Chapter 1719: Final Chapter · Shore-Crossing Arc [62] · [The Twelfth Major Trial · Who Is the Undercover?]
...They are calling out to me.
Su Ming’an’s steps paused momentarily, with black water rippling beneath his feet. At some point, a liquid resembling rain began to fall from the void star sea, yet it did not wet his clothes, nor could its source be discerned.
The next moment, he opened his eyes, beholding before him—
"Welcome to the checkpoint, contestants of group 1732, number 003: Who is the Mole. This is your ninth round of the game, and I am the host for this checkpoint..."
It was as if he was looking at a classical portrait from the late 19th century.
This was a glass house within a garden, outside of which flourished vibrant flowers. The dense golden afternoon light sliced diagonally over the brim of a hat, soaking half of a young man’s body in a warm amber hue. A velvet hat was pressed low, from which strands of curly golden hair escaped like sunlight sneaking out.
Under the shadow of the brim, a pair of blue eyes were half-opened, lazily looking over. He was dressed in a red velvet suit, with velvet trim at the collar and cuffs. His posture was slack, with his left knee slightly bent, and the tip of a black high-heeled shoe barely touching the ground.
A cane, adorned with a flamboyant rose, the fingers loosely resting at the junction of the flower stem and the cane, an expression of azure blue akin to the night sky in his eyes.
Su Ming’an stood still in place.
Moments later, he spoke softly:
"...Noel Agnini."
"Tap."
Noel shifted slightly, his weight gradually moving from his right leg to his left, making a soft "tap" sound with the slender heel, causing the velvet hem to sway.
He walked over, his steps very slow, so slow one could see the trajectory of light shifting over his eyelashes. In the air, it was as if invisible threads were guiding his movements, each step precise as a dance.
"Long time no see." Noel smiled.
"It seems like we just met not long ago." Su Ming’an said.
"Hmm." Noel replied, "You didn’t expect me to appear before you in this form?"
"Actually, I somewhat expected it."
"Hermes is a proud yet lazy existence... It doesn’t want to see you, precisely because it fears being recognized by you and others, following the footsteps of the Radiant Mother God." Noel said, "Why did you refuse Heidi Doya’s invitation?"
"I really can’t understand you, Noel Agnini." Su Ming’an stepped forward.
As he expected, Noel did not dodge.
Su Ming’an fixed his gaze on Noel’s eyes: "It is you who wants me to move forward, and also you who stops me from moving forward; it is you who wants me to survive, and also you who wants to kill me; it is you who hopes for my mediocrity, and you who hopes for my greatness; it is you who wants me to forget everything, and also you who wants me to know everything..."
Here, he paused for a moment, something seemingly caught in his throat.
Instead of being soulmates, both sides actually still hid some last secrets. Su Ming’an never truly saw Noel clearly, and Noel could not discern the limits of Su Ming’an’s stubbornness.
"You once said that we should be free, and that it didn’t matter even if we didn’t pursue perfection. Then you should accept our any future. Yet, you have tried time and again to kill me just because I walked towards some kind of future—can such an act be called freedom? Isn’t that your dictatorship?" Su Ming’an said,
"You want me to walk towards the most profound, the longest, and the most perfect golden road—and that is precisely the one I am currently walking. I am walking it, but not because of you; it’s because this is the road I want to take. This isn’t due to your perfection, nor is it your freedom; this is simply—the future that we, humanity, created with our own hands."
"That’s great." Noel suddenly spoke, a cloud brewing in his blue eyes, "All roads lead to the same destination."
"Since I am already on the longest path... why do you persuade me to turn back?" Su Ming’an said.
Many of Noel’s actions do not allow for a definitive answer. But Su Ming’an had a peculiar feeling... that Noel wasn’t deliberately disguising or concealing something.
Rather, it seemed... that Noel himself was also like a beast in the forest, groping for a precise answer in the dark.
This idea plunged Su Ming’an into contemplation. All along, he had subconsciously placed Noel in the role of a "puzzle solver," a "planner." He assumed "Noel knew everything," "Noel was the mastermind," "Noel remembered countless memories," believing that Noel was already a "perfect" and "flawless" form... believing that Noel must know everything, must possess complete information...
But is Noel, like him, still searching for some answer?
If Noel is also stepping forward to explore before the Golden Forest?
Noel is not a flawless sculpture. He too would be confused, he too would hesitate. Just like how he faces Tian Yu’s death, feeling a visceral aversion to sacrifice. They were once companions, resonating in thought numerous times. If Su Ming’an continually regrets some of his choices... Noel might also be pondering.
But such contemplation, neither side would ever show.
They are both seeking, both pondering, both scrutinizing.
"Plop." This time, there was a sound of a pen dropping to the ground behind him.
Su Ming’an turned around, only to see under the dome of the glass flower house, three participants already sitting, dumbfounded as they waited for Su Ming’an to finish chatting. One person quickly picked up the pen, trembling, waving their hand, "It’s okay, continue, continue, we won’t disturb you, won’t disturb."
...If they didn’t hear wrong, it should be Su Ming’an chatting with Noel currently. Why does it sound like an argument and yet not an argument? Like reconciliation, yet like a rupture. Like cooperation, yet like opposition.
They couldn’t understand the conversation between these two at all! They couldn’t even grasp the atmosphere.
...
[The game is about to start, contestants please take your positions immediately.]
...
Su Ming’an walked back and sat on the chair.
—He wasn’t as angry as he appeared, his mood was always calm and rational.
Through the previous probes, he learned that Noel was also a paradox, hesitating over some matter. In the future proceedings, Noel might not become an enemy, but he can’t be a cooperative partner either.
The solitary island has already been severed, it is impossible to disregard the past grudges, and a few words can’t erase all previous betrayals. How can one know if this is not a magician’s chain trap?
So, let it be like this. Maintain mutual independence, maintain individual ideals, go their own way, and don’t interfere with each other. If blocking the way, then kill, if aiding, then be wary. Until everything settles... Until that moment, if they both still survive and remain awake, unveiling the cat box lid... Then talk about how tomorrow’s flowers should bloom, how the sun should rise.
Su Ming’an raised his eyes in the shadow of the corridor column.
—He met Noel’s silent eyes.
In that instant, he suddenly understood—those blue eyes never looked at the present world, but some ideal tomorrow’s phantom. Looking towards the future, not reality. Looking at the future’s condensed fruits, not the growing seedlings.
And what Su Ming’an saw has always been the real existence of reality.
From the beginning, what they saw were different things.
The "Idealist of Reality" and the "Realist of Ideals"... Since they can’t go together, then each shall move forward. When it comes time to confront or must cooperate with tacit understanding... then either connect or sever the threads, each sever or lift up each other’s ideals and future.
Su Ming’an raised his eyes and looked at the other three.
A person shadowed in gray mist, faces indistinct.
A young man, blue-gray circles under his eyes, wearing a plaid shirt,
A man, with red hair strewn, demon horns born on his forehead.
Perhaps Su Ming’an’s conversation earlier was too passionate, all three remained quiet. Not until Su Ming’an sat down did someone speak.
"Su Ming’an the God! Finally met you! Seeing your heated chat just now, I didn’t dare interrupt!!" The plaid shirt young man looked excited, wanting to approach but dared not, "I’m called Wang Yu... very pleased to meet you!"
"We meet again." Perlo nodded towards Su Ming’an, "In the previous stage, you reminded me who I was... I am very grateful."
"..." The Gray Mist Person did not speak.
A gust of wind blew, bringing the scent of roses, and a blonde-haired youth stepped before the four, sidestepped, and stood still.
"Now I will introduce the rules for this round of the game." Noel steadied his top hat, slightly bowed, the sunlight cutting across his face, half bright and clear, half hidden in shadow,
"The game of ’Who’s the Undercover’, I’m sure everyone has played. Among you four, there are three who received the same word card and are referred to as ’civilians’. The remaining one, who received a different word card from the civilians, is the ’undercover’ in this round of the game, but the undercover does not know they are undercover."
"The game will proceed for a number of rounds. Each round, everyone uses a sentence to describe the word in their hands. But they cannot directly disclose the word itself or show it to others."
"After two rounds, you need to vote to select who you believe to be the ’undercover’. The one with the most votes gets out."
"If the one voted out is indeed the undercover, the game ends, and all civilians win, and the undercover gets out. The remaining three will proceed to the next round. On the contrary, if a civilian is voted out, the game continues into the next round of description and voting. Until the undercover is successfully identified or... the undercover survives and the game can no longer continue, then the undercover alone wins, with all civilians failing."
He drew a circle with his finger: "The speaking order is as follows."
Su Ming’an glanced, the speaking order was Gray Mist Person—Wang Yu—Perlo—Su Ming’an.
...
[Participant (Su Ming’an), your ninth-round game is: Who’s the Undercover.]
[Game type: Competitive game.]
[Game victory rule: You win after others all fail.]
...
... Another competitive game. Meaning in the end only one can be the victor.
Su Ming’an closed his eyes, moments later opened them.
"Question." Su Ming’an raised his hand, "What if there are only two players left?"
"By that time, I will explain the new rules," Noel said.
"Another question." Su Ming’an raised his hand, "If everyone is ambiguous, won’t the undercover surely win?"
"As the rounds deepen, I will raise fixed questions for everyone to answer. Someone smart enough can detect differences and hide themselves," Noel removed his top hat, waved his hand, and four white doves flew out with a flutter from inside, "Next, please accept your respective word cards."
The white doves carried different flowers, landed ahead of the four, nodding their pure white little heads, then Noel snapped his fingers, and the four doves transformed into four pieces of white paper, falling into the palms of the four.
Then, the flowers also lay in their palms, brightly fresh, covered in dew. Red, orange, blue, and yellow, colors varied.
"So cool." The plaid shirt young man exclaimed.
"..." Su Ming’an swept away the flowers, unfolded the paper, glanced at his word—
...
[The word you drew is: Noel Agnini]
[Please provide a description based on this word.]
...
Su Ming’an’s facial muscles twitched for a moment.
In the first round, he needed to observe the descriptions given by others to determine whether his word matched theirs and if he might be the "undercover" agent.
The Gray Mist Person spoke first: "This person... walks against the current."
The excitement on Wang Yu’s face gradually faded as he realized this was a life-or-death competition instance. After a moment, he hesitated and said, "This person... is very complicated."
Perlo rubbed his chin: "I don’t know this person very well."
The first three descriptions were quite consistent. But the question was... how did the Gray Mist Person know Noel? Could Noel’s reputation have already reached other civilizations?
Su Ming’an pondered for a moment and could only describe vaguely: "This person... knows me."
This description was almost shameless, as who in the world wouldn’t know Su Ming’an.
In the second round, Noel drew a question card and read aloud: "Please describe your impression of this person, without being too brief."
The Gray Mist Person hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I don’t like this person. He’s ambitious, a complete fanatic. But I never doubt his ideals; I believe he can achieve them."
Wang Yu said: "It’s hard to evaluate this person; he can be considered both good and bad. I used to think he was very bad, but now I remain neutral. Everyone has their reasons for doing evil; I might become like him one day."
Perlo was silent for a moment before saying: "I don’t know him well... but I often hear people say he’s smart and lays low, and now he’s standing before us, which is impressive."
Su Ming’an lowered his gaze.
Many eyes were focused on him.
He slowly looked up: "I once interacted with him. He’s smart and passionate, but he also has completely opposite qualities."
The second round ended, and it was time to vote.
Su Ming’an raised his hand and pointed at Wang Yu. The other three all chose the Gray Mist Person. After all, humans tend to exclude outsiders, and the Gray Mist Person’s appearance was too suspicious. Since everyone’s descriptions were similar, it was better to choose the Gray Mist Person.
...
[The identity of the Gray Mist Person is (civilian), misidentification. Please temporarily leave the scene; the remaining three continue to the next round.]
[Please note, if you choose incorrectly again, the undercover agent wins.]
...
Su Ming’an pondered for a moment.
Actually, Perlo’s words were very clear—"now he’s standing before us," this sentence clearly indicates that Perlo’s word card is "Noel Agnini." In a normal competition, no one would openly reveal such a specific description, effectively showing their card. However, this self-revealing sentence from Perlo made Su Ming’an immediately clear—they both had the same word card and were not the undercover agent. The only undercover agent could be Wang Yu.
Moreover, Su Ming’an could also detect an anomaly in Wang Yu’s statement. As an ordinary player, how could Wang Yu become someone like "Noel"?
