Apocalypse Forecast

The transfer was not troublesome.

To avoid any issues for Huai Shi, Ai Qing even used the highest exchange rate of the past few days to convert the money into Dongxia Yuan for him, transferring it through the public account of the Astronomical Society's branch to spare him from an investigation into the origins of the large assets.

As a member nation of the Federation of Free Cities, the United State of America could be considered the world's largest economy. It also possessed the world's largest reserves of Gold and Source Crystals and ran the biggest Source Crystals exchange business globally. Therefore, its currency value was high, with an exchange rate against the Dongxia Currency reaching as much as 4:1.

This amounted to over twelve million Yuan in total.

Suddenly, he became a wealthy man.

Huai Shi was beside himself with joy.

With so much money, even if only a third of it, it was more than enough to completely renovate his old family home and replace all the furnishings with new ones.

With the remaining two-thirds, half would be allocated to Raven for budgeting, while the other half would be kept for living expenses, allowing him to scrape by in Xinhai, this small city, until the end of time.

The burden of so many years of poverty was lifted in an instant, and his mood suddenly lightened considerably. He collapsed into his chair, not wanting to move at all.

"There's another matter I need to tell you about."

Ai Qing took a deep breath, her expression serious. "The Astronomical Society has classified your act of killing Red Gloves as a righteous deed, which means the Special Affairs Department won't be able to trouble you about it anymore. I think it's time we dissolve our agreement, Huai Shi."

"Hm?" Huai Shi looked at her, confused. "Dissolve our agreement?"

"Yes," Ai Qing nodded. "As of now, you no longer need to risk your life for me. After all, you bear no responsibility for all this. You should regain the freedom you deserve. After this week, I'll follow up and review the situation in the weekly report, and soon, you'll be able to return to your own life."

Huai Shi stared at her, stunned.

After a long moment, he scratched his head, asking curiously, "But if I go, what will you do?"

Ai Qing was taken aback.

After a while, she closed her eyes and smiled tiredly, simply shaking her head without further explanation.

"I'm sorry," she murmured softly.

"Hm?" Huai Shi didn't catch what she said.

"No, it's nothing." Ai Qing shook her head, rising with the support of her cane to see her guest out. "You should go, Huai Shi. I hope that from now on, you can fulfill your dreams in a free world."

Her tone was firm.

Huai Shi didn't know what to say. He just nodded slightly, opened the door, and prepared to leave. Then he heard a telephone ring from the desk behind him.

Quickly, the call was answered, and he could faintly hear Director Fu's voice.

And Ai Qing's voice, trying to suppress anger, "Qi Wen brought people to turn themselves in? He says he's surrendering, just like that?"

Huai Shi's steps halted. A moment later, he closed the door and left.

By the time Ai Qing arrived at the Special Affairs Department, the interrogation had already begun.

"What's going on?" Ai Qing threw aside her umbrella. Not even waiting for a wheelchair, she pushed open the door of the observation room with her cane and saw Qi Wen sitting with Director Fu, having tea.

Qi Wen set down his teacup, giving her a helpless smile. "Long time no see, Little Qing. I didn't expect you to witness such a disgraceful affair involving your uncle."

Ai Qing's expression was impassive as she looked towards Director Fu.

Director Fu sighed and pointed towards the one-way mirror, gesturing for her to look for herself.

Inside the interrogation room, sitting behind the table, was a middle-aged man with a pale complexion, head hanging low, admitting to all accusations during the questioning.

"What's happening?" Ai Qing turned back, her gaze cold. "Who is that?"

"It's a family misfortune." Qi Wen looked down, sighing with sadness. "That's my nephew, Qi Pei. I raised him from a young boy. He was clever and capable, and I trusted him deeply, assigning him important tasks. I could never have imagined this bastard, blinded by greed, would collude with The Purified People, that group of Cultists, and commit such despicable acts…"

He was nearly breathless with anger as he spoke. "At this point, even I can't cover up for him. Director Fu, and Little Qing, please don't mind this old man; you must enforce the law impartially."

He let out a sorrowful sigh. "Qi Pei brought this upon himself; no one else is to blame."

"..."

Ai Qing said nothing more, not even entertaining the thought of entering the interrogation to search for loopholes.

Such scapegoats were all too common.

On the Group of Thousands of Evils, it had practically become a professional service. It ranged from the lowest level of serving prison time for someone else to high-end custom versions that could change someone from the inside out through memory implantation, Source Substance catalysis, and consciousness modification, to the point where the person themselves believed they were the criminal.

There would also be teams of legal experts and crime consultants to clear every single detail and loophole from the inside out for their employer, completing the entire process to make a scapegoat utterly perfect.

For as little as twenty million US Dollars, one could have someone else bear all their crimes, or even have someone else carry out the act, even if it was the assassination of the President of the United States.

No matter how the questioning went, it would be futile and would only help clear Qi Wen of all suspicion.

All he would have to bear would be the stain of poor judgment and the reputation of upholding justice even against his own kin.

After eliminating the last of those in the know, just as he planned, he would emerge spotlessly from this morass, securing a way out from the pursuits of the Astronomical Society and the Special Affairs Department.

In the interrogation room, the confessor nodded mechanically, taking all the crimes upon himself.

