Human memory operates with a priority sequence. For instance, you might see an object and suddenly recall something important you had forgotten. Driven by the desire to rectify the oversight, you would immediately attend to it.
This is precisely my situation now. After regaining my memories, I began dealing with Zhang Si. Certain crucial matters had been overlooked. When I inquired about Lin Han's pregnancy and received her feedback, my suspicion was confirmed: there was indeed another person involved in this scheme. However, my questioning caused trouble. Lin Han is no fool; she understood immediately and her demeanor changed drastically, "Who, who is that woman?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Who was it that night?"
"What night? After I jumped off the cable car, my memory went blank. I asked Teacher Wang Ren to hypnotize me, and I dreamt of a warm morning. I was still asleep, and you kissed me, then put on makeup in my room."
Lin Han listened, her anger unabated. "That was me, yes, but I came over in the morning."
"So, it might have been a dream."
"A dream, Tang Nan, are you lying to yourself or to me? If you're lying to me, I truly wish you would use your skills as a schemer to deceive me for a lifetime. If there wasn't a genuine feeling, with your intelligence and wisdom, would you believe a single word from your enemy?"
I offered no retort. Lin Han was right. The feeling had been too real, which was why I had kept the unused condom from that night.
At this moment, Fatty, who was responsible for Lin Han's care, approached. He had been exhausted lately, and since Lin Han was not around, he had come looking for her. Seeing her with me, he was about to leave, relieved, when Lin Han called out, "Third Brother, we're going back to Xi'an. Transfer hospitals now."
"Ah~ So urgent!"
"I don't want to see this person."
"What happened? Weren't we madly in love before I went to sleep?"
"I've been with him for two months, and he hasn't touched me, yet he went and had a child with another woman."
Fatty, usually a man of few words, couldn't help himself upon hearing Lin Han's words. He turned to me and said, "Tang Nan, this is where you're wrong. Isn't my sister beautiful? Did the sea water flood your brain?"
I remained silent. Lin Han, fuming, walked away. Fatty looked at me with a mixture of disappointment and regret, sighed heavily, and went after Lin Han.
...
The next day, Lin Han left without bidding me farewell. Chang Dachun was the last to see me. He wore a helpless smile. "After going through such a major ordeal, I thought you two would finally reach a happy ending. But I never expected it to end like this. Alas."
"Brother Chang, you've seen my current situation. There are too many enemies, and they are all hidden in the shadows. This time, Lady Luck was on our side. But the next time, it might not be so."
"Alas, was the reason you two parted back then also because of this?"
"Grandfather sacrificed his life to awaken Lin Han's father, Lin Zhijun. Lin Zhijun then sacrificed his life to sever the connection between 'Logic Paradox' and the Lin family. After experiencing the baptism of Li Jiu, I thought I had grown strong enough to protect Lin Han. However, that was not the case. The world is vast and full of wonders. In the world of schemers, there is no invincible god at the apex."
"Even if you're not a god, you're already very formidable. We all believe you can protect her. Go apologize. Sister will forgive you."
"I cannot protect her. The person Da Huang saved was the god I once revered, yet look at him, he may not even survive. Brother Chang, I promise you, once I resolve 'Logic Paradox,' I will explain everything to Lin Han."
"What if, by then, Sister has a boyfriend? What if she's already married?"
I sighed helplessly. "Then perhaps it's not our fate in this lifetime."
"Alright, then that's that. The three of us are leaving for Xi'an for a while to help Sister get through this difficult time. Take care!"
"Bon voyage!"
...
Zhang Si was apprehended. Because he was the founder of 'Logic Paradox,' the 'Black Gold' special investigation team also became involved in the case. As everyone departed, and Yu Xiaoluo and Luo Bo also went to attend to their own matters, I hired medical staff and finally found some peace.
Lying in bed, I contemplated the recent events.
Zhang Si was a peculiar existence, possessing four distinct personalities within him. Astonishingly, these four personalities were not in a cooperative relationship; they were in a state of mutual restraint and conflict.
The scholarly poet was not the dominant personality, but he had occupied the body for many years, actively pursuing his agenda. He harbored a desire to kill the main personality, employing a metaphysical method of using talismans for exorcism to suppress him incessantly.
The副人格 (subordinate personality) of the chef, characterized by laziness, seemingly spent his days practicing martial arts, hiking, and cooking, without learning anything else. In reality, this chef also had his own agenda. He did not wish for his life to be limited to only eight hours a day. With limited skills, he would go to the mountain cave daily, breathing in and out, attempting to awaken the main personality and incite conflict. The main personality, lulled into slumber by Teacher Wende's unique methods, was awakened by the chef's fifteen years of persistent effort.
Through gradual accumulation and relentless pressure, the main personality, awakened in the mountain cave, stimulated the inter-personality communication. The previously severed mental links were reconnected. The scholarly poet learned of the main personality's awakening. Enraged, he harbored murderous intent and, with his talismans, laid traps throughout the cave. However, the metaphysical practices that the scholarly poet had always trusted began to lose their effectiveness. At this point, the chef chose to yield to the main personality. The scholarly poet, realizing his weakened position, desperately released the old lecher, whom both the scholar and the chef had suppressed.
