Chapter 26: A Textbook Example of a Genius in Action
Their conversation saved Lin Xiaosu a great deal of trouble.
He needed to warn them that this white snake was extremely unusual and dangerous, but this was not an easy warning to give. During their previous journey, no one but him had seen the white snake—he couldn’t very well tell them, “I can reverse time; I witnessed it with my own eyes.”
That would be far too shocking.
But one had to acknowledge Qianlong’s foundation.
Between Changye and No. 88’s exchange of questions and answers, all problems were resolved.
They handled the white snake in the most appropriate way.
The same could be said for the cluster of grapes—they were dealt with perfectly.
Proper handling meant no further issues. Once they arrived at Qianlong headquarters, they would naturally realize just how disruptive this thing was, and their research would ensure all dangers were eliminated. After all, Changye had already identified the key risks: scales as hard as steel, speed as swift as thought...
Crescent Moon, however, was not well-versed in these technical matters. She glanced around and asked, “Hey, instructors, can I just remind everyone not to get carried away by victory? Lin Xiaose might have led us into this cave and netted us a pile of loot, but he’s also gotten us into a dead end. How are we supposed to get out?”
From her perspective, this was entirely rational.
The only passageway had collapsed; sand and rock had poured in, and even the most skilled among them were still human, not gods. How could they possibly escape?
Yet Lin Xiaosu smiled. “Think about it: why would someone planning to escape put on a wetsuit?”
Crescent Moon frowned. “Escape through an underground river? Is there one here?”
“As the saying goes, a crafty rabbit has three burrows! Anyone up to no good always leaves themselves an out. That’s why I dared to lead us into this desperate situation. And seeing him in a wetsuit, I’m sure I gambled right.” Lin Xiaosu strolled along the cave wall, stopping after a dozen meters.
He raised his hand and tapped lightly on the stone wall.
A faint echo sounded, just distinct from solid rock.
Boom!
A small foot flew out, striking the wall.
It shattered, and from outside came the gentle sound of water—an underground river.
Crescent Moon strode to the riverbank, beaming with pride. “I opened the secret door! I won’t ask for much, just one hundred points!”
“Come on! You think one kick is worth one hundred points? Do you make points that easily at home?” Lin Xiaosu protested.
“If you can kick a hole in the wall with one shot, I’ll give you my points for free...”
“You’re too much! What’s wrong with using the mechanism? Why smash a perfectly good door with brute force? You’re as stubborn as an ox...”
No. 88 and Changye exchanged glances, admiration in their eyes.
“How many times in history has someone gone from reserve to full Qianlong in a single mission?” asked No. 88.
Changye smiled faintly. “In the world of geniuses, the number hardly matters.”
“So, you agree to officially nominate him under both our names?”
Changye said, “Looking back, you and I led the mission in name, but in truth, he guided every step. Even as an official Qianlong, such flawless action is a textbook case. How could I possibly disagree?”
“Let’s wrap this up!” No. 88 led the way, jumping into the underground river.
Crescent Moon followed instantly.
Changye took Lin Su’s hand. “Let’s go!”
The Qianlong suits raised their helmets. The two exchanged a smile and stepped into the river.
In the darkness, a faint light glimmered ahead. They swam toward it and emerged in another pool.
This pool was in a different mountain valley.
They climbed a nearby peak, and on the far side, a highway could be seen in the distance.
And beyond that, the vague outline of a city.
Behind them, perpetual mist rolled through the valley.
Endless mountains stretched before them.
But now, their signals were restored.
Their locations appeared.
Changye stared at the mist behind them. “Once we left the foggy area, the signal returned. Could the mist itself be the reason for the interference?”
That question had no answer for now.
No. 88 raised his hand and sent a signal. On a mountaintop behind them, their flyer split the sky, descending to land before them.
No. 88 approached Changye. “I’ve contacted headquarters. They’ll handle the clean-up. We’re off duty.”
“Good.”
“Lin Xiaosu’s promotion request has been submitted—we’re just waiting for the council’s approval.”
Changye smiled.
Lin Xiaosu’s heart skipped a beat. His promotion had already been submitted?
He was about to become official?
A single mission, and he’d moved from reserve to full Qianlong...
Mom, isn’t this basically becoming a civil servant? Even if it doesn’t look like it on paper, the position is a thousand times more valuable than anything at the Meteorological Bureau...
“Hey, instructor, what about me? What about me?” Crescent Moon pointed at her own nose, sweat beading on its tip.
