The True Shadow

Upon entering the changing room, Qing Chen was shocked to find Li Shutong happily eating cantaloupe, and his clothes had been changed to the white side.

Before the two could speak, two female medical staff came forward to treat Qing Chen's wounds, while the accompanying staff handed him a card. "This is your share of the profits from tonight's appearance. Starting tonight, as long as you participate in a match, you will receive a share of the boxing gym's betting pool and ticket sales."

"How much is this?" Qing Chen asked.

"1.12 million," the staff member said politely.

Li Shutong put down the cantaloupe and said casually, "That's pretty high. Begonia Boxing Gym is offering the same profit-sharing percentage as the Tigerweight Champion right off the bat?"

The staff member became even more polite. "You really know your stuff. This profit-sharing ratio was indeed specifically instructed by Boss Tang, based on the level of Tigerweight boxing champion."

Middleweight and above boxers can participate in profit sharing, but the money that ordinary boxers receive is vastly different from the money that champions in each weight class can receive.

This also motivates ambitious boxers to try to win championship titles in various weight classes every year.

"Also," the staff member said, "We'd like to ask Xiao Tu when he'd like to participate in the Land Cruiser Class competition?"

"I need to think about this matter some more," Qing Chen said.

"Okay, no problem," the staff member said as they left the changing room.

Qing Chen's wounds had been treated, and Li Shutong said with a smile, "From now on, you won't be particularly short of money."

Qing Chen looked at his master, remembering how the other party had offered him gold bars, which he had refused.

Actually, although they were master and apprentice at that time, their relationship wasn't that close.

Having traversed Forbidden Zone No. 002 and experienced so much, Qing Chen now accepts his fate with a sense of self-righteousness.

Ultimately, it was because Qing Chen lacked a sense of security earlier on.

Back then, they were master and disciple, but now they were like father and son. It was a completely different feeling, and the boy no longer needed to insist on his pride.

Moreover, to protect his self-esteem, Li Shutong even let Qing Chen win back his first fortune with his own hands.

This master has really put a lot of thought into it.

"Master, do you think I'm suitable to participate in the Land Cruiser Class competition right now?" Qing Chen asked.

"I think you can try playing around in the Tigerweight first," Li Shutong said after thinking for a moment. "And I think you need a process of getting used to fighting. Just like when you fought Huang Zixian tonight, he already knew very well that his weight could no longer support the strength of the same weight class, but you lack practical experience, so you didn't know that at all."

In Li Shutong's view, his student possessed the extraordinary ability of super memory, which allowed him to quickly replicate other people's skills and experiences after a period of adaptation.

Therefore, accumulation and sedimentation is a very important process.

Li Shutong thought for a moment and said, "I suggest you come and watch the game every night from now on. Whether you play or not, watching the game is a must for you."

Qing Chen understood his master's meaning. Because his level advancement was more rapid than others, he jumped to the peak of E-Class in one step, so he needed to learn, observe, and think.

"Let's go home," Li Shutong said with a smile. "This time, Master can also ride in the Begonia Boxing Gym's van. It's like he's gained prestige because of his son."

As he stepped out of the locker room, many spectators recognized Qing Chen and greeted him warmly, some even with eyes sparkling with admiration.

This is not surprising, after all, this is a world that admires the strong.

However, Li Shutong's behavior was quite strange. Whenever someone recognized Qing Chen, he would smile and say to them, "Did you watch his match just now? This is my son, isn't he amazing...?"

Qing Chen watched this scene and laughed silently, but the laughter aggravated the wound on his face, making his laugh look very ugly.

When the two left the venue, Jiang Xiaotang, the proprietress in a gold dress, was already waiting at the door.

She smiled and said to Qing Chen, "Congratulations! I'm Jiang Xiaotang, the owner of this Begonia Boxing Gym."

"Thank you," Qing Chen said, and got into the van.

However, after Qing Chen got into the car, Li Shutong suddenly looked Jiang Xiaotang over seriously, smiled and said, "Not bad, much more mature than when you were a child."

After saying that, Li Shutong got into the nanny van, leaving Jiang Xiaotang standing blankly at the entrance of the boxing gym.

The beautiful and young boss turned and walked into the boxing gym. She swayed her hips as she entered her private office and quietly lit a cigarette.

The wisps of smoke seemed to soothe her fluctuating emotions.

Jiang Xiaotang knew that behind that unfamiliar face was an elder she knew very well. The other person's appearance might have changed, but their voice remained the same.

Moreover, this elder was well aware that she could recognize the other person's voice.

Countdown: 48:00:00.

