Chapter 26 The Difference

Professor Nan stared at Li Tianran, his eyes wide like copper bells. He trembled, "So, when I was talking to Yu Cheng, you were in the next room listening?"

"That's right." Li Tianran nodded. "I heard everything you discussed."

Professor Nan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

He felt like a clown, utterly ridiculous, manipulated by Li Tianran.

"How laughable. I always thought I was getting closer to the truth, eagerly believing I could successfully reverse everything… but all along, I was just following the path you laid out!" Professor Nan laughed bitterly, glaring at Li Tianran. "Tell me! Framing me, making me the target of public criticism, preventing me from returning to the shelter, is this your way of saving me?"

Li Tianran was silent for a moment before saying, "Believe it or not, all I did was have Yu Cheng reveal some information about me to you and spread the news that you were leaving the shelter…"

"The rest of the framing and pursuit were all improvised by the Military Supervisory Office."

Li Tianran said slowly.

"There's no need for me to say anything more. You already know everything." Li Tianran spread his hands, speaking calmly.

Professor Nan gasped for breath. He felt spots dancing before his eyes, and his head was spinning.

He staggered towards the door, dragging his aged body.

Li Tianran frowned as he watched him.

Thump!

Professor Nan tripped on a piece of gravel and fell heavily to the ground, but he quickly struggled to his feet and continued walking away.

"Where are you going? Back to the shelter?" Li Tianran asked indifferently. "Going back to die?"

Professor Nan was expressionless. "Even going back to die is better than staying near a schemer like you!"

Li Tianran looked at Professor Nan's back and suddenly said, "Perhaps I really shouldn't have saved you. You're just a fool. You knew that staying in the shelter would lead to certain death sooner or later! I racked my brains to help you leave, thinking you would understand my good intentions, but you've disappointed me."

Hearing this, Professor Nan turned around like a provoked lion, grabbed Li Tianran's collar, and roared, "You ruined my reputation! You burdened me with accusations! How could I possibly accept such kindness from someone like you?"

Li Tianran grabbed Professor Nan's wrist and said with a serious expression, "Get this straight. I didn't ruin your reputation. Fundamentally, all I did was get you out of the shelter and have you come dig up my family's ruins! You should really hate the people in the Military Supervisory Office!"

"The Military Supervisory Office? If you hadn't spread the news, would the people from the Military Supervisory Office have known?" Professor Nan said coldly.

"The Military Supervisory Office is hostile towards you. Even if it didn't erupt over this incident, it would have erupted over something else… But in this incident, I could control the course of events. I could ensure your survival, so I triggered the Military Supervisory Office's attack." Li Tianran said expressionlessly. "If the Military Supervisory Office had aimed its guns at you in some other matter, even I might not have been able to save you."

Professor Nan trembled.

"I've recruited many people, but none of them have received the same treatment as you," Li Tianran said calmly. "Because I was worried about your loyalty to the system, I didn't forcefully abduct you or coerce you. I designed a plan to completely ignite the conflict between the Military Supervisory Office and you. This way, I could both let you live and allow you to sever your ties to the system."

"Because the Military Supervisory Office acted first, you can leave the shelter where you once served without any psychological burden, instead of feeling like a traitor!"

"Inside the shelter, you have no position, no research authority, and you constantly face hidden dangers."

"But here with me, I can provide you with the equipment, environment, and team you need for research! You don't have to worry about any danger, and you don't have to consider whether your actions will implicate anyone!"

"I could have let Han Han forcibly extract your knowledge, but I didn't do that, and I don't plan to do it now."

"Because after putting in so much effort, I don't want a mechanized brain; I want you as a complete person, a complete Nan Changming!"

Li Tianran looked at Professor Nan, his voice powerful and resonant. "You said earlier that I would ruin your reputation, but in this environment, is reputation really that important?"

"And if you had stayed in the shelter, do you believe that once Chen Sihai and Wang Changlin wanted to get rid of you, your reputation would have been even worse than it is today, and your death would have been even more miserable!"

Professor Nan lowered his head, his body convulsing, tears streaming down his face.

The hand clutching Li Tianran's collar gradually lost its strength.

He knew that everything Li Tianran said was true.

The Military Supervisory Office was watching him like a hawk. Even if tonight's events hadn't happened, there would have been other "crimes" waiting to be pinned on him.

Miao Yu had already warned him about this.

But Miao Yu had no authority to transfer Professor Nan to another city, and there were no suitable places to live outside the shelter, so even Miao Yu was helpless in the face of Professor Nan's situation.

Considering the current circumstances, Li Tianran's actions seemed to be the best way to resolve the matter…

"The reason I kept it from you is because I know what kind of person you are. If you knew the truth, you would have chosen to stubbornly stay in the shelter and die miserably in the end, rather than leave with me," Li Tianran said calmly.

If Professor Nan hadn't smelled the smoke on Li Tianran, he would still be happily celebrating his narrow escape, completely severing ties with the shelter, joyfully joining Li Tianran's team, and beginning the second spring of his research life.

Now that Professor Nan knew the truth, he still had no other choice.

He couldn't go back to the shelter.

He could only stay here with Li Tianran.

But the difference in their mental state was significant.

Even knowing that Li Tianran did all this to allow him to leave the dangerous shelter without any psychological pressure, Professor Nan was still unable to accept it in the short term.

"In the end, you were still scheming against me. What's the difference between your behavior and Chen Sihai's?" Professor Nan slumped to the ground, his pale white hair scattered, his body covered in dirt, his face blank. He looked incredibly heartbroken.

Li Tianran took a deep breath, slowly squatted down, and said softly:

"Of course there's a difference."

"The Military Supervisory Office schemed against you because they wanted you to die in utter despair."

"I schemed against you because I wanted you to live a carefree life."

Professor Nan burst into tears.