Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

---

Chapter 270

Hongjing Municipal Detention Center, Female Interrogation Room, Ground Floor.

Shen Lian was beautiful—that was Lin Chen’s first impression when he saw her again.

Outside the iron railing was a large expanse of concrete ground, looking dull and gray with only a few scattered green trees in random corners, far from the high walls. Further away, the sky above the high walls was divided into regular strips by the electric fence, just like a prison.

Lin Chen averted his gaze, pulled out a chair, and sat down at the table.

Shen Lian’s fair wrists were shackled by slender iron handcuffs. Against the gray background, even wearing the pale blue prison uniform, her bright and beautiful features couldn’t be concealed.

Lin Chen nodded to her and placed his phone on the table.

Shen Lian smiled and asked, “Lin Chen, how do you feel?”

Her tone was sweet, like a doctor caring for a patient, but Lin Chen was well aware that she must have spoken in a similar manner when caring for the lab mice.

“No need to worry. I can get through it,” Lin Chen replied.

“The acute withdrawal symptoms aren’t easy to bear, right?” Shen Lian asked.

“Better off dead,” Lin Chen answered.

“You were conscious for a bit longer than I expected. It seems individuals have varying tolerances to the drug,” Shen Lian summarized in a tone like writing a paper.

“Of course,” Lin Chen replied with just two words.

Shen Lian was taken aback by his response. The heart of a woman seeking revenge was always strong. Her face stiffened, then she said, “When will you fulfill your promise to me?”

Shen Lian was referring to his promise to report on how public officials used their lives to prevent criminals from committing suicide.

Lin Chen replied directly, “The fairness of the deal lies in the fact that I promised to do something for you, and you also promised to do something for me. But I’m afraid someone like you might suddenly drop out of the game, so I need something from you to ensure that your promise is meaningful.”

“You’re not qualified to negotiate conditions with me,” Shen Lian retorted.

……

Hongjing Municipal Police Department, Conference Room.

Before answering the questions, Xing Conglian looked down at his watch and then said directly, “He’s conducting an intensive interrogation with Shen Lian.”

With this statement, the room fell silent again.

Recalling the scene of Lin Chen injecting the drug yesterday, many people had doubts in their hearts.

“Can Lin Consultant’s current physical condition sustain a prolonged interrogation?” someone asked.

“Barely,” Xing Conglian answered truthfully.

Some officials couldn’t bear the expression on their faces.

But others who were stubborn, like Huang Ze, began to whisper to each other.

Seeing this, Huang Ze decided to voice what these people wanted to say to Xing Conglian directly. “What Lin Chen is doing now is a bit like a lone hero.”

Xing Conglian’s cold gaze swept over. “Detective Huang, why do you say that?”

“All departments are cooperating in the case, and yet Consultant Lin is the one charging into the front line. Can’t anyone share the burden for him?” Another person spoke ambiguously.

“Because this case is indeed related to him.” Xing Conglian paused and said coldly, “To be precise, according to his own words, he is regarded as a typical target by the criminals. Everyone here, I’m afraid, has the same ‘honor’ as him.”

“What do you mean by typical target?” A detective from the Serious Case Department asked.

“He represents a certain type of rational and self-proclaimed righteous individual,” Xing Conglian answered. “In other words, he is the epitome of all of you here.”

The slender earphone wire passed behind Xing Conglian’s ear as he stood on the stage. With his short-cropped hair and a calm gaze sweeping across the audience, he exuded an air of authority without anger.

His words were like stones thrown into a pond. Everyone, whether the detectives in the front row or the members of the Serious Case Department, as well as the Special Operations team and other public officials in the back, fell silent but trembled in their hearts.

Finally, it was a high-ranking officer among the laptops in front of Xing Conglian who broke the silence and said, “Tell us more specifically.”

Xing Conglian withdrew his gaze, looked at the officer, and answered, “I have a complete chain of clues proving that an unknown criminal organization has planned a series of recent incidents in Hongjing and nearby cities. The same group of criminals from four years ago has returned.”

Huang Ze’s heart trembled violently. He looked at Xing Conglian almost incredulously. The events from four years ago that were related to Lin Chen could only be that case.

Xing Conglian met his gaze, and every word he spoke seemed directed at Huang Ze.

“The bizarre murder case that occurred in Hongjing last year was the prelude to their return.”

On the projection screen, timely photos of white sand and Feng Peilin appeared, but Huang Ze couldn’t spare the effort to look at them. He clenched his fists tightly and stared at Xing Conglian’s eyes.

“The accidental death of drug enforcement officer Fang Zhiming was proven to be related to the tampering of the backend time of the highway emergency call system by Yang Dianfeng. The suspect, Yang Dianfeng, also died in an explosion during transportation.”

Xing Conglian pressed the control button in his hand again, and a large amount of data was displayed on the projection screen. Several records were highlighted in red boxes, making them particularly eye-catching. “We checked the backend data of the system and found over a dozen instances of tampering with driving records, including the major highway robbery case at Yaqin Jewelry 723. The only survivor of the case, Cheng Weiwei, subsequently died in the Yongchuan University suicide case.”

There was an uproar among the crowd, but Xing Conglian’s statement didn’t stop. He continued, “In the Yongchuan University dark web live-streaming incident, the organizer identified by the students, Mr. Meijing, was found to be involved in the planning of the Yongchuan Christine Cultural Center fire incident. After the incident, Meijing committed suicide.”

“Another suspect, Xiang Ye, also committed suicide in the detention center.”

Death, death, and more death. Xiang Ye’s and Meijing’s bodies in the pool of blood were particularly terrifying.

But it was not just them; every person involved in the related cases chose to end their lives in an extremely cruel and loyal manner.

……

Lin Chen leaned back against the back of the chair. The setup in the detention center was hard and uncomfortable. He looked at Shen Lian. “You’re not afraid of death anymore. There’s nothing left in this world that scares you.” Lin Chen thought for a moment and asked calmly, “Is that what it means?”

“Of course.”

“But it’s not necessarily true. I have another view.” Lin Chen leaned slightly forward. “They say the dead don’t talk because all their secrets are buried with them. So, do people choose death to bury their secrets, or because they are afraid of the day their secrets are exposed?”

“Consultant Lin, you talk so much. Is it to force yourself to keep talking and distract yourself from the discomfort?” Shen Lian smiled playfully, completely evading his question.

Lin Chen shook his head and got straight to the point with Shen Lian. “Shen Lian, let’s have a chat.”

“Aren’t we already chatting?” Shen Lian replied.

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Chen interrupted her. “Tell me first, do you know him?”

……

“How can you confirm that there is a complete and unified mastermind behind this series of cases?”

The person asked, adding, “I mean, we understand the connection between these four cases, but how can you be sure that there is a relationship between the online betting targeting our region, these four cases, and Shen Lian?”

One of the detectives from the Lin City Major Case Unit asked.

Xing Conglian pressed the control button of the projector again.

The pattern on the screen flashed, and a very old photo of the book “Discrete Mathematics” appeared.

“This is the codebook used by the criminals and students to communicate during the collective suicide incident at Yongchuan University,” Xing Conglian explained. “The final code was cracked by Professor Ye from the Mathematics Department at Yongchuan University. Now, similar encryption methods have also appeared in the text message photos that Lin Chen received.”

Huang Ze saw the photo of the mobile phone message that Lin Chen received, and his mind was in chaos. He could hardly hear any other sounds.

But each word spoken by Xing Conglian forcibly penetrated his mind.

“We found the information left by the criminals in the journal room of Hongjing Municipal Library. There was a similar codebook to ‘Discrete Mathematics’, but with some differences in usage.”

Huang Ze suddenly looked up, and on the screen, a row of gentle handwriting entered his sight: “My Dear, did you make your choice?”

With each stroke, Huang Ze seemed to smell the strong scent of iron, and countless discarded memories flooded like a torrent. Completely red, it was piercingly painful.

However, very soon, almost without needing any adaptation time, Huang Ze was surprised to find that, although his current state was almost as if someone had hit his temples with a heavy hammer, his thoughts and consciousness were surprisingly clear.

After Xing Conglian provided his ideas, a brief silence followed. He could clearly hear the speculation rising around him.

Another person beside him suddenly said, “I have read the case file. At the beginning of the White Sands case in Hongjing, the fruit vendor went on a rampage and attacked people on the street. At that time, stimulant drugs were detected in his body. But could it be that the drug that truly triggered his violent outburst was the one developed by Shen Lian?”

“Has Captain Xing communicated with Interpol? Since the perpetrator wanted to silence Fang Zhiming, is it possible that the drug manufacturing factory he went undercover in is developing and producing this new type of drug?”

“So, were the previous live-streamed deaths and the jewelry robbery all to raise funds for the organization?”

“But what does this have to do with them setting the fire and trying to murder Song Shengsheng’s fans?”

“We need to do a lot of work to confirm…”

“Even if we can prove that the text message Consultant Lin received is connected to the collective suicide case in Yongchuan and the old case from four years ago, it still doesn’t prove that this matter is related to Shen Lian’s involvement with drug poisoning and the newly discovered drug. The dark web bets on our surrounding cities and the drugs on Shen Lian’s side may be completely separate cases?”

“That’s true…”

Various speculations continued without stopping. Everyone present was skilled in their field, naturally connecting all the clues together. Huang Ze’s mind was in a mess; he felt that he urgently needed concrete evidence to link all the details, but at the same time, he instinctively felt that something was off.

Therefore, after listening for a while, Xing Conglian interrupted the escalating discussion. His metallic voice sounded incredibly clear in the noisy space as he said, “You’re all experts in solving cases, but at the moment, we need to change our approach.”

The discussion in the room came to a halt, and everyone looked up at Xing Conglian.

“There is a simple way to verify the connection you all seek. As long as the criminals use the isomer of TERN to attack Meicun, and we find that component after the incident, we will have the evidence you need for ‘the connection exists’.” Xing Conglian then asked, “But does that make sense?”

Huang Ze frowned; this was also the instinctive reaction of everyone present.

However, Xing Conglian ignored them and continued forcefully, “We don’t have time to confirm the connections between each detail now, so we must cut off the branches. In terms of handling the problem and investigating the truth, finding evidence to convict the criminals is no longer our primary task. We must make predictions and prepare for everything that lies ahead.”

He looked at everyone in the room and said, “Although it’s difficult and may not be foolproof, the road ahead will leave us with no reliable options to choose from.”

---

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

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Chapter 269

Afternoon, Hongjing Municipal Police Bureau.

The electronic induction doors slid open on both sides, and officials wearing different uniforms were busy coming and going. At the same time, vehicles from various provinces and departments continued to enter the parking lot, and their gray-blue exhaust fumes appeared vast under the sunlight.

The scene here was even more overwhelming than the city-wide operation to capture Shen Lian yesterday.

A group of fully armed special agents passed by as Huang Ze stood by the stairs. He withdrew his gaze from the doors and nodded to the special agents. After that, he hurriedly said a few words to the leader of the Hongjing political department who was in front of him.

“Director Chen, in all honesty, I don’t know much about the specific details of the case.”

“If there’s a special situation, you really need to inform me in advance so that I can make arrangements.”

“That’s for sure.”

Huang Ze responded ambiguously.

Director Chen turned and walked upstairs, and the person in charge of the special agents department was already waiting on the side.

Another series of questions followed, leaving Huang Ze unable to answer. He didn’t even know why he was standing here.

For the past half hour, his phone had barely stopped ringing.

His superiors were questioning what exactly he was up to, while his subordinates were asking what had happened.

Shen Lian had been arrested and brought to justice, and the top brass of Zhourui Pharmaceutical had already confessed. The speed of solving the case couldn’t be described as anything other than miraculous.

At the same time, detailed research on TERN was proceeding methodically, and with the help of insiders from Zhourui and relevant information, it was only a matter of time before they cracked this drug.

Of course, the key to quickly solving this deadly drug was Shen Lian. Although it was difficult to say out loud, Huang Ze greatly admired Lin Chen’s choice when confronting Shen Lian. Next would be the interrogation—Lin Chen’s area of expertise. As long as Shen Lian cooperated with the police, all the problems would be solved instantly.

However, half a minute after the chairman of Zhourui appeared in the hall, Lin Chen and Xing Conglian suddenly disappeared. By the time he received news from the two, Xing Conglian had already gathered all the city departments for a large-scale meeting, which was happening right now.

If it weren’t for a friend from Meicun discreetly inquiring whether Xing Conglian was trustworthy, Huang Ze felt he wouldn’t have known that a group of lunatics on the dark web was bidding on their surrounding cities.

It was quite ludicrous.

Thinking of this, Huang Ze couldn’t help but clench his fists.

Just then, the hall suddenly fell silent, and everyone stopped their ongoing discussions and turned to look at the main entrance of the hall.

People instinctively followed the actions of others, and Huang Ze unconsciously turned his gaze toward the glass doors. Someone was taking off their sunglasses and walking toward them, covered in dust and dirt from below the steps.

It was Xing Conglian. Of course, he was accompanied by his small follower carrying a shoulder bag.

Huang Ze took a deep breath.

Xing Conglian stepped onto the last step, and the glass door slid open again. At that moment, the hot air from outside and the clamoring voices from inside collided.

“Captain Xing, what exactly happened!”

“Will Meicun really face a terrorist attack?! What about us in Hongjing?”

“What are the criminals demanding?”

As the doors closed, Xing Conglian stood in the hall and raised his left hand.

His clear and solemn voice overwhelmed all the overwhelming questions, slowly saying, “Everyone, please calm down!”

His voice was clear, serious but composed, inspiring trust, and the room quickly quieted down.

Xing Conglian lowered his hand and continued, “In five minutes, there will be a brief case briefing in Room 201. I hope everyone enters in an orderly manner. After the briefing, there will be a short Q&A session, and we will be responsible for answering your questions.”

