Chapter 16: "None But You!"

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The first session of the archaeology major class began promptly.

Under the sweltering heat, a middle-aged Mediterranean teacher stood on the podium, speaking eloquently about the specialized subject.

“According to archaeological research—”

“During the last Ice Age, which was the interglacial period of the fifth Ice Age, there were six continents. After the arrival of the sixth Ice Age, the continental plates shifted drastically, forming one vast continent alongside numerous islands.”

“You may have learned in history class that the human skeletons from the fifth Ice Age closely resemble those of our current civilization, which also proves that...”

This was the first professional course since the semester began.

As expected, the knowledge was somewhat dry, but the students below still listened attentively.

Only the chubby boy occasionally stole glances at Chen Jiang, puzzled about how his father knew Chen Jiang’s name and even urged him to curry favor with Chen Jiang. Could it be that his father was aware of Chen Jiang’s background?

In recent days,

Chen Jiang had become a sensation at Chaoge University!

With his ostentatious license plate, the unabashedly flashy McLaren, and his distinctive attire, it was impossible not to draw attention!

His family clearly lacked no money; his father was a businessman and surely wanted to capitalize on this connection.

Yet...

What puzzled him was that Chen Jiang’s flamboyant style wasn’t aimed at flirting. Even Jiang Min, the prettiest girl in the class, didn’t seem to interest him much...

In a corner,

Jiang Min was already excitedly posting news on the campus forum that Chen Jiang would perform a magic act at the freshman welcome gala. As soon as her post appeared, the replies surged wildly.

“Is this for real? So handsome, so rich, and he even has talents?”

“I thought everyone who got into Chaoge University was just a bunch of nerds wearing black-rimmed glasses.”

“I’m going to sit in the front row and thoroughly expose him!”

There were admirers with hearts aflutter as well as jealous underclassmen and upperclassmen.

The date was still before September 15th.

But with Chen Jiang’s participation, this ordinarily routine welcome gala suddenly attracted considerable attention and anticipation.

...

The class bell rang.

There was an elective class in the afternoon, but Chen Jiang clearly had no intention of attending it. He took Silent Snake by the arm and left the teaching building, then, under the watchful eyes of many students, slid into the orange McLaren.

With a rev of the engine, they sped off toward the outskirts of the campus.

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Back in an old courtyard house within Chaoge City.

At this moment, Uncle Ji was already waiting for him in the courtyard.

“Brother Jiang.”

Uncle Ji approached and handed over a rolled sheet of paper.

“Hmm.”

Chen Jiang took the paper and entered the inner courtyard, spreading it flat on the table. It was a floor plan of the Chaoge City Government building—six floors in total.

“...”

He said nothing but studied the plan carefully. From a drawer, he took out a ruler and pen, intermittently measuring and sketching. Silent Snake and Uncle Ji stood nearby, scrutinizing the map with equal focus.

After a long while,

Chen Jiang slowly closed his eyes to recall, then opened them and quietly said, “The floor plan does not match the actual layout in my memory. I need to visit the city government in person to gather detailed data. There is most likely a hidden chamber, and inside it is the safe.”

Long ago,

Shortly after he had come of age, his master personally took him, disguised as a maintenance worker, to sneak into the city government. That time there was no mission—his master was simply demonstrating social engineering techniques and testing Silent Snake’s disguise skills.

A young man, under Silent Snake’s craftsmanship, looked from every angle like a balding middle-aged man.

He remembered this clearly.

He had entered every room but had never seen a safe placed anywhere. Such top-secret items wouldn’t be casually stored in a room. When they left, his master told him with a complicated tone,

“When a magician starts to fear death, it’s time for him to step down.”

“You will come here again someday.”

“Do not fear death; face it calmly until the final curtain falls.”

At the time, he didn’t understand.

Now he vaguely grasped the meaning of those words. His master had long known that the city government concealed classified information about the “Paradise of the Gods” and had guessed he would return one day.

Had his master been frightened by some experience, causing him to retire from performing?

But he never understood why, since “Paradise of the Gods” did not forbid players from revealing information about it, his master left him no clue about the game before dying.

He had long graduated.

But in reality, he seldom had the chance to perform on stage. This was why he performed thirteen shows in a row in the first novice dungeon—he had been pent-up for too long. This time, “Illusory Bloom” was his first stage performance in real life.

Nervous yet filled with anticipation.

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“Phew...”

After a long moment, Chen Jiang exhaled softly and said, “During the background check, Jiang Min’s father was identified as the mayor of Chaoge City, and he usually works in the city government, right?”

Silent Snake nodded. “That’s right, Brother Jiang.”

Immediately—

Chen Jiang took out his phone and called Jiang Min. The call was quickly answered.

“Hello, who’s this?”

“It’s me, Chen Jiang.”

“Chen Jiang?! How did you get my number? Wait... you’re not planning to back out suddenly, are you?” Jiang Min’s voice suddenly grew anxious and uneasy.

“Not at all. I was just planning this magic act and realized I need a beautiful lady on stage as my magic partner. Would you be willing to join me in this performance?”

Chen Jiang’s tone was gentle with a faint laugh, though his eyes held no mirth. His pen tapped repeatedly on the city government floor plan.

“Oh! Of course!” she responded excitedly but somewhat hesitantly. “But I have no magic experience at all. Is that really okay?”

“You’re the one I want!”

“That’s great! No problem. When do we rehearse?”

“I’ll contact you again.”

After hanging up,

Chen Jiang tossed the city government floor plan into a nearby brazier. Flames and heat suddenly surged upward. Tilting his head, he looked at Uncle Ji, saying, “Help me promote the Chaoge University freshman welcome gala on the evening of September 15th across the entire city.”

“Silent Snake has the video of my first magic trick—the Ace of Hearts—from when I started university.”

“Use that as the promotional foundation, add in the rich heir and McLaren sports car as hype, and stir up the buzz. It must be so well-known that the moment those out-of-town government officials step into Chaoge City on September 15th, they hear about it.”

“Also, arrange for some sabotage at the city government. I’ll head there shortly.”

“Understood.”

Uncle Ji nodded solemnly and strode out of the courtyard toward the base in Vientiane City to begin the mission.