, the sound of leather shoes hitting the ground suddenly came from above his head, once or twice, making him shudder.

As if making some kind of decision, Dr. Tan Kang grabbed his phone and pressed the alarm button. He held onto the railing, turned around, and walked up. What was even more strange was that the footsteps upstairs stopped in tacit understanding.

Soon, a slowly moving mop appeared in his field of vision, and he also saw the black rubber boots of a cleaner.

In that moment, he even had a sense of escaping death. He closed his eyes gently and let out a long sigh.

……

When Lin Chen woke up, it was already the next morning.

The daylight outside the window was bright, and the sky was blue, as thin and transparent as melting glass. He subconsciously covered his eyes with his hand, but Xing Conglian leaned down and placed his hand on his forehead, smiling. “So, you want me to accompany you to sleep to reduce your fever faster?”

Lin Chen lazily held Xing Conglian’s hand and kissed it. When he raised his head, he saw that Xing Conglian was already dressed neatly and was clean-shaven, which surprised him. “We’re here already?”

“Yes, we’re here.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Seeing off the Gaomeng people isn’t as important as you sleeping.”

“Why are you so cute?” Lin Chen smiled.

“I’m serious. Watching you sleep is more beautiful to me than watching a hundred Hollywood classic movies in a row.”

Xing Conglian’s sweet words were really entertaining, but Lin Chen sat up, not letting him disrupt the rhythm. “How do we go back?” he asked.

“Although I was originally planning a resolute Atlantic Circle tour without Wang Chao, given your physical condition and the matters we need to handle when we return home, we can only take a plane,” Xing Conglian said with a disappointed expression on his face.

Lin Chen let out a long sigh. “Please don’t tempt me with these luxurious trips. We law enforcement officers can’t possibly have such a long vacation.”

“Then we can only go home, Consultant Lin…” When Xing Conglian said the words “go home”, Lin Chen felt an extremely comfortable and pleasant feeling.

He nodded, about to say something, but saw Xing Conglian hand him a set of clean clothes from somewhere and asked him with meaningful intentions, “Do you want to take another bath?”

Earlier, they had also engaged in some friendly and harmonious two-person bathing activities on the ship, mainly because his wound couldn’t touch water, and Xing Conglian had to help, but now it seemed inappropriate to take a bath again at this moment.

Lin Chen looked at him and said, “Is anyone waiting?”

“Only me,” Xing Conglian said without hesitation.

Lin Chen looked at him suspiciously, then looked out the window. From his angle, he could see a clear harbor, a blue sky with white clouds different from the rainforest scenery, and a long coastline. The port in Kaga was located on the western estuary of the Dana River and was under the control of the United States. It was also the endpoint of their rainforest escape.

There were cruise ships, containers, and occasionally landing helicopters, giving people the feeling of entering modern society from the barbaric era. But modern society wasn’t necessarily a good thing because there were also warships and soldiers guarding the port here.

In the end, Lin Chen refused Xing Conglian’s proposal to take a bath. Xing Conglian pulled the curtains and closed the door, helping him change his clothes. The process was, of course, a bit long, and after changing, both of them were a little breathless.

They walked out of the ferry side by side, and the sea breeze and brilliant sunshine greeted them as if washing away the gloom of the rainforest.

There was no trace of Gaomeng people in the cabin, and the bloodstains from yesterday had been cleaned up. Duan Yang was standing on the dock with his hands in his pockets, alone.

Xing Conglian’s two subordinates, Zhang Long and Zhao Hu, were squatting on the dock with Wang Chao, boredly watching seagulls. Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian, thinking what a joke that no one was actually waiting for them.

“The others sent the Gaomeng people on their way. I’ll let these two stay here with Duan Yang until things are resolved,” Xing Conglian whispered.

In fact, he wasn’t really worried about Xing Conglian’s arrangements.

Duan Yang walked towards them, as if he had undergone some contemplation, and slowly said, “Consultant Lin, Mr. Xing…”

Lin Chen nodded.

In fact, during the time when he couldn’t sleep last night and throughout his fugitive journey, he also thought about what to say when he parted with Duan Yang. After all, they had gone through life and death together, but when it came to the moment of saying goodbye, he suddenly couldn’t come up with anything profound. Looking at the slightly longer hair of the young man in front of him and his resolute and calm expression, Lin Chen suddenly realized that Duan Yang, who was now in front of him, was no longer the young man who needed constant encouragement from him to have a firm belief.

Growing up was so painful, but people had to grow up.

Lin Chen reached out to Duan Yang. “We will meet again.”

Duan Yang opened his mouth, his expression full of a thousand words, but in the end, he just reached out his hand, shook hands with him, and said, “Goodbye.”

……

China, Hongjing.

The weather was again at that time of year when it was very unstable, with pouring rain one moment and clear skies the next.

After a whole day of contemplation, Tan Kang finally made a complete plan.

He sat in his office, nervously clicking a ballpoint pen.

It was 6:30 p.m., and most of the employees had already gone home. The lights in the large office outside had been turned off. His personal secretary had knocked on his office door over half an hour ago, asking if he needed dinner. At that time, he was pretending to be sorting out files on his desk and refused the offer, citing that he would finish work soon.

Time passed second by second.

Tan Kang sat in his office, trying to make himself look busy.

It wasn’t until the last person outside turned off the lights and left that he stopped all his movements instantly.

He stared outside for a while, then quickly pulled open the second drawer of his desk, where a small USB flash drive was neatly placed.

He moved the computer mouse gently, and the computer screen instantly lit up.

……

Lin Chen leaned back in the soft cabin seat. This flight spanning ten time zones had made his circadian rhythm completely confused.

In a daze, he could feel Xing Conglian covering him with a blanket. Besides the sound of the engine, the only noise in the cabin was the snoring of Wang Chao. Lin Chen opened his eyes slightly. Although it felt like he had slept for an entire night, it was still daytime outside the window. He wrapped the blanket tighter around himself, and Xing Conglian habitually reached out to touch his forehead to check his temperature. He rolled over and woke up.

On Xing Conglian’s side table was a cup of coffee that looked extremely bitter, and Wang Chao’s laptop was propped up on the table with the screen still lit. From his angle, Lin Chen could only see a bright white light.

“Did I wake you up?” Xing Conglian withdrew his hand and asked gently.

Just now, in his dreams, he thought he was still in the dark and sunless hold of a small fishing boat, where the smell of fish mixed with the odor of the middle-aged man’s body made him shiver. Perhaps because he subconsciously curled up his body, Xing Conglian covered him with another blanket.

Lin Chen’s vision gradually became clearer, and to his surprise, when he thought of the small fishing boat and the middle-aged man, he saw the black ring that had been taken from him by Xing Conglian on his desk.

Previously, he had used some technical means to make Xing Conglian give up investigating how he accidentally obtained this iron ring, which he wore on his left ring finger. Now that he saw this thing again, he couldn’t help but have a headache. He then asked in a businesslike tone, “Have you found out anything?”

Although he didn’t specify the exact object, they had a tacit understanding. Xing Conglian turned the ring half a circle and replied, “You guessed it right. It’s indeed a locator.”

“Can you find out who issued it?”

“That’s difficult, but this thing is not easy for individuals to obtain. It should belong to the government. After we return to China, Wang Chao should be able to find out.”

Lin Chen turned his head to look at the teenager sleeping upside down in his seat and asked Xing Conglian, “Did Duan Yang tell you the whole process of our kidnapping?”

“He did.”

“Did he mention the origin of this ring?”

“He did.” Xing Conglian looked at him and continued to stare at the ring. “How come you always run into this kind of thing when you get kidnapped? Drugs, human trafficking, or something else? And do you think the investigation he was conducting is related to Zhourui Pharmaceutical?”

As he spoke, Lin Chen felt like he was turning into Duan Yang.

“Consultant Lin.” Xing Conglian turned his head and looked at him helplessly.

“Yes?”

“Have you noticed that you get into investigation mode too quickly?”

Lin Chen looked out at the vast sea outside the window and admitted frankly, “Maybe it’s because I had a not-so-good dream just now.”

……

The climate at sea was changeable, but the city of Hongjing was covered in brilliant summer sunshine.

Mr. Tan Kang lowered his hat and wrapped his coat tightly as he walked slowly into Hongjing Amusement Park.

Perhaps because his outfit looked out of place, the staff at the entrance checked him twice with a metal scanner.

Mr. Tan Kang coughed lightly.

“Sir, are you not feeling well?” the staff member asked.

“Even if you’re not feeling well, you still have to go on a date, right?” Mr. Tan Kang smiled and replied.

This amusement park had been built for about 20 years, and the furnishings were outdated. Hongjing itself was too comfortable, so there were no crazy sights in the park. Citizens conventionally thought that even the carousel, the less intense roller coaster, or even the slightly squeaky pirate ship were suitable.

Today was Sunday and also a summer holiday, so there were more visitors in the park than usual, mainly parents with children. The children were holding cotton candy with bright faces, chattering and laughing, making Mr. Tan Kang feel like he was back in his childhood.

A violin tune that he couldn’t name began to play on the park’s broadcast, and the music was melodious.

Walking under the sun, he felt that the dirty haze on his body evaporated from his pores. Mr. Tan Kang gradually loosened his tightly wrapped clothes and felt relaxed. He didn’t buy cotton candy but instead spent ten yuan to buy a bottle of Coke. Junk food and the smiles of young people could soothe the soul.

On the grass by the lake, not far away, gray or white pigeons walk on the lush green lawn. A balloon vendor was selling red balloons to a cute pair of twins. There were many colorful balloons tied to his booth, and many people surrounded him—no child disliked balloons. After selling those two red balloons, many parents also handed him money. For a moment, piles of balloons of various colors were flying away, looking very cute.

Mr. Tan Kang smiled, bypassed the carousel area, and the violin tune became cheerful. Music always had such a strong infectious power. He walked up the bridge with small steps. Looking around, there were crowds of people everywhere. The magic show on the water stage not far away was about to start. Only when he walked to this crowded place did he regret his earlier choice.

People were crowded in front and behind, and many people still had balloons of different colors floating above their heads. The cute things that looked lovely earlier now made him inexplicably nervous. He clenched his fists, went against the crowd, and watched the road ahead with vigilance.

Going against the grain, the oncoming people were like hard rocks. Even children just above the knee could give him enough force of impact. Each time an elbow rubbed against his shoulder, it made his heart tighten by a few points. The Coke bottle had been squeezed to deformity at some point, and the liquid inside was covered with brown foam, which seemed it could spray out at any moment when it accumulated at the mouth of the bottle.

Tan Kang was hit by people continuously. For some reason, more and more people came from the right side. He was almost pushed in the direction he came from by the crowd against the current. He could only protect his chest with his hands, and he tried his best to walk faster. In order to avoid the oncoming tall man holding a child, he squeezed to the side but stepped on a female student’s leather shoe. The girl screamed, and he had to apologize in a low voice. “I’m very sorry. I’m very sorry. Can you let me through.”

The mixture of sound and noise in the air was so loud that the girl didn’t hear him, and no one around even noticed him.

Tan Kang finally avoided the stocky man and breathed a small sigh of relief. He had not yet exhaled the turbid air in his mouth when his pupils suddenly shrank, as if he saw something. Colorful balloons floated in front of his eye, and the plastic film gently collided.

Then, he sensed something.

The sound of the piano crossed a high note, then suddenly fell, and the fountain in the distance splashed white waves.

It was a thin knife that was not too long. The tip of the knife pierced his clothes and skin, and the blade pierced into his internal organs. After stirring it, the knife was quickly pulled out. The hand holding the knife suddenly let go of the handle, and the blade seemed to be attracted by some kind of suction as it suddenly retracted into the assailant’s sleeve.

