Pretend to be crazy - Chapter 61

The person in charge was a sharp-looking woman with a stern face. When she entered the ward, Shen Yan was browsing on a terminal, his fingers tapping rapidly—he seemed to be sending messages.

Her assistant took two steps forward and whispered in her ear, “A signal jammer has been installed in the room. No messages are going out.”

Zheng Linyou turned her head back to the young man not far away, walked up quickly, and put on a friendly smile. “Mr. Yan, you’re awake? How are you feeling now?”

The young man snorted coldly, his face full of arrogance and dissatisfaction. He replied sarcastically, “How about I knock you out, let you lie here, and then ask you, ‘How are you feeling?’ Sound good?”

Zheng Linyou’s expression turned apologetic at just the right moment. “I’m truly sorry. What happened on Paradise Island is my full responsibility. If there’s anything you want as compensation, please let me know. If we can do it, we will.”

The young man was not appeased in the slightest. He sneered coldly:

“Compensation? You think I care about compensation? Paradise Island really knows how to run things—letting terrorists attack guests and then thinking they can toss a few bucks and call it even? Dream on!”

Difficult.

Zheng Linyou sighed inwardly.

It was no secret anymore that traditionalists were also making it onto the island. Even tripling manpower for security checks had proven ineffective.

The bald man behind the terrorist attack was indeed one of the traditionalists.

The leaks from the mole had been substantial. What the bald man said was largely true—the only difference being that failed volunteers from experiments were usually incinerated. Survival was not an option.

Even though containment was relatively swift, the incident had already spread and was seriously damaging the island’s reputation.

That made the attitude of the only victim in this incident crucial.

If he was willing to cooperate, it was a win-win.

If he refused and became greedy, she wouldn’t mind using some forceful yet efficient methods to silence him and prevent him from fueling bad publicity.

Shen Yan was highly sensitive to changes in people’s emotions. He paused, then redirected the topic, “I’m not being unreasonable here. I don’t want money. I want to see your attitude, understand? Attitude.”

Zheng Linyou considered a moment and continued, “We’re re-screening everyone entering the island. Security has been tripled in every area. After you’re discharged, we can provide a safe resting area inside the base to guarantee your safety.”

“Is that acceptable?”

Shen Yan remained defiant. “Don’t try to dodge the real issue. If what that bald guy said is true, you people might even kidnap me for your experiments. How am I supposed to relax and enjoy your exhibits here?”

He slapped his thigh as if he had just realized something. “Paradise Island is surrounded by ocean, and you screen people so thoroughly—aren’t you just selecting experimental subjects who are less modified?”

Shen Yan flung off the blanket and got out of bed, yelling loudly, “Help! Someone’s trying to hurt me! Let me out of here!”

Zheng Linyou’s eye twitched slightly. Her assistant stepped forward and pinned him back onto the bed, where he flailed like a fish out of water.

Only when he was exhausted and stopped struggling did the assistant release him.

Red marks from the assistant’s grip showed on his wrists and face. He looked timidly at the assistant, leaning against the headboard, not daring to move, his breathing uneven.

Zheng Linyou maintained her courteous smile. Staring at the young man, an amusing idea suddenly struck her.

She had only planned to pay him off and shut him up.

But unexpectedly, this man was both petty and cowardly—a perfect pawn for Paradise Island’s agenda.

Recruiting volunteers for human modification had been government-approved. Casualties were expected and fell under contractual terms.

It wasn’t much different from the bio-modification clinics seen everywhere on the streets.

Biological modifications had been around for more than a decade, and thanks to widespread media promotion, the public largely accepted them—even the high casualty rates didn’t cause much uproar.

But their case was different. Few people signed up, and many were even rejects from other biotech companies. Mechanical modification was less regulated, but some of the more precise experiments really lacked suitable subjects.

They needed more volunteers. Paradise Island needed more funding. Stepping into the public eye had become urgent.

And turning someone who opposed mechanical modification and distrusted Paradise Island into a public supporter under the spotlight?

—There was no better publicity.

Zheng Linyou motioned for the assistant to leave the room. The young man visibly relaxed, regaining his annoying arrogance.

“So this is how you treat your clients? This is your so-called attitude?”

Zheng Linyou smiled gently. “Of course not, sir. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to invite you as a special guest of Paradise Island’s military base.”

The young man froze. “Special guest?”

“Yes,” she replied calmly.

