CH 245

Lin Chen’s voice exploded in Huang Ze’s ears, causing him to experience a brief ringing sensation. He even suspected that he was having auditory hallucinations or some kind of mental illness.

Lin Chen actually dared to make such a proposal to let Shen Lian live?

Numerous thoughts surged in Huang Ze’s mind. He wanted to yell and curse at Lin Chen through the earpiece channel.

But he knew that the person sitting on the bench by the window wouldn’t listen to any of his opinions. Even if he yelled, there was no guarantee that both Lin Chen and Shen Lian could hear him.

The channel once again filled with noisy and chaotic dissuasive voices, but Shen Lian’s gentle voice overpowered everything in the next moment.

The woman was indifferent and even said without hesitation, “Why should I watch you turn into a lunatic? What benefit does it bring me?”

The channel instantly fell silent, and everyone felt relieved for the first time because of Shen Lian’s words.

However, “what benefit” was obviously completely different from the wording of “no benefit”.

“You’ve been studying psychotropic drugs your whole life. Don’t you want to see what kind of monster I become when I have an episode?”

Lin Chen shattered their sense of relief with very concise words.

Lin Chen’s voice was gentle, with a hint of charm. His hand slowly enveloped Shen Lian’s tightly held vial, looking into her eyes as he continued, “You’ve been waiting all this time, patiently lurking, never giving up until the last moment. Why are you giving up so quickly now?”

“Give up on what?” Shen Lian countered. “Life has no meaning for me.”

“Is that so?” Lin Chen looked at Shen Lian. “Then why didn’t you die after almost being raped by Chen Jianguo, why didn’t you die after the death of the old beggar, why didn’t you die after being driven away by Duan Wanshan? Why do you have to die now?” Lin Chen slowly pulled out the fine tube from Shen Lian’s hand, though slowly. It was very determined. “Don’t say such things like life has no meaning for you. You are a psychopath. You don’t have such a strong sense of sacrifice. Personal interests are above everything for you. It would be better for you to keep an eye on everything yourself. Are you really sure that after you die, your group can fulfill your wishes?”

Shen Lian suddenly raised her eyes, and a terrifying smile appeared on her face. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, if people don’t act for their own sake, heaven and earth will exterminate them.”

Shen Lian’s fingers suddenly loosened, and Lin Chen held the ampoule bottle in his hand.

“Consultant Lin is indeed a skilled negotiator.” The woman changed her posture and crossed her legs. “But how can you guarantee that after you take my medication, I won’t immediately tear up the contract?”

Lin Chen remained close to Shen Lian, but only shook his head, appearing confident. He didn’t continue the conversation with Shen Lian but presented another irresistible benefit. “If you don’t think about it, what will happen when all the patients’ families know about our deal?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Lian’s eyes flickered. “Please clarify, Consultant Lin.”

Lin Chen also crossed his legs as Shen Lian did and said calmly, “Your hands are covered in blood, full of evil deeds. All the victims’ families wish for your death, and you have chosen this path for yourself. However, the police saved you. Aren’t you curious about the public’s reaction when they find out about our deal?”

He pointed his finger towards the commercial square across the building and the crowds gathered there. Looking down from a higher level, one could probably understand what a vast array of beings meant.

The square was filled with people, and most of them would casually glance at the large screen on the high-rise building. Starting from six o’clock sharp, the news anchor on the two-story-tall screen had been broadcasting hourly news. When Shen Lian sat with Lin Chen, she had also seen her name displayed on the screen, and the feeling was truly amazing. The only thing she was slightly dissatisfied with was that so many people below were unaware of the explosive news happening behind them in the heights.

When she thought about it, Shen Lian admitted that she was truly tempted.

The sun had descended further, and the golden-red color had become even deeper and more magnificent, even carrying a sense of grandeur.

Lin Chen’s clear and calm voice sounded in her ear. “They would say that it’s not worth exchanging a criminal’s life with police officers. They would also say that it’s unacceptable for the police to bow down to criminals. They will make moral judgments and evaluate the proposal I made to you. Such evaluations might force me to stand on your side. Don’t you want to see it?”

