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Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 29
Chapter 29
No one knew what had happened between Dalia and Feng Mang outside. Dalia had a scowl on her face, while Feng Mang looked like he’d gone through some sort of profound experience.
“Tell us what you found,” Yang Jin said, caring only about the mission, not their emotional states. Shi Yixi sat beside him, attentively watching the two as they returned.
Others in the room were scattered about, some drinking water, others eating, all while listening to Feng Mang and Dalia talk.
“I feel like we just wandered around aimlessly,” Feng Mang recounted what they saw at the martial arts dojo and concluded, “Was it just a coincidence? That dojo was rundown, broke, and poor. It’s run by a struggling couple, and the few instructors there seem like they’re just filling in. Plus, the owner looked sickly; his coughs sounded like he could hack up a lung…”
“Is He Xun in poor health?” Yang Jin asked.
“He looked especially frail,” Feng Mang said. “I even felt like donating some money to him.”
Dalia interjected, “Can you stop saying pointless things?”
Yang Jin turned to Bai Yunci, “After retiring from Qianfan, isn’t the potential degradation process supposed to be relatively smooth? He should just become an ordinary person, not to the point of…”
“Hard to say,” Bai Yunci replied. “There’s a theoretical chance of side effects from Haiyan, but it’s extremely low and has never appeared clinically, only theoretically.”
Yang Jin was a bit surprised, “I’ve never heard of this.”
“There’s no need to announce theoretical issues to everyone,” Bai Yunci said. “Even I don’t fully understand Haiyan. It’s the top secret of Qianfan. If you want more details, you’d probably need to dig Guan Jincheng out from underground.”
Yang Jin thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you think the Intercontinental Alliance might know about this?”
“No,” Bai Yunci replied. “Don’t you know our relationship with the Intercontinental Alliance? Although our mission is to help eradicate all illegal violent organizations, our status is on par with any continent, holding a seat at the Earth Roundtable. Do you think Guan Jincheng and Wan Hong would hand over something this important to others?”
“Too bad they’re both dead,” Yang Jin said regretfully. “Now, all clues seem disconnected and disjointed. I feel like I’m being led by the nose, not knowing where I’m headed.” He spoke with frustration, hitting the table forcefully. Shi Yixi paused, wanting to speak to Yang Jin, but saw that Zhan Feng had already placed a hand on Yang Jin’s shoulder.
“Don’t put too much pressure on yourself,” Zhan Feng said. “Some things won’t have immediate results no matter how urgently we wish for them.”
“Ew—” Ying Si made a gagging gesture, rolling his eyes dramatically.
His blatant disgust for Zhan Feng made everyone feel awkward; no one said a word.
Yang Jin sighed, “I keep feeling like something’s off, but I can’t figure it out. Why are we able to sit here analyzing things so calmly? It feels too strange.”
“Do you know how many messages I’ve intercepted from the Intercontinental Alliance for you?” Fan Fan suddenly chimed in. “I even thought about forging a death certificate for you! ZZ is so annoying! Every message it sends is so painful to read!”
“Is there any important information?” Yang Jin asked.
“No, just orders for you to report back,” Fan Fan replied.
“From ZZ or the rotating chairperson?”
“Of course it’s from ZZ!” Fan Fan said. “I think he’s the real nuisance and even wants to forcibly block me.”
“…” Yang Jin pondered, “So it’s ZZ and not the chairpersons…”
“Does it make a difference?” Feng Mang asked. Every time he listened to Yang Jin, Bai Yunci, and Zhan Feng discuss matters related to Qianfan and the Intercontinental Alliance, he felt utterly confused. However, he couldn’t act like a clueless kid in front of them.
“It does,” Zhan Feng explained. “ZZ strictly follows procedural protocols because it’s an AI…”
Fan Fan interrupted, “And it’s the coldest, most heartless kind of pure machine! Absolutely no human warmth at all.”
