Chapter Fifty-Nine: Something Is Amiss

Zhang Lina shuddered, her previous composure gone, no longer resisting.

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you. We came to this world to search for spirit stones. During the search, I noticed something different about Cheng Zhi. Every time the world repeats, there’s a unique energy fluctuation around him.

I approached him and started to cooperate in searching for the whereabouts of the spirit stone. After all, the energy he emits is very similar to that of the spirit stone. I thought, surely, at some point he must have come into contact with it, which awakened his self-awareness.”

Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes. He was aware of the search for spirit stones; Meng Xiaojiao had mentioned it earlier. But it was apparent that Meng Xiaojiao operated at a much lower level than Zhang Lina.

“If you knew there were spirit stones here, why didn’t you search for them yourself? I imagine you hunters have your own methods.”

Zhang Lina nodded.

It seems this is how people are—when you grit your teeth and refuse to speak, you can endure anything, but once you start talking, there’s nothing left to hide.

“We enter this world in two ways: either we attach ourselves for short periods to replicas, or we abandon all abilities and enter directly into the task world, knowing only that the spirit stone is somewhere in this city, and everything else must be discovered on our own.”

Zhou Yi finally began to understand. Meng Xiaojiao, likely lacking the ability to protect herself, was the type to come for brief periods. Zhang Lina, for the sake of action, gave up all her abilities and entered as an ordinary person.

He clicked his tongue; the satisfaction of catching Zhang Lina instantly vanished, and he frowned slightly. “Go on. Did Cheng Zhi help you find the spirit stone? Or did you two have some sort of agreement?”

Zhang Lina didn’t dare argue, sensing Zhou Yi’s irritation—probably thinking she was repeating facts they already knew.

“Cheng Zhi said he knows where the spirit stone is, but can’t retrieve it himself. He’s already had someone swap it out of the vault, but it’ll take a few days. As for us, we just need to help him amass wealth. He seems to have set up two companies and has some money abroad that needs to be laundered and brought back. He wants us to help him acquire a real company, preferably one with substantial capital.”

Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes, beginning to see the connections.

The money abroad—that must be what Li Mei’s husband transferred back. Li Mei was just his public face. As for her husband’s death, it was likely tied to all this.

Zhang Lina and her group aimed to destroy Su Yongming’s enterprise, then hand it over to Cheng Zhi. The car accident and internal sabotage were all part of their plan; their methods were truly despicable.

“Hit the old man, then threaten and entice Su Yongming into breaking the law so Li Mei’s father pursues him. Meanwhile, you stir up trouble inside the company, and finally, you buy it at a low price. Isn’t that right?”

Zhang Lina paused.

She glanced at Zhou Yi, as if these tactics posed no problem.

“I just want the spirit stone. Isn’t everyone in this world just a set of data? Why take it so seriously?”

Zhou Yi squinted and gave a faint “oh.”

“I’m from just such a world myself. Perhaps I was once a set of data, but after awakening, I appeared at the base. I suppose you’re the same, not all from time rifts. Who can know who will awaken next? Every world has its own rules. Whether ruler or awakened, whoever breaks those rules should be punished. Your understanding is flawed.”

His words left Zhang Lina at a loss for what to say. Long confined, she yearned for release, knowing that if more chosen ones arrived, she’d be doomed.

“All right, we did what we had to. Meng Xiaojiao is useless, and I alone can’t satisfy Cheng Zhi’s ambitions. I know it’s a poor plan.”

Zhou Yi shook his head. Such empty words meant nothing.

“How did Cheng Zhi get his money? According to you, he registered companies, and the funds from RB were all earned by him?”

Zhang Lina nodded.

The strength in her legs and hands was mostly gone, but Zhou Yi dared not relax.

“They say he did it himself. Nothing is in his name, and I don’t know how long he’s been awakened in this world. He hides well every time, amassing a great deal of wealth. But none of it is legitimate. He’s eager to find a successful enterprise to launder his assets, or so I think.”

Zhou Yi understood completely now. So that’s why they targeted Su Yongming.

Indeed, pharmaceutical and medical equipment businesses involve numerous imports, exports, and transactions, making them ideal for such purposes and harder to arouse suspicion among the chosen.

“Previously, did a group of chosen ones come to this world? Did you capture them?”

Zhang Lina quickly shook her head, as if afraid her explanation was too slow to be believed.

“Absolutely not us. As far as I know, it’s the first time our hunter clan has come to this world, mainly because we sensed the presence of a spirit stone and began investigating, only then discovering Cheng Zhi. During our interactions, Cheng Zhi mentioned he once tried to kill two people seeking the spirit stone, but didn’t specify how. I thought he was exaggerating to intimidate me, but it turns out it was true.”

Zhou Yi’s brows knitted tightly.

Cheng Zhi had hidden himself so deeply—it was truly unexpected. Clearly, he didn’t lack money; he just needed to be able to use it openly. But what was the point of needing so much money?

He had killed chosen ones and allied with the hunter clan. He must already know the truth of this world and some of its rules. With such actions, things were certainly not as they appeared on the surface.

Seeing Zhou Yi lost in thought, Zhang Lina tried to move, but Zhou Yi instantly tightened his grip on her neck. Zhang Lina’s face twisted in pain.

“Ah! I’ve told you everything. I can return the funds taken from Su Yongming’s company. Please loosen your grip—I can’t breathe!”

Zhou Yi did not let go. As Zhang Lina closed her eyes in agony and struggled, he shifted his stance and stood up, twisting her arms behind her back and locking them there. He grabbed the drawstring from her coat hood, bit it, yanked it free, and quickly used a sailor’s knot to tie her wrists together, one above the other.

Zhang Lina grimaced in pain, gasping for breath. Zhou Yi had no time for mercy toward a hunter; any relaxation could mean death, and it was uncertain who would fall.

Once she was securely bound, Zhou Yi checked her restraints, then hauled her up and shoved her into the car.

He caught his breath and looked at Zhang Lina in the passenger seat. With her arms twisted behind her, she couldn’t struggle, her face contorted with pain.

“I’ve told you the truth. Why won’t you release me?”

Her voice, though accusatory, had lost its former bravado. She turned her head toward Zhou Yi, uncertain of his intentions.

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?”

Zhang Lina was speechless. Facing Zhou Yi’s unreasonable stance, she had no good answer.

Zhou Yi started the car and drove toward Cheng Zhi’s neighborhood.

He knew Zhang Lina hadn’t lied; these matters weren’t secrets and meant little loss for the hunter clan.

But Zhou Yi felt something was off. He couldn’t quite figure it out. According to the records, Cheng Zhi was just a computer science student—how did he come into contact with the spirit stone?

And how could he manage to transfer the spirit stone out of a secure vault?

The two companies Cheng Zhi set up under Li Mei’s name never operated. The funds from RB and whatever else he gathered added up to a considerable sum.

But this world was nothing more than a ceaselessly repeating cycle. If he had awakened, he surely understood this. Even if he amassed endless wealth, became the richest man in the world—what would it matter?

When the time comes, everything returns to zero. Nothing remains but a fleeting thrill.

It doesn’t add up. Something is very wrong.