The Observer

On the 112th floor of the Utopia Tower, in Qing Chen's rented room.

Just as Park Chang-ho was thinking, "Since we're already here," and was about to kill Qing Chen as well, Shadow opened the Shadow Gate and pulled Qing Chen, who was in the center of danger and chaos, inside.

Qing Chen looked around his room with curiosity.

This was his first time crossing the Shadow Gate.

One second he was in a shop on Fendou Road, and the next he was in the Utopia Tower. He didn't seem to notice anything unusual during that time, as if he had simply passed through a small door.

I wonder how many people have fantasized about having a way to travel through space, so they wouldn't need to go to banks, vaults, or any other magical places.

All you need to do is wake up every day and you can get directly to your workplace or school without having to drive, ride an electric bike, squeeze onto the subway, or take a bus.

Or if you want to travel to a certain place, you can reach it by opening a door.

What a happy thing this is.

Thinking of this, Qing Chen's eyes shone brightly as he looked at Mr. Shadow's neck. The Forbidden Item ACE-008 Shadow Gate pendant should be hanging there.

Shadow was both amused and exasperated. "Should I praise your courage, or should I scold you for having the guts of a bear and the gall of a leopard?"

Qing Chen lowered his gaze. "I'll just take a look."

Shadow thought for a moment, "It doesn't matter if I take a look."

At this point, he actually pulled the Shadow Gate pendant directly from his collar.

Qing Chen originally thought it would be an expensive object inlaid with sapphires or something similar, but he did not expect that the end of the pendant was just a small silver clasp.

It's the kind of silver clasp used to store photos of relatives and loved ones.

"Whose photo is inside?" Qing Chen asked.

The shadow took the silver clasp in its hand and opened it, revealing a photograph inside, which showed a handsome young man.

"Doesn't this look familiar?" Shadow chuckled.

Qing Chen fell silent, because the young man inside the silver clasp bore a striking resemblance to him, especially in the area between his eyebrows and eyes.

This similarity gives people a sense of familiarity at first glance.

"Who is in the photo?" Qing Chen asked, looking up.

The shadow laughed and said, "It has little to do with you, so there's no need to overthink it. He is Qing Zhen, the founder of the Qing clan in the New Human Civilization Era."

The shadow continued, "In the Old Era, there was also a Qing Clan, and at that time, Qing Zhen, like me, was a shadow. But back then, the shadows had very low status and not much power; they were just people the clan used and then killed. But when the Qing Clan wanted to kill Qing Zhen, this ancestor suddenly overturned the table, and that's how the New Qing Clan came to be."

Qing Chen was taken aback. "Why would his photo be hidden inside the Shadow Gate pendant?"

"Because the master of the Shadow Gate fell in love with him, but his love was unrequited, and it eventually became an obsession," Shadow explained with a smile. "This is considered a secret of the Qing family. The extraordinary person who created the Shadow Gate loved Qing Zhen for 49 years, so in Forbidden Zone No. 071, there is a tombstone with only 49 engraved on it."

"Forbidden Zone No. 071," Qing Chen was stunned for a moment. He had heard about this Forbidden Zone from his master, Li Shutong. It was the one where the rule was "only single people can enter."

The shadow chuckled and asked, "Aren't you a little curious why, after so many generations, you and Qing Zhen still bear some resemblance?"

Qing Chen nodded. "According to genetics, it is rare for a dominant gene to be passed down for so many generations."

"Because of blood," Shadow said with a smile, "I want to ask you, do you have an excellent memory, able to recite even the hundreds of digits after the decimal point of pi? Are you usually very analytical, able to do mental arithmetic with five-digit numbers at a glance?"

Qing Chen was stunned for a moment. Wait, so this is the bloodline ability of the Qing clan? But what he can do is far more than this.

He can remember not only the hundreds of digits after pi, but tens of thousands of digits.

At this moment, the shadow said, "The Qing family is a very strange family. Every few generations, a prodigy will appear. Not only Qing Zhen, but also Qing Wu seven hundred years ago and Qing Xu three hundred years ago, were all very remarkable people. Of course, there are also three others who also possessed monstrous talents, but they had no interest in power."

