Chapter 74: The Wrong Problem

“Because...” The old man gritted his teeth and declared, “Because Xu Yun also... disrupted history.”

“No, no, I’m not asking you that. Don’t you think I already know?” Ji Lin twirled the pencil in his fingers, his gaze fixed on the old man. “I’m asking why you feel the need to eliminate these people who disrupt history.”

The old man was silent for a long stretch before he finally spoke. “Ji Lin, you’re unusually chatty today. You’ve never probed this deeply before.”

“That’s because it wasn’t Xu Yun who died before.”

Ji Lin glanced at the rolled-up list on the floor. “You gave me this list to identify the history disruptors, right? It seems excessive.”

“There are only two or three hundred names here. Why not just eliminate them all? Why bother identifying the specific culprit? This meticulous approach doesn’t suit your usual style.”

“No!” The old man’s voice was stern. “We cannot harm the innocent!”Reêad latest novels at noov/e/l/bin(.)com

Ji Lin chuckled.

He opened the September issue of Mathematics Monthly, flipped to the Sudoku page, and resumed his puzzle. “See... there’s still something you’re not telling me.”

“With all your talk of righteousness, one might mistake us for some justice league.”

He paused his pencil, staring up at the old man. “You killed my parents, didn’t you?”

“Ji Lin!” The old man’s voice escalated. “I’ve told you countless times! I didn’t kill your parents! It wasn’t me, even if it wasn’t an accident!”

“Stop lying.” Ji Lin smiled, his head bowed as he continued with the Sudoku. “I’ve uncovered the truth.”

“Then you need to dig deeper!” The old man was livid, his veins prominent. “If this is the quality of your investigations, I suggest you give up your career as a detective novelist! What a joke!”

The room fell silent.

Only the sound of the old man’s labored breathing and Ji Lin’s pencil moving across the paper filled the air.

“Enough.”

The old man waved dismissively. “Stop playing games, Ji Lin. I won’t divulge more.”

“But I can assert one thing—this is the only way it must be done! We have to adhere strictly to achieve our ultimate objective—”

“To secure an invitation to the Genius Club!”

Swish.

Ji Lin completed another Sudoku puzzle, tossed the magazine to the floor, and grabbed the October issue of Mathematics Monthly.

“I don’t get it.”

“Pinpoint the history disruptor... Once verified, I’ll arrange for their removal!”

“Every death paves our way into the Genius Club. Our goals align in this.”

“You are the brightest mind I’ve ever encountered, the ultimate genius. I’ve always believed you’re closest to reaching the Genius Club. So... aid me, Ji Lin, and in doing so, you aid yourself.”

Swish.

Ji Lin dropped the November issue of Mathematics Monthly and rose slowly...

“I’ll locate that individual.”

He raked his tousled hair and walked toward the bedroom.

The old man exhaled slowly.

He glanced at the November issue on the floor...

To his astonishment, the Sudoku puzzle was incomplete.

Only about half the numbers were filled in, with several errors, yet the puzzle remained unsolved.

“How strange...” The old man sighed. “A Sudoku you couldn’t finish?”

“It’s not that I couldn’t solve it. The puzzle was flawed.” Ji Lin yawned, rubbing his eyes. “If the puzzle is incorrect, it’s unsolvable.”

The old man was intrigued.

He picked up the December issue of Mathematics Monthly, turned to the Sudoku page.

Prominently displayed was an “Apology Statement” from the magazine, apologizing for the previous issue’s printing error and correcting the numbers.

The old man smiled triumphantly, setting aside the magazine.

“As expected... You’ve never let me down! If only you weren’t so slothful, you’d be quite the favorite.”

“Sloth.” Ji Lin opened the bedroom door and entered. “I despise that codename. I wasn’t the last to join the organization. Why didn’t you assign me something nicer? I dislike ‘Sloth.'”

“Then strive harder!” The old man’s patience had waned tonight.

“Understood...” Ji Lin yawned once more, closing the bedroom door. “Goodnight, Pride.”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation