Qiming Chapter 103

Chapter 103

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During the New Year holiday, Xu Chengyue had time off. Apart from sleeping during the day, the only thing he could do was go out by himself.

He spent New Year's Eve with Gu Yunfeng. The fireworks by the river were beautiful, though there were far too many people. At times, it was hard to tell whether they were watching the fireworks or the crowd.

From the second day after New Year's, he was mostly by himself. Gu Yunfeng was busy with work for three days straight, saying he was cleaning up after some trouble Xu Chengyue had caused earlier with his theft.

So, Xu Chengyue couldn't really complain. After all, it was his own impulsiveness that had caused the problem.

Xu Chengyue strolled alone down the pedestrian street in the city centre. The weather had been pleasant for the past few days, not too cold. He wore a white jumper under a dark coat, and the sun kept him warm.

He wasn't looking to buy anything, but being alone was boring, so he decided to walk around somewhere lively. The bustling atmosphere of the street was comforting. The pedestrian street was packed, mostly with tourists, posing exaggeratedly for photos.

Xu Chengyue's leisurely demeanour contrasted with the lively crowd, but he still attracted the attention of several tourists who asked him to take pictures. Just moments ago, a family of three, who sounded like they were from the north, had gratefully handed him their phone, asking him to take a picture with the symbolic sculpture of the street in the background.

He chose a good angle with decent lighting, crouched down, and snapped the photo just as all three smiled together.

Suddenly, there was a commotion behind him.

As he handed the phone back to the father, a speeding motorcycle came hurtling down the road. The rider, wearing a helmet that covered their face, veered onto the pavement, aiming straight for Xu Chengyue amid a chorus of screams.

In the two seconds before the motorcycle reached him, Xu Chengyue caught a glimpse of a knife hidden at the rider's waist. Quickly, he shoved the phone into the father's hand, pushed the family aside, and darted behind one of the old, sturdy sycamore trees lining the street for cover. He then sprinted toward the nearby shopping mall.

At that moment, the sunlight accentuated the contours of his pale face, casting a long shadow behind him. He ran against the light, slipping into the thick crowd inside the mall, removed his glasses and tucked them into his pocket, and bought a hat to wear.

"You're going to be in danger from now on, be careful."

That was Lin Xiangrong's last warning to him. After that, he deleted all her contact details, determined never to cross paths with her again. He chose not to think about her, but he always remembered her words, staying vigilant of his surroundings.

Who had Lin Xiangrong told about his refusal to take medication and bury his past? The information had spread, little by little, until it eventually reached those intent on killing him. A cold chill ran through Xu Chengyue as he realised that the human world was far more complex than he'd imagined. Most people presented one face in public and another behind closed doors, caring only about their own interests without a shred of integrity.

Xu Chengyue walked quickly, his gaze fixed on his phone, as he took the elevator from the first floor to the third. After circling the mall a few times, he made his way to the basement.

In the busy food court on the basement floor, Xu Chengyue took a few steps before glancing back. About ten metres behind him, a young man wearing a face mask avoided his gaze. The man's build was strikingly similar to that of the motorcyclist who had nearly crashed into him earlier.

He furrowed his brow, tightened his coat, and felt a cold sweat trickle down his back and palms. Glancing around, every look directed at him seemed filled with hostility.

Xu Chengyue hesitated for a moment before slipping into the kitchen of a nearby ramen shop. Ignoring the surprised stares of the staff, he sprinted past pots and pans on the floor, dashed through the kitchen to the employees' break room, climbed onto a table, and leapt out of a window above.

He landed right at the entrance to the subway.

Xu Chengyue didn't dare stop to catch his breath. Swiping his card at the gate, he looked around and, seeing no one paying attention to him, finally squeezed into the crowd, anxiously waiting for the next train.

Overcome with nerves and lacking regular exercise, he was drenched in sweat after the frantic run. Fortunately, with the holiday crowds, he could blend in easily after taking off his coat.

He bought a pack of tissues to wipe his face and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.

The touch wasn't heavy, but it was enough to send a wave of terror coursing through him.

Xu Chengyue felt his adrenaline spike and his heart pounding so fast it felt like it would burst from his chest. His mind went blank, and his hands clenched tightly as his ears rang, almost hearing the rush of blood through his veins. The state lasted several seconds before he mechanically turned around, soullessly and mechanically.

In front of him stood an elderly man he had never seen before, leaning on a cane. His hair was greying, and with a kindly expression, he said, "Young man, you've dropped something."

As he spoke, he pointed to the brown hat on the ground.

"Don't you want it anymore?"

"Sorry, I was in a rush just now." Xu Chengyue bent down to pick up the hat that had fallen. His stiff limbs regained feeling, and he exhaled deeply, stretching his wrists. The ringing in his ears gradually faded away.

After thanking the old man, he walked a few steps forward and threw the hat into the bin. When the train arrived, he squeezed into the crowd without looking back.

—————

On the subway, he sent a message to Gu Yunfeng, asking where he was.

When he received the reply saying he was with the team, he inexplicably felt a sense of relief, and his panic subsided a little. He sent several cute and playful emojis in quick succession.

Lately, Xu Chengyue had become quite fond of using emojis, opting for them whenever he could instead of typing.

– Are you coming over?

He stared at the dimming phone screen for a long while, suddenly recalling that, ever since he had unilaterally resigned last time, he hadn't been to the bureau or to see Gu Yunfeng and the criminal investigation team for months, even his resignation paperwork had been handled by Gu Yunfeng.

Thinking about it like that, he realised he actually missed it.

– I'll come over.

