CH 25.1

Fourth Floor (3)

Translated by boilpoil

Edited by boilpoil

I Am a Good Person

The situation threatens to explode.

Jiang Yiyi’s fingers twitch as the blade disappears from his fingertips, “enough. We should stop.”

Lunatic lets go, and Pummel takes his fist back as well. His hand hurts a little. He keeps an eye on Lunatic.

Lunatic is not looking at him anymore, but at Jiang Yiyi once more. His eyes are unfocused as always, making it hard to tell if he has regained any sanity or not.

Jiang Yiyi turns to look at Ye Wang, who is outside the courtyard.

“He was just transferred.” Ye Wang explains, “I’m just as surprised.”

Meaning, he knows nothing about this.

Jiang Yiyi looks back at Lunatic for a moment, before speaking, his eyes on Pummel, “shoo, then.”

Pummel looks at Jiang Yiyi, raising his brow, “if he didn’t barge in, you would be lying on the floor.”

Lin Yi looks at him with a strange expression.

If that intervention didn’t happen, he would be the one lying on the floor.

Why not choose to live? Instead of provoking Jiang Yiyi?

Lunatic’s eyes swivel a little, looking at Pummel now.

Jiang Yiyi, after staring at Pummel for a few more seconds, chuckles, “you’re welcome to come to me once more.” He pauses, “for a one-on-one.”

Pummel gulps. While he was the one who talked tough, he also feels like shrinking away from Jiang Yiyi’s response.

Holding his fear in as much as possible, he heads back to Vulture.

“What happened?” Vulture has stopped observing Lunatic to ask Pummel, “why did you slow down? Why did you not punch? Why did you take his blade?”

Everything Pummel did was inexplicable——As his nickname suggests, Pummel is infamous for his powerful fists that are nigh impossible to defend against.

With the advantage of a running start, there was no reason for him to give up on his advantage, and attack like that.

“I…” Pummel abruptly stops for a moment, before continuing to answer smoothly, “just suddenly felt like trying some other attack. He didn’t even know how to fight. Even with just one hand, I can beat him to a pulp.”

“No offence,” Lion chimes in from the side, “but weren’t you the one who came back without even fighting?”

“That’s because of that guy coming out of nowhere.” Pummel is raising his voice.

“And why did you come back after?” Vulture’s tone is authoritative, “without even trying him first?”

Pummel just stands there, his fists tightened.

“Well, well, let’s not blame him too much,” Fatty is mediating with a smile, “the new guy has some backing. No need to get ugly.”

Vulture glances at him, “and that backing is?”

“I heard he’s from the military.” Fatty shares his information with them.

“Starfleet?” Vulture is knitting his brow, “aren’t they supposed to stay out of Federation politics?”

“This Doctor guy… has some energy.” Fatty looks at Jiang Yiyi, currently conversing with Lunatic, easily noting who is holding the initiative here, “they’re here to guard him now.”

“Doctor is working for Starfleet?” Vulture observes for a few moments, “doesn’t look like it.”

Lion smirks dismissively, “whatever the case, you’d have to stay far away from him. Why even bother thinking?”

Vulture looks at Lion——Who was the only one among them present receiving no warning from Ye Wang——For the simple reason that, he has no specific ties to anyone or faction. He is simply a good enough fighter who fought his way to the very top of the fourth floor from the bottom up.

“Lion’s right.” Fatty says, “he’s not here for me, in any case.”

He scratches his neck, commenting, “everyone has eyes on Black Glove – want him dead, or want him dead sooner… Now Doctor is here, huh.”

“Boring. Let’s go.” Lion nods at Xin Yongyuan, and they slowly move towards another exit of the courtyard.

As he does, some other prisoners lazing about move with him. In the end, about a third of the crowds have moved out.

“Oh, right,” Lion pauses after a few steps to ask, “where’s the little guy?”

“Little…” Fatty then realises who that is, “you’re saying Bunny? Isn’t he with the Glove?”

Lion’s uncaring face gives way to slight annoyance, “and why is he with Black Glove?”

“We were going to send him to you, but Black Glove’s men escorted him away yesterday.” Fatty shrugs, “you know as well as I do that the Glove is just a ticking time bomb now. No one wants to get involved. I was going to ask him about it today, but he didn’t come.”

