Pretend to be crazy - Chapter 57

After the military academy league ended, the person in charge of Paradise Island, who had successfully drawn in investors, got a taste of success. To attract more participants and expand the influence, they held several follow-up events.

The current one featured a showcase of mechanical exoskeletons and other weaponry, designed to be both entertaining and cutting-edge.

Interested guests could even try out the products themselves.

The newly developed equipment was said to allow ordinary humans—without any modifications—to experience the physical strength of top-tier bio-enhanced beings.

It was an audacious claim, but it certainly caught a lot of attention.

People flocked to the island.

A disguised Shen Yan stepped off the plane and was picked up, along with the also-disguised Blaze and Falson, and taken to a hotel near the military base.

Perhaps because he’d already guessed Ruan Zhixian’s ultimate game, Ruan Zhixian wasn’t being cryptic this time. His information was very straightforward:

—Paradise Island’s flashy displays had drawn the ire of the traditional faction. Killers from this faction had infiltrated the event, planning to assassinate the person in charge and sabotage the military base.

The sabotage plan was brutal in its simplicity—an insider on the island would decide whether or not to push a button that could sink the entire island.

Ruan Zhixian didn’t interfere with their choices.

Whether it was the traditional faction that supported bio-tech and wanted to destroy mechanical technology, or the new faction that favored mechanical over biological—it didn’t matter.

What mattered was how Shen Yan navigated the conflict and led the other three to the best possible outcome.

Do bad things, but achieve good results. That was the underlying logic of Ruan Zhixian’s little experiment.

In a way, this experiment of his, once the right person was found, was… almost kind.

That was pure luck.

Otherwise, as in the original story, Shen Yan would have just followed him down a path of villainy, with no hope for redemption.

Though this experiment wasn’t exactly a success—Ruan Zhixian didn’t know that.

He wanted a household of villains.

Too bad Shen Yan wasn’t one.

At the hotel, Shen Yan pulled open the curtains and looked at the sleek, high-tech streets and the crowd gathering for the event, letting out a sigh.

Everyone arriving on the island was hiding behind a thick disguise.

Finding that “Red Star” person and connecting with them was harder than finding a needle in a haystack.

Take it slow.

He pulled the curtains shut and signed up for the pre-show evening banquet.

—

Only the rich or powerful could get onto the island.

The event lasted half a month, divided into two parts: the first half for small-time factions and clueless big-spenders, the second half being the main event.

That included the latest in military tech—extravagant, rare, and expensive, used by the powerful to flaunt their wealth.

Before the official exhibition began, guests were entertained with several demonstration performances.

No overly destructive weapons were sold during this time—it was more about subtly getting products into circulation. A standard exoskeleton set cost less than their afternoon tea.

These people had strong purchasing power and were easy to manipulate.

The evening banquets were for these chubby little sheep—to share intel and build curiosity.

Holding a wine glass, Shen Yan overheard someone nearby talking about the exhibits on Paradise Island and excitedly declaring which item they wanted. He naturally joined the conversation.

“These exoskeleton materials are all good, but if I had to choose, I’d go with the one that starts with Br.”

Everyone turned to look. Shen Yan lifted his glass slightly and smiled, “Hope I’m not intruding?”

“Not at all,” said a man with slicked-back hair, eyeing him curiously. “Are you staff? I heard there are only three of each item up for auction, and trials don’t start until tomorrow. How would you know what’s good?”

“I’m the product manager for Zone B,” Shen Yan replied smoothly. “I’m here tonight to help answer questions and walk you through the pros and cons of each product.”

They were skeptical—never heard of him—but his expression was so calm and composed, they decided to probe further.

Shen Yan answered each question patiently, weaving together terms he vaguely remembered from a novel with his natural gift for improvisation. Soon, they were eating it up, nodding in agreement and full of praise.

Not just a product manager now—he tailored custom exoskeleton recommendations for each of them before preparing to make a graceful exit.

But a slightly chubby woman stopped him.

She cupped her hand to her mouth and whispered, “I heard there’s a secret item not listed anywhere—something really powerful. Is that true?”

