Chapter 90 Storm 03

"Lin Shuicheng and Chu Shihan's romantic relationship began six years ago, during Lin Shuicheng's first semester in college. At that time, Chu Shihan was preparing to join the B4 project, which was set to collaborate with the Alliance's Seventh Bureau. Concealing their relationship might have been a way for him to simplify the process."

"They were together for four years. During that period, General Fu Kai, you met Lin Shuicheng once, albeit not in an official setting. Although Lin Shuicheng was unaware of your identity, it was clear to you that he existed within Chu Shihan's social circle. After Chu Shihan's passing, you exercised your A-level clearance to manipulate the system, erasing all traces of Lin Shuicheng from any systems related to Chu Shihan, using the authority of National Security Bureau Nine. Why did you do this?"

In the interrogation room, Fu Kai donned the standard attire for the interview. Without his military uniform, his demeanor remained composed and dignified: "To protect the love of my son, as well as to safeguard the truth."

"What has Lin Shuicheng done that requires your protection? What was your motive?"

Fu Kai fell silent.

The interrogator repeated the question, "What was your motive?"

Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened.

An elderly woman, dressed in an Aerospace Agency uniform, entered with the same air of elegance and poise. Her silver hair spoke of the years she had lived.

He Muya said, "Step out, I'll take over."

She sat down in front of Fu Kai and spoke calmly, "You enlisted about seven or eight years after me. I was your instructor when you were in the Space Station Legion, and also a founding member of the Eighth District Special Operations Team which you later joined. In a way, we're old comrades-in-arms, Little Fu."

Throughout the entire Alliance, no one else dared to address the seasoned and accomplished Fu Kai as "Little Fu" except He Muya.

Fu Kai gazed at her, just as composed. "Do you truly believe that our Fu family would ever do something detrimental to the Alliance's security?"

"I don't believe it, which is why I've been conducting an investigation. And this is the result – Chu Shihan didn't choose anyone else but reached out to me proactively – why wouldn't he seek help from his family in times of trouble?" He Muya asked. "Your actions are also highly suspicious."

Fu Kai replied, "I don't know. But considering Shihan's nature, he might be worried that the issue he's facing could endanger those close to him. RANDOM wasn't on our radar back then, nor did we give it due attention even after its emergence. It wasn't until Luo Song's assassination at Star University that we started to take precautions. Their methods are too secretive. Looking back, there were likely more incidents than we know of – our old acquaintances who passed away due to supposed cerebral hemorrhages or air accidents… can you be certain that RANDOM wasn't involved?"

He Muya responded, "So, tell me why Lin Shuicheng is so important?"

"I'm not sure; it was a gamble," Fu Kai said solemnly. "General He, I'm aware of your style and habits – you always use forceful measures to achieve your goals and won't rest until you've confirmed your suspicions. You suspect me or the entire Fu Military Technology might have ties with RANDOM; I understand your doubts and concerns. However, let me reiterate: Just like you, I currently have no information about R Organization or their true intentions. Through my observations, I've found that they exhibit an unusually high level of interest in my son's lover, Lin Shuicheng. That's why I took what I deemed to be the right course of action."

"Why does this conclusion hold up?" He Muya asked.

"The three highly stylized accidents that befell people around him, the replicated accident targeting him personally, and the reason two years ago that prompted me to halt the investigation and hide him," Fu Kai answered, posing a question in return. "Didn't you want to know what I discovered two years ago? Now you know – the Ninth Bureau's concrete evidence shows that Lin Shuicheng was the one who killed my son. Prior to the incident, there was an unexplained inflow of funds into his account, and after receiving that call from him, Shihan chose a shortcut to the nearest space station, coincidentally ending up in the middle of a fight. If there's a root cause to all these events, it's Lin Shuicheng."

"Yet, I couldn't pin the blame on him because it was a chain reaction. I've met that child too, and I trust his character and personality – he wouldn't be capable of killing Shihan."

