MCL CH85

Chapter 85: Someone is, planning to settle scores again…

Time rewound to a few hours earlier.

To buy enough time to quell the contamination value, Yan Xingzhou had taken the lead and left with Samuel first. In the rift, only the two figures facing each other from a distance and Joseph’s lifeless body on the ground remained.

As the firelight gradually dissipated, only a lingering warmth remained in the surroundings. Lin Xi looked at the man before him and vaguely felt as if he had returned to more than three years ago, to that distant standoff in the wilderness.

Su Qiuyin. Based on his understanding of this person, it was not surprising that he would choose confrontation without hesitation when he was on the verge of losing control back then. But at this moment, he actually couldn’t find a reason for this person to kill Joseph.

A thousand words could be said, but in the end, Lin Xi was the first to ask the most basic question: “When did you know?”

“Just now.” Su Qiuyin answered with two words. From the beginning, his gaze had been fixed on Lin Xi’s face and had not moved away for a long time. The complex emotions suppressed in the depths of his eyes made it impossible to see what he was feeling. Only his pale face showed that to deliver a fatal blow to Joseph, especially in his already seriously injured state, had clearly exhausted almost all of his strength.

Lin Xi raised an eyebrow: “Just now?”

“To be precise, I did have some speculations before because of Yan Xingzhou’s attitude, but mostly I just considered you a look-alike substitute,” Su Qiuyin replied. “So, Executive Officer, I really only just found out that you’ve truly returned.”

A restless radiation fluctuation enveloped Lin Xi. The pleasant look on his face did not reach the cold, calm depths of his eyes at all: “But you don’t seem too surprised.”

“That’s because no matter what your identity is, it has no effect on me. I have always only done what I believe is right,” Su Qiuyin said calmly. “Joseph attacked a comrade during a rift mission for his own selfish reasons. The stronger a person like this’s ability is, the more likely they are to become a security risk in the future. In the face of Country A’s bureau regulations, the X-code is enough to be his get-out-of-jail-free card. Even if all the evil deeds that happened inside were made public, it would most likely just be an explanation to appease Samuel, and ultimately be left unresolved. Therefore, even if the later events hadn’t happened, I never planned to give Joseph a chance to get out of here safely. From the very beginning, I decided to kill him before leaving.”

Lin Xi narrowed his eyes slightly at this statement and exposed him directly without reservation: “But the person who kills him doesn’t have to be you.”

After a short silence, Su Qiuyin replied: “I was the best choice.”

Lin Xi smiled at this. “You’re still the same, always making choices.”

Su Qiuyin ignored the ridicule in his tone: “A Country A’s X-coded ability user being killed, the one who does it absolutely cannot be Yan Xingzhou, who is also an X-coded ability user. He is not part of the United Administration now. At a time when rifts are breaking out globally, it is not a good thing to let other countries’ ability management bureaus point their fingers at our country’s X-coded ability user. At least as long as Yan Xingzhou is around, no matter what position he is in, if something really happens within Hua Country’s borders, I believe he will definitely not stand by and do nothing. No matter how bad his attitude towards the United Administration is, for Hua Country, he is still a stabilizing pillar.”

Lin Xi remained silent, which was a tacit agreement with this statement.

Su Qiuyin glanced at him: “Then among the remaining people, who do you think, you or Samuel, would be suitable for the role of this murderer?”

Lin Xi met his gaze and couldn’t help but smile: “Are you afraid that if my identity is exposed, I’ll go out and start a killing spree?”

Su Qiuyin did not answer this question: “In short, if the Country A Ability Management Bureau must have someone to answer for Joseph’s death, that person can only be me. After I get out of here, I will confess my crimes and accept the final judgment given by the Global Ability Association.”

“What about me then?” Lin Xi asked in a flat tone. “Will you make the same choice as back then and carry out another extermination on me? Or, are you feeling regretful?”

For a short while, only the sound of the wind remained.