Back on the 132nd floor of the Luoshen Building, Qing Chen, enduring the pain from his wounds, grimaced and nestled on the sofa. "Master, how long will it take for my injury to heal?"

"Your injury is quite serious this time. Even if the boxing gym uses the best medicine for you, it will still take a week," Li Shutong estimated.

"It seems I'll have to return to the Outer World with my injuries," Qing Chen sighed.

Li Shutong asked with a smile, "By the way, you still haven't said what flaw you found in Yang Yang's defenses?"

Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, "My current guess is that she chose my class so that she could observe Liu Dezhu up close."

"Liu Dezhu?" Li Shutong asked.

"Yes, in the Outer World, he is your student. Of course, many people don't believe it now," Qing Chen said. "But one thing is certain: he is indeed in Prison No. 18, and he is indeed in contact with you."

"Those with awakened force fields don't actually need to rely on powerful figures like others," Li Shutong said.

"So, I think she was actually after Prison No. 18," Qing Chen said. "At first, she wanted to observe Liu Dezhu, but later she realized that I might be more valuable and closer to you, so she shifted her focus to me."

"Yes, that makes some sense," Li Shutong said.

"Master, which forces are currently eyeing Prison No. 18? Is it solely for ACE-005?"

Li Shutong laughed, "Of course not, even Guo Huzhan didn't come for ACE-005."

"What was the reason for that?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled.

"It's for ACE-002," Li Shutong said.

Qing Chen suddenly realized, "So that's how it is."

He had previously asked his master if he had ever seen an S-class Forbidden Item, and the master replied, "You might see one soon."

Therefore, this S-class Forbidden Item has always been kept in Prison No. 18, and it is of paramount importance.

"Do they know what ACE-002 is?" Qing Chen asked.

"I don't know," Li Shutong shook his head. "In fact, the appearance of this Forbidden Item is also very strange, because it was extracted from an ordinary person."

"An S-level Forbidden Item was extracted from an ordinary person's body?" Qing Chen exclaimed in surprise, "This doesn't follow the rules."

"Yes, everyone thinks it doesn't fit," Li Shutong said. "But someone told me that the ordinary person could have become an S-class superhuman, but that ordinary person was so intelligent that he felt that his intelligence was enough to dominate the world, so he didn't need to awaken to become a superhuman."

Therefore, he did not become a superhuman.

Li Shutong looked at Qing Chen and said, "According to the bloodline relationships in the Inner World, this ordinary person is still your ancestor. The shadows of the Qing clan usually don't have a good end. When he was the shadow, he was forced to choose to overturn the table, and overnight the Qing clan was wiped out, and the country changed hands. After many extraordinary people die, people will occasionally visit their graves to see if any Forbidden Item are found. Only this one has been forgotten because he was not an extraordinary person at all."

When Li Shutong introduced the Forbidden Item ACE-002, he explained its causes in great detail.

However, he did not mention the function, containment conditions, or origin of this S-class Forbidden Item.

"Master, you didn't go tomb raiding, did you?" Qing Chen asked hesitantly.

"What are you thinking?" Li Shutong said, both amused and exasperated. "A knight wouldn't do something so heinous."

Qing Chen thought for a moment, "Now I know why so many forces are eyeing Prison No. 18. So, which forces are currently inside?"

"Spades, the Tribunal of Taboos, Kashima," Li Shutong glanced at Qing Chen.

Qing Chen analyzed, "Kashima can be ruled out first; Yang Yang wouldn't work for Kashima."

"Why?" Li Shutong asked.

"Because the Chinese in the Outer World look down on the people of Kashima," Qing Chen said firmly. "If the Chinese in the Outer World work for Kashima, they are no different from traitors."

"Then she wouldn't be a member of the Tribunal of Taboos either," Li Shutong laughed. "The Tribunal of Taboos is the natural enemy of superhumans; no superhuman would willingly join only to be taken in later in life."

"Then only spades are left," Qing Chen said.

When all impossibilities are eliminated, the only remaining option is the answer.

Yang Yang has an unconventional personality. She can visit Qing Chen's house late at night and speak without restraint, so in the eyes of outsiders, she and Qing Chen have a very close relationship.

But what's the truth? Both of them were fully aware that they were sabotaging each other, yet they remained wary of one another, testing each other, and exploiting each other.

Qing Chen needs her gravity chamber, and she needs Qing Chen's identity and background in the Inner World.

Li Shutong asked with a smile, "Do you think she wants to get the Forbidden Item from me through you?"

