Chapter 105 Turning Point, Verification, Self-Defeating "Banding me over means I'm yours..."

Achoo!

Perhaps because he had been exposed to the rising wind in the pit for too long, Fu Ze sneezed several times after leaving the library.

Yuan Jianxing regretted not taking the jacket he had brought for Fu Ze when he got off the bus, and also regretted letting the other party put on such a big show.

In short, there won't be a next time!

However, these thoughts did not stop him from taking off his trench coat and draping it over Fu Ze.

Fu Ze did not refuse, and even adopted a posture of "being dressed in the imperial robe" as he allowed Yuan Jianxing to dress him.

Bogdan, who was previously a trainee executive officer, had a similar build and height to Yuan Jianxing, so it wouldn't look out of place if the two of them swapped clothes.

But the sparrow feather is different.

Not only is she half a head shorter than Harami Hoshi, but in order to maintain the most photogenic thin-skinned appearance, she is also a whole size smaller than Harami Hoshi.

So even when Yuan Jianxing's trench coat was wrapped around his waist one and a half times, there was still room to spare.

"If those two agents saw me dressed like this, they would definitely say things like 'damaging commercial value' and 'affecting public image,' and drag me to change clothes," Fu Ze sighed, and reluctantly put his mask back on.

"Your virtual disguise gadget is pretty useful, I've seen you use it twice already, can I have one?"

Since it concerned the control of important classified equipment, Yuan Jianxing did not respond, but said, "Think about it from the opposite perspective. Because you usually appear in the public eye with an exquisite appearance that extends to your eyelashes, no one would think that the person wearing the oversized boyfriend shirt is Que Ling. What do you think?"

Fu Ze really liked the phrase "boyfriend shirt".

Then he recalled the nickname options that Yuan Jianxing had listed in front of a group of students.

Even someone as thick-skinned as him couldn't help but feel his face burning.

Fortunately, he was wearing a mask to cover his face, otherwise he would definitely have been caught red-handed by Yuan Jianxing.

Yuan Jianxing helped Fu Ze turn the collar out of his clothes and said, "According to you, about a few months ago, before the Charon Crossing incident, Lu Er received a strange mission from the Dragon Spine."

"The Dragon's Spine instructed her to keep heading southwest until she could go no further."

"The task doesn't seem too difficult at first glance. If it's too much, just treat it as a trip."

"As a result, she found that no matter how hard she tried, all sorts of events would hinder her original plans."

Fu Ze nodded, "It's the same as those students who have to leave the team because of their mentors and other various reasons."

And the nature of this is that "it is impossible for a person to get here without the [key]".

“After she reported this to Longji, Longji told her to try one last time.” Yuan Jianxing continued to recount what Fu Ze had told him. “In Lu Er’s view, since no conditions have changed, there will naturally be no different result.”

"But this time she succeeded."

"Later, Deer Ear learned that Dragon Spine had also assigned the same task to Rhinoceros Horn. However, he was required to travel northeast."

"Similarly, after several failures, the rhinoceros finally encountered that tangible yet invisible wall on the sea."

Clearly, there was a turning point between the previous failures and the final success.

Yuan Jianxing's voice was somewhat hoarse: "So the [keys] for the deer ears and rhinoceros horns appeared suddenly after they reported their failure to the Dragon Spine?"

“Whether it was sudden or not, I dare not say.” Fu Ze wrapped Yuan Jianxing’s coat tighter around himself. “But in my opinion, unlike you and Que Ling, whose [keys] were activated under the drive of some strong expectation, the fact that Lu Er and Xi Jiao obtained the [keys] was definitely controlled by someone.”

As the person in charge of the "key" related matters in the current Adjudication Bureau, Hara Mihoshi knows all too well how terrible it would be if the "key" could be issued artificially, or even targeted.

Even if issuing the "key" is barely acceptable, what if the ability corresponding to the "key" is also within a controllable range?

Thinking this through, Yuan Jianxing slowly stopped walking.

Fu Ze also stopped and waited patiently by his side.

After a long pause, Yuan Jianxing spoke up: "I don't think it's the Dragon Spine."

“I think so too,” Fu Ze agreed. “If I could control the distribution of the [keys], I would definitely give one to each of my trusted subordinates.”

Besides what Fu Ze said, Yuan Jianxing had another basis for his judgment.

Although Dragon Spine is now successful and enjoys luxury cars, it did have a very difficult period before it received the favor and support of the previous generation of Dragon Spine.

If he had such abilities, coupled with his remarkably intelligent mind, why would he have to endure hardship without any effort?

