69novels Chapter 412 - 397: You Were Wrong About One Thing
Chapter 412 - 397: You Were Wrong About One Thing
When she heard Shen Yue was mixed up in this, Qi Xiang’s heart jolted. She instinctively looked up at Gu Xi, words caught in her throat.
She was always complaining about how much Shen Yue ate, teasing him for being a glutton perfected into human form, but Qi Xiang knew deep down that she, Wei Heng, and Gu Xi had long considered him one of their own.
’But what if Shen Yue had an ulterior motive for getting close to Gu Xi from the very beginning?’
Gu Xi’s identity was special to begin with, and with what happened back then... even now, it was a complete mess that was impossible to untangle.
’Just how many people were involved in this?’
Qi Xiang’s heart sank. Shen Yue wasn’t just their friend—he was the only son of the high-ranking military official, Shen Zhennan!
The thought that this, especially the parts concerning Gu Xi, might be tied to the military... For a moment, Qi Xiang was filled with dread and anxiety. Her expression shifted rapidly, becoming incredibly complex.
’Gu Xi...’
She looked toward Gu Xi, her mouth opening silently. She wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out.
A bleak sorrow welled up in her heart, along with... an unspeakable anger.
’First Wei Heng, then her, and now even Shen Yue...’ At that moment, Qi Xiang didn’t even dare to think about it. Gu Xi had already been hurt so badly once before. What would she do if she found out that her current friends had all been deliberately placed by her side by people with ulterior motives?
’What would Gu Xi think?’
’And what would she do!’
Qi Xiang refused to think about it. She didn’t even dare to look at Gu Xi anymore. Filled with anger and sorrow, she averted her gaze and tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from.
Gu Xi remained leaning calmly against the wall, a tiny, slender green sprout leisurely twirling around her fingertip.
The disembodied voice spoke again.
"But Shen Zhennan is no pushover." After Ye Xin leisurely finished her previous sentence, her tone shifted. "The fact that he was willing to send his only son into your hands back then shows he’s ruthless and bold."
"So, Chen, are you certain that once the plan is activated, Number 006 will bend to your will?" Ye Xin’s lazy, smiling voice did nothing to hide her gloating.
"They are father and son, after all," she said. "It’s not impossible that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. What’s more..."
Ye Xin paused. Seeing the face of the person opposite her darken, a faint smile graced her lips as she twisted the knife without a second thought. "Never mind whether Shen Zhennan has other plans. From what I know, Number 006’s feelings for Xiaoxi are..."
"That’s enough," the person opposite her cut in coldly. Ye Xin paid it no mind, only letting out a soft, lazy chuckle.
Neither of them spoke again, and the empty, underground labyrinth fell silent once more.
Just as Qi Xiang silently shuffled a little closer to Gu Xi, the disembodied voice started up again.
"Ye Xin, I know what you’re thinking." The person stared at her, their voice grim. "I might as well tell you: don’t waste your energy. You will never find the activation device for the chips."
"Is that so?" Ye Xin chuckled noncommittally, but her lazy, dismissive tone made it clear she truly didn’t care.
The person on the other end frowned slightly.
But then Ye Xin let out a sudden sigh, her tone growing even more dismissive. "But Chen, have you forgotten something?"
"What are you trying to say?" The person on the other end narrowed their eyes, a dangerous glint in their venomous gaze.
Ye Xin was completely unaffected. She even yawned in their face before saying languidly, "Chen, don’t be so tense. I merely wanted to remind you... don’t forget how Wei Heng’s abnormal ability was restored."
On the surface, her words seemed harmless enough.
But after Ye Xin finished speaking, even Qi Xiang, who wasn’t physically there, could feel the atmosphere between the two speakers suddenly grow taut.
And indeed it had.
The person on the other end stared grimly at Ye Xin as countless menacing, black thorns—visibly venomous—erupted from their body.
After a long moment, they spoke in a light, strange, and almost inhuman voice. "So you really do know."
"Know what?" Ye Xin chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Are you referring to how you secretly implanted that batch of chips into the Crystal Cores of the G01 Project’s test subjects, hoping to control them at critical moments by manipulating their cranial nerves?"
"Oh, if that’s what you mean, then yes, I’ve known for a long time," Ye Xin said nonchalantly, lazily raising her eyes to meet the other person’s sinister, terrifying gaze.
She even paused before adding, as if to provoke him, another casual remark. "You don’t need to look at me like that. I just wanted to remind you: since Wei Heng’s abnormal ability could be restored, it means Xiaoxi’s control over other ability users’ Crystal Cores has likely reached a level of mastery beyond what any normal person can imagine..."
"You’d better be careful that your plan doesn’t end up being all for naught," Ye Xin said, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
If Gu Xi could manipulate Crystal Cores, what trouble would a chip hidden inside one be for her?
If the chips themselves were useless, what good was an activation device?
They were all intelligent people; she was sure the other party could grasp such a simple concept.
Ye Xin watched the person opposite her with a grin, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she delivered her final summary.
"When you sent Wei Heng, that half-finished product of the G01 Project, to Xiaoxi’s side like some piece of recycled trash, wasn’t it to test this very theory? Just as a precaution?"
After speaking, Ye Xin let out a soft laugh, the sarcastic curve of her lips aimed at no one in particular.
After hearing her words, the person on the other end was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.
"Ye, you really are clever," she said, her voice suddenly changing to a female one that Gu Xi recognized. "No wonder my sister went against everyone’s objections to put you in the vice-director’s seat."
"But you needn’t worry about the chips," she said. "We’ve already made other arrangements."
"Oh." Ye Xin smiled, not pressing the matter any further.
Qi Xiang, however, raised a surprised eyebrow. The female voice that had just spoken really was the voice of Chen, just as she remembered it.
Qi Xiang had grown up in the Abnormal Ability Research Institute. Though Chen had left the institute years ago, Qi Xiang wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with her voice.
But for some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the voice sounded... eerie.
Qi Xiang instinctively glanced at Gu Xi.
Gu Xi was still in the same position, leaning calmly against the wall.
Then, Ye Xin’s voice came from the unknown location once more.
"However, Chen," she said, "you were wrong about one thing. The reason I’m in this position today isn’t because of your and Mr. Chen’s generosity. It’s because..."
’Because of what?’
Qi Xiang instinctively perked up her ears, but the voice never returned.
Qi Xiang frowned slightly and looked up at Gu Xi, only to see a faint smile playing on her lips. Gu Xi straightened up, tilted her head toward her, and said, "Let’s go."
’It was time to settle the score between herself and those two sisters.’
’Go? Go where?’
Qi Xiang froze for a second. Seeing Gu Xi walk off in a specific direction, she quickly snapped out of it and hurried to follow.