Qin Siyang's blunt counter-question left Chu Zhongxiong speechless.
In his mind, the figure of someone who looked very much like him surfaced, and his gaze turned hollow.
Those words came out of Chu Zhongxiong's mouth, passed through the phone once, were then repeated almost word for word by Qin Siyang, and after going through the phone again, returned to Chu Zhongxiong's ears.
It made him feel like a bullet he had fired himself had looped around and struck his own temple.
Chu Zhongxiong swallowed the breath in his chest several times, not wanting to lose face in front of a junior like Qin Siyang, but in the end, he couldn't hold it in.
A long sigh escaped him.
["Little Qin, I understand what you mean."]
"Thank you, Dean Chu, for understanding."
["But understanding is one thing; it doesn't change my stance. Little Qin, you're a good student, that's clear to everyone. Your future prospects are limitless, and I more or less agree with that. But you're still young, don't take some things too simply."]
Qin Siyang smiled, "Dean Chu and I only had nodding acquaintance before. Maybe you didn't know what level I was at, which is understandable. After all, I'm not someone who likes to show off. I'm especially fond of the 'middle way' in our culture."
Li Tianming, who was driving the capsule pod, almost spat at Qin Siyang.
'Where does he get the nerve to stick the words "middle way" onto himself?'
'What kind of "middle way" hires killers in public?'
Qin Siyang continued, "This thesis hearing is obviously a showdown between me and a large group of professors who want to benefit from me, as well as Minister of Education Xiao Zhigang. But I was able to gain the support of you, Jerry Warren, and Gu Weihong, three standing council members. Isn't that enough to prove something?"
"Even if, Dean Chu, because of personal reasons, you naturally lean toward cooperating with me, how do you explain the other two standing council members who are backed by major families?"
"It can't just be that I'm lucky, right?"
After Qin Siyang said this, Chu Zhongxiong began to think back on Qin Siyang's performance before the thesis hearing.
Once, twice, but not a third time. Even if it was easy for him to cooperate with Qin Siyang, getting the Gu family and the Warren family on board was not simple.
The facts proved that Qin Siyang already had the ability to wrestle with some of the high-status figures within the safe zone.
The premise was that Qin Siyang hadn't lied to him and had truly gained the support of Gu Weihong and Jerry Warren.
But did he have any reason to lie to him? Probably not.
Qin Siyang wasn't stupid.
The support of just one person couldn't change the situation, and it would only make him form a grudge with Chu Zhongxiong. It was completely self-defeating.
In that case, it seemed he had indeed underestimated this eighteen-year-old.
But an orphan from the edge of the safe zone, reaching this point in just over half a year, how many people could have imagined that?
Xiao Zhigang's identity as the former principal of North Glory, along with his inexplicable background, meant that very few people in the safe zone could touch him.
Chu Zhongxiong himself was powerless.
Yet it seemed to echo what Hao Liang had said, no matter who looked at Qin Siyang, they could see an infinite future in him.
Chu Zhongxiong was also stirred by Qin Siyang's words, ripples rising in his heart.
It felt as though, in the near future, they could bring Xiao Zhigang down.
Avenge his younger brother, and at the same time light the way forward for himself.
["Student Qin, I admit, your terms have moved me."]
"Thank—"
["Don't thank me yet. You say you and Xiao Zhigang are mortal enemies, but words alone aren't proof."]
"How does Dean Chu want to verify it?"
["Give me Yamamoto Taro's corpse."]
"But in his memory, there's only information about the Extinction Cult's assassination division. Even though I'm sure Xiao Zhigang hired him, there's no concrete evidence for now."
["The Extinction Cult's assassination division? Even better!"]
Like a shark catching the scent of blood, Chu Zhongxiong perked up the moment he heard "Extinction Cult's assassination division," ["Just hand the body over to me. I'll handle the rest of the investigation!"]
"Alright. Since Dean Chu wants to give me justice, then of course I'm willing."
["Qin Siyang, you killed Yamamoto Taro. His memory should contain fragments of your fight. If you give me his body, aren't you worried your sequence ability or trump cards will be exposed?"]
The corner of Qin Siyang's mouth lifted.
This was where Zhao Longfei's thoroughness came in.
Yamamoto Taro's memories had already been read by the Zhao family.
While they were being read, Zhao Longfei had already had people erase the portions involving his fight with Qin Siyang, precisely to prevent Qin Siyang from later making use of Yamamoto Taro's corpse again for another transaction.
"Dean Chu doesn't need to worry about me. Just tell me the time and place, and I can hand over Yamamoto Taro's body directly. If you're in a hurry, we can even meet somewhere in Area 134."
Chu Zhongxiong pondered for a moment, then said, ["Let's do it after the thesis hearing. If this works out, it'll be the beginning of our cooperation. If it doesn't, then there's no need for me to take Yamamoto Taro's corpse."]
"Alright, it's a deal! Many thanks for your help, Dean Chu!"
["Thank me? There's no need. The one you should thank most is yourself. If you weren't strong enough, I would never have agreed to help you."]
"No matter what, thank you, Dean Chu."
Qin Siyang hung up the phone, his mood like drifting clouds in the sky, like ripples on water with fallen leaves, light and free.
"Phew! Didn't expect things to be resolved this smoothly."
Li Tianming said, "Yeah, you got pretty lucky."
Qin Siyang leaned back, tilting his head with a grin, "Old Li, when I say I'm lucky, that's me being modest. When you say I'm lucky, that's jealousy."
"Yeah, a bit jealous. When I was your age, if I had your luck…"
"Even if you had my luck, it wouldn't have helped. The apocalypse hadn't even arrived back then."
"At least I could've lived a little better."
"Not happening. Being with Ye Hongqing, you were doomed from the start."
"Shut your mouth!"
"We were talking just fine, why are you suddenly getting worked up?"
Li Tianming's face turned ashen, "We're about to reach the place Principal Zhao arranged for us to stay. Get ready."
"Get ready? How?"
"Principal Zhao's younger brother, Zhao Longju, will come to pick us up. Don't let outsiders laugh at us."
"I do remember Principal Zhao mentioning Zhao Longju would receive us… right, aren't they three siblings? Zhao Longju is?"
"He's a clan cousin. Not that close by blood, but since he's arranged to receive us, he must be someone highly trusted."
"Got it. Then I'll make use of the time. There's still quite a bit of information I haven't finished reading."
Qin Siyang drank a bottle of [Memory Potion] that enhanced memory, and another bottle of [Rapid Insight Potion] that boosted fast analysis, then picked up the information on the other members of the thesis review panel and lowered his head to read carefully.
Out of the corner of his eye, Li Tianming watched Qin Siyang, and couldn't help but take a shot of nostalgia.
He realized that the once incredibly inexperienced kid had grown astonishingly in less than a year.
Even a thorny issue like the thesis hearing could be completely handled by him.
Before he knew it, a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"Hey, Old Li, what are you smiling at?"
"Nothing. Just felt a bit of an itch at the corner of my mouth."
"Oh? Want me to scratch it for you?"
"Get lost, kid! I've got my own hands!"
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