Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Fenghuang City is the closest city to the Qianfan Base. Even though “close” means over a hundred kilometers away. When the Qianfan Base was destroyed, it generated a massive seismic shock, which caused slight tremors in Fenghuang City. The news quickly reported an earthquake, and everyone resumed their merry lives.

Even in the information age, things that need to be hidden can still be hidden.

Fortunately, Shi Yixi and Ying Si left the academy with their luggage. When the three of them returned to the driverless car, their luggage was still there. Yang Jin glanced around and took a baseball cap from Shi Yixi’s luggage, put it on his head, and told them to grab money and essential items for the journey. Ying Si made a fuss about it for a while and remained sullen the entire way.

The three of them walked to the nearest vehicle stop, bought tickets to Fenghuang City, and arrived in the evening.

Although Fenghuang City isn’t a major metropolis, it has all the necessary facilities. The streets are lined with colorful information walls, and vehicles zip along the roads. The nightlife is vibrant, with people seeming accustomed to the colorful night scenes.

Shi Yixi and Ying Si sat by the roadside, and women soliciting business in the street greeted them flirtatiously. Ying Si glared at them fiercely, as if he had seen something terrible.

“Such a dull little demon,” one of the women muttered.

“Indeed, very dull,” Yang Jin appeared out of nowhere and casually responded. The woman, seeing him, reignited her smile. She swayed her way over to Yang Jin, but the night blurred her vision, and she didn’t recognize him. Still, his exceptionally handsome face had a strong allure for women.

Just as she was about to speak, Yang Jin smiled at her and immediately walked away, leaving her hanging.

“Show-off,” Ying Si observed the scene and concluded.

“Here, stop talking nonsense,” Yang Jin handed them two bottles of water, sat down, and said, “Tonight, we’re staying at the White Horse Hotel.” He pointed to a very luxurious building in front of them, “That one.”

“Isn’t that expensive?” Shi Yixi looked down and counted the money in his wallet, “Hmm… we don’t have much money.”

“Fan Fan, handle it for us,” Yang Jin said.

“… Are you asking me to steal?” Fan Fan asked.

“How can it be stealing?” Yang Jin replied, “I just need you to get into their system and slightly adjust our check-in information. Of course, also make us some fake IDs. You know how to do that, right?”

If Fan Fan had eyes, they would probably be rolling all the way to the sky. Unfortunately, it didn’t.

“Fine,” Fan Fan agreed. It disappeared for a moment and then reappeared, saying, “I’ve made the changes for you, but the hotel is fully booked tonight. There’s only one standard room available, and I’ve entered your information.”

“Sweetheart, thank you for your hard work,” Yang Jin said.

“Disgusting,” Fan Fan replied.

Ying Si, standing nearby, also found it disgusting.

Yang Jin led Shi Yixi and Ying Si into the White Horse Hotel with great swagger. The receptionist’s expression clearly froze upon seeing them. The three of them were covered in dirt, and Yang Jin looked even worse, with several tears in his clothes, looking no better than street vagrants. And in this hotel, facial recognition wouldn’t help them. The receptionist was about to call security to escort them out when Yang Jin said, “I have a reservation.”

“…Please provide your ID.”

Yang Jin recited a series of numbers. The receptionist found the reservation and asked, “Hello, Mr. Hao… Hao Zhenzhen?”

…

“Hahaha!!!” Ying Si’s laughter almost brought the roof down.

Yang Jin, gritting his teeth, said, “Yes, that’s me.”

The receptionist, who had likely seen all sorts of people, verified the ID and handed the room card to Yang Jin, saying, “Mr. Hao, the twenty-second floor, turn left.”

“Thank you,” Yang Jin responded politely.

Ying Si was still laughing as they entered the room, tears streaming down his face. Shi Yixi, seemingly unable to grasp the humor, asked Yang Jin, “Why did you use such a name?”

“How would I know why!” Yang Jin shouted, “Get out here for me you dog shit!”

“What is it?” Fan Fan asked, “You don’t like the name? I carefully selected it.”

“This name sounds like some weird battery powered toy brand,” Ying Si laughed, “Hao Zhenzhen ¹… Hahaha, Fan Fan, you really have a knack.”

“Thanks for the compliment,” Fan Fan said.

“What kind of weird battery powered toy?” Shi Yixi asked Ying Si, “Is it fun?”