All this happened within the blink of an eye.

Parents with children in their arms, boys and girls who came to hang out, and old people who took their grandchildren out to play continued moving. No one noticed that Dr. Tan Kang, who was in the crowd, clutched his ribs and slowly fell to the ground next to a sign that read: [Crowded. Please be careful.]

The sun was still shining on the grass, and the violin music became light and beautiful again after the climax as the crowd finally passed through the narrow area of the bridge.

On the lakeside path, a man in a dark blue jacket slowly and methodically took out a small black bag from his sleeve and tied the bag tightly with three balloon strings in his hand.

The balloons floated up with the bag, and he looked up and watched as they flew into the blue sky before he heard the screams of panic coming in the distance behind him.

He didn’t turn around and instead slightly rolled up his bloodied cuffs, then straightened his dark blue coat.

Ten paces away from him stood a little boy, about five or six years old. The little boy was so fat that his t-shirt was stretched out several times its original size, looking like a fat doll made of lotus roots. The fat boy’s big black eyes stared at the last balloon in his hand.

The man went to the fat child, tied the string of the last balloon on his lotus-root-like wrist, and patted the boy’s head. Perhaps he was feeling very good, as there was a hint of laughter in his breath.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Bu Tian Gang Ch142

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Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 142

Li Han’er lay drenched on the sandy ground. In the past, she would have felt uncomfortable all over, wishing she could rush to take a shower and change clothes immediately. But now, as the mist hadn’t yet gathered, sunlight shone down from the sky cleared of dark clouds, warming her body and filling her heart with a sense of contentment.

She gazed at Dong Zhi from a distance with a slight smile forming at the corner of her mouth and exhaled a long breath.

Li Han’er still remembered the moment she learned that she had been temporarily assigned to the exchange team and that the team captain was Dong Zhi. There was a sense of dissatisfaction in her heart. Although she wouldn’t go to the leader to strongly protest and request a replacement, she did harbor ill intentions towards Long Shen’s disciple. Because of the unrequited affection she had once held for Long Shen, she found anyone who was favored by him displeasing in her eyes.

But when did this emotion change? Perhaps it was during the time when everyone was in a state of disappointment and despair, yet Dong Zhi remained calm and composed, seemingly unfazed by any difficulties. Perhaps it was when Dong Zhi took the lead, running at the forefront in the face of danger. Or perhaps it was during his bantering with Liu Qingbo, repeatedly pulling unexpected things out of his backpack to ease their tension and give them new hope. Li Han’er had to admit that Dong Zhi was simply not someone you could hate. Instead, he had a charm that made you involuntarily like him.

It was as if, wherever he was, the vitality of the world could be seen. Who could possibly dislike the vibrant and warm sunlight?

If it were Liu Qingbo, Zhang Song, or even her own elder brother, Li Ying, serving as the team leader, perhaps they could still achieve the final victory. However, it would inevitably come at the cost of sacrificing one or two people, and they would not have the same cohesive force as they did now. Only Dong Zhi could achieve this.

“My dear Han’er, who are you looking at?” William followed her gaze and couldn’t help but widen his eyes. “Are you looking at Dong? My goodness, do you have a crush on him? Do I still have a chance?” His astonished tone attracted a lot of attention, and Li Han’er wished she could sew his mouth shut.

“Who said I have a crush on him!” Li Han’er gritted her teeth. This person seemed to challenge her good manners every time. Li Han’er suspected that if this continued, by the time they returned home, she might age several years due to anger.

“You were looking at him just now, with a sad smile!” William had an innocent look on his face. “Han’er, although my skin isn’t as fair as his, I’m taller than him and have a better physique. I can make you happy. Besides, he clearly doesn’t like you!”

“That’s not sadness; it’s contentment! Get it right!” Li Han’er couldn’t hold back any longer and grabbed his ear, shouting, “And you don’t call it a good physique, you call it strong*!”

*Clarity: William is using the term “good physique” (身材好) in the sense where it’s a slim, fit, aesthetically pleasing figure, whereas Li Han’er is correcting him using the term “strong” (雄壮) which is more of a muscular, strong, robust figure.

Everyone: …

“Dial it down. Calm down. Think about your ladylike demeanor. Think about our reputation,” Dong Zhi said.

Li Han’er took a deep breath, smiled slightly at William, and spoke softly, but her words sent a chill down one’s spine.

“If you keep talking nonsense, be careful; I’ll twist your head off and use it as a ball.”

William looked at her in horror, thought for a moment, and whispered, “If you’re willing to accept my pursuit, it’s okay to let you play with my head. Don’t you Chinese have a saying that goes, ‘Even if one were to die immediately, it’s worth it if they can kiss the most beautiful flower?'”

That’s called “dying under the peony flower, remaining a romantic ghost*.” Li Han’er was furious but couldn’t help laughing. “If you can learn Chinese and use idioms proficiently, then I’ll accept your pursuit.”

*(牡丹花下死，做鬼也风流) Idiom referring dying for love is seen as romantic. 

William’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

But he wasn’t stupid. He immediately added conditions. “Is it okay if I just become fluent in spoken Chinese?”

Li Han’er thought that the conditions shouldn’t be too difficult, or the other party would suspect something was amiss. So she nodded. “That’s fine. But you have to understand idioms and their origins. I don’t want to be in a relationship with a man who can’t even understand simple idioms like ‘tiger’s back and bear’s waist*.'”

*(虎背熊腰) Idiom referring to someone who has a robust and strong physique (broad muscular back and well-defined waist) || Basically, what William’s physique is supposed to be.

She said the last sentence in Chinese.

“Tiger’s back and bear’s waist?” William imitated her tone and looked puzzled. “What does that mean?”

Li Han’er remained unfazed. “It means you’re handsome and suave.”

William became excited. “Don’t worry, my dear. I know you’re concerned that I’m just temporarily enthusiastic, but I have genuine feelings for you. Give me six months, and I’ll learn Chinese. But during these six months, you can’t have a boyfriend.”

Li Han’er nodded. “Of course, I am a person who keeps promises.”

The two reached an agreement, and everyone was happy. Dong Zhi and the others pursed their lips but ultimately didn’t say anything. They could all tell that Li Han’er was teasing William. However, who knew what the future held? Perhaps William would give up on his own before six months, or maybe the two of them would develop into a pair of happy enemies. Life was always full of variables, and no one could predict the future.

The storm subsided, and the sea gradually calmed down, but the islands were left in ruins. Diana Island seemed to be the most devastated, with trees falling or leaning haphazardly, in a state of disarray. The flood had not completely receded, leaving pits and ditches between the trees—a distressing sight.

In the distance, a ship emerged from the mist and gradually approached. It was the boat sent by the organizing committee to pick them up.

Liu Qingbo sighed. “Like the movies, the police always arrive hastily after everything has settled.”

Dong Zhi couldn’t help but laugh.

……

Japan, Atsuta Shrine.

Long Shen carried his sword and kept moving forward. In every direction, there were countless mirrored spaces, one after another, with no end in sight. The space beneath his feet extended infinitely, but unless something unexpected happened, no matter how he walked or where he went, he could never escape from here.

However, Long Shen didn’t stop his steps because he knew that once he halted, his perspective would easily be confused by the mirrored contents, and he would lose his way. Losing direction was just the first step, and eventually, even his mind would be lost in the mirrored space. He had just shattered the surveillance of Otowa Hatsuhiko, but if he couldn’t find an exit, he would be forever trapped here.

The scenes within each mirrored space were roughly the same, but there were subtle differences. For example, every Li Ying inside had a different expression—some looked anxious, some looked worried, some smiled, and even exhibited happiness and the seven emotions, making it difficult to distinguish which Li Ying was real. While Long Shen seemed to keep moving forward, he was actually observing each Li Ying at an extraordinary speed that ordinary people couldn’t match.

He believed that there must be one real Li Ying among them.

“Li Ying,” Long Shen said in a deep voice. “Keep speaking. It doesn’t matter what you say, just don’t stop your voice.”

“Boss Long!” Numerous Li Yings responded in the mirrored space, their voices overlapping like countless echoes. However, no matter which Li Ying it was, their tone sounded weak, indicating that they were likely seriously injured.

“Boss Long, if I can’t return, I have to trouble you to please inform my master, parents, and my sister Han’er for me. Tell them that I’m incompetent, unable to complete the mission. And for Han’er, ask her to take good care of our parents…” Li Ying gasped for breath. “And also, Banxia. Tell her I’m sorry and ask her not to wait for me anymore!”

A true man sheds no tears easily, and Li Ying didn’t cry when mentioning his master and parents. However, when he uttered the name Banxia, he couldn’t help but shed tears.

He recalled the time when he first joined the Special Administration Bureau, seeing that lively and smiling girl who instantly captivated his attention. He remembered the ambiguous interactions between them during missions, and he recalled how he abandoned a promising team to join the so-called miscellaneous group of Team Three, which caused his father to be furious. But Li Ying had no regrets.

Throughout his life, he had been mature and responsible, considering the overall situation. His every word and action were almost a model among his Maoshan peers. After joining the Special Administration Bureau, he became the future pillar in the eyes of his superiors. Many people couldn’t understand why he didn’t choose the outstanding junior sister in Maoshan but fell for a mysterious and unpredictable witch instead.

Li Ying had always thought that he would follow a steady path in his cultivation journey, either inheriting the position of head of Maoshan or joining the Special Administration Bureau like his father, Li Rui, and gradually climbing the ranks to become a high-ranking official, perhaps even a Director with considerable power.

However, he had never expected that he would meet his downfall before achieving his goals.

Besides the fear and unease towards death, what constantly came to his mind was the face of Chi Banxia.

He knew that Chi Banxia would never be able to escape the shadow of his death. Perhaps when others saw the title of a witch, they would feel a sense of mystery and fear, not daring to provoke, but Li Ying knew that this lively girl was more sentimental than anyone else.

As Long Shen swept his gaze, numerous reflections of Li Ying displayed expressions of pain. However, most of the mirrored Li Yings had a sluggish and numb kind of pain, like puppets imitating their agony with poor acting skills, which failed to touch anyone’s heart and instead felt eerie. There was only one. The only one that genuinely revealed pain and fear on his face. Even though he was a practitioner and more outstanding than most of his peers, Li Ying was still human. He was still young and couldn’t remain calm in the face of true death, especially when he faced eternal separation from his loved ones and family. Even Long Shen would be moved, let alone Li Ying.

Without hesitation, Long Shen immediately shot out a beam of sword light, directly aimed at the Li Ying with the most genuine expression of pain!

The mirror shattered, and Li Ying stared in astonishment at the swiftly approaching sword light. He instinctively wanted to dodge, but with his severe injuries and facing Long Shen, there was nowhere to escape. The cold and sharp sword aura reached his forehead, causing a stinging sensation. His arm was already tightly restrained by someone.

“Boss Long!”

He looked at Long Shen, who appeared beside him, with both surprise and joy.

“Let’s go!”

As soon as Long Shen spoke, his figure didn’t stop, and Li Ying felt the world spinning before his eyes. Countless images flew backward, layers of mirrors shattered, and fragments scattered throughout the space, cutting through his clothes and skin, causing him to feel pain.

“This is real!” Long Shen seemed to perceive his confusion and rapidly explained, never stopping his footsteps as he pulled Li Ying along.

A protective energy surrounded Long Shen, preventing the fragments from coming near, but after being trapped for days, Li Ying’s mind was in a haze. Sometimes he would see Chi Banxia and his senior martial brothers, and other times he found himself in the depths of hell, surrounded by skeletons and evil spirits, unable to break free. His consciousness was already somewhat confused, and now he couldn’t tell if he was truly saved or in another illusion.

