Chapter 52 Updating the Will

Chapter 52: Updating the Will

Robbery was indeed a method that took effect very quickly. The Aishi Wanderers had special markers, and they smoothly found a small tavern that was open for business.

They got a private room: a burning fireplace, chipped ceramic mugs, murky liquid, along with simply grilled meat chunks and sourdough bread. The place wasn't big, didn't look very clean, and felt very lived-in.

Dingshu regulations prohibited minors from consuming alcohol. Chen Jiyan was advised not to consume alcohol or caffeine, so he got a cup of hot milk, paid for with the currency looted from several red names.

"What is it?"

You Jinhui picked out a few pieces of well-done meat and placed them on the plate opposite. He saw Chen Jiyan staring slightly dazedly at the flickering sparks in the fireplace.

"The system, I mean Little E, it will keep following me, right?" He hadn't heard its voice for several days and couldn't contact it by any method.

"Minors need specially designated AI assistance. Generally speaking, many teenagers stop relying on it before they turn twenty. However, the Sang Xia'en system, unless actively replaced with the school's unified assistant, should last a very long time." You Jinhui reassured him, "I quite admire the original architect of the Sang Xia'en system on this point. The creator died young, so it doesn't get many updates. Theoretically, it could last you until retirement, though many functions aren't really needed anymore."

"Mm, my condition is stable now. No need to calculate time allocation or enforce forced hibernation. I just... feel it's a bit too quiet." Humans can't live without their phones.

In Mogang, there were many things to pass the time: reading, translating, doing tasks. Even without people, it was lively with the sound of waves, birds. The barren wasteland offered nothing, just gloomy, fog-filled skies, more depressing than Dingshu.

Used to passively accepting whatever was arranged, he followed silently behind his guardian. Oh, wait, he had just passed his 25th birthday. By any law, he was an adult, and the guardianship was automatically terminated. The system list no longer had a 'guardian' field, replaced by 'supervised subject'. He also had the right to become someone else's guardian.

So now he was just Dingshu's most ordinary citizen, with no connection to the Chief Executive.

Only slightly better off than the Aishi Wanderers, he still had to repay the institute's debt. Even those necessary and unnecessary things installed in his system, even if not running, were charged on a time basis. Not using them counted as occupying medical resources. The future was truly worrisome.

"I've granted you permissions." You Jinhui took off his own wristband and fastened it on Chen Jiyan's wrist. "Comms are blocked, but other things shouldn't be much affected."

"What, feeling bored?" he said, as if casually remarking, "So fond of that not-so-smart chat companion from before?"

"The content of the chats was different. For instance, I didn't need to listen seriously to what it said. Anyway, it's not your problem." Chen Jiyan clarified immediately. "Every time I talk to you, there's too much information to process; I need time to digest."

"Hmm, why would I compare myself to an electronic pet." You Jinhui's tone was flat, not angry at all.

"Is there anything I can't see or—"

"Ask me if you don't understand."

Chen Jiyan was interrupted before he could finish asking. Probably nothing he couldn't see, since he already knew pretty much everything he should and shouldn't. He lowered his head to start exploring.

You Jinhui actually had a password set. Chen Jiyan opened it effortlessly. The interface was minimalist to a fault, offering no starting point.

Accustomed to having all frequently used functions on the main interface, Chen Jiyan explored with difficulty. Skipping the work area, contacts, he saw a file named after himself. Selecting to open it, the two large characters 'Will' filled his vision.

Very complete, even notarized, though there were traces of handwritten amendments. The latest update record showed last week, the night before they left Mogang.

He read on carefully. It wasn't drafted on a whim; the clauses were meticulous and rigorous, considering any situation after You Jinhui's death, guaranteeing in every way that Chen Jiyan was the sole beneficiary. Even You Ting had no right to interfere.

When did he start preparing it? After he left Dingshu? After the first mission to Xugu? Or after meeting at Sang Xia'en? Or even earlier, prepared back in the Hengmai observation room?

"What can I do for him?" All along, whether willing or not, You Jinhui had given too much, too good. If he had known from the start, he would have surely backed off.

"What are you thinking?"

Seeing Chen Jiyan's expression growing increasingly grave, You Jinhui suddenly began to suspect his system might have some inappropriate content.

Chen Jiyan closed the will and changed the subject: "The Parliament announced they will soon issue an appointment and dismissal notice. Should we just sit here and wait for the axe to fall?"

"The Chief Executive isn't so easily chosen. I'm not there; it's only to be expected they want to promote someone to be Minister."

"Why do you seem to care more about the Chief Executive position than I do?"

"I just feel... it would be strange if, in the future, when people mention the Chief Executive, it wasn't you."

