NOVEL NEXT Ch. 258
Translator: AkazaTL
Proofreader/Editor: JWyck
***
Chapter 258
Oh, snap! After reading all the manga content, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. As he’d guessed, Zhou Renjie indeed brought back info about the mole. But the details were sparse—just that it’s a male with blood ties to the leader.
Still, that narrowed it down in Class S. First, the four girls—Lan Subing, Zhao Xiaoyu, Qi Huang, and Ye Lin—were out. Next, Feng Lan, Si Zhaohua, and Wu Jin were clear; their prominent family backgrounds made joining Black Flash and becoming the Saint impossible.
Mu Tieren was also out—his only living relative was the imprisoned boss of Life Tech Machinery Co., Ltd.
That left Su Bei, Li Shu, Mo Xiaotian, Jiang Tianming, and Wu Mingbai. Finding the mole among the five of them wasn’t hard; checking their backgrounds meant exposure was just a matter of time.
Like Ye Lin before, Mo Xiaotian’s exposure was inevitable. He’d likely pull a big stunt in his final moments, just as she did.
Su Bei sighed. Could he skip this drama? He was just an ordinary 15-year-old boy. Why dive into danger he knew was coming?
Sure, some boys his age loved adventure, but he wasn’t one of them.
Pushing aside his jumbled thoughts, Su Bei opened the forum. It was buzzing with new hot threads and posts. The info bomb in these two chapters sparked endless reader discussion, more than previous updates.
He first clicked one about himself.
[What’s Su Bei’s Deal with Black Flash?]
[ShampooIsAllIUseNo.0: In these two chapters, one shows Su Bei working with Black Flash, and the next says a Class S boy is their mole. It’s practically screaming Su Bei’s identity, right?
But would the author reveal it so easily? I feel it’s a red herring. If Su Bei’s the mole, why leave suspense after all these hints? Just announce it already.]
[No.1: I don’t think Su Bei’s the Saint either. But he’s working with Black Flash, so calling him a mole isn’t wrong, is it?]
[No.2: North Bro’s not a mole but might as well be.]
[No.3: OP’s got a point.]
[No.4: Honestly, Su Bei seems like a mole, but think a bit—he’s definitely not.]
[No.5: Excluding Zhou Renjie, Class S has two Black Flash connections: Su Bei and the Saint.]
[No.6: What? You all don’t think Su Bei’s the mole? Am I the only one?]
[No.7: Su Bei really feels like a mole.]
[No.8 replying to No.6: If Su Bei’s the mole, why make that deal with Cyril right in front of Jiang’s trio?]
[…]
[No.43: Whoever the mole is, Su Bei’s cooperation with Black Flash is undeniable.]
[No.44: Does anyone firmly believe Su Bei’s a good guy?]
[No.45: Su Bei’s working with Black Flash, but he’s so open about it—no guilt when Jiang caught him.]
[No.46 replying to No.45: If I had his thick skin, I’d be set.]
[No.47 replying to No.46: Hahahahaha]
[No.48: Su Bei doesn’t think his actions are wrong.]
[No.49 replying to No.48: And they’re not, right? It’s a mutual deal, just with the wrong partner. But the act itself breaks no rules. Plus, it happened during Black Flash’s cooperation with the good side.]
[No.50: Su Bei, king of loopholes.]
[…]
[No.89: When did Su Bei strike a deal with Black Flash? And how’d he know the Nightmare Egg was at that girl’s house?]
[No.90 replying to No.89: Anyone still trying to guess Su Bei’s intel sources? As for when they cooperated, maybe a secret meeting—the author didn’t draw it.]
[No.91: Remember that old theory? Could Su Bei really be with Destiny? It makes sense—his intel, quietly taking Black Flash’s task. Destiny’s an intel group, and Su Bei’s actions fit their mission perfectly.]
[No.92 replying to No.91: !!!!!]
[No.93 replying to No.91: Makes sense!]
[No.94 replying to No.91: I’ve always suspected Su Bei’s Destiny.]
[No.95: If that’s true, Class S is a mole convention.]
[No.96: Thank the author for only making two groups, or who knows how many moles Class S would have.]
[…]
[No.155: Clearly, Su Bei’s not the Saint. The author put these chapters together to mislead us.]
[No.156: Damn author! Using our Su Bei as a shield again?]
[No.157: Will Su Bei get kicked out of Class S? His Black Flash deal is fact—when they investigate, Endless Ability Academy might not keep a liability.]
[No.158 replying to No.157: Noooo! Su Bei, don’t go!]
[No.159: Don’t scare me. Su Bei’s the most popular in King of Abilities. The author wouldn’t be dumb enough to ditch him, right?]
[No.160: If Su Bei leaves, I’ll wait till he’s back to read.]