In a moment of desperation, he reached his hand beyond the protection of the energy and touched the fragments. As expected, his fingertips stung, and blood droplets immediately emerged.

“Isn’t this an illusion?” Li Ying said in confusion.

“True is false, and false is true. Any illusion is based on reality,” Long Shen replied, turning his head with a furrowed brow. He extended his finger and flicked Li Ying’s forehead.

Li Ying’s body trembled slightly, and his expression instantly became much more sober.

“Boss Long…” His voice was hoarse, as if he had just been pulled out of water, drenched in sweat.

“Don’t move, don’t speak.”

Although Long Shen had seen through the formation that Li Ying was trapped in, the surroundings were still filled with numerous illusions. He couldn’t afford to spare attention for Li Ying and needed to focus entirely on finding a breakthrough.

Li Ying, indeed, dared not speak again. He was being pulled forward by Long Shen, unable to resist. He watched as countless fragments of mirrors came towards them, only to diverge and create paths as Long Shen passed through. It was as if wherever Long Shen went, the sinister entities and inner demons automatically made way for him.

From this, Li Ying gained a deeper understanding of this man’s strength.

Unaffected by external factors and not swayed by any emotions of weakness, Long Shen’s heart was as firm as a rock. These illusions naturally couldn’t influence him.

Coming from a prestigious sect, Li Ying didn’t possess the same strong desire for performance as Zhang Song and Liu Qingbo. His sharpness was naturally restrained, which made him appear stable in the eyes of his elders. However, he couldn’t help but carry the pride of a disciple from a renowned sect. Before joining the Special Administration Bureau, apart from Wu Bingtian’s team, he regarded the other teams as being average. Although Long Shen’s name was already widely known, in Li Ying’s heart, Long Shen was ultimately just one person and couldn’t compare to the profound heritage of renowned sects like Maoshan and Mount Longhu.

Yet at this moment, he realized that even the head of Maoshan would speak of Long Shen with solemnity, not because Long Shen was a Director of the Special Management Bureau, holding high status and seniority, but because of Long Shen’s true strength.

Whether on the righteous path or among demonic beings, human society and the animal world, fundamentally, there wasn’t much difference. They all sought continuous self-improvement and pursued strength. The strong may not earn respect through their character, but they would make others have no choice but to face them.

Suddenly, Li Ying felt fortunate.

He was glad that Long Shen was on his side and not an enemy. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have the opportunity to escape now. He would be like Ding Lan, with his soul trapped or even dead without a complete corpse.

Thinking of Ding Lan, Li Ying couldn’t help but shudder.

In the brief moment that he lost focus, Long Shen had already found the final exit of the mirrored space.

The sword light in his hand flew up and shot forward according to his will, finally piercing into a piece of debris containing a pine tree. Li Ying couldn’t figure out why that pine tree was the key to breaking the formation, but Long Shen could see it with just one glance. Wherever the sword light reached, the pine tree vanished with a loud noise, and all the floating fragments of the mirrors also disappeared in an instant.

The scenery around them suddenly changed!

No more countless repetitions of mirrors, no more confusing reflections and fragments obstructing their vision. They found themselves on an open lawn, not far away from a picturesque lake and mountains, reflecting the blue sky, serene and peaceful.

It was an excellent vacation spot. If Long Shen had assumed his previous disguise, he would have been delighted to immediately take out a camera and start framing shots. However, he wasn’t a genuine photography enthusiast. It was just an identity he randomly adopted to infiltrate the Atsuta Shrine.

Li Ying became even more nervous. Without Long Shen needing to say anything, he also knew that this couldn’t be the original scene in the Atsuta Shrine. In other words, had they once again entered an illusion?

“Boss Long, is this an illusion?” he asked in a low voice.

Unexpectedly, Long Shen gave him a surprising answer. “No.”

Before Li Ying could ask further, Long Shen answered his doubt, “This is also real.”

If this was real, did it mean that they were still within the barrier of the Atsuta Shrine?

Or perhaps, they had already left the Atsuta Shrine and arrived in another place?

Li Ying noticed that Long Shen’s words were cryptic and could be interpreted in various ways.

Just then, the man beside him spoke again. “Don’t forget what I said earlier.”

Li Ying forced a bitter smile. He suddenly sympathized with Dong Zhi. How high of an understanding did he have to stay by Long Shen’s side without constantly doubting his own intelligence?

But he also understood that with his serious injuries and his mind not as clear and sharp as usual, Long Shen wanted him to engage his thinking abilities, ignore his own condition, and avoid falling into a state of unconsciousness due to severe injuries.

The fragrant breeze blew on their faces, inducing drowsiness. There seemed to be distant singing, clear and melodious, reminiscent of the way his sister used to sing when she was little, innocent and carefree. In such an environment, it was difficult for anyone to muster their fighting spirit, and Li Ying was no exception. He almost involuntarily relaxed his mind. However, deep within, he suddenly remembered Long Shen’s reminder.

True is false, and false is true.

This sentence felt as cold as ice on his spiritual platform, forcefully pulling him back from the sleepy warmth. Li Ying pinched the palm of his hand, feeling the stinging sensation and the sticky liquid, instantly alerting him.

There was no warm fragrance, no singing. The lake was still a lake, and the grassland was still a grassland.

Indeed, it was an endless illusion of reality and falsehood. Li Ying couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat, unable to imagine the consequences if he had truly fallen asleep just now.

Perhaps he would never wake up again.

He couldn’t help but look towards Long Shen beside him, hoping to draw some confidence from him.

But Long Shen had disappeared.

Li Ying’s heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but panic. The feet that were stepping on the grass unknowingly sank downward. Li Ying lowered his head and realized that the grassland had turned into a marsh, with rampant wild grass growing around the lake. He was trapped in the swamp, unable to free himself, and his body slowly sank. In an instant, the water reached his knees.

He struggled to move forward, but it only caused his body to sink further. There was nothing around to grab onto or hold onto. Li Ying instinctively reached behind, only to remember that his sword had been taken away during his previous confinement.

“Boss Long? Boss Long!”

He pinched his palm forcefully, closed his eyes, and then opened them again, but before him was still the marsh. His body had sunk up to his chest, and breathing was starting to become difficult. It wouldn’t take long for the swamp to block his breath, cover his eyes, and bury his entire being. Over the course of several decades or centuries, he would slowly dissolve, merging with the swamp.

Li Ying felt liquid flowing down his nose and reached out to touch it. His hand was stained with a bloody red color. It was likely caused by the pressure on his original wound in the chest and abdomen. His body was sinking rapidly, and the swamp had already reached his neck. Breathing became increasingly difficult. He couldn’t convince himself that this was an illusion, so he closed his eyes and silently recited the spiritual mantra of Maoshan.

After a few sentences, his mood gradually calmed down, and he felt the pressure on his chest lighten. He bit his tongue, spewing out a mouthful of blood, and then opened his eyes. As expected, it was an illusion. Long Shen was still standing beside him, with grass beneath his feet and a lake in front of him.

Li Ying’s body weakened, and he was about to collapse. Long Shen reached out and grabbed his arm, looking calm as if he wasn’t surprised that he looked like he had just finished running a five-kilometer race.

“How long has it been…” Li Ying gasped.

“Only three seconds,” Long Shen replied.

Three seconds, but it felt like he had experienced a lifetime.

Li Ying forced a bitter smile, relying on Long Shen’s strong support to stand unsteadily, and apologized, “I’m sorry, Boss Long. I’m so useless.”

Long Shen said, “Otowa has set up multiple layers of illusions here. It’s already impressive that you managed to break free in such a short time.”

Li Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Compared to Dong Zhi?”

It was inevitable for outstanding peers to have a sense of comparison, and Li Ying was no exception. Suddenly, Long Shen smiled.

This smile was like a clear sky after rain, with stars hanging in the vast expanse. Li Ying was momentarily captivated by it. But before he could examine it closely, Long Shen had already regained his usual calmness. “He’s about the same as you. Have confidence in yourself.”

Li Ying doubted that these were just words of consolation from Long Shen himself. Otherwise, why would he smile so happily when mentioning Dong Zhi? But he didn’t delve further into it. The exhaustion from breaking free of the illusion had drained all the strength from his body.

He didn’t have time to ponder further because, the next moment, the calm surface of the lake suddenly trembled violently. Ripples spread out from the center of the lake, growing larger and larger. After a few seconds, a colossal creature burst out of the water, announcing its presence with a roar!

At first glance, the body of the monster almost obscured the sky and earth, casting a shadow that blocked the light from Long Shen.

When the majority of the monster’s body emerged from the water, Li Ying’s heart couldn’t help but tremble, and his expression changed drastically.

It looked like—

Eight giant snakes twisted together, with blurred flesh at the junctions, but they were indeed connected as one. Eight ferocious heads swung in the air, and eight tails thrashed the surface of the lake restlessly. Each of their wide-open mouths spewed out a massive poisonous breath, exuding impatience and greed, revealing their arrogant desire to devour everything.

Yamata no Orochi?

Li Ying couldn’t believe it. Wasn’t this legendary monster from Japan supposed to have been killed long ago?

“Is this another illusion?”

“No, it’s real. Be careful!”

Just as Long Shen finished speaking, a large snake tail was already lashing towards them. Long Shen pulled Li Ying to evade, and the snake tail struck the grassy ground, leaving a scorch mark in an instant.

Li Ying could even smell the scent of burnt grass. He was pushed aside by Long Shen, stumbling back a few steps and falling to the ground.

Meanwhile, Long Shen leaped up and gestured, summoning a beam of sword light from an unknown source, shooting it towards one of the snake heads.

Li Ying understood that his physical condition rendered him unable to fight. It was already good enough if he didn’t become a burden. He quickly found a concealed spot to hide and watch the battle, hoping that the Yamata no Orochi wouldn’t notice him; otherwise, Long Shen would be distracted.

<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Access Denied Ch43

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 43: The Beginning of Battle

The impact of the waves was quite strong, but the greatsword itself was wide enough. Monday was thrown around by the wave and screamed, but luckily everyone was so dazed by the water that they couldn’t tell where the source of the scream came from. The protective suit was thick and slippery when wet, making it difficult for Shu Jun to pull the straps on both sides. During this process, he had to focus on suppressing his own and Monday’s breath, which made things even more miserable.

However, just before the next wave came, Zhu Yanchen reached out his arm and tightly hugged Shu Jun’s waist, holding him close to his body. He held him tightly as the two tumbled in the water until they hit the rocky wall with a loud thud, without any signs of separation.

The thick protective suit served as a cushion, and the speed of the central water flow wasn’t very fast. It was only after the water flow gradually dissipated that the world became pitch black, and they looked like fish caught in a net.

The Erosion Swamp didn’t plan to drown them directly, so the water quickly dispersed. As soon as Hu Yan stood up, he opened the short-range communication to the maximum and then fired a flare into the sky.

“Immediately assembly!” Hu Yan ordered.

The communication device made an unpleasant rustling sound. Under the glare of the flare, the huge liquid column of the Erosion Swamp slowly writhed.

They had been washed up near the huge liquid column. Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun’s orders had taken effect—after enabling oxygen support and erosion protection, Hu Yan’s condition was quite good. On the other hand, the waterproof cloth was limited, so the team members had to share it. Although the thirteen people were scattered by the water, they managed to ensure that there were two to four people in each group. With the protection of the waterproof cloth, the sharp fragments in the water flow couldn’t hurt the protective suits.

“Damn it, the erosion concentration is too high. Short-range communication devices probably won’t last long.” Hu Yan lit a cold light and looked at the reading. “This Erosion Swamp is really strange. It’s like a flytrap.”

