Chapter 89 Fortunately, the puzzle... You'd better pray that you can...
Yuan Jianxing's nerves suddenly tightened.
He first reviewed the deceased's personal information, and then entered the name of the deceased's mother into the system for retrieval.
For some reason, looking at the loading page in front of him, he felt a little nervous, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
Once loading was complete, the mother's personal information was fully displayed before Yuan Jianxing.
The results showed that the middle-aged mother who had lost her son was still alive and continuing her tarot reading business.
The difference is that she has now used the compensation from her son's death to buy a shop in a busy downtown area.
The downstairs of the shop is used for business, while the upstairs is used as the living quarters for the mother and her other children.
Although it was difficult to comment on the other party's actions, this did not prevent Yuan Jianxing from slowly letting out a sigh of relief.
As expected, it wasn't.
Thankfully, it wasn't.
Since we've already started investigating, let's investigate even more thoroughly.
Thinking it over, Yuan Jianxing recalled what Fu Ze had told him at the underground shooting range. He entered keywords such as "tent," "unloading," and "fire," and then determined the location of the incident to be L City.
Based on these terms, the system quickly compiled a large number of cases in descending order of relevance.
Seeing the ever-increasing number of cases, Yuan Jianxing had no choice but to work backward from Fu Ze's description at the time to deduce the possible "year of occurrence" of the incident and add it as a limiting condition to the filtering criteria.
The combination of the keywords "tent," "unloading," and "fire" is unusual, and with the added restrictions of year and location, the system quickly provided all the details of the case.
As the browsing progressed, Hara Mihoshi's expression became serious.
Because he did not see any files that fully met the conditions Fu Ze had stated at the time.
After some thought, Yuan Jianxing removed the location restrictions.
Soon, the system once again provided its result quickly and honestly.
However, the result this time made Yuan Jianxing feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
Because he saw a file that perfectly matched Fu Ze's description, but the location of the case was a small town thousands of kilometers away, a place that Fu Ze could never have set foot in.
Also, he saw a familiar name in the related files of that document.
How familiar are they?
Yuan Jianxing reached out and took the stack of documents that he had been looking at before falling asleep from the table.
He pulled out a document from the middle and repeatedly checked the differences between the two names and their corresponding ID numbers, afraid that he might have misread it.
However, even after Yuan Jianxing checked the text repeatedly, the two texts were completely identical.
In other words, the mother of the hacker who died a month ago in an underground revenge, was tied to an electric chair and electrocuted until her body was charred black, and was eventually dumped in a landfill and dragged out by wild dogs, was the one who actually died in a fire caused by "sparks from the friction of metal racks during unloading at the market next door that splashed onto a tarpaulin."
No matter what, Yuan Jianxing couldn't convince himself that there could be another woman in the world who could simultaneously meet the criteria of "running a tarot reading business" and "dying in a burning tent," and also have a dead son, whose information just happened to be in the documents in his hands.
Therefore, there is only one possibility—
This identity and past are fake.
In other words...
Fu Ze was lying to himself back then.
Upon considering this possibility, Yuan Jianxing felt a sharp, stabbing pain in the back of his head.
He forcibly removed the shackles he had deliberately put on himself while he was lucid, and tried to fully recall the scene when Fu Ze took the initiative to explain his background.
By meticulously analyzing every detail of the person in his memory, Yuan Jianxing was absolutely certain—
Fu Ze wasn't lying to himself back then.
Now, two irrefutable facts, and a conclusion drawn from those facts that presents completely contradictory directions, are placed before Yuan Jianxing, forcing him to make a judgment.
If it were before, he might have really fallen into such an unsolvable dilemma.
However, after being subjected to intense events related to the [key] during this period, Yuan Jianxing's thinking had been completely opened, and through solving increasingly bizarre cases, he repeatedly strengthened a belief:
The "key" is merely a relatively rare ability that temporarily breaks through existing common sense; it does not affect the thinking logic of the person holding the "key" or their actions based on actual circumstances.
In other words, Hara Mikihoshi was more inclined to make judgments based on what he saw with his own eyes.
And so, the scales in his heart suddenly tipped toward the side that Fu Ze hadn't lied to him back then.
After relaxing a bit, Yuan Jianxing had to start figuring out why Fu Ze's personal "real" experiences overlapped so much with other people's personal experiences.
At the same time, Yuan Jianxing suddenly recalled the answer Fu Ze gave him when he asked Fu Ze why he was looking for the [key] on the cruise ship:
"Because I love life, and the [key] is directly related to whether I can survive."
"I can tell you everything I know about other things, but I hope you won't ask about this."
"I promise I will tell you the truth when the time is right. But not now."
This is closely related, could it be...?
In a flash, Yuan Jianxing recalled another conversation that took place in his office on the day of the prison break:
["Why did you eavesdrop on what Snake Eyes was going to tell me?" I asked myself.]
"Because of curiosity," Wan Chuanqiu replied.
"Tell the truth."
"Okay, because it works."
"What's the use?"
"I can't explain the specifics to you in a short time, but to put it simply, this [key] and I are inextricably linked."