Yes, what about her?
Lin Xiaosu was puzzled too. Why had No. 88 only mentioned his promotion, not Crescent Moon’s?
Crescent Moon had started with 853 points—she only needed 150 more to cross the 1000-point line.
She had worked hard throughout the mission; she must have earned at least 150 points, right?
According to the Reserve Code, Lin Xiaosu calculated that she should have increased her points by at least seven or eight hundred.
“You, not enough points—keep trying!” said No. 88.
Crescent Moon jumped up in outrage. “Not enough points? I took out seven bandits in the valley—each one is worth 100 points according to the Code. That’s 700! 700 plus 853—can’t you do math?”
“1553,” No. 88 replied.
“So that’s enough! I’m over the line—why can’t I... why can’t I become official?” In her excitement she nearly called herself “Granny,” but caught herself just in time, or she would have lost more points.
No. 88 replied with deliberate calm, “Don’t forget, you have deductions.”
“What?”
“Before the cabin, did I not order you to cease your skirmish and enter the house?”
“You did, but at the time—”
No. 88 cut her off. “If you’d gone in earlier, even if the enemy initiated the self-destruct sequence, you’d have had time to react—maybe even stop them and recover their research data.”
“Yes, but then—”
No. 88 interrupted again. “Does the Reserve Code not make it clear: if you commit a serious dereliction of duty causing major loss, all points are forfeit?”
“It does, but the situation was changing by the second. The enemy was right behind me—I had to deal with the immediate threat before obeying orders. Does that count as serious dereliction?”
“In my view, it does.”
“Damn it...” Crescent Moon leapt up.
No. 88 stared coldly at her. “Go on, finish cursing.”
Crescent Moon spun to Lin Xiaosu. “Lin Xiaose, damn your ancestors eight generations back...”
Lin Xiaosu was bewildered. “What’s this got to do with me?”
“Nothing, but venting at you doesn’t get me points deducted!”
Damn!
Lin Xiaosu darted into the flyer.
Changye followed, while outside, No. 88 and Crescent Moon squared off like rival bulls...
Inside the flyer, Lin Xiaosu glanced at Changye with a quiet smile, lowering his voice. “Why not let her become official?”
“You noticed?” Changye smiled as well.
“Of course I did. She can’t be promoted—and it has nothing to do with the mission. No. 88 simply won’t approve it. No matter how well she performs, he’ll find a way to keep her in the reserves.”
Lin Xiaosu had seen it all.
Including Crescent Moon’s so-called serious error.
But was it really an error? It was all subjective.
You could say she failed to follow orders, resulting in the loss of data.
But in the heat of that moment, with the enemy right in front of her, could she have acted otherwise?
So whether she earned merit or broke the rules was entirely up to No. 88’s judgment.
No. 88 had chosen to erase all her merits—clearly, he was deliberately holding her back.
A superior suppressing a subordinate wasn’t unusual in any organization, but in Qianlong, Lin Xiaosu found it odd. Here, amidst blood and fire, comrades should be sincere with each other.
Changye said, “Not letting her become official was my idea; No. 88 is taking the blame for me.”
“What?”
“She needs tempering. So long as she’s in the reserves, the Reserve Code applies—even if she makes mistakes, the consequences aren’t severe. But once she’s official, she’ll be under the Qianlong Regulations. And those have no flexibility.”
Lin Xiaosu was startled. “So this is protection? How considerate.”
“Her grandfather entrusted her to me years ago, before he left for Roba. How could I not protect her?”
“You could just tell her openly.”
Changye sighed. “How? She’s not stupid—she’s long since guessed there’s a black hand behind her stalled promotion. She’s probably put that hand at the top of her hate list, grinding her teeth every day... If she knew it was me—the one she’s been cursing in absentia—our friendship would sink in an instant. So No. 88 takes the fall. He already ranks second on her list of grudges.”
Lin Xiaosu rubbed his forehead, his gaze drifting...
“Thinking I’m too devious?” Changye’s eyes flicked over.
“Ahem...”
“That’s only because you don’t know how disruptive she is. Nor are you familiar with the Qianlong Regulations—they are utterly merciless...” Changye’s words stopped abruptly, as Crescent Moon came running over, her expression on the verge of madness.
No. 88 followed, climbing into the flyer.
The flyer lifted off, soaring over Laoshan, while inside, the only sound was Crescent Moon’s grinding teeth.