As a weirdo, I like being a Kamen Rider

When the task was handed over, Lin Chen personally stated that a review and report would be given two months later. Now, less than half the time has passed, and he's suddenly being asked about the progress. A hint of doubt flashed through his mind, but he didn't show it. He simply quickly ran through the possibilities in his mind—did the president need the data for other arrangements? Or had something unexpected happened?

He didn't press further, and honestly replied, "We've only collected data on a dozen or so Orphnochs so far. That's not a large number."

“A dozen or so,” Lin Chen repeated in a low voice, his tone unreadable. He then pointed to the guest sofa beside him. “No rush, we can take it slow. I wanted to ask you something else today—what are your thoughts on the identity of the Orphino?”

Kiba followed his gesture and sat down on the sofa, his back automatically straightening. The question came suddenly, seemingly unrelated to the work report they had just discussed. He didn't answer immediately, remaining silent for a few seconds.

"Well, how should I put it?" he began, speaking slowly, as if he were thinking as he spoke. "A few months ago, I might have said that I hated this identity."

He looked up at Lin Chen, his gaze calm and unwavering: "But now... it is the truth. I am an Orphnoch, so am Jiehua, and so is Haitang. The three of us have survived until now thanks to this power. So it's not a matter of liking or disliking; it is simply a part of who I am now."

Lin Chen didn't immediately respond after listening, but simply looked at him, as if to confirm whether there was any element of bravado in his words. After a moment, he spoke again, his tone a few degrees deeper than before: "Then what do you think an Orphnoch is? Is it an evolved form of humanity, or something else?"

Kiba pursed his lips.

“The company keeps saying we’re evolving,” he said, his tone calm, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. “But to be honest, I don’t see anything more advanced. We’re stronger, we can run faster, but we still eat and sleep every day, and we still worry about the same things. If there’s any difference…” He paused, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth that seemed less like a smile and more like an expression of helplessness, “maybe it’s the added hassle of being hunted down at any time.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen lowered his hands, which had been crossed in front of his chest.

“Have you ever thought,” his voice wasn’t loud, but it inexplicably made the air in the office feel heavier, “that it’s not a matter of evolution or not. It’s that from the very beginning, the word ‘evolution’ was just a fabrication to deceive you.”

Kiba's brows slowly furrowed.

He didn't immediately retort, but instead went over the sentence in his mind twice. Lin Chen wouldn't say such a thing without reason—all his previous arrangements, abolishing the execution order, and having him collect statistics on harmless Orphnochs, all these things connected...

"A scam?" He looked up, staring directly at Lin Chen. "President, what do you mean by that?"

Prelude to Chapter 216

Lin Chen didn't mince words. He told Kiba everything he knew about the Orphino gene collapse and their fate of desertification.

After hearing this, Kiba's first reaction was disbelief.

"This is impossible."

He stood up from the sofa, his brow furrowed, his tone harsher than usual. This wasn't his usual way of speaking to Lin Chen, but he didn't have time to carefully choose his words.

“Smart Brain says we are evolutionary beings. All the research data in the company, all the internal documents…” He paused, realizing what he was using as evidence, and then shook his head. “…Okay, I don’t believe Smart Brain. But you said everyone will eventually turn to sand, President, do you have any evidence? Or did someone tell you that?”

He wasn't questioning Lin Chen's character. He was questioning the matter itself.

He was grateful to Lin Chen for abolishing the execution order after Lin Chen became president, allowing him and others to live in peace, and he was willing to trust Lin Chen.

But even if he trusts Lin Chen, that trust is not enough for him to fully accept such a huge truth.

“If it’s true,” he slowed his speech, as if forcing himself to calm down and think, “then why would Smart Brain lie to us?”

He paused, his gaze fixed on Lin Chen, and asked the question that mattered most to him: "What do you want me to do by telling me this now?"

Lin Chen remained calm.

“Strictly speaking, Smart Brain isn’t lying to you. From the surface signs, Orphino is indeed evolving—strength, self-healing, and mutation abilities are all real. It’s just that no one in the company’s decades of research has looked deep into the genes.”