Because Yuan Jianxing had only met two people who were searching for the "key" at the time, he naturally summarized the commonalities among those who were searching for the "key" as "having a persistent pursuit of the "key"" and "the "key" being related to their personal lives".
Now, after encountering more than ten individuals with the [Key] ability, he realized just how special this seemingly insignificant "commonality" truly was.
Now that things have come to this, Yuan Jianxing already has a vague answer in his heart.
But he still needs to verify it.
Moreover, to avoid yet another "coincidence," he had to verify it more than once.
Pushing aside Bogdan and Wan Chuanqiu's files, Yuan Jianxing focused his gaze on Kazama Masaka's file.
While Hara Misaki might not be particularly familiar with other cases, he handled this one personally.
He retrieved the original case file and began reading it word by word.
"There's nothing else going on, does it count if they just started greeting us recently?"
"The other day, my supervisor went on a business trip to learn about the advanced experiences of other competitors. When he came back, he changed our attendance rules and made them much more lenient. He's a good person."
Such unintentional remarks were interspersed in the descriptions of the deceased, like a leaf hidden in a tree, so the executor who recorded this information naturally did not pay much attention to such details.
Are you traveling for business or training?
Yuan Jianxing pondered these four words as he searched through the files.
Sure enough, he quickly found a deceased person who had died in the city where Kazama Masaka was on a business trip.
In the corresponding file, the descriptions of the deceased by those around him also included things like "the person's personality had changed slightly" and "they no longer went to many places they used to frequent."
As he read, Yuan Jianxing slowly clenched his fingers, and the document under his hand deformed, with its corners and edges curling up grotesquely.
For intelligent people, when they are putting together a puzzle, they often do not need to collect every single piece to recognize the contents.
At this point, many of the doubts that had accumulated in Yuan Jianxing's mind were answered.
Why did Kazama Masaka appear to be in a "suicidal" state, misleading almost all the officers and nearly causing the murderer who killed her to go unpunished?
Because Fu Ze was giving himself time to act.
Why did Wan Chuanqiu, who had finally escaped to the South District, turn north after being confronted by himself and successfully escaping, and then travel through the Central District, where enforcers were everywhere, to break into the prison at the hub station?
Fu Ze needed to inquire about the [key] from Snake Eyes, and that was a stop that the executive convoy from L City would definitely pass through and stop for supplies and rest.
Why did Bogdan choose to risk everything and join his own camp when he could have explained the situation to the Coming Group after returning to L City, or even betrayed himself to show his sincerity?
The more Fu Ze contacts the Cumming Group, the more likely he is to expose the fact that he is not Bogdan.
Why didn't Badger Tooth finish off this formidable threat before the L City executive arrived at the scene?
Because he is Fu Ze.
so……
Yuan Jianxing slowly condensed what could only be described as "shocking" speculation in his mind into a single sentence—
Fu Ze probably never truly died, but rather passed through different bodies through passive death.
With a slight shift in his gaze, Yuan Jianxing realized that there seemed to be an idiom that, after being slightly modified, could very accurately describe this characteristic.
[Death in place of life]
Just like mathematical formulas, the simpler they are, the more beautiful they are, and therefore... the more correct they are.
Yuan Jianxing repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fingers, unsure how to summarize her current feelings.
The thought of Fu Ze dying in a pool of blood still causes his heart to clench involuntarily.
But when he thinks that the other person is living somewhere in the world right now, and might even be leisurely drinking chilled ginger ale, he feels a slightly timid joy, like he has survived a disaster.
At least, Fu Ze is still alive.
Perhaps compared to the husband in the "wife-murder case," she was indeed blessed by the gods, and her seemingly hopeless wish was fulfilled.
Then, he recalled the answer he received after he resonated with that husband—
A person who commits murder due to various unavoidable hardships and reasons may deserve a chance for a new life after making every effort to atone for their actions.
At the time, I connected Fu Ze’s “various unavoidable hardships and reasons” with Bogdan’s own experience, and made a seemingly correct but actually wildly wrong understanding.
Considering the phrase "death in place of life," the other party's real concern is actually:
Because he needs to be killed to be reborn, no matter what identity he uses, in his eyes, he is definitely a... murderer.
His silence at the time was the answer he gave: a CEO can never walk with a murderer.
Thinking of this, Yuan Jianxing's heartache almost reached its peak.
Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?
wrong……
"I promise I will tell you the truth when the time is right. But not now."
The words Fu Ze had said on the ship echoed in Yuan Jianxing's ears once again.
He... had considered telling himself.
So it's not that I don't want to, but that I dare not, that I can't.
Putting myself in their shoes, if I possessed the ability of "death and rebirth," which is among the best of the existing "key" abilities, and still had to risk my life alone to pursue the "key," I wouldn't easily reveal this secret.
It's perfectly reasonable; even the world's most critical critics wouldn't find anything wrong with it.
At this point, Yuan Jianxing officially reconciled with the past Fu Ze.
But as he quieted down, a series of memories began to surface in his mind.
