Love, death, and false man

Chapter 56. The Ultimate Con Artist
Fang Yan was directly captivated by the charm, but after some thought, he realized that if the files and information he found in the box were genuine, Ye Yutang's statement was plausible and, at least for now, flawless and irrefutable.

If I expose myself.

Whether she's a fake or a charlatan, she's already started killing herself, so she won't bother with all those complicated schemes.

If it's a monitor, then face-to-face contact would be a test of thought bias under high pressure. Let's see what the facts are.

What do you want to know from me?

Unable to read her thoughts, Fang Yan developed a strong interest in this woman, especially since she was one of only two girls with whom he had a very special feeling.

"Urban legends cover almost all the colleges and universities in Binhai. Speaking of which, I forgot to introduce myself. I am a student at Yuanyue College and also an Instagram blogger. Just call me Veronica, or you can just call me V."

Ye Yutang had never drunk alcohol before. When she saw the Singapore Sling served, she only took a small sip. The taste was quite strange, but the texture was okay.

“V? Ms. V.”

"Something's strange..."

“VV?”

"Huh?...Let's call him V then..."

"Alright, V, I still don't understand why you came to me?"

Fang Yan noticed that Ye Yutang seemed a little unnatural. Perhaps she felt ashamed and embarrassed, her face was inexplicably red, and her eyes were darting around. He knew she was being childish, and that her white hair was definitely related to that. Although it looked amazing, it was simply irresistible.

The awkwardness was fleeting, and Ye Yutang quickly regained her composure and seriousness.

“Strangely, our school isn’t on that mysterious website, so I have to start my investigation from other schools. I looked at the school with the highest death rate this month, and it turns out that four people died at No. 6 Middle School alone. You are a student at No. 6 Middle School and also the so-called Super High School Level figure on the website. I want to know the information about the deceased and understand the truth behind the whole mystery. Perhaps you can help me.”

Ye Yutang pretended to know nothing, took out a notebook and a pen, and acted as if she knew something.

But Fang Yan was the one who killed him, so how could he possibly say that?
"You said you witnessed a murder, so why didn't you call the police immediately? Instead, you started researching urban legends."

“I told you, other people will forget the memories associated with it. I tried calling the police, but it didn’t work. Instead, I was targeted by the killer, who sent threatening text messages and monitored me. I had no choice but to act in self-defense. You might think I’m crazy, but I seem to have awakened some kind of superpower.”

"This……"

Fang Yan was filled with thoughts and immediately logged into the Q&A section.

Are there people who awaken their Soul Flame without joining any faction?

[They exist widely among groups whose soulfire intensity exceeds 1024 joules, but under the historical narrative dominated by numbers 0-1, they are either used by 0-1 or obliterated.]

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Fang Yan then realized that he had asked a foolish question. Whether or not one has a soul fire and whether or not one belongs to any organization are unrelated. In that case, this beautiful woman is in a very dangerous situation, but there is nothing he can do to help her, as he has been targeted by the Ascetic Cultivation Association.

"Sorry, you do sound like a madman... You've gone and used superpowers. You've got the wrong person. I don't know anything about the deceased from No. 6 Middle School, nor am I some kind of super-powered individual."

"Really? But it's suspicious, at least according to the rumors. Forgive my bluntness, but you don't look like an ordinary person, and high school students usually don't stay in such nice hotels. Did you come with your girlfriend? That band member?"

"I'm suspicious? You're the one who's extremely suspicious, okay? You're a complete lunatic. Who would dye their hair such a spiky color while still in school? Is this some kind of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome)?"

"Yuanyue Academy doesn't have any requirements for these things; it's quite free. I like rock music, and you don't like white... you like red?"

"No... Besides, what does it have to do with rock and roll? And what's with the outfits that have absolutely nothing to do with high school girls?"

"High-waisted pants make legs look longer and make you look taller, that's all."

"This……"

Fang Yan was completely taken aback. "You think this isn't high enough? You want to go to the heavens?" he said. "Sorry, I have to go."

Fang Yan stood up, ready to leave. He was very happy to be able to communicate with such an amazing woman. Even if she was not a monitor or bait, she was a time bomb and quite dangerous. Even if what she said was true and she was solving a mystery, she would soon be found or killed by the three forces.