“I took a look just now, and including us, the waterproof cloth wrapped around four groups of people,” Yu Jin recalled. “As long as your people don’t get washed away alone, the situation isn’t that bad.”

“The vanguard team are all elites. They won’t get washed away alone. I’m afraid that—” Hu Yan hadn’t finished speaking when intermittent sounds came from the communication device. “We’ve been washed into a cave… Can’t find our way out…”

Hu Yan sighed and turned the illumination towards the rocky mountain remnants full of holes. “I was afraid of this.”

Yu Jin also sighed heavily. “To be honest, I’ve never seen anything as weird as this. At most, I’ve encountered some strange mutant beasts, but this is fucking strange.”

Shu Jun thought for a few seconds. “The team outside the rocky mountain should assemble at the lighting. ‘One Eye’ will assist Hu Yan here. Smoke and I will go into the rocky mountain to find the missing people.”

“I’ll come with you.” Hu Yan shook his head. “The cave is narrow, and I can widen it. Otherwise, if you encounter something like that… that thing that pretended to be Xiao Zhang earlier, you two may not be able to handle it. Moreover, I’m now the captain of the Blackbirds. I can’t just sit around waiting for you two to risk your lives.”

“I’ll also come and broaden my horizons.” Yu Jin hammered a glowing marker into the ground. “The two of you are even more badass than me in a fight. Anyway, inside or outside, it’s only a few steps away, so I might as well go with you.”

His voice carried a hint of humor. “I’m quite familiar with this kind of mountain terrain. They say that if you benefit from someone, don’t forget to repay them*. I can’t just take advantage of you guys for nothing.”

*When one eats the food of another, one’s mouth becomes shorter. Idiom referring to one shouldn’t be greedy and take advantage of others without giving anything back.

“Okay, but we have to retreat when it’s time to retreat.” Shu Jun surveyed the cave.

If Hu Yan was there, retreating would be easy, not to mention the fact that the erosion concentration here was extremely high and Hu Yan could exert a great deal of power. If things went wrong, compared to himself, Hu Yan could at least send people out faster.

Since the water was flowing towards the center, except for the group that was washed into the cave, the other two groups weren’t far apart. After the two teams gathered, Hu Yan briefly explained the current situation.

Seven people, plus themselves, gathered together. There was one man and one woman missing.

“For now, the situation is unclear. You should gather here and not act separately. We’ll go in and find the missing people. If we haven’t returned within three hours, you should turn the purifiers to maximum power and retreat as fast as you can.”

“It’s best not to use maximum power.” Zhu Yanchen suddenly spoke up after pondering for a while.

Hu Yan wasn’t annoyed by the response. “Why?”

“Its intention is to make us actively approach the center. That’s why it made a fake messenger. If it wants to hunt, it doesn’t need to bother with so many tricks. Just waiting for you to come and investigate is enough.”

If all three hundred core members of the Blackbirds were there, it would be understandable to catch them all at once. With only thirteen people, it seemed like an overkill*. There was no reason to hunt in this way, as the Erosion Swamp also had to calculate energy consumption.

*Using a cleaver to slaughter chickens (杀鸡用牛刀了) Idiom describing a situation when someone uses excessive force or resources to deal with a problem that could be solved with simpler or more appropriate means.

Zhu Yanchen patiently explained in a calm voice. “After it brought us to the center, it didn’t immediately attack us. According to reason, it would have trapped us in water, making it difficult for us to survive. From what I can see, it seems more like it’s observing us.”

“…No, bro. The Erosion Swamp doesn’t have this kind of intelligence, does it?” Hu Yan lowered his voice. “It’s just a lump of erosion.”

As soon as the words came out, he choked a little himself—looking at the fake Xiao Zhang, it was hard to say it didn’t have a brain.

Marshal Zhu didn’t dwell on this issue and changed the subject directly. “Regardless of its purpose, its desire to attack isn’t strong at the moment. The energy storage of the purifiers is limited. If it is fully opened, it won’t be able to sustain until you leave the heavily eroded area… It’s better to save it until it shows aggressive tendencies.”

“That makes sense. Ah, this is the first time we’ve been pulled in directly. Before this, Zhu Yanchen would always give an assessment report on the swamp.” Hu Yan scratched his head. “Shu—bah—Gray Claw, what do you think?”

Shu Jun always had unconventional ideas, and Hu Yan hoped that he would come up with some more unusual ones.

“My opinion is the same as Smoke’s.” Shu Jun suddenly understood how Zhu Yanchen felt—after knowing the truth, he didn’t want his teammates to take risks. “Something’s not right here. Safety comes first.”

“…Okay, then let’s do that,” Hu Yan instructed the remaining members again. “Don’t try to act like heroes and investigate randomly. Stay here honestly and stay alive.”

The rocky mountain had already been eroded into strange shapes by the erosion. The cave was like an ant’s nest, with tunnels leading in all directions that were so deep it looked bottomless. If the team members were simply trapped, with Hu Yan’s abilities, they wouldn’t take more than three hours to get out. But this Erosion Swamp could make human skin balloons, so things were uncertain.

Before they approached, no one knew if the cries for help and knocking were made by “people.”

Hu Yan was straightforward, but he couldn’t be called impulsive. He commanded the rock wall to split and gather, allowing them to avoid many dead ends, and they didn’t need to advance in the narrow and suffocating rock passage. The route was integrated by Hu Yan into a straight and flat passage so that the four of them could turn back and escape at any time.

However, as they went deeper, faint cries for help came from all directions.

“Those two sides shouldn’t be it.” Yu Jin twisted the fibers on the rock wall. “Judging from the torn cloth, they were washed to the far left by the water.”

“Thanks, brother.” Hu Yan turned his flashlight in annoyance—they were getting closer and closer to the liquid column, and all their equipment was being rapidly eroded. At the moment, the light kept flickering, making people dizzy.

“I’ve collected a lot of corpses on the edge of the erosion zone before, but I didn’t expect that trick to work here.” Yu Jin turned to Shu Jun and murmured.

Shu Jun: “…” Has this person been infected by Hu Yan’s pessimistic words?

“I hope they’re okay. When I think what’s calling out over there isn’t a human, I get goosebumps… Wait, there are some marks over there. Let me take a look.” Yu Jin didn’t slack off and went over to the shining object at the cave entrance.

“How’s it going?” Shu Jun took the opportunity to turn his head and interview the only Erosion Swamp expert present.

“It’s still testing the waters.” Zhu Yanchen stared at the readings on the device. “When it detects an abnormal Erosion Swamp, the exploration team is inevitably the best. It seems that it intends to trap this team here. Then, in the next wave, and the next, until it is certain that humans really have no threats.”

Unlike Sweet Edge, which only sought death, this thing wanted them to use all their means to survive, as direct slaughter was too crude.

Before it confirmed that they were of no value, this Erosion Swamp wouldn’t attack on its own and would only observe quietly—after all, even if it did nothing, the air containing high-concentration erosion substance was enough to kill them.

‘I can’t just attack,’ Shu Jun thought. If he really defeated this Erosion Swamp, the “big boss of the Erosion Swamps” hidden behind it would definitely be alert. For now, it was best to find the missing team members as soon as possible and try to leave quietly.

But if they could also think of this, then the Erosion Swamp was likely thinking of it too.

Two hours passed, and the four of them had found nothing. The flashlight finally gave out, plunging them into darkness. Hu Yan sighed and began to use a cold light stick for illumination. The dim light illuminated the pitch-black rock walls, and the shadows pressing in from all sides felt more suffocating.

To conserve their energy, the trapped team members stopped shouting and began tapping the walls. The similar frequency tapping sounds came from all sides, making people shudder.

“I need a break… This mountain is about to break me, and there’s still no progress.”

Hu Yan had been fixing the cave all the way, and his physical exertion was the highest. Afraid of dropping the ball at a critical moment, he stopped and struggled to take a sip of the fluid food. The concentration of erosion substance here was too high, and even eating and drinking carried a high risk. Shu Jun watched him anxiously, silently suppressing the erosion around them.

The footsteps of the four people disappeared, leaving only the eerie sound of knocking echoing around them.

“Come to think of it, this ability is a bit like Sweet Edge’s.” Unable to withstand the oppressive atmosphere, Shu Jun muttered to Zhu Yanchen. “If this Erosion Swamp knew how to fill the human skin with something, I might not have recognized it at first.”

“Sweet Edge’s ability is ‘Creation’.” Zhu Yanchen stopped in his tracks. “To be precise, it uses erosion to construct structures similar to living beings. From the perspective of those four-legged monsters, her ability to control their appearance isn’t very strong.”

“Why?” Shu Jun asked curiously. He had obtained a similar creation ability, which allowed him to repair wounds. Neither he nor Zhu Yanchen had created anything as bizarre as those monsters.

“Because your repairs are partial and the original prototype remains. When she created those things, most of X City’s victims had been swallowed up by the Erosion Swamp. She could only extract information from the fragments of the bodies and create something similar to them.”

Zhu Yanchen’s voice was low and serious.

“This Erosion Swamp’s ability leans toward ‘Replication’. Rather than creating from scratch, it’s more like a mirror. If I’m not mistaken, it probably heard our conversation near the heavily eroded area and modified the content.”

Shu Jun understood. Since it was a mirror, it couldn’t reflect the interior. If it filled the layer of “human skin” with pure erosion substance, it would be more difficult to control the shape and more likely to be exposed.

“A mirror… A’Yan, let me confirm something.”

“Hmm?”

“Does it keep in contact with other Erosion Swamps?” Shu Jun glanced at the surrounding darkness. “The uninterrupted kind.”

“Can’t. The transmission of information through the erosion substance is more like sending letters. Even if it sends information outside regularly, there will still be a certain time delay.”

“I see.” Shu Jun rubbed his chin.

He gestured to the path that Hu Yan had opened up and stirred up a breeze around him, then fell into deep thought.

“Something’s not right,” Yu Jin suddenly said. “We’ve turned so many corners, but the distance of the knocking sound hasn’t changed much, and this part of the path behind us is too clean. I couldn’t find any human traces.”

“There’s still an hour left.” Hu Yan gritted his teeth. “This place isn’t that big? I don’t believe it.”

Shu Jun took the opportunity to pick up the topic. “Captain Hu, can you sense the situation of the entire mountain now that we’ve come this far?”

“Of course I can…” Hu Yan was really close to breaking through the mountain.

“Yu Jin, how many sources of knocking sounds are there around us?”

“Five. Why do you ask?”

“Captain Hu, open up all the channels where the knocking sounds are coming from. Can you do that if someone is directing the direction?”

“I can.” It seemed pointless and just a waste of energy, but Hu Yan recognized this tone—Shu Jun must have thought of something devious.

“Open them up now.”

Hu Yan and Yu Jin looked at each other. Hu Yan clicked his tongue and pressed his hand against the rock. Yu Jin’s skeptical gaze ran around Hu Yan, but he still cooperated obediently.

“That channel over there, and that one—I’ll mark them with a fluorescent pen,” he muttered, pointing them out.

The remains of the rocky mountain weren’t large, and under Hu Yan’s control, it trembled slightly, and a lot of fine dust poured down on the four of them.

Then the wind rose.

The wind was neither too strong nor too weak, and it blew forcefully against the cave wall. The dull collision sound came from all directions.

Ten human skin balloons were pushed all the way by the strong wind, rolling and bumping through the tunnel, and collapsed at the feet of the four.

“…It’s even more sinister than I thought,” Shu Jun murmured. “It didn’t even create a single group.”