Ying Si was about to say something but felt that explaining these indescribable things to the innocent Shi Yixi would be a pang on his conscience. So he vaguely said, “Ah, you’ll find out in the future.”

“Okay,” Shi Yixi nodded. “Then you have to tell me later.”

How am I supposed to explain that! Ying Si silently complained in his heart.

Yang Jin didn’t want to waste time with them and said to Fan Fan, “Help me pull up the information on CA56 sent by the Intercontinental Alliance and check if there’s anyone in the recent guest list that matches.”

A beam of light projected from his wristband, forming a small screen. It displayed information about CA56. Yang Jin memorized the appearance of the man, who had chestnut-colored hair and a tall build. Fan Fan said, “I checked the guest list for the past week, and there’s no one matching that description. He might be using a fake identity.”

“It’s also possible he’s just here for the meeting and hasn’t checked in,” Yang Jin pondered. “We’re supposed to meet in the hotel restaurant at noon tomorrow…” He closed his eyes, as if trying to organize the information and deduce useful conclusions. Unfortunately, it didn’t help much. He stood up, stretched, and muttered to himself, “We’ll find out tomorrow anyway. I’m tired, let’s shower and sleep.”

The day’s events had been overwhelming, and the release of tension made exhaustion set in quickly. They took turns showering. When Shi Yixi, the last to finish, came out, he saw Ying Si and Yang Jin each occupying a bed. They looked at Shi Yixi, but neither made any move to give up their bed.

Shi Yixi stood in the middle, not knowing what to do.

“Go sleep with that little brat,” Yang Jin said, pointing with his chin. “You two squeeze in together.”

“Why?” Ying Si asked.

“Aren’t you two good buddies?” Yang Jin said matter-of-factly. “Good brothers should share hardships. What, you don’t want to?”

“No,” Ying Si said. “I just can’t sleep if there’s someone next to me. I can lie awake all night with my eyes open.”

“What a weird habit,” Yang Jin muttered, but he still shifted a bit. “Then come sleep over here, though it’ll be a bit cramped.”

Shi Yixi obediently walked over and sat down. Ying Si said, “As a teacher, shouldn’t you take care of your students and sleep on the floor?”

“Do I look sick?” Yang Jin said. “Why would I sleep on the floor when there’s a bed? The best care I can give you is not making you sleep on the floor. Stop talking and go to sleep!”

Ying Si turned off the lamp by his bed and pulled up the covers.

There was only one blanket on Yang Jin’s bed, but he was too tired to ask the staff for another one. His years of drifting had made him indifferent to such things.

Shi Yixi didn’t mind either. He climbed into Yang Jin’s bed, said “Good night,” and closed his eyes.

The room soon filled with the sound of steady breathing. The window switched to blackout mode, making the room pitch dark—a perfect environment for deep sleep.

But Shi Yixi remained in a state of semi-sleep. While his body was exhausted, his mind seemed uncontrollable, continuously replaying scenes from his time at Qianfan.

A crimson red.

“Ugh!” Shi Yixi jerked as if waking from a nightmare, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at the unseen ceiling. The sound of Ying Si’s snoring filled the room.

The person who should have been closest had such faint breathing that if it weren’t for the warmth, it would seem as if he didn’t exist at all.

“Having a nightmare?” The person next to him spoke. Shi Yixi was startled and asked, “You’re not asleep?”

“I slept, but I wake up easily,” Yang Jin’s voice showed no hint of sleepiness. “Even idiots have nightmares? What did you dream about?”

“About today’s explosion,” Shi Yixi whispered. “I don’t know why it keeps repeating in my dreams.”

“That’s normal. When a person faces death for the first time, they can have all sorts of unimaginable reactions,” Yang Jin said, eyes closed.

Shi Yixi moved slightly, turning towards Yang Jin. He strained to discern Yang Jin’s features in the darkness and asked, “What about you?”

Yang Jin took a deep breath and softly said, “Don’t ask about others’ pasts.” He pressed his palm on Shi Yixi’s head. “Alright, sleep now. Sleeping makes you smarter.”

The next morning, Yang Jin was the first to wake up. After checking the time, he decided to sleep a bit more. His lifestyle habits changed with the environment. While on missions, he was as strict as a combat machine, but on vacation, he could easily indulge in lazing around until noon.