Xing Conglian’s words were concise and to the point.

……

White projection screens and laptops were set up in front of the podium.

Each computer’s video function was fully activated, connecting various departments from the three provinces.

Wang Chao quickly ran to the stage and set up the projection equipment. He connected the microphone, opened the laptop, adjusted the projection screen, and just managed to finish within the five-minute time frame.

The audience below immediately fell silent, and no one made a sound.

At this moment, Wang Chao took off the hat that had been covering his head, bowed, approached the microphone, and said, “Then, I’ll begin.”

There was a commotion in the crowd; no one had expected Xing Conglian to entrust the important case briefing to an inexperienced young boy. However, Xing Conglian just stood with his arms crossed below the stage, not saying a word.

Wang Chao didn’t mind the doubts from below; he had a serious expression as he opened a screenshot of a webpage on the projector. On a black background was a sea of gold waves that looked like a three-dimensional wave pattern. Huang Ze noticed that the website had the suffix “.onion”.

Calm and composed, Wang Chao said, “Based on relevant intelligence, forty minutes ago, our bureau discovered an unknown website on the deep web. The website displayed maps of three provinces, including Cheng’an, Jiangxia, and Zhelin.” As he spoke, he clicked on a map of the three provinces and overlaid it.

It was clear that the city boundaries perfectly matched between the two maps. Wang Chao didn’t pause and continued, “This website uses Bitcoin betting to attract members of the dark web to place bets on the cities of the three provinces. You can simply understand it as using money to vote, and the one with the most votes wins. The winner in this round is Meicun. According to the usual modus operandi of the criminals, we have reason to suspect that Meicun will be attacked.”

Wang Chao concluded the case briefing concisely.

After his speech, there was silence in the audience for a while. Everyone looked at each other with grave expressions, but also somewhat bewildered.

“Is that it?”

Although no one really questioned it, everyone’s faces were filled with similar questions.

“Do you have any questions? I’ll answer any doubts related to the network and information technology aspects of this case,” Wang Chao said seriously, taking a deep breath.

“How did you confirm that the website’s Bitcoin betting and the map are not a prank animation, and that the criminals did not create this website to cause public panic?”

“I verified the betting process with an account.”

“Are there really so many users on the dark web?”

Wang Chao seemed to have anticipated similar questions, and a screenshot of an English website appeared on the projection screen. It had various classified items for sale, resembling a regular shopping website, but upon closer inspection, it was selling illegal firearms, dangerous drugs, and, of course, human lives.

“Take the famous dark web ‘Silk Road’ as an example. The website has nearly a million registered users, a complete forum community, and an anonymous transaction system. It has sold illicit goods amounting to a billion dollars worldwide. Despite several FBI crackdowns, there are still continuous iterations of the website. Although I cannot currently analyze the traffic, based on the estimated betting amount, the number of visitors and bettors on this website should be over 50,000.”

The projector screen displayed several simple screenshots and quickly flashed through them.

“Why didn’t the network monitoring detect it before, and how did it attract a large number of users to place bets?” someone asked.

Wang Chao put the case aside and explained, “Promoting dark web websites is more like word-of-mouth marketing compared to the surface web. This website adopts password access and uses point code encryption in the information dissemination process. We don’t have enough resources to monitor every corner of the dark web, so it escaped our surveillance during promotion. However, we believe that there should be a large forum deep in the dark web distributing the website’s address and password. Users who gain the trust of the administrators can obtain the password.”

“Wait a minute, I have a question.” Someone interrupted Wang Chao and spoke up. “So, people are betting on our surrounding cities, and the city with the most bets will be attacked. Am I understanding this correctly?”

Wang Chao nodded. “Correct.”

“Can all the betting users profit from this?”

“The website operator can profit, but whether the bettors can profit, we are not sure yet.”

“Are these people crazy? Are they spending a lot of money just to see more deaths in Meicun?” The person continued, “I don’t believe it. How could there be such people in the world?”

Standing in front of the stage, Wang Chao held the microphone and said coldly, “If you have studied the dark web’s websites related to pedophilia and the prices for those resources, you wouldn’t ask such a question.”

The young man stood tall, and in that moment, he revealed an experience and responsiveness far beyond his age, very much like Xing Conglian.

After that, there was a period of whispers in the audience, and no one asked Wang Chao any more questions.

“Does anyone else have any other questions?” Wang Chao asked.

At this moment, someone raised their hand and said loudly, “Since this website initially escaped detection, how did you later discover it? Also, where did the tip-off you mentioned come from?”

This question was very sharp. Upon hearing it, Wang Chao couldn’t help but steal a glance at Xing Conglian.

It was just a slight reaction, but Huang Ze understood clearly that the tip-off had indeed come from Lin Chen.

However, just as he was prepared to hear Xing Conglian’s perfunctory answer to the question, the police captain walked up to the stage and took the microphone from Wang Chao’s hand, and said, “I’ll answer the questions related to the case details.”

Huang Ze was stunned at the words, and what Xing Conglian said next surprised him.

He said, “Our bureau consultant, Mr. Lin Chen, received an anonymous message, and, after cracking the message’s password, we found this website.”

“So, the criminals personally delivered the clue to you?” someone said incredulously.

“More accurately, it wasn’t a clue but a taunting letter from the criminals,” Xing Conglian said calmly.

The audience below was in an uproar again, and questions were raised one after another:

“Are you sure about the target suspects?”

“Even if you confirm the authenticity of the dark web betting, how do you know that Meicun will be attacked and not something else will happen in Meicun?”

“Isn’t this just a joke by the criminals to cause public panic? We have mobilized most of our forces to handle this. What if it’s the criminals’ plan?”

“If you determine it’s true, how do we effectively protect ourselves from the attack?”

Xing Conglian stood on the stage, attentively listening to each question.

“We need to understand the entire process and specific details of this case.” Someone participating in the video conference finally spoke up and summarized all the questions.

Xing Conglian looked at the person and nodded. “Sure, what do you want to know?”

“My first question is, since Lin Chen received the message, where is he right now?” the person asked.

---

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

---

Chapter 268

On the paper was the password Lin Chen copied down. The blue ink of the ballpoint pen shimmered as if it wanted to emit light under the sun.

Wang Chao shivered, took a deep breath, and opened the crude pop-up window again. He slowly entered the characters one by one.

When he reached the end, a rare solemn expression appeared on the teenager’s face. He moved the mouse to the confirm button and asked them again, “Should I confirm?”

Outside the window, the warm sun bathed everything in tranquility.

Xing Conglian looked at the countdown, still 6 minutes remaining.

He nodded and set a countdown on his watch.

With a crisp click, the sound of pressing the mouse button suddenly rang out.

Wang Chao turned the screen towards them, wanting them to watch together. But at that moment, the progress bar instantly reached the bottom, and the page surged out like a waterfall in a frenzy. Wang Chao no longer paid attention to them. He quickly turned back to the screen, his expression becoming tense as his hands quickly tapped the keyboard to process the data.

Thinking of the glimpse of the scene just now, Xing Conglian and Lin Chen exchanged a glance and stood up unconsciously. They walked around the long table from both sides and stood behind Wang Chao.

Looking over the top of the teenager’s head, they finally realized why they had the illusion of seeing a deluge of torrents when they saw the webpage just now.

It was an endless stream of gold coins pouring down like waves, surging and billowing with an incredibly evil and crazed aura, continuously accumulating below the screen.

The sound effect of the coins descending from the sky echoed in the journal reading room, sending shivers down people’s spines.

But to be precise, it was a data stream that was made to look like gold coins, with a pixelated quality similar to those found in the oldest game consoles. Each pixel particle was so large that it instantly made people feel like they were back in the 90s. Moreover, the waterfall of gold coins was made into a three-dimensional appearance, twisting and turning like a Mobius strip or some other weirdly symmetrical figure, making the sturdy screen seem to twist in space.

Xing Conglian finally understood what it meant to be old-school and have special taste.

Suddenly, Wang Chao leaned back in his chair, stopped all his work, and angrily slapped the table. He turned off the computer’s volume abruptly and shook his head at them. “Untraceable.”

5 minutes and 20 seconds remaining.

At this moment, Lin Chen suddenly leaned forward, pointing his finger at the bottom of the screen, and asked, “What’s this?”

Xing Conglian narrowed his eyes, only to see that not all the coins that descended from the sky fell into the abyss. Instead, they transformed into another form, like rain falling into a black ocean on a stormy night, floating and sinking below the screen.

Following Lin Chen’s indication, Wang Chao moved the mouse pointer to the bottom of the screen.

Just as the white arrow touched the edge of the ocean, the “ocean” instantly surged backward, sweeping the coins from bottom to top, and spread horizontally like a scroll on the screen.

The technical level of this website was clearly not as crude as its pixelated appearance suggested.

It was a map—a topographic map of the three provinces surrounding Hongjing that they were familiar with.

“What the hell!”

Wang Chao almost wanted to press his face against the screen. He dared not touch the screen with the mouse but used his hand to trace the waves on the map. “What’s this? A gold coin map?”

Xing Conglian didn’t say a word but took out his phone and pulled up a 3D topographic map for comparison next to the laptop screen.

The raised peaks, the sunken rivers, and the urban areas reclaimed due to industrial modernization…

The topographic map of the three provinces on the phone didn’t match the undulating waves on the computer screen but presented a completely opposite trend.

“What’s going on?” Wang Chao murmured. “Are they showing off special effects?”

Lin Chen’s face turned serious. He pointed to several high peaks in the waves and said, “Are these cities?”

Xing Conglian zoomed in and compared the satellite map on his phone before saying, “Yes, Yongchuan, Hongjing, Fengchun, Meicun, Shifang…”

As he mentioned each city’s name, he confirmed it by pointing at the screen with his finger, and his tone grew colder.

All the cities represented not only cold geographical features but also the real people living in those cities.

Wang Chao took a deep breath, unable to help but say, “Damn, are these all the major cities around us? What does this mean?”

“I’m afraid they are putting a price on us,” Lin Chen said.

“They” referred to the lunatics on the dark web, and “us” naturally meant the ordinary people living in the real world. Xing Conglian’s heart trembled, and his first reaction was to look at the countdown on his watch.

4 minutes and 40 seconds remaining.

“A price? I don’t understand.” Wang Chao moved the mouse pointer to a certain high peak in the “gold coin waves” and clicked lightly. Indeed, a small window popped up without any prompt. “Do I need to enter an amount here?” He asked.

Xing Conglian bent down and faced the continuously surging gold coin ocean on the computer screen. He didn’t have time to explain to Wang Chao but asked, “Can you determine where the highest point is?”

Wang Chao looked puzzled, but without hesitation, he copied the scroll on the screen and overlaid it on a geographical satellite image.

The two images on the screen gradually overlapped, and all the wave peaks fit perfectly with the centers of each city, including the highest peak, undoubtedly located in the cosmopolitan city—Yongchuan.

“Try entering 1 bitcoin into the pop-up window,” Xing Conglian said.

After hearing this, Lin Chen suddenly stopped him. He quickly understood the meaning of Lin Chen’s gaze, which meant not to act impulsively.

He said, “I just wanted to confirm your speculation, and I’m not foolish enough to let the mastermind profit from it.”

Lin Chen readily let go, and then patted Wang Chao’s shoulder, giving him the go-ahead.

Wang Chao had never done such a thing before and nervously entered the payment like an old lady using electronic payment for the first time.

With four minutes remaining, a tiny gold coin descended from the sky, like an inconspicuous water droplet, falling into the “peak” area he had clicked. Because it was so small, it couldn’t even produce ripples. But this did prove that the entire sea of gold coins was indeed a huge market. On the dark web, countless people were betting money on the “favorite” cities.

Thinking of this, Xing Conglian saw a wave of bets represented by the peak in Meicun surging, and he didn’t know which crazy player was spending a fortune on Meicun, which was next to Yongchuan.

In a short period, the wave rose like a sudden high peak, and the “sea level” centered around Meicun rapidly surpassed Yongchuan after a few seconds.

Lin Chen’s guess was indeed accurate, but Xing Conglian couldn’t feel the slightest joy.

What they saw was just a completely virtual betting image. In fact, it represented billions of real funds being poured into this crazy auction, ready to use money to wash away something.

Wang Chao was unusually biting his thumb joint. “Damn, did I succeed? They actually treat cities as auction items. This is so crazy?!” Wang Chao muttered nervously. “Now Meicun has the highest bid. What will happen in Meicun?”

“They are not treating cities as auction items but rather treating the lives of people in the cities as commodities,” Lin Chen said. “The highest bidder wins, and the city where the lives are most valuable is the one they will harvest.”

“Harvest? What do you mean by harvest?” Wang Chao stared at them with wide eyes and then realized that he had asked an extremely foolish question.

Lunatics, money, the dark web, and that kind of neurotic drug—there could not be a worse combination in the world.

Xing Conglian quickly dialed the number for the detention center. “Strictly guard Shen Lian. No visits allowed, including all levels of police officers!”

After hanging up the call, Xing Conglian immediately dialed the phone number of the Meicun Municipal Police Bureau. He asked Wang Chao to package the dark web address, internet tools, passwords, and other related items and send them over.

As he finished all this, the time ran out.

At the moment of resetting, it was as if someone had applied an ice-cold effect to the tide of gold coins. The surging waves solidified from one corner to another, covered in darkness, bringing an eerie silence.

Of course, the wave representing Meicun’s highest point was an exception.

The entire Meicun, including the surrounding towns and areas, was marked in red. Xing Conglian roughly estimated that it covered an area of exactly 4,126 square kilometers.

No mocking or provocative icons appeared. The sound effect stopped, and the screen displayed only a white banner from the upper left corner to the lower right corner, with the words: TO BE CONTINUED…

The last point of the ellipsis slowly appeared, and the picture came to an abrupt end.