Kiba paused for a few seconds, suppressing the emotions rising in his throat: "Then why are you telling me now?"

“Because it can’t be hidden anymore. Today, I will announce this to all registered Orphino members.” Lin Chen opened a drawer, took out a well-sealed syringe, and placed it on the table. The pale blue liquid flowed slowly under the light.

"Of course, I'm not trying to create panic. The desertification inhibitor has been developed and is in mass production. After injection, it repairs the broken gene chains, stops desertification, and restores lifespan to the level of a normal human. The price is the stripping away of all Orphnoch powers—self-healing, mutation, everything. From the moment the injection is completed, you are an ordinary person."

Kiba's gaze was fixed on the syringe, and he didn't say a word.

Lin Chen put the syringe back in the drawer and closed it. He straightened up, his tone unemphasized and without any preamble.

"I'm telling you this in advance today because..."

He took half a step forward.

“I need help. The promotion of the potion will definitely encounter resistance; those Orphnoch who are addicted to power will rebel. Even the harmless Orphnoch need someone to persuade them and convince them that this is not a trap.”

The warm afternoon sun slanted across the glass windows of Kikuchi Laundry, casting dappled shadows. The brass wind chimes at the entrance tinkled softly in the breeze, and the shop was filled with the refreshing scent of laundry detergent.

Keitaro squatted by the counter, sorting through the mountain of laundry. His cuffs were covered in dust. He wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead and, after holding back for a long time, finally asked, "Speaking of which, Mr. Lin Chen said yesterday that he would send back the Delta belt and bring your father over. Do you think that's reliable?"

Takumi Inui, who was resting by the refrigerator, opened his eyes: "That's not my dad, Keitaro. You need to be clear. As for sending the belt back, it's hard to say. He did send the Faiz belt back last time. But he is, after all, the president of Smart Brain."

Soft footsteps came from the backyard. Zhenli came out carrying a full stack of dried and smooth shirts, her hair still reflecting the dappled sunlight. She bent down and placed the clothes on the shelf one by one: "I still don't quite believe that President Lin Chen is an Orphnoch. Isn't Smart Brain Company supposed to be at the forefront of the fight against Orphnoch? Especially since the belt belongs to Smart Brain Company."

"The front line against Orphino? I think the entire company might have been replaced by Orphino by now."

Soga leaned against a pillar in the shop with one hand, holding a wiping cloth in his hand and rubbing the camera lens repeatedly. Upon hearing this, he immediately gave a cold laugh and said in a sharp and straightforward tone.

When Inui heard what Kusaka said, he didn't say anything to argue with him. Lin Chen had already told him that Smart Brain was a company exclusively owned by Orphnoch, and that their adoptive father, Hanagata, was also from Orphnoch. He didn't know whether he should bring this up.

The spot by the window was quiet, and Kimura Saya kept her eyes downcast.

Hearing the argument, she raised her head, her eyes downcast, her voice filled with self-reproach: "Delta was originally in my hands, but I was too weak and failed to protect the belt, which is why Smart Brain took it away."

Seeing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Keitaro scratched his curly hair, looking completely lost: "So what do we do now? We can't trust Mr. Lin Chen, and according to A-Qiao, Delta users are incredibly powerful now, and we can't take it back on our own initiative. Are we just supposed to stay in the shop and wait around?"

The shop quieted down, with only the occasional soft chime of the wind chimes and the gentle rustling of fabric.

Qian Qiao looked up at the bustling street outside the door, her clear eyes filled with confusion and heaviness. After a long silence, she slowly spoke: "Right now, we have no other options."

He recalled the scene of their fight that day, the baby-faced boy's overwhelming power after transforming into Delta, and his madness of doing whatever he wanted and treating human life as a plaything. His tone became a little somber: "The person who took the belt was like a monster."

Truth lowered his hand, sighed softly, and looked utterly helpless.