However, this was no vacation, and he was still surrounded by hidden dangers.

He put on the clothes washed and dried the previous night. Though still tattered, they felt much fresher, and paired with his demeanor, the rips seemed like this year’s fashion trend. He reviewed the information from the special investigation team about the explosion. It included only panoramic scans, with no in-depth investigation yet.

Even the external news media hadn’t reported anything about Qianfan. The world was eerily quiet, as if Qianfan still existed, and their experience was just a dream.

Everything felt strangely unsettling.

“Get up,” Yang Jin said, pulling the blankets off the two boys. Shi Yixi rubbed his eyes and sat up, while Ying Si, still half-asleep, cursed without opening his eyes.

Yang Jin was unfazed. He threw Ying Si’s clothes at his face and said, “You have five minutes to get dressed, or I’ll leave with Shi Yixi.”

“I’m hungry,” Ying Si complained in the elevator.

“No food for you.”

“Shi Yixi is hungry too!” Ying Si pulled Shi Yixi’s arm. “Aren’t you?”

“I’m fine,” Shi Yixi said, but his stomach growled immediately. He looked up at Yang Jin with pleading eyes.

“…Alright,” Yang Jin conceded. “Let’s have Mr. CA56 treat us.”

The restaurant was on the first floor, and it was the lunch rush. Most of the tables were full. Yang Jin asked Fan Fan to locate CA56 and scanned the room himself.

He quickly found the person he was looking for by the window.

CA56 sat alone at a four-person table. The weather outside was perfect, and the windows were fully folded back, allowing diners to bask in the sunlight. The street outside was lined with lush green trees, and CA56’s table was perfectly positioned between two of them, with no obstructions. The wide street had few vehicles, and across it was a fully enclosed office building covered in various moving advertisements.

One particular ad had remained unchanged.

Yang Jin glanced casually out the window, then approached CA56 and greeted him. After confirming identities through a code, CA56’s stern expression relaxed slightly.

“I’m aware of your situation,” CA56 began, but Yang Jin interrupted, “Can we order first? These kids haven’t eaten all day. The Intercontinental Alliance isn’t so stingy, is it? You’re out on a mission and they don’t even cover expenses? Sitting here for half a day without even a glass of water? Waiter! We’d like to order!”

CA56’s eyebrows twitched. He had expected Yang Jin to be serious and polite, but he was turning out to be quite demanding.

“No need to call the waiter,” CA56 said. “You can order directly through the system.”

“No, I need to ask the waiter about their signature dishes,” Yang Jin explained with a smile. When the waiter arrived, Yang Jin, facing the waiter and with his back to the window, raised the menu screen slightly and asked, “What do you recommend for kids?”

The waiter politely showed him a few dishes. Yang Jin appeared to be thoughtfully considering the options displayed on the screen. The restaurant’s music was soft and soothing, the bartender’s movements were graceful and stylish, a man at the next table kissed a woman’s hand, and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves outside.

The sunlight was so bright that every screen cast a shadow.

Suddenly, Yang Jin forcefully pushed Shi Yixi and Ying Si down. A gunshot rang out, sharp and deadly.

“Bang!” The bullet hit the table Yang Jin had just overturned, sending sparks flying. The restaurant plunged into chaos as people scrambled to flee. CA56 didn’t even have time to draw his gun before a second bullet pierced his chest.

“Run!” Yang Jin didn’t hesitate as he pulled Shi Yixi and Ying Si along. If digging up corpses yesterday had already shattered Ying Si’s worldview, then witnessing someone get shot dead right in front of him today was a soul-shaking experience. “Who are they?” he asked in panic. “Is someone trying to kill us?”

“I don’t know. Don’t talk,” Yang Jin replied, turning to Fan Fan. “Did you get any information on the attackers? Help me locate them.”

“There are three of them. One is a sniper in the building across the street, one is at the street corner, and one…” Fan Fan hadn’t finished when the third assassin, who was hiding in the hotel, appeared.

“Back door,” Fan Fan quickly mapped out the best escape route. Yang Jin and the others took advantage of the chaos and rushed out through the back door.

“They have a sniper,” Yang Jin said, “and a wide field of view. With him around, we’re in too much danger.”

“We need to take him out,” Fan Fan said, “but you don’t have a weapon.”