For example, the physical and mental torment I've been suffering these past few days; for example, the true thoughts revealed by the figure I imagined in my dream; and for example, those few tears that hit the other person's eye.
These experiences and feelings remain real, and Yuan Jianxing would not deny their existence.
But precisely because of this, after learning the truth, whether it's the anger of being "deceived" and "concealed" leading to "misunderstanding," or the sorrow of being "abandoned" in the end, it's all equally solid and terrifying.
Yuan Jianxing thought he was a knight guarding behind the proud princess, ready to fight to the death against any dangers that might come from the darkness.
Be conscientious and responsible.
But when the curtain is lifted and the lights shine, what's actually standing there is a clown holding a broken doll that has been abandoned.
To make a fool of oneself.
Thus, a complex mix of emotions intertwined, consuming and coexisting within Yuan Jianxing's heart.
Ultimately, it was the anger of being deceived that won this contest.
So am I so untrustworthy and unreliable that you need to use "death" as a fig leaf to leave me and then go looking for the "key" alone once again?!
This anger turned into flames, spreading irresistibly across everything else.
After being intensely burned by the flames, all other emotions faded away, leaving only a skeleton named "Fu Ze" amidst the various forms of flesh and blood.
Fu Ze.
Fu Ze Fu Ze...
Fu Ze Fu Ze Fu Ze Fu Ze!
At this moment, Yuan Jianxing desperately needed an outlet for his emotions.
Seemingly remembering something, he grabbed the documents and took the elevator alone to the top floor of the Adjudication Bureau, then walked up to the rooftop.
Standing atop the Trial Bureau, which sits in the heart of V City, Yuan Jianxing could easily see the Fengyue Building, one of V City's four major landmarks.
Now that night has completely fallen, the 3D video showcasing the prosperous and peaceful scene of V City is playing once again atop the Fengyue Building.
Tang-style buildings, lanterns, red and white carp, folding fans, prayer beads, Tiangong Pagoda... many elements have appeared one after another for ten years.
With the gentle breeze and clear skies tonight, everything seems exactly the same as the night more than a month ago.
The only difference is that no one is standing in those flashy projections, shouting as if it were a city-wide announcement:
"Yuan Jianxing! Look here!"
"Yuan Jianxing! Come here quickly!"
"Yuan Jianxing! I'm waiting for you!"
In the howling night wind, Yuan Jianxing took out the lighter that Mu Wangzhuo had given him in L City, which Fu Ze had secretly taken away.
Open the lid with one hand.
Ignite it.
He moved the bright yellow light emitted from the lighter onto the document he had picked out a corner of.
The flames quickly licked the edges of the paper, burning it black before continuing to erode upwards.
Just as the flames were about to engulf Yuan Jianxing's fingertips, he took out another document to extinguish the remaining embers, and then released the document that was almost completely burned.
Under the raging flames, before the paper could even hit the ground, the last bits would be burned to ashes and carried away by the night winds of V City.
Just like Fu Ze himself, although he once existed, he would eventually disappear without a trace.
Yuan Jianxing held the papers that might represent a very short period of Fu Ze's life, burning them one by one.
"Fu Ze..."
Those deep blue, almost black eyes stared unblinkingly at the continuous, graceful flames before them.
"Are you gambling because I trust you, so I won't investigate every word you say when you're 'showing your true feelings'?"
The file belonging to Kazama Masaka was engulfed by flames.
"Then congratulations, in a sense you did win the bet."
Wan Chuanqiu's file was also reduced to ashes.
"If you were alive, I would never have bothered to investigate your past."
When the last file belonging to Bogdan was burned to ashes, the continuously flickering flame was completely submerged in those deep, swamp-like eyes.
"But since you've chosen to leave, you have to accept the possibility that things might get out of control."
After this grand, one-man show-like outburst, Yuan Jianxing was no longer angry.
On the contrary, he became incredibly excited and expectant.
He never imagined that he would have the chance to make up for the failure he suffered at the hands of Wan Chuanqiu, or rather, Fu Ze.
"This is called: Willing, Bet, Accept, Lose."
While talking to himself, Yuan Jianxing made a phone call that went directly to the Second Trial Bureau of L City.
While waiting for the call to connect, he used an extremely gentle tone, as if whispering to a lover, to sum up everything that had happened that night.
"You better pray that it's later, much later, before I catch you."
The matter of reconciliation is one thing, but reconciliation is another.
Fulfilling a personal commitment to help others is a matter of fulfilling one's commitment.
And this match, which had been interrupted for a long time but was picked up again by chance, is back to being a match!
Thus, a complex mix of emotions—the overwhelming guilt arising from the belated understanding, the love that had been forcibly suppressed but was suddenly stimulated to flourish, and the competitive spirit brought about by the primal hunting instinct etched into their genes—gave birth to a wildly beating heart.
Just then, the call was answered.
"I need all the surveillance footage of the Cumming Tower terrorist attack within five minutes."
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Author's Note: The ups and downs of Xingxing's life...
Let's not beat around the bush, I want to see Fu Xiaoze's drums of war sound in the wind [eating melon emoji]
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