The One Behind the Scenes

In the eyes of their classmates, Zhang Tianzhen and Hu Xiaoniu were already considered top-tier rich, handsome, and successful men.

When people went to visit them, they saw the scene at the hospital.

The bodyguards outside the ward were extremely professional, as were the medical team specifically assigned to these two individuals.

All of this is not the kind of treatment that ordinary rich and handsome men can enjoy.

However, even this top-tier handsome and wealthy man lost his composure after being calmly stared at by Yang Yang for three seconds...

While packing her things, Zhang Tianzhen muttered to herself, "Why are you bullying me? Why don't you go bully Xiao Niu? You just think I'm honest!"

Yang Yang glanced at him. "You want to get beaten up again, don't you?"

Zhang Tianzhen immediately shut her mouth and obediently went to move another table.

They went to the same private school since they were little. When the boys were young, they were a bit mischievous: they liked to poke girls' backs with pencils and pull girls' ponytails.

This clumsy attempt to attract girls' attention only annoys them.

However, this situation never happened to Yang Yang, because if you touch this girl, you will really be pinned to the ground and beaten.

The girl sat down between Qing Chen and Hu Xiaoniu. Hu Xiaoniu asked in a low voice, "Yang Yang, have you heard about Wang Yun's situation?"

"Yes," Yang Yang nodded, "Your incident has caused such a big stir in the industry, it's impossible not to know about it. But you can't blame others; it's normal to run into trouble when you hang out with people who have problems."

The school bell rang, and Hu Xiaoniu sighed and fell silent.

Qing Chen and Nan Gengchen exchanged a glance. They realized that Yang Yang seemed to have a very high status in Hu Xiaoniu's circle.

However, Qing Chen couldn't understand why the other person was sitting next to him.

Did it recognize itself?

The girl clearly didn't pay attention to him at first; her gaze had already swept past him, but then she turned back to him.

From this perspective, even if the other party didn't recognize him, they must have had some kind of suspicion.

During the first English class, the girl named Yang Yang didn't even look up once; she was constantly writing and drawing, and it was unclear what she was drawing.

Just as class was about to end, the girl suddenly wrote a note and handed it to Qing Chen.

Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen, her two classmates who had been quietly watching her, were stunned when they saw this action. What was going on? Yang Yang was writing a note to a boy? They couldn't have seen it wrong, could they?

Based on their previous impressions of this girl, they wouldn't be surprised if she gave Qing Chen a cross-chokehold.

But passing notes should absolutely not be done!

If this were posted in the Haicheng High School alumni group, the students wouldn't believe it!

Zhang Tianzhen also wrote a small note to Hu Xiaoniu: "Yang Yang wouldn't be here because of that Qing Chen classmate, would she?"

Hu Xiaoniu shook his head. "I observed some details. She probably doesn't know Qing Chen, nor does she know that Qing Chen is here."

"Could it be because Qing Chen is good-looking? That's why I passed him the note?"

"Are you kidding me? Yang Yang isn't a lovesick fool! She must have her reasons!"

While the two rich kids were discussing, Qing Chen silently looked at the note in front of him that read: I know you recognize me.

He thought for a moment and wrote on the note, "Classmate, what does this mean?"

The girl calmly wrote: I recognized you too.

His heart tightened.

The other person recognized him as expected.

The girl turned her head to the side, staring intently at Qing Chen's profile, waiting for his answer.

Those sharp eyes scrutinized Qing Chen's face, as if capturing every detail. This scrutiny was like an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Qing Chen replied, "Classmate, are you sure you're not mistaken about something?"

He didn't believe the other party was 100% certain; they were most likely bluffing him.

Yang Yang wrote again: You must be the assassin on Laojun Mountain that night. Although you changed your hairstyle, your eyes are the same. There's no mistake about that.

Qing Chen replied: Classmate, you've really mistaken me for someone else.

At this point, Yang Yang stopped talking nonsense.

She pulled a sketch from under her notebook and placed it on the table in front of Qing Chen.

Looking at the simple yet richly detailed pencil drawing in front of him, Qing Chen realized that the girl had been drawing him all along!

