Chapter 22

Zhao Liux patted his chest and said, "Brother Yue, you can rest assured. I know all the tricks of the police. I've even tasted the electric baton a few times, but they can't pry my mouth open. It's just that the families of the boss and the others..."

"Rest assured, I have my own arrangements. As for the deaths of Lei Zi and the others, I will find the culprit. I have everything under control," Qin Yue said calmly. "You go back first, and I'll take care of the rest."

Hearing Qin Yue's calm words, Zhao Liux felt greatly reassured—Brother Yue was always so composed. No matter how bad the situation, as long as Brother Yue was involved, he would always find a way. He replied and quickly left the gold shop.

Watching his loyal subordinate leave, Qin Yue narrowed his eyes slightly. He lifted his teacup to drink, but realized it was empty when it reached his lips.

When he put the teacup down, the bottom of the cup collided with the table, making a crisp "clink" sound—only then did Qin Yue realize his hands were trembling uncontrollably.

Qin Yue, with trembling hands, took out a match from the drawer and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag, feeling the smoke hiss down his throat, burning his insides, but it felt refreshing. He slowly exhaled the smoke, as if slowly expelling the fear from his heart.

Too arrogant, too terrifying, too ruthless!

Without any warning or hint, they struck mercilessly at those who offended them, taking five lives in an instant, and in a way that was impossible to explain—falling to their deaths from a building several stories high in an open parking lot!

How did they manage it?

It wouldn't be difficult to eliminate the people I sent. A few strong men and a few guns would do the job. But why did they choose such an unimaginably complex method instead of the simpler ones?

Don't they know this would attract more attention from the police? No, they can't be unaware. Whoever has this kind of power, they can't be fools.

So, are they showing off their strength to me? Are they trying to intimidate me?

How much did Lei Zi and the others say before they were executed?

Did they reveal me? Ah, they must have, because Lei Zi and the others were taken up the building and pushed down. This means they were once in the hands of the other side. To save their lives, these guys would say anything.

So, the other side knows I was the one behind this? Then, after killing Lei Zi and the others, will they continue to take revenge on me?

It only took Qin Yue a second to conclude: "Yes, they definitely will!"

If it were just about sending people to kidnap Xu Yan, there would still be room for negotiation. I could ask influential figures in the underworld to mediate, or even get a government official to intercede, and make appropriate compensation—after all, in the underworld, everyone is just after money. In life-and-death situations, I wouldn't be stingy. After paying the compensation, I could set up a reconciliation dinner, apologize, and everyone could pretend it was a misunderstanding, and maybe even cooperate in the future!

But now, with five of my men dead, there's blood debt between us. If we don't cut the roots, they won't stop. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't feel safe either.

Since that's the case, I can't just sit and wait to be killed. I need to strike first, but the question is, who should I strike?

This is Qin Yue's biggest dilemma. Judging from the situation, Lei Zi and the others were taken while kidnapping the college student Xu Yan, so logically, Xu Yan should be the prime suspect.

But Qin Yue had personally met Xu Yan. His naive and inexperienced demeanor clearly showed he was just a bookish student—according to Zhao Liux's report, "This guy is a bookworm, he can't even get a warm meal." And after his own investigation and verification, Xu Yan had no complex social connections. How could he be involved with such a terrifying force?

Killing a useless Xu Yan would have almost no impact on the other side, but it would only provoke their anger, making their retaliation even more intense and cutting off any chance of negotiation...

Thinking about negotiation—since the other side is in the dark and I am in the open, Xu Yan is the only exposed member of the other side. As long as Xu Yan is alive, I can at least find someone to talk to. If I kill him, who will I talk to? Wouldn't that cut off the only channel for negotiation with the other side?

Hmm, that's not right. Xu Yan lives in the Plum Blossom Community, but Lei Zi's body was found in the Fengyuan Community. Could there be some hidden meaning? Could the real culprit be in the Fengyuan Community? Perhaps, when Lei Zi and the others went there, they accidentally stumbled upon some secret activity of a powerful force, leading to a conflict, and Lei Zi was killed. This might have nothing to do with Xu Yan at all?

...

Qin Yue always liked to plan carefully before taking action, especially in life-threatening situations. He was even more cautious now. He repeatedly deliberated, carefully considering, and drank and refilled his tea until it was almost as clear as water.

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At this point, the gang leader Qin Yue had already regarded Xu Yan as the representative of a "powerful and ruthless" mysterious force, but Xu Yan himself had no such awareness. He was honestly attending class at school.

Because he was delayed by the police on the street, Xu Yan arrived at the classroom late. He sneaked in through the back door. The young male lecturer on the podium clearly saw Xu Yan but just smiled and didn't criticize him—this was an elective course designed to broaden students' horizons, not a core professional course, so the classroom discipline wasn't that strict.

Xu Yan found that, despite the course being on science fiction literature and held on a Sunday, the classroom was packed with students. After circling around, he finally found an empty seat and quickly sat down, feeling relieved—being a latecomer, finding a seat under the teacher's watchful eye was quite embarrassing.

Xu Yan settled into his seat, took a breath, and then greeted the student next to him in a low voice, "Hello, classmate, what are we covering today?"

