Wu Nian sat quietly on the sofa near the System, her gaze fixed calmly on the wooden sheep carving on the table. Her long, raven hair cascaded down her sides like a waterfall, veiling her expression.
As her consciousness emerged from a state of chaos, she realized that two days had quietly slipped away.
Through the gaps in her hair, she stole a subtle glance toward the young man. He was sitting in her usual spot, the screen before him scrolling with dense lines of text. She had no idea how much of the organization’s intelligence he had already extracted.
She looked down at her wrists and knuckles. They were bare; every bracelet and ring containing a transmitter was gone.
Good.
Wu Nian felt her stomach cramp with suppressed rage.
*It seems that to prove my harmlessness and loyalty, the 'me' from two days ago really left myself no way out...*
In the quiet room, the occasional sound of the young man tapping on the keyboard or clicking the mouse drifted over. It wasn't loud, but it was grating to the nerves.
*What?* Wu Nian thought coldly. *Does he want to hollow out all the organization's information in one go?*
The disparity in their combat prowess kept her from acting rashly, but she knew that every day wasted meant greater losses for the organization because of her.
She stared at the wood carving not far away and tentatively, quietly, lifted her hand.
"Come here."
Her fingers trembled slightly, but she answered in a warm, seamless tone, "Understood."
The wound on the young man’s neck had nearly healed, leaving almost no trace. Wu Nian had only ever seen such regenerative abilities in organization members who had been injected with special reagents.
Wu Nian walked toward him.
Printed documents lay on the desk; she could vaguely see photos of children from when they were still tender and young.
The young man’s forest-blue eyes were fixed on her.
This scene struck Wu Nian with a sudden, inexplicable sense of familiarity.
*Drip. Drip.*
The rhythmic sound of water dripping from somewhere unknown began to synchronize with Wu Nian’s heartbeat.
Her heart throbbed in her chest. A strange, quiet pressure kept her emotions taut.
The room was silent, yet noisy. The dripping water, her own footsteps, her accelerating heartbeat, the sound of the young man’s fingers tapping the desk... it was like a chaotic, miniature symphony.
The string tension in her mind snapped the moment she saw the face of the blue-eyed youth on the screen. Her pupils constricted violently, and her thoughts became like the surface of a lake shattered and stirred into a mess.
At that same moment, the bright red text on the page crashed into her mind with overwhelming force.
[Strangler: Wu Nian.]
When she regained her focus, the youth was no longer on the screen; there was only a pupil-verification interface.
She stiffly complied with the unlock procedure, then sat back on the sofa, forcing herself to appear natural.
She remembered... she remembered now!
A blurred fragment of memory gradually sharpened. That youth she hadn't cared much about lifted his face, and suddenly, he possessed a pair of icy, azure eyes.
Yes, she must have failed back then...
It must have been a rainy day. The rain had washed away those pungent odors, and the floating mist in the air had interfered with her judgment. That youth had fallen beneath the body of a companion, his breath nearly non-existent, his eyes half-open, staring blankly at the black soil. Startled insects scurried near his cheek, yet he gave no reaction, looking for all the world like a lamb offering its neck to the slaughter.
Why did she put down her dagger back then?
Wu Nian’s memories were a muddle, but her thoughts were slowly clearing.
Was it because of a lingering, slight trace of pity...? Weakness!
But... Her eyes grew dazed, sinking into an incomprehensible confusion.
But afterward, her teacher clearly hadn't noticed anything wrong... All the "lambs" that were processed were supposed to be thrown into the massive vats of corrosive liquid. He should have been among them!
She had even asked her teacher if she could keep those beautiful eyes, and her teacher had told her with a smile that anyone thrown in would leave no trace behind.
Could it be... that in the brief time she was away, the boy escaped? No, the cleanup crew didn't report a missing person... the headcount was definitely correct! Unless there was a scapegoat!
...?!
Wu Nian’s breath hitched as the files she had once investigated flipped frantically through her mind.
The little shop where the young man lived—didn't it have many realistic mannequins?! She had even remarked at the time that it was a pity to burn such exquisite craftsmanship. That was why burning the shop had been the second option.
But regarding this matter, she suddenly had a startling realization.
Would those idiots responsible only for the cleanup care about "corpses" destined to be corroded into nothingness?
Even if there were differences in weight and texture, who would check carefully? Who would think that what was inside the body bag... might not be a person?
The sound of her heartbeat gradually turned into the heavy tolling of a bell, and her fingertips felt icy and stinging.
Wu Nian lowered her eyes, the corners of her mouth pulling down as a certain conjecture finally landed.
Inwardly, she sneered at her past self for coveting the young man.
A "beautiful wild wolf"?