"However, Dragon Spine behaved very strangely throughout the process." Yuan Jianxing raised a new question: "Put yourself in their shoes, if you knew that this world has boundaries, how would you think?"

“I would think the person who told me this is mentally ill,” Fu Ze said bluntly. “The fact that the Earth is a sphere was proven eight hundred years ago. Does that mean I should also go on a circumnavigation of the globe?”

“Dragon Spine obviously couldn’t be unaware of this common knowledge,” Yuan Jianxing continued, “So under what circumstances would you think of verifying this common knowledge?”

Fu Ze paused for a moment, "...unless I witness something that defies common sense."

At the same time, the word "verification" that Yuan Jianxing had just mentioned enlightened Fu Ze.

Indeed, Dragonspine's actions were less about learning from someone that the world has boundaries, and more about someone asking him to "verify" them.

This proves that the world has boundaries.

This proves that people who don't have the "key" but are heading towards the world's borders will be deported by various plausible and unexpected means.

And in this process, it was proven that the key can be controlled by humans.

As the two of them delved deeper into their thoughts, the night wind seemed to grow a bit colder.

“I have a few more questions,” Yuan Jianxing broke the silence first.

Fu Ze immediately responded, "Hmm?"

The world will not seem so lonely as long as there are people to talk to.

Yuan Jianxing didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "Why would Lu Er tell you these things?"

“Deer Ear didn’t tell me, she told Carp Tail, and then Carp Tail relayed it to me.”

"Then why did she tell Koi-o?"

“Because Koi-o, like Bogdan, came from an orphanage, she was his student.” Fu Ze held Yuan Jianxing’s hand, which was a little pale from the wind, in his palm. “When Koi-o activated the [key] on set, the first thing he thought of was asking Lu Er for help, and Lu Er naturally shared what she knew with Koi-o.”

It's only natural for a child to call for their mother when they need something.

"By the way, the first person to realize that I wasn't Bogdan was Carp Tail." Fu Ze breathed hot air onto Yuan Jianxing's hand. "And it was right there on the rooftop of the Clock Tower Square."

This was unexpected by Hara Mihoshi.

Before Yuan Jianxing could ask, Fu Ze continued to explain: "These two entered the Deer Ear Welfare Home one after the other, and they have a very good relationship. Even after Liwei was found and brought back to play the role of Que Ling, the two of them still had some contact."

“I was following Franka at the time and didn’t recognize him, but he already sensed something was wrong.” Recalling the conversation between the two on the rooftop, Fu Ze laughed at himself, “Pride comes before a fall. I was too hasty.”

Yuan Jianxing immediately asked with concern, "So now? Do you need any information about Sparrow Feather?"

"Hey, is the Chief going to use his position for personal gain again?" Fu Ze teased with a smile, then said solemnly, "Don't worry, Liwei left me all the information he knows about Que Ling, down to the details of which celebrity he had a falling out with, when, and why. I've memorized it all."

As the conversation shifted from heavy topics like world boundaries and the "key" to the recent incident where Sparrow Feather's rival stole the Sparrow Feather's endorsement in retaliation for their embarrassment at the Adjudication Bureau, the atmosphere between Fu Ze and Yuan Jianxing became more lively.

Just then, the two finally walked out of V City University and returned to the food street that had been so crowded and difficult to walk on before.

As midnight approached, students who had finished their evening self-study sessions dispersed, and various shops put up signs indicating they were closing down. Almost all the mobile stalls had also closed, leaving only a few shops still in the final stages of packing up.

Coincidentally, the crispy pork belly with salted egg yolk sandwich that had previously caught Fu Ze's attention was also among them.

Just as the stall owner was about to turn off the gas stove in the tin cart, Yuan Jianxing immediately stepped forward, bought the last serving of food, and handed it to Fu Ze.

Feeling the comforting warmth of the food in his hands, Fu Ze couldn't help but laugh: "Didn't you say it was a 'home-school partnership'? Has that unbreakable alliance been so easily broken?"

Yuan Jianxing remained unfazed: "Take it first. A few minutes later, after midnight, it will be a new day."

Upon hearing this, Fu Ze burst out laughing.

As expected of Hara Mihoshi.

While strictly adhering to standards at all times, they never let any opportunity to exploit loopholes slip by.

Once in the car, Fu Ze looked at his phone and saw the time jump to 00:00. He opened the paper package in his hand and took a bite of the crispy, golden-brown toast. "By the way, how much longer until your lease expires? Why don't you just move in with me?"

He longed to have Harami Hoshi by his side every day.

"It's also very close to the Adjudication Bureau, so you can walk to work there too."