Afterward, for a long time, Wang Chao didn’t even dare touch the keyboard with his hands.

It was only when Lin Chen moved that he finally remembered to breathe again. On the one hand, he felt that the sudden auction was too thrilling, and on the other hand, he expressed strong dissatisfaction with the abrupt ending. “This… This is it?”

Lin Chen returned to his seat under the sun, but Xing Conglian knew that the sunlight couldn’t warm him up at all.

“No.” Lin Chen uttered a single, concise syllable.

Both of them knew that this couldn’t be the end; this wasn’t even the beginning.

Long before, this game or moral test, or even the doomsday revelry of antisocial individuals, had already begun.

What Lin Chen had experienced; they would also experience together.

The reading room fell silent once again.

Xing Conglian threw his phone on the table. After making the call, the screen hadn’t lit up again. It was evident that Meicun needed a long time to verify, report, and make arrangements. Nobody knew what awaited that city.

“So what do we do now?” Wang Chao was fidgeting. “Wait for something big to happen in Meicun?”

“If I’m going to implement a major plan, there will inevitably be a loading time after the gold backers place their bets. It could be ten minutes or even ten hours, because it’s fun to watch the city police force in a state of panic and helplessness,” Lin Chen said.

“Damn it!”

As soon as Wang Chao finished saying this, his own phone rang frantically. He picked up the call, and it was a Meicun network technician on the other end.

The indifferent expression on the young man’s face disappeared in an instant. He held the phone between his cheek and shoulder and began to work and respond.

The clattering of the keyboard and the technical jargon that Xing Conglian couldn’t understand kept coming. It brought back many fragments of crazy memories; each fragment of the story seemed to be falling apart, yet there seemed to be something that could connect everything.

He asked Lin Chen only one question, “What does he want?”

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

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Chapter 267

The Hongjing Library, although old, had quite a few floors.

Wang Chao rushed to the rooftop with his notebook, panting heavily. He pushed open the heavy wooden door of the journal repository, and the heavy smell that greeted him caused him to sneeze.

Looking around, he couldn’t see any figures, so he called out loudly, “Boss, A’Chen Gege, where are you guys?”

The teenager’s clear and melodious voice echoed among the shadows of the floating bookshelves. Perhaps this was the moment when Xing Conglian was closest to Lin Chen’s inner thoughts, except for when they were lying in bed.

He finally understood why Lin Chen always risked his life in many situations; he probably no longer wanted to leave the decision-making power to others.

And now, he still had a chance to ask Lin Chen what landmines were—whether they were metaphors, actual existing bombs, or just a hypothesis proposed by Huang Weiwei to put him at ease. But all the truths had already merged into the molten steel that fell from the sky, and no one could know.

He thought this was the end.

He gazed at Lin Chen’s back, determined, and said loudly, “Over here, by the window.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen made a slight and almost imperceptible motion, as if wiping away tears, but his hand quickly dropped.

When Wang Chao ran up to them, it was as if nothing had happened.

“Boss, A’Chen Gege received that message, and it indeed points to a certain part of the dark web…” The young man’s words suddenly stopped as his gaze swept over the two of them, as if sensing the strange atmosphere. His voice faltered. “Uh… Did I come too early? I can go out and wait for you guys to get ready…”

He was about to turn around and leave, but Xing Conglian’s frown persisted, and his emotions didn’t ease for a moment. He just kept staring at Lin Chen.

“Come back.” Lin Chen spoke at this moment.

Wang Chao’s figure abruptly halted, and he turned around awkwardly. “A’Chen Gege…”

In this short moment, Lin Chen had already regained his composure.

Xing Conglian looked at Lin Chen, but the latter lowered his head, showing no desire to meet his gaze.

Lin Chen stood up, walked to Wang Chao, as if seeing through the teenager’s thoughts, and said calmly, “Rest assured, I didn’t quarrel and break up with your boss.”

He once again restored his usual clean and bright appearance. Xing Conglian finally understood that all the qualities present in Lin Chen were the result of being tempered to the extreme in darkness.

“Oh, I knew it! Where does the Boss get such audacity!” The teenager’s smile was radiant as he made noise and sat down at the desk, looking fearless as if he could dispel all the gloom.

Lin Chen sat opposite Wang Chao, holding the thick periodical, and said, “The sender’s number points to a certain website on the dark web, right?”

All the pain and anger from just now had disappeared completely. Lin Chen, as always, was succinct and decisive as he discussed the main topic with Wang Chao.

“Yes, A’Chen Gege. I used brute force to crack it!” Wang Chao opened his laptop and turned it towards Lin Chen.

In the center of the screen was a red countdown, and the lower right corner showed a cluster of golden flowers.

The website was overly simplistic, with coarse pixelation. Although it didn’t deliberately create a bloody feeling, its indifference conveyed a chilling disregard for life, and indifference was always scarier than passion.

This familiar scene made Xing Conglian retract his gaze and connect the cause and effect. He looked at Lin Chen again, afraid that Lin Chen had sensed it earlier than him. Therefore, no matter how difficult it was, Lin Chen would have to finish telling him the story.

“A’Chen, are they… the same group we encountered before?” Wang Chao asked.

Lin Chen furrowed his brows, pondering deeply, and didn’t answer immediately.

“There’s only a countdown on the website. What does it mean?” Xing Conglian changed the topic and asked Wang Chao.

“It’s not just a countdown!” Wang Chao clicked the countdown at the center of the screen, and an equally rudimentary pop-up window appeared instantly.

Below was a familiar scene often seen in movies; since there was a website and a pop-up window, there must be a place to input a password.

On a white background, there was only a box and a line of a simple word—”password”.

The countdown continued to go backward, showing 12:32:31. However, the units weren’t in hours but in minutes. If they couldn’t crack the password within 12 minutes, who knows what would happen.

“Everything before this is just a gimmick! We need a password to enter the website’s inner world!” Wang Chao knocked on the keyboard. “A’Chen Gege, the password… that should be your part to decipher.”

Xing Conglian coldly retorted to Wang Chao, “Aren’t you a master?”

“Even if I’m a master, I can’t defy the laws of nature. With a supercomputer and half a day, I can crack it for you. But within twelve minutes, I can’t do it!” Wang Chao looked like he couldn’t do it, and he was about to say something else when Lin Chen finally spoke up.

Lin Chen slowly flipped through the journal in his hand and turned it to the page with over a thousand pages. He gently touched the page and said to Wang Chao, “On the dark web, did you see the map of the three provinces nearby?”

“Ah, yes!”

“On the internet, how frequently does our map appear?”

“It’s quite frequent, but most of them are accompanied by that sentence!”

“A balancing game on a tightrope,” Lin Chen said.

“Yes!” Wang Chao paused for a moment and asked, “Should I try entering this phrase?”

“How many characters are in the password?” Xing Conglian asked.

“11!” Wang Chao answered.

Xing Conglian quickly ran through this set of words in his mind and then said, “No language in any country can match this set of 11 characters.”

“Oh… I see. Fortunately, I didn’t try. Otherwise, three wrong attempts might have caused the website to self-destruct.” Wang Chao mumbled.

“It won’t,” Lin Chen interrupted.

“Why won’t it? Why?” Wang Chao was still excited, asking repeatedly.

“Because this is a large-scale game involving the entire internet, and the website won’t be destroyed.” Lin Chen paused and continued. “You can print out the map—use A4 paper. If it’s not enough for A4, enlarge it to fit.”

Wang Chao was stunned. “Okay, but what map do you want? The three provinces around us?”

Lin Chen nodded.

“Do you want a satellite topographic map, or a regular 2D map? Google, Baidu, or…?” Wang Chao spoke as he moved.

“I want the map you found on the dark web.”

“Huh?” Wang Chao’s hand was faster than his brain. He casually clicked on the saved map on the computer desktop. The red and blue lines were intertwined like blood vessels, as if indicating something.

Lin Chen glanced at the map and said sternly to Wang Chao, “Go and print out this map, immediately!”

Wang Chao was clever and could hear the difference in Lin Chen’s tone. He quickly searched for the internal network printer and rushed out like a gust of wind.

Xing Conglian walked behind Lin Chen and looked at the image displayed on the screen.

It was just an ordinary flat map, showing the neighboring provinces of Cheng’an, Jiangxia, and Zhelin, which were the surrounding cities they were all very familiar with.

The map was covered with dense dots. Xing Conglian counted the number of dots on the map—clearly more than fifteen.

All the black dots were connected by straight lines. If it weren’t for the improper timing and location of this map, it would easily be ignored as something ordinary, like a signature in an ordinary forum.

Xing Conglian took a deep breath, placed his hand on top of Lin Chen’s head, and pointed to the collection of periodicals on the table, asking Lin Chen, “Password book?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Just like in the Yongchuan University suicide case, the mastermind clearly didn’t change their usual methods.

“Then, Song Shengsheng…”

“He should also be under their control.”

Xing Conglian’s heart trembled.

“That’s why I said, things will never be over.” Lin Chen stared at the screen, but his tone wasn’t sorrowful or weak; it sounded determined and composed.

Xing Conglian bent down, with one hand still on Lin Chen’s head and the other hooking around his neck, embraced him, and whispered in his ear, “I’ll be here for you from now on.”

This was probably more like a hug between comrades than between lovers. Lin Chen nestled in his arms, finally turned his head and rubbed against his cheek. His gentle breath carried warmth. “That day on the Zhourui Pharmaceutical building, I’m very sorry, and also for many things before. But if we encounter similar situations in the future, I’ll probably still do the same. The past has left too strong a mark on me, which determines who I am now, and that will never change.” Lin Chen paused, rare hesitation showing in his words. “But I still hope that you can accept… accept me as I am,” Lin Chen said earnestly.

Xing Conglian remained silent for a few seconds. He let go of Lin Chen, stood up, and held his shoulders, solemnly repeating, “From now on, I’ll be here for you.”

……

When Wang Chao came back in, Xing Conglian had already settled next to Lin Chen.

Outside the window, a gentle breeze blew, and the morning sun shone brightly, accompanied by the chirping of birds.

There were still 8 minutes left on the countdown.

Wang Chao rushed in like the wind and slammed the printed map on the table. Lin Chen had already taken out a ballpoint pen from his pocket and pressed it open. He circled all the black dots at the intersections of the lines on the map and said, “If I’m not mistaken, this should be a point code. Overly complex and modern encryption tools are not conducive to widespread information dissemination for the mastermind, and he is an old-school person with special interests.”

As Lin Chen spoke, he began to overlay the printed map on the page of the journal with pencil writing. “The point code requires everyone to have the same decryption alphabet. This paper is the alphabet. And these maps widely spread on the dark web are encrypted ciphertexts. The so-called maps and all the intersections of the lines are there to conceal the point code ciphertexts, eliminating them directly.”

Lin Chen meticulously aligned the map with the journal page, and some letters from the journal were indeed faintly visible. Just as Lin Chen had said, those tiny black dots were perfectly aligned with specific letters.

Lin Chen pressed the ballpoint pen on the black dots of the map paper, gently lifted the blank paper, and pierced the surface with the pen tip, making light marks on the next page of the journal.

Xing Conglian counted. He had poked exactly eleven times.

Finally, Lin Chen lifted the paper and, in order, reported all the blue dots he had marked as letters, saying, “The password is: I, N, T, O, T, H, E, D, A, R, K.”

INTO THE DARK.

Into the dark, in the dark.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Just for some clarity, the last part in capitalized letters is in English while the last line is in Chinese (basically explaining what the English code means).

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

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Chapter 266

Lin Chen fell silent.

At this moment, Xing Conglian was afraid that he might ask in return, “What choice would you make?”

However, Lin Chen said, “Fu Hao set a trap for you.”

“Isn’t that so?” Xing Conglian felt dizzy. “Fu Hao was so secretive at that time, not saying this or that. Can I still catch up with him now and confront him?”

Lin Chen touched his hand, signaling him to calm down.

“Situational questions have their situational nature, but due to the influence of perceptual gestalt, people tend to subconsciously consider macroscopic issues in the cognitive process, neglecting the obscured details. However, in real situations, the details often determine everything.”

Xing Conglian frowned, becoming nervous. “For example, why were those children on the railroad tracks? Why couldn’t they freely leave the tracks, and how did you become the person who had to pull the lever?”

Lin Chen interrupted him, “The real trolley problem is as follows: A madman has tied five innocent people to the trolley tracks. An out-of-control trolley is coming towards them, and it will crush them in a moment. Luckily, you can pull a lever to switch the trolley to another track. However, the problem is that the madman has also tied one person to the other track. Considering the above situation, would you pull the lever?”

“I would pull it,” Xing Conglian answered without hesitation.

“Congratulations, your choice aligns with approximately 89% of people. The survey results come from psychologist Mark Hauser’s test conducted on 200,000 people worldwide,” Lin Chen said. “Now, you can understand why the details are crucial. Now, I’ll complete the missing details for you.” Lin Chen closed the book, his tone firm without any hesitation.

He said, “Four years ago, I worked at a provincial police station, and Huang Ze was my superior. On November 11^th, we received reports from four families, reporting that someone in their homes had gone missing. They were all outstanding young people, including Director Chen’s younger brother, Chen Yujun, Director Wu’s nephew, Wu Shanshan, a young master from the Zhou family, and Huang Ze’s sister, Huang Weiwei. I knew Huang Weiwei from before, and she used to call me Lin Gege.”

“Children from influential families,” Xing Conglian said. “Kidnapped?”

Lin Chen nodded. “My experience at that time was similar to today. During the investigation, we were led to the library…”

Xing Conglian froze; the current scene was too similar to what happened back then.

