Chapter 85
Bai Sheng’s favorite thing to do is to settle accounts later.
As soon as Su Jiqiao finished speaking, Yue Yang spat out a mouthful of water, “—Pfft!!”
Chief Yue rarely lost his composure like this, but among the crowd, he was considered relatively calm. All the other inspectors instantly dropped their jaws to the floor, and Chen Miao’s bubble tea hit the ground with a splat, but none of the densely packed toppings spilled out.
“Who… who kissed whom…?” Chen Miao was dumbfounded.
Bai Sheng reached out and patted Yue Yang on the shoulder, saying in a low voice, “I told you a long time ago.”
Yue Yang was incredulous, “I thought you were joking…”
Bai Sheng frowned and said, “I’m not the type to joke around. When have you ever seen me joke?”
“…” Yue Yang stared at him in shock, his mind blank.
“Wait, wait, what do assassination and murder mean?” Shui Ronghua was the only one who could barely speak normally. “Three years ago, Shen Zhuo was targeted for assassination because news of his successful experiment leaked out. What does this have to do with Fu Chen…?”
“Because Fu Chen was the traitor,” Su Jiqiao replied, as if it were obvious. “Who else could it be?”
This bombshell was far more explosive than the news about the kiss, and Yue Yang almost lost his footing in an instant.
In the interrogation room, Shui Ronghua was also stunned. She never expected Su Jiqiao to think that Fu Chen was the traitor from back then. Her first reaction was to look blankly at Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo, however, had little reaction. He looked down at Su Jiqiao without a hint of emotion and slowly asked, “Why?”
“Professor, you must know how attractive HRG is to evolutionists,” Su Jiqiao said with a wry smile, still twitching slightly from the electric shocks. “A gene interference agent that can give ordinary humans abilities—could it also work on evolutionists? Could it lead to a second evolution for them? If they could recruit you, wouldn’t it be a huge boost for the entire evolutionary group?”
This was actually a very strange scenario because this was the same reason Rong Qi wanted to get his hands on HRG. Su Jiqiao had pinpointed Rong Qi’s thoughts with uncanny accuracy.
“He wanted to use you, to bring you into his camp. This kind of ambiguous approach was very effective because you, professor, only see S-class individuals. Only S-classes are allowed into your world.”
Su Jiqiao shook his head, panting slightly, seeming both regretful and mocking. “Naturally, you became closer and closer to him, distinct from everyone else. The entire research institute knew you two were going to be together. But unfortunately… always one step too late. The speed at which your feelings warmed up was always one step slower than the research and development progress of HRG.”
“…”
“You gradually opened up to him, but you never truly entered the period of submission, which meant you didn’t fully align with the evolutionists. But the HRG’s development was unexpectedly fast. When the first phase’s data simulation succeeded, Fu Chen realized he was running out of time. Delay any longer, and you would hand over the HRG weapon to humanity.”
“At that time, I had a hunch he wouldn’t be able to hold back and would take action. Sure enough, news of a traitor in the lab broke out a few days later.”
“It didn’t surprise me at all,” Su Jiqiao said indifferently. “I knew then that I had guessed right.”
Shen Zhuo’s eyes were deep and unreadable. After a while, he said coldly, “This is just your speculation. Do you have any proof?”
“Professor, what more proof do you need?” Su Jiqiao almost laughed. “The Intelligence Division of the Supervision Office searched countless times and couldn’t find the traitor. This means the person’s authority was exceptionally high, beyond imagination. Who else but Fu Chen could hide so well?”
“The most crucial point—who was the only one to benefit from the leak of the experimental data? Can you think of anyone else besides Fu Chen?”
“…”
Shui Ronghua looked uneasily at Shen Zhuo but could only see the upright back of the Shenhai City Supervisor, showing no emotion.