Qing Chen shook his head. "Such a smart girl must know that no matter how hard she tries or how close she is to me, you will never give up ACE-002. So her goal is not to seize the Forbidden Item."

At this moment, Qing Chen fell into deep thought, "I'm afraid that when she transmigrated here, she was already carrying out the mission of Spade. But Yang Yang is Time Walker, so she naturally wouldn't have any sense of belonging to the organization the original owner belonged to, so she definitely wouldn't be willing to risk her life to carry out the mission with Guo Huzhan."

Qing Chen continued, "But the organization is the power behind her. Yang Yang is so smart that she wouldn't sit idly by and watch her organization suffer heavy losses, so perhaps she wants to preserve Guo Huzhan and the organization's power."

Li Shutong laughed and said, "I think Guo Huzhan, that bald guy, is actually a pretty good person. If this young lady were to plead for him, I might spare his life."

"Master, there should still be some clues," Qing Chen said.

He closed his eyes and carefully searched through all his memories.

An encounter in the Outer World, a reunion in the Inner World, a classroom in the early morning, a light rail train in the afternoon.

Everything flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

Qing Chen suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Master, the day of the student march on Sunday should be the day they plan to take action. The student march will end in the Upper Third District, where all the city's police force and the Federation Group Army's garrison will gather, and no one will pay attention to Prison No. 18. That's their purpose in initiating the student march."

Looking at the student's earnest expression, Li Shutong smiled and said, "Don't worry, I've been waiting for this for a long time. When that day comes, we'll give this little girl a surprise."

Qing Chen thought to himself, that might not be a surprise, but a shock.

"By the way, Master, when I become a boxer in the ring, my appearance will definitely be remembered by many people. Is that really okay?" Qing Chen asked.

"You are no longer the same person as 'Qing Chen of the Qing Clan'," Li Shutong said. "It's more troublesome to modify your future traces, but it's not difficult for Yi to modify the past trajectory of Qing Chen of the Qing Clan."

As he spoke, Li Shutong took out his phone and pulled out a photo. The person in the photo bore at most a slight resemblance to Qing Chen.

"If someone checks Qing Chen's file, they will find that his appearance has nothing to do with you," Li Shutong said. "You are now the son of a small-time wealthy merchant. Although you have the surname Qing, you have no relation to the Qing family."

"But many people have seen me," Qing Chen said.

"I've already confirmed it. There are only a few people who have seen your face, know your true identity, and can still remember you. Others may have seen you in the past, but their memories are probably hazy. They won't think much of this photo and will just think that you've grown up ugly in it," Li Shutong said. "As for those who still remember you, there's no need to worry about Kamishiro Kono because she's too far away, and you don't need to worry about Li Yinuo either. In Qin Cheng, only Xiao Yiyi guessed my identity. The rest are Qing Yan and the prisoners in Prison No. 18."

"Hmm," Qing Chen thought for a moment, "It should be right."

"Qing Yan died yesterday," Li Shutong said expressionlessly. "The prisoners in Prison No. 18 don't need to worry too much; they'll soon be unable to speak."

Qing Chen was taken aback. Judging from his master's ruthlessness, the implication was that he meant the prisoners...

He knew that killing people to silence them was necessary, but he never imagined that his master would kill so many people to cover it up.

Wrong.

Qing Chen suddenly turned to look at Li Shutong: "Master, you are actually fulfilling the containment conditions of ACE-002, right?"

Li Shutong smiled but remained silent.

"If what you say is true, and I have no connection with 'Qing Chen Clan' anymore, then how can I participate in the Shadow Struggle and receive the subsequent missions?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled.

"It's alright, you don't need to take on any missions," Li Shutong said. "The Shadow Struggle has always offered two paths, but one path is so cruel that many people have forgotten about it."

"Which road?"

"Kill all the other candidates, and you'll be all alone."

This is the cruelest path, and also the simplest and most brutal.

At this point, Li Shutong truly seemed more like the contemporary knightly leader who had long held a high position.

This was the Li Shutong that Qing Chen had met when he first arrived at Prison No. 18.

"But if I don't look like 'Qing Chen of the Qing Clan,' even if I kill all the other candidates, I still won't get the Qing Clan's approval. After all, I'm not a member of the Qing Clan anymore, so how can I be a shadow?" Qing Chen was even more confused.

"Don't worry, there's still someone who knows what you really look like, but I can't tell you who it is yet," Li Shutong said with a smile. "Remember, the one forgotten by everyone is the true shadow."

Thank you to Dolamur, Xiangba Qilin, Chen Yang Yang, and Da Yao for becoming new allies of this book. The boss is generous, may the bosses make a fortune!