Doctor will never die in a hellish situation.

Damn, this is awkward.

Aphrodite is the ancient Greek name for Venus, which in astrology usually refers to love, charm, and relationships with the opposite sex. Its deviation from its orbit and unusual brightness are actually a veiled mockery of the relationship between Xiao Qin and the female agents.

By the way, only one chapter today. I'm going to go to bed early to adjust my biological clock and try not to update at this gloomy time tomorrow.

Chapter 9, Section 287: I seem to be black, the kind that can't be washed away.

The atmosphere inside the room was quite eerie.

Although Qin Duanyu didn't act like a refined and easy-going Zu'an native, and simply questioned the fortune teller's professional competence, it was still insulting the grandfather in front of his granddaughter. Moreover, the fortune teller's astrology skills were definitely inherited from the same lineage, which was tantamount to questioning Xingji's abilities in a roundabout way.

Looking at the rapier hanging on the wall, and recalling how he was almost knocked to the ground when they bumped into each other, it wasn't hard to deduce that this girl had an extremely stable stance and considerable skill in swordsmanship. Even if she couldn't be a senior operator like in the game, she would definitely be more than capable of teaching him a lesson.

“Pfft, Doctor is really cute. If there was anything unpleasant about that divination, I apologize to you on behalf of my grandfather.” Xingji smiled and shook his head. “Our family’s astrology requires extremely strong talent, and my grandfather… although he has studied it for decades, he seems to lack a bit of inspiration. So it’s lucky if he can get it right once out of ten times. It’s normal that you don’t believe him.”

Are you playing a gacha game? You think you can guarantee a pity pull with just one 10-pull? Taking advantage of the mask in between, Qin Duanyu secretly rolled her eyes.

Regardless of whether the probability is true or false, even if there is indeed a guaranteed mechanism that one out of ten predictions will come true, based on his years of blood and tears from playing mobile games and hunting in Africa in his previous life, he would never encounter that one accurate prediction.

"Astrology is about gleaning information about the present and the future from the arrangement of the stars, but not everyone can correctly interpret the arrangement of the stars." Xingji clearly didn't understand the principle that mysticism can't save the unintended, and gestured for Qin Duanyu to place her hand on the celestial globe.

Touching the smooth, cool surface of the celestial globe, the room suddenly darkened, and a faint blue light radiated from within the globe. Countless white dots of light then appeared in the air, giving one the illusion of being in the starry sky.

Xingji's long hair moved without wind, and his deep eyes reflected the entire starry sky. He uttered a chant that was difficult to understand, and the strange rhythm sounded mysterious and distant, with a sense of vicissitude that transcended the long river of time, similar to the feeling of hearing "The Last of the Mohicans" for the first time.

Well, at least the sound and light effects are much better than her grandfather's.

"...Your past was blessed by Jupiter, whose starlight shone upon you and was on the right track. This means that you possessed extraordinary wisdom and creativity in the past. What is even more precious is that you are gentle, considerate, and generous. You never care about material possessions. Adjectives like despicable and filthy are destined to be foreign to you."

Simple reasoning: even if one doesn't know that Qin Duanyu's other alias, "Tyrael," is a renowned figure in academia, he has always been called "Doctor" by the operators since he crawled out of his coffin and has been in charge of commanding several large-scale battles. No matter how you look at it, he is a person who uses his brain.

Although she knew that flattering the visitor's experiences and profession was a common tactic used by astrologers to deceive unsuspecting customers, Qin Duanyu still felt extremely comfortable with the flattery and couldn't help but nod repeatedly.

"Why is this happening? It doesn't make sense. How could things suddenly change like this?" Just as Qin Duanyu was expecting to be praised a few more times, Xingji suddenly exclaimed.

"What's wrong, Miss Xingji?" he replied at the right moment.

If this girl says she's going to have a bloody disaster and needs to buy some kind of talisman to ward off evil, then she can just spend her whole life at the trading post rubbing gold bars.

“Your fate has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. Mars and Cronus have replaced Jupiter and are in extremely strange positions. This…” After confirming several times, Xingji said with some uncertainty.

Logically speaking, if the doctor hadn't met with an unforeseen calamity and died young, he would surely have become a brilliant scholar in the future. However, his fate seemed to have been forcibly reversed by something, deviating from a strange path.

"What does it represent?" Qin Duanyu continued to ask cooperatively.

“I remember you’re from Yan, right? In your old saying, Mars’s abnormality represents ruthless decisiveness and a blind pursuit of victory, while Kronos’s abnormality means a lack of emotion and a cold mind. If both appear at the same time, it also represents betrayal and deceit… I’m sorry, I must have made a mistake somewhere. How could the Doctor be such a person?” Xingji forced a smile, telling Qin Duanyu not to take it to heart.

Even though she hadn't been at Rhodes Island for long, she knew that since the Doctor took over the Operations Department, the casualty rate of front-line combat personnel had plummeted, while welfare benefits had steadily increased and treatment had become increasingly generous. Even though he occasionally acted like a heartless boss, making people think that he was just a capitalist's care for his production tools, he was, in general, a good leader who cared about his subordinates.