“On one hand, he attracted various extremist organizations to carry out assassinations, slowing down the progress of the HRG experiment and delaying the weapon from being handed over to humanity. On the other hand, he could offer protection, creating opportunities for your feelings to quickly grow… Did you know he originally planned to propose to you after returning from the Qinghai test site?” Su Jiqiao’s voice was mocking. “He couldn’t wait to get you into the period of submission. Couldn’t you sense it?”
Shen Zhuo’s face remained impassive.
Su Jiqiao raised an eyebrow, a knowing look in his eyes.
“In those days when your life was constantly at risk, if the Qinghai test site hadn’t exploded and Fu Chen had proposed upon your return, would you have accepted?”
In the observation room, Yue Yang suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder.
He turned his head to see Bai Sheng’s knuckles protruding, veins faintly bulging on the back of his hand, but his eyes were fixed on the interrogation room, his face expressionless.
“…” Shen Zhuo finally spoke, his tone indifferent, “Do not speculate on my actions.”
Su Jiqiao laughed ambiguously.
“You would have, professor. Not only do I know it, but Fu Chen actually knows it too, because you are that kind of person.”
“There’s only one thing I don’t understand.” He looked up at Shen Zhuo, slowly shaking his head as if in disbelief. “You are so sharp and brave, so astute, as if you could see through my heart, liver, kidneys, and lungs since school days. Why were you so blind when it came to Fu Chen?”
“The only beneficiary, the only suspect—anyone with a bit of brains could see the truth. Yet you, uncharacteristically, turned a deaf ear and a blind eye. Did you just not want to open your eyes and see Fu Chen’s true intentions?”
Inside and outside the interrogation room, there was dead silence; everyone was too shocked to react.
Chen Miao’s heart pounded in his chest, his eyes nervously glancing at Shui Ronghua; Shui Ronghua herself didn’t know how to react, her expression tense as she looked at Shen Zhuo.
“…No, no, wait.” Finally, Yue Yang managed to squeeze out a voice, muttering, “If Fu Chen really had ulterior motives, he saved Shen Zhuo in the Qinghai test site explosion, even sacrificing himself. How could… how could that be…”
Several inspectors, whose worldviews had been overturned, seemed to find an anchor:
“Yes, yes!” “It’s impossible; it doesn’t make sense!”
Yue Yang was wearing an earpiece, and his voice could be heard in the interrogation room through the soundproof glass. Su Jiqiao started laughing hoarsely, as if he had heard an incredibly absurd and foolish joke, laughing more and more uncontrollably.
“Su Jiqiao,” Shen Zhuo’s voice carried a calm menace, “I can electrocute you again at any time.”
The pale, beautiful, and crazed young man on the electric chair finally stopped laughing and looked up at Shen Zhuo.
In that moment, everyone could sense that he really wanted to say something, but after a few seconds of pause, he inexplicably swallowed it back.
“If I said it was all just a well-acted performance, would you believe me?” Su Jiqiao finally uttered a sentence.
—Who would risk their life to put on a show?!
Yue Yang felt that Su Jiqiao had gone mad, and from their expressions, it was clear that the other inspectors thought the same. Only Chen Miao and Shui Ronghua exchanged a quick glance, both seeing the same unease in each other’s eyes.
“Why should I believe you?” Shen Zhuo asked coldly, looking down.
Su Jiqiao lay on the electric chair, looking up at Shen Zhuo. From their first meeting, this was always the distance between them. After all these years, it was still the same distance, high above and unattainable, as if it would never shorten by even an inch.
Something flickered in Su Jiqiao’s eyes. He suddenly raised his hand and signaled for Shen Zhuo to come closer: “Professor.”
Shen Zhuo’s brows tightened, and he reamined unmoved.
But Su Jiqiao insisted, maintaining that gesture without the slightest change.
“…”
After a while, Shen Zhuo finally bent down. Su Jiqiao slightly turned his head, his soft lips almost touching Shen Zhuo’s ear, his voice low, tender, and seductive, like an intimate dream only they could hear:
“I’m willing to tell you all the truths and secrets, in exchange for one thing.”