Yu Jin’s mouth opened and closed—only players had abilities, and Hu Yan’s ability was clearly written on the player information. This wind didn’t seem natural, so it must also be an ability…

“It looks like we have to fight.” Shu Jun drew out his greatsword. “Lao Hu, lead the way.”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Access Denied Ch42

Kinky1 Comment

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 42: Trap

The NPC’s tent was some distance away from the players’, so the two sides wouldn’t communicate unless it was necessary. However, it was impossible for Hu Yan not to come over after finding out that Shu Jun was here.

For players, the standard supply for missions was basic. Most people would bring some food and drinks and try to have some fun on the journey. Hu Yan liked to eat meat, so he brought small cans of meat as usual. As soon as Zhu Yanchen arrived at the tent, he was blocked by Hu Yan.

Hu Yan had a good personality, but he was a bit blunt and didn’t hide his likes or dislikes. When Yu Jin came over to shake hands, it was obvious that he had a good impression of him—while both Shu Jun and Zhu Yanchen only received one can of meat, Yu Jin received two.

Shu Jun: “…Are you dividing it up according to body size?” You know you’re the Blackbirds vice captain, right?

Hu Yan: “Well, of course.”

Yu Jin was a bit surprised. He touched his missing left eye and happily accepted the cans of meat. “Captain Hu, you’re too polite.”

“You’re welcome. You worked hard today.” Hu Yan’s smile couldn’t be concealed behind the gas mask. “Our people are ready. We just need to complete the information… Oh, Xiao Zhang?”

Shu Jun had some impressions of Xiao Zhang. He was a logistician among the combat personnel, responsible for contacting headquarters in areas with poor signals. At the moment, the young man was running out of breath. “Captain Hu, new information from headquarters has come in. Dong Lao finished the map analysis, and the result was given. He asked us to proceed with caution. Even if the mission is canceled, there will be no punishment… But as usual, he needs your opinion.”

“Send me the weather information and map analysis.” When it came to work, Hu Yan’s playful attitude was replaced by a serious one. “Let me see…”

He deliberately opened the screen projection so that the three “NPCs” could see it clearly.

“Oh, I have to say, this intelligence is much more detailed than what Dong Lao gave before. It’s very similar to Marshal Zhu’s.” Hu Yan looked at the terrain scans and labels and touched his chin.

Shu Jun pulled on Zhu Yanchen’s coat and lowered his voice. “You’re really good at multitasking, aren’t you?”

“I prepared an auxiliary chip.” Zhu Yanchen turned his head after reading the light screen.

Shu Jun had heard of this thing. It was a special error-correcting program that could infer flaws in a plan.

Auxiliary chips were more common in industries with relatively simple plans and no personalization. In terms of tactical planning, almost no one would deal with this kind of messy thing.

The reason was simple. Firstly, everyone had a different work style, making it difficult to apply the auxiliary chip universally. Secondly, it required a massive amount of data support and a particularly thorough understanding of its opponent—that being, the behavior of the Erosion Swamp.

Perfecting the data was a hard task, which required the designer to manually input all possible developments and unexpected situations and then learn and mature based on this. In other words, this thing needed to be taught frame by frame. When it was finally learned, the effect wasn’t much different from discussing it with a live person.

Most people wouldn’t do something so strenuous and thankless.

As for why Zhu Yanchen created the auxiliary chips… From the perspective of his purpose, it was probably part of his “posthumous arrangements”.

While he was alive, the chip was worthless. But once this “tactical master” died, the chip could ensure that his successor’s command level wouldn’t collapse and could also be used to veto tactics that were too radical under the pretext of style.

But that wasn’t the point of concern for Shu Jun.

No matter how much of a genius Zhu Yanchen was, this thing couldn’t be done overnight. Even if he worked tirelessly and completed it on his own, it would take about six years. Not to mention that this person also had to conduct research on the Erosion Swamp and chummy up with the border settlements.

…When did Zhu Yanchen start planning this fake death plan?

Shu Jun’s slight feeling of ease in his heart dissipated.

The longer he spent with Zhu Yanchen, the less he understood the person beside him. But no matter what the answer was, he had to keep him alive until he got it.

Shu Jun reached out and grabbed Zhu Yanchen’s wrist, his heart’s blood turning to lead. Zhu Yanchen was startled but didn’t resist.

Hu Yan’s voice came from the other end. “…Good, good. Originally, I was worried that the other side would drop a level and I would have to drop mine, thus we would lack a critical member of our team*. I was afraid we might run into trouble on this mission.”

*Two tanners can’t work without one who stinks (臭皮匠二缺一) Idiom referring when in a group or team, there’s always one person who has a unique or important skill that others don’t have, and that person is essential to the success of the team.

“Captain Hu.” Shu Jun gritted his teeth and adjusted his emotions for a moment. “Let’s keep things auspicious and stop talking nonsense.”

Hu Yan coughed twice. “What do you guys think?”

“It seems fine, and the weather is stable. But just in case, we should explore during the day and camp at night. It’s safer that way.” Yu Jin spoke first. “This way, we can make things more secure than usual.”

Zhu Yanchen looked meaningfully at Shu Jun, who understood and tightened his grip on Zhu Yanchen’s hand. “I didn’t notice anything wrong. But the data is indeed a bit strange, and I agree with ‘One Eye’s’ opinion.”

“Alright, my thoughts are similar. Leave 30 people as backup for emergencies. Cleanup teams A and B continue forward and carefully purify the surroundings. The vanguard, prepare 9 people. We’re setting off in ten minutes.”

The Erosion Swamp hated light and loved water, which was why the sky was particularly gloomy nearby. The dozen or so members of the vanguard entered the heavily eroded area first, each of them tightly wrapped in protective suits, looking like a team of wobbly gingerbread men.

Gingerbread Shu Jun was still holding Gingerbread Zhu Yanchen’s hand. People thought they were just supporting each other and conserving energy, so their attention was focused on the Erosion Swamp on the horizon.

Unlike Sweet Edge, this Erosion Swamp was even stranger.

The nearby ground was quite moist, and the dark clouds were reflected in the black water, disturbed by concentric ripples. The remains of a rocky hill protruded slightly on the horizon, and a slender column of erosion liquid extended from the mountain, pointing straight to the sky that was impossible to see the end of it.

It was like a suspension cable connecting heaven and earth.

There was also good news: There were no mutant beasts nearby. But with the strange atmosphere around them, this good news was starting to turn sour.

Three NPCs were leading the way, checking their surroundings as they walked. Their speed was as slow as an old ox strolling. The protective suits were already dull and heavy, and people gradually lost their desire to chat. As the sun was about to set, the team gradually came to a stop.

Apart from the fact that the nearby Erosion Swamp was a bit closer, the surrounding scenery had hardly changed. There were rolling dark clouds in the sky and on the ground, and they seemed to be advancing in a state of chaos.

Only one person still had plenty of energy at the moment—

“That Erosion Swamp looks a lot like a garden eel.” Shu Jun observed the swamp in the distance and initiated a conversation. “We’ve come this far, but I still don’t have any special feelings, and there’s no camouflage mirage nearby… The distance should be safe.”

“The concentration of erosion substance hasn’t changed significantly, which is a bit strange,” Zhu Yanchen raised his wrist and glanced at the detector.

“Except that it’s a bit damp here, I haven’t noticed any difference. The ground is just too wet, making it a bit difficult to set up camp.” Seeing the two of them start to chat, Yu Jin joined the conversation while panting.

After installing the erosion-resistant road signs to mark the route, the water vapor from his breathing caused the protective goggles to get wet and then dry. “It’s hard to explain. Logically, things should be going smoothly, but I just feel like something’s not right. Anyway, let’s call it a day here and tell Captain Hu. We should set up camp… Oh, that’s great. Despite the strangeness, we have canned meat to eat tonight.”

As soon as they finished setting up the waterproof stand, an unexpected event occurred—

Messenger Xiao Zhang had come again.

Thanks to the safety markers, Xiao Zhang caught up with them using a mud sled—they were completely cut off from the outside world here and could only use human messaging.

“What’s the matter?” Hu Yan was a bit surprised to see Xiao Zhang jump off the sled. Contact in the heavily eroded area was extremely difficult, so the next order wouldn’t usually come so quickly.

“Dong Lao’s new order.” Xiao Zhang still looked short of breath. “The previous scanning data was incorrect, and the result of this Erosion Marsh is normal. Don’t waste too many resources. It’s best to go early and come back early.”

Hu Yan didn’t make a fuss. Instead, he furrowed his brows. “Are you sure?”

“Very sure.” Xiao Zhang nodded and took a few steps forward. “Captain Hu, I’m also very surprised. But their information is absolute. This time, Dong Lao didn’t even give new intelligence data, and it’s likely that they really made a mistake.”

“I understand. Thank you for your hard work.” Hu Yan nodded. “You should use the mud sled first—”

Before Hu Yan could finish his sentence, a black shadow swept by, and a large sword split Xiao Zhang directly into two pieces. Hu Yan didn’t react and remained standing in place.

Shu Jun wielded his sword horizontally, separating Xiao Zhang and the rest of the team—he loosened the white cloth that covered Monday’s mouth and brain. Despite his clothes being bulky, his movements were still clean and neat.

Just a step away, “Xiao Zhang” fell down. His entire body was cut neatly into two pieces, but there were no hot and fresh internal organs or blood gushing out.

He was empty.

The outside of “Xiao Zhang” was covered by a protective suit and skin, indistinguishable from a living person, but inside there was only air, like a paper doll that had been stuffed and made to look alive. It sagged softly when it was cut by the large sword and gradually dissipated in the black water on the ground. The next moment, the mud sled also leaked air and melted into the ground.

“What—What—” Hu Yan was tongue-tied, but his gestures weren’t slow. Before Shu Jun could put away his sword, the Blackbirds members had already formed a defensive formation.

“The ripples it created don’t seem quite right,” Shu Jun whispered. “It doesn’t feel like a heavy object was ‘stepping down’, but more like a balloon ‘bouncing up’.”

“Retreat!” Seeing this anomaly, Zhu Yanchen almost immediately reacted. “We must retreat immediately. Otherwise, we will—”

“I guess it’s already too late,” Shu Jun muttered.

“What are you talking about?”

Hu Yan was still a bit stunned, while Yu Jin was still fiddling with the waterproof stand in place. Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun looked at each other and stepped away from each other.

“Use your captain’s authority to activate maximum erosion protection for everyone’s protective suits. Then activate the emergency oxygen supply,” Zhu Yanchen said to Hu Yan. “Right now!”

“Take the waterproof cloth from your tent and wrap it around yourself as tightly as possible!” Shu Jun twisted the speaker on the protective suit and deliberately pinched his throat. “Hurry up. Don’t just stand there!”

The Blackbirds members looked at each other, but since this person was an official NPC and his tone of reprimand was quite familiar, they subconsciously followed his instructions.

Hu Yan was also decisive. He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth as he followed the instructions.

“It’s done, now tell me why—shit!” Before he could finish his question, he got his answer.

There was a disturbance coming towards them.

At this point, Hu Yan had also come to his senses. If the giant liquid column was the flower stamen, this evil flower had hidden its thin petals beneath the surface of the water. The Erosion Swamp had spread its erosion substance extremely thin but was still solid, so the concentration of erosion substance along the way wasn’t very high.

Now that it had been exposed, it had collected these flattened “petals” towards the center, wrapping them in a circle. As for the water used to hide the erosion substance, it converged into a broad and unrecognizable petal and surged up, turning into a huge wave that attacked everyone.

From the moment the vanguard team stepped into the heavily eroded area, they were facing a trap.

Yu Jin reacted quickly. He ran over with the waterproof cloth and wrapped the four of them inside. Shu Jun held onto Monday with one hand and Zhu Yanchen, who was closest to him, with the other.

The murky water instantly engulfed the team.

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Access Denied Ch41

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 41: The Second Resurrection

Xia Liang sneered in her heart.