Wu Nian stared at the wooden sheep carving nearby, feeling only a wave of nauseating dizziness.
He was clearly just a little lamb she had once easily strangled.
She had long forgotten the mindset with which she first noticed the young man. Thinking about it now, perhaps she had developed an interest in him because of some faint, subconscious memory.
Thinking this way, the young man’s extraordinary skills, his blank identity, his adaptation to the collar, and even this psychological control ability all had an explanation—he likely learned them while being controlled by them.
Heh.
She laughed silently.
In the end, they had cultivated a monster.
A monster that was now turning back to devour the organization.
***
[System: I’ve already hinted at "my" identity to her.]
[Mu Ran: Oh oh! What was her reaction?]
[System: She hasn't shown anything for now. But that’s irrelevant.]
The System, who appeared to be hacking into the organization’s intelligence network while sitting at the computer, was actually observing Wu Nian’s expression through the camera in the wood carving.
[System: I’ll be sending her to the police station soon.]
Mu Ran followed the thought naturally.
[Mu Ran: Then we can play along with the script she’s currently imagining in her head =v=]
This was their plan.
Although they had established the System’s persona as an amnesiac, they weren't clear on the specific details of what happened in the organization years ago. If they performed according to their own whims, they might accidentally create a loophole that contradicted the facts.
It was better to deceive an actual witness and let her help "write" the script.
Mu Ran: *I completely don't want to fix loopholes myself.jpg*
[Mu Ran: Oh, right. This villainous younger brother revealed another poor person who was framed. You can go check on his situation!]
[System: ...]
[System: You met him again?]
The System’s tone was a bit strange, but Mu Ran didn't think much of it.
[Mu Ran: Yeah. I feel like he’s much kinder now that his memory is returning... though he says weird things occasionally?]
[Mu Ran: Well, since I’m staying with the police right now, he always requests to see me. The officers have to go along with him, but I don't mind~]
[System: He’s a lot of trouble.]
[Mu Ran: I can gather a little bit of intel~ Don't be annoyed qwq. This is the only way I can help.]
The System felt inexplicably flustered.
[System: I wasn't talking about you...]
[System: I’m just... worried about what he might do to you.]
[Mu Ran: It’s fine! I feel like the villainous brother’s personality is okay now that he’s back to normal~ I just treat it like listening to stories every day.]
[System: Ah, that’s good then.]
The System stared blankly at the screen; he didn't actually like that answer.
[Mu Ran: Um, so when are you sending that lady to the station?]
[System: In two days.]
Mu Ran was a bit surprised. After all, the time they had previously discussed was later, to allow for better preparation and avoid issues.
Ah, but maybe the System just doesn't want to stay there? It makes sense; after all, no normal person would feel comfortable in a villainous organization. The System’s previous reply also felt a bit lonely.
So, Mu Ran considerately didn't ask further.
[Mu Ran: Okay! The sooner it ends, the sooner we finish work~]
The System didn't reply; the conversation likely ended there.
"...Hehe, come back to earth."
A bandaged hand waved in front of Mu Ran’s eyes, calling back his consciousness.
Mu Ran blinked, his tone slow. "Sorry."
"Ah, no way. Is this how you and that guy usually interact too?" Ye Xuan muttered under his breath, then spoke excitedly, "My story is finished~ Now it’s my turn to ask you~"
"When you lived with that guy, did you sleep together?"
Mu Ran: "..."
Here it was again—the weird questions!!
The organization had a massive amount of data, and every event had a unique code. Someone outside the organization couldn't precisely locate the information they needed. If the System did a carpet-style scan, the efficiency would be very low, and excessive calculation within the data network would tire the System out. That was why Mu Ran thought of Ye Xuan.
Since Ye Xuan had once cooperated with the police mole to frame the System, it at least proved he had done similar things... perhaps he still remembered the codes for those few incidents?
So, during their second meeting, Mu Ran tentatively took the initiative to ask Ye Xuan some questions about the organization. Of course, he didn't get straight to the point.
Ye Xuan had curved his eyes. "Mm-hmm~ I can tell you, but why do you want to know?"
"Eh! You’re not allowed to say it’s for those stinky police officers." Ye Xuan ruthlessly blocked the excuse Mu Ran was about to blurt out. He cradled his face, tilting his head meaningfully. "I think... you should care more about another person."
*Care about who? The only one I care about is the System, right?*
So Mu Ran lowered his eyes and spoke softly, "I just... want to understand Brother’s past?"
It was actually a question, but Ye Xuan completely ignored the faint doubt at the end of the sentence and smiled. "...Such a good relationship. Fine~ I guess I have to tell you."
"But... it’s no fun if I’m the only one telling stories. Let’s trade, shall we?"
...