Yang Jin paused, then said, “No, I have one.” As he ran, he instructed the two boys, “You two distract them. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Huh?” Ying Si asked, “How do we distract them?”

“Just run around like headless chickens, using cover! Go!” Yang Jin ordered before splitting from them. In this life-or-death situation, the two boys had no choice but to follow his command. Yang Jin slipped into a dark alley, causing the assailants to lose sight of him and shift their focus. Bullets whizzed past Shi Yixi and Ying Si, seemingly aimed to scare rather than kill, as if the shooters were toying with them.

One of the attackers closed in on the boys, ready to finish them off, when Yang Jin suddenly leapt down, engaging the killer in close combat. A red laser dot danced over both their bodies; if either paused for a second, the sniper’s bullet would find its mark.

Yang Jin landed a punch squarely on the killer’s face, trying to wrest the gun from his hand. But his opponent was skilled too. Yang Jin twisted the assassin’s arm, aiming not at the distant sniper but towards the oblique rear of Shi Yixi and Ying Si, and fired.

A cry of pain rang out as the second attacker, who was about to launch a sneak attack, fell.

In an instant, Yang Jin turned, using the arm of the subdued assassin to aim the gun at the distant building.

Yang Jin was a natural sniper, well-versed in the subtle movements of those hidden in the shadows. But the distance was far, the other building’s glare intense. He had only his eyesight and a fleeting moment of focus to gauge the opponent’s position and judge if a pistol shot could reach.

A hair’s breadth difference meant life or death.

It was almost an impossible shot.

Yang Jin decisively fired first. In a flash, three gunshots sounded.

“Ah—!” The assassin held by Yang Jin fell, the interference causing the sniper’s shot to miss its mark, and a second, pained grunt came from behind Yang Jin.

Shi Yixi kneeled on the ground, blood streaming from his shoulder. His body slowly collapsed, and he clutched a gun in his hand.

“Yixi!” Ying Si shouted, rushing over. “Are you crazy?”

“This time, I hit the target and didn’t lose the gun,” Shi Yixi said, his face pale with pain. For the first time, he showed some emotion, though it was one of intense suffering. Yang Jin immediately realized that Shi Yixi had picked up the gun from the fallen assassin and used it to kill the assailant Yang Jin had been grappling with.

The assassin’s other hand still gripped a knife.

Shi Yixi had saved him.

Yang Jin quickly turned to lift Shi Yixi up, not even stopping to check his injuries. He shouted to Ying Si, “Move! The enemy has repositioned!”

The two of them darted through the alleyways, with drones closing in on them. Yang Jin fired at the drones, taking some down, but the enemy’s firepower was overwhelming. Carrying Shi Yixi, he felt his shoulder growing wet with blood. If this bleeding continued, Shi Yixi would die.

Yang Jin frowned, hating this feeling of helplessness.

“There’s no way out ahead!” Ying Si yelled, panic in his voice. “We’re trapped!”

“Shut up!” Yang Jin snapped, shooting down another drone.

Just as they seemed to be at a dead end, the remaining drones suddenly sparked and fell to the ground as if pierced by some invisible force.

“Follow me!” A deep male voice called out like a ghost, and a shadow emerged from the darkness.

“Lao ² Bai!” Yang Jin exclaimed in surprise. “You’re still alive?!”

TN:

I did something I shouldn’t have and peeped at the last chapter and let’s just say, I want to drop this novel!

Click Spoiler

Too bitter. From what I gleaned from the chapter and comments, the love line is bitter asf. I cried a little reading it and I don’t like ML at all this f*cker. Yixi doesn’t deserve all the shit that happens to him😭. He’s just a baby. The ML and the whole world don’t deserve him! I should have read the ending before I started it and saved myself from this. Angst is literally my no-go zone! It’s in my ABOUT!! I thought this was just a cool text about people being badass and a sprinkle of romance on the side like the others I’ve done! So if you’re like me and don’t like being tortured when reading, it’s not too late to stop. Not sure how bad it is though so maybe I’m exaggerating it😅. But my emotional pain threshold is below the earth’s core. I’m going to start doing non-cp articles now🤧. Okay rant over.

See you next weekend.

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Translator Notes

1. zhen – vibrate/jolt/shake. So the ‘weird battery powered toy’ is a Vibrator.[↩]
2. old – used before a person’s name to indicate familiarity or affection[↩]