Chapter 112: A Leaf Before the Eyes

If there is drama in one's heart, life is a stage everywhere. A true master of acting plays their roles with their life.

...

Unlike Zheng Tian’s small courtyard, where tables were set in the open air of the yard, the Linwang Manor had a spacious and bright dining hall behind its main building. Inside, a long table about six meters in length was set. It was covered in exquisite, snow-white tableware, the material of which—whether plastic or the fangs of a desolate beast—was impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.

Lin Wang sat at the head of the table. Bei Lihui sat on the side closest to Lin Wang, on his left.

Following the others into the dining hall, Ren Zhong headed straight for the end of the table. However, Lin Wang tapped the empty seat to his right. "Ren Zhong, come sit here. Stay close to me."

Ren Zhong paused, casting a nervous glance at Pan Fenglian, who had been moving toward that very seat. He quickly collected himself, lowered his head to hide the joy on his face, and walked forward. As he passed Pan Fenglian, he offered a gesture of apology. Pan Fenglian gave a charming smile, signaling that she did not mind at all.

Once everyone was seated, scantily clad desolate-born maids entered in a file, carrying over a dozen exquisite dishes and placing them onto the oval-shaped conveyor belt running along the table.

Lin Wang picked up his chopsticks and greeted Ren Zhong, "Since this is your first time here, I didn't hold a formal welcoming banquet. It’s just home-cooked food, so feel free to eat. Everyone, let's begin."

The dishes were not high-end delicacies, but rather signature dishes from the Delicious Fresh Restaurant. The meal proceeded in a jovial atmosphere. The topics discussed at the table were frivolous: a company’s new vehicle and its performance; a squad in a certain region wiped out by a suddenly appearing Level 6 desolate beast; a beautiful citizen woman who had fallen from grace to become a top prostitute, someone they planned to visit when they had a day off; a small business in Liaoyuan County declaring bankruptcy, and how its formerly arrogant owner, unable to repay his debts and unwilling to become a "desolate-born," had ended up a slave along with his entire family.

Ren Zhong listened with "great interest." Inwardly, however, he subconsciously compared the atmosphere at this table with his life in Zheng Tian’s courtyard. The surface atmosphere was similar, but the core was fundamentally different. Here, it was stifling, decadent, and moribund. Lin Wang appeared kind, but every detail emphasized a strict hierarchy, as if he were carved from the same mold as Yang Bingzhong. The conversation was harmonious, yet there was no genuine joking or playfulness; everyone, himself included, felt a barrier between them.

Moreover, when chatting with Zheng Tian and the others, aside from the simpleton Ou Youning often ruining the mood, the group mostly focused on summarizing lessons learned and reminding each other not to repeat the same mistakes. Sometimes, Zheng Tian would learn from Ren Zhong, listing information she had queried from the desolate beast database via her official watch, and the group would excitedly analyze the beasts' weaknesses and devise their own makeshift solutions.

Ren Zhong had taught them how to utilize the database to improve efficiency. He thought it was simple, as the standard answers were clearly written there. But when the others followed his advice, bought official watches, and went treasure hunting, they found it was not so simple.

There had once been a conversation in the courtyard:

Zheng Tian: "Brother Ren, you used the Crystal-Winged Dragonfly as an example. But I checked the database, and it doesn't explicitly state that neodymium-iron-boron magnets can be used against them."

Ren Zhong snapped open a piece of paper. "Look, this is the head structure of the Crystal-Winged Dragonfly. Look at the thickness of the shielding layer and the distance between the crystal support and the outer shell. We only need a magnetic flux greater than... in short, a palm-sized neodymium-iron-boron magnet will definitely do the trick."

Zheng Tian: "You also used the Blade Mantis as an example."

Ren Zhong: "That's even simpler. Look at its body structure, specifically the joints..."

Chen Hanyu: "What about the Blood-Sucking Giant Mosquito?"

Ren Zhong pointed at the database. "Look, isn't it written right here? This is the ladder-like structure of its central brain, and look at the density and rigidity of its material. We just need to use a formula to calculate its resonant frequency, and we can easily find the infrasonic frequency that triggers resonance. I usually calculate these things mentally; I only write them down because I’m explaining them to you."

