Chapter 78

The spokespersons of Kyushu and Kunlun stood facing each other under a wutong tree.

One was a young man, the other middle-aged.

One wore a gray suit, the other a black Zhongshan suit.

The world seemed to be divided by the wutong tree between them, creating a stark and vivid contrast.

Former comrades-in-arms, and now competitors.

"I'm very curious, why do you come to Luocheng twice a month from the capital? Is there something that attracts you here?" Zheng Yuandong asked calmly under the wutong tree.

He Jinqiu smiled. "Mr. Zheng, you're joking. Last night, Kunlun successfully captured four criminals. How could I not come to take a look and offer my congratulations?"

"This is part of Kunlun's duty, no need for congratulations," Zheng Yuandong replied casually. "And with five still at large, there's no time for celebration."

"Part of the duty..." He Jinqiu smiled. "Mr. Zheng, are you reminding me that Kyushu has been breaking the rules recently?"

From the establishment of the two organizations, different functions were set.

Kunlun does not involve itself in external affairs, and Kyushu does not involve itself in internal affairs.

It's like the difference between the CIA and the FBI. Even though the CIA has 70% control over intelligence discourse overseas and can independently plan small-scale military activities, they still lack legitimate power domestically.

The same goes for Kyushu.

But He Jinqiu never seemed to have intended to follow this rule. In nineteen cities, the two organizations intersect, and unexpected conflicts occasionally arise.

In the capital, the two sides almost came to blows over a time traveler girl named Jiuran.

At this moment, He Jinqiu suddenly asked, "Isn't Mr. Zheng at all worried?"

"Worried about what?" Zheng Yuandong countered.

"Once He Xiaoxiao's group chat is established, all the time travelers in the country will flock to Kyushu. How will Kunlun ensure it can fulfill its duties with no one left?"

As he spoke, a wutong leaf spiraled down from the sky and was gently caught by He Jinqiu. "I know Mr. Zheng has the ability to obtain gene agents, which can make ordinary soldiers very useful. But have you told the young people of Kunlun about the side effects of those gene agents?"

Zheng Yuandong said, "Everyone makes different choices. Once they choose, there's no need to regret."

"Speaking of which, why did Kunlun elevate all of Liu Dezhu's files to top secret?" He Jinqiu asked. "Although he ended up with a major figure in the inner world like Li Shutong, I still feel something is off."

Zheng Yuandong shook his head. "I refuse to answer."

Suddenly, a gold coin appeared in He Jinqiu's fingertips, playing with it as it continuously leaped and rolled between his slender, bony fingers, as if it had a soul.

The front of the gold coin was a ring pattern made of wheat ears, while the back was two crossed long swords.

He looked at Zheng Yuandong and asked, "I personally observed Liu Dezhu. With your discerning eye, you wouldn't have found him impressive. Why elevate his security level to the highest? To protect him? To protect others through protecting him? Or to mislead me?"

The leaves on the ground suddenly swirled, as if an invisible wind was gently stirring them.

He Jinqiu couldn't understand the details of last night's events with Kunlun's information blockade.

But he understood Zheng Yuandong.

"Old Class Leader," He Jinqiu said, "you're not protecting Liu Dezhu, are you?"

But Zheng Yuandong didn't answer the question. Instead, he looked at the gold coin in He Jinqiu's hand and smiled. "I wonder which extraordinary being left the forbidden item ACE-099, also known as the 'Right Coin,' which can discern truth from lies."

The gold coin landed steadily in He Jinqiu's hand, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Old Class Leader, you really know everything."

"Although the forbidden item ACE-099 has been gone for a long time, its function is not a secret," Zheng Yuandong replied.

"Alright, looks like I won't get any answers today, but," He Jinqiu's smile grew wider, "I'm not leaving empty-handed."

With that, He Jinqiu turned and left, the gold coin in his hand whispering softly.

After he sat in the back of a black car parked by the administrative building, he slowly pulled out a 100-gram gold bar from his pocket.

He Jinqiu gently touched the gold bar to the forbidden item ACE-099.

In an instant, the gold bar melted and flowed into the gold coin, but the size of the coin remained unchanged.

Slowly, the patterns on the gold coin began to flow like liquid, like a calm lake.

He Jinqiu whispered, "My debt is repaid."

With a snap of his fingers, the front of the gold coin reformed into the wheat ear ring, returning to its quiet state.

He Jinqiu gazed out the window. He had come with the 'Right Coin,' but Mr. Zheng hadn't given him the chance to get his answers.

"The prerequisite of spinning the coin on the back of the hand is a bit too conspicuous," he sighed.

The driver in the front seat glanced in the rearview mirror and asked, "Boss, our people couldn't find the five fugitives. It's said that Kunlun's interrogation has yielded some leads. Should we try to get them?"

He Jinqiu shook his head. "This is Mr. Zheng's territory. Let him handle it."

...

Because the next day was National Day, the students had little interest in studying in the afternoon. Everyone was talking about the trip to Laojun Mountain.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, the homeroom teacher, Tian Hailong, suddenly announced an early holiday in class: "Although we're giving you an early holiday, I hope you understand that you're already in the second year of high school. So, adjust your mindset and don't let your hearts wander."

Qingchen was surprised that he didn't have to skip class today.

He left the classroom early, met up with Jiang Xue and Li Tongyun, and boarded the bus to Laojun Mountain.

Li Tongyun, the little girl, carried her small backpack, filled with snacks.

However, Qingchen didn't know that Hu Xiaoniu and others' plans had also changed due to the early holiday. The rented bus stopped at the school gate at five o'clock in the afternoon.

At 5:20 PM, the students of Class 3 and Class 4 of Grade 2 first went home to get their things and then gathered in front of the bus.

Someone asked Nan Gengchen, "Hey, Nan, where's Qingchen? Isn't he coming?"

"Yeah, he doesn't seem to be in our travel group," someone said.

"Oh, he said he has other plans for National Day, so he's not coming," Nan Gengchen sighed.

Not far away, two Kunlun members who had been tracking Liu Dezhu watched this scene and immediately reported to headquarters: "There's something unusual with Liu Dezhu. They seem to be renting a bus for a trip. What are your instructions? Should we send reinforcements?"

The on-duty colleague at headquarters replied, "The road team received a message that a suspect appeared in Meng County to the north of Luocheng, and they seem to be leaving Luocheng. They are now in pursuit. The road team instructs you to follow Liu Dezhu and not to send reinforcements for now. Several of our brothers are on leave due to injuries. They will return tomorrow and head over to relieve you early in the morning. You'll have to bear with it today."

"Understood, no problem," the two Kunlun members responded.

Meng County, where the suspect appeared, and Z County, where Laojun Mountain is located, are one to the north and one to the south.