VESSEL - Extinction Countdown 928: Conscience Paradox

Zhao Liang towered over Yi Qing by half a head, but Yi Qing grabbed his collar and slammed him against the wall with force.

“Tell the truth. What are you doing here?!”

“Shouldn’t I be asking you? What are you doing here?!”

“Don’t play dumb! Answer me! Did that old crone send you? Is she really that into spying on people? Is she some kind of freak? Totally obsessed with control?”

“I was about to ask you! Didn’t she send you to replace me?! What did I do wrong?!”

The clash broke off mid-sentence. They locked eyes, uncertain, and the heat in their voices cooled.

The “old hag” in question was none other than YiQueen, the powerhouse behind Fireseed’s Third Sector. Only she had the pull to ignite such rage in both of them.

Zhao Liang straightened his collar. “If we’re done here, I’m going back to work. Don’t mess with my mission, or I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a woman.”

Yi Qing gave a cold snort. “That’s my line. And if you dare mention me or Ye Shisan in your report, don’t expect me to play nice.”

“Tch. I’ve got zero interest in you or your man. Just a C‑class intrusive freak—hardly worth me stepping in.”

“First, your intel is out of date. Second, watch your mouth. Ye Shisan is a living human being, same as you and me.”

“Hmph. What’s the rush? Don’t tell me the famed 'Azure Eye' of Tongmo has a thing for that freak. Never thought your tastes were so… unique.”

Anger flushed Yi Qing’s face; she almost planted her fist in the man’s handsome face. “You’ve been spying on me?”

Zhao Liang gave a thin smile. “Spying? Please. I don’t have time for that. Just happened to catch a glimpse of your file when the old hag wasn’t around. Recon commander of Tongmo’s Fireseed Unit—special ability ‘Azure Eye.’ One first‑class merit, five second‑class, discharged after injury. Back then you were the untouchable figure of Tongmo. How’d you end up working for that fossil?”

Yi Qing ground her teeth. “Zhao, sounds like you don’t need that tongue.”

He smiled, a touch triumphant. “Miss Yi, you’re a bit slow today. Fireseed undercover all use aliases. Zhao isn’t my real name. But if you’ve got intel I need, I’m happy to keep yours quiet.”

A sudden thought crossed Yi Qing’s mind. She let out a cold laugh. “You know, based on what I’ve heard, you’re only here for one of two things. Either Lu Zhengwu or Fang Ling. Lu’s buried in work—nothing there worth much… unless it’s his missing son, Lu Jiamu. But I doubt the old crone’s kind enough to help find a long‑lost child. Which leaves Fang Ling.”

Zhao Liang grinned wide. “As expected of Azure Eye—lost an eye, but your brain works just fine. Yep, I’m here to steal Fang Ling’s research project.”

Yi Qing’s face went cold. “So the Fireseed Corps in Yuecheng isn’t what I imagined at all. The old crone looks kindly enough, but she and her people will do anything.”

Zhao Liang chuckled. “Miss Yi, don’t get me wrong. I’m just making a duplicate. With Fireseed holding it, I can stake my life it won’t leak.”

“I believe Fireseed can keep it contained. But what if the project is finished and ends up on the market? Don’t forget—Fang Ling’s set on completing her mother’s great work and paying back Lu Zhengwu.”

The words hit hard. The light in Zhao Liang’s eyes dimmed. He spoke low. “As long as I’m here, she’ll never succeed.”

A wave of nausea rose in Yi Qing. She took two steps back, looked him over again, and said with contempt, “Lowlife.”

“You don’t get it,” Zhao Liang said, voice sinking. “If this goes public, forget the current system protecting Fang Ling—Fireseed would have to think twice even to intervene. I’m doing this for her sake!”

“For her sake? You don’t have to kill a genius to destroy them— just ruin the work they’ve spent their life on! That’s worse than killing her!”

Zhao Liang’s tone sank further, laden with gravity. “But at least she’d be alive. She could have a normal life. And Lu Zhengwu wouldn’t have to go through losing someone again. Just think—if that project goes public, all kinds of groups will come after her, forcing Fang Ling to give up her research. Some of them might even kidnap or torture Lu Zhengwu to get to her. Miss Yi, you’re with Fireseed. You know how scary people can be.”

Yi Qing fell silent.

In her Fireseed career, she had run into similar knots—an unsolvable paradox. Do you kill a soul, or let someone’s entire life be crushed by outside forces? It’s like that famous thought experiment—the trolley problem: whichever track you choose, someone dies.

So what’s worse? Killing a soul, or watching a life unravel before your eyes?

“Is it really that hard?” Ye Shisan appeared from who‑knows‑where. “If it were me, I’d find a way to stop the train. You guys know I have that power. So the key isn’t which track you pick—it’s whether you’ve got the power to make a different choice.”

Yi Qing and Zhao Liang both flinched. They’d been overheard.

Ye Shisan smiled at them. “Relax. Uncle Ma’s in the kitchen. Fang Ling’s fixing the lab door again—it broke. I came up to grab her tools and happened to catch a few words. Right, Honglin?”

The black cat clung to his shoulder like a koala and flashed Yi Qing a wicked grin.

Light as he made it sound, Zhao Liang grew tense. “Miss Yi, you actually told him Fireseed business? A C‑class intrusive anomaly— a freak—” He stopped himself mid-word, the insult hanging in the air, then forced out, “person.” A reluctant concession to civility.

Yi Qing shrugged, unfazed. “I don’t think there’s anything ‘freakish’ about Ye Shisan. You, sneaking around the Lu house, jumpy as a thief—that’s what’s strange. Ye Shisan, since you’ve heard it all, why not share your thoughts?”

“Well, if Fireseed wants Fang Ling’s data, they’d better pay for her protection. The project’s just paper—she’s the real deal. A living genius is worth more to Fireseed. Just like me, the so‑called freak. Right?”

Well then. Ye Shisan didn’t pull any punches— he jabbed at Zhao Liang, roasted Fireseed, and tease Yi Qing while he was at it.

Yi Qing’s face was icy, then she let out a sudden laugh. “Zhao, you know what? That’s not a bad idea. Go pitch it to the old crone. Bring Fang Ling into Fireseed—she gets to do her research, you guys get what you want. Perfect match. And since you’re not going public with the project anyway, no one outside will know, and no one comes knocking.”

Ye Shisan leveled his gaze at Zhao Liang; an invisible pressure seemed to press from his eyes.

“This isn’t up for debate. Fireseed has to step up. If you can’t protect one person, what do you mean by protecting the people? If an innocent citizen can be sacrificed, then stop mouthing off about defending the nation.”

Just then, a voice rang from the hallway:

“Brother Ye, what’s taking you so long? Did you get lost or what?!”