The painting only shows the upper half of Qing Chen's face, but his eyes are incredibly lifelike.

Yang Yang wrote, "Was that your first time killing someone that night? If it was, you're better than me."

Qing Chen looked at the painting in front of him. He looked somewhat disheveled in the painting, with messy hair and dust on his face.

But in his eyes, there was more determination and perseverance.

A murderous aura emanated from them.

He felt that if he had looked in the mirror that night, he would have seen himself looking exactly like the painting.

Does this girl also have the ability to remember everything she sees?

Not only Qing Chen felt this way, but when Nan Gengchen secretly glanced at the painting, he seemed to recall everything that happened that night.

Fierce thugs, towering flames, screaming crowds.

And there was Qing Chen, who saved him in a moment of crisis.

Several days later, Nan Gengchen had almost forgotten what happened.

But the sketch was so magical that it instantly transported him back to midnight that day.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Yang Yang wrote another note, "I've been painting for 12 years, and my specialty is capturing facial details. Thomas Lawrence is one of my favorite painters. I'll never forget those distinctive eyes and facial expressions after seeing them just once. I'm very confident in this, so you don't need to keep denying it."

Qing Chen knew Thomas Lawrence, who was the former president of the Royal Academy of Arts in England and one of the most famous portrait painters.

He realized that although the girl did not have her own photographic memory, her skill, honed over many years, was to capture facial details.

Like some street portrait artists, they can always quickly capture your facial features on paper.

Qing Chen thought for a moment and then wrote on the note, "Classmate, you've got it wrong."

Yang Yang glanced at him but didn't say anything more.

In reality, Qing Chen knew that the other party was certain of his identity as an assassin, but he could not admit it.

He tucked the drawing into the book, then carefully tore the note with writing on it into powder, making sure no one could repair and put it back together.

Hu Xiaoniu, who was standing nearby, caught a glimpse of this scene. Although he couldn't see what was written on the note, it was covered with densely packed conversations.

At this moment, even he had some doubts: Was Yang Yang here for this classmate Qing Chen?

However, Qing Chen was thinking that wearing a mask was not very reliable; he would have to wear a face mask instead.

Otherwise, if I encounter someone who paints portraits year after year, I'll be remembered!

Wait, why did this girl named Yang Yang transfer to Luocheng Foreign Language School?

First of all, the girl had absolutely no need to try to curry favor with Liu Dezhu like others did.

Because those who possess extraordinary abilities have already forged their own path.

Secondly, the girl didn't seem to be looking for Hu Xiaoniu or Zhang Tianzhen, at least those two were completely unaware that she had transferred to this class.

Secondly, the girl didn't come for him; he only found himself there after he arrived.

It seems that it was just a coincidence that the other person came to this class.

However, Qing Chen suspected that the other party had other purposes or goals in this Luocheng Foreign Language School.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside in the corridor.

A teacher from the Academic Affairs Office came to the classroom door and announced, "After class, please assemble on the playground. There is a recent outbreak of hepatitis B virus, and the school is organizing free physical examinations today. Morning classes will be suspended. Please cooperate."

Nan Gengchen was suddenly stunned. He wanted to go see Qing Chen immediately, but he held back.

He instinctively felt that this physical examination was definitely not simple!

Hepatitis B is a Class B infectious disease under the national statutory infectious diseases list, and it is very troublesome to transmit.

The problem is, no one has ever seen such a rushed physical examination, and no one even told us not to eat breakfast today.

Everything is temporary.

The classroom erupted into chaos. Regardless of whether there was a physical examination or not, everyone was happy as long as they didn't have to attend class.

Taking this opportunity, Yang Yang looked at Qing Chen and whispered, "They're probably looking for you. Of all the known incidents, you're the only one who left bloodstains on Laojun Mountain. Don't take any chances. I suggest you find an excuse to hide first."

Besides Qing Chen, the others also bled.

But those who had shed blood were either dead or had been captured by Kunlun.

What Yang Yang meant was that Qing Chen was the only person who had bled but hadn't been registered by Kunlun.