Zheng Tian and Chen Hanyu each held a side of the draft paper, speechless for a long time. The two were stunned.

Ren Zhong watched these two people—whom he considered reasonably intelligent—exhibit the same expression. He opened his own desolate beast database again, flipped through the illustrated guide, squinted at it for a long time, and slowly realized the truth.

*I was wrong.*

It turned out that the weakness explanations were never at the end of any of the desolate beast guides. His own thinking was just too fast and fluid. It was like seeing the question "1+1=?" and instantly knowing the answer was 2; he had subconsciously filled in the standard answer for the weaknesses himself. His mental filling-in was so seamless that he had developed a memory blind spot, similar to the Mandela Effect. For some of the more complex beasts that required calculation and deduction, he hadn't given it much thought, as finding the answers was just a minor turn of the mind and not a hassle.

He had overlooked this insignificant detail.

Through this idle chatter, a small doubt in Ren Zhong's heart was resolved. That was why, even though the standard answers for taking shortcuts to kill desolate beasts were clearly written in the database, Zheng Tian and the others, despite having money, were determined to save up for a Thunder-Dash vehicle and refused to spend a hundred credits to buy a Level 1 watch first. Why did so many veteran semi-professional scavengers in the town prefer to draw their blades and fight head-on rather than use clever methods? Why, in the past timeline, did the clever Zheng Tian work so hard to learn his methods, yet only achieve slight results with slow progress?

It turned out that what was simple to him exceeded the cognitive grasp of those living in a world where they only knew the "what" but never the "why." Even Chen Hanyu had not established a complete scientific logical framework, let alone the others. It wasn't that they didn't want to; it was that their eyes were veiled. *A leaf before the eyes blocks the vision of Mount Tai*—this applied to everyone.

At the time, Ren Zhong had thought for a long time before saying slowly: "Turn off your watches for a moment. Let me teach you the basic methods of analyzing things: one is called deduction, and the other is induction. Combine these two, and many things you felt confused about in the past will slowly rise to the surface."

From then on, the group in the squad began more difficult and extensive studies. The learning atmosphere was intense, and the topics discussed became much more positive.

But here with Lin Wang, it was fundamentally different. These people already possessed strength that surpassed anyone in Spark Town. In this remote corner, they had almost no rivals who could contend with them. The jump from Level 4 to Level 5 was so vast that no one in the team, except Lin Wang, had any hope of achieving it. They were strong, but they were dead inside. As they climbed to this tier through personal effort, they had both actively and passively solidified themselves at this stage. They had no further pursuit of personal strength.

...

After dinner, Ren Zhong said goodbye to Lin Wang and the others, mentioning that he wouldn't be returning to sleep that night.

Although Lin Wang didn't refuse, he said, "Our manor is equipped with a third-generation Iron Curtain automatic defense system. Any desolate beast below Level 4 or professional below Level 3 that enters will die. The town has professional night watchmen and central monitoring; a Level 4 beast won't be able to get close. It's much safer for you to sleep here than in a concentrated sleep pod."

Ren Zhong knew this well; in a previous timeline, he had personally experienced the power of the third-generation Iron Curtain and had almost failed to kill Bei Lihui.

"Many thanks for the reminder, Captain, but I really have..."

Bei Lihui, standing nearby, chuckled and interrupted, "Captain, you don't understand. He's going to find those two chicks, Zheng Tian and Chen Hanyu."

Pan Fenglian acted bashful. "Actually, I'm available too. I’d like that as well."

Ren Zhong silently glanced at Bei Lihui, then bowed apologetically to Pan Fenglian. "I have an appointment with Manager Ju tonight, not with Zheng Tian."

In truth, he had no such appointment with Ju Qingmeng. He had other objectives. He was going to wait for two other people. However, since the fact that he was Ju Qingmeng's lover was already a settled matter in Lin Wang's eyes, there was nothing to avoid.

"Ooh! Not bad!" Bei Lihui whistled, laughing lewdly.

Pan Fenglian said with disappointment, "Then I really am no match for Manager Ju. You’re a lucky man, Ren Zhong."

Lin Wang shook his head with a smile. "So that's how it is. Manager Ju is indeed a great beauty. But Ren Zhong, you are a professional, and only Level 2 at that. You should prioritize your career and exercise some restraint."

Ren Zhong nodded. "I understand."

Bei Lihui suddenly stood up and slung an arm around Ren Zhong's shoulder. "I think you should listen to the Captain, too. But I'm different. Don't look at me as just a gunsmith; my stamina isn't bad either, and I don't need to worry about parameters. How about we make a deal? You already have Ju Qingmeng, and you're flirting with Ma Xiaoling. Why don't you let me have a turn with those two chicks, Zheng Tian and Chen Hanyu? You've already 'developed' them anyway."

Ren Zhong backhanded Bei Lihui’s arm away. His expression turned cold and his voice icy. "Brother Hui, that joke went too far."

Bei Lihui glared. "What do you mean by that?"

Lin Wang stepped in to smooth things over. "Bei Lihui, calm down. Ren Zhong, don't mind him; he's just joking."

Ren Zhong nodded. "I understand."

With that, he walked away, his Level 3 exoskeleton suit clanking as he left.

Once Ren Zhong was out the door, Bei Lihui spat on the floor. "Damn it, what a moron. No sense of humor."

Lin Wang waved his hand. "Bei Lihui, you really should tone it down. Ren Zhong was once a citizen; the environment he grew up in is different from ours. It's normal that his view on women differs from a desolate-born."

Bei Lihui crossed his arms. "Tch. Big deal, being a citizen. Isn't he a desolate-born now? Sooner or later..."

"Shut up!" Lin Wang suddenly flared up.

Bei Lihui looked at Lin Wang, aggrieved. "Brother..."

"What do you know? The more possessive Ren Zhong is of those women, treating them like his private property, the more weaknesses he has, and the easier he is to control. Now that Xing Ming is dead, we are short on people. He just defected to us; don't cause trouble. He’s someone who grew up in Spark Town, so we know his background, and there's leverage on him in town. Cultivating him is better than hiring a stranger from another town, isn't it?"

Bei Lihui turned his face away. "Fine, whatever. It's boring. I get it, but I don't know why, I just don't like him."

...

At ten o'clock at night, in the living room of Ju Qingmeng's villa.

Ren Zhong sat alone on the sofa, legs crossed. On the projection TV in front of him, the latest financial news was playing.

Ju Qingmeng sat at her desk in the study, eyes wide, staring at her computer screen. The content displayed was a detailed guide on custom modification parts for balanced-type Level 3 exoskeletons. This was a paid tutorial she had spent 300 credits to purchase. Today’s exchange with Ren Zhong had made her, a top student who had once ruled the high school in Chongyi County, feel a great sense of frustration. Even if she was just to be a tool-using artisan, she wanted to be a better tool.

Tired of reading the materials and ready for bed, Ju Qingmeng, dressed in pajamas, stretched and quietly peeked toward the living room.

*Huh? Why are there three cups of tea on the coffee table?*

*I didn't say I wanted tea; I prefer beverages. And why three cups? Is he waiting for someone? Who?*

Just then, the security system chimed. A confused Ju Qingmeng connected to the intercom and opened the one-way video communication system. "Who is it? Oh!"

In the holographic projection before her, Ma Dafu and his daughter, Ma Xiaoling, stood side-by-side outside her gate, looking up at the camera with anxious expressions.

"Manager Ju, it's me, Ma Dafu. Is Ren Zhong at your place? Please open the door; we have an urgent matter to discuss with him."

Ju Qingmeng was stunned for a moment before replying, "Yes, of course."

As she responded and opened the gate, she hurried upstairs; she needed to change her clothes. She felt nervous. It was late at night, and she didn't know what life-or-death matter had brought the Mayor and his daughter to her door in such a rush.

But then she realized something. Judging by how Ma Dafu asked his question, Ren Zhong hadn't made an appointment with them. Yet, Ren Zhong had placed two cups of hot tea on the coffee table in advance, with steam still rising from them—they must have been brewed just moments ago.

He knew these two would come. He was clearly waiting on purpose. And he remained as calm as ever, completely composed.

*Hmm.* Everything was within Ren Zhong's control; it wasn't a big deal.

*She felt relieved.*