Chapter 168: Zhou Duan Yun

Lin Xian stared at the paper filled with his intricate reasoning. He couldn’t guarantee all his subjective speculations were correct. After all, all his deductions hinged on one hypothetical premise—Xu Yun’s death involved Ji Xin Shui. If this was true, all his deductions were valid. If not, all his theories were mere paper talk.

To prove this premise, there was one direct breakthrough. If he could prove Zhou Duan Yun had a close relationship with Ji Xin Shui, they were likely accomplices. Because currently, Zhou Duan Yun’s suspicion couldn’t be cleared. So, whoever was associated with Zhou Duan Yun was also suspect.

“Directly investigating Ji Xin Shui and Ji Lin is difficult. Right now, I don’t have the capacity to confront them head-on. In contrast, investigating Zhou Duan Yun is much simpler,” Lin Xian thought as he propped his chin up.

After all, he and Zhou Duan Yun were classmates, and many people in Hangzhou knew Zhou Duan Yun well, making the investigation easier. If his reasoning was correct, then Zhou Duan Yun and Ji Lin were both pretending to be kind while waiting for him to slip up. Their seemingly good intentions were just a facade.

Since the enemy had already targeted him, there was no point in hiding any longer. Objectively, Lin Xian still had three advantages:

Ji Lin’s attempts to probe him indicated they hadn’t found any evidence of his involvement in Xu Yun’s hibernation research. Thus, he was temporarily safe.

He knew they only killed through car accidents at 00:42. This specific method was easy to avoid. Just stay indoors at night.

He had some powerful cards to play—whether it was his 600-year-old dreams or the massive favor owed by Chu Shan He. At the right moment, these could turn the tables. In Donghai, Chu Shan He’s word was law; even Ji Xin Shui wouldn’t dare challenge him.

“Once I deal with these people, I need to quickly develop my own influence.” Now, Lin Xian had a rough plan for the future. Develop himself, ensure Liu Feng could safely research the Universal Constant 42, find a way to get an invitation to the Genius Club, and use his dreams to gather more intelligence and control. But to implement these plans, he needed to win this urgent cat-and-mouse game.

He recalled what Yellow Finch had said in Zhao Ying Jun’s office. She said she couldn’t tell him how to get an invitation to the Genius Club. But she appeared at the perfect time and hinted at the cat-and-mouse game. Perhaps... this game was the key to the Genius Club invitation!

“I must find a way to win this game,” Lin Xian muttered as he took a large baking tray from the kitchen and burned all his reasoning papers. As the flames spread through the paper, Lin Xian smelled the distinctive stench of cremation—a smell etched into human genes as a warning, signaling danger.

In just two or three months, Lin Xian had smelled it twice. He and Gao Yang stood by when Tang Xin’s brother received his sister’s ashes from the funeral staff. It was Lin Xian’s first close encounter with cremation. He never imagined a human body would take two hours to burn to ashes at such high temperatures. Every minute of those two hours was unbearable. A living classmate reduced to half a jar of ashes.

What could make Zhou Duan Yun abandon his humanity to kill one classmate and attempt to kill another?

“Wait for me.” Amid the flickering flames, Tang Xin’s smiling face emerged. Lin Xian spoke slowly and clearly: “None of you will escape!”

“Hunan University?” Lin Xian was surprised. “Zhou Duan Yun got into such a good school?” Hunan University was a prestigious 985 and 211 school!

Lin Xian’s mediocre grades getting him into Donghai University was already considered a miracle. Zhou Duan Yun, consistently at the bottom of the class, getting into a 985 university without any special talents... This was beyond miraculous.

“Sir, how come you never mentioned such an amazing feat?” Lin Xian was puzzled. Knowing his teacher’s personality, he would have boasted about such a gifted student, maybe even inscribed Zhou Duan Yun’s name on the blackboard to show off his teaching prowess. Yet, he never did. Why?

The teacher pursed his lips, silent. He walked to the office window, opened it, and lit a cigarette. After a few puffs, he flicked the ash outside and seemed to make a decision, sighing: “Lin Xian... Since you asked, I can’t lie. This has been weighing on my mind for a long time.”

He turned, looking at Lin Xian: “Do you remember Zhou Duan Yun? Poorly dressed, from a poor family. His father died early, and his mother raised him alone. I’ve seen her bring him bedding. A skinny rural woman, also bullied in her village... They were really pitiful.”

Lin Xian nodded. He had heard about this. But he remembered no one in class bullied Zhou Duan Yun; everyone was quite friendly.

“Such kids need face and value their dignity.” The teacher took another puff and continued: “When I collected the acceptance letters, Zhou Duan Yun’s mother personally brought Hunan University’s letter to me.”

“She didn’t know how to use a phone, so she took a long bus ride to the school. She brought a big bag of eggs and a sack of peanuts.”

The teacher’s hand shook slightly as he spoke: “To this day, I don’t know how that tiny woman carried those heavy bags so far... But she was so happy, so proud. She kept talking about Hunan University, saying her son finally succeeded and wouldn’t be bullied anymore.”

Lin Xian listened quietly as the teacher’s face darkened. He stubbed out the cigarette: “I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t bring myself to tell the truth. Watching a mother, who raised her child alone through so much hardship, be so excited and proud... I just couldn’t.”

“You mean...” Lin Xian was at a loss for words. He had guessed the truth.

The teacher nodded, looking at Lin Xian: “As teachers, we knew your exam results before you did. Zhou Duan Yun’s score was only 300-something...”

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation