Evolution - Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Ji Changqing was in a daze all the way to the holding cell.
She replayed the scene in her mind over and over. In the chaos, the kick she had aimed at her opponent’s waist was meant to force them back. Logically, they should have been able to dodge it completely, but for some reason, they knelt. By a strange twist of fate, that kick ended up landing on their neck.
She knew her own strength; the person might have died on the spot.
The moment she realized she had killed someone, her mind went blank, a buzzing sound filling her ears, and she had no idea how to react.
Even if it was accidental, the consequences were far too severe. The price would be the goal she had striven for for nearly seven years—her dreams shattered, her future destroyed.
A single wrong move, and the whole game is lost.
Xie’er was just getting ready for bed when she received Yu Zhiyao’s call.
She had been the Star Defense Officer of this region for nearly three years and was only just recently able to catch her breath. Did she have it easy? She felt like her world-class beauty was about to take a hit.
Then, Yu Zhiyao’s words completely dispelled her sleepiness.
“What did you say? Ji Changqing accidentally killed someone?” Her eyes widened slightly, and she almost made the inelegant gesture of cleaning out her ears to check if she was hearing things.
Wasn’t Ji Changqing doing just fine in the league? She had just sorted out her employment a few days ago, so how did she get into such huge trouble in the blink of an eye?
As she listened to Yu Zhiyao’s rough account of the situation, her gaze grew heavy.
If Yu Zhiyao could see that something was wrong, how could she not?
She just wasn’t sure who the masterminds behind this were, or what their objective was.
But it didn’t matter. She would just investigate.
“What’s your plan?” Various thoughts flashed through Xie’er’s mind, and she cut straight to the chase, asking Yu Zhiyao what she wanted to do.
Yu Zhiyao didn’t feel bad about troubling her, nor did she feel the burden of owing a favor—she could always repay it, after all. She had faith in her own abilities and trusted Xie’er’s discretion.
“I’m not short on money or contribution points.” Yu Zhiyao’s face was so calm it betrayed none of her anxiety. She said lightly, “I need a good lawyer to sue every single illegal aspect of this case.”
Xie’er stared at her, stunned.
She had assumed Yu Zhiyao was looking for her to borrow her people to investigate the truth or overturn the case. She never expected Yu Zhiyao’s request to be this.
“Just a lawyer?”
“A lawyer, or a legal team, that is well-versed in the law, familiar with case procedures, and can get the job done.”
The public, who clamored for truth, fairness, and justice, often lacked the ability to discern the truth, nor could they judge what was fair and just. To put it harshly, the public never cared about the truth, only about their own emotions and opinions.
The masterminds had pushed things forward step by step, their intentions so obvious. Yu Zhiyao, being well-versed in such tactics, naturally understood how to dismantle their scheme.
Might as well all muddy the waters together!
Xie’er sighed. “You guys play dirty!”
Yu Zhiyao looked at her silently. The pot shouldn’t call the kettle black; they were all cut from the same cloth, so there was no need to pretend to be pure and innocent.
After a moment’s hesitation, she still asked, “I’ve watched the released footage several times, and I can’t shake the feeling that something is off. Is it convenient for you to arrange for someone to look into it?”
Xie’er raised an eyebrow. In truth, it wasn’t very convenient for her to arrange an investigation. The planet hosting the military academy league finals was a place one was hesitant to interfere with.
But since Ji Changqing had just been recommended, someone was bound to investigate anyway. It was an easy favor to grant, so she might as well do it. “I can. What do you want me to look for?”
“Check if anyone has been covering their tracks recently. I feel like this whole series of reactions doesn’t quite match the crime she’s been implicated in.”
Xie’er agreed.
They weren’t the only ones who acted swiftly after the incident broke.
The Fourth Military’s accompanying instructor was already at the police station. The moment he received the news, he contacted his superiors. Most of the academy’s top brass were elsewhere, negotiating resource allocation with other military academies. The highest-ranking administrator left at the school followed procedure and assigned him a lawyer.
A current student involved in a homicide—would the school step in to suppress it and protect its reputation?