“I want you to kiss me in front of that annoying double S.”
“Can you, professor?”
Shen Zhuo’s breath hitched.
Seconds later, everyone behind him saw him stand up and roughly grab Su Jiqiao by the hair with one hand!
“Senior!””Supervisor Shen!”
“You evolutionists seem to have a big misunderstanding about me.”
Shen Zhuo’s slender fingers were like iron clamps, while his eyes were cold to the point of cruelty, looking down at Su Jiqiao: “Do you really think evolving to S-class makes me see you any differently?”
Su Jiqiao struggled to look up: “Professor…”
“Whether Fu Chen’s feelings were deep or false, he was nothing more than disposable material in my lab. Your so-called classes are just measures of utility in my eyes. If useful, you live; if not, you die. What is the meaning of the love and hate of a bunch of ants to me?”
“…”
Su Jiqiao opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound under that terrifying grip.
“From the moment I knew you had a second evolution, I roughly guessed what happened in Qinghai.” The others couldn’t hear Shen Zhuo’s voice, but they could see him whispering, “The biggest mistake those fools at school made was letting you think your intelligence was on par with mine.”
“It’s useless, Su Jiqiao. Even if you died, I wouldn’t look at you twice.”
Shen Zhuo flung his hand, causing Su Jiqiao’s head to slam against the electric chair with a dull thud.
He stood up mercilessly and walked out of the interrogation room. The inspectors were all still immersed in their shock, unable to recover for a long time. Shen Zhuo’s face was as calm as a still pond, showing no trace of emotion: “Lock the suspect in the dark room, don’t give him a grain of rice or a drop of water, and inject him with a high-dose nerve agent. I need him alive.”
Chen Miao was the first to react: “Y-yes!”
A high-dose nerve agent could knock out a herd of elephants and might cause lasting mental confusion. This was to prevent Su Jiqiao from using any mental abilities to escape.
Two inspectors quickly entered the interrogation room with a refrigerated box containing the agent, but Su Jiqiao ignored them, his eyes fixed on Shen Zhuo’s retreating back, a sick intensity burning deep in his pupils.
Although he desperately wanted confirmation, now he couldn’t see what color Shen Zhuo’s feelings for Fu Chen had been back then. His S-class ability only revealed Shen Zhuo’s current emotions towards him.
—Pure black, raging hatred, and extreme loathing without a trace of impurity.
Very good. Su Jiqiao felt a surge of anticipation in his heart.
The more genuine and extreme the hatred he provoked now, the more intense and overwhelming the love he would receive in the future.
The A-class evolved face of the young man remained pure and gentle, hiding the trembling excitement in his heart. The high-dose nerve agent slowly entered his skin through the syringe, and Su Jiqiao closed his eyes.
*
In the hallway outside the interrogation room, Yue Yang’s hands trembled as he took a sip of tea, spilling it all over himself. Bai Sheng quickly grabbed a towel from an inspector and thoughtfully wiped it off for him.
“What happened to him?” Shen Zhuo asked, frowning.
Bai Sheng, supporting Yue Yang, replied sympathetically, “Yu-ge’s worldview has been shattered…”
“No… impossible; Fu Chen isn’t that kind of person.” Yue Yang muttered incredulously to the air, “He had never been an extreme evolutionist, nor had he done anything bad to humans. Why would he go to such lengths to get weapons for the evolutionists? Su Jiqiao doesn’t have any concrete evidence; I’ve known Fu Chen for so many years…”
Shen Zhuo said calmly, “Did you know Fu Chen always wanted to use pheromones to influence the entire North?”
Yue Yang opened his mouth but couldn’t speak.
“Out of 24 hours a day, you spend 23 hours working for Fu Chen.” Shen Zhuo seemed to want to say more, but seeing Chief Yue’s lost expression, he finally just shook his head and sighed. He pulled out the remaining half-pack of cigarettes and tossed them to Bai Sheng, signaling him to let Yue Yang smoke a couple to calm down.
