CH 38.2

“I suppose I’ve seen enough.” Magician says, breaking the silence, “it’s time I returned.”

Ye Wang asks, “you have your conclusion already?”

“Yeah. It’d be about time after I hand the report in.”

Though he had an inkling, Ye Wang still asks, “and your conclusion?”

Magician tells Ye Wang, “dangerous.”

Ye Wang appears unhappy with the conclusion, “that’s it?” Jiang Yiyi’s true horror can hardly be encapsulated simply by the term ‘dangerous.’

“Dangerous is enough.” Magician yawns, “‘dangerous’ enough for the fifth floor. Need me to say more?”

“Is he an Extraordinary?”

“Not sure.”

Ye Wang is surprised, “I thought the previous conclusions were all saying that Doctor is an Extraordinary?”

“He didn’t look like it in our brief meeting earlier.” Magician pushes his imaginary cap down, “he is neither insane nor perverse of thought.”

“I’ll admit that he may be sane, but ‘not perverse of thought’?” Ye Wang raises his tone as he points towards Jiang Yiyi’s cell, “that’s some crap right there.”

“What were you even afraid of if he is not ‘perverse of thought’?”

Magician explains in turn, “first, I was not afraid of him; second, it is exactly because he was not perverse, that I kept my distance from him.”

Ye Wang isn’t even smiling anymore, “you know what you are saying goes completely against everyone’s conclusions so far, right?”

“I know.” Magician sighs, “after all these years, they haven’t improved one bit. How could they have submitted such an atrociously erroneous report with a straight face?”

Oh. So his conclusion does not agree with the file because the file was wrong?

Ye Wang decides not to comment on how self-aggrandising that was, but says, “why do you keep your distance if he isn’t perverse?”

“If they are already treated as such when they are of sound mind, you wouldn’t want to be near them when they are actually perverse.”

Ye Wang finds himself speechless for a few seconds, his feelings immensely complicated, and decides to change the topic yet again.

“When will you go, then?”

“Right now.”

“Not even staying for the aftermath?”

Magician shows him a rather inscrutable smile, “there is nothing to see, really.”

Ye Wang feels like there is something he isn’t saying.

“It’s already over.” Magician pats Ye Wang on the shoulder, “the moment Doctor made his move, everything was over.”

Ye Wang knits his brow, “the moment he made his move?”

Magician glances towards Bunny’s interrogation cell, and clarifies the exact time, “when he had a chat with Bunny.”

“But, what? Everything wasn’t even started yet.” Ye Wang argues reflexively, “Black Glove was still thinking about how to get his info out. All the other factions were still waiting for the situation to develop. How could he have foreseen the end of everything then?”

“How, you ask…” The sounds of an astonishing being makes itself known in the lowered tone of Magician, drawing dry thunder that shocks where there is no sound.

Ye Wang grits his teeth. It’s like Jiang Yiyi just mocked him from head to toe once again.

“A few parting advices. Do your best to remember.” Magician’s tone goes frivolous once more, “so that you aren’t dead before Doctor even comes to the fifth floor.”

“First, make no more contact with the Doctor under any circumstances. At all. Second, do not show any hostility towards Doctor no matter what happens. Remember Lone Wolf? You don’t want to be the next one.”

“Third and finally, do not poke the Bunny anymore.” Magician adds, “do not forget how Black Glove died.”

Magician then leaves the door, giving his final advice while holding the doorknob, “and, a simple suggestion from a long-time colleague. Never underestimate any of your charges.”

He then pushing his imaginary cap down, and leaves without looking back.

Ye Wang stays in the room alone for a very long time. Long enough for him to get his emotions back in order once more.

Jiang Yiyi finds most surgeries unstimulating. As a matter of fact, he has had no urge to put it to practise these days.

As it is immensely trivial.

Although he does still find a fascination with blood, dissection and his scalpel, like an addict would, that is always ready for more.