Reading this, Su Bei sighed in relief. Almost no one thought he was the mole. They believed he worked with Black Flash but didn’t resent him for it.
As No.49 said, the timing was convenient—Black Flash was allied with the Ability Government, so his cooperation wasn’t betrayal.
The author’s plan seemed to be failing. Su Bei’s eyes glinted with a faint smile as he closed the thread and opened the next.
It was about the mole candidates.
[Mole Candidate Rundown]
[LeavesTurnYellowNo.0: Based on Zhou Renjie’s info, let’s deduce the mole. First, rule out the two protagonist boys, right?
Next, Si Zhaohua and Feng Lan are out—no explanation needed; check the author’s profiles on them.
Mu Tieren’s out too. He’s had his spotlight; the author won’t give him another special role. His popularity’s not high enough for more plot.
That leaves three: Su Bei, Li Shu, Mo Xiaotian. Who’s the real mole?]
[No.1: The author hints at Su Bei, but it’s a trick—he’s not it. I bet Li Shu; he’s got mole vibes.]
[No.2: Only three choices—it’s pretty easy to analyze.]
[No.3: Definitely Li Shu. He screams mole.]
[No.4: Su Bei’s more likely. The author’s playing a double-bluff.]
[No.5: The real-name poll next door has Su Bei leading by a mile.]
[No.6 replying to No.5: They never think things through—typical.]
[…]
[No.41: No one suspects Mo Xiaotian? Qi Huang did!]
[No.42 replying to No.41: It’s hard to suspect a silly sweetheart.]
[No.43: From that plot, Mo Xiaotian’s actually a strong candidate.]
[No.44: I’m curious what’s under Mo Xiaotian’s bandage. The author wouldn’t add that shot for nothing.]
[No.45: Seriously, if Mo Xiaotian’s the mole, how’d he pass Qi Huang’s tests?]
[No.46 replying to No.45: They overestimate Mo Xiaotian’s smarts. Didn’t Qi Huang drop her suspicions after testing?]
[No.47: Prophet said Mo Xiaotian might be the mole.]
[No.48: Our Xiaotian can’t be the mole! He’s so cute—how could he?]
[No.49: If Mo Xiaotian’s Black Flash’s Saint, that group’s done for.]
[No.50 replying to No.49: Hahahahaha]
[…]
[No.102: No need to guess. With just three candidates, if the Ability Government isn’t useless, they’ll figure it out soon.]
[No.103: Ever thought about this? We don’t suspect Jiang or Mingbai because we know they’re protagonists and saw their clean backgrounds in part one. But the Ability Government might—they’re orphans, easy to suspect compared to those with clear histories.]
[No.104 replying to No.103: ! True, we’re thinking from a reader’s view.]
[No.105 replying to No.103: Already imagining Jiang and Mingbai getting framed.]
[No.106 replying to No.105: Nooo!]
Though the author heavily hinted at Mo Xiaotian’s mole status, readers, like with Su Bei, didn’t buy it, seeing it as a shield for the real mole.
Most thought Li Shu was the mole. Compared to Su Bei, used as bait, and Mo Xiaotian’s silly persona, Li Shu’s brooding good-student vibe fit better.
As for Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai being suspected by the government, readers were right—they’d be prime targets.
Among the five suspects, Su Bei’s parents—a soldier and a cop—were verifiable, with backgrounds traceable for generations, ruling out unknown relatives.
Mo Xiaotian had a grandfather. Though Black Flash’s leader was old, his grandpa attended the academy’s festival. The government wouldn’t suspect such boldness yet.
For Li Shu, readers didn’t know, but Su Bei did. His parents, alive but estranged, divorced after his birth, forming new families. He had living relatives, easily ruling him out.
That left Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai, orphans with unknown backgrounds—perfect for villain brainwashing, ideal scapegoats.
Plus, as protagonists, the author might add a misunderstanding arc.
As one commenter noted, with few candidates, the government would resolve it soon—next chapter or the one after. No need to rush; the mole would be revealed.
Next was a thread about Zhou Renjie.
[Xiaojie Was a Mole! Baby, Mom Knew You Didn’t Betray!]
[EverythingCanBeMomFanNo.0: Aaaaah, Mom’s proud! Risking yourself for the Young Master title. I knew a friend Si Zhaohua and Ai Baozhu trusted wouldn’t turn easily!]
[No.1: Took me a sec to realize Xiaojie’s Zhou Renjie.]
[No.2: OP lives up to their name…]
[No.3: Zhou Renjie has mom fans?]
[No.4 replying to No.3: Girlfriend fans instead?]
[No.5: I thought Zhou Renjie was cool, but this thread made me laugh.]
[No.6: Tagging for OP #WeirdVibes (jk)]
[No.7: Zhou Renjie not betraying but going undercover shocked me, but this thread shocks me more.]
