Pretend to be crazy - Chapter 69

Qi Cong stared at Shen Yan in disbelief.

Wasn’t he dead?

After Ruan Zhixian had sent him back to Zone One with several bullets, he hadn’t been able to keep track of the situation in real time. Ruan Zhixian had intercepted most of the direct information sources.

To the extent that someone like him—an elite of Zone One—had to rely on media and the internet to get updates about Shen Yan.

At first, things had gone just as he hoped, and Shen Yan’s eventual death was within expectations.

He had later probed Ruan Zhixian about it, but his attitude was indifferent.

As if Shen Yan had merely been an insignificant little toy—broken, then broken; dead, then dead. Just find another. It didn’t stir a ripple in his emotions.

Regrettable, but also expected.

Ruan Zhixian had always been an anomaly in Zone One. Though he seemed to get along with people, he never truly regarded them. Even his genetically related parents—he could just kill them without hesitation.

Well, at least he didn’t actually succeed in killing them.

If it weren’t for the fact that his physical data was the most advanced among the new generation of Zone One people—unreplicable and unbeatable—others wouldn’t have tolerated his rampant behavior.

But now that raised a question.

Shen Yan wasn’t dead. Did Ruan Zhixian know that?

Not only was he alive, but he was standing right in front of him?

And he was the one stirring the waters, trying to form ties with Zone One as a third party?

Was this part of Ruan Zhixian’s plan—or something else???

He shouldn’t have shown up!

Qi Cong was full of suspicion and uncertainty, but didn’t let it show. He curled his lips into a fake smile and said, “It really has been a long time. I thought you were dead.”

Shen Yan smiled as well. “I thought you were dead.”

The two locked eyes, and the air was still for a few seconds. Shen Yan tilted his head slightly.

“The surveillance in the hotel has already been shut off. Ruan Zhixian’s been sent away by me. It’ll take him about three hours to return to the island. Sir, I assume you have things to say to me too—are we really going to keep staring at each other like this?”

Qi Cong sensed a hint of danger in his tone, stepped aside to let Shen Yan into the conference room, and locked the door behind them. After watching Shen Yan calmly pull out a chair and sit down, Qi Cong narrowed his eyes.

Shen Yan waved a hand. “No need to be nervous. I’m not your enemy.”

That was a funny statement. A mocking smile involuntarily crept onto Qi Cong’s face. “Of course you’re not.”

If the data he had was correct, Shen Yan came from Zone Thirteen—a piece of trash from a garbage dump. How dare he consider himself human?

Shen Yan seemed completely oblivious to the disdain and added slowly, “But Ruan Zhixian is.”

Just hearing that name made Qi Cong’s scalp tingle. He asked warily, “What do you mean?”

Shen Yan looked at him innocently and blinked. “Didn’t he kill you once? Isn’t that the definition of an enemy?”

Qi Cong detected a certain slant in Shen Yan’s words. He walked to the seat across from Shen Yan and sat down. “So?”

Shen Yan: “So what?”

“You went to all this trouble to find me—what do you want?”

Shen Yan smiled. “Revenge.”

Qi Cong immediately stood up. “I’ve got things to do. I’m leaving.”

Shen Yan remained seated, unmoving.

Qi Cong walked to the door and placed his hand on the handle. After a few seconds, he let go and returned to his seat.

“Revenge? You have a grudge against him?”

Shen Yan began calmly spinning a fabricated story.

He claimed that Ruan Zhixian had accidentally killed his boyfriend. For the sake of revenge, he—a pitiful office worker with no combat ability—had gone into hiding, swallowing his pride, enduring humiliation, and finally reached the most critical step of his plan.

To bring down Ruan Zhixian from Zone One, he needed the help of Zone One itself.

Shen Yan raised his eyes and looked at Qi Cong with firm resolve.

“And you, sir, are the most critical piece in my plan.”

Qi Cong was half convinced, half skeptical. “How did you know I’d be the one to come?”

Shen Yan thought, How the hell would I know? I thought Ruan Zhixian had killed you.

But his expression was flawless, and he casually made up a lie. “Ruan Zhixian mentioned you before. He said you liked a lively scene.”

Qi Cong clenched his fist. With a sarcastic smile, he said, “Oh? And what else did he say?”

Shen Yan: “Plenty.”

Qi Cong said nothing, just stared at him.

Shen Yan sighed. “You don’t need to be so guarded. And don’t assume this is some trick of Ruan Zhixian’s. If he wanted to target you, he wouldn’t need me. You’ve been killed by him before—you should know that best.”

That statement struck Qi Cong’s sore spot. The humiliation of being crushed by Ruan Zhixian rose in his chest. He crossed his legs and said coldly, “You know what kind of person he is—vindictive and ruthless. If I work with you, what’s in it for me?”

Shen Yan: “You’re not working with me. Any actions targeting Ruan Zhixian are mine alone.”

Qi Cong tapped his finger. “Be specific.”

“Ruan Zhixian trusts me quite a bit. It’s not hard for me to guide him into doing things that encroach on the core interests of Zone One. No matter how strong or playful he is, it’s just a game. If he crosses the line, surely Zone One won’t let it slide.”

That much was true.

Ruan Zhixian was skilled at skirting the rules. That’s one reason others hated him but couldn’t take him down.

Qi Cong nodded slightly. “Go on.”

There was fine tea on the conference table. As Shen Yan poured some, he continued calmly:

“Zone One is currently conducting biological experiments. Ruan Zhixian hasn’t told me much, but from what I’ve gathered, Zone One is heavily invested in bio-modification, aiming to achieve true human evolution.”

Shen Yan set a teacup in front of him and looked into his own—its amber-colored tea had already gone cold.

“Ruan Zhixian doesn’t believe in the plan. Though he’s a beneficiary of it, his ideology is completely at odds with yours…”

He looked up at Qi Cong. “Isn’t that right?”

Qi Cong was silent for a few seconds, then picked up his teacup and downed the tea in one gulp.

When he spoke again, his voice was slightly hoarse. “You shouldn’t know these things.”

Shen Yan smiled. “Exactly, which is why I never intended to stay on Black Star after taking my revenge.”

The information Shen Yan provided was critical—if Ruan Zhixian really saw him as just an ordinary plaything, there was no way he’d know any of this.

This also confirmed for Qi Cong that Shen Yan’s desire for revenge was genuine.

He understood the implication in Shen Yan’s words. “You want to go to Red Star?”

Shen Yan: “Yes.”

He paused, then added, “The exchange period for personnel between Red and Black Star is about to end. Before they leave, I can create a legitimate reason for Zone 1 to make a move against Ruan Zhixian.”

“Lock him up, or something else—whatever works.”

Qi Cong frowned, visibly hesitant. “No. Too obvious.”

Shen Yan smiled again. “I know you don’t want to draw fire to yourself. I never said I’d need your help with access clearance.”

Qi Cong grew a bit more interested. “Oh? Then what do you plan to do?”

Shen Yan: “Red Star surely won’t leave all their research behind on Black Star, right? Taking a few insignificant people with them shouldn’t be a problem.”

That was true.

But disguising oneself as a test subject and sneaking in unnoticed—if discovered by the Red Star people—wouldn’t end well.

Still, compared to the cost of betraying Ruan Zhixian, it was much less risky.

A reckless gambler.

Qi Cong stared at him and, unexpectedly, felt something from him that was oddly similar to Ruan Zhixian. He shook the strange feeling from his mind and finally settled on the decision to cooperate.

He poured Shen Yan another cup of tea and looked into those hard-to-read eyes.

“Alright, I get it. Now tell me the specifics of your plan.”

Paradise Island was located further north, and night fell early. By six o’clock, even the last trace of white on the horizon had been swallowed by darkness.

Stars twinkled in the pitch-black sky, with a blue-green moon hanging high above.

At roughly a 25-degree angle to the northwest of the moon, a particularly bright star shone—its brightness rivaling that of the moon itself.

After the conversation, Qi Cong left in a hurry on a flyer, leaving Shen Yan alone in the meeting room. He leaned against the window, gazing at the moon, feeling calm and still inside.

In the original story setting, that extremely bright star was the sun of Blue Star.

Blue Star, modeled after Earth—perhaps it resembled his homeland.

Shen Yan was lost in thought.

He considered himself an independent person. After surviving in this world for so long, he had grown used to the absurdity of Black Star’s society, and he was confident that even without Ruan Zhixian, he could live well here.

But sometimes, he did miss home.

If the Black Star researchers were really as brilliant as they claimed, maybe they’d invent something like a time machine. Then maybe he could stay a little longer.

Though he didn’t want to admit it, his time on Black Star had actually been quite…

Forget it.

Don’t jinx it.

Usually, lines like that only show up in stories right before something tragic happens—like “After this war, I’ll go home and get married,” or “Give this back to me when it’s all over,” or “I’m leaving my [beloved thing] to you.”

Very fatal. Very suffocating.

Better to think of something nice—like tonight’s hamburger steak.

Smells delicious.

Maybe it was the cold weather, or the talk with Qi Cong, but Shen Yan’s mind was suddenly flooded with a bunch of random thoughts. He felt oddly sentimental.

Click.

The meeting room door, just recently closed, was pushed open again.

Shen Yan didn’t turn around. Just from the approaching footsteps, he already knew who it was. Still gazing at the moon, he said softly:

“Zhixian, you’re quick.”

The lights were off. Bathed in moonlight, Shen Yan seemed quietly lonely, as if, if you didn’t reach out and grab him, he’d disappear at any moment.

Disappear.

Ruan Zhixian stepped closer, carefully scanning his face inch by inch, his gaze so intense it felt invasive.

Finally, Shen Yan reacted, turning with a half-smile. “Why are you staring at me like that? Afraid someone’s impersonating me?”

“No, I just don’t understand you.”

Ruan Zhixian locked eyes with him, expressionless. “Every time I feel like I’m getting closer to you, you drift away again. You stand just far enough to turn back and look at me, and I can never tell if you’re playing a game or if you really want to leave.”

Shen Yan said nothing, just turned his head away again and made an unrelated comment: “The moon is beautiful tonight.”

Ruan Zhixian chuckled lightly. “Did you admire it with Qi Cong too?”