Years ago, to prevent Zhang Si from causing trouble, Teacher Wende had not taught him how to scheme. Zhang Si, retaining the consuming traits of a subordinate personality, approached Zhu Guang, learned from him, and absorbed Zhu Guang's personality for his own use, thus giving rise to the fourth personality, the old lecher.
This may sound mystical, but it was the result of Zhang Si spending enough time with Zhu Guang to completely imitate him, thereby creating a personality. However, Zhu Guang was no pushover. In 1990, Zhu Guang set a trap that led to Li Jiu betraying his sect and Cao Shi fleeing to Hong Kong. All Zhang Si did was kill Zhu Guang and absorb his personality, reaping the benefits.
The derived personality was very similar to Zhu Guang. Unwilling to be subservient, he also possessed a portion of the main personality's greedy traits. He desired to take over the body and become the main personality. Therefore, the chef and the scholarly poet jointly suppressed him.
When the scholarly poet felt a sense of crisis, he released the fourth personality, the old lecher. The old lecher, in collaboration with the scholarly poet, began to scheme. The scholarly poet delved into ancient texts and finally found the Warm Cool Jade Gui, a national sacrificial artifact. He used the astronomical patterns on the upper part of the Warm Cool Jade Gui and the Qianlong reign mark on the lower part, signifying the finishing touch, to sever the inter-personality mental communication.
However, at this point, the old lecher developed ulterior motives. Although he was Zhang Si's fourth personality, he steadfastly believed he was the absorbed Zhu Guang. Thus, the old lecher, fueled by years of suppressed rage, devised a plan to perish together with Zhang Si.
One person, four schemes.
The main personality's "False God Scheme." The scholarly poet believed the genuine Warm Cool Jade Gui could kill the main personality, so the scholarly poet and I joined forces for the "Substitute Peach and Plum Scheme" using the Warm Cool Jade Gui. Of course, there was the "Destruction Scheme," involving killing the foreign woman and sending her to the crematorium, intending for everyone to perish together. And then, the seemingly dull chef, swaying with the wind, constantly plotting to reap the benefits – the "Fool's Scheme."
What a peculiar mental illness, fighting against oneself!
To break such a complex interpersonal grid, I needed to clear my mind and find the true thread. In fact, after emerging from the mountain cave and being pursued by the scholarly poet, I had already identified the main path. By intervening in the conflict between their personalities and disrupting their established balance, I could deal with the remaining personality once only one was left. On the principle of proximity, I chose to help the scholarly poet.
Before this, I had already begun to have Lin Han take action based on the four characters of the Qianlong reign mark discovered in the kitchen. Lin Han, through her contacts in the industry, found Boss Wan and Master Copper, and we began to replicate the Warm Cool Jade Gui.
About a year ago, the scholarly poet had already started this endeavor. The initial executor was the old lecher. After everyone fell asleep, the old lecher would awaken. Under the name Tang Nan, he purchased unfinished products made of Laizhou jade from Boss Wan. Upon acquiring them, he would engrave the characters himself, thereby interrupting the inter-personality mental connection. However, before it was completed, their thoughts were still interconnected. The main personality ordered the chef to act, and the chef controlled Boss Wan and Master Copper.
When the old lecher approached, the chef, just as he had brought me, led the old lecher to that mountain cave. However, the old lecher's situation should have been different from mine. Zhang Si's False God Scheme might not have been able to deceive the old lecher. When I first touched the coin, I couldn't detect any anomaly. But the old lecher was different; having navigated the martial world for many years, he wouldn't be swayed by such minor tricks.
The old lecher wasn't afraid of the main personality, but he couldn't deal with the chef. The chef knew martial arts; they say force overcomes all. In the cave on Mount Tai, the available resources were limited. No matter how many clever tricks the old lecher had, he couldn't contend with the martial artist chef. Thus, the old lecher was captured and imprisoned in Master Copper's dungeon.
Originally, this method could have been applied to me as well. But my climbing ability was truly abysmal. By the time I reached the southern mountain gate, the chef's time had run out. The main personality could only awaken in the mountain cave. After I escaped the cave, the chef, who should have subdued me with force, transformed into the scholarly poet, unexpectedly leading to our cooperation.
...
Creating a replica of the Warm Cool Jade Gui that was indistinguishable from the original was far from easy. Lin Han and I spent some pleasant time together. During this period, I secretly continued my investigation into Zhang Si. I discovered that his subordinate personality, the old lecher, was quite adept at charming women. He had managed to online flirt with a foreign girl named Jessica and was currently persuading her to visit Mount Tai soon.
Upon learning this, I prepared to leverage this situation. The first replica of the Warm Cool Jade Gui crafted by Boss Wan and Master Copper did not pass Lin Han's scrutiny and was thus unfit for the "substitute peach and plum" task.
Therefore, I had Boss Wan send it to the old lecher, with whom he had been in contact.
I reasoned that even if this Warm Cool Jade Gui was not perfect, it was still better than what they were using. I wanted to ensure that the old lecher's "destruction scheme" would proceed.
...
During that period, everything was within my control, until the second delivery of the replica by Boss Wan and Master Copper. Lin Han deemed the replica satisfactory. Master Copper treated us to a meal, and as we were leaving, he mysteriously handed me a condom.