Chapter 73: Stop Him from “Digging Deeper”
Under the root directory of the USB drive, there was an unnamed folder.
Fu Yue’s finger hovered over the trackpad for a moment before he clicked it.
Inside was only one file.
The filename was Fu Yue.
There were no complex data points inside, only row after row of records.
[Month X, Day X: Went to ‘MUSE’ nightclub.]
[Month X, Day X: Went to Fengchi Racing Club.]
[Month X, Day X: Proposed code optimization suggestions for the Fu Group’s core system.]
…
[Month X, Day X: Suspected of starting an investigation into Jiang Ying’s past.]
Every item, every incident—they were all precise records of his various actions.
The other party’s surveillance was detailed to a hair-raising degree.
Fu Yue felt a chill rise from his back.
He scrolled to the very bottom of the document. The final sentence read: “He probably isn’t willing to keep pretending anymore.”
Pretending?
Fu Yue frowned in thought.
He took out a blank sheet of paper, pulled a fountain pen from the holder, and began to sketch out an analysis.
He thought of Tang Yingying’s words today.
He thought of how, a long time ago, Ji Hanmo had asked him, “In the Fu family, does a useless person live longer than a smart one?”
He also thought of those chat records between Fu Yue and Jiang Ying—spanning heaven and earth, covering a vast range of topics, and possessing high aesthetic taste.
All the arrows pointed to one conclusion.
That profligate, useless Fu Yue… was an act?
His transmigration into this book and his display of talent were equivalent to stripping away the disguise in a roundabout way.
Thus, the person behind the scenes believed he posed a threat again?
Currently, the top priority was to analyze the data in the USB drive and find a clue to the mastermind.
But analysis and tracking weren’t Fu Yue’s forte.
He had already pushed his limits just to track an IP today.
“I’ll try it first. If it doesn’t work, I’ll ask for help,” Fu Yue decided.
After putting away the USB drive, Fu Yue called the system.
A few seconds later, a glass test tube appeared out of thin air in his palm.
He toyed with the little gadget, feeling its cold touch.
This was the reward from a previous mission: [Memory Fragment Repair Agent].
At this moment, Fu Yue fell into a dilemma.
He had thought about using this item before but held back.
However, tonight, he felt it was time for this tool to serve its purpose.
Which segment of memory should he use it on?
The first thing that popped into Fu Yue’s mind was actually that group photo he had seen at the Fu residence—the one where Ji Hanmo stood in the center.
Then there was Ji Hanmo’s meaningful question on the cruise: “Do you really not remember me?”
Fu Yue imagined it.
How did they meet?
Besides that so-called farce of “trading his body for land,” what other intersections did he and Ji Hanmo have?
This thought gave rise to a hazy sense of anticipation.
If he repaired this past, he could also figure out Ji Hanmo’s cards and know exactly how much he knew about the past “Fu Yue,” allowing him to perfectly handle his probes.
But Fu Yue quickly suppressed that impulse.
The urgent matter was to resolve the immediate crisis.
Repairing the memories related to Jiang Ying might allow him to immediately know the truth behind the “personality change” back then.
This suspicious point was the most likely to contain clues about the mastermind.
“System, can I obtain another Memory Fragment Repair Agent in the future?”
[Host, this reward is a one-of-a-kind item.]
Fine…
Fu Yue sighed.
His thoughts were being pulled between the two choices.
In truth, logic had already told him the answer, but he still allowed himself to hesitate for a long time.
He gripped the test tube tightly; the cold sensation instead intensified the internal torment.
Just as the first light of dawn was breaking in the east, he made his decision.
…
In the early morning, sunlight filtered through the curtains and fell onto Fu Yue’s closed eyes.
He slowly opened his eyes, a dull ache coming from his temples.
After using the repair agent, his head had been throbbing until now due to the massive influx of information.
The effect of the agent was faster than he imagined, and… more complex.
Fu Yue lay still for a while.
Regarding the original owner, he finally knew the reason for his personality change back then.
Before this, Fu Yue had let his imagination run wild.
Like a ghost possession.
Or that “Fu Yue” had already been inhabited by many different souls.
But the truth was far more cruel.
The real reason wasn’t some supernatural setting, but a suffocating elite education.
It was strict to the point of being morbid.
Unpleasant memories surged into his mind.
Fu Zhengan viewed him as a piece of private property and didn’t allow him to have any “meaningless” personal hobbies.
Once he showed a liking for something, that thing would be damaged by various “accidents.”
His potted plants would wither for no reason.
His beloved paintbrushes would be “accidentally” snapped.
Any personal relationships beyond Fu Zhengan’s control would also be swiftly severed.
Several classmates he was on good terms with would mysteriously transfer or be isolated.
Jiang Ying was one of them.
Fu Yue discovered a very important piece of information—Jiang Ying’s smashed model wasn’t destroyed by the original owner.
The video played at the class reunion was real.
However, when Fu Yue entered the room, the model was already scattered on the floor.
Later, rumors spread everywhere.
They said Fu Yue was jealous of Jiang Ying’s talent.
The Fu family servants spread the rumors the most.
As a teenager, he had for the first time deeply realized how despicable this family he belonged to truly was.
His innocence was completely shattered.
In this twisted and oppressive environment, he went from initial submissive suppression to rebellion.
He stopped trying to meet his father’s expectations.
He completely detached himself from the image of the “elite youngest son.”
He indulged in various absurdities.
Deliberately skipping class, flirting with classmates, and lingering in nightclubs.
He committed all sorts of out-of-line acts at school, using a vulgar and self-destructive method to fight against the family that suffocated him.
This “personality change” was a desperate act of self-destruction.
These memories settled down and fused completely with Fu Yue’s perception.
It made Fu Yue feel as if he had experienced it personally, rather than being a mere bystander.
“I thought yesterday’s class reunion was just an absurd comedy.”
Fu Yue felt a surge of bitterness and dull pain.
“Now I can clearly feel how much pain the past Fu Yue felt while doing those things.”
He lay in bed for a long time.
It wasn’t until the heavy emotions in his heart dissipated that his attention was pulled back to the original purpose of repairing the memory: finding clues about the killer.
He was disappointed.
There were no direct clues in the memory.
“By the way, does Jiang Ying know the model wasn’t ruined by Fu Yue?” Fu Yue wondered.
“It’s hard to tell; I’ll have to ask him in person.”
He got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. The lukewarm water washed over his face, rinsing away the fatigue of a nearly sleepless night.
He faced the mirror, re-examining himself.
Last night, when he decided to restore this memory, he’d had a speculative thought. Perhaps within that period, there would be memories related to Ji Hanmo, allowing him to “get both.”
But unfortunately, there weren’t.
However, the “personality change” could now serve as a disguise and cover.
If Ji Hanmo really questioned the difference between Fu Yue and the original owner, he could use this reason as an excuse.
In fact, Fu Yue could even take the initiative and find an opportunity to discuss this with Ji Hanmo to stop him from “digging deeper.”
Bah, what digging deeper?
Jinx!
Thinking of this, Fu Yue’s state of mind finally opened up.
He picked up a razor and shaved away the slight stubble on his chin.
Just then—
[Warning! Host!]
Fu Yue’s hand shook, nearly nicking his face.
Oh crap, no way.
Can’t you let this poor supporting character rest for a bit?
[Warning! The main chapter ‘Office Misunderstanding’ has failed to conclude successfully, causing the subsequent plotline to stall. Host, please correct this as soon as possible!]
[Please push the chapter to conclusion within 3 days. Otherwise, a penalty will be executed: Your running recording will be played at the Ji Group’s annual meeting.]
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