Most of the time, Jiang Yiyi is able to maintain an absolute control over himself——On emotional fluctuations, impulses, even biological reactions. He has an almost instinctive wariness against anything that could make him hooked. He maintains a conservative approach when it comes to this world.

And he is the most on guard against the hobby of conducting surgeries.

Because he can tell, from his own reactions, how much it indulges him——It is rooted in his mind, programmed as an impulse.

But wait——Is it a problem of him, or of this NPC character?

Jiang Yiyi finds himself troubled by this old question once more.

If he asks himself, he definitely did not enjoy such an unorthodox hobby before transmigrating.

Yes. It must be stressed again, that he really was an average university undergraduate, with average intelligence and less-than-average physique and average shut-in hobbies.

That said, right now… he can’t even lie to himself that he is definitely just the equivalent of an average undergraduate.

Lin Yi finds himself in the utterly unenviable position of a recently sutured patient of Jiang Yiyi’s, watching the man blank out after completing his operation, and even spinning his blade subconsciously.

His wound still aches a little, but it is nothing compared to the psychological stress he is under.

He can’t help but think that Jiang Yiyi is considering where on him to start slicing. He is in fear of being chopped into pieces.

Jiang Yiyi’s silence has grown into an intimidating weapon. It is all the scarier when he has his blade in hand, too.

It begs mentioning once more, that there is a jarring difference between Jiang Yiyi with a knife and without.

With a knife, he is the reaper reborn. Without, one does not lose their breath just yet.

“Doctor…” Lin Yi decides to interrupt Doctor’s thoughts for his own safety, “my wound…”

“They have been cast in place for now. Do not make large movements for the next few days.” Jiang Yiyi stops his running thoughts and gives him his advice.

“Doctor, your proficiency with the scalpel is always a marvel to behold.” With an awkward smile, Lin Yi praises.

Jiang Yiyi, though, appears to have been reminded by the awkwardness, “so, who broke your ribcage in the first place?”

He has asked calmly, but Lin Yi could not be as calm. He is not sure if Jiang Yiyi is looking to avenge him, or to do other things. Therefore, he chooses the most vague answer, “he is already dead.”

“By that Magician’s hands?” Jiang Yiyi recalls how that Magician looks. Unremarkable appearance and dramatic body language. A flippant attitude and, a chart and diagram realms above what Jiang Yiyi has ever seen.

It feels like he really shouldn’t just be a background NPC, or, would it mean that Stargaol is home to a whole host of such overpowered characters?

“He saved me.”

“Technically, I saved you.” Of Jiang Yiyi’s many good qualities, letting others take the credit for his work is definitely not among them. He corrects Lin Yi, “he was keeping good on our deal.”

Lin Yi then asks the question on his mind this whole time, “so why did Doctor save me?”

Jiang Yiyi seems shocked he is asking, “I thought you already knew?”

“Because, if I just died like that, it’d be a real shame?” Lin Yi recounts what Jiang Yiyi once said, and, noting his unchanging poker face, asks, “what is it that you desire?”

He asks the other question that has been on his mind the whole time.

“What is it that you think you can give to me?” Jiang Yiyi asks Lin Yi back.

Lin Yi thinks about it for quite a while, before hesitantly suggesting, “I do have knowledge on many secrets of FedCom and Nianluo…”

‘FedCom’? What? What in the world is that? There is a question mark in Jiang Yiyi’s mind.

Lin Yi notices no significant reaction from Jiang Yiyi, then continues, “now that my mission has failed and my identity exposed, I don’t suppose I can be of any use to Doctor whatever you would like me to do.”

Still no reaction. So he continues, “outside of all that, all I can offer you, Doctor, is myself.”

Jiang Yiyi is not really interested in any of that, but something did pique his interest earlier, “just now, Ye Wang told me, you would be willing to end your own life at a single word from your superior.” He makes a pause before asking, “is that true?”