MCL CH112

Chapter 112: A future without you is nothing…

[Oh ho ho ho, so this is the real reason.]

[Great Executor Lin, for the glorious future of mankind, this is truly a sufficiently high-sounding excuse.]

[Why aren’t you saying anything? You’re not going to tell me you believe this rhetoric and are also deeply moved, are you?]

[You can’t, can you? A future for humanity that doesn’t include you, you can’t possibly accept that, can you?]

[Or is it that you humans are really into this kind of righteous setting? The hero of humanity, Lin Xi?]

[But why, when everyone else gets to live, is the one who has to die, you…]

“Yeah, why is that?” Lin Xi raised his eyelids playfully, responding to the noisy contaminant in his mind with a teasing tone. Unconsciously, the end of his voice had grown completely cold. “Sounds like you’re having a lot of fun watching the show? Want to experience some other fun that might make you even happier?”

[…]

With that one sentence, it was as if an invisible mouth had been completely sewn shut. His mind fell completely silent.

“Speaking of which, is it really okay for me to know such important content? I feel like I’ve heard some incredible things I shouldn’t have.” Lin Xi spoke slowly. The words were for Shen Nanyang, but his gaze discreetly swept over the man behind him.

Since a moment ago, Yan Xingzhou had been sitting there without saying a word.

But even so, it wasn’t hard to feel the gradually sinking atmospheric pressure around them.

Having said this much, even without spelling it out, it was enough to hear that this was a special explanation for certain matters.

It was clearly, in a way, an admission of some of the events from three years ago.

“It’s fine.” The surrounding threatening mental fluctuations were already faintly filled with a murderous atmosphere, yet Shen Nanyang’s expression still showed little emotional change. He calmly met Yan Xingzhou’s extremely low gaze and continued to answer Lin Xi’s questions in an orderly manner. “Even if I don’t say it, this matter can’t be hidden for much longer. No matter how many times I’ve pre-simulated, the time cut-off given to this world in the results is already approaching. Humanity will soon have to face the final outcome, whether they are willing to accept it or not.”

As his voice fell, a brief silence descended.

Shen Nanyang: “I am willing to bear the consequences for everything I have done. Anytime, and that includes now.”

The latter sentence was clearly meant for Yan Xingzhou, but…

A sneer appeared in Yan Xingzhou’s cold eyes. “Professor Shen is really fearless. You’re betting that with humanity’s future uncertain, I can’t do anything to you.”

“No, I just believe that if humanity is destined to be completely destroyed in the near future, President Yan should let me, well, live on for a little while longer,” Shen Nanyang replied. “When I made the decision back then, I knew many things could not be reversed. But even if there is only a 0.01 per thousand chance, I believe President Yan still hopes to have a future with certain people, does he not?”

Have a future with certain people.

When Shen Nanyang said this, Lin Xi could feel Yan Xingzhou’s gaze subconsciously fall on him.

He let out a slow laugh and seemingly casually sat down next to Yan Xingzhou, discreetly wrapping his hand around Yan Xingzhou’s cold fingertips. It was only when he felt the tension gradually relax that he spoke, “Professor Shen, is this a habit of you great scholars? Do you have to speak so profoundly? Don’t play these riddles with President Yan that I can’t understand. The great matter of humanity’s future, you two can keep that for a slow discussion. Right now, there’s only one thing I’m more concerned about.”

Shen Nanyang: “What is it?”

Instead of answering, Lin Xi asked, “Running into the accident at the research institute was purely an accident. Your original reason for asking President Yan here wasn’t for this, was it?”

The topic was transitioned very naturally. Shen Nanyang didn’t answer directly, but looked questioningly at Yan Xingzhou. “I have no problem here. What is President Yan’s opinion?”

Lin Xi also looked over with a smile. “Hm?”

“…”

Yan Xingzhou was silent for a moment before nodding. “Arrange the treatment.”

“Then I’ll have someone prepare.” With that, Shen Nanyang turned and walked out of the room.

Finally, the receding footsteps returned to silence.

Yan Xingzhou’s tone was slightly deep. “Your attitude just now, did you not want me to make a move on him? Even though he has admitted what he did back then, you still choose to be lenient with him?”

“You’re wrong. I won’t be lenient with anyone now.” Lin Xi looked at Yan Xingzhou with a smile. Before the latter could speak again, he continued slowly, “And that includes you, great President Yan.”

“…”

Vaguely sensing the meaning behind this sentence, Yan Xingzhou said, “Regarding my situation, I have already told you the truth before.”

“You did tell me.” Lin Xi blinked slowly, having unknowingly come to stand before Yan Xingzhou. With the other man sitting properly on the sofa, he looked down from above. “But you didn’t tell me that your level of acceptance for the term ‘treatment’ was this good.”