In the driving system, the destination was set to Que Ling's residence. Yuan Jianxing replied without turning his head: "I am just an ordinary citizen and I am not worthy of your luxurious CBD apartment that costs 80,000 yuan per square meter."

Seeing that Yuan and Xing were unmoved, Fu Ze said angrily, "How can the youngest deputy director of the Adjudication Bureau, a powerful cadre, be considered an ordinary citizen? Where do you put us laborers who sell our looks, our time, and our physical strength?!"

Then, he began to persuade her gently: "The price is secondary; the service is the main thing. The view outside the window is a landscape meticulously maintained by a gardener, which is always new and beautiful. The butler is available 24 hours a day, and you can just call to order whatever you want to eat. All kinds of amenities are provided; you can swim or work out if you want."

Seeing that Fu Ze kept avoiding the main point, Yuan Jianxing finally voiced his most important concern: "What would it look like if others found out?"

“What do you mean by ‘like’? Like how lovers should be.” Fu Ze comforted Yuan Jianxing with a matter of course. “It’s your skill to be with me, so don’t belittle yourself.”

Hara Mihoshi: ...

Sometimes he really wanted to shut Fu Ze's unreasonable mouth.

Well, it's better not to ban it.

If it's sealed, it won't suit the taste.

And he will also resist licking people.

Seeing that the two could not reach a consensus on this matter, Fu Ze wisely backed down: "Okay, it's too late today, let's not move it yet."

Just then, the navigation system completed its route planning, and the autonomous vehicle slowly drove away from the parking lot near V City University, like a swimming fish.

Watching Fu Ze struggle with the cheese stretching in his toast, Yuan Jianxing suddenly sighed, "Sometimes I think I'm really lucky."

With his mouth full of food, Fu Ze couldn't speak, and could only cast a questioning glance at Yuan Jianxing, asking, "What do you mean by that?"

"I always thought that my ability to tell if someone was lying was based on my exceptional observation skills, but now I realize that it's actually because I have the 'key'."

"Suddenly, I feel that my becoming who I am today seems somewhat..." He paused, "...unfairly won?"

After swallowing his food, Fu Ze said dismissively, "Luck is also a part of strength. Otherwise, how come you have what others don't?"

"Instead of worrying about this, why don't you help me figure out how to find the [key] that caused Charon's mishap?"

Fu Ze pressed a tissue to his lips, his eyes burning: "I have a feeling that once we get that [key], many problems will fall apart on their own."

At this point, he suddenly punched Yuan Jianxing in the thigh.

"It's all your fault!"

Faced with Fu Ze's sudden accusation, even the quick-witted Yuan Jianxing was somewhat bewildered.

He asked that classic straight-man response, which was extremely rare for him—"What did I do now?"

"Do you know how excited I was when I found Zhao Hongde's file?!" Fu Ze exclaimed, brandishing his arms. "And what happened? It was all for nothing!"

"Alright, alright, although you sneaked into my office and used my account to look at the information, it's all my fault." Yuan Jianxing tried to appease him verbally, but his hands were ready to counter his moves.

Anyway, he felt that this trap was the most profitable one he had ever set.

The relaxed and pleasant time passed quickly, and soon the two arrived at Que Ling's residence.

Because Yuan Jianxing's car was not registered in the community's system, he couldn't drive into the underground parking lot and had to park it on the outside roadside, then walk Fu Ze home.

Just as the two were engaged in their classic pre-home struggle at the entrance of the residential compound, a black camera peeked out from the bushes a few hundred meters away and snapped a picture of their location.

Looking at the clearly visible face of the bird in the viewfinder, the person holding the camera was trembling.

"Brother, we're going to make a fortune this time!"

He even started drafting corresponding headlines: "Celebrity Que Ling has a late-night rendezvous with a man, their intimate poses making them reluctant to part; Is she secretly dating during her career's rise? Que Ling and a non-celebrity man return to her love nest late at night; Exclusive report! Que Ling's relationship exposed? She was photographed having an ambiguous interaction with a man in black on the street."

The man in the driver's seat of the van, a cigarette dangling from his lips, scoffed, "Look at you, so unsophisticated."

The person being mocked clicked their tongue and retorted, "Then tell me what it means to have seen the world? This is a sparrow feather!"

Shaking off the cigarette in his hand, the man in the driver's seat said with a know-it-all attitude, "Let's first find out that person's license plate number, and then check who drove Que Ling home."

He smoked the cigarette to the last drop in one go and then threw the cigarette butt outwards.

"If you're going to make money, make it from both ends; if you're going to make a big splash, make it big!"