Evolution - Chapter 108
Chapter 108
After suspecting that Yu Zhiyao held the power of a king and spoke with heavenly authority, Ji Changqing fell into a conjecture even more complex than Goldbach’s.
Namely, the ultimate great conjecture: Does She Love Me?!
If she did, why would she kill her so brutally? If she didn’t, what was with surreptitiously getting her a Beginner’s Heart Medal?
The infuriating thing was that this woman’s mind didn’t work like a normal person’s. After sending half a dozen shirts, she vanished without a trace, a perfect example of “It’s so thrilling to flirt and run.”
What a player!
Just as she was lost in these pleasant thoughts, the studious He Qingzhi interrupted her.
He cruelly reminded her to stop daydreaming. Whether she was loved or not, she first had to stay alive to find out!
Was love the most important thing right now?
No, it was her life!
And so, Ji Changqing shot the trashy He Qingzhi a glare, cursed him endlessly in her mind, and then… happily threw herself into her studies!
In their third round, the two reunited after five months apart, their hearts and eyes filled with suspicion for one another.
Ji Changqing was thinking, the training in firearm assembly and disassembly, and using any available materials to build guns… although the non-lethal Russian roulette was a bit twisted, it shouldn’t have been that miserable, right?!
Did this dog lie to me, or am I just so smart that I can master it in minutes after only a week of theory? Or is this dog just that untalented?!
Although she often got shot, she didn’t let her opponent off easy. She had improved from a one-to-nine split to a four-to-six split. In short, she couldn’t be the only one taking bullets!
He Qingzhi was thinking, damn it, Ji Changqing must have lied to me! She made it sound so miserable, but in the end, she got a big gift package. But I didn’t!
All I got was misery!
This time, the gruff big shot and his students had been very measured in their approach. It was miserable, yes, but there was no risk of permanent damage to his foundation.
Of course, the gruff big shot didn’t let him try any repair potions, either.
So this time, he had also returned hanging on by a thread.
He was waiting for the doctors on the Star Hidden Big Boss’s turf to clear all his negative statuses so he could recover properly before facing the baptism of verbal assault.
This time, perhaps because they had nothing new to share or because they felt time was tight, the Star Hidden Big Boss quickly sent Ji Changqing off to be tortured by the number three assassin on the list.
He Qingzhi was left alone, resigned to his fate and their mockery.
He was always the one lying there, while Ji Changqing was full of spirit and energy. Even though everyone knew full well that those four trainers were twisted enough, the stark contrast still made them think:
Isn’t He Qingzhi a bit too useless?
He Qingzhi: “…”
There’s something I’d like to say, if I may?
The only reason I always seem so out of place with you all is because I’m not twisted enough!
But this time, neither of them finished their courses.
Just as He Qingzhi’s sentence was about to end, an incident conveniently occurred in the mining area.
When he woke up in a cramped and squalid cargo hold, He Qingzhi saw Ji Changqing covered in wounds and looking miserable for the first time in over a year.
He thought to himself, so she isn’t always so composed. She just manages to turn the tables at the last moment.
Whether out of camaraderie as classmates or as comrades-in-arms, he tended to her wounds with the limited resources available.
The verbal assault style only tortured the mind, not the body, so while he was simmering with frustration, he had no physical injuries.
The Star Hidden Big Boss quickly received the news that the two of them had been abducted.
He had known for a few days that the other party was about to make a move.
He just hadn’t thought to warn Ji Changqing and He Qingzhi.
They were well aware of their own situation. With the timing uncertain, the closer it got to the end of He Qingzhi’s sentence, the more likely the other party was to act. If they weren’t prepared for even that, it would be too disappointing.
The other party had been happy to deliver Ji Changqing and He Qingzhi into his hands. He had used his own methods, and they were pleased to let the two suffer a bit more.
But to say there was any trust between the two sides would be a joke.