Qing Chen glanced at the other person in surprise; he hadn't expected the other person to advise him to hide.

He thought for a moment but still insisted, "Classmate, you've really mistaken me for someone else."

The bell rang, Qing Chen patted Nan Gengchen on the shoulder. The two walked down to the playground together.

There was not a trace of worry, nor a trace of hesitation.

Now it was Yang Yang's turn to be surprised. She looked at Qing Chen's back and wondered if she had really mistaken him for someone else. Otherwise, why wasn't this young man worried about the blood test at all?

Or perhaps, this young man already possesses the means and confidence to remain undetected?

Hu Xiaoniu glanced at Qing Chen's retreating figure, then looked at Yang Yang: "Is there something wrong with him?"

Yang Yang glanced at him. "You don't need to know that yet, just be careful not to mess with him."

Hu Xiaoniu and Zhang Tianzhen stared at each other in astonishment. Had they missed something very important?

Why did Yang Yang remind them not to provoke Qing Chen? Could he be some kind of monster?

They looked at Yang Yang, but the girl had no intention of explaining anything to them.

In fact, Yang Yang had already arrived at the scene when the fire started in the inns that night.

She was waiting for an opportunity to kill the thug, but before she could make a move, a teenager came up from behind him.

Yang Yang watched as Qing Chen, expressionless, precisely drove a dagger into the spleen of a thug from behind.

Furthermore, the opponent's marksmanship was also very strange. Even though the boy's grip on the gun was not standard and the first shot went astray, the second shot was able to accurately correct the trajectory!

Blood, gunfire, and youth.

It's like a beautiful painting.

At that moment, she sensed that the boy was also somewhat flustered and panicked, but in the midst of the chaos, he abandoned all his complex emotions and became a cold killing machine.

Then, looking at that cold killing machine, she was struck by a surge of astonishing ferocity and courage.

The feeling was so strange that she almost forgot to make a move while standing behind the boy, simply watching him perform the art of assassination.

Yang Yang recalled that she was actually forced to kill people when she crossed the Indian Ocean. When the pirates came, she refused to kill them, but they killed her instead.

Moreover, if she were captured by pirates, what they would do would be even more cruel than murder.

Since then, she hasn't killed anyone again; when facing a criminal in the parking lot, she only crushed his knee.

But Qing Chen was different from her. That night, Qing Chen was the hunter, actively searching for prey.

She recalled the bloody footprints on the ground that night, and then recalled the boy's persistence and ruthlessness in chasing the killer in the dark.

Yang Yang's most immediate impression was: this boy is dangerous.

So, out of friendship, Yang Yang reminded Hu Xiaoniu not to provoke this kind of person, as it was very dangerous.

As they went downstairs, Nan Gengchen whispered to Qing Chen, "Brother Chen, I saw the transfer student's sketch. Did she discover your identity? Was she there at the time? I don't think I saw her."

Qing Chen glanced at him. "We'll talk about this another time."

"Oh," Nan Gengchen nodded, "Then, Brother Chen, could you give me the sketch? I'll frame it for you as a keepsake. Speaking of which, that girl's drawing skills are really good. As soon as I saw that sketch, I was reminded of what happened that night."

Qing Chen said helplessly, "Should we make another offering and burn some incense for me?"

"Ahem, that's not what I meant," Nan Gengchen said. "By the way, Brother Chen, I think that girl is quite pretty. Is she a little interested in you, that's why she sat next to you? You two..."

Then Qing Chen turned to look at his deskmate seriously. "Making jokes about girls behind their backs is not a good habit."

"I know, I know," Nan Gengchen humbly admitted his mistake. "But Brother Chen, are you sure you'll be alright after having your blood drawn? I'm sorry, I dragged you into this."

"There's no such thing as being a burden or not," Qing Chen recalled what happened that night, "At first it was to save you, but later it wasn't."

"Why is that?"

"Because there are some things that must be done."

More than a dozen white tents have been erected on the playground.