“I’m going to wash my hands.” Shen Zhuo took off the glove he used to slap Su Jiqiao, casually threw it in the trash, and turned to walk towards the elevator.
As a result, as soon as Shen Zhuo’s back disappeared, Bai Sheng immediately put Shen Zhuo’s half pack of cigarettes into his own pocket, then stealthily waved to call a familiar inspector, forcibly snatched the cigarette away, took out a cigarette, and stuffed it into Yue Yang’s mouth with his own hands.
“…”
Yue Yang was forced to hold the inspector’s cigarette in his mouth, feeling overwhelmed with bitterness. “It’s just half a pack of cigarettes; is it that serious?”
Bai Sheng lit the cigarette with a flick of his lighter and said, “I won’t give you the chance to take the pack home and hide it under your pillow for the rest of your life.”
Yue Yang: “…………”
·
In the supervisor’s office, the faucet ran, washing the foam off Shen Zhuo’s fingers, revealing jade-like knuckles.
The next moment, he looked up and saw a silent figure in the mirror behind him. It was Bai Sheng.
“Did you send Yue Yang away?”
Shen Zhuo turned off the faucet, and was just about to reach for a towel when Bai Sheng’s dry, slender fingers interlocked with his wet ones.
Immediately, Bai Sheng’s warm, solid body pressed lightly but firmly against him, pinning him against the counter.
“What’s wrong?” Shen Zhuo asked, looking at their reflection in the mirror.
Due to the height difference, Bai Sheng could easily bury his face in Shen Zhuo’s neck, seemingly suddenly interested in the cold aura of the chief supervisor. He sniffed along his neck up to his cheek, his straight nose brushing against Shen Zhuo’s temple.
“Nothing,” Bai Sheng said nonchalantly.
Shen Zhuo, unable to move under the pressure, rested his head against Bai Sheng’s firm neck. After a moment, he heard him ask, “Do you think the traitor back then was Fu Chen?”
“…Su Jiqiao is a psychologically twisted bastard, but what he said might have some truth.” Shen Zhuo paused meaningfully for a few seconds, his thoughts unreadable. After a moment, he lowered his lashes: “The one who leaked the information was either Fu Chen or Su Jiqiao, so…”
His words abruptly stopped, and Shen Zhuo suddenly reached down, pressing Bai Sheng’s hand.
Clink!
The belt buckle hit the tile with a clear sound, followed by the soft noise of a zipper being undone.
“Why are you going crazy in broad daylight?” Shen Zhuo tried to turn his head, but there was no room for him to move due to the pressure, so he forcefully tried to hold back Bai Sheng’s insistent and agile fingers. “What’s wrong with you?”
In the mirror, Bai Sheng’s profile showed no emotion, only a deep chuckle:
“Nothing, go on. I’m listening.”
The buttons on the white shirt were undone from the bottom up. Shen Zhuo’s lean abdominal muscles were pressed against the marble surface, bringing a sharp chill. The weight pressed him forward until his forehead almost touched the mirror.
Without even turning, Shen Zhuo knew this person was here to settle accounts with him. He gritted his teeth, “Think about it; why would I agree with Fu Chen? In Su Jiqiao’s eyes, even if I spoke a few more words to someone else, he could make up an entire story. He’s inherently obsessive and extreme. You can’t just listen to one side…”
“No.” Bai Sheng said lightly, “I wouldn’t believe that lunatic’s nonsense.”
As he struggled, Shen Zhuo’s intermittent breath created a blurry mist on the mirror: “Then what are you doing?”
Immediately, he regretted asking this question.
Through the uniform fabric, he clearly felt that he was being pushed against, and it was an urgent, hard, and vigorous feeling of oppression that he had never experienced before.
“Speaking of which, where are we going to spend the period of submission in the future?”
As if on a whim, Bai Sheng asked with a smile, “Do you have any favorite places? Have you thought about it?”
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