Lin Chen continued, “I found a book in the gap of a bookshelf, and the words ‘Blind Arbiters’ were circled on the pages, leaving a clue.” Lin Chen said, “Due to some of the criminals’ schemes, in the end, the only one who appeared in the factory was me, and I was stripped of my positioning and communication devices. What Huang Ze, including Fu Hao, saw was the result. None of the case files recorded the truth of the event because I concealed the truth.”

“I believe you,” Xing Conglian said.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen glanced at him. “Your trust is based on your understanding of my morals and character. In fact, this story conceals the truly dark, despicable, cowardly, and helpless parts of my humanity. I have wanted to gather the courage to tell you countless times, but I failed. I hope you can hear the whole story and then draw your conclusions.”

Lin Chen was very sincere, and Xing Conglian sat up straight, nodding.

“After arriving at the factory, I followed the instructions and entered the first room. There was a note posted on the door.”

“What did the note say?”

“Experimental instruction.” Lin Chen lowered his eyelids, self-deprecatingly saying, “To be honest, I have participated in countless experiments and devised many of them myself, but I never thought that one day someone would conduct such a test on me.”

Lin Chen choked for a moment, trying to stay composed, but Xing Conglian couldn’t sense any abnormality in his tone.

He continued, “The instruction was as follows: ‘Sincere thanks for participating in this experiment. Please read the instructions carefully. This is a decision-making experiment. In the following tasks, you will have the opportunity to enter three rooms, each containing some materials. Please read the materials carefully and then make a choice. After understanding the above instructions, please enter the experiment. Good luck:)’.”

“You went in,” Xing Conglian stated.

“Yes, I went in,” Lin Chen replied. “Behind the door was an ordinary factory room with countless photos and materials on the walls. Apart from the four kidnapped individuals, I saw 16 other people.”

“16 criminals?”

“No, since it’s a difficult problem, the question wouldn’t be so straightforward and crude.” Lin Chen squinted at the sun. Until today, he seemed to recall the life stories of each of those 16 people effortlessly.

Lin Chen continued, “Among the 16 people, five had minor theft-related records, five were ordinary workers from various industries, and the remaining six were social idlers.”

“On one side were a few elites and wealthy children, while on the other side were mostly the disadvantaged in society.” Xing Conglian took a deep breath. “Devious.”

“Later, I went to the second floor and entered the second room, where I saw two video recordings.” Lin Chen’s tone remained calm, as if he had completely detached himself from the whole event. He spoke like a ghostly figure recalling a distant past. “The first video showed the scene of the abduction of the four elite children. The criminals must have observed them for a long time, so they were swift and accurate when they struck.”

“What about the second video?”

“The second video was long and explained why the remaining 16 people appeared in that factory. It was quite consistent—all of the remaining 16 people came due to their greed and were lured there, believing that the criminals were just conducting a psychological experiment.”

“So, the reason why the remaining 16 people didn’t listen to the advice was because they didn’t believe it?” Xing Conglian shivered, unable to imagine how Lin Chen continued after seeing the first room. He couldn’t fathom Lin Chen’s state of mind.

“You don’t have to immediately jump to the third room,” Lin Chen said.

“What else is in the second room?”

“A choice.”

“A choice?”

“At the end of the video, there was another prompt. The gist was that I could now choose to leave the room and seek help on my own, and no one would stop me, but the consequences would be on me. Alternatively, I could choose to go to the last room and complete the experiment.”

Xing Conglian held Lin Chen’s hand, and the latter turned to look at him, only saying, “You actually had no choice—you knew.”

“I knew,” he replied.

“The third room was on the third floor, and there was a black cloth in front of the room. As I climbed higher, I could probably guess what I would see.”

“What’s there?”

“Before pulling the black cloth away, I saw the final video.” Lin Chen paused for a moment; his breath steady. “The last video was very blurry, the camera was shaky, and the image was dark. All I could hear was the voiceover.”

“That’s the part where they try to persuade the participants?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Yes,” Lin Chen said. “The person speaking should be the younger brother of Director Chen’s family, the one you’ve met before. He’s quite different from his brother; Young Master Chen is a mechanical engineer—very talented—and an intelligent tech enthusiast. That’s probably why the culprit chose him. He told the others that they must move to the other side because it was dangerous here.”

“But except for the elite children who knew him, no one else believed him?”

“You can totally imagine that the 16 people lured here believed they were only participating in a psychological experiment, and the examiner asked them to stay in this position until the experiment was over. They naturally regarded those four extremely panicked young people as part of the test.”

“I finally understand why you said details are crucial.”

“That’s probably the most important thing I learned in college. No matter what research results you see, trace their sources, subject selection, experimental processes, data processing methods, and so on, instead of just looking at the results.” Lin Chen pursed his lips and laughed. “But this brings about a problem—once you understand the whole process, you’d rather not have seen anything from the beginning.”

“Then what happened?” Xing Conglian was afraid that Lin Chen might be affected emotionally, so he asked cautiously.

“Like all psychological experiments, after the video ended, a final instruction appeared, but this instruction was broadcasted through a loudspeaker. The voice was clear and calm, and I still remember every word to this day.” Lin Chen crossed his legs, sitting on the stool, imitating the tone he had heard back then, even with a slightly eerie smile. “Congratulations on reaching the final phase of the experiment. You have five minutes to think. Behind the black cloth, you will see two groups of people. Based on the materials you obtained earlier, pull the lever and choose the group that you believe should survive. If you give up the choice, the group with more people will be executed immediately. I sincerely wish you good luck again.”

“After the voice stopped, the factory was initially very quiet. As the black cloth was pulled away, the echoes in the empty factory amplified the screams infinitely,” Lin Chen said almost without any pause. “There were two platforms suspended in mid-air. On one platform stood the four young people I was supposed to rescue—the ones who had been kidnapped. On the other platform lay the other 16 people.”

“Lying down?”

“Yes, one group could speak and beg for help, while the other group was completely unconscious.” Lin Chen blinked slowly. “How fair it was, because they were outnumbered, they got a chance to persuade me using words.”

Xing Conglian took a deep breath and asked, “What else happened?”

“Then…” Lin Chen looked up at the sun in the sky, speaking calmly, “You know, it’s a steel plant, so there was enough molten steel to wipe everyone out. It couldn’t be described as scalding hot anymore.”

Lin Chen tried to maintain calmness from beginning to end, but at this point, he couldn’t restrain himself any longer, and his voice trembled. “It was a balancing system, and my task was to spend five minutes contemplating who to pour the molten steel over. But who, among them, deserved to die?”

Xing Conglian looked sharply at Lin Chen. Since he had heard Fu Hao’s story, he had also tried to simulate the situation Lin Chen faced. However, the reality was always crueler than any simulation.

“To be honest, I really wanted to leave at that moment. The countdown in the broadcast continued, and the numbers were ticking away. I had already listened to terrified cries for almost half a minute. Then, someone’s voice overwhelmed all the others, and he was the first to speak,” Lin Chen said lightly. “The one who spoke first was the young master from the Zhou family. Young Master Zhou is a lawyer, and his persuasiveness was evident at that moment. He pleaded for me to save them, and he had also listened to the instructions. He said those 16 people were supposed to die anyway, and if I pulled the lever, I would be the one killing them. He said that Chen Yujun had already advised them, but they didn’t listen, and they had to take responsibility for their choices!” Lin Chen said, “I felt he made a compelling argument. Why should a few people pay for the foolishness of the majority? But, those were 16 living human beings. Just because they had a lower education, couldn’t understand bearing systems, and were easily misled, did they deserve to die? Young Master Zhou’s words made sense, but I didn’t agree. I truly couldn’t agree with that perspective.”

Xing Conglian couldn’t intervene and could only say quietly, “Mm.”

“He talked about the law, the social system, rules, and human nature. He said so much… You could call him selfish, but I don’t think it was selfish. Everyone has the right to survive, right?”

Xing Conglian felt as if he too was standing high in the factory, watching those young people standing in mid-air, desperately begging for survival. “This is the ultimate moral test. No matter how you choose and no matter which side dies, once the video of the scene is released, it will trigger a massive public outcry. Everyone will start discussing rules, morality, good, and evil. If the elites survive, it will show that the lives of the privileged are more precious than those of the common people. If the majority of commoners survive, it will demonstrate that life can be measured by quantity, not quality.”

“Yes, so at that time, my mind was in chaos. I couldn’t even calm down. I knew what the culprit was trying to do, so I was very panicked. At that moment, I even turned around.” Lin Chen analyzed himself calmly. “My nature isn’t as strong as you think; I’m really a coward. I thought it would be great to stay out of it. I wouldn’t violate the law, and it would seem like I wasn’t responsible for anyone’s death.” Lin Chen looked at him with a mix of despair and desolation, yet still clear-headed. “But as you said, not making a choice is also a choice. If it wasn’t for Young Master Wu starting to curse, I would probably have collapsed and run away.”

“Young Master Wu scolded you?”

“No. Young Master Wu pointed at Young Master Zhou’s nose and called him an idiot, telling him to shut up. They were forcing me to make a decision. Once they miraculously survived, they would become murderers, and their consciences would haunt them for the rest of their lives.” Lin Chen paused for a moment, somewhat relieved. “I read Young Master Wu’s profile; he is an athlete, full of youthful vigor. Even at that moment, he was fighting for fairness for the other side. He’s kind-hearted and will have a very good and fulfilling life. Such a young person shouldn’t die in such a cruel and unreasonable situation.”

Xing Conglian corrected him, “Don’t forget, at that time, you were also very young.”

“I’m different; I held a public office,” Lin Chen said firmly.

Xing Conglian thought Lin Chen probably felt this way.

The sun outside the window had descended further, and the green trees swayed in the wind. It should have been a beautiful afternoon, but because of the story that could only be told while drinking, it became brutal and bloody.

At this moment, neither of them spoke. They just raised their beer cans to each other and lightly tapped them, as if encouraging each other so they could finish telling and hearing the story.

“So, after this, what happened to you as a public official, Consultant Lin?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Time was slow, yet fast; the passage of time in physics isn’t affected by the perception of time in psychology. By then, it had been about three minutes, and the molten steel in the sky began to tilt towards the unconscious 16 people,” he self-derisively said. “The experimenter was forcing me to make a choice, and I was forced to walk up to the lever and reach out my hand for the first time…”

Xing Conglian realized that the molten steel in the sky was the train rushing towards the 16 people, and at this moment, Lin Chen was truly in the operator’s position. He thought for a moment and said to Lin Chen, “The story you’ve told so far is very similar to what Fu Hao said. So, what happened next that even he didn’t know?”

“You can guess,” Lin Chen said.

“Up to now, two people haven’t spoken, Chen Yujun and Huang Weiwei,” Xing Conglian said.

“Yes.” Lin Chen nodded. “Chen Yujun and Huang Weiwei had been sitting quietly in the corner, not saying a word. At the moment I touched the lever, Young Master Zhou grabbed Huang Weiwei and made her answer a question.”

“What question?”

“He pointed to the unconscious people on the other side and raised a possibility. He said it’s possible that the culprit had already killed those 16 people with the so-called sleeping pills. So even if I killed a few to save the majority, it would be in vain. He asked Huang Weiwei to tell me that those people were already dead.”

Xing Conglian finally sensed something abnormal and became nervous. “Why did Young Master Zhou single out Huang Weiwei to ask?”

“Because Weiwei is a doctor.” Lin Chen’s tone was gentle, like an older brother addressing an adored younger sister.

Xing Conglian’s hand holding the beer can couldn’t help but tremble. Lin Chen said that he and Huang Weiwei were old acquaintances, and Lin Chen mentioned that she called him “Lin Gege”.

Of course, Xing Conglian knew that there was only a pure sibling relationship between Lin Chen and Huang Weiwei, but precisely because of its purity and affection, it made everything even more difficult.

“Since I appeared in front of them, Weiwei didn’t say a word to me, and I was like a coward, even afraid to look at her.” Lin Chen sniffled, then laughed. “Actually, we had a lot of fate together. She was my classmate in elementary school, and later, we attended the same university. I got to know Huang Ze because of her. Of course, I’m gay and not Weiwei’s type. She likes guys who are obedient like little dogs, have good muscles, and treat her well. She’s probably the most assertive girl I’ve ever seen. Her parents wanted her to study business and inherit the family business, but she insisted on becoming an obstetrician because she said she loved the joy of welcoming new life. She is very capable and has become a resident physician, so when Young Master Zhou asked her that way, she stood up and clearly told me that the chests of those people were still rising and falling, indicating they were still breathing. Those 16 people were still alive.”

When Lin Chen spoke of Huang Weiwei, he became a bit chatty. Xing Conglian even felt a moment of envy, but he was also happy. A girl whom Lin Chen admired would undoubtedly be upright and brave, making others admire her.

“What a great opportunity to survive! If the molten steel were poured down, who could tell if she was telling the truth? She’s so stubborn, as expected of Huang Ze’s little sister,” he said.

“Huang Ze is probably worlds apart from her.” Hearing this, Lin Chen curled his lips. “For example, if the kidnapped person was Huang Ze, he wouldn’t have noticed the abnormality of the only person who didn’t speak after answering the question.”

“What’s wrong with Chen Yujun?”

“In fact, there is a loophole in the culprit’s experiment, and as a mechanical engineer, Chen Yujun knew exactly where the loophole was. So he sat in the corner the whole time, and I think at that moment, he must have been struggling internally.”

“Did Huang Weiwei also notice the loophole?” Xing Conglian recalled Lin Chen’s experiences.

The balancing game, the suspended platform, and the thousand-degree molten steel overhead. The culprit had to ensure that everyone would obediently play the game. Therefore, there must be something intimidating the clear-minded young elites, making it difficult for the police to save them in a short time, even if they arrived on time.

Xing Conglian felt an icy chill throughout his body and suddenly understood everything.

He looked at his lover, sitting cross-legged beside him, and no longer wanted to hear any more.

