Translator: CinderTL
"The other side."
Wang Qi nodded. "It's not just me who thinks so. They all agree."
"When you say 'they,' who are you referring to?" Jiang Cheng pressed.
"I don't remember their names. My mind is a mess. Whenever I think about these things, it gets even more chaotic," Wang Qi said. "We usually don't use names. We use code names or numbers."
A name flashed through Jiang Cheng's mind. "Are you Crimson?"
"Crimson?" Wang Qi pondered for a moment, his gaze deepening. After a long silence, he finally said, "I don't know. But those two words feel so familiar. I don't dislike them."
Jiang Cheng had always been suspicious of Fatty's identity. Yet, as Wang Qi had pointed out, he also felt an inexplicable fondness for him.
This was almost impossible for him.
He had considered whether Wang Qi might be lying, trying to gain his trust, distract him, or even manipulate him for personal gain.
But his intuition told him that wasn't the case.
If he truly wanted to sabotage himself, the opportunity in the Urban Legends would have been far more suitable. After all, upon emerging, he would face the three of them.
No matter how he looked at it, he had no advantage.
Jiang Cheng forced himself to calm down and turned to Wang Qi. "Do you remember the name Pi Ruan?"
"No," Wang Qi replied decisively. "I don't remember many names. My mind is filled with fragmented, blurred, and distant images. If I saw the person, I might recognize them."
Jiang Cheng walked to the table, opened the drawer, and pulled out a paper bag he had taken from the Professor's studio. Inside were rolled-up blueprints and a drawing pencil.
Scratch, scratch, scratch
Jiang Cheng leaned over the table and sketched a portrait on the paper. It wasn't highly detailed, but it captured the person's features accurately.
"That's him," Jiang Cheng said, flipping the drawing over.
Staring at the face in the portrait, he saw a man with parted hair and a fawning expression. He was actually quite handsome, but his appearance was... well, rather peculiar.
After a moment, Wang Qi suddenly seemed to remember something. "Wait, yes, I've seen him. He was with us, but his name isn't Pi Ruan. It's Wei Jinting."
"Wei Jinting."
"Pi Ruan is Wei Jinting!"
Countless images flooded Jiang Cheng's mind, swirling together like a chaotic storm. He remembered a guy named Wei Jinting from a previous mission, called "Wu."
Back then, after hearing Fatty's account, Jiang Cheng had wondered how Fatty had managed to ambush and knock out such a formidable opponent.
Now, recalling Pi Ruan's eagerness to meet Fatty at the Studio, many previously puzzling details suddenly clicked into place.
The realization struck Jiang Cheng so quickly that even he found it astonishing.
After Fatty's appearance, Pi Ruan had visited Jiang Cheng more frequently, often bringing Fatty his favorite foods.
So that's how it was.
As Wang Qi pointed to each portrait in turn, he seemed even more excited than Jiang Cheng, as the images triggered a flood of memories.
During the May Station mission, the two people who had rescued Pi Ruan—Crimson No. 4 Wei Jinting—were a man named Luo He, Crimson No. 3, and a fiery young girl, No. 8 Fu Fu.
Wang Qi couldn't explain why these two hadn't concealed their true identities.
The memories Jiang Cheng could recall were extremely limited, mostly fixed information like names and identities. As for their Crimson objectives or operational plans, he knew nothing.
"Wang Fugui is Crimson No. 10," Wang Qi said, looking into Jiang Cheng's eyes in a low voice. "And you are Zero."
"I'm Zero?" Jiang Cheng's memories stirred further. He seemed to see a winding, aged staircase and, deep down the corridor, a Gate.
"No," Wang Qi shook his head. "You are Zero. That is your name."
It was clear from Wang Qi's expression that he, too, couldn't understand why.
Or perhaps this part of Jiang Cheng's memory was buried even deeper.
As the conversation deepened, Jiang Cheng received more information, confirming that he and Fatty were indeed former members of Crimson.
Moreover, he and Fatty were two very special cases.
Pi Ruan had been Crimson's mole planted beside him, and there was no logical reason for her to have been exposed.
He had suspected something at the time.
Now that Jiang Cheng knew Fatty's true identity, the lingering doubts finally found their answer. Fatty had deliberately exposed himself to better conceal his true mission: to remain undercover by Jiang Cheng's side.
Though it sounded absurd, the available evidence and clues gathered from various sources, when pieced together, pointed to this as the most logical explanation.
Jiang Cheng couldn't help but wonder if this was karmic retribution for his recent exploits under the Crimson banner.
"Do you want to check on Wang Fugui?" Wang Qi asked. "I've revealed some things to him, but not in such detail. He's in a terrible mood and deeply resistant to his true identity."
"Who are you?" Jiang Cheng asked. "I mean, is Wang Qi your real name? And... what's your codename?"
Wang Qi exhaled slowly. "Wang Qi... I think it's my real name. I'm not sure. As for my codename..." He shook his head. "I don't remember."
"You don't believe I could forget my own codename, do you?" Wang Qi looked at Jiang Cheng, a hint of sadness in his eyes.
"I believe you," Jiang Cheng said.
"Go see No. 10," Wang Qi sighed. "He's forgotten me and is resistant to my words. I had to resort to a little trick, but rest assured, I won't harm him."
Wang Qi lowered his head, rubbing his temples. His eyes were bloodshot, as if speaking these words had taken a great toll on his mental state.
After a moment, he still heard no footsteps from Jiang Cheng.
Wang Qi looked up to see Jiang Cheng still sitting directly across from him, unmoving, a dead stillness in his eyes.
It was this very stillness that made a man like Wang Qi feel fear.
It was as if something terrible would happen if Jiang Cheng fell into despair.
"Are you alright?" Wang Qi asked.
As if roused from a trance, Jiang Cheng picked up his pen and quickly sketched another portrait on the paper—this time, of a woman.
"Do you recognize her?"
The woman in Jiang Cheng's drawing was stunningly beautiful. At the moment Wang Qi saw the sketch, his pupils involuntarily constricted, and he blurted out, "Sir?"
"She's also one of the Crimson, isn't she?" Jiang Cheng closed his fingers around the paper, gripping it tightly. "Is she No. 1 or No. 2?"
"No, she doesn't belong to our Crimson," Wang Qi said, racking his brain for a word to define the woman. "She's the Crimson's creator."
Before the words had fully left his lips, Wang Qi saw Jiang Cheng begin to cough violently. Blood soon trickled from his tightly pressed lips, but he quickly wiped it away.
(End of the Chapter)
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