The blue system screen illuminated, displaying a calculation window: "Running Z*23221129 correlation analysis on Chu Shihan's assassination case at the port."

"Relevant Abnormality: Person, Sorted Descending: Lin Shuicheng."

Lin Shuicheng clicked "Recalculate" and hit Enter.

The same result appeared: "Lin Shuicheng."

He had repeated this countless times, just as he had read Chu Shihan's case file repeatedly throughout the night.

In the first section of the profile, under "Family Relationships": "Father: Fu Kai, Brother: Fu Luoyin."

Each character, word, punctuation mark, every gray pixel, transformed into a heavy hammer that relentlessly pounded his backbone, dismantling and reconstructing his world in a cycle of destruction and creation.

His breath tasted of iron.

Lin Shuicheng shut down his computer.

Then, he stood up, extracting and destroying the location and communication chips before discarding them by the roadside. The only thing left in his hand was the silver USB drive Nine had given him.

Amidst the bustling, diverse crowd at the space station, people tracked snow and slush into the area as they walked. At the exchange counter, he traded in his four-year-old computer for an even more outdated model, thick and cumbersome – this was all the luggage he carried.

"Aren't you leaving, young man?" A private car driver called out, "Four of you together, 80 Alliance coins each. Are you heading to Winter Chestnut City's downtown area?"

Lin Shuicheng managed a smile. "Yes."

But where else could he go?

The place that used to be his 'home' was now empty, void of anyone. He couldn't return there, couldn't find the mother who had never appeared, couldn't seek her embrace like an infant, or search for all the things he had once yearned for but never deserved.

---

Lin Shuicheng and Chu Shihan met during their first year in college, second semester.

Just as Yang Zhiwei had agreed to let him join his lab for study, Lin Shuicheng was still a freshman, expected to keep up with the pace of postgraduate students, despite having done ample groundwork. It was still a challenging task for him.

He spent a lot of time in the lab, barely noticing the senior students who also spent their days there. Among them was a senior named Chu, who had been observing him.

While washing test tubes, this senior would collect all the dirty ones from the lab, including his.

That was the only memory he had left of him.

Later, Lin Shuicheng was caught cooking in the lab, and Chu Shihan began waiting for him every day to cook together at the rented house on campus.

Though he claimed it was a punishment, Chu Shihan would always buy the ingredients in advance, leaving Lin Shuicheng to contribute only his labor.

He taught him how to keep up with their progress, discussing research directions and challenges side by side with their heads almost touching.

Chu Shihan was gentle – a kindness that he extended to everyone, making people feel as if they were basking in a warm spring breeze. One could easily tell he came from a happy family.

However, Chu Shihan never mentioned his own family, nor did he share more information like where he was from, where he lived, or the state of his family. Whenever Lin Shuicheng occasionally thought of these things and asked, Chu Shihan would not speak of them, and Lin Shuicheng wouldn't push the matter.

That warmth and gentleness were the best things Lin Shuicheng could have ever imagined.

Due to incompatible schedules, Lin Shuicheng didn't get along well with his college roommates. Busy with project collaborations, lectures, and experiments, he didn't have many friends either. At that time, Chu Shihan was the only person he could talk to every day.

He hadn't seriously considered his sexual orientation, nor had he planned for a partner or lover in his life. He was just too busy – and he kept Lin Deng's matter a secret from everyone.

Their relationship was confirmed on Christmas Day.

In the rented house, Lin Shuicheng and Chu Shihan prepared a light hotpot. Chu Shihan bought a small cake which they shared between them.

Lin Shuicheng received a call, and Chu Shihan asked, "Do you still have work at this hour?"

Together, they cleared the dishes. Lin Shuicheng then said, "Yeah, I need to head out first."

"There's still your Christmas gift," Chu Shihan mentioned.

Lin Shuicheng was slightly taken aback.