She knew that Ai Xiaoxiao didn’t like her, and she didn’t have any good feelings towards Ai Xiaoxiao either—people say that businessmen should be friendly, but this woman was very stingy when it came to money, and her temper wasn’t very good either. Xia Liang was used to being domineering that even Zhu Yanchen couldn’t be bothered to argue with her, but Ai Xiaoxiao, her subordinate, always opposed her.

Not to mention, her mood was particularly bad today.

Since Zhu Yanchen’s fake death, she had to manage daily operations and also supervise the Fourth Squadron. After finishing her work on the surface, she had little private time left, and now she had even less.

She was exhausted from work, and her personal life was also not going well.

Her planned dates were all ruined, and just yesterday, her girlfriend, who couldn’t take it anymore, finally broke up with her. Ms. Xia was stubborn. Though she knew she was in the wrong, she wasn’t the type to make amends and try to win her love back. Thus, the relationship had come to a bitter end.

Just after being dumped, she didn’t even have time to recover. She came to work at the clinic in the middle of the night, only to be scolded by Ai Xiaoxiao.

Xia Liang was filled with anger. Since she had to do security checks, she took out all the testing equipment and decided to investigate thoroughly. After all, she had to regain some of her dignity.

But before she could dig too deep, she stumbled upon an abnormal signal.

This was great. Xia Liang grabbed her tools and was about to open the door on the spot to check it out. She didn’t expect the security measures at Ai’s Clinic to be comparable to a command center. After a heated argument, Ai Xiaoxiao reluctantly opened the door with gritted teeth, and Xia Liang finally felt relieved.

However, that sense of victory didn’t last for two seconds before the scene inside shattered it.

For a moment, Xia Liang thought she was looking at the storage room for synthetic humans in a stronghold.

The room behind the door was quite spacious, much larger than the area occupied by the ground floor of Ai’s Clinic. Unlike the strongholds that displayed hibernation pods in rows, the pods here were arranged in a circular shape, with a rough count of as many as one or two hundred. They were arranged around a central pod, with several IV bags hanging over each pod, and the medicine flowing quietly into them.

The ceiling of the room was covered with rough machinery. Countless wires were entangled like ropes, and together with the infusion tubes, they penetrated into the pods. Small indicator lights twinkled in the dim light like spider eyes.

Xia Liang took a few steps inside.

The room was full of outdated hibernation pods, with translucent lids that revealed the appearance of the contents inside. Xia Liang was naturally brave, but seeing this, even she couldn’t help but shudder.

What was inside could hardly be called “human” anymore.

The “contents” in the outer circle still vaguely resembled human forms, but the ones in the inner circle had become completely different things—the contents looked like a pile of mixed-up squid, with opaque grayish-white skin that shimmered with water. But there were no squid tentacles visible in this mass; only scattered organs and exposed viscera, as well as strands of hair poking out from between the seams of flesh.

Furthermore, within the mixed organs, there were obvious non-human scales and claw tips, with no discernible pattern in terms of species.

They only had one commonality—their exposed hearts beat slowly, with deformed eyeballs covered in thin membranes, sleeping soundly.

“Do you think they look good?” Ai Xiaoxiao sneered when she noticed that Xia Liang had remained silent for a long time.

Xia Liang ignored her and walked around the room until she stood in front of the central hibernation pod and performed a proper examination.

The signal source was indeed here, or more precisely, it was the rough mechanical cluster on the ceiling. The signal it emitted was very similar to a stronghold, and it could only be distinguished when it was closer.

Since there was a difference, it couldn’t be considered an abnormal signal. Xia Liang put away the detection machine and glanced at the hibernation pod in the center. The thing inside was more like a grayish liquid than a piece of meat.

“The signal is safe.” The unnamed anger was dispersed. Xia Liang squeezed out the old man’s voice from her throat and said, “As agreed before, I won’t ask any questions.”

Ai Xiaoxiao looked at her with some surprise, and her expression relaxed slightly. “Then get out quickly.”

As she spoke, she squeezed herself through the door, adjusted the air conditioning setting for a while, and then carefully locked the door. Xia Liang looked at the side of the person’s face—facing this room full of monsters, Ai Xiaoxiao’s expression was a bit complicated, but it was still gentle overall.

Forget it. For her to be able to carry out such a big operation in her own clinic, she must not be a normal person. Xia Liang was normal to the extreme and had to stay away from such weird people.

The night passed without incident. Xia Liang returned to the Xia mansion at dawn and started to put on makeup.

The Xia family was well aware of Xia Liang’s sexual orientation. To be honest, they didn’t care much—there weren’t many elements of love in the family’s arranged marriages, and many people had extramarital affairs after marriage. As long as Xia Liang picked a fiancé who was a good match for her, even if she went out to find a lover to spend the night with every day, they would turn a blind eye.

For example, now. Even though she returned home at five in the morning, the nanny didn’t show any surprised expressions.

Xia Liang had always disliked her family’s attitude, but she couldn’t change the ideas of the Xia’s elders. When she got older, she secretly started her second career, following Zhu Yanchen into the battlefield.

It wasn’t because she sympathized with the situation of the synths or had some soft and pitiful emotions. She simply felt miserable.

The Xia family had always been committed to being a fence-sitter between the Zhu and Tang families. They raised their sons to be followers of the other two families and married off their daughters. Over the years, as one of the well-behaved dogs raised by both families, she naturally got a share of the meat.

Xia Liang was one of their most successful “chips”. She looked very much like her grandmother, a national singer, and since she was young, they had been training her in the direction of her grandmother’s image—the public was quite nostalgic for the singer from decades ago, and that obsession had smoothly transferred to Xia Liang, and the Xia family made a lot of fame and fortune from it.

Xia Liang herself didn’t dislike a life of luxury and extravagance, but she found it distasteful that some people chewed their food slowly and delicately, giving off an air of being too petty-minded.

Additionally, she didn’t like singing at all.

She preferred to shoulder her responsibilities and speak up with her abilities rather than grovel to become someone else’s superior. However, if she were to reveal this desire, she would likely be regarded as a childish and immature little girl throwing a tantrum. The likely outcome would be that some family would reward her with a meaningless position, just to placate her.

So the “Dong Lao” from a humble background appeared.

During the negotiation process, Zhu Yanchen’s attitude was direct and cold. Regardless of whether she was being foolishly hopeful or not, he simply said, “Start from the bottom. Continue if you succeed. Leave if you fail.”

Several years passed, and she became Zhu Yanchen’s top advisor. Xia Liang swirled her lipstick and stared at the bright red color.

…It was incredibly satisfying to create one’s own path.

With a flip of her hand, she crushed the lipstick head on the table and swiped it fiercely. The low, piercing sound of friction rang out, gradually dissipating along with the grievances and anger of the night.

When she raised her head again, a carefree and sweet smile hung on her face.

……

“I heard Ms. Xia is coming to the command center today,” Luo Duan said.

When they arrived at Yi Ning’s office, he commanded a water column and immediately swept the access card under the desk. Yi Ning simply assumed that he had accidentally dropped it and didn’t suspect anything.

“Hmm? Oh, I know,” Yi Ning said, still showing signs of sleep deprivation. “The Xia family wants her to do some kind of morale-boosting performance.”

“The target is probably you,” Luo Duan said with a gentle smile. “It seems the Xia family has high hopes for you.”

“Forget it. I don’t have the time or energy for that. There are so many things I need to do now, and they’re still fooling around… If the economy continues to decline this year, the border settlement area will likely become unstable.” Yi Ning laughed dryly.

“You really care about the ‘people’.”

“After all, I’ve seen everything. The people in the border areas suffer greatly. Even worse…” Yi Ning originally wanted to say, “than synthetic humans”, but realizing the identity of the person he was talking to, he swallowed the second half of his sentence.

“Even worse…?” Luo Duan’s smile grew even warmer.

“Nevermind that. In any case, we need to find a way to quickly boost the economy.” Yi Ning immediately changed the subject.

“As for last night’s topic… How about we bring back the people from the border settlement areas as labor since there’s a shortage of labor?” Luo Duan played with a water droplet on his fingertip. “I know, education is a problem, and their age and health status may not be suitable. But they can still be considered part of the labor force, can’t they?”

That was indeed the case.

…But compared to the elderly, sick, and disabled, synthetic humans were more useful. It was all because Zhu Yanchen was too conservative. If Zhu Sheng’s “reform law” had been implemented earlier, they wouldn’t have had to spend so many years training synths and could have truly achieved mass production.

This was the first challenge that Yi Ning faced at the moment, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell Luo Duan about it.

“We’re… considering other options,” he answered vaguely. “Other measures to increase the labor force.”

Luo Duan looked at him fixedly for a moment. “I see. Actually, I’m curious about the details… In my opinion, it’s most reasonable to incorporate the people from the border settlements as soon as possible.”

Then, he turned his gaze outside the window, his tone becoming light and airy. “But it’s okay. We’re just chatting for fun anyway. This issue doesn’t matter. We can discuss something else.”

As the atmosphere became increasingly tense, Yi Ning decided to turn on the TV and switch to a message channel for gamers, hoping to lighten the mood.

But the first news story completely caught their attention—

“Breaking news, the Y-9091 base’s garrison discovered Marshal Zhu Yanchen’s whereabouts. Marshal Zhu survived a serious injury and was rescued after a night of emergency treatment. According to Marshal Zhu Yanchen himself, he encountered a mutant beast attack and was lucky to survive. He managed to escape and wandered near the erosion zone for many days…”

“What?” Yi Ning almost choked on his own saliva.

In the distant erosion zone, someone asked a similar question.

Shu Jun: “What?!”

Yu Jin choked on his breakfast. “What the hell, Brother Gray Claw, why are you making such a fuss about it? It’s just some game being played by those above. It has nothing to do with us.”

“…No, I just read his obituary before, so I was startled…” Shu Jun turned up the volume knob of the radio—they had been walking in the erosion zone for two days, and the signal was so weak that it was almost negligible, so the radio’s sound was intermittent.

Zhu Yanchen sat upright, as usual, pushing his mask up slightly, and ate his soft food package methodically, appearing completely emotionless.

Shu Jun felt a bit skeptical about life. It was said that when two flowers bloom on the same branch, they each represent a branch*. In Marshal Zhu’s case, he had faked his own death twice, leaving a “body” on each side. Even the gods weren’t that extraordinary.

*Idiom referring when the story becomes multi-facet, each “branch” will be told one by one, || In this context, it’s kind of like a sarcastic remark about how there’s now two Zhu Yanchen, both who seemed to have escaped death/was resurrected twice. Not even the gods could do such a feat. 

“Zhu Sheng made his move.” After finishing breakfast in all seriousness, Zhu Yanchen glanced at Yu Jin, who was listening, and commented lightly. “That person very likely isn’t his son.”

Shu Jun took a gulp of liquid food. “That’s possible?”

“He probably didn’t want to leave a leadership vacuum for too long and let Yi Ning take advantage of the situation to gain the public’s favor. When Zhu Sheng’s term ends, he will have to step down completely. It won’t look good if he comes back again, so I’m not surprised by this development at all.”

Zhu Yanchen balled up the soft packaging and threw it into the garbage bag, revealing a small part of his face that showed no emotion.

“Compared to this, today we need to make our initial contact with the outer edge of the Erosion Swamp. This kind of thing isn’t worth being distracted by… Let’s go.”

The author has something to say:

Marshal Zhu: Resurrected from the dead (2/2)

Shu Ge: ……………

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Access Denied Ch40

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 40: Nightmare

Zhu Yanchen couldn’t quite describe his mood.

Shu Jun had better control over his emotions than he had imagined. Facing his old teammate, he didn’t lose his cool too much. But as soon as the conversation began, Zhu Yanchen was momentarily stunned when Hu Yan mentioned “honeymoon”.

