Chapter 116

Chapter 116

"Regarding the recent kidnapping of the Chairman of Yan's Group, the police have issued a preliminary statement, indicating it was a malicious attempt by foreign criminal elements to suppress the development of the domestic technology sector. Huang Jianxing, Chairman of Huang's Group, as an accomplice of these evil forces, will face official criminal prosecution..."

Several days had passed since the kidnapping incident, and online discussions about it remained fervent.

Less than two days after Huang Jianxing was arrested, he gave up Gao Langdong. The so-called Gao Langdong was actually Luo Shizhong, the leader of Top Star Gate, posing as him.

The real Gao Langdong had died at Luo Shizhong's hands years ago.

From the very beginning, it was Luo Shizhong posing as Gao Langdong who reached out to the Yan family for help.

Ever since Yan Shiqi confronted Top Star Gate head-on, and Black Impermanence appeared online stirring up public opinion, Luo Shizhong knew Top Star Gate was on shaky ground and was bound to blow up sooner or later.

Weighing the pros and cons, Luo Shizhong used Gao Langdong's identity as a "golden cicada shell" to pull a disappearing act. With the help of Yan's Group, he not only got off scot-free but also transformed into a hero scientist who exposed Top Star Gate's conspiracy.

Unfortunately, his body was rapidly aging due to the side effects of the rejuvenation serum, forcing him to go after Yan Shiqi. In his haste, he slipped up.

"Top Star Gate leader Luo Shizhong took his own life to escape justice. The medical examiner discovered a large amount of sleeping pills in his stomach."

In the news footage, Luo Shizhong, who had undergone surgery to look like Gao Langdong, lay on the ground. His skin and flesh resembled dried-up bark, almost indistinguishable from a seventy-year-old man.

One could imagine that even if he hadn't taken his own life, he would soon have reached the limit of aging from the side effects and had a mental breakdown.

Yan Shiqi said, "He was probably murdered."

As for whether it was done by Mo Huaidou or people from the Other Shore Divine Sect, that is unknown.

As long as Luo Shizhong was dead, neither Mo Huaidou's secrets nor any link to the Other Shore Divine Sect would be revealed.

Because of this incident, there was renewed focus on Top Star Gate and the forces behind it.

The next news item was about Mo Huaidou deciding to run for a ministerial position in Country A.

Seeing that hypocritical face, Yan Shiqi's gaze turned icy as he switched off the screen.

Snow began to fall outside the window again.

Since he entered the hospital, plainclothes officers had been patrolling the surrounding area.

The next day, the chief of police personally came to the hospital to visit him and conduct routine questioning into the details of the case.

"Mr. Yan, how are you feeling?"

"Much better, I appreciate all your hard work."

"Well, Mr. Yan, it's our duty. Moreover, given the social contributions Yan's Group and Yunqi have made to Southern Province, your safety is our top priority. I came here for another matter as well, about Xie Yunshen."

Yan Shiqi's impassive face immediately furrowed. "What about him? Is there a problem?"

The chief was momentarily taken aback by the icy glint in his eyes. "Mr. Xie is fine. He gave his statement. The bureau also believes his shooting was to rescue others and in self-defense, and the firearm was taken from one of the attackers. It's just..."

"Just what?"

The chief replied helplessly. "It's just that he kept insisting we detain him for a few days. He said the doctor drawing blood wasn't actually a threat to him, but he still shot and killed him. He said he wanted to voluntarily undergo ideological reform. In my decades in this line of work, it's the first time I've seen someone so keen to be put behind bars."

Yan Shiqi paused for a moment, then smiled understandingly.

"I think detaining him wouldn't reflect well on Yan's Group's image either. Besides, if reporters find out about this later, it would add to our workload."

The chief's meaning was clear. If the police bureau really detained Xie Yunshen, it would be hard to justify to Yan's Group, and they also feared it might cause public pressure.

If they truly pursued the matter, Xie Yunshen would also be facing legal trouble.

After all, Xie Yunshen was Yan Shiqi's bodyguard—at least, that's how outsiders saw it.

That's why the chief came to him.

"I'll go get him," Yan Shiqi stood up.

"But... your health..."

"I'm fine now."

Police Station.

"Xie Yunshen, someone is here to bail you out," a staff member pushed open the half-closed iron door.

Xie Yunshen sat on the metal stool, half his body leaning against the cold wall, looking utterly despondent.

"I already said, let me be."

A shadow gradually moved from outside onto the wall. "A-Shen."

Xie Yunshen turned his head eagerly. Seeing color had returned to Yan Shiqi's face, he suddenly relaxed, calling out indifferently, "Mr. Yan."

Yan Shiqi sat down on the cold iron chair beside him. "Come back with me."

"Let me stay here for a few days, I'm too upset," Xie Yunshen didn't move.

It was the first time he had hardened his heart so much, speaking to him in such a detached tone.

