Since all the Backlight rebels had thrown down their arms and surrendered, there was naturally no need for Lan Yan to take action next.
"Squad Four, maintain perimeter. Squad Three, check the residences. Squad One and Two, search the suspects for dangerous items and detain them back to the Statistical Department," Lan Yan said, nudging his glasses, issuing orders methodically.
The rain from the sky fell once again to the ground, as if the world started turning anew.
Agents from each squad of the Statistical Department responded to the orders, taking out handcuffs to restrain the traitorous agents and rebels. Le Yuxin's squad was responsible for subduing Lin Jinyao's unarmed students. But compared to those burly rebels, these students were far from silent:
"Qian Yuliu, Chen Fu, you just wait! You're lackeys for a tyrant. Your fates will be a hundred times worse than ours!"
"Qian Yuliu, I'm ashamed I ever studied at the academy with you!"
"Qian Yuliu..."
Le Yuxin ignored them completely, "Why are you cursing Qian Yuliu? What does that have to do with me?"
Besides, he wasn't in the mood to pay attention to all that cursing. He was considering what to do next. "No doubt, his undercover identity should still be safe, but with Lin Jinyao and the others all captured now, can he really keep his cover intact?"
Le Yuxin wasn't scared of dying. The 'Substitute' ability meant every time he died, it would simply be a new beginning. As for torture, that didn't bother him either. His 'Residual Blood Physique' allowed him to ignore pain.
Still, Le Yuxin wanted to complete the 'Survive 15 Days' challenge. "He still hadn't figured out all the functions of the system interface, and as for whether 'Substitute' had any flaws or side effects, he didn't know that either. He really didn't want to die repeatedly in a short period."
Besides, "if Le Yuxin developed a reckless personality just because he had the 'Substitute' ability, he'd suffer a lot for it in the future."
"The drive to survive was a basic animal instinct, and the survival mindset formed the foundation of human logic. If Le Yuxin totally abandoned his desire to live, in a way he would no longer even count as human—changing that core logic would make his way of thinking incompatible with everyone else. He might even lose the ability to understand ordinary people's thoughts, like a summer insect unable to discuss the cold."
"Just like a Golden Core ancestor who'd lived for centuries would definitely have a mind different from an ordinary person with only decades to live. But it didn't really matter if a Golden Core ancestor thought differently—commoners had to make concessions to him. Yet, Le Yuxin was just an ordinary person inside; he didn't have the 'submit or die' kind of power. So he had to adapt to this world first. Otherwise, even with 'Substitute,' the world would still beat him down."
"For a normal person playing moba games, losing at worst meant losing rank, but there's always another round—still, players worked hard to learn the game just to avoid being beaten down. Right now, Le Yuxin just had the chance for a 'second round,' but if he wanted to avoid the world's beatdown, he'd have to learn the proper rules first."
In the midst of these thoughts, Le Yuxin had a plan in mind: "This world seemed to have trains and other transport. Tomorrow morning, he would buy a ticket to leave Xingke County, go somewhere else incognito for 15 days, and once the challenge was over, figure out what to do next..."
But plans never kept up with changes. "The world's beatdown came lightning-fast and merciless."
When Agent Ailili moved to arrest Lin Jinyao, Lin Jinyao suddenly grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her arm behind her back, using his grip to fully control the light firearm in her hand. He pointed the barrel at Ailili's jaw, "Nobody move."
Lan Yan frowned slightly, "Why bother, Mr. Lin? This is going to end ugly. Besides, taking a hostage isn't exactly in line with your Backlight rebel code, is it?"
"Dealing with you people at the Statistical Department, there's no need for chivalry or codes!"
Suddenly Lin Jinyao fired at Chen Fu, who dodged on instinct. The bullet grazed his hair, leaving a bloody scratch on his ear.
"Teacher!" Chen Fu cried out in shock.
But Lin Jinyao barked, "Don't call me teacher! I don't have traitorous disciples incapable of understanding the greater good!"
Lan Yan sighed, "You can't get away."
"So you want her dead?" Lin Jinyao pressed the gun to Ailili's cheek. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stammered, "Citizen rights are the highest in Huiyao. Surely you at the Statistical Department wouldn't break the law, would you?"
Lan Yan hesitated, "This..."
"But Huiyao also has a noble tradition of never bowing to hostage-takers!" Kui Zhao, having wrapped up his arm wounds, stepped out and shouted, "Agents of the Statistical Department have long been prepared to die for the nation! Old dog Lin, you're not leaving this courtyard alive!"
"I, I..." Ailili bit her lower lip, eyes brimming with tears, locked on to Lan Yan.
"But we also won't give up on a single agent." Lan Yan shook his head, "Mr. Lin, what exactly do you want?"