Whether it was luring the Huai clan couple to make a donation and flee, then murdering them seven years ago, or the subsequent dirty dealings with The Purified People—every transaction, every incident.

He even divulged many accomplices and previously undiscovered matters.

It was an art of confession, fluid and aesthetic, with each sentence full of unexpected twists and suspense, enough to occupy the major plotlines in a novel.

At the same time, it built a high wall for Qi Wen.

It was perfect and flawless.

Ai Qing said nothing more.

She watched the farce come to an end with a calmness bordering on indifference, as Qi Wen shook off all the mud from himself and became clean and white once more, like an old dog that had just come ashore.

It wasn't until he walked out of the interrogation room that Ai Qing, standing at the door, finally spoke.

"Do you think you can completely shake off all your guilt this way?" she asked coldly. "Or do you believe that the things you've done in the past will never be discovered?"

"You need evidence to make accusations, Little Qing. Do you have any?" Qi Wen replied, shaking his head and sighing in resignation. "It's truly upsetting that you misunderstand your uncle to this extent. Over all these years, your uncle watched you grow up. Don't you know what kind of person he is?"

He smiled with a mix of helplessness and indulgence.

As he looked down at her indifferent expression, the corners of his lips curved into a pleased smile.

In the gradually emptying hallway, he reached out, took a brass lighter from He Luo's hand, leisurely lit a cigar, took a deep drag, and exhaled a contemptuous puff of smoke.

"Actually, it doesn't matter. So what if it's discovered? Are they going to chase after me? Don't be ridiculous. Tomorrow afternoon, the Jinling Social Security Bureau will open bids for the Penghu Border project. I'm a shoo-in, even without the Yin's family's support. Then, I'll be the one controlling Penghu's lifeline."

Watching the self-confessing Qi Pei being escorted to prison, Qi Wen waved his hand nonchalantly and said indifferently, "Even if something comes up, the Special Affairs Department can only whitewash it for me. What can the Astronomical Society do to an innocent old man deceived by cultists?"

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the girl before him with pity. "Little Qing, you are still too naive, too young."

Ai Qing, her face expressionless, simply retorted, "Do you think you will be able to go to Jinling tomorrow?"

"It's not about thinking; it's a fact." Qi Wen was confident. "If you think you can use the power of the Astronomical Society to hold me back, you're free to try."

Ai Qing clenched her cane in anger and, in the end, remained silent.

"Don't be sad, and don't show such indignation." Qi Wen shook his head, sighing softly. "Your great-grandfather, Old Master Yin, wasn't he the perfect example? I followed him for twenty years, starting when I was twenty-nine. I learned only one thing from him: the victor is king, the loser is the outlaw."

As he spoke, he lifted his hand, looking seriously and earnestly at her through the wisp of smoke, and told her, "This, this is the Truth of the world."

Ai Qing looked at him with detachment. "I'm not stupid enough to listen to an old dog's tales, Mr. Qi. You don't have to waste your time on me."

To this, Qi Wen just smiled tolerantly and then straightened his suit. Lifting his hand, he gently dusted off her shoulder.

"Do you remember what your uncle once told you?" He bent down and whispered mockingly in the girl's ear, "A child who leaves home must suffer."

No longer paying attention to Ai Qing, who was standing there, Qi Wen turned and left, walking toward the door of the Special Affairs Department, his path entirely unobstructed.

At the door, He Luo had already opened an umbrella for him, but Qi Wen stopped on the steps, looking up at the gloomy sky where twilight had not yet faded.

Through the pallid clouds, rain continuously fell to the earthly world.

It was like a memory.

The first time he came to this city, it had the same nauseating appearance. Since then, he had detested this decaying city.

Qi Wen withdrew his gaze and got into the car.

He Luo closed the umbrella and returned to the driver's seat, then turned to ask, "Boss, are we going home or to the office?"

"No, let's go straight to Jinling." Qi Wen's eyes subtly lifted. "Yin Qing, that little wench, is just like her great-grandfather: reticent, yet certainly not lacking in courage. No, I should say she has the willingness to risk it all. Lucky for me, when I deliberately provoked her today, she managed to hold back, so my backup plans remained unused. But if we head back just like that, tonight she'll use the Astronomical Society's privileges to start an investigation. Even if she finds nothing, they'll still take me away for questioning. It won't take long—just twenty hours is enough to ruin all my efforts."

He Luo was startled for a moment. "What about Xiao Yuan?"

"Don't worry; he's been placed in a safe location." Even to his confidant, Qi Wen never fully revealed his plans and always remained guarded. "Are the arrangements from last night ready?"

He Luo nodded.

"Good. We're going to the south of the city first, then taking the New Jin Expressway." Qi Wen spoke slowly, "Arrange for people to take the sea route. And remember, keep that item safe."

He Luo nodded knowingly.

After a series of commands were communicated through He Luo and the secretary in the passenger seat, Qi Wen narrowed his eyes and murmured, "After preparing for so many years, it's time I turned things around."

From now on, I will no longer be anyone's pawn!

In the thickening curtain of rain, the motorcade vanished into the gradually darkening twilight, as though swallowed by darkness.

Qi Wen gradually drifted off to sleep.

After a long while, he suddenly jolted awake from his drowsiness, his eyes snapping open.

The car had stopped?