He replied with one hand while holding onto the unsteady subway handrail with the other.

A week ago, Gu Yunfeng had contacted his junior, Xie Yu'an, and they had talked for a while in a small park near the Zhiyin building.

It was only after that conversation that Xu Chengyue found out the conflict between him and Lu Yong stemmed from the time they graduated. The irony was that, in the false memories implanted in him, he had willingly helped his mentor write papers that year and, under Lu Yong's guidance, had submitted them to several top journals. He then smoothly obtained his diploma and stayed on at the university.

These fabricated memories were completely opposite to what Xie Yu'an had said.

The precision of these fabrications convinced him that – Lu Yong had forced him to jump from the rooftop of the laboratory building and had erased and altered his memories, implanting meticulously prepared ones for the AI detective.

These illusory memories, coupled with his recent close brush with danger, had made every cell and nerve in Xu Chengyue's body tremble with fear. Death seemed to follow him like a shadow.

From the moment he refused to reconcile, refusing to kill his former self, he knew that only by sentencing the invisible hand that had pushed him off the roof to prison could he feel safe enough to wander the streets or sleep soundly in his own home.

Though today's sun was gentle, a bone-chilling coldness rose within him. Whatever had happened between him and Lu Yong, apart from his past self, no one could truly know.

After getting off the subway, Xu Chengyue walked to the Jinping Bureau on foot, standing aimlessly outside the entrance for half an hour. He stared at the national flag fluttering in the wind, and a deeply rooted thought began to grow in his mind.

Gu Yunfeng would definitely oppose it, but that thought grew uncontrollably in his heart, occupying his entire brain, filling the emptiness within.

That afternoon, Gu Yunfeng and his team were having a meeting with Huang Chen from the criminal investigation team in Shangnan District. The case of Zhiyin Biotech's illegal human experiments was currently being handled by Shangnan District, with the trial scheduled for next week. However, they had yet to find any evidence that could incriminate them.

The case of the theft from Lu Yong's laboratory had finally given Shangnan District a breakthrough, and they seized upon it like a lifeline. As soon as they heard that the stolen lab data had flowed into Zhiyin Biotech, they rushed over in a panic, not even taking a break for the New Year holiday, heading straight into the meeting room for a conference.

"What we can now confirm is that the project data from Professor Lu's lab, after being stolen, was transferred to Zhiyin Biotech. After a remote hacking attack on the lab, the hacker handed the information over to Lin Xiangrong within two days," Gu Yunfeng said, seated with a calm yet stern expression.

As he spoke, Xu Chengyue happened to walk in, gently pushing open the door and quietly taking a seat near the back. Due to his recent sprint, his complexion looked much healthier than usual, no longer pale from a lack of exercise, and he appeared spirited and healthy.

The moment he pushed open the door, the focus of Gu Yunfeng's eyes shifted rapidly. He was stunned for a few seconds before continuing, "We are not concerned about how much the transaction was worth. According to the intel we've gathered, once Lin Xiangrong got hold of the data, she immediately began researching the AI detective technology, intending to use it on her fiancé from years ago, Jiang Hai."

"Wan Biannian is also aware of this and has tacitly approved it."

In the midst of his suddenly jammed speech, the others instinctively turned to look. Upon seeing Xu Chengyue, their expressions were a mix of surprise and a hint of curiosity.

"For now, we'll keep a close watch on Lin Xiangrong. A week from now, Ying Han and several members of Zhiyin Biotech's management team will be in court for the illegal human experimentation case. The case has garnered significant attention, but without solid evidence, it's likely they'll be released. Once Ying Han is freed, he'll return as the lead surgeon for Jiang Hai's operation. When the time comes, Captain Huang's team will monitor them closely, collecting evidence, and when the time is right, we'll bring them back in."

Gu Yunfeng tapped the table in Huang Chen's direction. "This is a golden opportunity for you, don't let it slip by."

Feeling quite proud of the solution he had thought of, Gu Yunfeng was suddenly interrupted when Xu Chengyue's cold voice rang out from the corner.

"Is this really okay?"

"Is there a problem, Professor Xu?"

"Are you hoping for Jiang Hai's surgery to happen, or not happen?"

Gu Yunfeng froze. He hadn't given that much thought. Reality is often complicated, and they can only act based on the situation. Ideally, the surgery wouldn't take place, but if it did, it would just add some regret to the outcome.

Seeing no one respond to him, Xu Chengyue continued, "What I mean is, are you really going to let something that shouldn't happen, happen, just to obtain evidence for a conviction?"

"Yes. The evidence is what matters most," Gu Yunfeng instinctively nodded. They often encountered such things in the course of handling cases. Without evidence, even if the criminal was right in front of them, they couldn't make an arrest. They could only detain them for a while before having to release them.

Besides, the data had been given by Xu Chengyue, not them, so it didn't count as entrapment.

"What's wrong with you?" He suddenly had a bad feeling, and stood stiffly in place, staring anxiously at Xu Chengyue.

In his mind, he was shouting a thousand, a million times, absolutely not.

He could almost foresee what was about to happen, the thing he had feared and worked hard to conceal.

"Let me testify in court," Xu Chengyue bit his lower lip, looked up and met Gu Yunfeng's gaze, then mustered the courage to say to everyone in the meeting room, "I am the victim, I have physical evidence."

‿︵‿︵ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ・❉・ ʚ˚̣̣̣͙ɞ‿︵‿︵

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Translator Notes

Please feel free to comment any mistakes I made so I can improve and do better as I go through the book.

Translated: September 29, 2024 by Angel

Edited: January 7, 2025 by Angel