Chapter 1023: Myself

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu paused slightly, feeling as though Yan Zhichun was talking about something utterly fantastical.

“‘Paradise Port’ helping ‘Extremists’ clear obstacles…?” He chuckled and furrowed his brow. “Do you realize what you’re saying? In a way, we’ve been long-standing adversaries.”

“‘Paradise Port’ and ‘Extremists’ may be enemies, but are you and I adversaries?” Yan Zhichun asked nonchalantly.

“That’s an interesting way to put it.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Many CEOs of rival companies are like that—their subordinates fight tooth and nail, while the higher-ups occasionally sit down for tea and chat.”

“That’s exactly my point,” Yan Zhichun said. “Even if ‘Paradise Port’ and ‘Extremists’ have been at odds for years, it doesn’t stop us from having a common goal, does it? Even if our people can’t see past the rivalry, you should.”

“So what?”

“‘Extremists’ need your help,” Yan Zhichun said. “I have a bad feeling about this, so I have to gather reinforcements.”

“Reinforcements…? But you still haven’t said what kind of help, just that it’s a ‘thorny problem.’” Chu Tianqiu replied. “What if you’re deceiving me? What if the few remaining members of ‘Paradise Port’ end up dead?”

“I truly can’t explain, but it’s not because I want to hide it from you,” Yan Zhichun said. “I’m worried there are eavesdroppers here—too many people who shouldn’t hear this.”

Chu Tianqiu glanced at Chen Junnan beside him, then looked up at the Earth Dragon and Azure Dragon above, realizing this wasn’t the place for such a conversation.

But if the other party wouldn’t disclose the details, how could he judge whether the deal was fair?

“All I can say…” Yan Zhichun seemed to sense Chu Tianqiu’s hesitation and added, “This mission is extremely dangerous. Once you take it on, there’s a chance ‘Paradise Port’ could be wiped out. I won’t lie to you—that’s all I can say. The rest is up to you.”

Chen Junnan frowned and interjected, “Aren’t you just making things difficult for Chu Tianqiu…?”

Chu Tianqiu understood Yan Zhichun’s implication. She couldn’t reveal the mission’s details, but she had made its danger clear.

If he agreed now, ‘Paradise Port’ might perish. If he refused, Yan Zhichun would monopolize the characters “Marshal” and “Cannon,” potentially leading to the team’s total annihilation.

Even though Yan Zhichun was part of the team and would also face death if they failed, she was an ‘Extremist’—these lunatics feared little, least of all death.

After a few seconds, Chu Tianqiu slowly smiled. “Yan Zhichun, you might not understand the current me…”

“How so?”

“‘Paradise Port’ has been sent to hell by my own hands several times,” he said softly. “After enduring two ‘Heavenly Moments,’ it’s now the last refuge they remember. Asking them to face death again would be unprecedentedly effective.”

“You… truly don’t deserve the title ‘King of the Righteous.’” Yan Zhichun said. “I wasn’t wrong about you.”

“Whatever. So the deal is done.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Give me the ‘characters,’ and I’ll have ‘Paradise Port’ join your madness.”

“Hard to say who’s crazier.” Yan Zhichun extended her hand, revealing a handful of small metal “characters.”

“Stone,” “Blade,” “Scarf.”

Chu Tianqiu took them thoughtfully, his expression calm. “Yan Zhichun, you might not realize it yet, but neither ‘Marshal’ nor ‘Stone’ will play a significant role in this game.”

“That’s not my concern,” Yan Zhichun said. “We each have our roles—we retrieve the ‘characters,’ and you use them to defeat Qi Xia.”

Chen Junnan glanced at the screen in front of Chu Tianqiu, then frowned slightly.

“What?” Chu Tianqiu turned to him. “Why keep staring at the screen?”

“Nothing…” Chen Junnan sighed. “Can we really win?”

“I’m still calculating.” Chu Tianqiu said. “So far, I’ve counted over thirty-five possible combinations, but half of them are unreadable.”

Chen Junnan paused. “Why not gather everyone, collect the ‘characters,’ and have you test them one by one?”

“Because the ‘frontline’ would collapse.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Qi Xia is likely using the same strategy. If no one holds the enemy back, they’ll all swarm our ‘preparation zone.’”

“What’s wrong with them coming to our ‘preparation zone’…?”

Chu Tianqiu didn’t answer. Instead, he placed the “characters” on the screen, earning three points.

“Marshal,” “Scarf,” “Stone.”

Unfortunately, these three couldn’t form any further combinations in his view.

After composing them, he lowered his head in thought, then picked up the “Scarf” and handed it to Chen Junnan.

“Without a ‘character,’ you can’t act. We still need you,” Chu Tianqiu said.

“A ‘Scarf’… counts as a ‘character’?”

“Yes.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Go. Whoever you failed against last time, try someone else now.”

“What if I keep failing…?” Chen Junnan asked.

“Then you’ll at least inflict heavy psychological pressure on them.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Once they start doubting whether you’re the real Chen Junnan, you’ve succeeded.”

“Okay…” Chen Junnan took the “Scarf,” lost in thought.

“Go.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Time is slipping away. Don’t waste it.”

“But the screen…” Chen Junnan said.

“I’ll handle the ‘characters.’” Chu Tianqiu smiled again. “Focus on your task.”

“Fine…”

Chen Junnan pocketed the “Scarf,” opened his mouth as if to say more, but sighed and left.

After he was gone, Chu Tianqiu and Yan Zhichun fell into a long silence.

“Is something wrong…?” Yan Zhichun asked. “You don’t look right.”

“This is absurd.” Chu Tianqiu suddenly wore a strange smile, his voice low. “Utterly absurd… Now I finally understand why Qi Xia placed Xu Liunian in my team.”

“What…?” Yan Zhichun was stunned. “That ‘Shapeshifter’ was Qi Xia’s doing?”

“Now we’re in trouble.” Chu Tianqiu said. “‘Shapeshifter’ and ‘Anti-Shapeshifter’… Before we can disrupt their tactics, their people have already infiltrated our ‘preparation zone.’”

Yan Zhichun’s eyes widened. “You mean… that person earlier wasn’t a ‘Shapeshifter’ at all?! He was the real Chen Junnan?!”