He stood up abruptly and said to Lin Chen, “Alright, I already know. You don’t need to say anything more. Now let’s go solve the clues left by the culprit or anything else. You must not speak of this anymore; it’s all in the past!”

“It’s not in the past, and it can never be in the past.” Lin Chen gazed into the distance, almost speaking to himself. “When there was one minute left, Huang Weiwei crouched down and patted Chen Yujun’s face. Just like Young Master Zhou asked her a question, she also asked Chen Yujun a question. This question was short, she asked him, ‘Are we standing on a landmine?'”

“Lin Chen, stop talking!” Xing Conglian’s eyes were bloodshot, and he sternly interrupted.

“The experimenter must have an antisocial personality; he may never experience human emotions like love and kindness in his lifetime. Therefore, he inherently has a mistaken estimation of human nature, and that’s where the loophole lies.” Lin Chen looked straight at the sun in the sky without even blinking. “Human nature—the loophole is merely in human nature. There are too many people in this world who are inherently kind; they are willing to sacrifice their own lives for strangers.”

When Lin Chen reached this point, he finally turned his head. His eyes were red, but he held back his tears firmly. “You keep asking me about the choices I made back then. So, now I tell you, back then, I was a complete coward. I didn’t step forward to take the responsibility I should have borne; instead, someone stepped up and stood in front of me, protecting me with her life and soul. When there were 48 seconds left, Huang Weiwei jumped down from the sky, the balance board shifted, the landmines were triggered, and the molten steel fell from the sky, merging the four of them together…”

“Huang Weiwei pulled the lever for me.”

Lin Chen enunciated clearly and decisively, completing his statement word by word.

Xing Conglian wanted to take out a cigarette, but his hands trembled, and he couldn’t control himself. No matter how the truth was covered up, no matter what choices Lin Chen made, none of it mattered at all. He regretted listening to this story and regretted making Lin Chen relive the events of that year.

“You’re not a coward,” he said firmly, but he found himself choked up for the first time.

Lin Chen laughed at himself, finished the last sip of his drink, and looked up at the sky. “Huang Ze always asks me why I didn’t die. At the beginning, I was also thinking, yes, the one who should die should be me.” He clenched the beer can tightly but spoke calmly. “Huang Weiwei is also my sister, but I not only failed to fulfill my responsibility to protect her but also was taken care of by her. She didn’t even say a word to me until her death because she knew that whatever she said would become the words echoing endlessly in my nightmares. So, the smart girl smiled at me before she died, put a finger to her lips, telling me to keep my mouth shut, and then she jumped.”

Lin Chen turned his head and said with certainty, “That’s the covered-up truth. The radiant brilliance of human nature, both foolish and magnificent, shattered my desperate situation, broke the culprit’s carefully planned schemes. The video cannot be made public, and the hoped-for public opinion frenzy that the culprit wanted cannot continue—all because of human nature, which is truly beautiful.”

“I don’t know how much time she spent thinking and making up her mind, but it must have been very brief. But she even thought of the best way to handle things after this. It was something I couldn’t refuse and could only do it this way,” Lin Chen said. “So, I put my hand on the lever and replaced her as the murderer. I was criticized by four families, but I luckily escaped legal punishment. But only in this way, Weiwei wouldn’t become a saint in the eyes of the rational, nor would she become the noble murderer who callously deprived others of their lives to fulfill her own righteousness. She could quietly die as she wished, and this was what she wanted—the only thing I could do for her after being protected.” Lin Chen paused and calmly said, “That’s why the truth was covered up.”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

We’re getting into Saw territory here…

---

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

---

Chapter 265

This was a very simple question, and no matter where it appeared in the corners of any magazine or book in this library, it wouldn’t catch people’s attention.

But it happened to be here.

Countless possibilities flashed through Xing Conglian’s mind, such as some unlucky kid casually writing a sentence, and they happened to stumble upon it by accident. But in reality, he was very clear that those so-called other possibilities weren’t valid.

From the moment Lin Chen received the text message, to their gradual guidance here, searching the shelves, finding the hidden periodical, and seeing this sentence, all indicated that someone deliberately wrote this question here, and that person was certain that Lin Chen would see it.

This was obviously related to Lin Chen’s past.

After roughly figuring out what was going on, Xing Conglian was no longer worried.

“What is this?” He calmly spread the book open, turned it around, and faced it towards Lin Chen. Then, he pointed to the question about choice in the seam of the book page, as if asking a very ordinary question.

“This is a question, and also an answer.”

Lin Chen replied still with his distinctive style. Xing Conglian didn’t feel like he was hiding anything.

“What kind of question is it?” Xing Conglian looked straight into his eyes and asked.

“The last time I was forced to answer this question was when I met Feng Peilin on the Taiqian Bridge last year.” Lin Chen paused and spoke clearly and systematically. “He asked on behalf of someone else: In this world, in the confrontation between the infinitely small and the infinitely large, which side would I choose to stand on?”

“Why is it so literary?” When he heard the name “Feng Peilin”, Xing Conglian’s brows slightly furrowed. Although this name was an expected one, it completely represented a part of Lin Chen’s past that he had never touched before.

Now, this part of the past suddenly jumped out without warning. Lin Chen straightened his back, his gaze calm and cool, clearly ready to uncover the scar.

Xing Conglian felt a bit reluctant, steadied his breath, and continued to ask, “Infinitely small, infinitely large—what do they refer to? And what does the so-called ‘choice’ mean?”

“I’m not entirely sure either. ‘Infinitely small’ refers to individual consciousness, ‘infinitely large’ probably refers to the entire social morality and legal system. Translated, Feng Peilin’s entire question was asking me if they were going to be anti-social and if I would help them. But don’t interpret this as a request; it was a boast.” Lin Chen rubbed the table with his finger somewhat irritably. “It’s really annoying,” he emphasized.

At this moment, Lin Chen finally had a living presence. He wasn’t sad; he simply detested these things.

“Since we’ve brought up this matter, there’s a question I must ask. Why did you leave back then?”

“Because Feng Peilin died,” Lin Chen answered. “In fact, I’m very clear that his last step was to kill someone and then commit suicide. It shows that he couldn’t swim at all, and there was no reason for him to survive after falling into the river. I designed this situation, luring him to commit suicide with my own actions, but I didn’t tell you about it. It didn’t comply with legal procedures, and morally, it was flawed. To be honest, I feel guilty about it, so I chose to leave.”

“So, does that mean you didn’t like me at that time?” Xing Conglian suddenly asked. “It wasn’t love at first sight?”

“Why are you becoming more like Wang Chao, always going off-topic?”

“This is a very important question, more important than those shitty matters.”

“At that time, I just thought you were handsome—the type I liked—but I didn’t see your inner beauty.”

Lin Chen answered sincerely, leaving Xing Conglian unsure whether to laugh or cry.

“What about you?” Lin Chen also paused and asked him.

“At that time, I thought you had inner beauty, a kind of mysterious aura that attracted me. But now…” Xing Conglian gestured to Lin Chen, who instinctively leaned closer. Under the warm sunlight, Xing Conglian kissed Lin Chen’s ear and said, “Now, I think you’re handsome.”

Lin Chen’s face clearly blushed, even though they had already done everything together. Yet, Lin Chen could still be shy in some unexpected moments. Xing Conglian enjoyed this moment.

Perhaps after teasing Lin Chen, the atmosphere became less heavy, and under the warm sun, it felt somewhat drowsy.

He closed the book, and the question and answer had come to the most crucial moment. He spoke seriously, “Since Feng Peilin is already dead, then who left this message here? Who sent you the text message and led you to see it?”

“Xing Conglian…” Lin Chen drawled, gazing at him.

“Here.”

“You really haven’t seen the file from that year,” Lin Chen said. “I mean, the thing that Huang Ze held a grudge about—the incident where I killed his sister.”

“Although I haven’t seen the file, I have a general idea of what happened when Huang Ze first came to Hongjing looking for trouble.” Xing Conglian honestly shifted the blame. “It was Fu Hao who told me.”

Lin Chen was taken aback, clearly not expecting this. “You knew the whole story from the beginning?”

“No, Fu Hao only said that it was a trolley problem*. You were forced to make a choice between four people and sixteen people, but he didn’t tell me what kind of choice you made.”

*See chapter 15 for the explanation.

“He’s really troublesome,” Lin Chen said, lowering his head, looking gloomy. He seemed to have no energy for any teasing. But that was Lin Chen. After a while, he seemed to have made up his mind. He raised his head, looked directly into Xing Conglian’s eyes, and asked firmly, “So, do you want to hear my version?”

……

To hear the story, alcohol was needed—that was the agreement Lin Chen made with him initially.

Xing Conglian rushed downstairs, bought two cans of Yongchuan beer from the convenience store, and then returned. This time, Lin Chen didn’t run away again. Instead, he leisurely placed two chairs facing the window and propped his feet up on the windowsill. On his knee lay the 1975 edition of <American Psychologist> they had just found.

As Lin Chen flipped through the collection, his back in a white shirt looked like the kind of senior most popular among girls on campus.

Xing Conglian felt at ease and didn’t mind whatever story he was about to hear.

He walked over, used the beer can to lightly touch Lin Chen’s face, and Lin Chen kissed the back of his hand. Then, he reached out to take the beer, opened the can with a “pop”, and took a big sip.

Xing Conglian didn’t say anything and just sat down on the nearby stool. He hooked his arm around Lin Chen’s back and, like Lin Chen, propped his feet up on the windowsill.

After drinking some beer, Lin Chen’s cheeks were slightly flushed, but he wasn’t drunk.

“Fu Hao told you about the trolley problem.” Lin Chen asked, “How did he describe it specifically?”

“He said there were 20 children playing on the tracks for some reason. Four people suggested to the other 16 that they should go to the other side of the tracks because a train was coming on the path they were on. But the remaining 16 children didn’t listen and chose to stay where they were. At that moment, a train passed and crashed into those 16 people. You were the one who had the chance to pull the lever to change the direction of the train and sacrifice the few to save the majority.” Xing Conglian summarized concisely. “Fu Hao probably presented the problem like this, but he didn’t tell me the outcome.”

“Do you want to know the result?” Lin Chen asked.

“I think the result doesn’t matter,” Xing Conglian answered.

Lin Chen didn’t expect him to say that and looked at him strangely, but then almost whispered to himself, “How can the result not matter?”

“Because this is a dilemma with almost no correct answer.” Xing Conglian took a sip of beer. “I remember this should be an ethical problem?”

“In fact, it is the most famous thought experiment in the field of moral philosophy, first proposed by Philippa Foot* in 1967. It was aimed at critiquing utilitarianism and attacking Kant’s moral duty theory. The original version was not like this, and now this experiment has been transformed into various versions, but it still holds profound significance.”

*English Philosopher and one of the founders of contemporary virtue ethics, who was inspired by the ethics of Aristotle.

“Philosophers always play with fire; this is a very dangerous question,” Xing Conglian said. “In this problem, it explores the duty and responsibility of the trolley operator, as well as the value of life between the majority and the minority. However, once the debate reaches its end, it’s easy to fall into moral nihilism. Both the proponents and opponents of pulling the lever will be stubborn, insisting that their viewpoint is inevitably correct. At some moment during the confrontation, everyone suddenly realizes that there is no such thing as morality or immorality, right or wrong.”

“Your perspectives are always so unique.” Lin Chen raised his beer can and lightly touched it against Xing Conglian’s. “I want to hear more details from you.”

“Choices represent different value systems. Taking the lever as an example, if the trolley operator pulls the lever and directs the train to collide with fewer people to save the majority, then he indirectly acknowledges the value system that considers the lives of the majority more important than those of the minority. Moreover, in modern society, this action is equivalent to violating social rules, depriving others of their right to life—in other words, killing.”

“What if he doesn’t make any choice?” Lin Chen asked.

“Not making a choice is also a choice,” Xing Conglian replied. “He believes he must abide by the social rules and cannot save some people’s lives by depriving others of theirs. In this choice, there is also a trap. He is essentially admitting that, after following social rules, the lives of the minority are more worth protecting than those of the majority. If each person’s life is of infinite value, unable to be measured by a cumulative quantity, then why, after adding social rules, does this become measurable?”

“But it sounds like the latter choice is better?” Lin Chen smiled, with a peaceful expression. “After all, if we generalize it, rules and justice are superior, and rules maintain the normal operation of human civilization.”

Xing Conglian paused, not expecting Lin Chen to respond like this. “If that’s really the inference, then the former choice—upholding the interests of the vast majority of humanity and ensuring human survival—happens to be the reason for establishing social rules and maintaining social normalcy in the latter choice.” He felt that the questioner was being unreasonable. “So, in essence, both choices are forms of moral utilitarianism—the former is situational utilitarianism, and the latter is rule utilitarianism. They lead to the same conclusion, so this kind of questioning is meaningless.”

“No, I still think it is full of significance.” Lin Chen unusually opposed his viewpoint. He took a sip of the beer, slightly tipsy, and said, “Philosophers design such questions to contemplate human past experiences and future fate, through speculation to explore human’s intrinsic moral thinking and external social systems. This itself is an incredibly elegant thing.” He spoke with determination and raised the plain green beer can towards the sun as if he were paying tribute to someone from afar.

At this moment, the sun’s warmth was no longer as scorching as at noon; it seemed gentle and affectionate.

Outside the window, the trees were verdant, and everything was green, creating a pleasant view.

Xing Conglian raised his beer can and took a big gulp, feeling that within the questions and answers, Lin Chen had led him to the core of the issue. However, he found contemplating and answering such hypothetical questions to be irritating and difficult.

But Lin Chen had genuinely experienced such a moral dilemma, and yet, such an experience didn’t fundamentally destroy him. He remained steadfast in his beliefs and had great respect for the world.

As Xing Conglian looked at Lin Chen’s profile while he toasted, he couldn’t help but reach out and touch his face.