Yan Shiqi felt an unfamiliar emotion in his heart, causing it to constrict abruptly, as if his windpipe were being squeezed, making it hard to breathe.

He froze for a moment. "A-Shen..."

Yan Shiqi knew Xie Yunshen would be angry and believed he could bear his resentment, but he had clearly overestimated himself.

With Xie Yunshen's face just slightly cooling, Yan Shiqi, who had weathered many storms, understood for the first time the agony of being submerged and suffocated by seawater.

After this brief suffocation came a prolonged sense of stifling oppression.

Yan Shiqi tried hard to calm his emotions.

Patriarch Yan, whose head never bowed and whose voice never softened, now spoke with a pleading tone. "Really won't come back with me?"

"No," Xie Yunshen gritted his teeth.

"Then, what should I do when I can't sleep at night and my knees start feeling cold again?"

Xie Yunshen whipped his head around to look at him, his eyes red. "Mr. Yan, do you only know how to bully me? You know I'm soft-hearted toward you, how can you be like this?!"

Seeing those crimson eyes, Yan Shiqi even forgot to breathe for a moment.

"If I had arrived two minutes later that night, your blood might have been completely drained. Do you know what I went through during those two hours you were missing? When I saw you lying there, do you know what I was thinking? Is your life so meaningless to you? Am I really not important to you at all?!"

"Because I believed you would come to save me."

Xie Yunshen turned his head away, not looking at him. "Let me stay here for a few days. I'll be fine once my anger subsides. This place isn't suitable for you."

Yan Shiqi gave a stiff nod.

Yi Wuyi stood outside, silently breaking into a cold sweat. Was A Xie being too bold? In all his life, he had never seen Mr. Yan be so coldly ignored. Most importantly, Mr. Yan hadn’t even become angry because of it.

Still, he could understand why Xie Yunshen was so furious.

The two officers on duty nearby subconsciously held their breath.

Ultimately, Xie Yunshen did not return with Yan Shiqi.

For the entire journey back, the atmosphere in the car dropped to freezing point. Mr. Yan’s fist slammed heavily against the bulletproof glass, making a dull thud. His gloomy expression turned the cold winter night oppressive.

"Back to the estate."

*Shouldn't they be returning to the hospital?*

Even so, the driver and Yi Wuyi in the passenger seat shared a silent understanding: neither dared to question it. Even breathing too heavily felt wrong.

Inside the study.

*Crash!*

The documents, decorations, and even the seal on the desk were all swept onto the floor.

Yan Shiqi braced his hands on the desktop, his brows still dark with unquenchable fury.

Yan Shiying, who had been about to enter to discuss matters, stared in shock at the mess on the floor.

His big brother was an absolutely calm person. When had he ever been so enraged and out of control?

Even when Xie Yunshen had died before, it didn’t seem to have reached this point.

It seemed this time, his brother hadn’t managed to placate Xie Yunshen.

Yan Shiying wisely retreated.

Yan Shiqi sat in the study, seething and calming down all night.

The next day, Secretary Zhao entered and placed an exquisite gift box on the desk. "Mr. Yan, these are the rings you had custom-ordered. The brand delivered them specially today."

Yan Shiqi looked down at the ring on his finger.

He never expected that Xie Yunshen would put a ring on his finger before he could do so himself.

He opened the gift box on the desk. A pair of platinum rings gave off a soft glow.

————

"This afternoon, Mo Huaidou, Chief Mo, is delivering a campaign speech in City A. According to poll projections, Mo Huaidou’s current support rate is over 70%, making his chances of winning the election very high."

"Ever since his relatives were killed over a decade ago, Mr. Mo Huaidou has dedicated himself to public service…"

Sitting in the holding cell, Xie Yunshen turned his head upon hearing the voice from the screen. On the TV mounted outside the iron bars, the live broadcast cut to Mo Huaidou’s deceptively kind and amiable face.

Xie Yunshen stared intently at that face on the screen.

"Xie Yunshen, someone is here to bail you out."

Two colleagues came in from outside, leaning against the bars on either side like sentries.

Colleague A: "Hey, big shot, touched to see us?"

"Mysterious bodyguard turns the tide, saves Chairman Yan from danger!" Colleague B exaggeratedly recited the trending title.

"Just get me out." Xie Yunshen rubbed his forehead.

The two colleagues exchanged a glance, their smiles fading. They could tell Xie Yunshen was in a bad mood—which was truly unprecedented.

After leaving the police station, Xie Yunshen headed straight for his room at the estate and pulled that novel from his backpack.

The handwriting was even more faded than last time, but he vaguely remembered that in the middle chapters, something about Mo Huaidou was mentioned…

In the car on the way home, Yan Shiqi also saw Mo Huaidou’s campaign speech on the news broadcast.

"Chief Mo has achieved notable political accomplishments in combating smuggling and safeguarding the rights of orphans. In his early years, Mr. Mo Huaidou’s father and brother fell victim to criminal retaliation, sacrificing their lives in the line of duty…"

Yan Shiqi snorted a cold, self-mocking laugh.

