CH 107

Xiao Zhenyun’s face turned cold as he gripped Xiao Nian’s cheeks with one hand, shaping his mouth into a beak-like form, then pushed him aside. “Stop exaggerating here. Is Si Di really interested in this rabbit, or is he just using his looks to manipulate? Can’t you see?”

“I can’t see.” Xiao Nian deliberately misinterpreted Si Di’s actions, satisfied as he pocketed the small video. “Are you reassured now? Si Di is doing well, living comfortably, with food and drink, and a cute love-brain bunny guide to keep him company and chat with him… Is Si Di particularly prone to attracting love-brain guides? A deer outside the town, a rabbit inside.”

“I don’t admit to being a love-brain. My concern for him as his bonded guide is reasonable care.” Xiao Zhenyun explained earnestly, while still maintaining his dignity. “That rabbit is the love-brain.”

“…No, she’s nowhere near you.”

Xiao Zhenyun couldn’t be bothered to respond to Xiao Nian’s teasing, only pondering and asking, “The main villain professor this time hates special individuals the most. Why are there still special individuals in his camp?… Were these two really in the original text? I have no recollection at all. How were these two rabbits resolved later, and by whom?”

“What two rabbits? The girl Xiao Bai’s spiritual body is a rabbit, but the guy isn’t. The man called Xiao Hui, his spiritual body is a bat.”

“Is this important? Do you need to explain it to me so seriously?”

“Please be serious and stop arguing with me all the time. Although we have the script and know most of the subsequent plot, given your history of casually turning the script upside down, perhaps soon the script in our hands will become a pile of waste paper.”

“Wasn’t it you who first argued that I was a love-brain?”

“It was because you disregarded the world’s safety first and insisted I help you find your lover.”

“If you argue with me again…”

Xiao Nian frowned, only to hear Xiao Zhenyun say indifferently, “I will tell Si Chu that the idea of locking him in the basement was Ye Feiran’s idea because he wanted to stage a hero-saving-the-beauty scene to make him fall head over heels.”

“…How could Si Chu possibly believe such illogical nonsense you’ve concocted!” Xiao Nian exclaimed angrily. After ten seconds of stern eye contact, he painfully averted his gaze. “But he really would believe it.”

Admitting defeat, Xiao Nian bowed his head and flipped through several pages of the hardcover book, his fingers slowly tracing the lines of words as he read. Soon, he found the details: “The reason these two people appeared in the professor’s camp is because although they are special individuals, they harbor animosity towards other special individuals.

More precisely, Xiao Hui harbors animosity towards other special individuals, while Xiao Bai regards him as a brother and follows him unconditionally. Xiao Bai has intellectual issues and a low rank, C-level. Although awakened as a guide, she is unable to live independently in the White Tower and was eventually persuaded to leave. Xiao Hui’s situation is somewhat similar. Although awakened as a sentinel, his rank is low, only C-, and he suffered disfigurement from a fire in childhood. He was bullied and ridiculed by other sentinels in the same class, unable to bear the humiliation, and dropped out to return home.”

Xiao Zhenyun asked in surprise, “Is there also campus violence among special individuals?”

“Why wouldn’t there be? There’s plenty of intrigue among special individuals. Newly awakened special individuals are just a bunch of immature middle and high school students, right? They all have unique abilities and think highly of themselves, making them difficult to deal with. Haven’t you heard the saying? Even dogs are disgusted with newly awakened special individuals.”

“…Does Si Di’s behavior in the video count as bullying a mentally disabled kid?”

“Yes, I condemn him morally.”

Through Xiao Nian’s description, Xiao Zhenyun vaguely recalled a bit of the original work. “It seems there were indeed these two rather pitiful characters. Considering their past experiences, it’s not surprising they joined the villain camp. No, if the original text was written from their perspective, it might even seem more like defecting from the dark to the light?… What was their fate?”

“It can’t be considered defecting from the dark to the light. The professor’s camp is absolutely antagonistic, committing all sorts of atrocities, typical of those who get wet in the rain and still tear others’ umbrellas apart. The professor sheltered these two special individuals, but that’s about it. He still harbors inner rejection towards them. It’s just because they can help him achieve his goals and have some utility value that they can temporarily coexist peacefully.”

Xiao Zhenyun nodded in understanding.

Xiao Nian suddenly remembered something. “Si Di deceiving the simpleton reminded me, your appearance is even more conspicuous than his, which is a big problem. You need to change your appearance quickly. With this face, you won’t be able to go undercover at all. Undercover requires low visibility. Our goal is to sneak in quietly, find the two targets, and leave. But if you go in like this, it’s no different from holding up a banner at the town entrance saying, ‘Suspicious individuals have arrived, come and catch me!'”

“Thank you for your highly flattering remarks about my appearance,” Xiao Zhenyun said. “But tell me, which one of the people in the group entering the town is actually ugly? Those who appear in the final battle plot are all protagonists, main characters, even the villains are all good-looking. Even that burned Xiao Hui only has half of his face injured. When the time comes, he can just wear a mask. The other half of his face has distinct features, handsome and mysterious. I wonder what he’s feeling inferior about. Isn’t it better to go in with my original appearance?”