“You don’t have any either, so shut up,” Yang Jin continued. “It’s true that ZZ is ruthless, but the chairpersons are living humans, and they haven’t intervened in this matter…”
Zhan Feng added, “Which means they probably don’t want you to return.”
“Right,” Yang Jin snapped his fingers. “Maybe going back is even more dangerous than being hunted by the Sanctum.”
“Which is why we can calmly chat here, so close to the Intercontinental Alliance headquarters.” Zhan Feng pointed at the towering skyscraper outside the window. “Something might be happening over there.”
Yang Jin nodded, taking a deep breath. “Not sure… Let’s get back to this couple’s situation.”
“No clues whatsoever,” Feng Mang shrugged. “Really.”
“They…” Shi Yixi said quietly, “don’t they receive a package on the fifth of every month? It’s already the third…”
“Right! That package!” Yang Jin suddenly remembered. “Dalia, you’ll start going to that martial arts gym tomorrow.”
“Kneel and beg me,” Dalia replied.
“Huh? Why are you wearing a hair clip?” Ying Si reached out and tugged at the Shiba Inu hair clip in Dalia’s hair, not knowing his own strength. “So childish. Aren’t you supposed to be the cool girl?”
“Get lost!” Dalia roared, throwing a punch straight at Ying Si’s face. The force behind her punch, driven by sheer rage, could easily shatter Ying Si’s bones, and it moved so quickly that no one had time to stop it.
Ying Si’s eyes widened as Dalia’s fist, carrying a gust of wind, came within millimeters of his nose before abruptly stopping.
Dalia stood still, equally stunned.
“Don’t hit him,” Shi Yixi gently held Dalia’s wrist, speaking carefully. “He shouldn’t have pulled your hair. He should apologize.”
No one apologized. No one spoke. Everyone’s breathing was barely audible.
Shi Yixi let go and said to Dalia, “I’m sorry.”
“You…” Dalia was still in shock.
“You, you actually…” Feng Mang pointed a trembling finger at Shi Yixi, incredulous. “You actually stopped this super-strong girl? Dalia, were you just pretending?”
Dalia frowned and said, “Can you shut up?”
Yang Jin turned to Bai Yunci with a serious expression. “What’s going on?”
“Maybe he’s grown up,” Bai Yunci said. “His physical reflexes, speed, and strength are all improving. This might be part of his potential.”
“Part of it?” Yang Jin caught the key detail in Bai Yunci’s words.
Bai Yunci vaguely responded, “I can’t be sure.”
Yang Jin thought of something and handed Shi Yixi a glass, saying, “Hold it, and then squeeze.”
Shi Yixi followed the instruction, gripping the glass tightly and thinking about using his strength. The next moment, the glass shattered with a crisp sound, breaking into pieces.
“It’s similar to what happened that day,” Bai Yunci commented. “It’s not that the glass was of poor quality; your strength has increased. You just couldn’t control it properly that day.”
Everyone was shocked in their own way. Shi Yixi had turned into this formidable version of himself after just one night’s sleep. What would he develop into in the future?
“You could train him,” Zhan Feng suggested to Yang Jin. “The new version of the Xing Bao can adjust to a person’s physical development and adapt to enhance their potential state.”
“You never mentioned this before,” Yang Jin said.
Zhan Feng replied, “You never asked me.”
Facing Zhan Feng, Yang Jin asked playfully, “What else are you hiding from me?”
“Nothing,” Zhan Feng shook his head. “I’ve told you everything I know.”
Yang Jin stared at Zhan Feng for a moment. Zhan Feng’s gaze remained calm, revealing no discernible emotion. Yang Jin nodded, “Alright.”
After everyone left, Yang Jin kept Shi Yixi behind.
“Why are you nervous? I’m not going to eat you,” Yang Jin remarked, amused by how awkwardly Shi Yixi stood to the side. The old Shi Yixi wouldn’t react no matter how much you teased him, which could be frustrating. But this awakened Shi Yixi was like a newborn cub seeing the world for the first time—everything was mysterious and unknown to him, and even he couldn’t make sense of his own thoughts and emotions.