A table was set up under the tent, and doctors and nurses in white coats sat around it, with a series of medical instruments such as alcohol, cotton swabs, and blood collection tubes prepared.

Qing Chen glanced over and was shocked to find that Xiao Ying, the Xiao Ying who had been involved in a car accident at No. 4 Xingshu Road, was also wearing a white coat and a white mask...

He didn't see Lu Yuan, nor did he know what Lu Yuan was busy with.

On the playground, the most conspicuous person was not the white tents, but Liu Dezhu.

More than thirty rich kids surrounded him, laughing and joking as they looked at their classmates on the playground, their faces showing the novelty of being in the countryside.

Qing Chen glanced at it and then ignored it; he didn't think there were any potential customers here.

Now that he has officially been promoted to knight and has someone like Li Shutong as his mentor, he is qualified to be selective about his clients...

Not far away, Yang Yang silently watched everyone line up for a physical examination. Qing Chen and Nan Gengchen stood in the line, extremely calm.

She saw it.

When it was Qing Chen's turn to have his blood drawn, the boy sat down at the table without hesitation and stretched out his arm, as if he wasn't worried at all.

"Could this boy have already injected gene-editing drugs to alter his DNA, which is why he's so fearless?" Yang Yang pondered to herself. "I originally thought he might be Li Shutong's student, but now it seems I was wrong?"

In fact, Qing Chen had confirmed with Li Shutong that the knightly inheritance was a very secretive matter. Most people who knew about it only knew about the Green Mountain Cliff, because the Green Mountain Cliff was there and could not be moved.

However, almost no one knew what the Life and Death Trial that followed would be.

I don't know if the advancement will be achieved by unlocking the Gene Lock after passing the Life and Death Trial.

In the Inner World, only the Path of the Knight is related to the Gene Lock.

Therefore, Qing Chen was confident that he could now withstand blood sampling.

No matter how many times the other party undergoes testing, the test reports will always lead everyone's guesses to the wrong conclusion.

However, on his way back to the classroom after having his blood drawn, as he passed Yang Yang, the girl suddenly said, "I don't know how you did it, but I won't change my mind."

Qing Chen smiled but did not respond further.

Nobody noticed.

After Qing Chen left after having his blood drawn, Xiao Ying, wearing a white coat, came into the white tent.

The nurse who had previously drawn blood from Qing Chen silently handed him a blood collection tube. The two figures only crossed hands for a fleeting moment before the blood collection tube was already in Xiao Ying's hands.

He casually glanced around, then silently got into an ambulance.

He took off his white coat in the car and looked at Zheng Yuandong beside him, saying, "Boss, I got it."

Zheng Yuandong nodded and said, "Go to the forensic identification center. I need to know the results as soon as possible."

Xiao Ying thought for a moment and asked, "Boss, do we need to be this cautious? I understand that you're arranging large-scale blood collection to avoid alarming students and their parents. But does taking his blood sample alone also require such caution and secrecy?"

Zheng Yuandong glanced at Xiao Ying and calmly explained, "Too many people are looking for him. While we need to confirm his identity, we also need to ensure his safety."

"Is someone still looking for him? In Jiuzhou?" Xiao Ying asked curiously.

Zheng Yuandong shook his head. "It's not just Jiuzhou, there's probably more than we imagine."

5 p. m.

In an office at the forensic identification center, Xiao Ying approached Zheng Yuandong with a test report. After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Boss, it's not him."

A rare look of seriousness appeared on Zheng Yuandong's face. He took the test report and checked it again and again before finally confirming that the DNA of the boy named Qing Chen did not match the DNA they had collected.

He examined all the clues he had obtained.

In the quiet office, Zheng Yuandong silently closed his eyes.

He traced the boy's footsteps in his memories, as if unraveling a mystery to get closer to the truth.

However, the entire interconnected chain of clues, like a spider web, was completely severed by a single test report.

It looked as if it had been cut in half with a single, forceful stroke.

"Boss?" Xiao Ying couldn't help but ask, "What do we do now?"

Zheng Yuandong stood up. "The person behind it all may not be him, but the assassin on Laojun Mountain must be him. I trust my judgment."