Lion is not looking too friendly now, “and he was there the whole night?”

“Yeah, why?” Fatty is curious about Lion’s reaction. He faces his serious face head-on, telling him, “I did ask around; he did have ties to Nianluo. Black Glove is not likely to do anything to him.”

“You make it sound like Black Glove still has his wits about him.” Vulture is fanning flames, “if he’s going to die anyway, what’s stopping him from dragging a few more down with him?”

Lion did not move for a few seconds after.

“How did you come to the fourth floor?” As soon as Lin Yi confirms there’s no one else close by, he quickly speaks his mind.

Lunatic’s eyes move to glance at him, before moving back to Jiang Yiyi.

“Is he even cured or not?” Lin Yi is muttering to himself, seeing Lunatic acting not much different to before, “didn’t they say he was improving? He doesn’t look like it.”

Jiang Yiyi is staring at him, “you’re here for me?”

“Pro-t-t-tect, you.” Lunatic says, stuttering.

“Drop the pretence.” Jiang Yiyi says calmly, “you really aren’t afraid of going mad, still coming back to me, huh?”

Lin Yi is observing them closely.

Lunatic continues staring at Jiang Yiyi in silence, his pupils occasionally shifting locations. He does not look normal at all.

“If you really are Lunatic…” Jiang Yiyi pats him on the shoulder, “what did I last tell you?”

Last tell him? Lin Yi recalls. It was ‘see you never,’ wasn’t it?

“You did not listen to me.” Jiang Yiyi, as if he has just touched something dirty, is wiping his hands now.

After a few moments, Lunatic is not stuttering anymore, “have to protect you.”

“People do always take my kindness for granted.” Jiang Yiyi can’t help but mutter.

Is he saying that for real? Lin Yi is sure Lunatic is practically putting his life on the line just to come here.

He is confident in his judgement, being the one who accompanied Jiang Yiyi on his journey from the first to the fourth floor——In fact, he is sure anyone who has chosen the side of Jiang Yiyi is putting their lives on the line too. They are gamblers who have gone all in, and might lose everything they ever have at any time – even their lives.

If there was any other viable choice, they are definitely not choosing Jiang Yiyi.

“Still, I suppose my kindness is a virtue of mine.” Jiang Yiyi smiles at Lunatic, “although I did bid you a farewell forever, if you insist on seeing me again, I don’t mind. Only know that one must always take responsibility for their actions.”

“I have already saved you once. There will not be a second time.”

Lin Yi steels himself a little, before speaking up with a cautious tone, “actually…”

Jiang Yiyi is looking at him now.

“Why not give him another chance?” Lin Yi’s words are in a flurry.

Jiang Yiyi is looking at him in a way that, for once, reminds him of when he used to be stared at by his Mentor——A gaze that says, ‘how in the world will you complete your mission when you are this dumb?’

Although he is not sure why Jiang Yiyi is looking at him like this, he feels like his intelligence is being questioned yet again.

So concluding, he stops looking at the two of them and suggests wholeheartedly, “do let me retract my question.”

Jiang Yiyi shakes his head, once more feeling worried for his mission——He is definitely going to screw it up.

“When are you going to Black Glove?”

“Huh?” It takes him more than a moment to react. Hesitant, he still answers, “after escorting you back to your cell.”

“Do remember to keep your facial expression in check.” Jiang Yiyi offers a friendly advice, “you don’t want to fail your mission as soon as you meet him.”

Lin Yi is speechless for a second, before saying, “Doctor, I do think you have misunderstood one thing this whole time.”

Jiang Yiyi raises his brow.

“Not everyone in the world is as…” He pauses, seemingly fumbling for an appropriate adjective, “perceptive as you.”

Lin Yi states, “most people are stupid.”

Jiang Yiyi is impressed by Lin Yi’s frank confidence. It is rare for a fool to be self-aware like Lin Yi here.

“You do know you are also talking about yourself?”

“Even if I did not realise before, I know now that I have met Doctor.”

“Good to hear…” Jiang Yiyi pauses, as he notices a large crowd moving to leave, led by Lion.