Tell a joke: Lin Feng was a good man.
Although he had started issuing arbitrary orders to arrest people the moment he became a Wallfacer, falsely accusing others of being ETO members, Lin Feng was a good man.
Although he advocated the 007 Work System in every country and treated workers like chemical power generators, Lin Feng was a good man.
Although his proposed plan had thrown the global economic market into chaos, causing quite a few capitalists to lose even their pants, Lin Feng was a good man.
Lin Feng did not know what others thought, but he knew this was the funniest—and coldest—joke he had heard all year.
Not to mention after becoming a Wallfacer, even before that, he had at least been a capitalist with some influence.
Having a father who had been the former United States Secretary of Defense did not mean no one would come looking for trouble, such as Taylor's political rivals.
Without some skill, what could connections alone accomplish? What name could one make for oneself?
Lin Feng pointed at himself, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Do I look like a good person?"
"No."
Without even thinking, the CIA agent shook his head. Ever since Lin Feng had capriciously accused people of being ETO members, the CIA's immediate impression of him had been that he resembled a dictator more than a Wallfacer.
Being labeled ETO carried extremely serious consequences. One only had to look at how Chinese citizens had treated those traitors after the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
ETO members were traitors to the planet, traitors to All Humanity.
No matter where they went, even if they were locked in prison, they would be ostracized and targeted by other humans. Even those closest to them would see them as vipers and scorpions, perhaps even regard them as a disgrace. That was the consequence of being labeled ETO.
Of course, those who had actually joined the ETO did not care about any of that. If they did care, they would not have joined the ETO.
But to those who had never been ETO members in the first place, being labeled ETO was absolutely a terrifying thing.
"Then why do people get the impression that I'm a 'good person'? Because I'm a Wallfacer?" Lin Feng asked.
The CIA agent pondered for a moment before answering uncertainly, "Maybe distance creates beauty. There was originally an entire Pacific Ocean between you and him. He's one of those people who worship the United States and naturally has an immense fondness for it. Perhaps that is why he decided you were a 'good person' who could uphold justice for him."
"Would you like to see him? He has been demanding to see you. He hopes you will personally apologize to him, help him recover the insurance money that was embezzled, and pay him an additional compensation settlement. That way, you can remedy your mistake and earn his forgiveness."
"???"
Hearing the CIA agent's words, Lin Feng felt his head fill with question marks.
He had clearly intended to assassinate him, so how could he make such demands so righteously?
Ah, right. Apologizing was popular in Japan. If one did something wrong, one had to apologize, bow deeply, and show sincere remorse.
There had to be an apology, there had to be atonement, and there also had to be compensation money.
Oh, this way of thinking was truly too naïve—so naïve that Lin Feng could not help wondering, How did this idiot even graduate from kindergarten?
"Where did he get the nerve to make such demands of me? I haven't even held him accountable for trying to assassinate me!" Lin Feng demanded, both angry and amused.
"Because he thinks you're a good person. A good person will definitely understand what he did and forgive his assassination attempt." The CIA agent shrugged.
The assassin's logic was not difficult to understand. He had tried to assassinate a Wallfacer, but the Wallfacer was a good person, and good people would surely forgive an assassination attempt. Since he had already been forgiven, there was nothing wrong with it.
But what about the assassin? He had not forgiven Lin Feng, so he was not in the wrong while Lin Feng was. Naturally, Lin Feng had to apologize, atone, and compensate him!
Having sorted out the logic, Lin Feng's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. If not for these CIA bodyguards, he would probably have already been shot to death.
Those had been real guns, and Lin Feng was still flesh and blood. One bullet hitting him, and even if he did not die, he would be close to it.
The moment he thought of his life being treated as something disposable, something people could take away at will, Lin Feng's rage nearly burned away all his reason.
What kind of bullshit logic was that? His life was a life, but mine wasn't? Mine was something that could be taken and demanded at will? Was I born inherently beneath him?
"Do you think I should forgive him?" Lin Feng asked coldly, picking up the CIA interrogation report on the assassin again.
"How you choose is your freedom. I have no authority to interfere."
The CIA agent deftly deflected the question back to Lin Feng. At a time like this, he had no desire to offend a Wallfacer consumed by rage for the sake of some Japanese man he did not even know.
"Let me tell you..."
"I'm very angry right now..."
"...and once I get angry, the consequences are very serious."
Matsuda was taken out of the American military base and handed a bag of money.
"You can leave now."
"Mr. Taylor said he would not hold your reckless actions this time against you. He will help you recover your insurance money."
"Take this. It is the compensation money you requested earlier."
The CIA agent did not want to waste words on this sort of person, much less get entangled with him, because this man's fate was already sealed.
"Wait, why isn't Mr. Taylor coming to see me? He still hasn't atoned to me!" Matsuda demanded unwillingly of the CIA agent.
Seeing that Matsuda seemed intent on continuing to make trouble, the CIA agent warned him.
"Mr. Taylor is very busy. How could he have so much time to come see you specifically? If you continue making unreasonable demands, I'll take back the compensation money."
"Don't even think about it! This belongs to me!"
Knowing he could not extort any more, Matsuda wisely stopped while he was ahead. He hugged the money bag stuffed with U.S. dollars to his chest and hurriedly turned to leave.
Matsuda did not see the flicker of pity in the CIA agent's eyes as he watched him go.
Matsuda was in better spirits than ever. The important figure from the United States had agreed to help him recover his insurance money, and would probably punish those bastards who had embezzled it as well.
Even if that important American figure failed to recover his insurance money, he was still holding a substantial amount of hard cash in U.S. dollars. No matter how he calculated it, Matsuda would not lose out.
Limping along the road home, Matsuda hummed a little tune, feeling utterly at ease.
Thinking of certain remarks he had seen online, Matsuda found them increasingly correct. As long as one was ruthless enough and shameless enough, no one could do anything to him. Society was survival of the fittest.
Matsuda stopped at his front door and stared in astonishment at the two people carrying things out of his home.
"Yamamoto, Seto, what are you doing?"
Matsuda knew these two. They were his neighbors, and they had always greeted one another warmly whenever they met.
"Matsuda? You traitor to humanity, you actually dare come back?!"
Yamamoto also stared at the returning Matsuda in astonishment, and Yamamoto's startled outburst left Matsuda even more confused.
"T-traitor to humanity? What are you talking about?"
Seto did not give Matsuda a pleasant look, treating him as though he were driving away a stray dog.
"For the sake of our former neighborly relationship, we'll pretend we didn't see you. Get lost, traitor!"
"What are you talking about? You're breaking into my house and stealing!"
Matsuda's vicious temper was provoked as well. He recognized the things they were carrying; they were all from his home.
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