Chapter 92: Jigsaw Puzzle

He Yan’s pale face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Jiang Miao ignored him.

He’s angry already? If he knew how Yan He used to hold her from behind, guiding her arm while teaching her aiming and shooting techniques, deliberately spreading his pheromones from up close, he would be fuming like a pufferfish.

“Since I got home and saw your message, I started practicing shooting,” Jiang Miao said.

In fact, her company’s safety training had always included shooting lessons, but Jiang Miao used to think that living on the highly monitored capital star meant there was no real danger. Besides, she was strong and had never taken the training seriously, so her shooting skills were mediocre.

But this time was different. He Yan had started a killing spree on Capitol Hill. In matters between nations, no matter who you are, as an individual, you are too insignificant. She didn’t know what dangers lay ahead.

So from the moment she decided to find He Yan after seeing his message, she started practicing shooting seriously.

“The National Security Bureau people might have pig brains,” Jiang Miao couldn’t help but complain. “What were they thinking, sending Yan He to monitor me up close?”

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Tl Zyd: “…”

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Yan He: “…”

At Yan He’s protest, Jiang Miao mosaicked the target’s face, turning it into a faceless monster.

Then Yan He started coaching her on her shooting. She put in a lot of effort, and within a month, her accuracy improved significantly, and she started to look like a professional.

This period of intense training also marked the rapid progression of her “relationship” with Yan He. This development was very natural and gradual, convincing to both Yan He and the monitors.

Moreover, as a soldier himself, Yan He’s skills and guidance were top-notch. Watching Jiang Miao, He Yan noticed that her grip and shooting stance were nearly flawless, lacking only in proficiency.

Even if he were to teach her himself, it wouldn’t be much different. His plan to use this as an opportunity to get close to Jiang Miao was thwarted.

How frustrating!

“So what happened with the main brain later?” After finishing her practice, Jiang Miao took off her helmet and asked, “Was it released? Didn’t it go mad?”

After two hours of training, she finally started talking to him. He Yan sighed in relief.

“It didn’t go mad. The concept of time is completely different for it compared to us. Although it was confined and unable to transmit any information or commands to the outside world, it could receive all external information and witnessed human development over the years, so it wasn’t lonely.”

“And what about the ‘Li Ping Brain’?” Jiang Miao continued to probe.

“The main brain erased Li Ping’s thought logic the moment it was released.”

Jiang Miao asked, “How can you be sure?”

He Yan answered, “After the main brain was released, I had a brief mental link with it.”

A mental link with the main brain!!!

At that moment, Jiang Miao found He Yan completely unbearable!

She struggled to suppress her overwhelming jealousy and asked acidly, “What did you two talk about?”

He Yan didn’t understand why Jiang Miao’s gaze suddenly felt like daggers, but he felt inexplicably guilty in front of her and answered honestly, “A lot.”

“We suspected that the main brain was being imprisoned, but we didn’t know Li Ping was behind it. The main brain told me all of this and transmitted the images of what happened directly to my brain. I basically witnessed everything firsthand.”

He sighed, “Li Ping…”

“She was a psychopath,” Jiang Miao scoffed. “Maybe she had a tragic childhood, but she grew up to hate everyone indiscriminately. And from what you said, she probably orchestrated the assassinations of Catherine, her biological father, and grandfather. She was completely deranged.”

“I discussed that infamous ‘Reproduction Law’ with my mom. It mandated that everyone, regardless of gender, must start reproducing at eighteen. The worst part was the enforced pairing, based solely on genetics, ignoring personal will entirely. It claimed to ‘optimize genes, increase population, and save humanity,’ but it utterly disregarded human rights. It was masked as ‘gender equality,’ but it was just as oppressive as the dark ages, only this time both men and women suffered equally.”

“Yes,” He Yan nodded. “The main brain told me the ‘Reproduction Law’ was enforced for forty years, with resistance movements breaking out frequently. Eventually, Li Ping couldn’t withstand the pressure and abolished the law. But she didn’t give up. She confined the main brain and uploaded her consciousness, attempting to control society herself, but…”

Jiang Miao sighed, “But the main brain must have countless safety protocols, right? Li Ping’s brain couldn’t bypass them all, so her thought logic had to compromise with numerous safety protocols, finding loopholes. That’s why Gita is like this now.”

Genetic pairing still existed, but human rights were also protected, resulting in a small range of personal choice within the pairing system.

However, Li Ping’s brain continually manipulated public opinion, instilling Li Ping’s values into society.

What were Li Ping’s values? She certainly didn’t believe in family or affection. It was fortunate enough that her antisocial tendencies were neutralized by the main brain’s safety protocols.

The conversation in the shooting training room gave He Yan a false sense of security. For dinner, he tried his best, carefully cooking Jiang Miao’s favorite dishes.

Jiang Miao wasn’t one to make things difficult for herself, so she ate heartily.

This boosted He Yan’s confidence. He put down his chopsticks and tried to start a conversation: “I never told you, but this dish is a specialty from my home planet. When I had the chance to learn cooking, this was the first dish I mastered.”

As he spoke, he activated a star map. “This is the gamma quadrant of the Nash Republic. My birthplace is in the Han Chuan star system…”

Jiang Miao bit her chopsticks, reached out with her left hand, swiped diagonally across the star map, and closed it.

“Unrelated and useless information about this trip isn’t necessary.”

Jiang Miao didn’t want to learn about He Yan as a person. She didn’t care who he was, where he was born, or what experiences he had.

The more she knew, the more she would be entangled.

She felt the same way with Yan He. If it hadn’t been for counter-surveilling Yan He and knowing he was just acting with her, it would have been hard to see him as a stranger given all she knew about his past, all told to her by He Yan.

The more she thought about it, the more hateful it seemed!

Jiang Miao left the dining room, and He Yan sighed in frustration.

But that evening, he still didn’t give up and knocked on Jiang Miao’s door.

“What do you want?” Jiang Miao blocked the doorway, not letting him in, and looked at him warily.

That bastard better not be trying to seduce her again. Even though he was incredibly good-looking, Jiang Miao wasn’t about to engage in any romantic encounters until she saw Rui Rui and confirmed he was safe.

“I have news about Rui Rui,” He Yan said softly. “Do you want to watch it together?”

Jiang Miao: “…” She grudgingly let the despicable man into her room.

He Yan finally entered Jiang Miao’s bedroom. Not daring to waste time, he activated a light screen, input a password, and opened an encrypted data package.

“It’s inconvenient to communicate in real-time, so this is the best way,” he explained.

The data package contained a video. As soon as Rui Rui’s chubby face appeared on the screen, Jiang Miao almost burst into tears!

She covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at the screen.

Rui Rui didn’t look panicked or scared; he seemed quite happy. Occasionally, a man’s hand and voice appeared in the video, playing with him.

“Rui Rui is so great!”

“Come to uncle, Rui Rui.”

“Do you want to eat this, Rui Rui?”

Rui Rui got some snacks and giggled.

The man holding him said, “Say hi to daddy and mommy, tell them you’re safe and happy.”

“Daddy, mommy,” Rui Rui said, his cheeks bulging with food, making his words unclear, “Rui Rui is safe and happy.”

“Don’t talk while eating!” Jiang Miao worried, “You might choke!”

He Yan coughed lightly to remind her, “This is just a video.” It wasn’t real-time communication.

When the video ended, the screen froze on Rui Rui’s side profile, happily gnawing on a tub of baby teething snacks.

Jiang Miao’s tears finally fell.

He Yan immediately pulled her into his arms, soothing her gently, “Don’t cry, don’t cry, he’s really safe. You saw him, he’s being well taken care of.”

“You bastard!” Jiang Miao choked, “He’s so young, he’ll forget me soon!”

“No, he won’t,” He Yan patiently reassured her. “I backed up the surveillance videos from home. I’ve told them to show him your videos every day. He won’t forget you.”

Jiang Miao: “…”

Being so well-prepared made it all the more hateful!

She wiped her eyes and pushed away the opportunistic He Yan, questioning him, “Who is the person in the video?”

He seemed pretty good at taking care of children, but she wasn’t sure if he could be trusted.

He Yan said, “He’s my foster brother.”

Foster… brother? The uncommon term made Jiang Miao pause.

He Yan quickly explained in a calm tone, “My parents died in an accident when I was very young. I drifted around on alien planets for several years before being adopted by my foster mother. But… I mentioned before, she also passed away soon after. So, I was raised by my foster brother.”

Afraid Jiang Miao would react badly, he didn’t dare say more. With just a few words, he sketched a rough outline and then fell silent, only adding, “He’s very good with kids and completely trustworthy.”

In a few short seconds, He Yan had given a lot of information, catching Jiang Miao off guard.

She suddenly remembered He Yan had mentioned an older woman in his life who was very important to him. She had given him promises of happiness but had died soon after, making him believe that good things were fleeting, making him hesitant to make promises or hope for the future.

So, all of that… it wasn’t about Yan He, but He Yan himself?

It was like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle found its place. The previously incomplete outline now had a face, gaining depth, becoming three-dimensional and full.

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