That sort of thing didn’t happen.
Even with something as major and far-reaching as the entrance exam incident, the Fourth Military hadn’t tried to cover it up. They had openly admitted their failures and their inability to ensure the candidates’ safety.
Their reputation had plummeted, but they had owned up to it with hardcore resolve.
The timing of Ji Changqing’s incident was too coincidental, inevitably fueling conspiracy theories. But the school’s heavy hitters were all at the “dividing the spoils” conference. All they could do was select the most competent person available to go and see what was really going on.
To put it bluntly, they had a responsibility to every student, especially the outstanding ones, but that was the extent of it.
More than that, they wanted to see which little bitch was trying to mess with their Fourth Military, whether there was a larger conspiracy at play, and if they could turn the tables and slap their opponent’s face until it swelled.
If Ji Changqing had really brought this on herself…
Then perhaps they would just let her die a more thorough death.
Meanwhile, at the training base, someone was forcibly suppressing his unease. With a hint of panic and anger, he questioned in a low voice, “What’s going on? This isn’t what we agreed on!”
The plan had only been to ruin her reputation, not to get a life involved!
The other person chuckled lightly. “Isn’t this better? And it has nothing to do with us.”
He turned his face, and it was none other than the leader of the group that had been watching Ji Changqing.
“Then tell them to clean up. Don’t release any more information. What if it gets traced back to us…”
“Idiot!” Telling them to clean up now? Was he afraid people wouldn’t be able to trace it back to them?
The man who had smiled and said “it’s not time yet” now had eyes laced with coldness, though his voice sounded gentle and refined. “Did we do anything? We just dug up a bit of Ji Changqing’s promiscuous history and played a little joke on her. Isn’t that right, hmm?”
The questioner felt as if ice water had been poured over his head, and what little anger he had was frozen solid.
Of course, he knew this had nothing to do with him, but some people didn’t need facts. Just knowing he had once plotted against Ji Changqing was enough. Although he wasn’t afraid, it would still be a hassle.
But he truly didn’t dare to provoke the man before him. Otherwise, he felt he would be the next to suffer.
The Peace and Development Special Investigation Department moved quickly. Investigating, gathering intelligence, and analyzing it layer by layer to uncover the masterminds was their daily work.
They were far more professional at this than the police.
The next afternoon, the agent who had contacted Ji Changqing compiled the relevant information and submitted it to Xingchen, the big boss who had added Ji Changqing to the observation list.
Compared to the original file, which was like a political background check, this one was far more explosive.
Xingchen raised an eyebrow and chuckled ambiguously. “Quite capable, aren’t they.”
It was unclear whether he was referring to Ji Changqing or the people secretly plotting against her.
The handsome man who was usually gloomy and taciturn in front of Ji Changqing rarely chimed in, “It was our oversight. The previous investigation wasn’t thorough enough.”
“It’s not your fault.” After all, their investigation into Ji Changqing had focused on the period before and after her evolution, verifying information gathered from the StarNet and looking into close family and friends.
Who had the time to investigate her love life!
Besides, the only relationship of hers they had found was with that person from the Academy of Sciences.
That was only because their relationship had been semi-public at the time.
He looked down at the file and couldn’t help but smile again. He looked up at his handsome, androgynous, and capable subordinate. “Do you think they managed to find out about the one from the Academy?”
“With her file’s security clearance, how could it be that easy to access?” his subordinate replied in a very professional tone, though the words were completely at odds with his expression. “After all, she’s the woman even you couldn’t get!”
Xingchen let out a soft “hmph” but didn’t refute it. They had tried to recruit her three years ago, but not only had she refused, they had also received a “warning” from those at the pinnacle of power to stop trying to poach the Academy of Sciences’ new favorite. After that, the security clearance on her file was raised.
It was raised to a level that even their clearance couldn’t access.
It was only during their investigation of Ji Changqing that they were stunned to discover that this warrior had once had such a high-profile relationship with the woman they were destined never to get.