The others perked up immediately.

Rare and exclusive—those were the most desirable.

Best if money alone couldn’t buy it. The kind of thing that needed connections, effort, and luck to obtain—that was truly elite.

Shen Yan had done a brief stint in sales after high school.

Didn’t top the charts, but he was good at reading buyers.

He paused and responded coolly, “Sorry, I don’t know anything about that.”

The woman was convinced he was hiding something. She and her friends insisted he stay for more drinks, even invited him to the bar afterward.

Paradise Island was once a purely military facility, but they’d rapidly built entertainment areas to please wealthy visitors.

Shen Yan kept a high profile. The crowd was curious. He used some subtle conversation tactics but didn’t get any useful info.

Still, it wasn’t a total waste.

He confirmed this room was full of harmless airheads. Tonight, at least, nobody was planning trouble.

A bit disappointed, he mingled a bit more before slipping away to gather other intel.

Falson and Blaise weren’t fans of social scenes—Farson had gone to the mech exhibit, while Blaze, exhausted from setting up desert operations and flying in, was asleep at the hotel.

But Shen Yan wasn’t the only one from Ruan Zhixian’s perfect “family” at the banquet.

In the northwest corner, near the food table, he went to grab a small cake when a tall figure silently stepped up beside him.

After picking out a slice, he turned and held it up to Warren’s lips. “Got your memory back?”

Warren, as if trying to out-calm him, stared him down like he wanted to devour him and bit into the cake.

“Yeah. Every last detail—clear as day.”

Unfazed, Shen Yan said, “Then you know I did it to force Ruan’s hand—to get your memory back.”

Warren had come to that conclusion too.

His body resisted most drugs—memory loss from trauma was unlikely. When Ruan Zhixian restored it, he realized Shen Yan had acted out of concern.

Still, he couldn’t accept Shen Yan being with someone else.

“I’ll forgive you this once,” he said coldly. “But I’m your husband. Tell Blaze to back off. If he touches you again, I’ll kill him.”

“So fierce,” Shen Yan teased, leaning closer and curling a finger at him.

Warren bent down, and Shen Yan whispered in his ear, “Blaze isn’t the only one you’re jealous of. Stop fixating on him.”

“Instead of threatening me, maybe work on your EQ and IQ. Make me like you more—it’ll help your acting too.”

Warren clenched his jaw. Shen Yan lifted his chin and brushed his lips lightly.

“That was your last kiss today.”

Warren froze. His entire aura shifted—no longer cold, now defeated. “It was Blaze?”

The “Burning Kiss” only allowed two kisses per day. A third released a neurotoxin. Shen Yan calling this the “last kiss” meant he’d kissed someone else earlier.

Shen Yan laughed. “Told you—you’ve got a whole hat rack full of rivals. Don’t just fixate on Blaze.”

Then he left Warren behind and wandered off to keep schmoozing.

Though it looked like he was ignoring Warren, he actually stayed close.

More precisely—close to the woman in black, veiled like a mourning widow.

He’d drawn her attention deliberately with that scene earlier.

Ai Wei, wife of the leader of District Eight. The Burning Kiss was made by her husband to keep her in line.

She loathed him, wished him dead, and took countless lovers in hopes of finding someone strong enough to kill him.

In the original story, she met Warren here on Paradise Island. Her charm worked fast. He killed her husband for her, only for her to turn around and flirt with a rival gang boss—Warren killed them both in rage.

But the rival’s death wasn’t permanent. Ai Wei owned a private cloning lab. Resurrection was easy.

Cloning—the king of fake deaths.

Shen Yan needed someone trustworthy to help him escape without drawing Ruan Zhixian’s suspicion.

At the banquet’s final dance, Ai Wei walked toward him gracefully. Shen Yan smiled, bowed, and offered his hand.

As they swayed to the music, Ai Wei asked softly, with genuine curiosity:

“How did you make that man so obedient?”

“Teach me. Name your price.”

Shen Yan (mentally): I dunno, I just called him ‘husband,’ and he charged in calling me ‘darling’ and ‘baby’ like a man possessed.