He hadn't thought about a Christmas gift; in fact, since he graduated from high school, he had never celebrated any holidays or received gifts from anyone. Many boys and girls had pursued him, sending him presents, but he had returned them all.

Reclusive, aloof, and solitary—this was how everyone perceived Lin Shuicheng. He wasn't oblivious to such gestures; he just didn't have the time to consider them.

If Chu Shihan were to give him a present, should he accept it? And if so, how should he reciprocate?

Before he could ponder further, Chu Shihan pulled him into the room, urging him to reach out and lift the lid of the gift box with an air of mystery. Underneath the cover was a conical flask, containing a light blue liquid. Hidden within the solution was an icy blue forest of crystals.

That day was Christmas, and the first snow had fallen in the southern division, causing a drop in temperature. The ice crystals in the storm glass were slender like snowflakes, crystal clear enough to reflect one's eyebrows and eyes, resembling celestial beauty.

"I've tried many times and failed. The most beautiful and purest crystal is in the shape of this hexagonal snowflake. It just so happened that I succeeded today." Chu Shihan's breath formed steam as he smiled, "I was wondering if its appearance here today might mean it's meant to be a Christmas gift for you. Storm glasses are so sensitive to temperature conditions and solution concentrations. Really, I've made so many attempts..."

Lin Shuicheng lowered his gaze, searching for the right words when he heard a soft sigh from the person in front of him, "You, do you really not understand or are you pretending?"

Chu Shihan reached out and placed his hand gently on top of his head, as if testing and touching with the utmost care.

His entire face flushed red. Compared to Lin Shuicheng's calm lift of his eyes, he appeared somewhat flustered, "I... I've never pursued someone before, I don't know if this is how it's supposed to be..."

Lin Shuicheng chuckled, "Did Senior not have any romances in junior high or high school?"

Chu Shihan was five years older, but at this moment, he seemed to be at a disadvantage, his next words even more flustered after his initial misstep, "No. Or were you the one with a..."

"No," Lin Shuicheng replied quietly, "Senior, I don't have a boyfriend."

...

Lin Shuicheng had also pondered if the world gives hints about one's entire life from the moment they're born. So many memories, gray or luminous, rushed or forgotten, always led him back to that small courtyard in Dongtong City where his grandfather, who enjoyed a bit of wine and chess, taught them ancient texts.

He remembered things late in life, the earliest memory being when his grandfather held him in his arms reciting ancient poetry, teaching him, "Betting on books, the fragrance of spilled tea, we only realized its ordinariness then."

He taught him to recite in a drawn-out, rhythmic tone: "The flowing water and fallen flowers, spring departs."

He watched as the bus pulled away, the scenery changing along the roadside, from bustling districts towards his dilapidated small city. Leaning against the seat with his laptop, he drifted in and out of dreams.

He dreamed of his father, Lin Deng, his grandfather, and Chu Shihan.

Today, he finally dreamt of Fu Luoyin.

It was their first meeting that he dreamt of.

Strangely enough, he had always thought he didn't remember, but now, when he recalled it, everything was crystal clear. He remembered Fu Luoyin standing by the dimly lit parking lot in a coat, exuding a gloomy air and an aura of authority, with a glowing ember from his cigarette at hand. The scent of mint wafted through the wind.

He dreamt of their kiss, their caresses, and of Fu Luoyin embracing him from behind, calling him in that deep, alluring voice: "Lin Shuicheng, my little kitten. My good student."

Now, he finally understood that perhaps none of this had anything to do with gods or even false gods; it was genuine fate that controlled him – a fate that refused to let him go.

"Upon investigation, Lin Shuicheng is the prime suspect in Chu Shihan's social network."

In the police department, Dong Shuoye listened to the report in silence. After a moment, he asked softly, "Are you certain?"

"So far, we suspect this due to several suspicious transactions appearing in Lin Shuicheng's account around the time Chu Shihan's incident occurred. Moreover, just before Chu Shihan's accident, Lin Shuicheng was on a call with him – the timing is too coincidental."

