Chapter 1023: The Real Person
Chu Tianqiu paused for a moment after hearing this, feeling as if Yan Zhichun was telling him some fantastic tale.
"‘Heaven's Gate’ helping ‘the Syndicate’ clear out obstacles...?" He smiled and furrowed his brow. "Do you know what you're saying? In a sense, we've been long-term enemies."
"‘Heaven's Gate’ and ‘the Syndicate’ are enemies, but are you and I enemies?" Yan Zhichun asked nonchalantly.
"That's an interesting way to put it." Chu Tianqiu nodded. "That's how it is with many CEOs of rival companies—the subordinates are locked in heated battles, while the higher-ups sit down for tea and chat from time to time."
"That's exactly what I mean." Yan Zhichun said. "Even if ‘Heaven's Gate’ and ‘the Syndicate’ have been fighting for all these years, that doesn't stop us from having a common goal, does it? Even if the subordinates can't see through this layer, you should be able to."
"So?"
"‘The Syndicate’ needs your help." Yan Zhichun said. "I have a bad feeling about this, so I have to gather another wave of reinforcements."
"Reinforcements...? But so far, you haven't said what kind of help you need, just that it's a ‘tricky problem’." Chu Tianqiu replied. "What if you're playing me? What if you get the few remaining people in ‘Heaven's Gate’ killed?"
"I really can't explain it clearly, but it's not because I want to keep it from you." Yan Zhichun said. "I'm worried that the walls have ears, and there are too many people who shouldn't hear this news."
Chu Tianqiu listened, then turned to look at Chen Junnan beside him, and then up at Dilong and Qinglong above. Of course, he knew this wasn't a place to talk.
But if the other party wouldn't say what needed to be done, how could he determine whether this was a fair deal?
"All I can say is..." Yan Zhichun seemed to see Chu Tianqiu's hesitation, and added, "This mission is extremely dangerous. Once you accept it, you might take the entire ‘Heaven's Gate’ to the grave with you. I won't lie to you, and that's all I can say. The rest is for you to consider."
Chen Junnan frowned from the side and said, "Aren't you making things difficult for Chu Tianqiu...?"
Chu Tianqiu naturally understood what Yan Zhichun meant. She couldn't reveal the content of the mission, but she made the danger of the mission clear in one sentence.
If he agreed now, the entire ‘Heaven's Gate’ would die. If he refused, then Yan Zhichun would be the sole owner of the words "Commander" and "Cannon," and the current team might be completely wiped out.
Although Yan Zhichun herself was also in this team, and failing the mission meant death for her too, she was still a member of ‘the Syndicate.’ Not many of those lunatics feared death.
After a few seconds, Chu Tianqiu slowly revealed a smile. "Yan Zhichun, you might not understand the person I am now..."
"What do you mean?"
"I've already sent ‘Heaven's Gate’ into hell with my own hands, several times." He said softly. "After going through two ‘Heaven-level Moments,’ that place has become the last refuge in their memories. Now, if I ask them to die again, the effect will be better than ever."
"You... really can't bear the title ‘King of Goodness’." Yan Zhichun said. "I guess I didn't wrong you."
"Whatever. So the deal is done." Chu Tianqiu said. "Give me the ‘words,’ and I'll let ‘Heaven's Gate’ go crazy with you."
"It's hard to say who's crazier." Yan Zhichun extended her hand, revealing a handful of small metallic "words."
「石」(Stone), 「リ」(Ri), 「巾」(Towel).
Chu Tianqiu thoughtfully took the "words," his expression calm as he said, "Yan Zhichun, you might not realize it yet. Whether it's ‘Commander’ or ‘Stone,’ neither will play much of a role in this game."
"That's not my concern." Yan Zhichun said. "Everyone has their role in this game. My team is responsible for retrieving the ‘words,’ and you're responsible for using those ‘words’ to beat Qi Xia."
At this moment, Chen Junnan looked up at the screen in front of Chu Tianqiu. After a moment, he frowned.
"What is it?" Chu Tianqiu turned to look at Chen Junnan. "Why are you staring at the screen?"
"Nothing..." Chen Junnan sighed and said lightly, "Can we really win?"
"I'm still calculating." Chu Tianqiu said. "So far, I've figured out that the total number of ‘words’ that can be formed exceeds thirty-five, but half of them can't be read aloud."
Chen Junnan paused again. "Why not have everyone gather here, hand over all the ‘words,’ and let you test them one by one?"
"If we do that, the ‘front line’ will fall." Chu Tianqiu said. "Qi Xia is probably using the same tactic as me. Once there's no one at the front to hold off the enemy, they'll all swarm into our ‘preparation zone.’"
"So what if they come to our ‘preparation zone’...?"
Chu Tianqiu didn't reply. He simply picked up the "words" in his hand and scored three points on the screen.
「Commander」, 「Towel」, 「Stone」.
Unfortunately, in Chu Tianqiu's eyes, these three "words" could no longer form any other possible combinations.
After finishing the combination, he lowered his head, thought for a moment, then took out the 「Towel」 separately and handed it back to Chen Junnan.
"You can't act without a ‘word.’ We still need you." Chu Tianqiu said.
"Is a single ‘Towel’... considered a ‘word’?"
"Yes." Chu Tianqiu said. "Go on. No matter who you failed against last time, remember to pick a different target this time."
"And if I keep failing...?" Chen Junnan asked again.
"Then you'll still put enormous psychological pressure on them." Chu Tianqiu said. "As long as they start to doubt the real Chen Junnan, you'll have succeeded."
"Alright..." Chen Junnan reached out and took the 「Towel」, his mind seemingly elsewhere.
"Go now." Chu Tianqiu said. "Time is running out. Don't delay."
"But that screen..." Chen Junnan said.
"I'll handle the matters concerning the ‘words’." Chu Tianqiu smiled again. "You go do your own job."
"Fine..."
Chen Junnan tucked the 「Towel」 into his pocket, opened his mouth as if to say something else, but sighed and turned to leave.
After he left, a long silence fell between Chu Tianqiu and Yan Zhichun.
"Is something wrong...?" Yan Zhichun asked. "You don't look right."
"It's too absurd." Chu Tianqiu suddenly let out a strange smile and said in a low voice, "This is simply too absurd... Now I finally understand why Qi Xia arranged for Xu Liunian to be in my team."
"What...?" Yan Zhichun was stunned. "That ‘Shapeshifter’ was chosen for you by Qi Xia?"
"Well, isn't this just great." Chu Tianqiu said. "‘Shapeshifter’ and ‘Anti-Shapeshifter’... Before we can even mess up the enemy's strategy, the enemy's people have already arrived in our ‘preparation zone.’”
Yan Zhichun's eyes slowly widened as she listened. "You're saying... that person just now wasn't a ‘Shapeshifter’ at all?! That was the real Chen Junnan?!"