Lin Chen turned his head, with a hint of surprise in his expression.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Lin Chen used his thumb to wipe his nose as he asked.

“So, Lin Chen, what choice did you make at that time?”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

There are a lot of philosophical ideas discussed in this chapter. Kantianism, named after Immanuel Kant, is the theory that in order to act morally, people must act from duty. He further argues that it’s not the consequences of the actions that make them right or wrong, but the motives of the person who carries it out.

You can read more about it, and how deontology was formed by going to the Wikipedia. Modern deontology explains that the morality of an action is based on whether the action itself is right or wrong under a series of rules and principles rather than the consequences of the action.

The Trolley Problem presents a criticism in that whatever decision the trolley operator makes, it’s hard to say whether that decision was “morally correct”.

---

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

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Chapter 264

Hongjing Library hadn’t undergone renovation and still retained the style from the early days of the country’s founding, with lush greenery and abundant flowers and trees.

In the early years, thanks to the assistance of certain social philanthropists, the library’s collection of books was rich, comparable to some provincial-level major libraries or renowned university libraries, especially in terms of periodicals, reaching an astonishing quantity.

Lin Chen held his hand as they entered the library. At the front desk, he let go and casually introduced him to the situation of the Hongjing Library and the reason for coming here to find periodicals.

Xing Conglian was taken aback, feeling that this matter sounded familiar.

Lin Chen quickly noticed and glanced at him, helplessly shaking his head. He took a step back, assuming an attitude of “if you know it, you handle it.”

Xing Conglian also felt helpless, so he stepped forward and showed his police officer badge. They were soon led to the collection of periodicals on the top floor.

As soon as the door opened, a unique and heavy atmosphere of volumes filled the air.

The hanging lamps lit up one after another, but they couldn’t fully illuminate the vast bookshelves that seemed to stretch endlessly. The collection of books was vast, like clouds, with only a faint glimmer of light coming through the windows at the top. Despite it being late summer, Xing Conglian couldn’t help but shiver from the chill in the air.

However, Lin Chen seemed unfazed and moved among the bookshelves like a fish in water. Soon, he stopped in front of the two rows of shelves belonging to the field of psychology.

Xing Conglian followed his gaze, looking up until the very top.

Each level of the massive iron shelves was filled with collections of documents, with different shades and conditions, some new and some old. It was evident that, relying solely on their strength, finding something like “30:1103-1126” from here was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

So he asked Lin Chen if they needed help but received a negative answer.

With his hands in his pockets, Lin Chen maintained a prolonged upward gaze. His profile was blurred in the massive shadow of the bookshelves. He seemed to be immersed in deep thought, but at certain moments, he appeared extremely alert. This made Xing Conglian feel as if he was competing with some unseen opponent. Although they had never met, the shadow was real.

Finally, Lin Chen spoke. “If these numbers truly represent references from an academic journal, then ’30’ stands for a certain year’s issue or volume of a publication, and ‘1103-1126’ generally represents the corresponding page numbers.”

Xing Conglian was astonished and couldn’t help taking a step back. “Are we supposed to flip through them one by one? There are just too many.”

Lin Chen glanced at him, and from his gaze, Xing Conglian realized his frustration.

“I might not be well-educated, but you can’t do this without me!” He quickly interpreted the meaning from Lin Chen’s eyes and retorted.

However, Lin Chen turned away without a word, leaving him with his back.

Xing Conglian widened his eyes, about to say something, but then realized that Lin Chen’s target was the few old computers by the innermost bookshelf.

Those computers were probably the oldest models one could find in the city, with heavy monitors and trackballs in the mouse. Post-00s would probably never have seen such huge devices.

But Lin Chen seemed to be familiar with them. He tapped on each keyboard, finding that none of the screens lit up. So he bent down and plugged in one of the computers, then waited with some delay for the even slower boot-up process.

Xing Conglian walked over and asked, “Why don’t we get Wang Chao to handle this?”

“Because it’s simple enough not to need him,” Lin Chen replied.

They waited for quite a while until the computer finally turned on.

Lin Chen opened a scholarly search software and casually entered the string of numbers. He sorted the documents based on the number of citations.

The computer screen was very dim, as if it was about to lose power, and then the page slowly unfolded.

Xing Conglian stood beside Lin Chen, looking down.

On the screen were densely packed paper titles, with “30:1103-1126” highlighted in red. These numbers mostly appeared in the references section, indicating that Lin Chen’s direction was correct.

Mortality associated with influenza and respiratory syncytial virus in the United States.

……

Communication system having unified messaging…

The papers covered various fields, but Lin Chen’s speed was very steady. He kept scrolling the pages up and down. During this process, Xing Conglian saw two papers related to psychology and wanted to stop Lin Chen. However, when he looked at Lin Chen, he noticed that his gaze was calm and composed. He decisively skipped those two papers, as if he had a clear goal and was just looking for something specific.

Due to Lin Chen’s clear direction and purpose, Xing Conglian had a bad feeling. Lin Chen seemed too familiar with this process, as if he had experienced it before.

The document library was extremely quiet, and only the desktop computer hummed softly. Xing Conglian felt as if he was watching Lin Chen enter another realm, and he couldn’t help but want to interrupt the process and pull Lin Chen out of it.

“How can you be sure that this economic paper is not what we’re looking for?” He pointed to a paper and asked Lin Chen.

“Because there is no hyphen between the keywords ‘1103’ and ‘1126’,” Lin Chen replied.

“What exactly are you looking for, and can I help? Is it possible that the paper you’re looking for is not in English but in French, Russian, Chinese, or something else?”

“No,” Lin Chen interrupted him, and his hand, which was dragging the mouse, came to a halt.

“Why not?”

“Because English is the most widely used language in the world,” Lin Chen said.

Xing Conglian really wanted to ask what it meant for a language to be the most widely used, but Lin Chen had already opened one of the papers and mumbled to himself, “Found it.”

—On the conflicts between biological and social evolution and between psychology and moral tradition.

The author was Doland T. Campbell¹, and it was published in the <American Psychologist>². Xing Conglian noticed that the publication date of this paper was 1975.

¹Was an American social scientist. He is noted for his work in methodology. He coined the term evolutionary epistemology and developed a selectionist theory of human creativity.
²A peer-reviewed academic journal published by the American Psychological Association. The journal publishes articles of broad interest to psychologists, including empirical reports and scholarly reviews covering science, practice, education, and policy, and occasionally publishes special issues on relevant topics in the field of psychology.

1975, that seemed quite ancient.

“Is this the one?” he asked uncertainly.

But Lin Chen had already taken out a ballpoint pen from his pocket and copied a series of numbers in his palm. Then, he shut down the computer and returned to the iron bookshelves, beginning to search through the thousands of bound documents using the labels.

Xing Conglian could barely keep up with this sudden change of pace. The library was so empty that he had to fill the silence with his voice. “Can’t we just download it directly? Do we have to go back to find the original?”

Lin Chen didn’t answer him but mechanically moved his gaze, scanning through rows of new and old books and magazines. Finally, he stopped at a certain spot.

“Is it here? Are we looking for 1975?” Xing Conglian asked.

But Lin Chen stood rigidly in place, opening his palm, glancing at the numbers, and then raising his head, but he suddenly froze.

Xing Conglian’s bad premonition grew stronger. He noticed that the ballpoint pen in Lin Chen’s palm was even soaked with sweat.

Following Lin Chen’s gaze upward, Xing Conglian looked at the row of <American Psychologist>: 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977…

1974, 1976…

He finally realized why Lin Chen was so tense. Among this row of journals, there was no volume for 1975.

Perhaps someone had taken it early, or there might be some other reason for its disappearance. But no matter what, the missing volume seemed to be related to the person who sent them the message to come here.

And the missing 1975 volume answered his previous question—why they couldn’t download the original directly.

Xing Conglian patted Lin Chen’s shoulder, and the latter trembled. He finally clenched his fist and said, “Xing Conglian, put on your gloves and take down these volumes.”

Lin Chen spoke while clearly padding his foot, using his fingertips to glide over several volumes from around 1975.

Xing Conglian didn’t know what Lin Chen was going to do, but he still found a ladder leaning in the corner as instructed, climbed up, and retrieved those few books.

The moment he pulled open the heavy periodicals, he understood why Lin Chen asked him to do this. It was another extremely precise judgment.

Among the four volumes he took out, the missing 1975 bound volume lay there.

In the light, dust floated, and the thick collection lay quietly in the space behind the books. Xing Conglian was motionless for a moment until Lin Chen’s voice awakened him.

“Did you find it?” Lin Chen asked.

Xing Conglian lowered his head, and Lin Chen looked up at him from below, his brows showing anxiety.

“It’s back there,” he said.

Lin Chen’s face turned deathly pale at a visible speed. Xing Conglian put the four volumes back in their place, climbed down the ladder, nodded at Lin Chen, and then looked at the desk by the window, gesturing for Lin Chen to go there and talk.

Lin Chen slowly dragged a backrest chair; his clothes were thin, and he sat down like an elderly person on the verge of death. The summer sunlight outside couldn’t warm him.

“Can you tell me what we’re going to find here?” Xing Conglian asked while pressing his gloved hand on the book.

“I don’t know,” Lin Chen replied.

“But you knew to come here, knew that a simple online database search wouldn’t work, knew how to find the exact paper with just a few numbers in this vast library. You even knew where this ‘missing’ periodical was hidden. I think you should know what you’re looking for here,” Xing Conglian asked very calmly.

“Perhaps I’ll find a word,” Lin Chen answered simply.

“What word?”

“Blind arbiters.”

“What does this word mean?”

“Blind arbiters can be translated as ‘blind arbitrators’. It has nothing to do with sports or politics and is commonly found in books about human morality and human evolution. It probably refers to the fact that the natural environment has no intention when selecting species. The work of nature is purely mechanical, so the role nature plays is more like that of a blind arbitrator.”

“I don’t understand,” Xing Conglian said straightforwardly.

“Because nature is blind, it is not as meticulous, cautious, and careful as early humans thought. We cannot find any sense of fairness and spiritual comfort in the blind nature. This also leads to a consequence…”

Lin Chen’s profound gaze shifted over, and even though it was a very dull and stereotypical academic topic, Xing Conglian couldn’t help but shiver along.

“What consequence?”

“So, both the formation of the natural world and the formation of human society are merely terrible accidents. The world has no ultimate purpose, no so-called order and reason, and of course, there is no ‘good’ or ‘evil’ that we humans create.”

Lin Chen stopped talking.

Xing Conglian thought of the “Moral Tradition” at the end of the paper’s title and also thought of the choice Lin Chen had made before. This association had no logical basis, but he didn’t ask further. Instead, he chose to open the journal in front of him and flip to page 1103.

The white paper reflected the dazzling sunlight, and each English character looked uneven. Before him lay an area he had never touched before; a territory belonging to Lin Chen.

Xing Conglian’s eyes quickly scanned the page and stopped soon after because he saw that someone had written a sentence in very small pencil letters within the book’s seams.

The handwriting was gentle, and the tone was like a whisper, but it made one feel like falling into an abyss.

—My Dear, did you make the right choice?

Someone asked like so.

---

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

---

Chapter 263

Xing Conglian felt as if cold water had been poured over his head.

Lin Chen’s deep black eyes held no tears, appearing calm and hopeless, devoid of vitality.

Xing Conglian’s mind went blank for a moment, and it took a while for his rationality to return, but the sense of panic still lingered.

However, he was well aware that if he lost control now, Lin Chen would have no one to rely on.

Therefore, he slowly sat up and pulled Lin Chen up as well. They sat cross-legged facing each other on the empty bed board, with an arm’s length between them, like adults who had no romantic relationship, engaging in conversation.

Xing Conglian took a deep breath and spoke seriously, “Setting aside our romantic relationship, Consultant Lin, you must understand that I am your superior.”

“I understand.” Lin Chen tried to gather his strength, but Xing Conglian knew that his current state was very strained.

“At such a critical juncture, I must have a clear understanding of your mental condition to determine if you can continue in your position.”

Lin Chen nodded. Sitting cross-legged, he exposed a pale ankle in the sunlight. “I understand, Captain Xing.”

“Therefore, based on my trust in your professional abilities, I now, in my capacity as your superior, request that you perform a self-diagnosis of your mental state.”

Lin Chen had already guessed that he would make such a request. He slowly turned around, picked up the phone from the bedside table again, and opened another page before handing it over.

Xing Conglian glanced at Lin Chen, then lowered his head and slowly scrolled through the page’s information.

Beck Depression Inventory* (BDI-21)

*Created by Aaron T. Beck, is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory, one of the most widely used psychometric tests for measuring the severity of depression. Its development marked a shift among mental health professionals, who had until then, viewed depression from a psychodynamic perspective, instead of it being rooted in the patient’s own thoughts.

Test Instructions:

Please carefully read each item and select the appropriate response based on your actual situation (in the past week, including today) from the four options provided after each question…

Question:

1. Mood

……

As Xing Conglian followed the selections made by Lin Chen, he continuously scrolled down the page. Each line of options brought him closer to understanding Lin Chen’s true mental state.

By the end, he didn’t even need to look at the score to understand why Lin Chen had laid such a long foundation earlier.

Item 1

Factor Name: Total Score

Factor Score: 41.00*

*Clarity: A score of 41 means severe depression (which is within the worse range 30-63).

He put down the phone, and when he looked up, Lin Chen’s mind seemed to be wandering, lost in thought.

“41 points. According to the standard in our country, I should go see a psychologist. But luckily, I am one myself,” Lin Chen said. “But it doesn’t mean that I have depression. I just assessed my short-term state.”

Xing Conglian pondered for a moment and calmly asked, “So, how long will this condition last? Do you need medication, and to what extent will it affect your work?”