The shadow continued, "But they all have one thing in common: they look remarkably like Qing Zhen, and the more monstrous the appearance, the better-looking they are. Of course, this is just a small discovery of mine; very few people would bother to look up all their ancestors' photos and biographies from time to time... Only when things aren't going well would they think of digging up their ancestors' graves and changing their feng shui."

"But I am from the Outer World, and I shouldn't have inherited this bloodline," Qing Chen said. "That's an ordinary world with only ordinary people, no extraordinary beings."

Shadow shook his head. "Not necessarily. I've always suspected that Ren He, the founder of the Knights, came from your world. Although I don't know the specifics of what happened, the appearance of the Time Walker has further confirmed my thoughts. For example, his work, Farewell, comes from the Outer World. So, if the Outer World and the Inner World are parallel worlds, your ancestors may have had someone with the exact same DNA as Qing Zhen. Of course, there are other possibilities as well."

Qing Chen was stunned. He hadn't expected that Shadow even knew that Ren He was Time Walker.

He always felt that when Shadow said these things, it was as if he had left something out, but he couldn't be sure what the other party had deliberately omitted.

The shadow closed the silver button and tucked it back into its collar.

"What are the containment conditions for the Shadow Gate?" Qing Chen asked.

The shadow said with a deep smile, "You're still eyeing this Forbidden Item, huh? But telling you won't hurt. Its containment condition is that it must remain single forever."

Qing Chen: "???"

Such strange containment conditions? Does that mean Shadow will have to stay single forever?

He asked curiously, "What happens if the host of the Shadow Gate ends their single status? What determines this? A marriage certificate, feelings, or an intimate relationship?"

The shadow chuckled and said, "I know what you're thinking. Forbidden Item control the rules, and it's not so easy to find loopholes. People who try to Forbidden Item loopholes never end well. Falling in love with someone, having intimate relations with someone, or getting into a fake marriage all count. As for what happens when the host ends up single... many of its previous hosts have disappeared, perhaps swallowed up by the void within the Shadow Gate. They might be buried in Forbidden Zone No. 071 right now as fertilizer."

Qing Chen pondered that although he didn't have a lover at the moment, it seemed he couldn't use this thing.

Unexpectedly, this turned out to be a very dangerous Forbidden Item.

He looked at the shadow. "Don't you have anyone you like?"

The shadow paused for a moment. "No."

"What if you get pregnant later? Aren't you worried?" Qing Chen asked doubtfully.

"Anyway, my days are numbered," Shadow said nonchalantly, "So there's probably not much going to happen in the remaining time."

Someone once said that the shadow's time is also running out.

But...

"You haven't coughed in a long time," Qing Chen said earnestly.

Shadow waved his hand. "That was just an act for outsiders. Many people think I was injured in the Shadow Struggle, so I'll give them a clear indication to prove them wrong. What looks more like a patient than someone who's constantly coughing?"

"So you still have a long life ahead of you?" Qing Chen asked curiously.

"No, there are still 3 years," the shadow said calmly. "I sold my fate to a Forbidden Item for something."

Qing Chen was stunned. "What kind of thing could make you willing to sell your fate to Forbidden Item?! And what kind of Forbidden Item could possibly exchange someone else's fate?"

Shadow laughed loudly, "You didn't actually take that seriously, did you? Let's get down to business. This time I gave you command, and you actually betrayed my subordinates to draw fire and take the hits for you. How do you plan to settle this? At first, when I saw you personally carrying out the deal, I thought you really had the courage to be the bait. But you secretly added the condition of Qing Zhou to the deal with Kashima, so that when Kamishiro saw Qing Zhou, he immediately used all his main forces to target Qing Ye and Qing Qu."

Qing Chen pondered for a moment and asked, "Weren't we supposed to be trading for the Kamishiro Jingbian? And the outcome was good, right?"

Shadow was both amused and exasperated. "Aren't you afraid that if you really take over the Shadow position one day, Qing Ye and Qing Qu won't listen to you?"

"Can't you just tell them this is your decision?" Qing Chen asked tentatively.

However, at that moment, Qing Shi Yingzi took out his phone, switched back to his communication channel with Qing Ye, Qing Qu and others, and turned on speakerphone.