If Shu Jun had a lover, he certainly would have mentioned it to ‘Smoke’.

Countless feelings instantly converged, and for a moment, Zhu Yanchen couldn’t tell if it was bitter or salty. But thinking about it, he and Shu Jun were originally separated by a huge gap, and text communication was only the result of his reluctant effort—the virtual city was heavily protected, and he had to carefully avoid those technicians to quietly tear a gap.

There were two main purposes for their communication.

Publicly, Shu Jun liked to share tactics with other captains, and he was very open about it. Zhu Yanchen could quietly pass on safer strategies, allowing players to live longer.

Privately, it was bitter to go it alone, and people always needed support.

He had exhausted all his efforts, thoroughly understood all the issues related to the Erosion Swamp and left behind a spark that was enough to ignite a wildfire before he died. As for the original agreement, this could be considered an explanation. Both of them didn’t have much time left, and Zhu Yanchen hoped that he could go ahead of Shu Jun. When he reached the underworld, he would be able to welcome Shu Jun in an upright manner.

He knew that Shu Jun couldn’t remember the past, and he also knew that he couldn’t get rid of the shock in his brain and wouldn’t be able to save his former friend. At least in the last few years of his life, Zhu Yanchen just wanted to chat a few words with that person.

However, Shu Jun was more enthusiastic than he had imagined. At first, the two of them talked smoothly about tactics, and later, this man even wanted to share the interesting things that happened in his life. Infected by the other person’s warmth, Zhu Yanchen couldn’t help but open up a bit and speak up from time to time.

After all, this was the moment when he needed the least consideration. In the end, it could be considered comfort during his final pain.

Now that he had survived, Zhu Yanchen couldn’t help but hope that he could be more special—at least not an ordinary acquaintance who couldn’t even get close. It seemed that even Hu Yan knew that Shu Jun had a lover.

Before Zhu Yanchen could react, Hu Yan dropped another bombshell: “Sister-in-law’s game ID is ‘Smoke’.”

Zhu Yanchen: “…”

He reacted quickly and instantly guessed that this was the system’s handling the aftermath. Despite this, he still had a hint of inexplicable joy. Seeing Shu Jun outside the tent, embarrassed and scratching his head, Marshal Zhu took the initiative to defuse the situation, which was rare.

Who would have thought that after a conversation, Shu Jun’s mood would darken again? That night, Zhu Yanchen turned over and saw that there was no one beside him. The sleeping bag was icy cold, and the only sound in his ears was the sound of Yu Jin’s snoring.

Even Monday, who was lying next to him, was gone.

Zhu Yanchen immediately sat up, hastily put on his protective suit, and left the tent.

He was a little worried—Shu Jun exceeded his expectations. After knowing the truth, he didn’t recklessly save people at all costs, nor did he spread his hatred to humans like himself, Ai Xiaoxiao, or Yu Jin. Just recently, the two of them had been running around trying to solve the problem of synths, and surprisingly, they were getting along quite well.

But even if things were gradually being resolved, that hatred still existed.

Shu Jun hadn’t gone far. To avoid the wind, the Blackbirds set up camp by a low cliff. Shu Jun was sitting on the cliff at the moment by himself. He pushed his gas mask aside, and his gray-white eyes sparkled in the night.

Monday was the first to notice Zhu Yanchen. It exhaled vigorously. “Zhu! Zhu—”

“That’s enough.” Shu Jun pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He didn’t turn around and just shifted his body a little to give Zhu Yanchen a place to sit.

“Don’t worry. I won’t have an emotional breakdown and just run away with Hu Yan and the others.” After Zhu Yanchen sat down, Shu Jun turned his head with a somewhat complicated expression. “After all, you are such a reliable partner. If I lose you*, I won’t dare mess around.”

*After passing this village, there’s no other shop like this (过了这村就没这店了) Idiom used to describe missed opportunities or regretting not taking action when the chance was available. || In this context, he’s saying there’s no one who can replace Zhu Yanchen (as a partner).

“I’m not worried about that.”

“Really?” Shu Jun laughed and moved his position again. The two of them were close enough, and the night was cold, making the warmth from his body even more evident.

Zhu Yanchen was silent for a few seconds and found that he didn’t know how to respond, so he just made a hum in agreement.

“A’Yan, you said a few days ago that I could talk to you like we used to.” Shu Jun’s voice was clear and powerful. “So I’ll tell you. I had a dream just now—a really strange one.”

This was indeed a topic they used to chat about online.

“I dreamed of myself, but it was the normal me from before—it was oozing erosion substance all over, bones were exposed, and its face had been eroded away. It stood in front of me and kept nagging, telling me to kill you and then kill Yu Jin, directly take Blackbirds to capture several strongholds, and seek revenge against humanity.”

Zhu Yanchen: “…” He really didn’t know how to respond to all this.

“I found it quite interesting. I dreamt about it last night, and it came again tonight. I rarely dream, so it’s definitely not a coincidence.” Shu Jun yawned and stroked Monday. “As soon as I fall asleep, it starts mumbling, like clocking in for work.”

At this point, Zhu Yanchen could hear the hidden meaning behind Shu Jun’s words. He held his breath and looked at Shu Jun.

“I’ve told you before, I hate humans. Y City is really lively, with groups of people trampling on our corpses to live their lives. Ignorance is not an excuse, in my opinion. However, personally speaking, those who knowingly promote the player system despite knowing the truth are the ones I want to kill.”

Shu Jun raised his hand and casually pointed upward with his sharp claws.

“But before that, I will do everything possible to ensure that my compatriots survive. Regardless of how the situation changes, this is definitely the top priority… So I think that nagging thing in my dream shouldn’t be my subconscious.”

“When did this dream start?” Zhu Yanchen asked seriously.

“Just these two days. The biggest recent event was probably infiltrating the command center to steal information. Tell me, Grand Marshal—”

Shu Jun propped himself up with one hand, leaned in close to Zhu Yanchen’s face, and the heat radiating from him made Zhu Yanchen purse his lips.

“—Is your command center really secure?”

“It’s hard to say.” When he spoke again, Zhu Yanchen noticed that his voice was a little hoarse. “The purification defense of the command center is relatively sound, so the formed Erosion Swamp can’t get in. But in order to ensure the coming and going of synths, it won’t completely exclude erosion substance.”

“Hmm…” Shu Jun hummed, wrinkling his brow.

“There are also loopholes.” Zhu Yanchen continued, “They rely too much on the purification system and only check it regularly according to regulations. Even if they find something wrong, it will take some time to go through the application process.”

He subconsciously thought of something, but when he went to investigate it further, that sense of inspiration disappeared.

“Well, it seems like I need to have more dreams and see what the purpose of that thing is.” Shu Jun smiled again, reached out, and pulled Zhu Yanchen’s coat off his shoulders. “I dreamt of something uncomfortable, so I was just trying to clear my mind. Let’s go back. Your body is still human, so be careful not to catch a cold.”

There was no vegetation in the erosion zone. The erosion substance liked water, so the entire zone was like a desolated swamp. The sky was always dark, and even though Shu Jun stopped the wind around him, the air was still uncomfortably damp and cold, as if every step could pass through a ghost.

“If you can’t handle those negative emotions…” Zhu Yanchen stood up.

He wanted to say, “You can also talk to me about them”, but as a member of the human race, that sentence was a bit stinging. He threw out the first half of the sentence, but the second half died in his chest.

Shu Jun stopped laughing. He stared at Zhu Yanchen for a moment before blurting out, “You have an interesting perspective. I’m sure you’ve been through a lot and have rich experience.”

The sentence didn’t sound sarcastic but carried three parts anger and seven parts dissatisfaction. Before he finished speaking, Shu Jun reached out to button up Zhu Yanchen’s coat, exuding an air of wanting to strangle him.

“Let’s go back, quickly.” After buttoning up the coat, Shu Jun raised his claws threateningly. “If I can’t stand it, I won’t keep quiet, and I’ll howl in front of you for three days and nights. Not like someone who pretends to be an eighty-year-old man, planning to quietly disappear from the world.”

“…”

“Okay, don’t look like that. I understand your reasoning. Your choices were limited, but does that have anything to do with me not feeling good?”

This was the first time Zhu Yanchen had met such an unreasonable collaborator, leaving him speechless. Although there was nothing to refute, a sour feeling rose in his chest.

“We should go back. We have to get up early tomorrow.” After being scrutinized by Shu Jun’s gaze for a few minutes, Zhu Yanchen spoke in a dry voice. “Regarding the command center, I’ll contact Ai Xiaoxiao.”

“What else?”

“Afterwards, you… No, we can communicate about emotional issues, two-way.”

“That’s about right.”

In Y City, Ai Xiaoxiao wasn’t sleeping either.

Since obtaining that jar of brain matter, she had been studying it with fervor and enthusiasm. Unlike Zhu Yanchen, who was focused on studying the Erosion Swamps, she was more skilled in treating late-stage erosion with drugs. In terms of medication, she was confident.

She was waiting for the machine’s analysis results, crunching on her fifth coffee-flavored lollipop.

With no guests in the late night, time seemed to stand still, making it the perfect time for research. Unfortunately, her life had recently been disrupted by an unwelcome guest—Zhu Yanchen’s faked death had thrown off her original plans. In order to handle Zhu Yanchen’s orders, Dong Lao had begun coming over repeatedly, specifically choosing late night hours when there were few people around.

And today was no different.

If it weren’t for the fact that the old man liked to hide in corners where no one could find him and that he didn’t come here to mooch off food and drink, she would have kicked him out. Being called away to open or close the door when inspiration was surging was already at the limit of what she could bear.

Ai Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes, picked up the prepared solution from one side, and began carefully dripping the new drug into it. She had just dripped the third drop when the alarm on the workbench started blaring, and Ai Xiaoxiao’s hand shook, wasting the entire tube of solution.

“Fuck!” She squeezed out a curse through her teeth.

Today was her breaking point. She no longer planned to show any respect for the old man and was definitely going to beat him into a pulp. Ai Xiaoxiao grabbed her keychain from the hook, stormed down the corridor with an air of menace, and charged toward another underground passage.

When she reached her destination, Dong Lao’s expression was even uglier than hers.

“Explain.” His voice was hoarse.

“Excuse me? You’re messing around in my house, and you want me to explain?”

“The detector detected an abnormal signal, and I have to make sure that this place hasn’t been bugged or invaded.”

“So you fucking didn’t tell me beforehand and was just going to barged in yourself?!”

“How could I possibly dare? You said that if I disturbed you during the experiment, you’d pluck my bones out and use them as brooms to clean up the waste from the urology department.” Dong Lao was equally unceremonious. “Now, explain. This place has a very complex mixed lock, and no one should be able to get in except for you.”

Dong Lao stood in front of an old door. The door was made of metal, very thick, and covered with mottled rust. It was locked with various types of locks, from the oldest physical locks to the newest electronic ones.

Ai Xiaoxiao sneered. She saw a bulge under the sleeve of his shirt, which was probably a gun.

“If you weren’t one of Zhu Yanchen’s men, you would be dead by now.” Behind the large ring-shaped keychain, she was holding, a cold scalpel glinted. “It’s none of your business. Have you heard of Bluebeard’s room*?”

*Reference to Bluebeard. He has a room where he keeps all his murdered wives’ corpses. You can read the story in the Wikipedia.

“Have you heard of Bluebeard’s ending*?”

*Clarity:Bluebeard’s latest wife became curious and managed to open his locked door, finding all of his previous wives’ corpses. When Bluebeard was about to murder her, she asked for one last prayer, which he granted, allowing time for her family to show up and kill him. || In this context, Ai Xiaoxiao is saying “You don’t want to know what’s in that room” and Dong Lao is retorting “You know what happens to people who hide secrets, right?”. Think of it like that.

