LWDC Chapter 124

Chapter 124: Consequentialism

Chapter 124: Consequentialism

Chapter 124: Consequentialism

The Comprehensive Management Center for Variant Prevention Technology sounds remarkably similar to the “Comprehensive Office for the Management of Variant Research” that Ning Fei is currently planning to establish.

Of course, Ning Fei never told Duan Yunhong what he was busy with in Tian Yue. However, after Tian Yue reported the idea of establishing this office, or rather, “floated” it to the higher-ups, it wouldn’t be difficult for Hui Chuan to get the news. As long as Duan Yunhong knew about it, it would be easy for him, as the director of a research institute, to establish a management department that oversees all variant-related research and development teams.

In fact, Tian Yue had already smoothed things out with the higher-ups. Getting the same approval in Hui Chuan would be much simpler.

Tian Yue was about to issue the document establishing the office. If he hadn’t come to save Duan Yunhong, it would have happened in a few days. But Ning Fei made a temporary decision to rescue him, and Yu Zhou wanted to finish the work he was responsible for himself, so the matter was delayed for a few days. However, despite hurrying as much as possible, Ning Fei never expected that Duan Yunhong would intercept him like this.

Being “the first” has a significant demonstration effect, paving the way for the impression of “leading the salvation.”

Although Ning Fei could accept it even if Duan Yunhong won in the end, he wasn’t completely indifferent to the outcome. Especially with the methods Duan Yunhong used, the thought of his usually cautious self falling for such a trick made Ning Fei want to laugh with anger.

“So, you deliberately got close to the variants, deliberately exaggerated your danger, and then tried to trick me into coming out, right?”

Ning Fei stood by the window, looking at Duan Yunhong, and sneered, “Not bad, Duan Yunhong, your acting skills are truly superb. Calling me late at night for help, acting so pitiful. Then hanging up after saying a few words, turning everything into text messages. Were you afraid that I would expose you if I asked too many questions? When I agreed to come, were you in that safe house, thinking I was particularly easy to fool?”

“I didn’t even set up any offensive abilities. To trick you, I deliberately took the risk of facing multiple variants alone? Am I crazy?” Duan Yunhong faced the accusation with considerable calm, “You’ve seen the house I was hiding in. If it weren’t for your reminder, the moment I opened the door could have been the end of me. What kind of safe house is that?”

“Still not? The room isn’t small. You can pull out a bunch of things from your spatial ability to seal the doors and windows. Which variant can hear you or smell you? As long as they don’t look for you and don’t deliberately damage the doors and windows, what danger are you in in the short term?” Ning Fei said coldly, “You don’t even have to worry about food and drinks. The room even has a toilet. You could have held out for a few more days until another rescue team arrived. It wouldn’t have been a problem at all.”

“You’re only talking about the most ideal situation. Before you arrived, they had been active near that house for several days. It was only a matter of time before they confirmed my presence. Once their leader found me, it would definitely organize an attack!” Duan Yunhong frowned, “And you know very well that I’m not someone who easily asks for help. If it hadn’t reached the point where I had to ask you to save my life, why would I let you take advantage of me?”

“I don’t know. Don’t assume that I should know. Perhaps I knew before, but now, I’m not sure,” Ning Fei said in a series of tongue-twisters, his tone mocking, “I only know that you tricked me, and you succeeded.”

“Coincidence,” Duan Yunhong denied again, “I admit that I was indeed pushing for the establishment of that management center and urging them to do it as soon as possible. But it being released tonight was purely accidental. I only approved it on the tablet tonight. I just knew a little earlier than you.”

“Ha, Director Duan is lying without batting an eye. This document could have been issued earlier or later, but it just happened to be released when I was about to return to Tian Yue to work overtime. Do you believe it’s a coincidence? Even if today is a coincidence, when I left Tian Yue, weren’t you constantly urging Hui Chuan’s procedures? You absolutely knew the probability of getting ahead of Tian Yue in publicity.” Ning Fei saw that Duan Yunhong still looked unconvinced, waved his hand, and said sarcastically, “You don’t need to refute anymore. No matter how well-prepared your rhetoric is, I don’t want to hear it. I capsized in your gutter. Call it my bad luck.”

Saying that, he walked towards Duan Yunhong…or rather, the sofa he was sitting on.

Picking up the backpack he had just packed, Ning Fei turned around to leave. Duan Yunhong stuck out his leg, blocking his way, “Where are you going so late at night? No matter what, I wouldn’t do anything to you personally.”

“But I can’t stand being with you. Seeing you, I feel like I’m a complete idiot for being lured away by a ‘luck thief’. I don’t want to guess how you’re laughing at me inside,” Ning Fei slung the bag over his shoulder, looking down at him with a sarcastic tone, “But I can’t blame you for this. I can only blame myself. I actually fell into such a simple trap, and even smugly thought I had transferred luck from you. It’s disgusting how stupid I am.

“Yu Zhou was right. I have to bear the consequences of my own choices. Since I chose to become your opponent, I should stay away from you.”

He scolded himself so harshly that Duan Yunhong felt a tightness in his chest. He understood even more that Ning Fei was truly angry.