Qing's shadow asked, "How did it go?"

Qing Ye's heavy breathing came through the communication channel. "I'm speechless. That bastard Qing Chen betrayed me so completely. I feel like all the experts from the Divine Era were on my side just now. Seriously, sir, you'd better not let me see that bastard anytime soon, or I'll kill him."

Qing Chen fell silent...

The next moment, Qing Qu's heartbroken voice came through the communication channel again. "Sir, I strongly demand that that bastard be severely punished! That Kamiyo assassins chased me for ten whole blocks! The last time I felt this dangerous was when I ran into that old bastard Zheng Yuandong!"

Qing Chen raised an eyebrow. He had heard of He Jinqiu in the Inner World because she was one of the twelve directors of the Hu family, the largest neutral intelligence agency in the Federation, and Li Changqing was also one of them.

However, he seemed to have never heard of Zheng Yuandong.

This must be the first time Qing Chen has heard this name in the Inner World.

Before he could think any further, Shadow spoke up, "You sold out Qing Chen, and he's sitting right next to me right now. I'm watching on speakerphone."

There was a moment of silence on the communication channel.

Time seemed to have been frozen by the time-manipulation ability of the Qing Clan's shadow.

Qing Chen looked up at the shadow with a blank expression, only to see the other party laughing silently, bending over backward.

After what seemed like an eternity, Qing Ye broke the silence, laughing heartily, "Hahahaha, I didn't say anything just now! By the way, Qing Qu, where are you now? I'll take you to a good place for drinks!"

Qing Qu: "Great! Great!"

After saying that, the two of them abruptly ended the communication.

Shadow laughed out loud, "See, they already know you betrayed them, so you'd better be careful from now on, or these two might retaliate against you."

"You just can't stand to see me in peace, can you?" Qing Chen said irritably. "I'm curious to ask a question: what is Zheng Yuandong's identity in the Inner World?"

As one of the largest Time Walker organizations in the Outer World, Shadow must know that its leader is Zheng Yuandong, so there's no point in hiding it.

Shadow thought for a moment and said, "He is one of the Federation's most mysterious observers and also its most expensive assassins."

"Bystanders?" Qing Chen asked in confusion, "Is this an organization?"

"That's right, it's a very loosely organized group. All they do is record all the events, big and small, that have happened in the Federation and then compile them into a database within the same physically isolated network," Shadow said.

"Then why is he still the most expensive assassin?" Qing Chen asked, puzzled.

"I don't know either. Maybe being a bystander isn't profitable; everyone has to support their families," Shadow said with a smile. "The predecessor of this Bystander organization was actually a journalist organization under Hope Media, dedicated to recording historical truth. Later, a small group of people felt that it was too dangerous for ordinary people to be investigative journalists, so the Bystanders also needed to possess armed force to have a fighting chance against evil forces. Later, the Bystanders separated from Hope Media, remaining connected yet distinct."

Qing Chen knew that the investigative journalism profession was indeed dangerous.

In the Outer World, many journalists who investigate the illegal mining and detention of laborers have been beaten and maimed, while journalists who expose gutter oil may be run over and killed in the street.

He imagined what it would be like if investigative journalists all went undercover in gutter oil factories, just like Zheng Yuandong.

Once a ruthless boss discovers that he's an undercover reporter, the undercover reporter will kill all the ruthless bosses in the gutter oil factory...

That's quite interesting...

But what kind of strange organization is this? Qing Chen couldn't understand what had happened in the Inner World that would provoke reporters to want their own armed forces!

At this moment, Shadow suddenly said, "I've always suspected that Zheng Yuandong and He Jinqiu actually came here a long time ago. Even before you entered Prison No. 18. Although I can't be sure yet, it's just my intuition."

Qing Chen frowned. He had to admit that he and Shadow had the same idea.

At one point, he had such a guess.

Shadow chuckled, "However, I don't like to speculate too much about things without evidence. If they really are among the earliest independent Time Walker, I will find the evidence. Let's get back to business. I know you want to tear apart the intelligence alliance between Kamishiro and Kashima, but what you did today... Kashima will definitely come to his senses when he goes back and reviews it."