The agent reported.

Dong Shuoye took a deep breath. "Have we made any progress in identifying the person who breached the quantum security wall for counter-tracking?"

"Yes, there were originally three suspects, but two of them detonated bombs and committed suicide. We've captured the remaining one. His name is Qin Wei, a graduate from Star City University of Science and Technology. Currently, he holds an executive position at a new energy company. However, after his capture, he hasn't said a word, and we've found that truth serums are ineffective on him due to his unique physique."

Dong Shuoye replied, "If he's not saying anything, keep him detained for now. Has Deputy Director Fu been informed about these developments?"

The agent answered, "Yes, he has."

"Alright, you can go off duty now. Have a good holiday," Dong Shuoye said.

Lowering his head, he retrieved his phone, accessed the dial pad, and scrolled to the contact labeled "Fu Luoyin." He dialed the number.

Fu Luoyin didn't answer.

After some thought, he navigated to the call history under "Sweet and Innocent" and was about to call when Su Yu rang him first. "Hello, is this Dong Hei?"

"Don't call me that," Dong Shuoye frowned, then asked, "Have you heard about Lin Shuicheng?"

Su Yu lowered his voice. "The whole Alliance knows by now. Chu Yi's case has been made public across the web today."

Dong Shuoye responded, "What's your take on this matter?"

Su Yu continued, "Regardless of what others say, I absolutely don't believe Sister-in-law could be a suspect!"

Dong Shuoye was helpless. "I wasn't referring to that. I meant Fu Luoyin's situation."

There was a moment of silence from Su Yu. "He might not be doing well. That's why I called you. Should we go and keep him company?"

Dong Shuoye reminded him, "It's New Year's Eve today."

Su Yu said, "It's fine. We've celebrated together before, just the three of us. I'll talk to my mom about it; she'll understand. Let's buy some dishes and some wine, and spend the evening with him."

Dong Shuoye had no objections.

To Su Yu's surprise, when he rushed over to find Fu Luoyin, he wasn't at home but at Unit 7, where he was even in the middle of a meeting.

Su Yu listened as Zhou Heng said, "The boss was waiting at the airport back then, but no one showed up even when it got dark. Later, he received news that General Fu Kai had been taken in for interrogation, and the Young Master's case was made public... You two came just in time, really. The boss hasn't eaten for a whole day and night; we're all worried he'll aggravate his gastric issues."

Su Yu felt a twinge of sadness. "We will make sure he eats."

Zhou Heng sighed. "The boss and Mr. Little Lin have such a great relationship. Yesterday, the boss was overjoyed after speaking on the phone with Mr. Little Lin. And Mr. Little Lin... He left without a word, not even taking his cat with him... This New Year won't be a happy one..."

—How could anyone have imagined things would turn out like this?

The lover he wanted to bring home was once his older brother's lover, while the person sleeping by his side might be the sole suspect in his brother's murder.

More and more people were starting to speculate about why Lin Shuicheng was with Fu Luoyin in the first place. Was it for his money or his looks?

...

Fu Luoyin emerged, looking slightly haggard, though there was nothing visibly wrong with him apart from appearing exhausted and unusually quiet. It was already dark due to the heavy snowfall, making his complexion appear abnormally pale.

Upon seeing them, Fu Luoyin merely said nonchalantly, "Why are you here?"

"Let's celebrate the New Year together!" Su Yu perked up, patting his shoulder with a smile. "And... to celebrate... um, the fact that I won't be jobless anymore! I've received a promising offer from a company and plan to give it a try."

Fu Luoyin managed a weak smile but didn't comment further. He waved and joined them in the car.

Nobody dared to bring up recent events, let alone mention Lin Shuicheng's name in front of him.

Su Yu sensed that Fu Luoyin might have returned to a state similar to when he first broke up, yet this time, he appeared more composed and resolute.