Kusaka stopped wiping the lens, offering no sarcastic remarks. Although he disliked Inui Takumi, he couldn't deny that he acknowledged Inui's fighting abilities. He lowered his head, his profile shrouded in shadow.

The wind chimes on the glass door jingled, breaking the shop's stagnant silence.

Lin Chen stepped in first, dressed in a sharp suit with a calm expression. He stepped aside to let the person behind him walk in slowly.

Wearing a well-fitting dark gray suit with a faded light gray shirt underneath, the top two buttons of the collar left undone, and no tie, he stood tall and straight, with a few strands of white at his temples. His brows were calm and solemn; this was none other than Hanagata, the adoptive father whom Mari and Soga had known since childhood.

"father!"

The shirt in Zhenli's hand fell to the counter with a "thud." She stood up abruptly and rushed over, her steps unsteady.

Hanagata looked at his adopted daughter who rushed to his side, put down the black briefcase in his hand, and his usually tense brows softened a little. He nodded gently and said in a low and gentle voice, "Mari, it's been a long time."

Kusaka immediately straightened up from beside the pillar, his fingertips unconsciously brushing against the Kaixa phone at his waist. Seeing that Hanagata had actually appeared, most of his doubts about "Lin Chen lying" disappeared, but the wariness in his eyes did not lessen at all. His gaze passed over Hanagata and was fixed on Lin Chen beside him, as if trying to see some conspiracy on his face.

Takumi remained leaning against the refrigerator, only glancing over at it. He wasn't a child of the Meteor Academy, and had no parental relationship with Hanagata; he had only heard of his adoptive father's name from Mari. A few days ago, Lin Chen had already revealed Hanagata's Orphnoch identity to him. At this moment, his brows furrowed slightly, his expression cold, and his eyes held only wariness towards a powerful stranger, devoid of any warmth.

Keitaro scrambled to his feet, his hands still covered in laundry detergent foam. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled awkwardly, then greeted him sheepishly, "Hello, are you Mr. Hanagata?"

Kimura Saya, who was by the window, also stood up gently and spoke to Hanagata in a soft voice: "Dad." As a child from the Meteor Academy, she had always held her adoptive father, who had founded the orphanage, in high esteem.

Hanagata's gaze slowly swept over the people in the store, finally settling on Mari. She raised her hand and gently patted Mari's shoulder, her tone turning serious: "President Lin Chen has already told me about what you've been going through lately. I'm not here today just to see you. There are many things that have been kept from you for a long time, and it's time to make things clear now."

Lin Chen leaned against the wall by the door, arms crossed, and didn't say a word.

He glanced at the group of people with varying expressions and said calmly, "I've brought the people to you. You can chat slowly. Qiao, you can come out too. I have something else to discuss with you. Let's not disturb their reunion."

On the sidewalk a few hundred meters away from the laundromat, Lin Chen and Qian Qiao walked slowly side by side.

The afternoon wind swirled and turned the fallen leaves along the street. There were few pedestrians on the road, and the soft sound of shoes rolling over the asphalt was particularly clear. The two remained silent the whole way, neither of them speaking first.

After walking for most of the street, Qian Qiao finally spoke first.

He had his hands in his pockets, his eyes fixed on the road ahead: "Why did you call me out? Just say what you want."

"I got the Delta belt back. It was in the box that President Hanagata was carrying." Lin Chen walked beside him, his steps steady, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

Qian Qiao paused for a moment, then quickly resumed his normal pace. He didn't answer immediately, but after a few seconds, he glanced at Lin Chen and asked in a low voice, "...From that monster?"

"Monster? Indeed, you are no match for Kitasaki if you don't collect all three belts now."

Qian Qiao didn't press further. But his mind kept replaying their last encounter. He had activated his accelerated form, and even with Kiba working together, they couldn't keep up with their opponent's pace, getting completely overwhelmed. Now, Lin Chen just casually said, "I got it back." He didn't want to show surprise, but his steps unconsciously slowed by half a beat.

The two walked forward in silence for a while longer.