Zheng Yuandong was thinking.

Even if all his clues are correct, the test results may prove his assumptions wrong.

There must be a clue he is unaware of that led the lab report to an incorrect conclusion.

"He changed his DNA," Zheng Yuandong said, looking at the Xiao Ying.

Between the Laojun Mountain incident and the blood collection incident, in this timeline spanning more than twenty days Inner World, Qing Chen changed his DNA!

This is the most reasonable explanation.

That boy must have known that the blood sample left by the other party at Laojun Mountain was a very deadly clue, so the other party took the initiative to change his DNA in the past twenty days.

But what means can alter one's DNA? Only gene-editing drugs.

But here's the question, "If he is indeed the other Time Walker in Prison No. 18, a student of Li Shutong, and the mastermind behind Liu Dezhu's cover, then why would he choose to inject himself with the gene serum?"

It's important to know that everyone in the Inner World is well aware that gene-enhancing drugs have side effects.

In the new era of civilization, the earliest gene potions came from the Tribunal of Taboos.

They used a drug to force-feed extracted genetic fragments of "gods" onto human genes.

This thing is very mysterious. Zheng Yuandong started researching it after he got the gene serum, but no one has been able to break through this technology so far.

Later, gene serums became more common, and various conglomerates seemed to have found the genes of the new humans in Forbidden Zone and then extracted them.

However, side effects also follow: those who receive gene injections are unable to have children.

This is like a very simple truth: whatever you gain, you will inevitably lose.

Everything has a price.

So, would Li Shutong's students really pay such a heavy price just to hide their identities? Of course not.

People at the bottom of society regard gene therapy as extremely important for survival, family status, protection of relatives, and making a living.

In an era where human life is as fragile as paper, they can only live a slightly better life by becoming useful and valuable!

But the upper class has never bothered with gene-editing drugs!

Thinking of this, Zheng Yuandong suddenly looked at Xiao Ying: "Will you... blame me for injecting you with gene-enhancing drugs?"

Xiao Ying scratched his head and laughed, "Boss, what are you saying? Everyone made their own choices, and we all know about the side effects."

"But you may be too young to realize just how serious this is."

Xiao Ying chuckled, "Hilarious, he'll never find a girlfriend."

Under Zheng Yuandong's watchful gaze.

Xiao Ying quickly said, "Boss, I was just joking. Besides... there are always things that need to be done, right? Don't worry, we all swore an oath to do it without complaint."

The office suddenly fell silent, and Zheng Yuandong remained silent.

Xiao Ying changed the subject, asking, "Boss, could there be someone else behind Qing Chen?"

Zheng Yuandong pondered, "I've considered this possibility, and it seems to be the only one left. The person behind the scenes has always been very cautious; there's no reason for them to break out from behind the scenes and step into the limelight."

Just like He Jinqiu, very few people have seen him make a move so far, because he is the one who plans and controls everything.

From this perspective, both Qing Chen and Liu Dezhu seem to be pawns in someone's game, placed on the stage for a contest.

That night at Laojun Mountain, the assassin was far too ruthless; it didn't seem like something someone hiding behind the scenes would do.

"I need to double-check."

After saying that, Zheng Yuandong dialed a number and said, "Help me hack into Nan Gengchen and Qing Chen's chat history, from the time they transmigrated until now, all of it."

It's unclear who the call was to, but the chat history was sent out very quickly.

This was against the rules, but he needed to understand Qing Chen more clearly.

Zheng Yuandong looked closely and discovered that for a long time after the incident began, Nan Gengchen was unaware of Qing Chen's identity Time Walker.

Until the last time he returned.

He looked at the chat history:

"Brother Chen, are you there? Are you there? Are you there? Are you there?"

"Brother Chen, let me explain!"

"No, Brother Chen, Li Yinuo and I are just ordinary friends!"

Zheng Yuandong found it strange. "Huh, they suddenly encountered each other in the Inner World, and something strange happened, which is why Nan Gengchen is so eager to explain. Li Yinuo, I've heard that name before. Isn't that the name of the eldest daughter of the third generation of the Li family? I saw the news a while ago that she led Autumn Hunting Team to the wilderness..."