“As soon as I woke up, I felt this abnormality, and this state of mental depression has been worsening over time.” Lin Chen maintained a sharp and professional posture, but his tone was slow. “Just before you came in, the instant I found my phone, I suddenly wondered why I was doing all this. We cannot achieve victory. I felt an overwhelming darkness in life, and everything became meaningless.” He paused for a long while before continuing, “So, I stopped and found the SDS scale, and I did a self-assessment. The results weren’t good.” Lin Chen finished speaking and looked up at Xing Conglian. “You should also sense that I have signs of psychomotor retardation. And when we were lying on this bed just now, I had a strong desire to continue lying there, doing nothing, until death.”

Lin Chen spoke with utmost seriousness, as if reporting his work to a superior, but it was more like the most brutal self-analysis. “I feel very down and depressed right now. I desperately want to experience the joy that normal people feel and make life full of hope, so I want to go find Shen Lian.”

“I disagree,” Xing Conglian replied. He paused and continued, “I won’t agree to you seeking help from Shen Lian for the purpose of obtaining relief through medication. Similarly, if you were to go to Xiao Zhan to obtain TERN isomers, I would stop you as well.”

Lin Chen suddenly looked up, and Xing Conglian watched as his lover became visibly choked up. This was not the emotional response that Lin Chen would have under normal circumstances.

But then, Lin Chen forcefully composed his emotions. If the concept of a soul truly existed, the part belonging to Lin Chen himself would undoubtedly be incredibly resilient and persistent.

Lin Chen said, “Thank you, but you also know very well, Captain Xing, that you don’t have any other choice. I have to go find Shen Lian, although not right now.”

Xing Conglian said, “All of this is based on the premise that you still have the ability to continue.”

“I have two reasons to prove that I can and should continue,” Lin Chen said clearly and precisely. “First, this is the normal acute withdrawal symptom during the detoxification phase. Xiao Wu experienced a period of time after stopping the medication and has already made a significant recovery. This case proves that I should also have the ability to overcome the effects of the medication. Second, if I stop working now and wait for research to progress to alleviate the physiological condition, then it might truly be too late.”

Lin Chen presented his arguments in a formal report-like manner, and Xing Conglian watched him, longing to pull him close and hold him tightly in his arms. But he also understood that Lin Chen didn’t need that kind of sympathy.

Therefore, he maintained his professional attitude and asked, “On the second point, why will it be too late?”

“During our conversation just now, I suddenly realized that the person orchestrating this grand situation, I think, I might know them.” Lin Chen’s voice sounded buzzing and somewhat low. “I need to go to the library, translate that message, and verify this.”

After saying those words, Lin Chen bowed down, as if he had used up all his strength.

Xing Conglian felt Lin Chen’s forehead against his shoulder, and he lowered his head to see Lin Chen’s black hair. He then opened his palm and firmly held the back of Lin Chen’s head, embracing him tightly.

He kissed the top of Lin Chen’s head, abandoning all sense of responsibility as a superior.

“Thank you, Xing Conglian,” Lin Chen said.

……

Lin Chen was always at the world’s leading level when it came to persuading people.

After the conversation, Lin Chen seemed to have regained some composure, but Xing Conglian was certain that it was a facade to reassure Wang Chao when they walked out of the door.

The Hongjing Library was very close to their home, about a ten-minute walk away.

Although time was tight now and using a computer for literature retrieval would be faster, since Lin Chen wanted to go to the library, Xing Conglian was more than happy to accompany him for a walk outside.

For a total score of 41, it was recommended Lin Chen should confide in someone or vent appropriately when feeling depressed, make an effort to recall past happy experiences, and engage in activities that bring joy. It was also advised to set goals and make plans for one’s life and work. It was recommended to seek professional psychological counseling and treatment as soon as possible.

Xing Conglian recited the advice he had just read once again, and when he looked up, Lin Chen had already walked ahead of him.

At noon, there weren’t many elderly people strolling in the alley, and the shop owners either gathered together for lunch or dozed off at their counters.

Xing Conglian quickened his pace, wanting to catch up and walk side by side with Lin Chen.

Just then, an old man from a nearby souvenir shop came out to bid farewell to a customer. Lin Chen took a quick step forward, deliberately keeping a less intimate distance from him.

Xing Conglian narrowed his eyes, recalling many similar situations in his mind. They had walked this road together many times, but it was the first time he noticed this kind of detail about Lin Chen.

Taking advantage of the moment when Lin Chen nodded and greeted the old man, he brushed against Lin Chen’s side, took his hand, and held it tightly.

Lin Chen’s body visibly tensed, but the old man seemed to have not noticed the scene and turned back into the shop.

“Consultant Lin, how come I didn’t notice when you were pursuing me? Your attitude towards same-sex relationships is unexpectedly conservative.” Of course, he was referring to the moment when Lin Chen pushed him against the wall and kissed him forcefully. Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but click his tongue.

Lin Chen didn’t pull his hand away but instead held it back and simply said, “Society’s acceptance hasn’t reached a level where everyone takes it for granted. There’s no need to deliberately challenge anything…”

“Consultant Lin, if it were still a feudal society, all of these people would be tenants. Have you ever seen a feudal novel where the landlord considers the feelings of the tenants?” Xing Conglian held Lin Chen’s hand. His skin was delicate, and his knuckles were well-proportioned. Xing Conglian held it with great satisfaction, to the point where his tone became natural.

When he said this, Lin Chen finally turned his head and glanced at him.

“I didn’t hide it from you. I told you the first time I took you home,” Xing Conglian interjected, “Where else can you find an honest man like me?”

Hearing this, a helpless expression finally appeared on Lin Chen’s face. However, he didn’t refute him with words, which greatly satisfied Xing Conglian’s vanity.

They had walked this path together many times, with gentle sunlight and the late summer river presenting a lush green color of aquatic plants, creating a sense of tranquility.

When he initially chose to live here, it was because the area was peaceful and had a high level of sophistication, making it suitable as a quiet residence for retirement. However, now the words “retirement” had become a dreadful curse.

Xing Conglian had considered more than once that when Consultant Lin and he pooled their money to buy a new house and pay the down payment, they should first consider things like feng shui. And it would be better to buy a commercial property with only two rooms—a master bedroom and a study—because if there were more rooms, Wang Chao would want to move in too…

But as these thoughts wandered in his mind, they were dispersed by the breeze. Their palms pressed together, and the warmth grew.

Xing Conglian glanced to his side, with Lin Chen walking on his right. His footsteps were light, and his figure was slender yet powerful. His profile was particularly handsome, with his hair growing slightly longer since he hadn’t had time to trim it, covering his ears a bit but still revealing their contours, making people itch to pinch them.

Being the proactive type he was, Xing Conglian immediately raised his other hand and gently brushed away Lin Chen’s dark hair, lightly touching his ears.

Lin Chen immediately turned around; a look of astonishment flashed in his eyes, but he didn’t resist, just appearing somewhat bewildered.

In any case, he looked incredibly adorable.

No pedestrians passed by around them. Xing Conglian took a step back, leaning against a willow tree by the water. He pulled Lin Chen closer, cradling the back of his head, and lowered his head to lick Lin Chen’s lips, feeling a slight dryness, yet they were incredibly soft.

Lin Chen still had his eyes open, looking up at him. The sunlight seeped through the gaps in the leaves, and perhaps because of this, Lin Chen’s previously slightly stern features softened.

Xing Conglian carefully traced the contours of Lin Chen’s face, then lowered his head again and kissed him.

Their teeth touched gently, their mouths warm and sweet, like a dream.

As the breeze blew, Lin Chen closed his eyes and finally embraced him.

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Generally speaking, even if one is a professional psychologist, they really shouldn’t treat themselves. While as experts they can identify their illness and issues, they have their own biases of themselves, which could affect treatment. There are things (such as the test Lin Chen did) that can help bring some clarity and give them some objectiveness, but it’s still best to see another professional to treat oneself.

Though, many don’t as they fear the stigma (ironically).

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

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Chapter 262

Len Chen was very sharp. Upon hearing the words, he rolled over and propped himself up to look at Xing Conglian. With Xing Conglian’s handsome face very close to his nose, Lin Chen raised an eyebrow and keenly remarked, “So, did you peek at my messages?”

“There’s a unified security process in place. The system filters the messages you receive, and if any abnormal information is detected, there will be an alert.” Xing Conglian pulled Lin Chen down and laid back in their previous position. “Look, it’s for your safety, baby. You have to trust me; I would never peek at your messages, and the keywords are definitely not something like ‘darling’ or ‘see you at the usual place tomorrow night’. But this message looked too much like spam, so it slipped through.” Xing Conglian joked, “Besides, I didn’t know if that little brat Wang Chao told you, but later, I’ll go bear that kid up to vent my anger.”

“Actually, I don’t mind if you peek at my messages,” Lin Chen said.

“I really didn’t peek.”

“For others, reading someone’s messages implies a lack of trust or something like that, but for me, if you actually did it, I would be happy,” Lin Chen said. “It would mean that you care about me—that you lack a sense of security in our relationship, afraid that I might run off with someone else. It’s a sign of insecurity. Honestly, I’m not someone who feels very secure either. I also need these normal and ordinary details that come up in a relationship to ascertain that you love me.”

The sound of flowing water outside the window became clearer and clearer. Lin Chen’s breath fell on his neck and chest, while the tone of their conversation flowed like clean and clear water, with each word hitting him in the heart.

Xing Conglian let out a long sigh. Lin Chen always spoke so straightforwardly, making it impossible to resist. He once again found himself in a situation where, no matter how hard he tried to love Lin Chen, it never seemed enough.

But he couldn’t help but wonder if they could still lie down together and talk when they grew older. It would be a truly fortunate life for him if he could still hear Lin Chen’s views on love.

“I love you. I’m very certain of it,” Xing Conglian said.

……

Lin Chen rested his head on Xing Conglian’s shoulder.

The bed had no soft mattress or bedsheet, and the rough feeling was very uncomfortable.

Xing Conglian’s shoulder joint was stiff, and his chest was wrapped in strong muscles underneath the shoulder. Lin Chen had to lean against this position, which was quite uncomfortable.

Seeing Xing Conglian’s posture, Lin Chen knew that he hadn’t had much experience in relationships. His movements were stiff, but luckily, the feeling of his voice constantly passing through his chest and into his ears was pleasant. Therefore, he changed his strategy.

He turned to his side and reached out to embrace the other person’s waist. Feeling like it wasn’t enough, he also pressed his leg on top.

This action wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, but it was very comfortable and reassuring.

Because of the comfort, they could talk more and go deeper.

“We haven’t finished talking about your grandmother,” Lin Chen patted Xing Conglian’s buttocks and said softly.

Xing Conglian kissed his ear and calmly said, “My grandmother ultimately committed suicide.” Xing Conglian’s voice was long and distant. “She ate a bullet and died a heroic death.”

Lin Chen wasn’t surprised. From the moment Xing Conglian mentioned it, he believed this was the inevitable outcome.

The clouds outside the window glided by in a soothing and unpredictable manner. Lin Chen closed his eyes and asked in a low voice, “Some kind of mental or psychological illness?”

“Alzheimer’s*. I was still young back then and didn’t understand much,” Xing Conglian said. “But even then, I wondered, why is the human brain so strange? My grandmother had such a grand and magnificent life, but as she grew old, she became like an extremely immature child, gradually forgetting everything. I remember when she saw me for the last time, she mistook me for her childhood playmate and pulled me, wanting to ride a black bear.”

*Neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems with language, disorientation (including easily getting lost), mood swings, loss of motivation, self-neglect, and behavioral issues. As a person’s condition declines, they often withdraw from family and society. Gradually, bodily functions are lost, ultimately leading to death.

As Xing Conglian spoke of this past, his tone carried confusion and puzzlement, but Lin Chen was certain that Xing Conglian had a purpose in telling this story.

However, at this moment, he just wanted to listen to Xing Conglian talk about his past.

“And then?”

“And then… there was no ‘then’. The family couldn’t do anything about it because it’s an incurable disease. And since my grandma had the highest seniority in the family, all they could do was bring her a docile black bear. It had to be ensured that the bear wouldn’t harm anyone, had a gentle temperament, and also prevented the old lady from shooting the bear. In short, those years were chaotic in our household. Then, one day, the old lady regained her consciousness, or rather, her condition worsened. But we preferred to believe the former—that she was very clear when she made that choice. Though it was just a brief moment, she chose a bottle of vodka in her left hand and a revolver in her right hand, and in an extremely heroic and interesting way, she ended her life.”

Xing Conglian’s tone wasn’t sorrowful, and Lin Chen didn’t feel it was a sad story either.

“To live brilliantly and die with dignity—many people long for that,” he said.

“I thought you would comfort me.”

“I’m not that conventional,” Lin Chen said. “And by the way, your family’s pet is really creative.”

“That’s nothing. Next time, I’ll take you home to see the little creatures I’ve raised,” Xing Conglian proudly said.

Lin Chen knew that the words “take you home” were heartfelt and sincere.

But at this moment, he still had to break this atmosphere.

“The story is good, with a cruel beauty, but did you misunderstand something?” He forcefully sat up, patted Xing Conglian’s abs, and said, “My situation is not the same as your grandmother’s.”

“Although the specific directions may be different, the problems here are fundamentally connected.” Xing Conglian raised his hand very knowingly and pointed at the center of Lin Chen’s brows. “So, Consultant Lin, I will do everything I can, but the only one I have been powerless against is you. What is your current condition? Please perform a self-diagnosis. I’m making this request as your lover and as your superior.”

“I have been asking myself that question too.” Lin Chen held Xing Conglian’s fingertip and kissed it, then let go of his hand and got off the bed.

Xing Conglian looked at the wrinkles on Lin Chen’s shirt, revealing a glimpse of his waist that was exposed when Xing Conglian lifted it.