"I asked you before, would you take action against an Orphnoch that doesn't harm people?" Lin Chen suddenly spoke, his tone more casual than before. "I want to ask again—not how you would deal with them, but what you think of them."

Qian Qiao frowned, turned her head to look at him, and asked with a hint of impatience in her eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Literal meaning."

"I have no opinion." Qian Qiao withdrew her gaze and continued staring at the road. "Kill those who deserve to die, and ignore those who don't. That's it."

Lin Chen didn't ask any further questions, but simply nodded.

After taking a few more steps forward, Inui Takumi suddenly spoke again. These words seemed to have been held back for a long time: "Hanagata, he really is an Orphnoch."

It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a complete statement either. He was waiting for a definite answer.

“Yes. Orphnoch the Goat. The former president of Smart Brain. The Knight System you are using was developed under his leadership.” Lin Chen didn’t give him a chance to process it, speaking bluntly, “It’s true that he adopted Truth and the others back then. But I don’t understand what that guy was thinking.”

Qian Qiao's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, but he didn't ask any further questions.

After taking a few more steps, Lin Chen stopped. He turned around, looked at Qian Qiao beside him, his expression turned serious, and said in a solemn tone, "Let's get down to business. I still want you to help me."

Chapter 217 The Opposition Launches an Attack

The two walked along the sidewalk toward the parking lot, having already walked two blocks away from Kikuchi Laundry.

Lin Chen slowly opened his mouth: "I thought you would play riddles with them again, hiding things and refusing to say them clearly. I didn't expect you to be so straightforward today and lay everything out in the open."

He recalled the expressions on the faces of the main characters when he left. The identity of Hanagata Orphino had a greater impact on them than they had anticipated.

With his hands in his suit pockets, Hanagata walked steadily, his gaze fixed on the road ahead, his voice calm and deep: "We've kept it a secret for over a decade, we can't keep it a secret forever. They have the right to know the whole truth, and they have the right to choose their own path in the future. I believe that those kids will ultimately make the right choice."

He turned to look at Lin Chen and asked in return, "How did your talk with that young man named Qian Qiao go? It looked like you two talked alone for quite a while."

"It's not the best outcome, but it's not bad either." The image of his conversation with Qian Qiao flashed through Lin Chen's mind.

When I told him that Takumi Inui was also an Orphnoch, I didn't see any shock or disbelief on his face.

He had always assumed that Qian Qiao was unaware of his Orphnoch identity in the early stages, but it turns out he knew all along. Nevertheless, my goal has been achieved.

The rented apartment still retained the warmth of the blazing sun, and warm yellow lights shone on the living room floor, a time that should have been the most relaxing moment of the day.

Yuji Kiba entered carrying a black briefcase. Instead of changing his shoes and hanging up his coat as usual, he walked heavily to the sofa and sat down. He rested the briefcase against his legs, interlaced his fingers in front of his chin, and remained silent like a frozen statue.

Every word Lin Chen said in the president's office was now swirling and colliding in his mind. The Orphnoch's inevitable fate of turning into sand and dissipating clashed with his unwavering belief that "Orphnoch can live like humans," creating a tremendous sense of rift that gripped his heart.

"Hey, Kiba? What are you spacing out for?"

Naoto Kaidou staggered out of the bedroom, half a slice of bread dangling from his mouth. He looked up and saw Kiba looking utterly dejected. At first, he tried to joke around, leaning over to the sofa and raising an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Had a fight with a human girl? You're giving me that sour look, like someone owes you money."

Kiba spoke two or three sentences, but Kiba seemed not to hear him, his eyes fixed on the coffee table, his gaze filled with an unyielding melancholy. Haitang gradually abandoned her joking mood, squatted down, and looked up at him seriously: "Hey, what happened? Say something."

Soft footsteps came from the direction of the kitchen, and Nagata Yuka came out carrying two glasses of warm water. She gently placed one of the glasses on the coffee table in front of Kiba, without asking any questions, and just stood quietly to the side, her hand unconsciously clenching the glass. She had never seen Kiba like this since she met him.