Finally, Su Qiuyin’s voice sounded again: “I never make choices I regret, nor will I regret the choices I have made. Executive Officer, you should know better than I do what impact it could have caused if we hadn’t carried out the extermination on you back then. Ensuring the safety of the masses to the greatest extent has always been my duty, and it is also the only criterion for my choices. Just like the question you raised during our induction training when I first joined the United Administration, between the two choices of killing one to save ten thousand and saving one to threaten ten thousand, my answer is still the former. This has always been my principle in serving the United Administration, so if I were given another chance, I would still choose to participate in that encirclement back then.”

Under the firm and calm statement, a subtle nuance inevitably appeared in Su Qiuyin’s eyes when he looked at Lin Xi: “…As for now, my mission here is only to bring Yan Xingzhou back. The matter from three years ago was settled once and for all. I am also very willing for someone to hold me accountable for my past words and deeds. I just hope there won’t be a day when I have to make a choice again. At that time, I should still step forward without hesitation, just like back then.”

As long as he finds him on the verge of losing control again, or endangering the safety of the human world, he will kill him again. Is that what he means?

A hint of a smile finally appeared in Lin Xi’s scarlet eyes: “There were so many talented young people who joined the United Administration back then. Why did I, out of such a large group of people, take a fancy to you, an emotionless, rigid old-timer? Even your threats are so stiff and uninteresting. Su Qiuyin, don’t you feel tired living your life like this? I’m really curious, until this life of yours is completely over, will there ever be a day when you violate your own principles?”

Just then, a gust of wind passed, scattering Su Qiuyin’s voice.

Like words spoken in a dream, even Lin Xi couldn’t hear them clearly for a moment.

“Perhaps… I’ve already violated it.”

…

The meeting ended, and everyone left one after another.

Lin Xi pulled back his thoughts. When he turned his head, he happened to see Gu Beiqiu walking towards him and greeted him with a smile: “Executive Officer.”

Gu Beiqiu returned the smile and glanced at Yan Xingzhou as his gaze swept past: “Congratulations, at least you’ve successfully completed the mission.”

Although he didn’t mention Su Qiuyin, Lin Xi knew that this former adjutant of his was not someone who could be easily fooled. A single look at such an expression was probably enough to guess the other party’s thoughts. He lowered his eyelids and pretended to be polite: “It was also thanks to Director Su’s care. I just didn’t expect things to develop to this point. Executive Officer, Director Su won’t really be in trouble, right?”

Gu Beiqiu gently patted Lin Xi’s shoulder: “I will do my best to negotiate with the Country A Ability Management Bureau. With Mr. Samuel’s testimony, Director Su’s actions can be considered justifiable self-defense. Director Pu Limo should give a fair judgment.”

“That’s good.” Lin Xi nodded and didn’t hold back. “In any case, the mission is considered complete. Executive Officer, you can’t forget what you promised me before.”

Gu Beiqiu obviously didn’t expect Lin Xi to be so fixated on it: “…Of course, I won’t forget.”

Clearing his throat, he looked at Yan Xingzhou: “It’s just that during the negotiation period, we may need President Yan’s cooperation.”

“I can,” Yan Xingzhou replied. “But before that, I am also very curious. To make Mr. Lin take such a big risk to enter the rift, what kind of benefits did the United Administration promise?”

Lin Xi: “…”

At this point in time, is that really the main point of focus?!

Gu Beiqiu obviously didn’t expect the conversation to go in this direction either. He couldn’t help but cough several more times, his voice lowering slightly, “To put it simply, a promotion and a raise.”

Yan Xingzhou said slowly: “It seems I am indeed a good stepping stone.”

Gu Beiqiu’s coughing couldn’t stop for a moment. After a long while, as if he had recovered, he added, “It was just an additional condition. The main reason for being willing to enter such a dangerous rift was out of concern for President Yan’s safety.”

“Are you sure he really knew the specific level of danger.”

Although Yan Xingzhou’s words were directed at Gu Beiqiu, he looked back at him as he spoke. “I, on the other hand, think he didn’t care at all. He even seemed to be in the mood to bargain over the mission reward.”

Amidst these meaningful words, Lin Xi couldn’t help but guiltily facepalm, trying to block the gaze that fell on him with his hand.

Gu Beiqiu, Executive Gu, Adjutant Gu, you can completely stop talking now.

Someone is, planning to settle scores again

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