Li Yinuo was so famous and a key figure in the conglomerate that Zheng Yuandong recognized her immediately.

It appears that Nan Gengchen followed the Autumn Hunting Team south and then encountered Qing Chen.

But why did Nan Gengchen explain that he and Li Yinuo were just ordinary friends, while Qing Chen told Nan Gengchen to take good care of himself during the seven days after his return?

Xiao Ying muttered, "Boss, judging from this, could Nan Gengchen be being kept by that rich woman Li Yinuo?!"

Zheng Yuandong was taken aback. To be honest, that was indeed the case.

He looked back and then naturally saw that Nan Gengchen had asked Qing Chen to come and seek refuge with him. Qing Chen said that food earned by one's own efforts tastes better.

Yes, it echoes the beginning...

Xiao Ying was a little envious. "I wish I could be kept by a rich woman. I even had a gene serum, so not only am I physically strong, but I don't need to get a tubal ligation..."

Under Zheng Yuandong's watchful gaze, the Xiao Ying shut up.

Zheng Yuandong said, "Qing Chen is a hunter in the wilderness, and Nan Gengchen is right next to Li Yinuo. He also revealed a lot about the Li family to Qing Chen."

This explains why Nan Gengchen learned about the Purge Plan from Li Yinuo!

He also told Qing Chen!

Xiao Ying said, "Boss, could Nan Gengchen be the mastermind behind all this? You see, he's involved in almost every incident."

Zheng Yuandong slowly looked at him, as if he were looking at a fool...

He was actually a little disappointed that Kunlun had gone to such lengths to organize blood collection today, only to confirm Qing Chen's identity as a wilderness hunter.

Based on current clues, both Qing Chen and Liu Dezhu have been injected with gene-enhancing drugs, so they are probably not the core figures.

The most crucial point is that Qing Chen is not in Prison No. 18!

In fact, Zheng Yuandong and Xiao Ying didn't know that the so-called wilderness hunter identity was not important.

Qing Chen left this chat log to prove to everyone that he was not in Prison No. 18.

Since he's not in Prison No. 18, he can't possibly be the person hiding in Prison No. 18.

In this way, he can live a life of quiet seclusion in the city.

Who would have thought that he could actually go in and out of prison freely?

Qing Chen can reveal his identity Time Walker, or he can make people think that he is someone's pawn.

This is his second layer of firewall.

In fact, Qing Chen had already realized that with one crisis after another, it was impossible to remain completely invisible.

So he settled for second best and chose a less prestigious identity for himself.

However, Zheng Yuandong felt that although Qing Chen and Liu Dezhu were both just pawns, Qing Chen's status as a pawn was definitely not that of Liu Dezhu's subordinate.

You absolutely cannot listen to Liu Dezhu's side of the story in this matter. In fact, in this situation, whoever hides their true intentions the most will have a higher status.

If Liu Dezhu was a pawn, then Qing Chen was at least a spearhead.

Based on the clues and information obtained by Zheng Yuandong.

Qing Chen is far superior to Liu Dezhu.

Xiao Ying asked, "Boss, to be honest, we don't understand why you're so sure that Qing Chen is the assassin from Laojun Mountain, and why this blood collection was arranged specifically for him."

Zheng Yuandong said, "These clues are a series of interconnected events."

"Right when the time travel incident happened, Lu Yuan noticed a suspicious teenager outside the gate of Huang Jixian's residential area, secretly observing us. Huang Jixian is the first-year high school student from Luocheng Foreign Language School who went insane."

"At the time, Lu Yuan and Hu Lu were cross-tracking the boy. At first, they were not sure if the boy's appearance there was a coincidence. It wasn't until the boy shook them off that Lu Yuan realized that the other party must be Time Walker."

Moreover, he is a Time Walker with powerful counter-surveillance capabilities.

Xiao Ying was somewhat taken aback; it was the first time he had ever heard of this. Team Leader Lu seemed carefree, but he was also a seasoned criminal investigator.

With Lu and Hulu working together to cross-track, how could they lose track of a high school student?

Zheng Yuandong said, "Lu Yuan didn't tell you about this because he was too embarrassed to tell you, but he secretly checked the surveillance footage for several days and finally found the other party's figure. He disappeared in the area around Luocheng Foreign Language School and Xingshu Road."

This is the first clue.

Zheng Yuandong continued, "Later, a Time Walker named Jiang Xue was attacked at home. One of the two assailants fell down the stairs and fainted, while the other fled. However, during his escape, the assailant's leg was broken by a blunt object. The strangest thing is that the assailant didn't even see who the good Samaritan was."

The attacker was extremely cautious, and after landing a successful blow, he quickly disappeared into the shadows. So much so that when the neighbors opened their windows to watch the spectacle, all they could see was the thug with a broken leg.

It was as if the thug had broken his own leg.

The Xiao Ying said, "I know about this."

Zheng Yuandong said, "Qing Chen is Jiang Xue's neighbor, living downstairs from her. Some neighbors say he has a very good relationship with Jiang Xue's daughter."

This is the second clue.

Zheng Yuandong said, "When Hu Xiaoniu, Zhang Tianzhen, and other students were kidnapped at Jiang Xue's house, Liu Dezhu led you to Xingshu Road. But how did Liu Dezhu know this? Who discovered this and passed the message to the outside world?"

"It was only after this incident that Lu Yuan and I realized that there was someone hiding behind the scenes, like pulling strings and treating everyone as Puppet Master, putting on a great show."

It wasn't until this moment that Zheng Yuandong noticed a person who frequently appeared in the related clues: Qing Chen.

His name appears as a clue in everything, but it seems that none of these things have anything to do with him.

This is the third clue.

Zheng Yuandong said, "In the Laojun Mountain incident, the fire destroyed more than ten guesthouses, and even the accommodation registration forms were burned. Because there was no network connection, we were unable to find the check-in records."

Xiao Ying said, "Yes, later the team even went to search through the ruins themselves, but they found nothing."

Zheng Yuandong said, "You've all overlooked one thing: nowadays everyone likes to book hotels in advance on apps. I found Jiang Xue's booking record on Meituan."

"Jiang Xue doesn't have a private car, so I went to check the passenger records at the bus station for those days. Nowadays, you need an ID card to buy a ticket to ride a regular bus, so I found that Qing Chen was also on that bus."

Therefore, Qing Chen was also on Laojun Mountain that night.

This is the fourth clue.

Later, Zheng Yuandong also learned that Qing Chen was Nan Gengchen's classmate and good brother.

This explains why Qing Chen went up to the second floor first after breaking into the inn from the back, and rescued Nan Gengchen.

This explains why Wang Yun said the assassin should be very young, while Nan Gengchen said the assassin was a middle-aged man in his thirties.

Then Zheng Yuandong discovered that the bus passenger records showed that Jiang Xue, Qing Chen, and Li Tongyun had only left Laojun Mountain on the morning of October 8th after the kidnapping.

During this period, Qing Chen should have been hiding and recuperating.

Soon, Zheng Yuandong discovered that Qing Chen's father had been imprisoned frequently before and after the time-travel incident, both times after being reported for gambling.

He checked the report information, and one of the case files stated that the reporter was Mr. Qing, a concerned citizen.

At this moment, Zheng Yuandong finally had a clear assessment of Qing Chen: ruthless and vicious...

This is the fifth clue.

When these five clues are connected, even if Zheng Yuandong is surprised, he will make the correct judgment: the high school student named Qing Chen has been hiding his identity and has played a huge role in everything.

The other party may not actually be the mastermind, but their identity as the assassin from Laojun Mountain is at least confirmed.

In the office, Xiao Ying's mouth gaped wider and wider. "Boss, he's just a high school student..."

In Xiao Ying's opinion, although every clue the boss gave was very convincing, he found it hard to believe that a high school student could be so fierce.

If it had been Xiao Ying who did those things, he probably would have been killed by the thugs long ago.