That voice was clear and pleasant, and Shen Lian greedily looked at the screen. Then she suddenly snapped back to reality, looking at Lin Chen. “Consultant Lin, you really refuse to be at a disadvantage.”

At that moment, Lin Chen had already poured out the liquid from the entire ampoule bottle. There was a small red cut on his finger from snatching the glass bottle. He gazed at the crowd in the distance, gently swaying the small bottle on his finger. For a moment, the bottle balanced perfectly on his finger.

“That’s the kind of contract it is,” Lin Chen said. “I take the medication, and you stay alive, going into detention. I guarantee that you can see the latest updates on all events every day. If you die, you won’t see anything.”

……

In that instant, Huang Ze felt as if he had become Shen Lian. Lin Chen’s words were enticing, both in tone and content.

But he immediately snapped out of it, becoming extremely flustered. His palms were sweating, and a chilling sensation filled his muscles.

He took two steps back, then lowered his footsteps and walked to the other corner, afraid that Shen Lian would agree to the insane agreement with Lin Chen one second too late. He breathed heavily into the earpiece. “Xing Conglian!”

Then he realized that Xing Conglian had remained silent from the moment Lin Chen made that proposal, and the channel was dead silent.

Just then, a high-frequency noise splattered through the earpiece, causing everyone to gasp in cold air.

Soon after, Shen Lian’s gentle voice came through, “Hello, hello, sorry, I’m not very good at using this.”

A woman in black clothes, wearing an earpiece, asked with a smiling face. “Hey, what do you all think of Lin Chen’s proposal?”

She crossed her legs, displaying a victorious posture.

“You have three seconds left to save him,” the woman said.

Huang Ze clenched his back teeth tightly, almost biting them off.

“Three…”

Shen Lian’s voice carried a bright smile.

“Two… Hey, why is no one speaking up?”

Huang Ze clenched his fist and looked in the direction where the two were. He took a deep breath and was about to shout, ignoring everything.

At that moment, Lin Chen spoke up. “They won’t refute the decision I’ve made.”

“Oh, how cowardly. Sacrifice yourself and make millions of families happy. Tsk tsk.” Shen Lian pursed her lips. “But honestly, Lin Chen, your proposal is really intriguing. It’s indeed better to stay alive than to die, allowing me to easily manipulate all of you in the palm of my hand! But do you know why any negotiation expert would say never to compromise with terrorists? It’s because they easily take advantage. For example, right now, if I want your entire team to take the poison, otherwise, I’ll commit suicide, do you think they would agree?”

“Shen Lian.” Lin Chen elongated his tone. “Maintaining balance is the key to continuing the game. You do have value, but not that much value.”

Shen Lian raised an eyebrow. “I’m a psychopathic killer. I don’t know the meaning of boundaries!”

Lin Chen raised his hand again, calmly informing Shen Lian. “Now, as soon as I let go, you will be immediately shot, and your head will explode. Your brain matter will flow out, and you will quickly lose your life. But in that final moment before death, you will deeply regret not agreeing to my proposal.”

Shen Lian turned her head. She didn’t expect the person who had seemed somewhat compromising a second ago to suddenly become so ruthless. Lin Chen’s demeanor remained gentle and calm, but his pitch-black pupils were filled with an icy coldness.

“Okay, okay,” Shen Lian raised her hand with a smile and slapped it against Lin Chen’s, readily saying, “One!”

……

Xing Conglian had been staring at Lin Chen’s raised hand, not paying much attention to the expression on his face.

Lin Chen’s wrist was slender, and his fingers appeared slightly long and delicate. The sunset passing through his fingers had a perverse and strange beauty.

If that hand were to come down, he would not hesitate to pull the trigger. But throughout the entire time, that moment never occurred.

He saw Shen Lian and Lin Chen slap their hands together, saw Shen Lian start rummaging through her bag, and saw Lin Chen’s gaze deepen as he looked at him.