It was a fascinating process, though it would have been perfect if Yang Jin could overlook the connection they had established back then.
“Come here,” Yang Jin sat down, propping his elbow on the table, his arm raised. “Wanna try?”
Shi Yixi sat down, tentatively reaching out to grasp Yang Jin’s hand. Yang Jin’s body had no visible injuries, but his palm bore calluses from handling guns—a rough texture that seemed to be the only proof of his intense past.
“Give it your all,” Yang Jin instructed. “Understand?”
“Yeah,” Shi Yixi nodded earnestly. Almost instantly, he felt the pressure on his arm as Yang Jin easily pinned him down.
Yang Jin looked a bit disappointed.
“Let’s try again,” Shi Yixi said. “Can we?”
“Sure,” Yang Jin extended his hand again.
This time, Shi Yixi focused completely, channeling all his strength into his right arm. Yang Jin gripped him tightly, but he didn’t easily pin Shi Yixi down.
Their arms hovered in the center, Shi Yixi’s fingers turning white as he gritted his teeth, exerting all his effort.
Yang Jin was genuinely surprised. The body of this usually expressionless boy contained such immense strength that even Yang Jin couldn’t easily overpower him. Could Xing Bao be that powerful? It allowed someone who previously had no potential to grow so rapidly in such a short time.
This made Yang Jin put in his full effort to contend with Shi Yixi in a pure test of strength. Yang Jin’s physical fitness far exceeded Shi Yixi’s, so he eventually pinned him down.
Though he won, the victory wasn’t easy, which shattered Yang Jin’s expectations.
Shi Yixi sighed silently, prompting Yang Jin to flick his forehead in annoyance. “What? Feeling bad about losing to me? If I can’t even beat someone like you, what kind of face would I have left?”
“No,” Shi Yixi quickly explained. “It’s not that I mind losing to you. I just feel like I didn’t perform well and was worried you’d be disappointed.”
Yang Jin propped his chin on his hand and smiled at Shi Yixi, “Why are you afraid of disappointing me?”
Shi Yixi fell silent.
“Let me ask you another question,” Yang Jin continued. “Do you think I ever had high hopes for you?”
Shi Yixi, for once, showed a bit of emotion, looking somewhat dejected. He shook his head and said, “No, I’m just a useless person.” He lowered his head, lost in thought. Yang Jin looked at the swirl of hair on top of Shi Yixi’s head, and after a long pause, he finally said, “When will you learn to understand people’s intentions instead of just the literal meaning?”
Shi Yixi asked, “What?”
“It’s exhausting talking to you,” Yang Jin said helplessly. “I just hope your emotional intelligence can catch up with your physical development soon. When will you get a little smarter?”
“You mean, become as smart as Xiao Feng?” Shi Yixi asked.
Yang Jin laughed, “Why do you also call him Xiao Feng?”
“What else should I call him? Isn’t calling him Xiao Feng cuter?” Shi Yixi asked.
“Just call him by his name,” Yang Jin replied. “Honestly, if I wasn’t sure that you don’t harbor negative thoughts about people, I would suspect you said that deliberately.”
Shi Yixi looked at Yang Jin in confusion. Yang Jin explained, “Interpersonal communication can be complex at times. The same words can have different meanings in different contexts. It might be a bit too complicated for you now, but that’s alright. Just be yourself, and don’t force yourself to learn to be like others.”
“But I’ll hold everyone back,” Shi Yixi said softly.
“No worries,” Yang Jin said seriously for once, “The teacher is here.”
On the morning of the 5th, Dalia arrived alone at the martial arts hall entrance. Due to the early hour, the streets were mostly empty. She knocked on the door for a while and then, slightly impatient, said, “They’re so slow.”