Round three.
Wang Yu rubbed his hands, his mood growing increasingly low. The moment Su Ming’an pointed at him, his expression had already changed. The elimination of the Gray Mist Person made him feel slightly better.
"In this round, please describe how you would treat this person, without being too brief," Noel said, holding the word card.
"I... I wouldn’t have any additional interaction with him. I’m just an ordinary person... I have neither the qualifications nor the standing to deal with him," Wang Yu said, hands clasped, his back hunched.
"I’ve already encountered him," Perlo said calmly. "In these years as a demon, I’ve missed many things... I don’t know when I started drinking; my head hurts... I’m just a lowly third-level god, an ant trapped in the cage of Luowasha, a cat in a cat box unable to understand its own existence... The only thing I can do is to let those who can end everything face this guy."
When it came to Su Ming’an, he was silent for a moment before saying, "Each does their own thing, waiting for paths to cross or diverge."
At the voting stage, Su Ming’an and Perlo both pointed at Wang Yu.
Wang Yu’s face turned pale, and after a moment, he suddenly stood up and looked at Su Ming’an: "Can you go back? You said you can backtrack, please go back; I don’t want to die... As long as you go back, I will definitely, definitely not match with you again."
Su Ming’an slowly shook his head: "Sorry."
He had already given the participants many chances.
Wang Yu opened and closed his lips, his eyes void of life.
"Your word should be ’Alger,’ right?" Su Ming’an said.
"Yes. Similar yet different. I thought for a long time about whether I was the undercover agent until Perlo’s words came out, and I realized I had spoken incorrectly," Wang Yu said, wiping his face. "I know my description was poor, ’I might become like him’... Ha, how could I compare to someone like Noel? I don’t know him at all."
He looked at Su Ming’an with a gaze full of complexity, filled with awe, complaint, and understanding. In fact, making it to the eighth round of the game meant he was extraordinary; who would have thought he’d be matched with Su Ming’an... He was so close.
"A great pity," Su Ming’an said.
"Yes, a great pity. I was even thinking that if I won this time, I might be able to bring my parents into a safer area... I had even set my eyes on a wedding house for a long time."
Wang Yu sniffed, trying hard to hold back his tears.
"But I’m just so useless. In reality, I can’t outcompete others, and in this game, I can’t either. I don’t even dare to venture into the field; I only dare to hide behind and type... I thought I could live steadily this way. And what happened? In the end, I can’t even play a simple game better than the true protagonist."
"Su the God, was I wrong to come here? Should I have continued working at my desk, working overtime night after night, instead of taking a risk to come here..."
Su Ming’an remained silent. He had many phrases that could comfort the man in front of him, but what meaning would they hold? Everyone had already made their own choices.
"But the harder I work, the more desperate I become. I’ve long realized that even if I work myself to the bone, it’s still unlikely I’ll live the life I want. I have to buy a wedding house, a wedding car, jewelry, and save for my child’s future tuition, and my parents’ medical bills... In the future, when the world changes drastically, currency will inevitably devalue. I need to save more..."
At this moment, a figure leaning on a cane suddenly walked over slowly and pulled the man aside:
"Come on, come on, if you’re getting out, then get out. Don’t cling onto others, it was your decision to enter the field. Su Ming’an even let Yuanyuan come to take you all away afterwards, and you refused to go twice, so accept the result! If you accumulate five victories, you can go back. If you haven’t accrued them... there’s nothing that can be done."
Wang Yu didn’t get agitated, nor did he become hysterical. He just silently nodded, accepting the truth.
He turned and walked towards the outside of the glass room.
Then, his steps paused for a moment:
"Su the God, tell me... people like us, what do we live for?"
Su Ming’an replied, "Living is merely for the sake of living."
Wang Yu smiled bitterly: "Yes, just living... Carrying everything forward like you must be exhausting, right? But like me, only focusing on the little things in front of me, reaching out desperately yet never reaching... it seems exhausting too, and even more despairing."
"I don’t understand what a ’Source Point Trial’ is, what ’Balance of the Universe’ or ’Source of Civilization’ means. The paper money humans make is enough to turn me into a beast of burden my whole life. I should never have encountered a ’protagonist’ like you, yet here I am, meeting you at the cost of my life... truly lucky, truly unfortunate."
