Chapter 146: The Plan
Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng were currently in the office, watching the live feed transmitted by the soldiers on the other side. The two suspicious figures moved stealthily through the hospital. They had even used one of the little gadgets Ye Xing had built in his spare time to infiltrate the room and record the entire process of the facial surgery they performed on the two patients.
Nan Yu said, "They're incredibly fast. That spray seems like an upgraded version of a healing spray. And both of them are highly skilled—their technique is extremely practiced, like they've done this thousands of times. Which means they've probably done this to many other people before."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"But that technique only makes their appearance look similar. It can't replicate fingerprints, iris patterns, blood type, DNA, and everything else."
"So this kind of disguise only works on people who aren't familiar with the target. It's absolutely impossible to replace any member of the legion this way."
Every member of the legion underwent minor medical examinations twice a month and comprehensive examinations every six months, all of which included blood tests and other biological checks.
There simply wasn't any opportunity to get away with something like this.
Hearing that, Nan Yu finally relaxed.
He had genuinely worried that these people might be replacing members of Yu Lanfeng's legion one by one. If that method actually worked, then the entire legion might already have been infiltrated.
"That's good."
"But just to be safe, everyone should still be checked whenever there's a chance."
"There might be things ordinary examinations don't catch."
Yu Lanfeng paused for a moment before nodding.
"You're right."
"That really is necessary."
Every soldier who joined the legion was thoroughly examined.
But...
Their family members weren't required to undergo mandatory examinations.
He hadn't considered that loophole before.
Once this matter was over, he would personally verify every single case.
Nan Yu continued, "Since we've confirmed these two are spies, can't we work backward from there? We should be able to identify who recruited them into the legion and who arranged for them to work there."
"If they're spies, then the people who were especially close to them or always took care of them are probably suspicious too."
Yu Lanfeng replied, "Qin Wenxing is already investigating."
"For now, we won't alert them."
"We'll wait until they've finished replacing those two people, locate the place where they're hiding the originals, and then move step by step."
After all, they only knew about the two people currently being hidden.
Now that those two had been brought back, they still had no idea how many other captives existed or how many different hiding places there were.
Everything would have to be uncovered gradually while they still had the opportunity.
There was also no way to know whether the two spies—or everyone who might be exposed through them—would choose suicide or be secretly assassinated once they realized they had been discovered.
For an Ability User...
Taking their own life wasn't difficult at all.
Nan Yu asked, "So before they realize they've been exposed, we have to carefully gather as many secrets and as much evidence as possible?"
Yu Lanfeng shook his head.
"We don't actually need much evidence."
"But there are still many things that need investigating."
For example...
The locations where the captives were being hidden.
Some of those people might already be dead.
But some might still be alive.
If they could rescue them...
That alone would be worthwhile.
Just as they were talking, something unexpected happened on the live feed.
Someone grabbed one of the soldiers by the arm while whispering urgently,
"Calm down!"
"Now isn't the time."
"Don't worry. He'll definitely be alright."
"We'll follow them to wherever they're hiding the captives."
"Then we'll rescue him directly."
Nan Yu blinked.
At first he didn't understand.
Then realization dawned.
One of the two people replaced tonight...
The one who had originally been selected by Nan Yu...
Must have been a relative, close friend, or perhaps even the lover of the soldier who had almost rushed out just now.
Nan Yu glanced at Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng simply shook his head.
He wasn't familiar enough with every ordinary soldier under his command to know details like that.
Nan Yu thought about it.
That made sense.
The legion had far too many members.
If Yu Lanfeng tried to memorize every person's personal relationships, even his brain wouldn't be enough.
Nan Yu smiled faintly.
"They'll definitely be alright."
Still...
Anyone could imagine how anxious that soldier must be.
No one knew whether those spies would kill the original patients.
Fortunately...
Out of caution, they would most likely do exactly what they'd done with the previous pair—hide them somewhere first.
That way, if they later needed to restore the originals after a failed operation, they'd still have replacements available.
Reality proved exactly that.
After altering the faces of the replacement patients...
The two spies managed to make them look almost identical to the pair Nan Yu had selected.
At first glance...
Even acquaintances might fail to notice.
After all, the patients had grown much thinner after lying unconscious for so long.
A slight difference in appearance wouldn't seem strange.
Nan Yu still couldn't understand one thing.
Were they really so confident that once those people were sent to him...
He wouldn't perform even the most basic examination before removing their Mental Contamination?
If he really were that careless...
He would be completely exhausted after treating them.
Yu Lanfeng also didn't stay here all the time.
He only visited occasionally.
Most of the time it was Nan Yu who went to Yu Lanfeng's office to rest.
If Yu Lanfeng couldn't return in time...
Then two fully recovered Ability Users against a Mental Power User whose mental power had been heavily depleted...
Nan Yu wouldn't have the slightest chance to resist.
He secretly glanced at Yu Lanfeng.
He wondered whether Yu Lanfeng had already thought of that possibility.
From the Marshal's expression...
Nothing could be read.
The two of them continued watching the live feed.
They watched the spies silently replace the patients inside the ward.
The soldier who had almost acted impulsively earlier remained perfectly calm now.
As expected...
Every soldier in Yu Lanfeng's legion possessed exceptional discipline.
Nan Yu quietly said,
"If they really decide to kill them later..."
"We have to save them."
"Even if we expose ourselves early."
"The soldiers' lives are more important."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
He clearly felt the same way.
He immediately sent a message to the captain leading the surveillance team.
The captain quickly shared it with everyone.
Even through the screen, Nan Yu could feel the atmosphere within the team become much lighter.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
"The place they're taking those two patients..."
"It doesn't seem to be the same hiding place as before."
Yu Lanfeng replied,
"That's actually good."
"It means we've found another location where captives are being hidden."
Nan Yu quietly continued watching.
The two spies hadn't gone very far.
Thinking about it...
That made perfect sense.
Their time was limited.
If they hid the captives too far away, the round trip would take too long.
If they returned to the dormitory too late, their roommates would almost certainly notice.
And once their identities were exposed...
Death would be inevitable.
Nan Yu observed,
"This place is very close to the hospital."
"If it were you, you'd probably get there in just a few minutes."
"I didn't expect them to hide people nearby."
Yu Lanfeng frowned.
"That's actually bad news."
"If they're hiding people close by, then this is probably only a temporary holding location."
"They might come soon to dispose of them."
"Or someone else may arrive later and move them somewhere else."
Nan Yu asked quietly,
"Then... what should we do?"
Dispose of them...
Obviously meant killing them.
If someone else came to transfer them...
Following them again would become much more dangerous.
And if they were discovered...
Those two patients would undoubtedly be silenced.
That wasn't something Nan Yu wanted to see.
Yu Lanfeng took a deep breath.
"Let's wait."
The two spies placed the unconscious patients inside a well-hidden hut.
After locking the door, they quietly left.
Once they were gone...
The surveillance team split into two groups.
One stayed behind to continue watching the hut.
The other followed the spies.
The spies simply returned to their dormitory.
They climbed back in through the window.
Even after entering, they stood silently for more than ten minutes, carefully listening.
Only after confirming there wasn't the slightest movement inside did they quietly crawl back into bed as though nothing had happened.
If someone had accidentally awakened...
They could simply pretend they had just come back from the restroom.
After all...
Before returning, their roommates had definitely been fast asleep.
And if anyone had actually noticed something suspicious...
They would have reported it immediately instead of staying silent.
That was simply how Yu Lanfeng's legion operated.
Its discipline was absolute.
The two spies fell asleep comfortably.
Meanwhile...
The soldiers watching the hut continued waiting anxiously.
Would someone actually come to retrieve the patients?
Or would they simply be abandoned there forever?
No medical equipment.
No nutrient solution.
No caregivers.
Left there to die.
Then someone remembered the previous pair.
Those two had also remained hidden for several days.
If they had truly been abandoned without anyone looking after them...
They wouldn't still have looked as clean as they had when they were recovered.
Their condition would have been much worse.
Which meant...
Someone had definitely been taking care of them.
Their guess proved correct.
Someone did come.
Not secretly at night...
But openly.
Early the next morning.
The person entered through the front door in broad daylight.
Unlocked the room.
Then calmly began taking care of the two unconscious patients.
Both men had S-rank Mental Contamination.
Normally...
Patients like that could lose control at any moment.
Although they were currently unconscious...
That state couldn't last forever.
Some people remained unconscious for a month.
Some for several months.
Some even for half a year.
But eventually...
They would wake up.
And the moment they did...
They would descend into madness.
After that came complete berserk episodes.
That was why every soldier with S-rank Mental Contamination was restrained inside the hospital.
No one knew exactly when they would regain consciousness.
Nan Yu suddenly understood.
"I get it."
"They secretly removed the patients."
"But these soldiers have already been lying here for years."
"I doubt many people would recognize them anymore."
"The person taking care of them now..."
"...is probably just a temporary worker hired to look after them for a few days."
"If the plan succeeds..."
"They'll dismiss the worker and quietly kill these two."
"But if the plan fails..."
"They'll switch them back to avoid exposing themselves."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"It's a meticulous plan."
"But we can confirm that none of the previous patients sent here had been replaced."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Exactly."
"I always verify them."
"It's my habit."
"Everyone sent here receives a basic examination first."
"That's a good habit."
"Keep it."
"I will."
"But what should we do now?"
"Since a temporary worker is taking care of them, they'll be fine for now."
"But those two spies inside the legion will definitely find opportunities to contact that worker."
"If anything unusual happens..."
"The organization might become suspicious."
Yu Lanfeng calmly answered,
"For now..."
"We observe."
The soldier whose loved one had been captured had clearly realized the patient wasn't in immediate danger.
He remained calm throughout.
Nan Yu looked at him a little longer.
For some reason...
He looked familiar.
The surveillance camera was fixed in first-person view.
Nan Yu had only caught a brief glimpse.
Not enough to see his face clearly.
Yet that faint sense of familiarity convinced him...
He had definitely met this person in his previous life.
They had even interacted before.
If only he could see the man's face...
He was certain he'd remember.
Suddenly...
Nan Yu remembered something.
"Show me the personnel list."
Yu Lanfeng immediately pulled it up.
Two names were highlighted in red.
They belonged to the confirmed spies.
Jiao Wangfeng.
Jiao Jiangshu.
Neither name meant anything to Nan Yu.
He continued reading.
Then...
One name froze him in place.
Luo Anwei.
Nan Yu calmly shifted his gaze away, pretending nothing had happened.
He continued watching the surveillance footage.
Inside...
His emotions were in complete turmoil.
In his previous life...
The first time he had ever heard of Luo Anwei...
Was beside Bai Zhouyun.
Luo Anwei had been one of Bai Zhouyun's most loyal subordinates.
And...
The strongest Ability User under Bai Zhouyun's command.
Not one of the strongest.
The strongest.
In fact...
He had even been noticeably stronger than Bai Zhouyun himself at his peak.
Back then, Nan Yu hadn't thought much about it.
He had simply assumed Bai Zhouyun had recruited another talented expert.
He never imagined...
That Luo Anwei had originally been an ordinary soldier in Yu Lanfeng's legion.
Which meant...
There were now two possibilities.
The first.
Luo Anwei had eventually chosen to follow Bai Zhouyun because they shared the same values.
If that were true...
He should be expelled from the legion as early as possible.
The second possibility...
Exactly the same events had occurred in the previous timeline.
The only difference...
Was that back then Yu Lanfeng hadn't had Nan Yu by his side.
No one had been able to treat those soldiers.
The person Luo Anwei cared about...
Had probably been left waiting in the hospital until death approached.
At the very last moment...
The people who appeared...
Were Bai Zhouyun...
And Yun Feiyu.
Yun Feiyu must have removed that person's Mental Contamination.
That was why Luo Anwei had become utterly devoted...
Well...
Not exactly devoted.
More accurately...
He had chosen to work for Bai Zhouyun.
Nan Yu could still remember it clearly.
Luo Anwei had never shown Bai Zhouyun the same reverence as the other subordinates.
Instead...
He treated Bai Zhouyun almost like an equal.
Back then...
Nan Yu, who had still been deeply in love with Bai Zhouyun, had secretly complained about it.
He had even warned Bai Zhouyun that Luo Anwei wasn't trustworthy.
Bai Zhouyun, however...
Didn't care.
He valued only Luo Anwei's strength.
As long as Luo Anwei worked for him...
His attitude wasn't a problem.
On the contrary...
That confidence proved just how powerful he was.
At the time...
Seeing Bai Zhouyun completely ignore his advice, Nan Yu eventually dropped the subject.
Later...
After he and Bai Zhouyun completely fell out and Nan Yu began his life on the run...
Luo Anwei became one of the people assigned to hunt him down.
Yet strangely...
Throughout that entire period...
Nan Yu never once encountered him.
Considering Luo Anwei's abilities...
If anyone should have found him, it should have been Luo Anwei.
The fact that he never appeared could only mean one thing.
He had deliberately held back.
Or perhaps...
He had never searched for Nan Yu at all.
Whatever the truth...
Nan Yu had already concluded that Luo Anwei wasn't an inherently bad person.
If that was the case...
Then...
"After this is over..."
"Bring these two back."
"And the previous two as well."
"I'd like to treat all four of them."
Yu Lanfeng glanced at him.
He seemed to understand exactly what Nan Yu was thinking.
"Alright."
Nan Yu smiled awkwardly.
He didn't bother explaining.
There was nothing shameful about it.
No explanation was necessary.
Everything on the surveillance feed had quieted down.
Nan Yu looked at the bright sunshine outside.
Maybe he should go out and enjoy some sunlight later.
"Oh, right, Brother."
"When those two are sent back again..."
"Should I remove their Mental Contamination?"
"Or should we simply wait for them to make the first move?"
If they truly wanted to uncover everyone involved...
Then treating them was the better option.
Once their Mental Contamination disappeared...
The enemy would undoubtedly mobilize far more people to abduct Nan Yu.
After all...
Taking Nan Yu meant obtaining more than just him.
It also meant obtaining the Nianshen Grass hidden inside his spatial button.
Those two prizes together...
Were enough to make the organization risk everything.
So this time...
Were they going all in?
Yu Lanfeng had clearly considered the same possibility.
But...
He didn't want Nan Yu taking such a risk.
Nan Yu looked at him with sparkling eyes full of anticipation.
Yu Lanfeng found it difficult to refuse.
So he answered tactfully.
"It's dangerous."
Nan Yu immediately replied,
"I'm not afraid."
"Besides..."
"While removing their Mental Contamination, I can leave a little surprise inside their Mental Power."
"Just like what happened to the person who attacked Professor Liu in the Capital Star legion."
"If anything happens..."
"I'll use that."
Yu Lanfeng still wasn't convinced.
Nan Yu continued,
"They should be the ones afraid of me."
"If I put in a little more force..."
"They'll become complete idiots."
Yu Lanfeng sighed.
"No."
"Let me think about it."
Nan Yu immediately proposed another idea.
"If you're still worried..."
"After I tamper with their Mental Power..."
"Replace me."
"They're not the only ones who can use substitutes."
"We can do the same thing."
Yu Lanfeng's eyes lit up.
"That's exactly what we'll do."
The plan was finalized almost immediately.
Once those two patients returned...
Nan Yu would personally remove their Mental Contamination.
For safety's sake...
The two would be placed in separate wards instead of together.
After finishing the treatment...
Nan Yu would leave.
Then someone they had already prepared would secretly take his place.
Later...
The two patients would be moved into the same room to recover.
Everything else would depend on the situation.
After all...
The substitutes only resembled the targets facially.
They couldn't withstand prolonged examination by medical equipment.
If someone performed a full-body scan...
Their identities would immediately be exposed.
Therefore...
The enemy had to act shortly after the patients regained consciousness.
That...
Would be the moment Yu Lanfeng closed the net.
This time...
He intended to give them plenty of time to prepare.
Ideally...
They would contact every single sleeper agent inside the legion.
Then...
He could eliminate all of them in one sweep.
The plan was quickly put into action.
They immediately began searching for someone whose build and appearance somewhat resembled Nan Yu.
After extensive secret screening...
They found a perfect candidate.
Nan Yu stared in surprise at the young soldier before him.
The man wore clothes identical to his own.
His height and build were astonishingly similar.
Once he put on the same loose white coat...
The resemblance became uncanny.
Especially after putting on a mask.
Anyone unfamiliar with them would never notice the difference.
"Put the mask on."
The soldier obeyed.
Nan Yu also put on a mask.
The two stood side by side.
Qin Wenxing blinked repeatedly, looking back and forth between them.
Then he raised his thumb.
"Excellent."
"The makeup work is superb."
"And..."
"The temporary facial adjustments were done perfectly."
Nan Yu asked,
"The temporary modifications won't cause any problems, right?"
Qin Wenxing shook his head.
"No."
"Everything will gradually return to normal after enough time."
"There won't be any lasting effects."
"The only inconvenience is..."
"He'll have to keep your face for more than half a month."
Nan Yu raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong with my face?"
"Isn't it pretty good?"
Qin Wenxing secretly glanced toward his Marshal.
Sure enough...
Yu Lanfeng was staring only at Nan Yu.
He hadn't spared the substitute a single glance.
Fine.
Everyone knew the Marshal liked Nan Yu more than anyone else in the world.
He couldn't even be bothered looking at the substitute.
But...
That soldier had been carefully selected for an important mission.
Couldn't the Marshal at least say something encouraging?
Fortunately...
Yu Lanfeng quickly remembered his duties as commander.
"Very good."
"In that case..."
"Stay here during this period."
"Observe Nan Yu carefully."
"Learn every one of his movements."
"At the very least, don't let anyone notice anything unusual."
"Yes, Marshal!"
Watching someone who looked so much like himself give such a serious military salute to Yu Lanfeng felt strangely novel to Nan Yu.
Unfortunately...
That novelty didn't last long.
Because the substitute kept staring at him the entire time.
It became increasingly embarrassing for Nan Yu.