Jiang Yuan was curious about one thing.

How did the country he now lived in see him?

When they’d wanted to execute him, had they voted for it or against it?

Depending on the circumstances, if he got the chance, Jiang Yuan wouldn’t hesitate to go live in a country that was more willing to protect him.

That didn’t make Jiang Yuan a traitor. Serving his country only mattered if he was still alive!

“What? Wondering whether there’s still any point in currying favor with the government?”

Yi Nanye saw Jiang Yuan fall into thought and could guess what was on his mind. She’d known that once she revealed the truth about the Superpower Management Bureau, this seemingly ordinary but actually shrewd guy would start thinking along those lines.

As for how things turned out…

Let’s just say that, as expected, the unexpected happened.

“I don’t want to waste my time. I’d like to change people’s prejudice against me, too, but I can’t change the deep-rooted bias they have. I can humble myself and endure any amount of humiliation without even furrowing my brow—but at the very least, they can’t be completely focused on killing me.”

“So if things don’t go well, you’ll stop doing good deeds from now on?”

“I’ll stop. I’ll just watch. But I won’t do anything bad, either.”

Jiang Yuan’s position was so bad that even he was starting to regret choosing this supposedly “free” life that didn’t actually give him any freedom.

Both suspects behind Codename Jiang had it pretty good, actually. At least they didn’t have to face the public. He, on the other hand, had to face the public’s malice toward Codename Jiang. Ito Jiang and Jin Zaijiang might not be able to leave, but at least they were under protection.

“I can tell you the one piece of information you want most right now. What can you offer me in return?”

Yi Nanye suddenly rolled over and threw off the covers. Bracing herself with both arms on either side of Jiang Yuan’s head, she straddled him and stared into his eyes. Jiang Yuan immediately felt the pressure.

Yi Nanye felt a pang of sympathy. In the end, she couldn’t stand watching Jiang Yuan give up on himself. At least over the past few days, he’d seemed like he wanted to turn over a new leaf.

She was working to change her own fate of dying. If she refused to believe Codename Jiang could change for the better, wouldn’t that mean denying that she could change the future and stay alive, too?

She had plenty of flaws, but she was fair-minded. She wouldn’t hold him to a different standard.

“What can I offer you?”

“You should know what kind of words carry the most weight.”

Yi Nanye kept her eyes fixed on Jiang Yuan’s. Her hair fell across his face, making him feel a little itchy.

Their position was a little suggestive, but there was something unusual about the mood between them, too. In that atmosphere, it was hard to lie.

“If you help me stay alive, then I’ll owe you my life.”

Jiang Yuan meant it simply: if Yi Nanye really helped him live a better life, then no matter what kind of person he became in the future, he’d owe her. He might not go so far as to die for her, but he wouldn’t stand by and watch her walk into a dead end, either.

“Is that so? The vote at the time went…”

Yi Nanye slowly lowered her head, pressed her lips close to Jiang Yuan’s ear, and whispered the answer to him.

Jiang Yuan’s brows twitched, and his pupils began to contract despite himself. Yi Nanye’s words revealed a lot to him—some truly masterful strategic maneuvering.

In fact, only two countries had opposed his execution.

He should’ve died. But each of those two countries was a superpower so massive that the other three countries together still couldn’t quite measure up.

There were only two such superpowers on Earth, one in the east and one in the west.

The two countries had outright vetoed the decision to execute him.

“You’ve heard what you wanted to know. Now get some sleep.”

After telling Jiang Yuan this important piece of information, Yi Nanye rolled over again, lay on her side, and pulled the covers over herself. Then she fell silent.

Jiang Yuan was speechless, but a storm was raging inside him. The information Yi Nanye had shared made it clear who his friends and enemies were.

That sudden sense of relief made Jiang Yuan feel much better. His worries faded, and sleepiness soon set in.

“Good night.”

Jiang Yuan turned his head slightly toward the person beside him and wished her good night, then fell asleep at ease. Yi Nanye, though, was still awake. She had plenty to worry about.

The next day.

As usual, Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye took a helicopter to school. But the atmosphere was clearly different today. Helicopters and drones filled the sky, and police cars were everywhere on the ground, as if they were searching for something.

“Any news?”

Jiang Yuan saw checkpoints at many intersections across the city. They’d practically sealed off the central business district, and he could already guess about a third of what had happened.

“The DNA test results are in. Everyone who entered East Star Building that night has been identified, except Zheng Chengjie. Zheng Chengjie wasn’t among the dead, either. Then they checked the traffic cameras on the roads and found that he’d been acting suspiciously, sneaking around and keeping out of sight.”

“What are they planning to do with him once they catch him?”

Jiang Yuan was curious. How would the government deal with an Esper who’d clearly caused deaths and injuries? Would they give him a second chance because of his abilities, hoping he could make a contribution to humanity and atone for his crimes?

Or…

Would they execute him outright?

“I can’t really say. How would I know what the people at the top will decide? They’re the ones who even want to protect you. I’m guessing they’ll probably protect Zheng Chengjie, too.”

That was Yi Nanye’s guess. Jiang Yuan thought about it and realized she might be right—but would that be fair to all the people who’d died? Would their families accept it?

Or would they find a scapegoat to die in his place, while the real Zheng Chengjie got plastic surgery, changed his name, and carried on with his life?

And when it came down to it, had Zheng Chengjie done it on purpose or by accident?

Thinking about it all gave Jiang Yuan a headache. Fortunately, these weren’t things he needed to worry about.

After that, Jiang Yuan and Yi Nanye arrived at school.

There was one fewer person in the classroom again today. Li Xiaoyan had transferred, leaving only Jiang Yuan, Qin Xin, and Yi Nanye in the huge classroom.

And Yi Nanye wasn’t even a student. In other words, only two students from Class 3 of Grade 11 were still attending lessons.

The teacher who came to teach was at a loss, too. But they couldn’t exactly move Qin Xin and Jiang Yuan into another class, so all they could do was complain to themselves: Why were they still coming to class? Was there any point? Why wasn’t the government doing something about this?

Qin Xin might have been fine, but Jiang Yuan was a real problem. Even if Jiang Yuan meant no harm, someone might still try to kill him and end up dragging innocent people around him into it.

“Class dismissed!”

When the afternoon classes ended, the teacher didn’t even assign homework. They said those two words and left. Qin Xin didn’t seem interested in talking to Jiang Yuan, either. She didn’t want Yi Nanye making things unpleasant for her. To Qin Xin, just being able to see Jiang Yuan was already enough.