Chapter 858: The Weight of Betrayal

“Subdued the gods?”

Such a simple answer suddenly lifted a veil of confusion from everyone involved in the discussion.

Matters concerning the Primordial, the divine, and the plan of the First Researcher had always been shrouded in mystery—even though the Moon Eclipse Research Institute had already disclosed the findings from the Qinggang investigation. Yet these gentlemen, including Professor Bai, had only been striving to understand, never quite grasping the true purpose behind it all.

Until now, a few straightforward words sparked sudden enlightenment among them.

But the inherent madness within that single description left them speechless for a long time, rendering it almost unspeakable.

They couldn’t find the words to describe the plan of the First Researcher; it seemed both incredible and hard to believe.

They felt a mix of dread due to the insane scheme and reluctant admiration for the audacity behind it.

After a long while, Mr. Su finally managed to swallow hard and said, “So then… what about us?”

He paused before hastily explaining, “I mean, what’s the direction for the next phase of the Heaven’s Kingdom Plan—the one steered by that genius researcher?”

Professor Bai lowered his head, staring at the unopened file on the table.

In a low voice he murmured, “We’ll know soon…”

“But let me remind you all, just as Mr. Lin Mo attracted the Primordial’s attention when he edged closer to the truth, so will Qinggang. If we rely on his guidance to further refine our Heaven’s Kingdom Plan, there’s a chance…”

“…that we too will draw the Primordial’s scrutiny.”

“Or rather, more than that—only one final plan can succeed, and the First Researcher will keep an eye on us.”

“The Technology Church of the South, the ultimate in spiritual realms, and a multitude of unimaginable dangers…”

“They’ll all come!”

“And we won’t even have a chance to dodge.”

“So…”

With a deep sigh, he raised his eyes toward the assembled gentlemen and asked, “What do you think?”

“Should we open it?”

“…”

Silence reigned, the only sound the quietude of the room.

Even those who largely determined Qinggang’s fate dared not answer lightly.

……

……

“So then?”

At almost the same time, in Mr. Song’s study, Chen Jing, Lu Xin, and the others fell into a brief silence.

Whether it was Lu Xin, simmering with anger over being schemed against and for dragging innocent children into the malicious plot, or Number Three—who, understanding the modus operandi of these big shots, felt a tinge of schadenfreude—or even Number Five, arrogantly curious to see how Qinggang would handle the matter, their moods were all conflicted.

Mr. Song admitted to the incident, even voicing his inner thoughts.

Yet, his candor inadvertently stirred deep feelings among the orphans.

It rendered them silent as well.

Indeed, who isn’t grappling with uncertainty?

Amid this subtly oppressive atmosphere, Chen Jing suddenly frowned and looked at Mr. Song with clear impatience.

Her tone was unexpectedly cold, drawing everyone’s gaze toward her.

With a stern expression, Chen Jing fixed her eyes on Mr. Song and declared, “I’m here to hear you account for exactly how you betrayed the Single Soldier’s information, how you contacted the Black Spade Office, and how you set this trap up. You need to confess who else was involved besides you—not just ramble about your so-called confusion!”

“You’re confused? Others aren’t confused?”

“What’s the point of saying all this?”

“Do you expect us to sympathize with you in the end?”

“You’ve already betrayed Qinggang and still hope for our understanding?”

“If we were to understand you, then there would be no crime in this world that we couldn’t empathize with.”

“Even a deranged murderer is driven to kill when his emotions overwhelm his reason.”

“A con artist is forced into it when pushed to the edge of poverty.”

“……”

Her voice turned absolutely cold as she said, “We don’t need to understand you; all we know is that you’ve betrayed Qinggang.”

“Don’t expect us to sympathize—just confess your own deeds.”

“Remember, you’re nothing more than a traitor right now.”

“……”

“Uh…”

Her words not only startled Lu Xin but also caused Number Three and Number Five to turn toward her in dumb astonishment.

Their eyes showed surprise—and even a hint of admiration?

Meanwhile, Mr. Song, whose recent surge of confidence from his impassioned speech had just begun to show, suddenly froze. He glanced at Chen Jing in a daze, then, like a punctured balloon, his confidence deflated rapidly as he slumped in his chair, sweat trickling from his forehead and the flush on his face disappearing in an instant.

With his pale face and trembling lips, he murmured, “Yes…”

“It’s true, none of this has any meaning…”

“……”

“But…”

Suddenly, a trace of emotion flared in him as he pleaded, “I’m willing to pay the price for this, but…”

“My family…”

“……”

“Don’t expect us to offer the understanding you shouldn’t ask for, and spare us the extra pity.”

Chen Jing, now visibly impatient, stood up and declared, “Qinggang has its own rules. We won’t be as lenient as you. So if it turns out that your family, after investigation, is found not to have been involved, no one will harm them. But as for you, your status as an Eighth-Level Special Talent in Qinggang will be revoked, your property confiscated by the Administration Hall, and your family will be exiled to live in Satellite City.”

“And even if you’re worried about them, you shouldn’t come begging us.”

“You should wish that they were smart enough to abandon unnecessary ambitions and desires for revenge—otherwise, they’re doomed to suffer.”

“In that regard, you should thank me.”

“After all, I just killed your most troublemaking son, eliminating a disaster for your family!”

“……”

Mr. Song was utterly defeated.

Dejected for a long moment, he could only nod silently as the men Chen Jing brought in cuffed his wrists.

In the end, when he was taken away, he quietly muttered a few words to his family.

No one knew what he said, but after his departure, his family was ashen and lifeless.

……

……

“Hey, why not let your leader get in the advanced vehicle?”

As they climbed back into the Jeep, even Number Three and Number Five—who had once worn an air of arrogance and indifference—suddenly seemed transformed. They grabbed Lu Xin, the first to try and board, nodded at Chen Jing with enthusiasm and closeness.

“Huh?”

Chen Jing was somewhat surprised herself, thinking how dramatically the attitudes of these Single Soldier comrades had changed.

Just a moment ago they had all looked too uninterested to bother.

“What happened to them?”

Even Lu Xin was puzzled, but nonetheless allowed Chen Jing to board first, silently pondering the unfolding events.

“Miss Chen, is it?”

As the Jeep started moving, Number Three quietly broke the silence after a while, his expression stiff as he greeted Chen Jing, “My surname is Zhu. I work at the Administration Hall in First Satellite City’s Soda Car. I’m from the Single Soldier group. I admired your words just now, but I’m curious—how is it that you don’t care at all about what that Mr. Song said?”

“Hello.”

Chen Jing shook his hand and frowned, “I see nothing worth caring about.”

“He committed a crime, breaking Qinggang’s laws. I’m here to capture and interrogate him, not to sympathize.”

“……”

Number Three’s eyes shone with admiration.

“I have a question as well…”

Number Five, sitting next to him, couldn’t help but add, “He seems to have a point. Aren’t you confused? Don’t you feel lost about what’s right and wrong, or even a bit panicked?”

“I’m simply doing what needs to be done.”

Chen Jing nodded to Number Five, and after a brief greeting, continued, “When everything is urgent, there’s no time to waste.”

“Then what if he’s right?”

Number Five seized the moment to ask, “What if our actions are actually speeding up the world’s destruction?”

“Then let it be destroyed.”

The question cooled Chen Jing’s tone even further as she replied, “I will do what I believe is right.”

“Even if it’s just one ant fighting against driftwood swept by a flood.”

“If I’m right, more ants will join me against the wood.”

“And if I’m wrong, I’ll be crushed by it—and that, too, is an acceptable outcome.”

“At the very least, I will have fought unwaveringly.”

“……”

Listening to Chen Jing, Lu Xin along with the orphans—Numbers Three, Five, and Fourteen, not to mention the distracted Sister and even Little Nineteen who couldn’t quite follow—felt an inexplicable stirring inside, a blend of touch and excitement.

“……”

……

Almost simultaneously, in Professor Bai’s office at the Special Cleaning Department, everyone faced an agonizing decision.

It concerned not only Qinggang’s fate but also that of a mysterious and mad opponent.

So many variables made the decision unbearably difficult.

After a long while, a man on the screen’s gaze sharpened.

“The most terrifying thing is confusion, right?”

A cold sneer gradually appeared on his face as he continued, “In a world like this, faced with endless insanity and danger—

“Will you cower like an ostrich in the corner waiting for calamity, or will you confront it head-on?”

“Is this even something we need to debate?”

As the final phase approached, he added his concluding thoughts.

“.la We’re entering the late chapter, my friends.”

“We’re about to start the Seventh Trial. And like before, this trial carries elements of mystery. The plot won’t stretch long—by the time the mystery is unveiled, we’ll be nearing the end. This volume of Red Moon is also concluding.”

“It’s the last volume. Just thinking about it fills me with emotion.”

“This past year felt like a dream.”

“Thank you all for your support…”

“Red Moon was just a spur-of-the-moment idea at first; I only wrote a beginning and posted it.”

“I never expected it to be so well received, so I added more setting and a main outline—continuously updating and expanding as I went along.”

“But one thing’s for sure: Red Moon is by far the work in which I laid the most careful groundwork, with the most coherent foreshadowing.”

“Every loose end from before will be tied up, and I won’t force anything.”

“That way, reading it will be a pleasure, and writing it will feel just as good.”

“A good ending is what every reader looks forward to and every author dreams of.”

“Old Ghost will strive in that direction.”

“This month is likely our final month on the charts.”

“I’m not sure if I can finish all the stories this month, and the later stages will require unraveling so many threads. I might even slow down during revisions. But rest assured, I’ll do my best to keep updating—after all, I’ve given my all this past year. Even in this last month, I’ll work hard to balance efficiency and quality. And I hope you’ll continue to support me.”

“Besides, after writing another book up to this point, I can honestly say,

“How should I put it? Red Moon wasn’t written just for sheer excitement, even though my roots are in writing thrillers.”

“This book stems from a dark period in my life—a particularly bleak experience.”

“I tried to channel that state of being into this story.”

“If anyone with a similar past finds even a measure of solace, then my wish as Old Ghost will have been fulfilled.”

“Finally, may everyone have a good night’s sleep.”

“And may every person spend each day in happiness.”

“.la”