Upon receiving the news that the two had been knocked unconscious and hauled onto a cargo ship like piglets, he silently checked their names off the pre-selection list and moved them to the official roster.
He soon saw the approval come through.
That being the case, what happened next had nothing to do with him.
He let out a soft sigh.
Meanwhile, in a hidden office of the Alliance’s Peace and Development Special Investigation Department, someone composed two directives and instantly sent them to the relevant personnel.
One was: “High alert, stand by.”
The other was: “Have Yu Zhiyao step forward.”
After being passed down through several channels, a resigned Yu Zhiyao found herself in a video call, staring blankly at the contact person from the Peace and Development Special Investigation Department—an organization she had explicitly rejected years ago.
The contact person, understanding the rich meaning in her eyes, felt a little awkward inside but maintained a calm exterior.
“Ms. Yu Zhiyao, there is a matter concerning Ji Changqing for which we hope to have your assistance.”
The contact person secretly thought to himself what a clever little devil he was, knowing to throw out the bait immediately!
At the very least, it prevented the possibility of Yu Zhiyao hanging up without a word.
Their department had known for a long time that this tough nut they had failed to recruit had spent a considerable amount of contribution points and credits on Ji Changqing!
Since their feelings were already so deep, they might as well continue to be deep.
As expected, Yu Zhiyao grunted in acknowledgment and asked coolly, “What is it?”
She was actually thinking, has Ji Changqing been recruited too? That’s not bad. After all, she chose to join the military for her own reasons, and this department is, loosely speaking, part of the military system.
If so, it could be considered a fortunate turn of events.
At least she would still have a choice.
The contact person gave himself a mental thumbs-up, delighted. This tactic really worked!
He said with great sincerity, “She is currently on a mission, and we need you to do something in the capacity of a family member.”
Yu Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. “Family member?”
Are you a forgery department?
Legally speaking, she and Ji Changqing had no relationship whatsoever.
The contact person gave an awkward smile and blabbered on, explaining that the prison authorities would issue a notice to Ji Changqing’s family, and they hoped Yu Zhiyao could obtain authorization from them to handle the matter on their behalf.
Yu Zhiyao felt a little dazed.
She had, of course, met Ji Changqing’s family—as a friend.
But the idea of contacting them to get power of attorney gave her a headache, and a slight pang of guilt.
After all, the scandal involving Ji Changqing had been so huge. The issue of her sexual orientation, after all this time, was tantamount to coming out to the whole world, wasn’t it?
Her family had very likely put two and two together, which made things a bit awkward.
Besides, how was she supposed to face Ji Changqing’s family when she wasn’t allowed to disclose any secrets?
Her imprisonment was already a huge blow to them. The news that she was now a missing person, very likely dead, would be an even greater shock to her parents.
However, it wasn’t too much trouble. She nodded, indicating she understood. “I will contact Claire.”
These official documents would certainly go through Claire. She would have Claire suggest to Ji Changqing’s family that they appoint her as their representative, and then obtain the authorization documents. This way, she could avoid an awkward situation and solve the problem.
Simply perfect!
Since she had agreed, the person who contacted her simply mentioned a deadline and cheerfully ended the communication.
Yu Zhiyao lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, unable to suppress a soft sigh.
Fine, I really do owe you.
It’s not like this is the first time, anyway.
In the official documents from Huantu Prison, Ji Changqing and He Qingzhi were listed as missing persons.
The implication was: in this mining accident, these two are probably dead, but we haven’t found their bodies. The situation in the underground mines is complex, and one wrong move could trigger a chain reaction. We don’t dare to act on our own, so please give us a final word, will you?
They often used this tactic. After a while, they would produce a skeleton, and that would be the end of it.
In their eyes, Ji Changqing was a country bumpkin. The fact that Claire had hired a lawyer for her before was just a matter of saving face; after all, she was from Blue Star, and Claire was the official in charge of Blue Star’s affairs.
But for an accident like this in prison, who besides her family would stand up for her?