They had even wondered whether that person had been blind back then, or if it was just a case of exceptional people being drawn to other exceptional people.
Looking into it now, they realized that the young people of today were truly capable of great things. For the sake of a military academy league, they could cleverly exploit the dark side of human nature, play with the timing, and package it into a completely different story.
Of course, Xingchen couldn’t just hand all this information over to Xie’er. He simply called her and gave her a concise and powerful summary of the whole affair.
Xie’er couldn’t help but press a hand to her forehead.
There was one group focused solely on messing with Ji Changqing, two other groups fishing in troubled waters and hoping to crush her for good, and in between, there were others stirring the pot, their target not Ji Changqing, but not minding fanning the flames to launch an indirect attack.
After hearing so much gossip, Major General Xie’er was a little unsure if Yu Zhiyao would still be willing to be the sucker who paid for a famous lawyer for Ji Changqing.
And so, late on the third night of Ji Changqing’s arrest, Xue Hong received a call from Yu Zhiyao.
But her very first words stunned Xue Hong, who had been about to ask what to do about Ji Changqing’s situation.
“What’s the deal with her and Qiao Nansheng?”
Xue Hong was aghast. Under President Yu’s rather pressuring gaze, she stammered, “She only started with that person three years after breaking up with you.”
She definitely didn’t cheat on you!
Yu Zhiyao’s expression turned a little strange. She hadn’t said anything about Ji Changqing cheating. What kind of thought process was this?!
And using “that person” as a substitute… was this a woman whose name could not be spoken?
She just wanted to understand the situation so she could be prepared when the other side inevitably dropped this bomb. What kind of friends did Ji Changqing have?
Did they think she was some love-struck fool who only cared about romance and not the important matters at hand?
She asked with a hint of impatience, “When Ji Changqing was with her, was she married?”
This was a question she could answer! Xue Hong quickly replied to the specific query, “She was preparing for a divorce and was separated.”
Yu Zhiyao let out a soft “en,” a sense of displeasure welling up inside her. So it was true love, then. She was even willing to break her principles and trample her own bottom line for her!
Even though she had known about this for a day, hearing it confirmed by Xue Hong still caused the emotions she thought she had under control to churn restlessly.
She averted her gaze slightly, her tone unbelievably gentle as she gave Xue Hong a number. “This is the lawyer Major General Xie’er helped find. See which of you is free, go meet her with the lawyer, and handle it.”
Xue Hong asked, stunned, “You’re not going to show up?”
“No.” Yu Zhiyao concealed all her emotions, her face an unreadable mask. “And don’t mention me to her. She’s such a proud person.”
She would probably rather die than accept her help.
Miraculously, Xue Hong understood her unspoken words.
And she couldn’t refute them.
Sometimes, she found it incredible how different the Ji Changqing in front of Yu Zhiyao was from the Ji Changqing in front of Qiao Nansheng.
In front of Yu Zhiyao, Ji Changqing’s eyes shone with light. She was as proud and unrestrained as a youth, always carrying an air of “I will eventually be crowned king and make you the happiest person in the world.”
But in front of Qiao Nansheng, Ji Changqing was gentle and indulgent, restrained and considerate. Yet, amidst her complete compliance, there was always a hint of carelessness.
At the time, they had all thought that after her experience with Yu Zhiyao, she had learned how to love someone.
But looking back now, perhaps it was that her most intense, fiery love, her most sincere and devoted feelings, had all been exhausted on Yu Zhiyao.
She had simply learned how to be what everyone considered a standard lover.
Xue Hong opened her mouth, but no words came out.
What could she say? That Ji Changqing only acted that way because she was too in love, and thus deeply concerned about whether she could bring her happiness?
That Ji Changqing loved Yu Zhiyao the most? That Ji Changqing had never forgotten Yu Zhiyao?
Or that Yu Zhiyao had always topped the list of exes Ji Changqing wanted to get back with? And that she was the only ex she had any intention of reconciling with?
At a time like this, any words, once spoken, would sound like excuses, like coaxing an ignorant girl to sacrifice everything for her, like a moth to a flame.
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