The tavern's roller shutter had long since been pulled down, shutting out the clamor outside.
The chandelier swayed faintly overhead, making their shadows stretch and shrink.
In the silence, the air seemed to freeze.
Old Johnny's aged, clouded eyes suddenly cleared, revealing a trace of killing intent.
Zhong Dingming's hand froze halfway to his wineglass.
A sudden wave of oppressive power bore down on him, making even moving a finger an effort.
Even so, the smile on Zhong Dingming's face never faded. "Don't get so worked up. It's hardly the end of the world."
"Hardly?" Old Johnny's white hair stirred in the windless room. "Zhong Dingming, how do you know about the origin sequence?"
"You should be asking how many people still don't know about the origin sequence."
"What do you mean?"
"Take out the Lie Detector."
Old Johnny stared at him for three seconds, then reached into a hidden compartment beneath the bar and pulled out a black metal box. It opened with a click, and its indicator glowed red.
"It's on."
Zhong Dingming said, "Qian Wendao and Qin Siyang disclosed the method for embarking on the path of self-verification within their circle a long time ago."
"Truth."
"Their circle?"
"The first-batch chosen ones you know, along with the powerful people close to Qin Siyang who are dead set on resisting Ander."
"Truth."
Disbelief flickered in Old Johnny's eyes. "Qian Wendao told that many people a secret this earth-shattering?"
"It wasn't Qian Wendao. It was Qin Siyang." Zhong Dingming shook his head slightly. "That young man is more open than any of us imagined."
"Truth."
"How did Qin Siyang find out?"
"I honestly don't know. Besides, it has nothing to do with me. I'm not on Qin Siyang's list of trusted people. He wouldn't go out of his way