Descriptions like "ruthless and merciless" don't seem to apply to him at all.

"It's okay, please continue. I want to know what my future holds, whether I'll be able to marry the girl I like?" Qin Duanyu's expression changed, but she still tried to keep her tone calm and asked gently.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot foresee everything that will happen afterward, or your future..." Xingji's face was pale, and he suddenly withdrew his Originium Arts. "Perhaps it's because of Elena. Ever since she contracted Oripathy, I've lost confidence in predicting the future."

Ironically, all her lifelong skills seemed to be useless when it came to Oripathy. She neither foresaw that her sister would contract Oripathy, nor did she expect that she would contract the disease herself through contact with her twin sister.

After that, the once clear future became somewhat blurry, and her predictions were limited to trivial matters such as "Mr. Tsukimi will have a love tribulation today" and "Ms. Myoya will be praised by her boss".

When she looked at Qin Duanyu's future fate, it was as if she had fallen into complete darkness. The starlight could not provide any guidance. She could only blame it on the effects of Oripathy and the deepening of her self-doubt.

……

After saying goodbye to Xingji, Qin Duanyu went to Zilan's office next door and asked her a few questions, but her mind was even more confused.

He had just confirmed that since arriving at Rhodes Island, Starry Night had not had any formal communication with her family other than taking care of her younger sister; in other words, there was no exchange of messages between her and her grandfather.

The fact that the grandfather and grandson gave the same assessment after the divination made Qin Duanyu wonder if he had really drawn the one in ten chance of an accurate prediction.

At this moment, he actually hoped that this girl was a con artist like her grandfather.

What should I do? It seems like my past self was tainted by darkness.

Qin Duanyu finally understood why Amiya, besides joy and anticipation, also seemed somewhat fearful when she first crawled out of the stone coffin, and why she was even preparing Originium Arts. At first, he thought it was to guard against enemies, but now he realized it might be because she was... wary of him. If she sensed something was wrong, he was still the Doctor from before, and he would probably be sent straight back.

Then there's SCOUT. When Chernobog was in dire straits, he suggested that his squad carry out a decoy tactic. Before he could even explain the specific details of the retreat, he was already preparing to lead Aodi and the others straight to the core city, looking like he was going to his death with no chance of returning.

They must have seen too many comrades betrayed in the past, and thought that Qin Duanyu was going to use them as pawns this time.

Thinking about it this way, he did have a dark past, but what about the heart surgery the medical operators performed on him before he woke up? Veteran operators like ACE and SCOUT are clearly the kind of people who prioritize the overall situation and obey orders. Even if the Doctor is ruthless, they would never assassinate him, much less allow him to be harmed.

Unless, of course, you have done something outrageous that is unacceptable to everyone.

How would you deal with a traitor?

Qin Duanyu suddenly remembered Shining's inexplicable question when they were in Siesta.

Considering Shining's familiarity with him and her subtle distance, as well as the betrayal and treachery mentioned by Astro... Could it be that he did something that betrayed Rhodes Island's interests in the past?

Damn, it seems like my past self was black, and the kind that can't be washed away.

Qin Duanyu felt that he was getting closer to the truth. When Shining asked him how he would deal with the traitors, he might have been testing him, waiting for the right time to retaliate in the same way.

Fortunately, his initial answer was that if it was a woman and she was beautiful, he would just beat her up with a stick and that would be the end of it.

I think I'm pretty handsome, right?

Qin Duanyu took off her mask upon entering the restroom, looked at her ordinary appearance in the mirror, and revealed a narcissistic smile.

Chapter 10, Section 288: The Other Side of The Shining

After absentmindedly finishing her dinner, Qin Duanyu returned to her hospital room. After being lectured by Gu Da more than ten times, she irritably turned off her handheld console and prepared to go to sleep.

Although the deduction is very likely to be true, nothing is set in stone until he regains his memories. Perhaps he made a mistake simply because he had too little information.

Just as Texas often said, she never ran away from (Lapp) (Rand), and even if (Lapp) (Rand) came to her door, she still had to face it calmly. Qin Duanyu also firmly believed that with the girls' company, he could face even the cruelest past.

"Doctor? You shouldn't be resting yet, right?" Just as Qin Duanyu was about to take off her clothes, Shining's soft and ethereal voice sounded from behind.

"Ah, oh, it's Miss Shining. Is there anything I can help you with?" After confirming that the other party wasn't holding a stick, Qin Duanyu regained her composure.

"Well, you seem to have something on your mind. Why don't we go outside for some fresh air? I always do that when I'm having troubles," Shining said tentatively, pointing outside the landship.

"Want to take a walk? Sure, let's go for a stroll together." Qin Duanyu nodded and agreed.

It's only a little past nine o'clock now. He's used to going to bed at eleven or twelve, and even if he gets into bed, he can only stare blankly. He might as well go out for a walk and enjoy the quiet atmosphere of the night.

