Artifact Report

Chapter 96 Jin Xueli's Choice
...The "Nest Communication Network" may come to an end at any time.

Even though Jin Xueli knew very well what the real point was, when she heard the words "It's like you have never done it", she was still distracted and forgot to breathe.

My feet were firmly planted on the ground, and for a moment, I couldn't take a step forward.

Obviously, times have changed and she no longer has to worry about stepping into a pool of blood.

At that moment, it seemed that as long as she erased the record, she could really pretend that it had never happened - she had similar fantasies countless times before, sweet and illusory.

"Is it possible?" Ashley stared at her expression, and a word brought Jin Xueli back to her senses. "I know someone I can ask for a favor. I can give you the database—"

At this critical juncture, what really matters is not whether Director Ashley can do it or keep his promise; for Jin Xueli, there is only one way to remain invincible from beginning to end - to escape in time.

She could have just agreed and walked away.

Next, it all depends on whether to hand over Ashley: if he hands her over, it will be more beneficial to him and it won’t be difficult to just ask for her help; if Chai Si has no doubts, then let her go.

For her, this is a deal with no capital investment. It would be best if Ashley kept his promise; but even if Ashley broke the contract later, what would it matter?
The situation was essentially the same then, it was just a trip to the lair, just like before.

"You don't have to say it," she interrupted Ashley. "Okay, let's do it."

Ashley was stunned. He probably didn't expect her to agree so readily. She didn't even ask, "How can you guarantee that you can keep your promise?"

Ashley naturally couldn't believe such a response. When Jin Xueli started to leave, she grabbed Jin Xueli's shoulders and whispered, "Wait!"

"Let go," Jin Xueli whispered. "What do you want?"

Ashley let go of her hand, her brow furrowed tightly, as if she couldn't figure her out. "You're so loyal to that guy, Chase? I thought you were just someone who got dragged into this by accident."

"Indeed I am."

"Then why don't you do me this favor?" Ashley seemed to have already determined that Jin Xueli was going to join Chai Si.

She was not a hunter, and did not guess like Chai Si that Jin Xueli had another "life-saving method" - everyone only understands the world according to their own life experience, and the police chief is no exception.

"I've already promised the police that they won't be your enemies. Do you trust a dangerous person you happened to meet more than the police?"

Unexpectedly, agreeing to it immediately would only arouse her suspicion... Jin Xueli almost wanted to sigh.

"I know he looks nice, but you can't trust him." Ashley seemed to have misunderstood something and said in a low and anxious voice, "He may be involved in many crimes. His upbringing and environment are extremely unstable, which is the best breeding ground for antisocial personality. When he was a teenager, he even killed his stepbrother with his own hands-"

Jin Xueli was about to walk out, but when she heard this, she turned her head involuntarily.

"what?"

As if seeing hope of convincing her, Ashley took a breath and tried to calm down.

"He recently came to my attention, so I did some preliminary research on him. Chase Monroe has always been surrounded by many unexplained deaths... If you don't count his mother who disappeared in the accident, then the first suspicious death is that of his adoptive father's biological son, his stepbrother, Damian."

As Jin Xueli lowered her phone to her side, the faces of the two of them sank into a semi-darkness.

"...Really?" she asked in a low voice. "Chai Si killed his stepbrother? And maybe his mother too?"

"Yes. He can even kill his own family. Do you still think he can be trusted? Can he have good intentions towards a stranger?"

"That's impossible," Jin Xueli retorted subconsciously, "What about the people who adopted him? Are we just going to let it go like this?"

"No," Ashley said softly, "I don't think that prevented his adoptive father from not calling the police and keeping him around, because he's not an ordinary man. He's not clean either; he needs a lackey, a thug, someone who's ruthless enough to not recognize any relatives. Chase is an extremely dangerous criminal, and I'm a policeman. You're a smart man, you should be able to figure out which side is better for you."

...Killed my stepbrother.

"But I don't dare to trust you completely," Jin Xueli said. "After you escape danger, who knows if you will keep your promise?"

Hearing her question, Ashley seemed relieved, a spark of hope in his eyes. "I know, I only made you a promise, and it's hard for you to believe me. Besides a promise, I really don't have any other way to prove it. I can only guarantee it with my own character. I will never be ungrateful. Besides, what good would it do me to break the promise later? I can see that you're quite used to this strange phenomenon, and you're not someone you can easily mess with..."

In a hurry, she spoke very quickly. When she reached this point in one breath, she suddenly seemed to have something stuck in her throat and paused, staring at Jin Xueli without blinking.

"You...what are you doing?"

Ashley swallowed his shock and slowly asked, "...Why?"

Jin Xueli looked at her, and after a second, she sighed softly.

This director is truly an outstanding person, with first-rate observation, agility, and adaptability. If at this point, he were still trying to fool her with lies, it would be a disrespect to her.

"I'm on the phone,"

Jin Xueli flipped up her phone, which had been hanging by her side, and showed it to Ashley. The phone displayed a dial screen. At that very moment, the first low call tone rang out. If they hadn't both been quiet, it would have been difficult to notice.

Ever since the policewoman gave her the phone, Jin Xueli has been careful not to lock the screen again - but she didn't expect to use it here.

"How did you find out? I wasn't looking directly at the screen when I dialed the number, and I tried my best to cover my finger movements."

She turned the phone screen sideways towards herself, and after locating herself by seeing a row of numbers with her peripheral vision, she pressed other number buttons based on the approximate location. If the two of them were in bright daylight, it would not be difficult to see them. However, Jin Xueli did not expect that even in such a dim environment, Ashley could still notice such a small movement of her finger.

"As you press the keys, your fingers block the light from the screen."

Ashley seemed to have lost all the strength he had to persuade her. He just stood there and asked in a low voice, "Why? What is your relationship with him?"

"If I say there's nothing to do with it, you won't believe me, right?"

Ashley shook his head, as if letting the words pass by his ears. He really didn't believe it at all. "There's nothing to do with him. Why would you help him to this extent?"

"Maybe I was a little impulsive."

Jin Xueli answered, knowing full well that sometimes the truer the truth, the harder it is to believe. "I'm sorry to say, but I'm quite impulsive... Of course, I know why I'm impulsive, but I don't want to tell you the reason."

Ashley fell silent. She stared at Jin Xueli, as if amused, yet also as a warning, and said, "Being entangled with someone like that... aren't you afraid of regretting it? No, you will regret it."

I have regret medicine.

Jin Xueli thought silently in her heart, although she didn't know whether the regret medicine would work as she wished...

The "Nest Communication Network" cuts off external signals, and only two mobile phones in the same building can call each other.

Chai Si still had Jin Xueli's cell phone in his hand, so she just had to make a call to her own cell phone - as long as Chai Si saw the incoming call, he could naturally guess who was calling; because in this building, the only person who could recite Jin Xueli's phone number was Jin Xueli herself.

However, even though she knew that Chai Si would definitely be able to tell that the person who had electrocuted her was her, she did not expect that he would come so quickly.

She raised her eyes behind Ashley.

Behind the director, in the darkness that the flashlight could not penetrate, a tall, dark shadow emerged at some point, almost silently.

As if sensing something, Ashley closed his eyes.

"...Hello, Chief."

Chase lowered his head and gently placed a large hand on Ashley's shoulder. He laughed, his voice like mist rising from a deep cave. "I have a few questions I've been wanting to ask you for a long time."

　Finally finished!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)