How could Ye Yutang not know Fang Yan's intentions? She also didn't know who first claimed to have superpowers. He couldn't read her thoughts, but she could. Although the thoughts she read weren't real, but rather based on real-time synchronized language information, they were still useful as a reference, capturing his facial expressions, bodily reactions, and behavioral thought patterns—an experiential model.

It seems that my drastic changes have been effective; I can easily manipulate things with a little trickery.

“I’m terrified and trying to escape this predicament. Everyone around me thinks I’m mentally unstable, which is why I’m trying to unravel this mystery. Could I have your contact information? There might be things you’re unwilling to tell me right now, but I’m willing to try to gain your trust. Maybe it’s just my imagination, maybe it’s pheromones, making me feel that you’re reliable.”

Ye Yutang lowered her eyelids and then looked at Fang Yan seriously.

It's like always standing in your destined spot, waiting for some unknown person to pull the trigger.

Bang! A gunshot rang out, and he was struck in the chest, as if all the unspoken words burst forth.

Endless imagination.

Fang Yan even considered rushing over right now to confront them directly, saying, "I will protect you, and all the mind-control dogs will be killed," which almost overwhelmed his reason.

Completely different from seduction and sexual repression, Fang Yan felt an indescribable stirring in his heart.

The wind-worn postmark, though blurred and its meaning unclear, was sent to a deserted island that had never been opened.

This woman is definitely interested in me!
To hell with the surveillance! I'll accept who's monitoring me. We can deal with the deathmatch later; we're already exposed anyway.

"As for contact information... um... no problem."

Fang Yan was completely under their control and gave Ye Yutang his own phone number.

"Is your WeChat ID your phone number? I'd like to be able to contact you anytime. Next, I'll be looking for other so-called Ultimate Ability Users. If I make any progress, I'll compare the information I get from them with yours to see if it's accurate."

Ye Yutang said this.

"It's a phone number... However, I advise you to give up that idea. Your current situation is very dangerous. I can't say anything else, I can't talk about it. I still have some personal matters to resolve. In short... don't go looking for other people, just stay put."

Fang Yan was immediately in a state of turmoil. To make matters worse, he had just provoked the ruthless Ascetic Cult. He had to settle things tomorrow.

"So it's true... You're an Ultimate Level esper, why don't you go find someone else?"

"Didn't you already know that?" Fang Yan also paid for Ye Yutang's bill, which came to 740 yuan. "It's complicated to explain, and it's related to future technology. People whose memories cannot be altered are either monitored and have their thoughts corrected or they are killed directly. You've already experienced that. If you notice anything amiss, or if someone is following or monitoring you, contact me, and I'll help you resolve it."

Fang Yan was about to leave.

"and many more……"

"I still have some things to take care of. Until I finish them, do as I say."

Fang Yan realized he couldn't stay any longer, or the ascetic cultivation would come knocking on his door. This girl seemed aloof at first glance, but she was actually quite silly. Those charlatans might even chop her up.

Ignoring Ye Yutang's attempts to stop him, Fang Yan left the bar, pondering his next move. He decided to go to a secluded spot later. He had already revealed his identity; if the woman didn't follow him and try to kill him, then her predicament might be genuine. To be honest, this turn of events was too coincidental, inexplicably so. Although he didn't know which part went wrong—her story was flawless—something still felt off to Fang Yan.

Ji Wei held her slightly flushed face, watching Fang Yan's figure slowly disappear from sight.

It's done...it's a success.

He didn't realize he was being exposed. Through fabricated files on the Soul Master server and hacking the Salvation Army's satellite server, Ji Wei created a non-existent person to replace him.

Colored contact lenses, false eyelashes, eyeshadow, lipstick, lip gloss, and even a head of striking white hair.

But this is only the first step in a meticulous long-term plan. Not only must Fang Yan be fooled, but the Summit must also be fooled. Every step from here on out is like walking a tightrope.

"Helping you solve this...does that mean...protecting me?"

Ji Wei's neck turned red all the way to her ears.

Roses entwine, sway, and blur, carrying metaphors, heart palpitations, halos, verses, the overflowing spring tide in the eyes, the Milky Way swimming in the pupils, and the incomprehensible passage of time.

(End of this chapter)