And so, it turned into Ye Xuan telling one piece of intel, and then Mu Ran answering one of his "small" questions.
Mu Ran had thought he would ask serious questions, like how the System caught him, or how the System managed to arrive that day...
At the very least, he thought he'd ask how they met or how much of the System’s memory remained.
Instead...
"Did he cook when you were together?"
"Do you think that guy has any flaws?"
"Have you ever had a fight?"
Mu Ran: *Why are you asking these things?!!*
Today’s question was just as difficult to answer.
According to the layout of the little shop... well, they didn't sleep together, right?
"Eh..." Ye Xuan seemed somewhat disappointed. "But your eyes aren't good. What if you want to get up for water in the middle of the night? You’d bump into things easily, wouldn't you?"
Mu Ran was confused. "No, I’m a very quiet sleeper. I don't get up in the middle of the night."
Ye Xuan spoke persuasively, like a kind older brother caring for a younger one: "You can't just rely on luck~ Besides, there are many bad people outside. What if they all sneak in to find you in the middle of the night like I did?"
Mu Ran: "...?"
"Um, so?"
"So, you should sleep together from now on... there’s no harm in it, after all."
*What are you even saying?!*
Shen Feibai, who had overheard the entire process, was shocked. "I say, did you guys really not do anything extreme? Like some high-intensity interrogation?? This guy’s brain is broken, isn't it?!"
"We don't have that authority..."
"We’re providing him with good food and drink..."
Shen Feibai fast-forwarded through the surveillance of the previous few meetings at several times the speed, his expression gradually becoming bewildered.
"I don't understand."
He posed a soul-searching question: "What is the point of him asking these things?"
"Who knows..."
"Maybe he’s just gossipy?"
Captain Wang coughed. "Setting aside that part of the content, the things he mentioned earlier are still worth noting."
"Oh, so you called me here to confirm the authenticity of the cases he mentioned, right?"
Captain Wang: "The time and people involved are quite complex. You can take your time..." *investigating.*
He stared at the relevant documents Shen Feibai handed over, his thoughts freezing.
"Uh? You—you already knew?"
"You even finished investigating and printed them out?!"
Shen Feibai pulled out a few more pages that were still warm. "And these are from what he said today. Take a look."
"If you think the evidence is sufficient, hurry up and overturn the cases for them. Don't dawdle. And prepare the compensation for them while you're at it."
...
Shen Feibai left under the shocked and reverent gazes of the police officers.
The phone in his pocket vibrated again.
A few pictures and a brief narrative appeared on the screen. Just one look was enough to make one’s blood boil with anger.
However...
[Big Brother...]
Shen Feibai typed weakly.
[Why the sudden rush...]
He had long assumed the hacker on the other side was that youth on the run, so he teased helplessly.
[What, are you afraid that if you stay outside too long, your baby will be snatched away by someone else?]
The phone vibrated. A data package, still massive even after compression, appeared on the screen.
Shen Feibai clicked it open. The first few photos that loaded caused his gaze to darken, completely stripping away his previous playful mood.
...They were all children.
These wounds, the pain, the despair... these were not things they should have experienced at their age.
Although he had heard Mo Yuan mention the organization training members from childhood, he hadn't expected the reality to be so cruel...
The thousands of photos loaded slowly. Just as he was patiently looking through them one by one, a certain photo caught his eye in an instant.
A youth with deep blue eyes stood coldly in the center of the photo, looking like an emotionless robot.
Shen Feibai’s heart raced.
He immediately thought of that young man.
He kept his finger sliding slowly down the screen, not deliberately clicking on that picture—after all, he didn't know if Mr. Hacker was still monitoring his screen activity after sending the data. It would be bad if he discovered this slip-up.
The photos of others were grouped together, several of them from different angles.
Only this youth had a single photo... and it was hidden in a corner, surrounded by several photos with similar compositions.
It was likely an accidental oversight.
After all, it was manual data organization... no matter how superb his skills were, there would always be a slip-up.
Shen Feibai’s mood was complicated.
On one hand, he thought, he had finally discovered the young man’s secret, fulfilling the wish he'd had since they met to strip away the other's mask.
On the other hand...
What else could appearing in this set of photos mean?
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 替死鬼 | Scapegoat / Decoy | Literally "death-substitute ghost." Used here to refer to the dolls used to fake a death. |
| 绞杀者 | Strangler | Wu Nian's codename/title in the organization. |
| 拟真人偶 | Realistic mannequins / dolls | High-quality dolls used in the shop, which Wu Nian suspects were used as decoys. |
| 腐蚀水 | Corrosive liquid / acid | Used by the organization to dispose of bodies. |
| 王队 | Captain Wang | The police captain. |
