"Doctor, is something the matter?"

Ever since the doctor spoke with Lin Wan'er, Fatty could clearly sense that his mood was off. It wasn't disappointment, but a kind of indescribable unease.

Jiang Cheng retracted his gaze. "Nothing."

Fatty opened his mouth, clearly wanting to say something more, but after seeing the doctor's profile, he closed it again. He knew the doctor's personality; if he didn't want to say something, no one could pry a word out of him.

After a long while, Fatty seemed to suddenly think of something and said with earnest sincerity, "Doctor, don't worry. Miss Wu, Huai Yi, and Wang Qi will be fine. Miss Wu is a law enforcer on the train. If the Torchbearer forcibly opens a space to escape, they will definitely suffer a severe backlash. If they really run into Miss Wu, it'll be the Torchbearer who suffers."

"Mm." Jiang Cheng nodded.

Fatty was used to Jiang Cheng's visible perfunctoriness. He knew Jiang Cheng was a very proud person, and his words might have hit a nerve.

As he thought, he recalled Huai Yi's cheeky face. This kid was really thriving now. Not only had he inherited the manor and become the manor lord, but he was also following behind Dahe Niangniang, calling her "sister-in-law" at every turn, and had found a great backer.

And Wang Qi... he never expected that this seemingly proper person would actually click with Huai Yi in some inexplicable way...

Faces flashed through his mind one after another, like slides in a projector. Along with these familiar faces, memories of the past flooded his heart. These people, and the stories they carried, were all unforgettable.

In missions, he had witnessed the most despicable means, but had also been moved by the fleeting brilliance of humanity. There was no absolute good or evil, and perhaps not even an absolute right or wrong, but more often than not, choices made in the heat of the moment.

In a daze, Fatty suddenly recalled a face—a woman with ordinary features, a buzz cut, and a rebellious, unconventional style. He had once given her a brief hug.

Leaning back in his seat, closing his eyes, the heavy sound of hooves pounding the ground, the familiar melody sounded in his heart. It was Li Shanru softly singing "Castle in the Sky"... Time flowed backward, and Fatty was already in tears.

...

Inside the tent, an odd silence had fallen since Jiang Cheng left. Lin Wan'er was slowly and methodically sorting the documents on the table until Number 3 in the corner spoke up, "Sir, you didn't have to lie to him."

Lin Wan'er put down the documents in her hand and turned her head to look at Number 3. A crack seemed to appear on that face that was always calm and collected.

"Ling is very smart. He knows you're just comforting him, which will only make him more sad."

"The door on Number 10's body is already faintly visible, which proves that he's being consumed far faster than we expected."

"Although Ling has gathered several top-tier anomalies around him, ultimately, facing the old chairman, success or failure rests solely on Ling himself."

"In the final battle, only when Ling completely releases the thing inside him will he have a chance of winning. And if that happens, Number 10 will definitely save him."

"This is a script that was written long ago, and they're all just characters in the play." Number 3 sighed softly, then looked at Lin Wan'er and said faintly, "And you, sir, are the creator of this script."

"I support any decision you make, but this time... I'm very disappointed in you. You deceived everyone."

"Before Number 10's memories were wiped, before Crimson made this decision collectively, what did you say?" Gripping the armrest of the seat tightly, veins popped out on his fair hand. At this moment, Number 3's face in the shadows was even somewhat ghastly. "You promised us that Number 10 would be fine! You said it yourself!"

After a long silence, Lin Wan'er slowly spoke. She didn't deny any of this, but instead asked, "What would happen if this news were leaked?"

Number 3 sneered, "I'm not sure about others, but if Number 4 and the others were still alive, Crimson would probably mutiny en masse."

Lin Wan'er nodded. "It's my fault. I should have stopped him back then."

Hearing this, Number 3 suddenly raised his head, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at Lin Wan'er also became strange. But a few seconds later, his pupils slowly constricted, as if he had already foreseen the ending.

"This plan was proposed by Number 10, the one before his memories were wiped." Lin Wan'er said, "He is the creator of this script, and I am the one who reviews it."

Number 3 leaned back helplessly in his chair. The previous roar seemed to have exhausted all his strength. For the first time, his handsome eyes were so dim. After a long time, he covered his face, and the suppressed sobs made the atmosphere inside the tent even more desperate. "I'm sorry, I knew it, I knew it would be like this..."

Looking at the scene before her, Lin Wan'er couldn't help but redden her eyes. She knew the character of the person in front of her all too well. Even if he lost the door inside him, even if he didn't have much time left, this man wouldn't be so distraught.

"Do you know why I kept you here, to let you hear the conversation between me and Ling?" Lin Wan'er asked.

Number 3 was momentarily dazed.

Lin Wan'er slowly straightened up, and regained her previous imposing manner. "I didn't lie to you. Perhaps there's an opportunity now that will allow Ling and Number 10 to live together."

Hearing this, Number 3's eyes lit up, but the next second, having calmed down, he regained his reason. "What opportunity?"

"Do you remember Number 13's prophecy?" Lin Wan'er asked.

"Prophecy..." Number 3's expression changed. "That prophetic dream?"

He clearly remembered that in that dream, Wu had killed Fatty. The action was clean and efficient, piercing his heart with a knife, leaving Number 10 no chance of survival. It was because of this dream that Crimson almost launched a siege against Wu.

Lin Wan'er slowly nodded. Number 3 was so clever that he immediately grasped the key point. According to the normal course of events, even if Number 10 died in the end, he should have died at the hands of the old chairman, or Ling, who had completely released the thing inside him. How could he have been killed by Wu?

Moreover, looking at their current relationship, Wu had clearly regarded Ling and Number 10 as friends, even as family. There was no reason for him to kill Number 10.

Confused, Number 3 looked at Lin Wan'er with questioning eyes, but Lin Wan'er simply shook her head. "I have no clue either, but I think something special must have happened in that great battle. This may be Number 10's last chance."

A glimmer of hope was sprinkled into Number 3's desperate eyes. He let out a long breath, and the ice on his face gradually melted. "Since Number 4 chose to believe in Wu, then we'll choose to believe in him as well. Number 10 will definitely be fine."