Genius Playground

Besides that,

There was another problem that seemed contradictory and inexplicable...

According to Fang Ze, when his brother called him, he was near East Sea University. This would mean his target should have also been at East Sea University.

But Fang Yang said the person he killed was Zhou Xiong, and that he killed him in Hang City.

Hang City is 200 kilometers from East Sea University. Would an assassin really need to make a special trip to East Sea University after a hit?

It didn’t make sense.

There had to be something more to the story.

GURGLE, GURGLE.

Spitting out the mouthwash, Jiang Ran wiped his mouth with a towel and walked out of the bathroom.

He decided to talk to Fang Ze again.

”Fang Ze.”

Jiang Ran lay on his bed and asked, feigning nonchalance,

”Any news from your brother, Fang Yang? Have you been able to contact him?”

Fang Ze shook his head.

”No.”

He sighed.

”Speaking of which, I feel pretty helpless. Other than knowing my brother’s last call was from near East Sea University, I don’t have any other clues.”

”So, trying to find my brother or his target in this vast sea of people is like finding a needle in a haystack... There’s just no hope in sight.”

Jiang Ran turned onto his side, propping his head on his hand as he looked at Fang Ze.

”Are you sure... your brother was really near East Sea University? Is it possible he was just passing through or visiting for fun, and that his target wasn’t at the university?”

Hearing this, Fang Ze shook his head slightly.

”Jiang Ran, that’s my brother we’re talking about. I know him very well.”

”He’s not the type to have leisurely interests. The words ’travel’ and ’fun’ have never been in his vocabulary.”

”When my brother isn’t working, he’s always with me in the city where I go to school. He doesn’t have any other hobbies. He just cooks for me, keeps me company, and works out.”

”Before summer break this year, my brother went to East Sea University a few times. Then when he called me, he was also at East Sea University... and the timing was right after he sent me money.”

”If there wasn’t something at East Sea University that required special attention, why would my brother come here so many times in such a short period?”

...

Jiang Ran listened silently and nodded.

Hearing it put like that, what Fang Ze said seemed to make sense.

The Assassin was a rather simple man. His life seemed to revolve around only two things—

loving his little brother, and killing people.

Well, the ultimate purpose of the second thing was also for the first.

’Could it be...’

’Is the Assassin hiding something from me?’

Jiang Ran closed his eyes.

’It’s hard to say.’

’It’s also possible that Fang Ze is the one lying.’

Right now, Fang Ze didn’t know he knew the Fang Yang of 2045, and Fang Yang didn’t know he was roommates with the Fang Ze of 2025.

Under these circumstances, many of their ”testimonies” didn’t add up.

Fang Ze said his brother was going to kill someone at East Sea University, but Fang Yang said the person he killed was in Hang City.

Fang Yang said his brother would never say such cowardly things and that their relationship wasn’t that close. Yet, Fang Ze acted meek and weak all day, following him to East Sea University out of a seemingly deep brotherly bond.

These two...

’Who is lying?’

Jiang Ran thought to himself, ’I should wait until tomorrow night and ask the Assassin in 2045 again. His side seems more reliable. After all, I genuinely saved his life, and he really does tell me everything he knows. With Fang Ze, I can’t make endless mistakes or loop indefinitely, so it’s better to be cautious... It’s not like with the Future Prison in 2045, where any mistake can be fixed and I can start over.’

That settled it!

Jiang Ran lay flat on his back, pulled up the covers, and got ready to sleep.

”It’s getting late. I’ll think about these things tomorrow.”

”Hey Fang Ze, I’m a bit tired today, so I’m going to sleep. Remember to turn off the light in a bit.”

”Okay.”

Fang Ze also got up from his chair and placed the book, *Narrow Gate*, on the coffee table.

”I’m heading to bed too. I’ll turn off the light now.”

He walked over to the window to draw the curtains.

Outside, branches and shadows danced in the dark, swept up by a howling wind. Twigs and willow branches were stretched out horizontally in the air, as if saluting the wind’s roaring passage.

”The wind’s really picking up.”

Fang Ze shut the window tight. With his hand on the curtain, he stared out at the starless, moonless night sky.

”I wonder... is it going to pour tomorrow?”

SWISH—

Ornate, heavy curtains were flung to either side, revealing a massive, crystal-clear floor-to-ceiling window. After tossing the curtains aside, a middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back, gazing out at the brightly lit Lujiazui and the churning waves of the Huangpu River.

Behind him, an elderly man in a Tang suit sat at the conference table and sighed.

”Those are motorized curtains... Could you please not yank them like that?”

It wasn’t that he was concerned about the expensive, hand-sewn curtains made by a French artisan, but that he simply disliked such a violent and boorish style.

”Too much trouble.”

The middle-aged man looked at the wind-whipped night outside.

”And too slow.”

The man in the Tang suit swiveled his chair to face the window and said earnestly,

”You’re always like this. No patience, not steady enough... This won’t do. I’ve told you many times.”

The middle-aged man remained silent.

His gaze remained fixed on the world outside the window.

Finally... he lowered his head and spoke.

”There’s something I still don’t understand, even after all this time.”

The man in the Tang suit watched the middle-aged man’s back, slowly rubbing the glittering gold King Coin between his fingertips without a word.

It seemed... he had already guessed what the middle-aged man was about to say.

”I really don’t get it.”

The middle-aged man turned around to face the elderly man.

”Why did you have to destroy the Princess Coin instead of just giving it to me?”