Xiao Nian was persuaded by Xiao Zhenyun’s twisted reasoning.

“So you still haven’t told me what the original ending was for Xiao Bai and Xiao Hui?” 

“They were dealt with by Si Chu.” Xiao Nian lowered his head, flipping through two more pages of the book. “Xiao Hui’s biggest hatred was his C- rank, which he considered the source of his misfortune. Si Chu approached him from this angle, tearfully telling him how he, with the body of an A-level sentinel, rivaled gods, surpassing and defeating those S-level sentinels. Si Chu expressed that rank isn’t important, what matters is effort and striving, that diligence will be rewarded by the heavens, encouraging him not to be constrained by his rank but to strive for his own future happiness.”

Xiao Zhenyun wasn’t surprised by this plot at all; the protagonist’s rhetoric was naturally persuasive. “So, he used a beautiful stream of positive energy to convince Xiao Hui?”

“He wasn’t convinced.” Xiao Nian pointed to a line of text in the book. “Xiao Hui angrily said that Si Chu was already an A-level sentinel, a prodigy, so why should he be moved by his words? Underachievers don’t care how the top student became top of the class. ‘Go to hell!'”

Xiao Zhenyun: “…”

“Then Si Chu got angry and beat him up.”

“…”

“Xiao Hui was knocked down and didn’t dare to say another word.”

“…”

The overly realistic and cruel plot made Xiao Zhenyun silent for a long time before he asked, “What about Xiao Bai?”

“Xiao Bai…”

Xiao Nian was about to speak when the navigation abruptly interrupted, reminding them that they were about to reach their destination. Xiao Zhenyun looked out of the window, wondering if it was just his imagination, but the sky above the small town seemed unusually oppressive and gloomy, devoid of any birds. It was eerily quiet, with only dilapidated branches and sparse street lamps, very old-fashioned, with broken bulbs flickering on and off.

“Be careful not to reveal your identity,” Xiao Nian said seriously.

There were few vehicles on the road, occasionally passing by. After a sharp turn, the wide road gradually narrowed, becoming rough and uneven. Two people dressed like traffic police were waving at Xiao Zhenyun from the roadside, signaling for them to pull over.

Familiar with the plot, Xiao Nian understood that these two individuals were not real police officers but rather the professor’s henchmen, strictly checking everyone entering and leaving the remote town. In this small town, they were like local tyrants. Not only did they impersonate police officers, but they also controlled all communication signals. Every message sent from a terminal had to be screened through the professor’s private network before being sent out. It was like being in an invisible prison.

The professor, once a teacher in a university, had a remarkable eloquence and was skilled at winning hearts with small favors. He even packaged the factory producing illegal drugs as a benevolent enterprise solving the town’s unemployment problem. Most of the residents believed him to be a great philanthropist, unaware of the truth behind his rule, thinking it was for their own good.

At the same time, he ruled with an iron fist, silently disposing of anyone who threatened his position, along with their allies. Just infiltrating this small town’s headquarters took a lot of effort for Si Chu, not to mention the subsequent covert insertion of operatives, which required even more painstaking effort. Even the current operation was filled with danger.

The two ‘traffic police’ approached, comparing Xiao Zhenyun’s face with his electronic ID.

It was an interesting sight, fake traffic police meticulously checking the fake identity on the fake electronic ID.

Xiao Zhenyun even flashed them a fake smile. “Thank you for your hard work.”

The impact of this smile was significant. One of the ‘traffic police’ instantly blushed, unable to meet his gaze, feeling a bit embarrassed. The other officer’s reaction was completely different; he became particularly vigilant due to Xiao Zhenyun’s good looks. “Is this your first time here? Our location is quite remote. What are you here for?”

Continuing on, with a blatant attempt to cover up, he added, “Just chatting, no need to be nervous.”

“It is indeed my first time here. I’m here for a classmate’s wedding,” Xiao Zhenyun presented the prepared excuse, “The bride from the Li family on the east side of town is my college classmate.”

“Oh, oh, you’re a classmate of little Li’s wife?” The fake traffic police, captivated by Xiao Zhenyun’s charm, eagerly started directing the route, turning left and right, practically itching to sit in the backseat and give real-time directions.

“College classmate…?” The other fake traffic policeman casually turned back and asked his companion, “What’s little Li’s wife’s name again?”

“How would I know? I’m not familiar with her.”

Both of them turned to look at Xiao Zhenyun sitting in the car, and the cautious fake traffic police repeated the question, “What’s your classmate’s name?”

Xiao Zhenyun and Xiao Nian exchanged glances.

In the novel, she was referred to as ‘Lady Li,’ can they answer with that?

“Her name?” Xiao Zhenyun raised his eyes without changing his expression, his finger resting on the window, appearing like a gentle and handsome neighbor boy. To those unfamiliar with him, it was impossible to tell the storm raging in his mind, but his words came out with certainty, “Her name is Li Jialiang.”

“…”

The fake traffic police looked at him in silence and seriousness, taking a step back and whispering to each other.

Xiao Nian leaned close to Xiao Zhenyun’s ear. “Ready to run?”

“Wouldn’t it be easier to just take them out?”

Xiao Nian took a deep breath. “Maybe.”

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