As he turned his head, Xu Yan was stunned. Sitting next to him was a beautiful woman with fair skin. She was tall, with a typical oval face, bright eyes, and a neat bob. She wore a white checkered shirt, with a straight posture, giving off a very spirited impression.

Hearing Xu Yan's question, the beauty politely nodded and replied in a low voice, "The teacher is discussing Asimov's classic robot series. He just started, not long ago."

"Robot series? Oh, thank you."

Xu Yan opened his notebook, wrote down "Robot Series," and began to listen.

The science fiction appreciation lecturer was a young male teacher. Judging by his age, Xu Yan estimated he was only a few years older than himself. He was of medium height, with a neat short haircut, and a handsome face. He wore a blue striped shirt and black jeans, with a tie loosely hanging from his unbuttoned collar. His casual yet stylish appearance gave him a rebellious charm—seeing this teacher, Xu Yan vaguely understood why the classroom was mostly filled with female students.

The male lecturer held a piece of chalk and spoke with a clear and pleasant voice:

"Asimov was an American Jew, one of the top science fiction writers of the 20th century, a renowned science popularizer, and a literary critic. He is a representative figure of the golden age of American science fiction. In literary history, he is considered one of the three giants of science fiction, alongside Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and also one of the three giants of science fiction alongside Robert Heinlein and Arthur Clarke—however, I want to share my personal opinion: I believe this evaluation is unfair.

"In terms of artistic value and depth of humanistic thought, I believe Asimov far surpasses Heinlein and Clarke. His works cover a wide range of scientific fields, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, biology, and medicine, as well as humanities such as literature, religion, and history. His vast knowledge makes his fictional world both fantastical and highly predictive. His broad perspective infuses his works with a concern for the future of humanity, transcending the limitations of ordinary science fiction.

"In Asimov's lifetime, the 'Robot' series is one of his most representative works. This novel, along with Asimov's 'Three Laws of Robotics,' has become a guiding principle for subsequent science fiction writers when creating works involving robots. This landmark work not only provides guidance for future science fiction writers but also has significant forward-looking implications for the development of real-world artificial intelligence research... Asimov's work truly integrates artistic value, entertainment, humanism, and the practical guidance of science fiction for scientific development, reaching unprecedented heights in the genre—"

This young lecturer was indeed quite knowledgeable, speaking fluently with examples and theories, making the class very engaging. Although Xu Yan hadn't read Asimov's science fiction novels, he became interested and listened intently, thinking he should find a couple of Asimov's books to read later to see if they were as good as the teacher described.

After a while, Xu Yan turned to the beautiful girl next to him and asked in a low voice, "Classmate, what's the teacher's name?"

The girl glanced at Xu Yan, took his notebook, and wrote a few words: "Si Tu Xiao." She said softly, "Teacher Si Tu is just back from the United States and is very knowledgeable!"

As she spoke, a fresh sandalwood scent made Xu Yan feel enchanted. At that moment, he truly understood why the ancients created the phrase "breath like orchids."

"Yes, Teacher Si Tu is really good. I'm completely absorbed."

Xu Yan chuckled dryly—actually, he didn't care about the teacher's name; he just wanted to find a topic to chat with the beautiful girl.

The girl nodded slightly and said, "Focus on the class, don't talk."

Xu Yan glanced at her notebook, which was already filled with neat, unaltered notes from the science fiction appreciation class. He stuck out his tongue: How exaggerated? Even for a pure credit-grabbing elective, she takes notes so seriously? This girl is too meticulous—however, this was a good thing. In the future, he could use the excuse of borrowing her notes to review, and with more contact, he might have a chance.

For some reason, the moment he saw this girl, he felt a strange flutter in his heart—although she was beautiful, Xu Yan had seen beautiful girls before, and Zhu Youxiang was no less attractive, but he didn't have this special feeling.

Perhaps it was the unique purity of this girl that attracted him. She exuded a rare simplicity and purity, like clear water. Xu Yan felt her demeanor was very different from the other girls he knew, who were obsessed with brands and flashy clothing. Her simple and plain appearance reminded him of the college students of the 1980s, with a white shirt and a pen in the pocket, exuding a vibrant energy that was rare in this era.

This beautiful girl, who was both listening and taking notes, seemed to be a big fan of science fiction—determined to make a good impression, despite feeling very tired, Xu Yan straightened up, raised his head, and even took notes, appearing like a diligent student.

In Xu Yan's view, the science fiction appreciation class was a stage for the handsome teacher to show off. In a forty-minute class, he only spent the first twenty minutes discussing Asimov's robot series. For the remaining twenty minutes, he deviated from the planned curriculum, discussing everything from science fiction to mysterious phenomena, from the Loch Ness Monster to the Bermuda Triangle, from Area 51 to UFOs, and the encounters of air forces with UFOs. Each example was vivid and detailed, as if he had witnessed them himself.

This was a characteristic of university classes. Unless it was a core course with a strict syllabus and schedule, teachers had a lot of freedom in elective courses, often straying far from the topic. For example, Xu Yan's Marxist philosophy teacher could spend a whole class talking about his gambling trip to Las Vegas, and a teacher of moral education could spend half an hour criticizing a colleague with a grudge. Both the school and the students were used to this. In comparison, Teacher Si Tu Xiao, with his good looks, broad knowledge, and eloquence, made the class interesting, and the students didn't find it boring.