“If you don’t trust me, you can ask Zhu Yanchen.”

“But that will have to wait for a while, won’t it? I won’t give you time to prepare, and I’m not interested in your personal affairs. If our interests coincide, you can show me. Regardless of whether it’s a demon or something else inside, as long as there’s no abnormal signal, I won’t say a word.”

Ai Xiaoxiao stared at him for a moment.”Fine, for Zhu Yanchen’s sake,” she said. “As an exchange, if you say a single word, I will definitely skin you alive—literally. I mean what I say.”

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Criminal Psychology Ch202

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 202

When Xing Conglian talked about the matter of the deaths, there wasn’t a heavy expression on his face, indicating that it shouldn’t be a terrible thing like an infectious disease.

During the Gaomeng people’s escape, they were already heavily injured, so it wasn’t surprising that a few would suddenly pass away due to their injuries. Lin Chen frowned, suddenly realizing that the value of life had changed in his concept since he deviated from civilization, which wasn’t a good thing.

However, the cause of death for the two Gaomeng people slightly exceeded Lin Chen’s imagination.

They died in a fight.

At that time, dinner was being served on the ship, and one person suddenly had a dispute with his neighbor. He used a butter knife to stab the neighbor’s body directly, causing blood and flesh to splatter. The neighbor wasn’t easy to deal with and held the man’s neck tightly before hitting the iron table corner.

The two people fought too fiercely and too fast, and the other Gaomeng people didn’t even have time to stop them. They had already died together.

Lin Chen listened with horror and found it difficult to accept. According to the schedule, they would arrive at the port tomorrow morning, and all the Gaomeng people facing the threat of death would regain their freedom. And now, they were fighting to death, which wasn’t worth it… He thought for a moment and asked Xing Conglian, “What is the reason?”

“Duan Yang said it might be the sequelae of drugs.” Xing Conglian sighed for a moment and talked to him about the possibility that the entire Gaomeng tribe might have been taking illegal drugs or being used as test subjects for a new drug that had a subtle connection with schizophrenia.

Thinking of Zhourui Pharmaceutical and everything involved, Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian. Before he could say anything, Xing Conglian seemed to see through his thoughts and directly said, “Don’t even think about it.”

Lin Chen raised his hand and pulled Xing Conglian, freeing up the position on the inside of the bed. “Then don’t go. Sleep with me.”

Xing Conglian widened his eyes and looked at him incredulously. “Are you pulling another trick?”

Lin Chen smiled. “I just don’t want you to leave.”

Xing Conglian suddenly sat down and stroked the side of Lin Chen’s face with one hand. His eyes darkened. “Consultant Lin…”

Xing Conglian’s tone sounded a bit wrong at this moment. Lin Chen felt the rough touch of his skin on his palm and shuddered slightly, then he said seriously, “Yes, Captain Xing?”

“Do you know that you are still not well?” Xing Conglian slightly leaned over to the corner of his mouth, but didn’t make any kissing movements.

“Not only am I not well, but my condition seems to be quite serious now.”

Before Lin Chen finished speaking, he heard Xing Conglian say word by word, “So, are you sure you can handle it?”

“Why are you like this?”

Xing Conglian gently bit his earlobe and said in a low and deep voice, “Because I miss you.”

Lin Chen felt that the difference between being a talker and a doer might lie here. The next moment, Xing Conglian had already put him down on the bed. Although there was no action, he had a creepy feeling.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly, threateningly saying, “You may really not be able to get out of bed for a few days, so…”

Lin Chen quickly hugged the other’s neck and said sincerely, “I was wrong.”

“What did you do wrong?”

“My body is not well yet.”

“Hmm?”

“When I’m feeling better, I need to find a vacation where I don’t have to work, and I can’t stay at home.”

“Why can’t you stay at home?” Xing Conglian asked, rubbing his stubble against his face in satisfaction.

“Wang Chao is too annoying.”

“Shall I kick him out of the house?”

Lin Chen thought for a moment, feeling a little hesitant. “Never mind, let’s just book a domestic five-day trip for two instead…” He trailed off, testing Xing Conglian. “Is five days enough?”

“Probably not.”

Lin Chen chuckled. “Well, we’ll talk about it next time.”

“But next time, we can’t just talk about it…” Xing Conglian said.

“I know,” Lin Chen replied.

In any case, these two never seemed to have enough time together. In the end, Xing Conglian chose to respect Lin Chen’s wishes and led him downstairs.

There weren’t many decent clothes on the boat, so Lin Chen draped a thin blanket over himself and followed Xing Conglian to the first floor cabin.

The sound of water was clearer here, and outside the porthole was a dark rainforest where water and sky merged seamlessly without boundaries.

After the chaos, most of the Gaomeng people were ordered to stay in the inner cabin.

Therefore, the so-called scene of the crime was only occupied by the elderly tribal leader, who was called a “great trickster” by Wang Chao, accompanied by two strong men.

It was said that the Gaomeng tribe leader had died in battle long ago, so in reality, there weren’t many people left in the tribe.

The cabin was empty and terrifying, with the river wind blowing through it. The ground was a mess, and the rainforest bananas were trampled into a pulp mixed with blood, giving off a putrid smell.

The only doctor on the boat was squatting beside the corpse, performing an autopsy. Duan Yang was now quite versatile. Lin Chen stood beside the young doctor, watching as he examined the wounds on the deceased’s face.

“Did you find anything?” Lin Chen asked.

Duan Yang suddenly looked up and frowned when he saw Lin Chen standing there. “Why are you here? Take care of yourself and be careful not to get too hot again.”

Lin Chen crouched down beside him and said, “I came to see if I could help.”

Duan Yang took off his plastic gloves and shook his head. “Actually, I don’t understand this either. It would be best to find a forensic doctor to perform a craniotomy and pathological examination, but…” He looked at Xing Conglian and asked, “Isn’t that difficult?”

“All of that can be solved. Tell me your thoughts,” Lin Chen said.

“Throughout the whole process, they had an argument that led to death too quickly. Suddenly, they became restless and violent, and then suddenly died. It seems like a sudden manic episode…”

“It’s not sudden,” Lin Chen interrupted, looking at Xing Conglian. He reached for a pair of plastic gloves and put them on, then gently touched the victim’s face. “He must have been angry for a while.”

Duan Yang looked at the victim’s forehead. “Are there any expression lines?”

“No,” Lin Chen pursed his lips. “Their skin is too rough. That can’t be used as evidence.”

“But when people are angry, they tend to curl their fingers and toes,” Lin Chen continued. “This brings up the scientific study of innate human emotions versus learned behaviors. Is it beyond race and rooted in human genes?” As he spoke, he reached for the victim’s right hand and examined the palm. There were very clear marks where the nails had pinched. He wanted to stand up and check the victim’s feet, but Xing Conglian beat him to it. He took off the victim’s grass shoes and lifted them up to show him.

Lin Chen nodded. “The condition of this African victim tells us that anger is an innate emotion that transcends race. A more scientific psychology experiment would be to take photos of various facial expressions of Caucasians and Asians and see if these rainforest people can identify different emotions…”

“Consultant Lin, I don’t quite understand. Is this research meaningful?” Duan Yang asked.

Lin Chen shrugged. “Actually, I don’t know. I’m just afraid of burning out, so I’m talking nonsense.” He stood up, looking down at the people who were tragically dead and still angry on the ground, and said lightly, “But with scientific research, how can we always predict how the seemingly inconspicuous results will affect the human process?”

Duan Yang solemnly said, “I understand.” He thought for a moment and added, “We really need to determine more carefully what type of medication Zhourui Pharmaceutical has given them. This is probably the reason why Teacher insisted on saving those patients. It may not seem worthwhile for him to sacrifice his life, but maybe it is.”

Lin Chen took off his gloves and rubbed the young man’s hair. “Don’t think too much about it. That was his decision, and we don’t have the right to say much, but these cases are really strange.”

“I think so too.” Duan Yang said, “Most drugs that can cause brain damage or mental problems require long-term use, which will accumulate in the human body. But most of the Gaomeng people here seem fine, and many of them suddenly get sick without any warning. For example, Mr. Xing’s subordinates had mental abnormalities after accidentally coming into contact with the drugs. But today’s case is different. Does it mean that the Gaomeng tribe had taken many different types of medication?” Duan Yang turned to look at the elder and his entourage, who were vigilantly watching them. “Are there still possible new cases among the Gaomeng people on the ship?”

Lin Chen kicked Duan Yang’s heel and calmly said, “Don’t be so obvious. Talking behind someone’s back while looking at them isn’t good.”

Duan Yang smiled bitterly. “Consultant Lin, now I can tell that you are really recovering.”

“It seems… that even healthy Gaomeng people can’t be allowed to work on the cruise ship?” Xing Conglian frowned and was quite annoyed. “Do I also need to encircle these people like Zaratul?”

“What do you think?” Lin Chen asked Duan Yang.

“This involves medical ethics.” Duan Yang’s brow furrowed deeper. “If we know that some of these people may harm others when they leave, should we temporarily detain the healthy people who can’t be judged like the sick…”

Looking at the young man whose temperament had changed significantly from their first meeting, Lin Chen said, “The sentence you just said is a bit scary.”

“What?”

“First, I will point out that this incident may be solved in the rainforest, but what if it happened in a densely populated city?” Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian and said to Duan Yang, “Second, after you raise this point of view, it will make it very difficult for him to act.”

Duan Yang immediately apologized. “I didn’t think about it. Sorry.”

Lin Chen sighed slightly, and Xing Conglian put his hand on his shoulder and said, “Let’s find a relatively isolated manor. We won’t restrict their personal freedom, but those who are already sick must receive treatment. Is that okay?”

“I have no objection.” Duan Yang said, “But the cause of the disease has not been completely identified yet. Whether it is medication or psychoactive drugs, we still need to find out the real reason that caused them to become like this.”

“What you mean is that you should preside over the entire project…” Xing Conglian said in the night.

Duan Yang suddenly looked up.

The crime scene may not be the appropriate time to discuss these matters, but Xing Conglian still said to Duan Yang, “The ship will arrive at the port tomorrow, and we will handle the Zhourui Pharmaceutical matter back in China. However, someone needs to take care of things here in the rainforest. Before his death, Duan Wanshan made many requests to me. Since he was someone I admired, I will give you money to fulfill his wishes. Whether you want to spend the money freely or complete your teacher’s unfinished business, such as trying to treat the Gaomeng people, it’s up to you.”

Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian in surprise. Xing Conglian placed his hand on his shoulder, speaking as he led him towards the cabin, and whispered in his ear, “You have blown enough wind. Don’t think that I will let you stay outside for too long.”

“Mr. Xing!”

Duan Yang called out to Xing Conglian from behind.

The young man was completely stunned, with a mixture of panic, pain, confusion, and the restraint to try to manage these chaotic emotions.

Xing Conglian turned around and looked at the young doctor crouching on the ground, saying, “Don’t ask me why ten thousand times. I just saved some money by not giving it to you earlier.”

Many words were stuck in Duan Yang’s throat. He lowered his eyelashes, then raised his head with a clear expression, without any hesitation, as if he had already made up his mind. He said very solemnly, “Thank you.”

“You’ve already said that. No need to say it again.”

Xing Conglian waved his hand, and Lin Chen stood beside him, being pulled inside by him.

“Why did you only tell him these things now?” Lin Chen asked in a low voice.

“Two days ago, you still hadn’t gotten out of danger, so it wasn’t appropriate to give him the diagnosis fee so soon,” Xing Conglian said as a matter of fact.

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