Qing Chen shook his head. "It was too late when we realized it. Tonight I will tell the members of the Intelligence Department One that what Kashima traded to us was actually Kamishiro Jingbian. Moreover, Kashima has already carried out a precise purge of Kashima's intelligence personnel tonight. This feud is already set in stone."

Qing Chen continued, "Perhaps they can still pretend nothing happened and continue to be amicable on the surface, but what about behind the scenes? Can they really forget this grudge? Mr. Shadow, what I want is not for them to announce the end of the alliance in a high-profile manner, but simply for their intelligence personnel to hate each other."

That's enough.

From the very beginning, Qing Chen's goal was to render this intelligence alliance a mere shell of its former self.

The shadow asked, "What are your plans next?"

"Bring Qing Mu home," Qing Chen asked. "Qing Zhun disappeared after receiving Kamishiro Jingbian, so he must have delivered him to you, right?"

Shadow nodded. "It's not safe for Kamishiro Jingbian to stay with you, so I had Qing Zhun send him to a safe place. Also, the secret can be lifted tonight. I will tell everyone that Kamishiro Jingbian is in your hands, and all of this is to bring Qing Mu home."

This is the first step in psychological warfare. At present, the Qing clan cannot be sure whether the Shindai clan is willing to exchange Qing Mu for Kamishiro Jingbian.

But if we don't change them, what will the intelligence personnel of the Kamishiro Family think? Will some of them stop being willing to wholeheartedly serve the Kamishiro Family?

Do you think the era of gods will change?

Shadow sneered, "They must be replaced. Only then will you be qualified to take over the Qing family's intelligence system."

Qing Chen was taken aback for a moment. "You might as well just designate me as the Shadow."

Shadow glanced at Qing Chen: "The internal factional struggles within the Qing family are extremely complex. It's not like I can make you Shadow just because I say so. Besides, there's a family head above Shadow, and he's keeping silent right now. Do you really think he's some kind of puppet? I'm just a worker myself."

This was the first time Qing Chen had heard Shadow mention that family head. It seemed that he was a very powerful figure, but Shadow's relationship with him did not seem to be harmonious.

In the large office on the third floor of Intelligence Department One, a group of agents were excitedly discussing tonight's battle.

Qing Hua laughed and said, "Chen Lie, you were a good actor just now."

The agent named Chen Lie boasted, "I had to sneak around targeting other intelligence groups while pretending to be terrified of snipers. My acting was off the charts. Oh, and I think Xu Ling almost hit me a few times!"

Xu Ling was the sniper hiding at the A4 sniper position, cooperating with Qing Chen's acting. He scratched his head and said, "Sorry, I only participated in the sniper selection in the army back then, but I wasn't selected. My skill level is still a bit lacking compared to real snipers."

Qing Hua patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, you did very well this time. I was really worried that you might have killed the boss and Park Chang-ho with one bullet. It's good that the boss is alright."

Xu Ling smiled shyly, "The boss is really cunning to come up with such a scheme. I felt extremely satisfied when I saw Park Chang-ho- ho's tactical squad cleaning up the Shindai members. By the way, you can watch the recording. The boss had me put a camera next to the sniper rifle to make it easier to record a panoramic review of the battlefield."

Qing Hua, who had been patting his shoulder, suddenly slapped Xu Ling on the back of the head. "What are you saying, brat? How dare you slander the boss."

Xu Ling, feeling wronged, "I was praising him."

However, at that moment, Qing Hua received a message from Qing Chen. He was silent for two seconds before looking at the agents. "You've all been wondering what we're going to do tonight, right? I can tell you now. The person we're really going to trade tonight is Kamishiro Jingbian. The boss wants to use him to make a deal with Shendai to bring Qing Mu home. If Shendai doesn't agree, we'll replicate all the humiliation Qing Mu suffered on Kamishiro Jingbian."

Prior to this, the matter was kept secret from the agents, so no one knew about it.

But when everyone learned the truth, the once lively office suddenly fell silent. The detectives involuntarily stood up, their expressions solemn yet filled with barely concealed excitement.

In truth, Qing Chen still couldn't imagine what this matter, facilitated by the Qing family's shadow, would bring him.

A 5,000-word chapter, with another chapter at 11 PM tonight.