“Many people have doubts about our research process and see us as villains from a superhero movie. But in reality, all our procedures meet federal standards. We’re even more humane than some biological experiments.”

The young man clicked his tongue impatiently. “Who cares how humane you are? I’m asking what being a special guest means. Can’t you understand plain speech?”

Unfazed, Zheng Linyou continued graciously, “I’d like you to livestream the publicly accessible projects inside our military base from your perspective, to help the public understand us better.”

“This is the most sincere offer I can make. If you’re still not satisfied, feel free to suggest something else.”

The young man paused, then a greedy glint appeared in his eyes. “I want to bring my brother with me. And if I see something useful for him… You’re smart, you know what I mean, right?”

Zheng Linyou reached out a hand. “Of course. All products within the base are yours to take.”

Shen Yan shook her hand. Both wore satisfied smiles.

Not long after Zheng Linyou left, a contract was delivered.

Shen Yan flipped through it. It was roughly what he expected. He signed it casually.

Even if there were traps, they were meant for Yan Shen—not Shen Yan.

That night, he and Falson moved into staff quarters inside the military base.

Security screening was strict. It took over two hours for the two of them to finish registration.

A single room, over 30 square meters. Not as spacious as a hotel, but well-furnished and thoughtfully arranged.

Shen Yan inspected the room carefully—no surveillance or audio bugs inside. Hallway cameras could only record people coming and going, with no audio.

Relatively safe.

At least Yuan Zhixian wouldn’t be knocking on his door disguised as a service worker anymore.

While showering, he reviewed the situation.

To get to Red Star, he needed to solve two problems:

Transportation and Red Star coordinates.

The former wasn’t difficult—though special ships weren’t everywhere, with enough resources and money, getting one was doable.

The military base likely had them.

The hard part was the coordinates.

Red Star people would know them.

The challenge was identifying who among them was from Red Star.

After some investigation, Shen Yan had narrowed it down to someone inside the military base.

The last official exchange between the two planets had been a decade ago. All exchange personnel had data backups—he had checked. The suspected “Red Star person” on the island wasn’t any of them.

So either the intel was fake—or this person was a stowaway.

Black Star was wealthy but overcrowded, with massive inequality and rampant crime. It wasn’t a pleasant place to live.

Red Star, on the other hand, was superior in technology and social systems. Migration from Red to Black usually happened only when someone was desperate.

A fugitive, perhaps?

In any case, not someone upright.

Shen Yan rinsed off the soap and left the bathroom in pajamas.

Before his shower, the bed was empty. Now, a person was lying in it.

Falson, skilled in disguise, had altered his appearance to resemble Shen Yan a bit—wolf-cut hair, slightly deep-set eyes, brick-red lips. Knowing Shen Yan had more patience for the weak, he’d pulled down his eyes to look puppy-like.

He lay under Shen Yan’s blanket and blinked at him obediently. “Hi.”

Shen Yan, sure he had locked the door: “…Get out.”

Falson pouted, looking pitiful. “, my room is dark. I’m scared.”

“You can turn the lights on.”

“That doesn’t help.” Falson lifted the blanket to reveal the other half of the bed. “it’s been a long time since we slept together.”

Shen Yan turned and left.

Just as he touched the doorknob, Falson leaped up and hugged him from behind. “I can sleep on the floor. I really miss you.”

Shen Yan tried to pry off his arms, but couldn’t, so he stopped struggling and just stood there silently while Falson babbled:

“Don’t reject me… You know I don’t dare get close when Warren and Blaze are around.”

“Warren always wants to kill me, and I don’t want to upset him. You favor Blaze so much, there’s never any room for me when he’s around.”

Falson inhaled deeply, savoring Shen Yan’s warm, pleasant scent. Subtly, he rested his chin on Shen Yan’s shoulder and whispered, “I don’t expect to be your favorite. Just love me a little. That’s enough.”

Shen Yan sucked in a sharp breath.

Not from emotion—from pain.

He looked down. Falson’s hand had casually landed on his chest.

Saying humble words, but his fingers had confidently found Shen Yan’s most sensitive spot, pinching hard through his clothes, making his scalp tingle.

Hearing his reaction, Falson chuckled softly and licked his earlobe, his hot breath trailing behind. “Mama, Warren and Blaze both have this. I want it too.”

“I’m not a kid anymore.”

“Wanna try?”

Shen Yan: Not even a little.