“Don’t talk to thin air,” Feng Mang, who hadn’t accompanied Dalia but was back at their place, said. “Have Yang Jin and Zhan Feng taken their positions?”
“In position,” Yang Jin replied briefly.
“Me too,” Zhan Feng added.
The plan was for Dalia to enter the martial arts hall first to investigate the matter about the package. If lucky, she might figure it out on her own. If things didn’t go smoothly or if something unexpected happened, Yang Jin and Zhan Feng were there to provide backup, making it a relatively thorough approach.
Yang Jin and Zhan Feng were stationed on either side of the martial arts hall. Yang Jin’s side was a hotel, where he had booked a room under a false identity and set up his observation point, blending into the background while quietly monitoring the activity around the hall.
Not long after Dalia entered, an unmanned delivery vehicle arrived at the entrance. The machine placed a package at the door, and shortly after, Meng Die came out.
Meng Die glanced around, then took the well-wrapped package inside.
“Dalia,” Yang Jin said, “That woman took the package inside. It’s about the size of a palm; keep an eye on it.”
“Got it,” Dalia responded.
“Have you had breakfast?” Meng Die asked Dalia with a smile. “If not, join us.”
“Okay!” Dalia followed Meng Die inside. It turned out that behind the martial arts hall was the residence of He Xun and Meng Die—a small apartment with a narrow living room in the front and a bedroom in the back.
“You came early; there aren’t many people around at this time,” Meng Die said as she served porridge to Dalia. Noticing Dalia’s lack of response, Meng Die quickly realized that the girl was from a wealthy family and might not be used to such simple food. He Xun glanced at his wife, then handed the egg that was originally in front of him to Dalia.
“This one’s natural,” He Xun said, “Not synthetic food.”
Dalia, who was preoccupied with listening to Yang Jin, hadn’t been paying attention to the couple. By the time she snapped back to reality, the two had already resumed eating quietly as if nothing had happened. Dalia looked at the egg in front of her, unsure of what to say.
“Where’s the package?” Yang Jin asked, “My line of sight isn’t great.”
Zhan Feng said, “I’m completely blocked on my side.”
“Dalia?” Yang Jin called out, “Find that package.”
Dalia handed the egg back to He Xun and asked, “Teacher, why did you decide to open a martial arts hall? Your body…”
“Oh, that,” He Xun chuckled, “Teacher was in great shape when he was young.”
“So will Xiao Die-jiejie or you be teaching me today?” Dalia asked.
“That depends on what you want to learn.” He Xun was a bit unaccustomed to Dalia calling Meng Die ‘Jiejie,’ as it made him feel like he had suddenly aged a generation. He began introducing the martial arts hall’s programs, while Dalia listened with her ears but discreetly kept her gaze on the box Meng Die had casually placed on the cabinet after coming in.
“I’ll get another bowl,” Dalia quickly finished her bowl of food, stood up, and took her bowl to the kitchen on her own. With her back turned to Meng Die and He Xun, she dropped her bowl, causing the box to fall to the floor as well.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed. Meng Die and He Xun entered the kitchen as well. Holding the box, Dalia wiped off the porridge on it and said nervously, “What’s inside? Sorry, sorry! Should we check if it’s damaged… I didn’t mean to, and if it’s broken, I’ll have my brother compensate you…”
Meng Die’s face darkened, but He Xun smiled and said, “It’s nothing.”
“Let’s open it and check anyway,” Dalia suggested, “I’m worried…” Before she could finish, Meng Die grabbed her wrist. Meng Die tapped her ear, forcibly removing the earpiece from inside Dalia’s ear and crushed it instantly.
“Dalia?” Yang Jin and Zhan Feng heard only static noises before Dalia’s side went silent.
“What should we do?” Zhan Feng asked, “Was she discovered?”
“Probably. Quick, move!” Yang Jin commanded, “Feng Mang, activate area jamming!”
“Roger that,” Feng Mang replied.
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