In principle, officials at certain levels in various departments could be called Chief Executives. Previously, those in his position were called 'Chief'. Only You Jinhui was referred to as 'the Chief Executive'. It wasn't special treatment; You Jinhui disliked the special title 'Chief' and told his subordinates to just call him Chief Executive. After it spread, hardly anyone in Dingshu used the same title anymore. Over time, the term 'Chief Executive' was naturally assumed to be the exclusive title for Dingshu's highest administrative official.

The average tenure for a Chief Executive was two years. You Jinhui had served one consecutive term. His name was deeply tied to the position. Changing the person would make not just Dingshu, but probably everyone, uncomfortable.

After all, his rise to power was accompanied by bloodshed and turmoil, his achievements during his tenure were evident to all. Everyone speculated whether he would continue for another term or choose to step down for a while, replace You Ting and enter Parliament. Then, to the world's shock, he became associated with the word 'defection'. Although not yet conclusively decided, it was quite an utterly legendary tale.

"Feeling sorry for me?" You Jinhui thought probably only one person would feel uncomfortable; countless others were waiting for him to resign in disgrace to take his place.

The burden of the times falls on everyone equally, but to evade it is human nature. Perhaps even he himself wasn't clear whether, back then, stepping forward was more out of subjective will or passive circumstance. People love to create idols and then pull them down from their pedestals. No matter how glorious one once was, once falling from that position, they experience a fate more devastating than being crushed to pieces. If not You Jinhui, it would be someone else.

"Worried about what will happen to Dingshu without you." Chen Jiyan didn't deny it but offered a perspective from another angle. "Besides, with you here, everyone is very united."

"You don't have to phrase the criticism so politely."

"Haha, how could that be? Of course, everyone holds you in high esteem."

Yeah, right. Everyone was astonishingly united in denouncing You Jinhui. If Chen Jiyan were his subordinate, he'd seamlessly join in.

Being strong-willed, dictatorial—these were just personal traits, even seen as charismatic by some. Although You Jinhui was difficult to get along with, his reputation was uniformly bad from all quarters, for underlying reasons worth pondering.

"Is it because of... the previous Finance Minister?"

"Why are you laughing?"

"You weren't interested before?" Chen Jiyan never proactively sought to understand these things.

"You mentioned red names. They existed even before I killed him. In this position, whose hands are truly clean? Apart from He Li imprisoning and exiling his competitors, everyone has a few lives on their hands."

"I'm not the one with the most. Su Huaixin isn't either."

Unbelievable. The seemingly harmless, always smiling, leisurely Education Bureau Chief was actually more ruthless than the military.

"It's just that the ones who happened to die by my hand were comparatively more famous." Apart from personally sending off his own teacher, his other methods could be considered gentle.

"And then, there are those who tried to provoke but failed, venting their frustrations out of psychological imbalance."

"For example?"

You Jinhui pulled up a group photo, listing them one by one:

"For instance, this one always wanted to beat me in some assessment."

"Couldn't you just let him win once?"

"Tried. Failed."

"Or the guy with dyed hair who led people to corner me."

"Corner you?"

"Supposedly because the person he had a crush on was rejected by me, and he wanted to vent her anger."

"Or the one who kept apologizing, begging for forgiveness."

"Why not forgive him?"

"To this day, I still don't know how he wronged me."

Chen Jiyan: "..."

To think there was someone even worse at handling interpersonal relationships than himself. Truly eye-opening.

"And I don't know why they either died or went mad, yet the system's judgment mechanism somehow pinned it on me." You Jinhui's tone carried a sense of helplessness, even a hint of grievance.

This wasn't a classmate directory; it was straight out of a death note, pointing at whoever would meet their end.

"The person we're going to meet, is he also your classmate?" Also a classmate? And one you had a bad relationship with? Were they really not walking into a trap?

"No, we met a few times in Mando. He's the child of an acquaintance."

From Mando? That meant a pretty extraordinary background. What's he doing stuck in Aishi then? There's gotta be a story there.

"Don't worry. We weren't exactly friends, but it wasn't *that* bad either. He's the one whose hair got burned off before. We've long since buried the hatchet."

Chen Jiyan grew even more concerned, but worry was useless. "Look," You Jinhui pointed at the two armed visitors who had suddenly appeared outside the door, "our ride's here."

He reminded Chen Jiyan to grab his stuff and get ready to leave. This time they had transportation, so they wouldn't have to walk there.

"What's this?"

Inside the vehicle, Chen Jiyan was scribbling furiously in a small booklet.

"It's a book from the CSA. There's still a small part left untranslated. We left in such a hurry, I didn't have time to hand it in." If you're not a volunteer but translate as an independent contractor, he remembered Xisha saying there was a fee.

"You're something else..." You Jinhui was at a loss for words.

"A man of my word, right?" Even though robbing people in Aishi might bring quick money, it felt more secure to earn an honest living.