And Ji Changqing’s family couldn’t even leave Blue Star, so what was there to fear?
As for He Qingzhi, he had already been cast out by his family. Even less reason for anyone to pursue the matter.
Their plan was beautiful, until Yu Zhiyao slapped them so hard their faces swelled.
Not wanting to bother a new person for the same task, Yu Zhiyao hired the same lawyer as before.
Less than two months after Huantu Prison issued notices to the families of those missing in the accident, the lawyer came knocking. He demanded to see the person if they were alive, or the body if they were dead. And wasn’t the frequency of accidents in this prison, in this mining area, a bit too high?
See you in court!
I’ll sue you into the ground!
Then came the questions. Why were people from different prison sections in the same mine?
Were the sections just for show?
In any case, this lawyer was notoriously tenacious in the Alliance. The prison authorities began to panic and had to report to their superiors for help. Help! Didn’t you say these two had no one to back them up? Who is this hardcore person standing up for her now?
What was even more fatal was that this lawyer was cunning. He wasn’t just suing on behalf of Ji Changqing; he had also united the families of the other missing persons!
With someone else leading the charge and no fees required, these families naturally had no objections. Secretly, they hoped this lawyer would be forceful enough to win them more compensation.
The He family had intended to remain silent, but the lawyer cheekily told them, “We’re just waiting on you, the He family.”
So, with tears in their eyes and feigning grief, they had to agree. “Sue! We must sue!”
They shared the same question as the prison officials: who the hell was this hardcore person standing up for Ji Changqing!
The people behind the scenes received the news and immediately took action, trying to suppress the matter.
But no matter how they tried, they couldn’t quash it. Instead, they received word that the very highest echelons were paying close attention to the matter and had unofficially stated that it should be thoroughly investigated.
These people immediately panicked, and their group fractured from within.
One faction complained that they never should have gone to so much trouble for a dead fool. All sorts of opinions were voiced.
For example, the fact that Ji Changqing had been able to hire that lawyer for her trial back then, and that the case had been fought with such flair, should have been a clear sign that she had a backer. Why did they have to keep picking a fight with her? They had already tormented her in prison, that should have been enough. Why insist on getting her out of there, dead or alive?
And look what happened now. Her backer was relentlessly pursuing them, and even the top brass had spoken out. If a full investigation was launched, what if all the dirty secrets of Huantu Prison were exposed? And what if, just what if, they used the prison as a starting point to trace things further back? Who could withstand that?
The other faction was furious. If you’re so smart, stop being a Monday morning quarterback! You didn’t object back then, so what’s the point of shifting the blame now that things have gone wrong?
Do you think you can escape just by pointing fingers at each other when the investigation comes down?
The two sides argued heatedly.
In the end, it was the He family who gritted their teeth and offered a suggestion.
“Once the bow is drawn, the arrow cannot be recalled. They won’t be able to dig that deep right away. Let’s hurry up and move our plan forward!”
But their hearts ached at the thought. Acting so hastily meant they couldn’t be as thorough as they had originally planned.
They thought of the large number of pawns they would have to abandon—people they had painstakingly accumulated over the years, the very foundation they needed to advance further on the other side!
Every group they lost meant their value to the other side diminished. Based on the estimated losses from advancing the plan, it was possible that their lives over there would be even worse than they were now!
The thought of it was just sinful. If they had known this would happen, why did they even start?
But things had come to this point, and there was no turning back for them.
Every time they thought of their bleak future, they couldn’t help but curse the person who was making trouble for Ji Changqing.
When they finally figured out who Yu Zhiyao was and what her status was, they seethed with hatred.
You’re an ex-girlfriend, not some champion of justice. Why can’t you just stay quietly at the Academy of Sciences, do your research, and walk your own path to success? Why did you have to get involved and stand up for her so aggressively?
Is that Ji Changqing some kind of great unsolved mystery that has you so utterly obsessed?!
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