The earpiece was still on Shen Lian’s ear, so Lin Chen wouldn’t hear anything he said at the moment.

During this silent time, Xing Conglian had even prepared a long string of confessions. He wanted to tell Shen Lian through the entire channel that Lin Chen was his lover. He would say that he didn’t want his lover to lose control, that he himself had more value, and that he could take Lin Chen’s place. This was what any romantic or heroic person would do.

But those words only ran through his mind once before being decisively rejected. Reason was clear, telling him that he couldn’t do it.

In fact, he could completely follow Huang Ze’s advice and pull the trigger, killing Shen Lian. But his reasoning was clear, telling him that he still couldn’t do it.

Therefore, at this moment, he could only watch helplessly as Shen Lian took out a small vial containing pure white powder from her bag.

In the instant he saw the medication, all of Lin Chen’s expressions froze. It was only at that moment that Xing Conglian was very clear that Lin Chen didn’t have complete confidence in what was about to happen, and he was also afraid.

But in the next moment, Lin Chen completely restrained all emotions, as if fear or any similar emotion had never existed within him. He extended his arm, placing it in front of Shen Lian, and pleaded, “Please control the dosage. If I die, no one will uphold the agreement with you.”

There was only a smile on Shen Lian’s lips. She opened the ampoule and sucked the liquid into the syringe, injecting it into the vial of pentobarbital. Then she slowly drew out the mixed liquid, and finally shook the syringe.

Shen Lian said, “You seem very confident, but I won’t show you any mercy. If you haven’t found a solution before we finish researching, this liquid might turn you into a lunatic for the rest of your life. Or maybe it won’t take effect quickly, but it will make you restless, not knowing when it will strike.”

“I know,” Lin Chen said. “Please do as you wish, according to your preferences.”

A small amount of the transparent liquid splashed out from the needle. Lin Chen gazed at the medication, and in the next moment, the needle harshly punctured his vein. Even Lin Chen himself trembled with pain.

Shen Lian slowly pushed the plunger with her hand, her excited voice echoing in everyone’s ears through the channel.

“Consultant Lin, how noble you are. But don’t you think your spirit of sacrifice will make others feel embarrassed?”

Lin Chen looked at Shen Lian and replied, “First of all, it’s not noble. Nobility refers to being far beyond ordinary people. But in reality, whether it’s inside this communication channel, this building, or even the entire planet, most ordinary people sitting next to you would be willing to make the same choice as me, to fight for a glimmer of hope for others.”

Two-thirds of the liquid in the syringe had already been pushed in.

Shen Lian shook her head with a smile. “I don’t even know where your confidence in human nature comes from.”

“It’s not confidence, but determination,” Lin Chen said. “It’s the determination of people like us to defeat people like you.”

Lin Chen’s voice wasn’t loud, and it even sounded somewhat distant to Xing Conglian. The strong wind suddenly howled in the high altitude, relentlessly pounding against the window frames.

But in that moment, Xing Conglian felt that all sounds had disappeared and all distances had turned into nothingness. Even his previous anger and helplessness seemed to fade away completely because this was probably the most powerless but proudest moment of his life.

……

Lin Chen sat on the bench, and the last rays of sunlight vanished into the outskirts of the city.

It wasn’t until Shen Lian abruptly pulled out the needle that he realized the transaction had been completed. The plunger had been pushed quickly, but he hadn’t felt any pain from beginning to end.

It was very quiet around him, and the city in the distance exuded a beautiful sense of haze. The only regret he had now was that he had listened to Shen Lian’s arrangement to remove the earpiece. At such a moment, he really wanted to sit here with Xing Conglian and say something.

He wanted to say that he was starting to panic about what he would become, that he loved him, that he was grateful, and that in that brief moment just now, Xing Conglian had shown him more respect for his personality and for his life-and-death choices than anything else.

He looked at the tall building in the distance and nodded gently.

Thank you, really, thank you very much.