Chapter 99: Pride’s Hypocrisy

Ji Lin kept his gaze fixed on the laptop screen, scrolling through news articles with a steady flick of his mouse wheel.

“I’ve reviewed the list you provided. None of the entries match,” he stated.

“The list must be incorrect... you need to dig deeper for more clues,” the old man responded, his tone exasperated yet filled with unwavering trust in Ji Lin’s judgment.

Ji Lin’s insights were beyond reproach. This young man had never erred or let him down. The old man continued, “Now that you’ve ruled out everyone on the list, it’s time to find new leads. Track down this individual who’s tampering with history. You won’t solve this by sitting at home. Do you expect him to simply show up at our doorstep?”

Ji Lin let out a soft sigh, a slight smile appearing on his lips. “Pride... you must really underestimate the person disturbing history to suggest that.”

“Why do you think that?” the old man questioned, his brow furrowing.

“You mentioned this person assisted Xu Yun with the hibernation pod fluid. Now, with Xu Yun’s unexpected death, unless they’re a fool, they’ll be extremely cautious, avoiding any exposure.”

The old man turned away. “So, you’re suggesting we shouldn’t alarm him? You want him to lower his guard so he’ll make a mistake?”

“That’s not my point,” Ji Lin coolly retorted, shutting his laptop and facing the old man. “I’ve been pondering... how can we confirm someone is actually distorting history?”

He paused, letting the question hang in the air for a moment before adding, “How do we define the original course of history? And what constitutes a disturbance to it?”

“It’s complex, not easily summed up in a single sentence. Your guidelines stipulate we cannot harm the innocent. If we mistakenly kill someone, we forfeit any chance of receiving an invitation from the Genius Club.”

“Exactly,” the old man agreed. “We must be absolutely certain that he’s interfering with history and gather solid evidence before taking action.”

“Do you know the original historical timeline?” Ji Lin pressed, scrutinizing the old man.

“Of course not,” the old man admitted with a shake of his head. “If I did, I wouldn’t need your investigative skills. I could handle it myself by comparison.”Ne/w novel chapters are published on no/vel(/bin(.)co/m

“That’s where you’re being arrogant,” Ji Lin remarked, spreading his hands. “Without knowing the original history or its path, how can we ascertain someone is altering it? Are we to rely on mere intuition?”

“Speak up, Pride. Without clear standards, how can I begin my investigation?” Ji Lin chuckled, looking downward. “You see, you’re still concealing something crucial from me. Your knowledge about the Genius Club isn’t as limited as you claim.”

“Since you refuse to disclose more, let me guess.” Ji Lin stood up, paced towards the old man, and circled his chair.

“Every time you justify an execution with ‘distorting history,’ yet you never provide solid proof. It’s as if you’re shooting arrows without having drawn the targets, or perhaps... you don’t actually know what the evidence is, what it means to distort history. Instead, someone has instructed you—”

“This person is distorting history, go eliminate them.”

“And each time, your methods are strange, even outlandish. You insist on car accidents at precise times. It’s as if you’re deliberately drawing attention. So, I see two possibilities.”

Ji Lin paused, placing his left hand on the old man’s shoulder, peering into his dry eyes.

“Either you’re imitating someone else’s methods, hoping to earn a spot in the Genius Club by doing so, blindly adhering to these tactics without understanding their purpose.”

“Or you’re performing for an audience, making it evident you carried out these killings, like a test orchestrated by the Genius Club.”

The old man closed his eyes, maintaining his silence.

Ji Lin smiled, straightening up. “There’s a third possibility.”

He wrapped his arm around the old man’s neck, placing three fingers on his carotid artery.

“These individuals you claim are distorting history are targets assigned by someone within the Genius Club. They promised you something in return, which is why you blindly follow their commands, like a dog obeying its master.”

The old man’s heartbeat quickened as Ji Lin whispered in his ear. “Pride... who are you serving like a dog in the Genius Club?”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation