Dark Light Chaser.

Chapter 593 Secret
"Phew, they're really tough to deal with."

On the other side of the ocean, in the deepest laboratory of the Countermeasures Bureau.

Yue Yangyan withdrew his consciousness from the metal ball in his hand.

Xia Qiyuan, who was standing beside him, looked up at the report in his hand, but quickly put his attention back on it: "Having mental abilities means you must have seen the wickedness and cunning of human nature. It's not easy to persuade such a person."

"So I didn't try to persuade him. We just made a deal. I didn't disturb his life, and he didn't interfere with my plans."

Yue Yangyan put the metal ball back on the table and sealed it again.

Xia Qiyuan flipped through the report and continued, "But you also know that's impossible. If the Hermit's true identity is really that kid Ai Liang, given his personality, he will definitely not sit idly by and do nothing about what happens next."

"Isn't that just right?"

Yue Yangyan's words made Xia Qiyuan frown. He mentally reviewed all the strange abilities within the Countermeasures Bureau related to the DX Project.

Gradually, a seemingly crazy idea began to emerge in my mind.

Xia Qiyuan straightened up, his expression very serious.

Yue Yangyan still had that same smiling expression on his face.

In the end, Xia Qiyuan swallowed back what he wanted to say and changed the subject: "Although I also think there is a high possibility that Ai Liang is a hermit, what if he is not?"
Previously, I had Gao Bin conduct mental tests on his parents, housekeeper, and nanny. The results showed that their consciousness had never been altered by mental forces. I don't believe that a child who gains superpowers would have such composure.

The blood test results for Ai Liang herself were also normal..."

Yue Yangyan interrupted Xia Qiyuan's analysis and asked with great interest, "Since all the evidence suggests that Ai Liang is unlikely to be a hermit, why do you still firmly believe that he is?"

Xia Qiyuan fell silent.

After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh and said, "If I had to say, it's probably intuition. I know this idea is very irrational and doesn't follow logical reasoning."

It was influenced by the unreliable, emotional thinking of identifying the murderer before looking for evidence, and it also goes against my long-held beliefs.

But I still feel that he must be the hermit. I've never felt this way before; perhaps it's because I was so eager to find out the hermit's true identity back then.

Yue Yangyan smiled slightly: "Don't worry, whether Ai Liang is a hermit or not, it won't have a big impact on the plan."

If so, her power will increase dramatically; if not, it won't matter much—it's always better to have more human compassion than less.

"You really intend to use every resource you can until you die?"

After a moment of reflection, Xia Qiyuan turned the question on Yue Yangyan: "So what are you thinking? I remember that ever since the hermit appeared, you've never taken the initiative to investigate his identity, have you?"

They even prohibited others within the Countermeasures Bureau from investigating the Hermit's true identity and removed all personnel in Nevada City who knew about the supernatural, except for the base security personnel.

I know these actions are related to Project DX, but that's not the whole story, is it?

Pop, pop, pop.

Yue Yangyan clapped his hands together and said, "As expected of the famous detective who was once hailed as the best detective in history, you can almost always guess the truth of things from the slightest clues."

"That's right, back then I was indeed covering for the Hermit, forbidding anyone from investigating his identity, because this matter involved my bet with the Thousand-Faced Man."

Hearing the word "bet" from Yue Yangyan again confirmed a suspicion Xia Qiyuan had.

"Could it be that one of the terms of this bet is that the Thousand-Faced Man won't interfere with the DX project, and in return, you can't investigate the Hermit's identity?"

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
Yue Yangyan clapped even louder: "Absolutely right, can you tell me how you came up with that idea?"

Xia Qiyuan showed a disgusted expression, seemingly expressing his displeasure with Yue Yangyan's awkward attempt.

But he still explained the reason from his own perspective: "You completed DX's Phase A plan all by yourself in Haixin Club."

Unless there's a specific reason, I don't think you would abandon the advanced equipment and abundant resources within the Countermeasures Bureau to choose a small faction and start from scratch.

Furthermore, a few years before the Hermit appeared, you suddenly returned from overseas and announced the launch of Project B, to which the Apostles made no response whatsoever. It's hard not to suspect that you two had secretly reached some kind of agreement...

So it really was you who caused trouble when I was investigating the hermit's identity back then?

"No, he's a thousand-faced man," Yue Yangyan replied with a smile.

"Wasn't it you who gave the order...?"

Xia Qiyuan thought Yue Yangyan was starting to argue again, and subconsciously retorted.

It wasn't until his brain's information processor received the sentence that he realized what Yue Yangyan had just said.

"You're saying the Thousand-Faced Man personally erased the Hermit's whereabouts? Are you sure you're not joking?"

“The DX project has already reached its final stage, so why should I keep it from you anymore?” Yue Yangyan retorted.

Yue Yangyan's words were quite revealing. Xia Qiyuan silently lowered his head, his brain activating overclocking mode: "Even at a time like this, how many things are you still hiding from me?"

Yue Yangyan smiled shyly: "Not much, just an ounce or two..."

"Then explain these one or two things clearly to me!"

"Only one, two, three, four, five, or six pieces."

The two voices rang out at the same time, creating an extremely awkward situation.

Or rather, the only one who felt awkward was Xia Qiyuan.

Xia Qiyuan suppressed the urge to punch Yue Yangyan's smirking, sour face, and asked, clenching his fist, "The Thousand-Faced Man is about to bring back the era of the bizarre in a few years, and you still have the mind to joke with me?"

"Yes, anyway, I don't care about the future of humanity, all I care about is winning or losing."

Yue Yangyan shrugged and stood there resignedly: "I've done everything I could to save humanity. Whether you know it or not doesn't make much difference, and it can't change anything."

Besides, you didn't ask me to reveal all my secrets, so it's normal to have a few more questions.

Xia Qiyuan was furious, but he couldn't do anything about Yue Yangyan.

Yue Yangyan walked over to Xia Qiyuan, patted him on the shoulder and comforted him, "Alright, alright, stop looking so grumpy. Some things involve my bet with Thousand Faces."

It's not that I deliberately hid it from you, but knowing would only bring you death, and no one could save you.

"Then say what you can say," Xia Qiyuan persisted.

"What do you want to hear?"

"The relationship between the hermit and the man with a thousand faces."

"Oh, that's a secret."

What exactly are the DX818A and DX1105B?

"Oh, that's a secret too."

"What the hell..."

Xia Qiyuan raised his fist, as if to strike Yue Yangyan in the face.

(End of this chapter)