He reached out and methodically straightened Yan Xingzhou’s collar, a genuine curiosity in his expression. “So can you tell me, what level of ‘treatment’ requires cooperation with Shen Nanyang, to be carried out at the Central Research Institute? And, it seems it has been carried out many times, hasn’t it?”

Yan Xingzhou: “…”

Yan Xingzhou slowly let out a breath and reached out to grasp the hand that was silently caressing his neck with this posture. “I thought this was not something we should be concerned about right now.”

“Then what do you think we should be more concerned about now? About what little tricks Shen Nanyang has done for that ridiculous 0.01 per thousand chance, about how to make this professor pay the price, about how to repay grievances and take revenge, or about how much time is left for humanity’s future?”

Lin Xi still had a smile on his face, but there was little extra emotion in the depths of his eyes. Watching Yan Xingzhou fall into a daze at his words, the curve of his lips became more pronounced. “Don’t worry, I have always been a person who haggles over every little thing. I won’t miss a single account that needs to be settled. But before that, I hope you can also be clear about one thing—Yan Xingzhou, no matter what the final outcome is, to me, a future without you is nothing.”

He met Yan Xingzhou’s gaze steadily. “If you don’t believe me, you can try and see what I’ll do.”

What responded to him was a sudden force on his jaw.

The next second, he was pulled forward and fell into a fiery kiss.

Their breathing gradually deepened. When they finally broke apart, Lin Xi heard a low, suppressed voice in his ear, “Don’t worry, I have been cooperating well with the treatment.”

Lin Xi chuckled lightly. “You’d better be.”

“President Yan, hello. The consultation room is ready. Professor Shen asked me to invite you over.”

With a knock on the door, a respectful staff member’s voice came from outside.

Lin Xi casually replied, “Coming.”

Although he didn’t have a habit of frequenting the Central Research Institute, Lin Xi was well aware that, given Shen Nanyang’s layout habits, the further one went in, the greater the difficulty of the project tended to be.

And at this moment, as they followed the staff member all the way inside, it was a long walk, as if they would never reach the end of the corridor.

This made Lin Xi glance at Yan Xingzhou’s back for the umpteenth time.

He had already noticed Yan Xingzhou’s unstable mental fluctuations before and had indeed vaguely sensed that the man was on the verge of losing control of his ability. But it wasn’t until he came along to the Central Research Institute today that he realized Yan Xingzhou’s condition was probably much more serious than his previous light description.

He should have thought of it earlier.

At that time, Yan Xingzhou had handed over Calamity’s crystal core on the condition of his own treatment. Even Shen Nanyang had no suspicion about this deal, which was enough to show how tricky this matter was.

So, just how bad had it gotten?

Finally arriving at the door of the treatment room, Lin Xi stopped in time and did not follow. “As a family member of the patient, I’ll obediently wait here for you to come back.”

Yan Xingzhou glanced at Lin Xi and nodded. “I’ll be out soon.”

“Go on, go on.” Lin Xi waved at Yan Xingzhou. Watching the door in front of him close, he sat down on a chair in the corridor and looked up steadily at the blank ceiling.

By now, many things were clear.

No wonder Shen Nanyang was able to persuade Gu Beiqiu to cooperate back then. If it was for that one successful pre-simulation out of tens of thousands, it did sound like an irresistible excuse. Sacrificing one for the whole world, versus sacrificing the whole world for one, was a paradox in itself. After all, if the world was gone, that person would have no reason to survive either. It was just that for this matter to fall on him, it still felt somewhat absurd.

He was a little curious. At what point did Gu Beiqiu find out about this?

How many of the others, including Su Qiuyin and the rest of the United Administration, knew the truth behind this?

And, during this time, how many people were taking the opportunity to fish in troubled waters?

But thinking back on the events of the recent past, many things seemed to connect.

Just like the Ark Project he had vetoed back then being readjusted and implemented by Gu Beiqiu, it was probably also related to the deadline for human extinction that Shen Nanyang had mentioned.

It was quiet all around, with the occasional sound of distant footsteps.

Lin Xi sniffed.

It was probably because he was now too sensitive to Yan Xingzhou’s ability. Even with the Central Research Institute’s absolutely precise protective equipment, he could still feel the faint fluctuations of supernatural energy seeping through the door—disordered, restless, volatile…

Lin Xi felt himself growing irritable as well.

What the hell is all this?

In the silence, a voice sounded hesitantly in his mind: [Why so quiet? What are you thinking about?]

“I’m thinking, why was I so indecisive back then…” Lin Xi replied. “Right after I devoured you, I should have done everything possible to kill you completely, to make you disappear entirely.”

[……….]

[…whimper~ QAQ?]

Support me on Ko-fi