But he wasn’t angry at Duan Yunhong, but at himself. Words are like sharp swords. It’s not like only stabbing others hurts, while stabbing yourself doesn’t. Ning Fei was using this method to warn himself that he couldn’t relax his guard for even a moment, and he couldn’t lose his caution even by a fraction. He had lost his composure in front of Duan Yunhong, so he had to build the “walls” around him even more firmly so that he wouldn’t make a similar mistake again.

— Small mistakes not corrected will lead to big mistakes. Once is enough to learn this lesson.

Ning Fei stepped over Duan Yunhong’s leg and strode towards the door.

Just as he was about to open the door and leave, Duan Yunhong caught up to him in a few steps, grabbed his wrist, and said in a deep voice, “I asked you for help only because you’re the only one I can trust!”

Ning Fei was too lazy to listen and wanted to shake him off. But Duan Yunhong held him firmly, not letting him escape.

Duan Yunhong had a feeling that if this topic was glossed over like before, he would definitely regret it in the future.

“My settings when I came in had a few minor problems. If I had to wait for someone to rescue me, I only believed that you could definitely get me out. If there had to be someone to see me hiding in a mess, I could only reluctantly accept that person being you!” Duan Yunhong continued, “I only considered these two points when I called you. The other so-called ‘traps’ and so-called ‘luring me away’ are all your own imaginations. Don’t pin them on me!”

“What’s the point of you talking about the cause and the process now? The result has already landed, and I’ve already taken this loss! Yu Zhou almost suspected that I leaked the construction plan. If I understood you just because you said, ‘I didn’t think that way at first’, wouldn’t I be too cheap?” Ning Fei tried to pull his hand away again, “Let go! Do you want to fight?”

Duan Yunhong didn’t let go, as if deliberately going against him, grabbing him and staring at him. Their gazes met in the air, confronting each other in silence, and arguing in silence.

A few seconds later, the tightly clamped big hand finally loosened.

“Fine, it seems like you won’t believe anything I say. Then I have nothing to say. You can go,” Duan Yunhong didn’t want to explain anymore. Ning Fei was right. The result was already out. Explaining the process any further would be meaningless.

“Ha, the way you say it, it’s like you’re the wronged victim. Don’t use that on me. That trick doesn’t work,” Ning Fei chuckled, put away the gun, and twisted the doorknob, “In the future, Director Duan’s million-dollar rescue missions are not accepted. Find someone else to save you and watch you perform your mess.”

After saying that, Ning Fei opened the door and walked out decisively.

He didn’t close the door and walked forward without looking back until he turned into the stairwell, when he heard the sound of the door closing in the hallway.

*

Ning Fei didn’t actually go anywhere else. He opened another room in the guest house and slept there for the night.

He set off to return to Tian Yue the next day. The journey was uneventful, and he successfully returned to Tian Yue in less than three days. It was dinner time when he entered the base, so Ning Fei didn’t stand on ceremony and directly asked Yu Zhou to treat him to dinner, calling it a “welcome feast.”

Yu Zhou agreed, and the location was set at the small restaurant where they had given Ning Fei and Duan Yunhong a joint welcome dinner last time, the one opened by Yue Fengping’s comrade. By the time Yu Zhou came after finishing the meeting, the dishes were basically ready, and Ning Fei was eating and drinking lightly.

Yu Zhou didn’t mind that he hadn’t waited for him, and after taking a look at him as he entered the private room, he naturally sat down next to him, “Why are you so unhappy? Didn’t Duan Yunhong give you luck?”

“Do you think that’s possible?” Ning Fei poured him wine too, “If he dared not give me luck, would he still exist in this world?”

Yu Zhou spread his hand towards him, “That’ll be two hundred thousand.”

Ning Fei glanced at him, slapped his hand, making a crisp sound. The two didn’t actually need to rely on contact to transfer luck, but Ning Fei indeed didn’t give it, only saying, “When you want to transfer four million to me, just deduct it directly.”

“Are you that confident?” Yu Zhou didn’t touch the wine, but first drank two mouthfuls of tea, then started picking up food and eating, “This time you were tricked by him. This is an unfavorable start. It’s been too long since I’ve seen you fall into a trap so easily.”

“Tsk, that’s indeed my problem,” Ning Fei didn’t deny it, but drank the rest of the wine in his glass in one gulp, then lowered his eyes, pinched the wine glass, and slowly said, “I’ll remember it. There won’t be a next time.”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re unhappy,” Yu Zhou raised his eyebrows, “But it’s okay. After all, he had already fallen into your trap, and it was precisely because of those words you used to deceive him that he worked so hard. If we’re talking about falling, he fell much harder than you. You don’t need to self-reflect so hard. Relax.”

“You also said that I haven’t made a mistake like this in a long time. Perhaps the days of smooth sailing have made me slack off and lose my composure,” Ning Fei poured himself another glass of wine, “A single misstep could lead to complete failure. I know that very well…”

“Stop. Don’t think about it,” Yu Zhou directly interrupted him, touching his wine glass with his own, “I don’t want to hear your self-reflection scripture. Drink some wine. Drink more, and I’ll send you back when you’re drunk. Get a good night’s sleep, and come back to the office tomorrow to be my workhorse.”

Ning Fei clinked glasses with him, smiled when he heard that.

“…Alright, being a workhorse doesn’t require so much thinking. I’d rather be ordered around by you.”