At least until his memories are fully restored, he should be able to get along well with the Sword Saint. Moreover, with this person protecting him, unless the Reunion Movement launches a major offensive, he is unlikely to encounter any danger.

"That's great, but you need to change your clothes first. This outfit is too conspicuous and you'll be easily recognized." After receiving a positive reply, Shanling visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she looked at Qin Duanyu's clothes for a moment and took a large box from her office next door.

Qin Duanyu gently lifted the lid and found a black, military-style uniform inside. It was much more serious and austere than the one worn by the Lungmen Guard Bureau, and it was thoughtfully paired with a silver mask that looked somewhat like a sheep's skull.

After changing into the mask, he moved around a bit and found it fit quite well, then put it on.

Hmm, he's starting to look a bit like a Sarkaz.

"Doctor, are you done changing? I'm coming in now." Shining's voice came from outside the door. Qin Duanyu quickly checked the mask's sturdiness and then gestured for her to come in.

Hey handsome, who are you?

Qin Duanyu stared wide-eyed at the person in front of her.

Shining removed his loose black robe and put on a black uniform of the same style, clutching a golden ram's skull mask in his hand.

Unlike Qin Duanyu's mysterious aura, Shanling exudes a heroic and dashing air. Her slightly made-up face completely conceals any feminine features, and coupled with her flat chest, she could easily be mistaken for a young and promising military officer.

"Oh, it's just a little trick of disguise. After all, when practicing medicine on the run, you have to avoid some unnecessary trouble." Without the goggles to cover her eyes, Shining could naturally see Qin Duanyu's eyes under the mask, looking at her chest, and explained shyly.

"Oh, okay, let's get going then." Qin Duanyu snapped out of her daze and replied blankly.

"Please!" Shining cleared his throat, his voice even becoming somewhat androgynous.

The transformation from a beautiful woman to a handsome man, and the shock that Shining in men's clothing brought to Qin Duanyu, even surpassed that of the swimsuit incident at Siesta.

He now feels—

It's so exciting and thrilling!

……

"Shining, slow down, this is too intense, I can't take it!"

"No, let me catch my breath, I'll just rest for a little while."

"No, really, it's beyond my tolerance."

Amidst the angry roar of the motorcycle engine, Shining stepped on the gas again, and the surrounding scenery rushed past. Qin Duanyu estimated that if he were to reach out and feel the wind at this moment, it would be at least at the D level.

Real racing.

When Shining talks about "blowing a breeze," he's not just saying it casually. The force of that breeze is like the slap your mom would deliver after discovering your zero-score test paper and magazines hidden under your bed and catching you playing games at an internet cafe.

Even though she was holding the other person's soft waist, Qin Duanyu deeply realized that when the stimulation went too far, she wouldn't feel any excitement at all, but rather endless fear.

"Doctor, this is just a warm-up, to let you get used to the feeling. The real show is about to begin." After some time, the car's speed finally changed from D to B, and Shining spoke in his neutral voice as always.

"What? Aren't we going back to Rhodes Island? Let me out of the car, I want to go back!" Qin Duanyu, who had finally endured the slowdown and thought the ordeal was over, was so frightened that she wanted to jump out of the car on the spot.

However, the black motorcycle still drove into an abandoned parking lot. Before Qin Duanyu could ask what was going on, she was blinded by all kinds of searchlights.

"Welcome everyone to the Lungmen Underground Racing Tournament! I am your favorite host, Andy—Ma!" Amidst deafening cheers, a masked Sarkaz appeared on a high platform not far away.

Qin Duanyu, whose eyesight had not yet recovered, opened his "God's-eye view" and discovered that a large crowd of onlookers had gathered around the parking lot, and several groups of masked people in different poses were standing next to him and Shanling.

"Now, let me introduce the contestants." Sakta, the host, waved his hand, and the audience immediately quieted down.

"First up is our old acquaintance, Ghost Face, who has dominated the championship for years!"

The spotlight fell on a tall woman who wore a black tank top that revealed her two tattooed arms and a back tattooed with a hundred demons walking at night. She paired it with baggy pants and military boots, looking every bit the rebellious young woman.

On its head it wore a prajna mask, with a hideous demon face covering its entire head, which is where the nickname "Demon Face" comes from.

Like Shining, who was accompanied by Qin Duanyu, she also had a petite woman by her side, dressed in the same delinquent style with a demon mask. However, the woman seemed very uncooperative until the demon mask put her hands together and said something, at which point she finally stopped struggling.

"Next up is the champion, a strong contender who has narrowly lost to the champion in several matches, yet he has never given up and claims to be invincible—Diamond!"

The spotlight shifted and fell on a person dressed as a boxer. She raised her bandaged fist at the crowd, while a companion behind her, who was only up to her chest, mimicked her breathing out a mouthful of flame.

This special effect, which created sparks upon its entrance, immediately drew a thunderous roar.