"Director, you mustn't!" The Captain of Squad Three, Yingu Yue, raised her pistol, aiming at Lin Jinyao and Ailili, "Deputy Director Kui is right. We can't compromise with the Backlight rebels. If the Governor comes looking for blame afterward, who could take responsibility?"
"I'll take full responsibility!" Lan Yan stepped forward, his tone brooking no argument, "Mr. Lin, state your terms!"
"Director, no, don't..." Ailili's tears broke through, and she stammered out between sobs, "Don't worry about me, just do it!"
Before Lan Yan could answer, Ailili suddenly elbowed backward, but Lin Jinyao had already expected it, shifting aside to avoid the blow. Still, Ailili managed to use the opening to struggle, the two of them grappling in a chaotic scuffle.
Suddenly, Lin Jinyao dragged Ailili into the crowd, firing his light firearm repeatedly. The nearby agents wanted to help but had no choice but to take cover. Lin Jinyao had no intention of letting them go, "Today I rid the world of villains! My heart is bright, and the flame will be passed on!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
One of the bullets grazed Le Yuxin's cheek. He reflexively raised his own light firearm at Lin Jinyao, only to find Lin Jinyao staring back at him.
The instant their eyes met, a flood of memories rose in Le Yuxin's mind:
"Yuliu, I often recruit for the organization at the academy. The Statistical Department will be watching me sooner or later."
"You know exactly what their methods are. No one can guarantee they'll keep their mouths shut through their torture, not even me."
"Your identity is the highest secret. There's no record that can prove who you are. Besides me and '摘星'—nobody could ever uncover your secret."
"If—and I mean if... Ha, don't go, you always know what I'm about to say, but let me say it anyway. If, ending up imprisoned is a fate I can't escape, then at that moment..."
"Yuliu, this is my lifelong request—my most selfish request. For my reputation, my responsibility, and your safety, you must, at the right time, make the right choice and shoulder this unshakable guilt."
What was the right time?
"Right now, in the chaos, with Lin Jinyao holding a gun and a hostage, whatever happened would be understandable. This was the right time."
What was the right choice?
As Lin Jinyao tangled with Ailili, he unwittingly exposed his back toward Le Yuxin's direction.
Le Yuxin kept a blank face, aiming his firearm at Lin Jinyao's head.
Qian Yuliu's shooting was pretty good. "Even with the rain, they were only ten meters apart, and most importantly, the target wasn't moving."
Bang!
Le Yuxin pulled the trigger.
The bullet shrieked through the air, bursting blood open on Lin Jinyao's head.
In Lin Jinyao's pupils, contentment faded slowly into deathly stillness. His body, shriveled like an old tree, fell to the ground, splashing water everywhere.
This was the right choice.
"If Lin Jinyao were taken by the Statistical Department, he'd either be tortured into confessing and become a traitor, or tortured until he wished for death. Le Yuxin had fulfilled Lin Jinyao's final wish—allowing him to die swift, dignified, and free of regrets."
"That way, Lin Jinyao would never leak secrets, and Qian Yuliu's identity was secure."
The only problem was...
"Qian Yuliu, you bastard! Bastard!" Lin Jinyao's students tried to lunge at him, but other agents held them back. Lin Xue stared blankly at Lin Jinyao's corpse, frozen like a puppet.
Qian Yuliu—this identity would bear the crime of killing his own master.
Le Yuxin lowered his firearm, suddenly thinking Qian Yuliu was awfully lucky to have been wiped out just in time.
"This way, Qian Yuliu didn't need to dirty his own hands. Maybe, down in the underworld, he was waiting to welcome Lin Jinyao."
"But Le Yuxin still had to keep living in this world, plotting and scheming, always on edge."
"Good shot," Lan Yan said, appearing silently at Le Yuxin's side, his tone tinged with regret, "Pity. I'd hoped Mr. Lin could atone with merit. He must've known plenty of the Backlight rebels' secrets."
Le Yuxin was silent for a moment, "In my opinion, when a Backlight rebel is armed, there's no other way but to take them out quickly."
Lan Yan suddenly smiled, "Seems like you didn't really pay attention in class."
Le Yuxin was a bit surprised, "Hm?"
Lan Yan said nothing more, clapping his hands and shouting, "Wrap it up!"
Le Yuxin still had doubts in his heart. He glanced over and noticed something odd: where Lin Jinyao had fallen, a water puddle was gathering unnaturally. As soon as Lan Yan left the courtyard, the puddle seemed to lose its shackles and spilled into the courtyard drainage with a rush.
Le Yuxin felt a chill inside.
"Even if his identity crisis was over, surviving fifteen more days under Lan Yan's watch... wouldn't be easy at all."