"If someone told me they could give me a false dream of a peaceful life to live out my days in, I would be willing. At least, it’s better than death now. I could slowly walk towards the sunset of life with my parents, such ordinariness... I would be willing. Many people would be."
This sentence caused a shift in Su Ming’an’s gaze.
Wang Yu didn’t wait for Su Ming’an to answer, perhaps knowing there wouldn’t be one. He slowly propped himself on his knees and moved forward, his legs slightly weak.
Finally, reaching the door, he turned back and gave Su Ming’an a glance, "Su the God, this path was chosen by you, and this path was chosen by me as well. I chose stability, and I should bear the risks that come with mediocrity."
He mustered a smile more hideous than crying,
"I hope you make it to the end. If you can indeed change something, then let there be fewer people like me, who try their hardest but only find despair. Let my parents... enjoy their retirement in a slightly better world."
Like every time he left the office building after overtime, the man straightened his overwhelmed spine, walking toward the end.
"... Please take a look for me, at what a future where you don’t need to collect points to live confidently looks like."
The figure in the plaid shirt appeared somewhat frail in the light, eventually fading slowly, like countless fireflies quietly extinguishing within a vast system.
...
[Remaining Participants: 3]
[The next round of the game is about to begin.]
...
In Su Ming’an’s hand, the paper transformed into a white dove soaring again, carrying flowers as it returned to Noel’s shoulder.
He suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder and looked up to see Perlo.
"[When faced with a trolley problem, consider how many you have saved, not how many you haven’t saved]... I vaguely feel that I have heard these words before; perhaps you said them to me." The red-haired man’s voice was deep, and the look in his eyes felt both unfamiliar and familiar.
Even the Gray Mist People spoke: "Without you, humanity would not have come this far."
Su Ming’an clenched his fists, gazing at the disappearing figure.
"Your biggest mistake is underestimating yourself." Surprisingly, Noel spoke too, adjusting his hat and saying calmly, "If you choose to turn back, who knows how many people will scold you for surrendering to degradation. Why pay attention to other people’s voices? [Look at others’ suspicious eyes as if they are ghost lights, boldly walk your own dark path]. Since no matter where you go, there will always be dissatisfaction, should standing still be celebrated?"
He leaned on his cane, his gaze distant:
"If people are frightened by the darkness of the forest, light the flames, burn the forest, force them to face the sky. If people fear the vastness of the ocean, build ships from wood, steer with copper rudders, use nautical charts and new routes to show people the ocean’s smallness. If they know, they will not fear. If they awaken, they will take the path. If they are dissatisfied, let them step forward until they can guide the course themselves, allowing people to make their own choices— the problem is, they can’t do it now, only you can guide the world now, only you can determine which direction we should head. Do you have to bear all the blame and discord brought by choosing one road over another? That would be too unfair. Since they’ve given the choice to you, choose boldly and fearlessly. A new world is never one that can be glimpsed by deliberation nor reached by hesitation."
Upon hearing this, Su Ming’an chuckled softly.
"You didn’t waver at all." Noel looked sideways, floral arrangements swaying, "You’re testing my attitude."
"What surprises me is... the Gray Mist People actually comforted me." Su Ming’an glanced at the Gray Mist People.
"I admire your tolerance and humility towards civilization, and I am amazed at your stubbornness and pride." The Gray Mist People slightly bowed to Su Ming’an, "Kindness and cruelty, empathy and indifference, tolerance and strictness...such contradictory traits coexist in you. You clearly feel pity for the plight of ordinary people, and it causes you pain, yet you immediately use this pain to test Noel’s attitude... I must say, at times, you are warmly noble, and chillingly fearsome."
"Does giving the choice to everyone guarantee it will be right? Does having them decide the future direction through a majority vote ensure correctness? Or does having me dictate alone make it right?" Su Ming’an said. "The correctness or not can no longer be resolved. I acknowledge all the sacrifices brought by this path, and I am grateful for all the warmth and truth it brings."
When the power of choice is concentrated in the hands of one person, correctness is an inevitable and irreducible cost that the decision-maker must bear.
The highest decision-maker is inevitably lonely and tends to pay for results that cannot satisfy everyone.