At that moment, he received a message from his assistant: Xie Yunshen had been bailed out by his colleagues.

Upon first hearing the news, Yan Shiqi’s heart clenched, followed by a complicated expression in his eyes.

"Where did he go?"

"He returned to the Yan estate."

Yan Shiqi’s expression softened slightly.

The news anchor’s voice was forceful: "We interrupt with breaking news. Black Impermanence, who vanished after exposing Top Star Gate’s crimes, started a live stream just one minute ago."

The screen then cut to a live broadcast feed.

In the footage, Black Impermanence wore his usual black gear, sitting in a dimly lit room.

Millions of viewers flooded into the live stream.

Looking at several sheets of paper in his hand, his voice, processed through a modulator, sounded mechanical and hoarse: "Greetings to Mr. Mo Huaidou, who is currently giving a speech. No, wait. I should address you as Mo Sangyuan."

Mo Sangyuan—Mo Huaidou’s biological father. On the surface, he was killed over a decade ago. In reality, he used his son’s identity to execute a "golden cicada shedding its shell" maneuver.

The real Mo Huaidou had died long ago.

In front of the square building, Mo Huaidou—Mo Sangyuan, who was in the middle of his speech—noticed the increasingly strange expressions on the faces of the crowd.

He looked up toward the back, only to see Black Impermanence’s live stream playing on the large screen of a distant shopping mall.

"You, now in your nineties, used your eldest son’s blood, combined with the youth serum from Top Star Gate, to restore your youth. At the same time, you underwent plastic surgery to completely assume your son’s identity, becoming mayor and then Region Chief. Your method is identical to that of Top Star Gate’s leader, Luo Shizhong."

Black Impermanence’s words instantly caused an uproar and panic.

Mo Sangyuan’s eyes flashed with a sinister, hateful chill. He roared at his subordinate, "What are you standing around for?! Notify the mall to turn off that screen! Find this guy’s location!"

His trusted aide made a call to notify the mall, then put down the phone with a bewildered look.

"...They said it’s a private mall and haven’t received any notice from headquarters to shut down the screen."

"Bastard! Whose mall is this?!" Mo Sangyuan’s neck flushed red with anger!

"It’s a Cloud Banner chain mall. The chairman is Yan Shiqi."

Black Impermanence continued, "For decades, Chief Mo has been purchasing youth potions from Top Star Gate, codenamed M. Your youngest son accidentally discovered the truth and was also killed by you to silence him."

"Slander... slander!" Mo Sangyuan raised his hand, pointing at the large screen, but his voice lacked the resounding power of his earlier speech.

"Your youngest son is still buried beneath the cherry blossom forest behind the abandoned office building from back then, isn't he? There are still marks on his skull from being struck with an ashtray."

The crowd below fell silent.

Mo Sangyuan's face, which had been brimming with vigor just moments ago, froze for a moment before turning ashen as he lowered the microphone.

How could this be? How could anyone know all this so clearly? Even the details?

In the live stream, the viewer count kept rising, with major media outlets and news channels broadcasting it.

"How can such a person serve as a national minister? His success is built on the blood of countless innocent infants, accumulated through the slaughter of his own offspring." Black Impermanence's tone was now calm as still water.

Watching the disdainful expressions on the faces of the people who had once supported him, Mo Sangyuan felt a weakness-inducing pain, so intense it made him laugh bitterly.

In the live stream, the viewership had skyrocketed to over a billion. Due to server overload, many viewers were being disconnected.

"Holy shit, is this even humanly possible?"

"Black Impermanence is a god!"

"Can anyone confirm if this is true? I'm losing my mind—from a supporter of Mo Huaidou."

"What Black Impermanence says is basically never wrong."

"This is Mo Sangyuan. The real politician, Mo Huaidou, already died at the hands of his father."

...

Xie Yunshen withheld the matters concerning Mr. Yan and his mother, as well as the matter of the seeds.

"That's all for now. Signing off."

With these simple words, Black Impermanence closed the live stream without a second thought.

For some reason, his mindset was unusually calm this time, devoid of the hatred and vindictive satisfaction he had felt when exposing crimes to the public before.

Perhaps because this time it involved Mr. Yan's suffering, making it difficult for him to remain detached and view it as an outsider.

Because he could empathize, facing someone like Mo Sangyuan evoked a chilling, despairing numbness from the depths of his heart.

Right after the live stream ended, before the police could act, nearby netizens rushed to the grove behind that building and discovered a long-buried corpse.

"The skull indeed shows a fatal injury from a hard object impact," the forensic examiner briefly assessed at the scene.

Upon hearing this, everyone sighed in realization.

It matched what Black Impermanence had said.

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Author's Note: Couldn't wrap it up this chapter [crying]. Next chapter, they can finally get married!