[…]
[No.55: Gotta say, Zhou Renjie’s impressive. He’s what, 16? Analyzing his situation, turning crisis into opportunity, undercover in an evil group for months without slipping… He’s incredible. If he were better-looking, he’d gain tons of fans.]
[No.56: Now that you mention it, yeah, that’s amazing!]
[No.57: Who’d have thought the small-time villain vibe Zhou Renjie would become a hero?]
[No.58 replying to No.55: Don’t need looks—I’m already a fan.]
[No.59: He slimmed down this return (whispers).]
[No.60: Alas, No.55’s right—looks matter in manga. Good-looking characters get fans for nothing; others need big efforts for a few.]
[No.61 replying to No.60: But characters don’t need fans. Their efforts paying off in their world is enough; fan count doesn’t help them.]
[No.62 replying to No.61: Not true. High-fan characters make the author hesitate to mess with them.]
[No.63: Compared to other manga creators, this author’s decent—rarely screws over characters.]
[No.64 replying to No.63: Still doesn’t stop fans from fighting for their faves.]
[No.65 replying to No.64: That’s stan life.]
[…]
[No.123: Zhou Renjie’s return might get him targeted by the real mole, right?]
[No.124: Likely.]
[No.125 replying to No.123: Could they use Zhou Renjie to lure the mole?]
[No.126 replying to No.125: Good idea.]
[No.127: Don’t do this to our Xiaojie—just out of the tiger’s den, now into the wolf’s lair.]
[No.128: Su Bei, Li Shu, Mo Xiaotian—who killing Zhou Renjie feels believable?]
[No.129 replying to No.128: Li Shu. He’s got that murder-y vibe.]
[No.130 replying to No.128: Yeah, Li Shu. Su Bei or Mo Xiaotian feels off.]
[No.131: Getting hunted by any of those three would suck. Save Zhou Renjie ()]
This thread inspired Su Bei. Indeed, Mo Xiaotian’s big move would likely target Zhou Renjie. As a public Black Flash defector who exposed the mole and cost them dearly, Black Flash’s reputation would tank if they didn’t retaliate.
Mo Xiaotian’s final act before leaving would probably be targeting Zhou Renjie. Su Bei just needed to watch Zhou Renjie’s Destiny Compass—when the pointer swung right, Mo Xiaotian would act.
With this signal, Su Bei wouldn’t need to constantly guard against Mo Xiaotian. He sighed in relief, closing the forum. Overall, the feedback wasn’t bad and wouldn’t harm him.
As for Jiang Tianming, Wu Mingbai, and Zhou Renjie, who might face trouble, Su Bei had no plans to warn them. It was their business, and they wouldn’t be in real danger—why bother?
The next morning, Su Bei’s phone buzzed incessantly. Checking, he saw the Class S group chat exploding.
Skimming, he understood why. Zhou Renjie’s major contributions were reported on the official site. Ai Baozhu shared it in the group, re-added Zhou Renjie, and eagerly recounted his deeds to clear past misunderstandings and ease his return.
Learning their “traitor” hadn’t betrayed them but went undercover in Black Flash, sending back intel and saving many, the group buzzed.
Su Bei noticed Mo Xiaotian was silent. Normally, he’d be the first cheering for Zhou Renjie. But with his true organization hit, he wasn’t in the mood.
This didn’t raise suspicion. Zhou Renjie’s defection excuse was his rivalry with Mo Xiaotian over a spot. Even if Mo Xiaotian was big-hearted, staying quiet was understandable.
[AlwaysSmilingYoung: @UndercoverReturns When are you back? You’re returning to school, right?]
[UndercoverReturns: Of course, I’ll be back in two or three days once things wrap up.]
[MissFancy: We’ll return together. Who’s at the academy now?]
[DeathComes: Just us few. You and the class monitor’s group aren’t back.]
[MissFancy: So no classes if we return now?]
[StreetlampPlan: Yup, teachers aren’t back.]
[FlamingWutong: That fun? Gotta hurry back.]
[MechanicalTree: @FlamingWutong Just got word, forgot to tell you. New support’s here—we can leave tomorrow.]
[FlamingWutong: ! DM me.]
[Si: We’ll head back in a couple days too. Tianning City doesn’t need us—just waiting for Renjie’s report.]
[UnbreakableDream: Got you a souvenir. Touched? @DeathComes]
[UnbreakableDream: Expecting.jpg]
[DeathComes: No thanks.jpg]
After the cheerful banter, Zhou Renjie’s message broke the calm.
[UndercoverReturns: Oh, one thing you should know. Our class has a real Black Flash mole. The Ability Government will investigate suspects next.]
The lively chat went silent. No one spoke, but Su Bei got several private messages. No surprise—it was Jiang Tianming’s trio.