With Fu Kai's fall, Fu Luoyin had become the backbone of the Fu family. Facing a formidable adversary, he couldn't afford any turmoil.

They followed Fu Luoyin back to his spacious apartment outside Star University.

Upstairs, Fu Luoyin removed his gloves and used his fingerprint to unlock the door – this was when Su Yu noticed something was off. Fu Luoyin repeatedly pressed his finger on the scanner, failing to align it correctly!

The system kept issuing an error tone: "Incorrect input."

Despite the repeated failures, Fu Luoyin's expression remained cold and unperturbed as he persisted.

His fingertip touched the scanner again.

- Don't forget to take your medicine, Lin Shuicheng.

"Input error, please re-enter your fingerprint."

- In college, I had a boyfriend, Fu Luoyin. We were deeply in love.

"Input error, please re-enter your fingerprint."

- I even changed my major for him.

"Input error, please re-enter your fingerprint."

Su Yu dared not make a sound, observing from the side.

After a couple of failed attempts at fingerprint recognition, Fu Luoyin gave up and decided to unlock the phone with a password.

Surprisingly, he made a mistake again.

Su Yu noticed his fingers trembling, gradually growing more unsteady. As Fu Luoyin mistyped his birthday password twice in a row, Su Yu felt an urge to assist him but held back. Just then, Fu Luoyin finally entered the correct sequence, and the phone unlocked.

Fu Luoyin gently shook his head, intercepting the gesture. "No need, it's alright."

Simultaneously, the system emitted a clicking sound from taking a photo, warning, "Today's password entry behavior is abnormal. Your situation has been captured and sent to the main control center. If you are not the owner of this residence, please leave immediately."

Su Yu tried to diffuse the tension with humor. "Minus Two, your house manager AI is quite intelligent. Maybe I'll buy a place here someday."

Fu Luoyin chuckled. "This artificial intelligence level is comparable to a mental disability. No need for that. If you're interested in a house with a similar system, I can recommend another place to you."

As he spoke, he casually accessed the main control panel, intending to delete the recent photo.

Upon tapping delete, the image of the three of them entering vanished. However, it was replaced by another person's photograph.

Fu Luoyin froze.

In the picture, Lin Shuicheng stood outside the door, his brows slightly furrowed, beautiful and serene.

Despite the angle and pixel quality, the photo still managed to capture his allure.

Fu Luoyin couldn't recall when this had happened. Scanning the system's timestamp, he had no memory of that particular day at all.

That had happened several months ago.

The system recorded it as an incorrect password attempt and logged the content of Lin Shuicheng's failed attempt – any password significantly different from the original would be documented to prevent theft and hacking attempts.

Fu Luoyin murmured softly, "23070312."

Su Yu turned his head upon hearing the voice and asked Fu Luoyin in confusion, "Minus Two, what are you talking about?"

Fu Luoyin repeated the sequence under his breath, "23070312, birthday."

Suspecting that Fu Luoyin had lost his mind, Su Yu said, "Snap out of it. Isn't your birthday 23090927?"

"I know," Fu Luoyin lifted his eyes and forced a bitter smile, "That's my brother's birthday."

As soon as the words left his mouth, both Su Yu and Dong Shuoye were stunned.

Realizing something, Su Yu was about to rush over for a closer look when Fu Luoyin abruptly slammed his fist into the control panel!

Glass shards flew everywhere, and the electronic information display instantly pixelated into large blocks. Tiny fragments of glass pierced into flesh and bone, warm blood flowing out steadily.

Fu Luoyin's composed facade, which had endured for an entire day, finally crumbled. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his body trembled uncontrollably. In a whisper, he declared, "I'm going to kill him."

Su Yu was on the verge of tears, desperately trying to hold onto Fu Luoyin and pull him back. "Calm down! Calm down!"

Fu Luoyin repeated his words with determination, "I will kill him, I swear... I'll bring him back, to be cut into a thousand pieces."