He watched as Lin Chen bent down and took two bottles of lemon-flavored soda from the cupboard, unscrewed the caps, handed one bottle over, and sat back on the bed, speaking in an extremely calm tone. “In fact, Shen Lian needs something. It becomes a shackle around my neck—that’s when it becomes interesting.”

Lin Chen said this.

“So what?”

“So this involves the essence of the medication, the underlying purpose of the puppet master.” Lin Chen paused. “We know that this medication’s side effects make people become manic and lose themselves, but Xiao Wu’s recovery, including my temporary clarity, also tells us that high doses of the drug taken in a short period of time won’t drive people completely insane. It metabolizes quickly, allowing temporary recovery. That’s why this medication needs to be taken long-term, right?”

“You can say that.”

Lin Chen nodded and took out his phone. A message from Su Fengzi appeared on the screen.

“Fengzi just went to Hongjing Hospital and obtained similar results…”

He said up to this point, but Xing Conglian interrupted him.

“I’ve never seen such an elusive person. So, does Three Graves really exist? Is Su Fengzi the leader of Thee Graves, or is it you?” Xing Conglian asked.

“Don’t bring up that which doesn’t need to be brought up.” Lin Chen glared at him and bent down to give him a punishing kiss. “Listen to me…”

“Kiss me again, and I’ll listen to you.”

Xing Conglian was extremely stubborn, and taking advantage of Lin Chen’s distraction, he pulled him back onto the bed, seriously threatening him. “Please, Consultant Lin, continue speaking in this posture. If you move around again, I’ll change positions.”

Lin Chen had no choice but to adjust his sleeping position, resting his head on Xing Conglian’s chest, lying on his side, and spoke in a soft voice. “Fengzi also reviewed the cases from Yongchuan Hospital. We can observe that a small number of patients have regained their consciousness. This indicates that although the same medication has different effects on different individuals, overall, everyone is improving.”

“Then what is the shackle, Consultant Lin?” Xing Conglian asked sternly.

“Most psychiatric drugs work by affecting the brain’s neurotransmitters, which in itself is quite amusing. We always think we can control ourselves, but in reality, whether it’s dopamine, acetylcholine, serotonin, norepinephrine, or others, these subtle changes in neurotransmitters can fundamentally alter a person. It can lead to addiction or a range of psychiatric disorders. It can make you a saint or a madman,” Lin Chen said while gently stroking his furrowed brow, his voice unusually gentle.

Xing Conglian’s heart felt as though it had been tightly squeezed, and he shuddered all over, even more fearful because of Lin Chen’s calmness.

But in this tender yet chilling moment, he, in a fleeting instant, felt that he had grasped the key to the entire situation. He seemed to realize what the puppet master behind the scenes truly wanted to achieve, but he couldn’t quite capture that crucial point.

He believed that Lin Chen must understand more, but at this moment, Lin Chen couldn’t verbally tell him the truth of the whole matter.

“It’s like when you’re in a dream; it’s difficult to realize that you’re dreaming,” Lin Chen said. “All human thought processes rely on the coordinated action of brain neurons and these neurotransmitters. If you ask me what changes Shen Lian’s medication will bring to the brain, I can tell you with certainty that it likely affects monoamine neurotransmitters*. Like all drugs, it has different stages. In the initial stage, it can cause a loss of rationality and agitation. In the relaxation phase, it can induce a sense of ease and calmness. And in the declining phase, after the neurotransmitter levels in the brain have fluctuated, it can trigger a series of physiological compensatory or antagonistic reactions. I don’t know exactly how it works.”

*Neurotransmitters and neuromodulators that contain one amino group connected to an aromatic ring by a two-carbon chain, such as dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. They are used in monoaminergic systems, which regulate the process of things like emotion, arousal, and certain types of memory.

Lin Chen’s tone was calm as he lay there on Xing Conglian’s chest, gazing serenely at him. But just speaking these few sentences seemed to drain all the strength from Lin Chen’s body. “Xing Conglian, I lied to you just now. I’m feeling very uneasy right now, and I really want to go find Shen Lian, truly.”

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

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

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Chapter 261

Lin Chen returned to the room to find a spare phone to replace the one he was currently using, and he handed the latter to Wang Chao for further research.

Xing Conglian didn’t get up, allowing Lin Chen to enter the room alone.

After closing the door, Wang Chao put down the pretense of typing on the keyboard and looked at him with a worried expression. “Is A’Chen Gege really okay now?”

Xing Conglian didn’t answer immediately.

Even Wang Chao could tell that something was off with Lin Chen. How could Xing Conglian not notice it?

From the beginning of their meeting, he could sense that Lin Chen was in a hurry, whether it was his urgency in talking to him in the car or the matter he entrusted to him regarding the text message.

Lin Chen now felt like a timed bomb that could explode at any moment. The more relaxed he appeared on the surface, the less one knew when the bomb’s timer would reach its designated point.

“What do you think?” Xing Conglian asked him.

“I don’t know, but I just feel that A’Chen Gege recovered too quickly. Is there anything else he needs to check?”

“Do you think he would be willing to go back to the hospital?”

Wang Chao whispered, “Damn it, Boss. As a man, he’s already slept through it all. You need to have some courage!”

Xing Conglian, for the first time, patted Wang Chao’s head. The young man’s hair was light and soft. He silently stood up and walked to the doorway.

When he opened the door, he found that Lin Chen didn’t appear to be anxiously rummaging through things, as he had expected.

Lin Chen sat quietly on the empty bed board, gazing at the sunny blue sky outside the window, so quiet that it seemed excessive.

The anticipated side effects of the medication seemed to have taken Lin Chen to another extreme.

Xing Conglian walked over slowly, and his shadow was outlined on the floor in the sunlight.

Lin Chen didn’t instinctively turn to look at him. He resembled a mannequin in a shop window, pure white and flawless, yet in that moment, he seemed to be immersed in a strange space known only to himself.

There were two phones on the bedside table, with the SIM cards removed but not inserted, just placed there. Lin Chen had clearly stopped working on them midway through.

Xing Conglian sat down beside him, and the empty bed board made a creaking sound.

Only then did Lin Chen slowly turn his head back, and a faint gleam flashed in his deep black eyes. He smiled at him.

Before Lin Chen could greet him, Xing Conglian spoke on his own. “The way you are now reminds me of someone.”

Lin Chen looked at him in surprise, not expecting him to use this as an opening line.

“Who?”

“My grandmother.”

As he spoke, Xing Conglian lay horizontally on the empty bed board, leaving Lin Chen sitting there in a daze.

He patted the empty space beside him and then reached out to hook Lin Chen’s shoulder, pulling him down.

With his unsteady balance, Lin Chen fell onto him, and Xing Conglian naturally held onto his waist, forcing him to stay on top of him.

After a while, Lin Chen’s body finally softened, returning to the same level of tenderness they had when they embraced in the car.

“What happened to your grandmother?” Lin Chen asked.

“Baby, you’re ruining the mood.” Xing Conglian kissed the top of his head and spoke slowly. “My grandmother was a strong woman with a warrior bloodline. She hunts bears in the summer and takes vodka baths in the winter.”

“The Tsar’s princess is extraordinary.” Lin Chen said.

Xing Conglian laughed, feeling that lying on the bare bed board, embracing Lin Chen, and not saying or doing anything else, was already more than enough. “It’s not that exaggerated. My grandmother isn’t from a prestigious family. She’s just an ordinary, beautiful girl from a warrior tribe.”

“That’s good. It’s good to have traditions.” Lin Chen said.

“What traditions?” Xing Conglian asked with a smile.

“After all, not all prestigious families would marry commoners. Your family has this tradition, and I feel relieved…” Lin Chen paused suddenly.

He seemed to be afraid that it was inappropriate to bring up the topic of marriage with Xing Conglian so abruptly, but he also felt that further explanation and elaboration would be inappropriate.

In that momentary pause, Xing Conglian had already perceived something. “Didn’t we agree to be willful?” He helplessly held Lin Chen tighter. “You can just say it now: Xing Conglian, marry me, and I would even agree without a diamond ring.”

“No, we still need to buy the diamond ring,” Lin Chen said. “We both need to contribute to the down payment for the house, take out a loan to slowly repay it, so we won’t buy a car. Since you have one, let’s save some money.”

Lin Chen’s tone of voice sounded old-fashioned, and Xing Conglian loved it.

It made him think that they had so much time before to talk and share about love and express their feelings, but he hadn’t paid much attention to it.

Now, even stealing moments to embrace each other felt precious, and every second was so sweet that it made him overwhelmed.

He put his hand behind his head, rested his head on it, and told Lin Chen, “The old man you saw earlier is a friend of the family. I asked him for a favor.”

“What favor?”

“I asked him to help me buy Zhourui Pharmaceutical.”

This news was too shocking, and Lin Chen struggled to sit up. Xing Conglian wouldn’t let him have his way and instead held onto Lin Chen’s waist like a pair of iron pliers. “Don’t move. What do you think you’re doing? I won’t let you go out.”

“I need to ask for help from online friends with my phone.” Lin Chen’s voice sounded gentle, tinged with a hint of worry. “My wife loves shopping too much; what should I do? Urgently waiting online.”

“I thought you would ask why. You’re always so clever. How can I trap you?” Xing Conglian blinked, rubbing Lin Chen’s head. “Originally, I was imagining something like Su Fengzi, to ruthlessly retaliate against Zhourui and dismantle them completely. Because if they weren’t so foolish, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this, and we would probably have already resolved these matters and be looking at the voyage of The Rose May.”

“The name sounds like your family’s ship. Instead of looking at the voyage schedule, why not just come and pick us up?” Lin Chen patted his chest, speaking in a tone of “that’s settled then.”

“But that’s impossible.” Xing Conglian dragged out his tone. “Hongjing isn’t by the sea.”

“Yeah, it’s impossible.”

Lin Chen’s tone was calm, but he stopped there, waiting for him to continue. However, it was apparent that their notions of impossibility didn’t stem from the same reason.

Xing Conglian continued to recall the retaliatory meeting earlier. He didn’t have the intention of coaxing Lin Chen to be happy. To be honest, he was quite adept at such things.

He didn’t have to say or do anything, and he could still make Zhourui’s situation chaotic, and then deliver a final blow, causing the entire building to collapse and crumble.

But as he gradually approached his intended goal, he felt that perhaps this wasn’t entirely correct. A vague clue seemed to connect everything together.

Shen Lian couldn’t be alone, and she couldn’t have independently developed a drug like TERN, with such clear and powerful contrasting effects. Behind her was a hidden plan spanning over a decade, with countless people secretly cooperating.

Everything could be summed up in one word: “Why?”

To induce social unrest with drugs, to turn healthy elderly into psychiatric patients, to destroy countless happy families?

These were all reasons, of course, but they were all insufficient.

Xing Conglian still didn’t know why all of this was happening, just like how Lin Chen didn’t fully understand why Shen Lian had to actively seek death at the hands of the police.

Some vague intuition told him that they had experienced similar things before, and what they needed to do was stand in the immense shadow cast by the puppet master behind the scenes, waiting for the other side to reveal a vulnerability, and then strike back.

However, the existence of a puppet master behind the scenes was merely a hypothesis.

To verify this hypothesis, he asked Chairman Zhou two questions and received concrete answers.

Zhourui did indeed receive a blackmail email. Although they didn’t know who sent the email, the sender clearly knew that they were covering up the adverse reactions of the Nao Kangning drug and using it to manipulate them.

After paying the bribe, Zhourui Pharmaceutical received the exact video of a murder at an amusement park.

In the blurry cellphone recording, it captured the moment when Shen Lian assassinated Tan Kang. Although the perpetrator wore sunglasses and pulled up their collar high, disguising themselves as a man, there was a moment when they turned their head, revealing a resemblance to Shen Lian.

The email provided related clues, pointing the finger at Shen Lian.

The email contained subtle hints that led Zhourui to believe that the sender was the captain of the Criminal Investigation Team in Hongjing.

However, later on, negotiations between Zhourui and “him” reached a breaking point. Zhourui took preemptive action, bravely severing ties before “he” could expose everything and accused him of forced extortion.

Then, the grand operation to besiege Shen Lian began.

The most interesting game was always the one that quietly began, observing the fight between tigers and benefiting from it.

But Shen Lian didn’t follow the planned script and died. Just like in Shen Lian’s plan, Duan Yang didn’t die, and the deceased became Duan Wanshan.

The plot took an uncontrollable path as a result.

In that email, there was obviously a hidden foreshadowing. The sender hoped that Xing Conglian would become angry and retaliate fiercely against Zhourui after being bitten by them. But Xing Conglian couldn’t do that.

When sitting in that meeting room, Xing Conglian felt countless times that Lin Chen was right beside him.

He despised Zhourui, and that was only natural. However, as he looked at the scientists standing up one by one, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was a better choice than just watching the largest domestic pharmaceutical company go bankrupt.

Clearly, there was.

Money was truly good.

Xing Conglian felt this countless times.

While he spoke, Lin Chen leaned quietly against him, so silent that Xing Conglian thought he found the story boring, and Lin Chen had fallen asleep.

However, when he stopped, Lin Chen fittingly continued, “I understand. This is probably one of the purposes of this message.”

“Yes.”

“The sender hopes that this message will divert our attention from Zhourui Pharmaceutical and quickly move us into the next stage they have predetermined.” Lin Chen paused, then said, “But they probably don’t know that, firstly, you don’t have the habit of checking my phone, and secondly, something unexpected happened last night, resulting in a time gap. So, as the saying goes…” Lin Chen spoke lightly with a calm voice. “Those who attempt to manipulate fate will eventually be controlled by fate.”

Every word Lin Chen said made sense.

“Uh…” Xing Conglian paused, feeling somewhat guilty. “But actually…”

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