Moreover, the opponent not only possesses strong counter-surveillance awareness, enabling them to evade Lu Yuan's pursuit, but also can calmly kill multiple opponents.

Most importantly, he even went so far as to betray his own family and send his own father to prison...

This guy is incredibly ruthless.

"So, boss, what are you planning to do with this young man?" Xiao Ying thought for a moment and said, "Kunlun actually needs a tough nut to crack like this, doesn't it?"

"Hmm," Zheng Yuandong thought for a moment and said, "Although we couldn't find the person behind it all, if we can dig up this Qing Chen, it would be a pretty good result."

Xiao Ying chuckled and said, "That's right, a thief never leaves empty-handed!"

Zheng Yuandong: "..."

Xiao Ying's smile faded, "Boss, I was wrong."

Zheng Yuandong said earnestly, "Xiao Ying, did something happen to your brain after those car accidents? I'll give you two days off so you can get a thorough check-up."

"No need, boss, I'm fine. I just like to joke around," Xiao Ying said earnestly and sincerely.

6 p. m.

At the entrance of the forensic identification center, a forensic doctor walked out nonchalantly.

The security guard greeted him with a smile, "Section Chief Qin, going home after work?"

Section Chief Qin replied with a smile, "Yes, you must be tired after a long day, go back and rest."

After saying that, Section Chief Qin went to the door and boarded the bus.

He first went to the vegetable market and bought a bunch of scallions, a bunch of celery, and two pounds of beef. Then he went to the grain and oil store and bought a bottle of soy sauce.

Then he walked home.

In late autumn, it gets dark quite early.

However, after returning home, Section Chief Qin did not turn on the lights in the living room, but instead walked towards the TV wall in the dark.

He pulled a letter from behind the TV and wrote a few words on it using the light from his phone: DNA mismatch.

After finishing writing, Section Chief Qin took a boning knife from the kitchen and gently cut his arm. This way, no one could see his wound because it was covered by his clothes.

He dripped blood onto the envelope and watched as the blood flowed and rolled, turning into a postmark.

Section Chief Qin took out a lighter and lit the letter.

The orange-red flames grew larger and larger, illuminating the living room.

The next moment, Section Chief Qin looked at the person opposite him and screamed in terror!

They involuntarily retreated!

It wasn't until the firelight illuminated the living room that he realized his former colleague, Lu Yuan, was sitting on the sofa opposite him!

Lu Yuan didn't seem to intend to extinguish the fire on the envelope, letting it burn out completely in Section Chief Qin's hands.

The light in the living room dimmed again.

Lu Yuan sighed, "Old Qin, why? Back when I was still in criminal investigation, you weren't like this. You even taught me to always be an upright person."

Section Chief Qin leaned against the television, his voice trembling slightly, and said, "Xiao Lu, I have cancer. The other party has the targeted drug I need, which doesn't exist in the Outer World. I've also checked the price on the dark web, and I simply can't afford it with my salary. Even if I sold everything I own, I could only afford a month's supply."

Lu Yuan was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected that Lao Qin would betray his country because of this.

However, he quickly realized that there were far too many people like Lao Qin who suffered from terminal illnesses.

In the past, people always felt that cancer was something far away, but now, who doesn't have a relative or friend who has had cancer?

However, the holder of that Demon Stamp exploits everyone's will to survive, or more directly, their desires, to make deals with the devil.

The other party did not force anyone.

In mythology, demons never force anyone; they only use desire to entice humans to exchange their souls.

Section Chief Qin said tremblingly, "Xiao Lu, let me go. Anyway, I don't have much time left to live."

Lu Yuan sat on the sofa, his expression shrouded in shadow, making it impossible to discern his emotions or feelings.

After a long while, Lu Yuan sighed and said, "Old Qin, I'm sorry."

As soon as he finished speaking, Section Chief Qin turned and ran outside, but Lu Yuan had already reached him and knocked him unconscious.

Lu Yuan silently watched his old colleague, who had been investigating a previous leak for some time.

But he really didn't expect it to end like this.

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