Chapter 195: Method Actors

Chapter 195: The Performer

Half an hour later, Jin Zhong entered the manor where He Shuo and his companion were.

When he saw He Shuo's solemn face tinged with a hint of ferocity, he instantly realized that today’s matter would not be so simple.

“Sit.”

He Shuo gestured toward the chair beside him; after Jin Zhong hesitated a moment before sitting, He Shuo continued to speak:

“Let’s get straight to the point.”

“I summoned you today for only one question.”

“Do you know what a ‘Beast Tide’ is?”

The moment those two words left his mouth, Jin Zhong’s expression changed instantly.

He stared directly at He Shuo across the table, offering no answer, but a retort instead:

“Aren’t you already aware of it?”

“Whether we know it or not is irrelevant; what matters is whether you know it.”

He Shuo frowned slightly, then said:

“Don’t beat around the bush. Answer exactly what I ask.”

“I now speak on behalf of the Huaxia army; I expect you to assume your proper role.”

“I know the Beast Tide.”

Jin Zhong nodded helplessly.

He was mildly resentful of He Shuo’s lofty tone, yet felt powerless.

What could he do?

He now stood as the uncrowned king of the entire Jinling city, even the whole southern region.

No force could confront them head‑on; before them, everyone must crawl on their belly.

——

The Beast Tide had emerged.

Seeing that He Shuo did not press further, Jin Zhong paused a heartbeat before speaking slowly:

“I am aware of the Beast Tide, but my knowledge is limited.”

“All I know is that it is a dread calamity.”

“Legions of monsters gather, their purpose singular: to annihilate the threat most dire to them.”

“One hundred and fifty years ago, the former Mimic Heresy was ended by such a Beast Tide.”

“If that is what you seek, that is all I can tell you.”

“Any other questions?”

When Jin Zhong finished, He Shuo gave a gentle nod.

He fixed his gaze on Jin Zhong’s eyes, searching for any crack in his stare.

But it was clear that Jin Zhong’s words were spoken with utter composure.

Even Fuxi’s real‑time emotional monitoring system reported his credibility above seventy percent.

In other words, he might withhold some details, but he was unlikely to lie.

Thus, the basic facts he possessed about the Beast Tide matched those held by the Ring Chamber of Commerce.

With that thought, He Shuo pressed on:

“Second question: Did the Mechanical God Cult anticipate the imminent Beast Tide?”

“The Beast Tide is imminent?”

Jin Zhong was taken aback.

“Where did you obtain that information?”

His astonishment seemed genuine; before He Shuo could answer,

he impatiently asked:

“You already have precise intelligence? What signs are there?”

“This is a matter of great magnitude— not merely yours, but concerning every human on the wasteland!”

“Regardless of the grievances between our two orders, we must cooperate on this.”

“I know you are strong, yet the Beast Tide is not easily countered.”

“At least in the records I have read, it is almost a disaster humanity cannot withstand.”

“Monsters must be eradicated, civilians evacuated, even cities may need to be relocated ahead of time; the more we prepare, the more lives we can save the next day.”

Jin Zhong’s tone grew urgent, leaving He Shuo somewhat at a loss.

His demeanor did not betray prior knowledge.

And that was true.

From past encounters with this commander, though a zealot of his faith, he retained a simple sense of justice.

Especially when confronting monsters, his stance was unmistakably clear.

Otherwise, during the Anqing ruins, he would not have coexisted peacefully with his own squad.

Perhaps we could exploit that trait to extract the needed information?

He Shuo’s mind raced; after gathering his thoughts, he spoke:

“What you asked me is, in fact, what I wish to ask you.”

“We have indeed received reports hinting that a Beast Tide may occur soon.”

“But the information is vague, lacking concrete direction, which hampers our judgment.”

“We need more detailed intel, and perhaps only you can provide it.”

When He Shuo finished, Jin Zhong exhaled a long breath.

After a brief contemplation, he said:

“I will do my utmost to assist.”

“I will forward this to the Sanctuary, and let the Archbishop convey it to the Saint.”

“They may possess finer details that can aid you.”

“Regardless, the monsters are our common enemy, we—”

“First…”

He Shuo cut Jin Zhong off.

In that moment, a daring notion sparked within him.

Jin Zhong’s earlier proposal to ‘capture Jinling City’ had already shown that, when pushed to extremes, he might betray the Church to uphold a truer faith.

So now, when crisis strikes again, when his faith once more collides with the Church’s actions, will he make the same choice?

If he does, it will be a double‑edged triumph.

He could use that “leverage” to strip him from the Mechanical Faith entirely and win him to our side.

At the same time, it would let him see the truth, gradually eroding his belief.

If he does not,

it would not cost us much.

It matters not that we gain no information from Jin‑zhong; I have another option.

Zhang Tao.

A speculator like him would never let a perfect bargain slip by.

At worst, it merely means we pay a little extra on our end.

At the mere thought of this, He Shuo’s expression shifted.

He solemnly removed his helmet, set it aside, and then spoke each word with deliberate pause:

“This matter must not reach the ears of your Church.”

“Because we suspect that the Mechanical Faith is the one that prematurely unleashed the beast tide.”

“How could that be!”

Jin‑zhong sprang to his feet, eyes wide with disbelief, and demanded:

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Such baseless accusations are utterly unacceptable to me!”

“You may despise us, despise our faith, but that is no excuse for slander!”

“This is the truth.”

He Shuo replied calmly:

“Whether you accept it or not, this is the fact.”

“And we have already secured ample proof.”

“Now, before you lie only two paths.”

“First, as an individual, aid us and help us obtain more information.”

“Second, return to your Sanctuary, seal off our source of intel, and drag everyone down into hell together.”

“Choose now.”

One hour later, on the main street of Jinling City. Jin‑zhong wandered aimlessly, his eyes clouded with bewilderment.

He could not even bring himself to believe what he had just done, nor did he wish to recall the other party’s words.

All he knew was that, in fact, he had betrayed the Mechanical Faith.

He had not only spilled the secrets of the Great Archive, but also disclosed its defensive measures.

The most intolerable part was that after he had insisted the Great Archive could not be breached without alerting the Guard Legion, he nonetheless accepted their proposal and agreed to adopt their plan.

At that moment, two tiny devices rested in his pocket.

He recalled the stranger’s words in his ears.

“These two items, you only need to take them to the first level of the Great Archive, hide them somewhere, activate them, and we will handle the rest.”

“Do not worry about exposure; we will act with caution.”

“Even if we are eventually discovered, we will not drag you into it.”

“Remember, our aim has never been against the Mechanical Faith; we target only the monsters, the Church that does nothing.”

Jin‑zhong exhaled a long, weary breath.

He tried to convince himself that what he was doing was right, that it conformed to the teachings of the Holy Trinity, that it served the survival of humanity on this wasteland.

Yet no matter how hard he strained, the clash between “faith” and “nature” would not be quelled.

Was what he did truly the right thing?

Can the Huaxia troops really be trusted?

The Great Archive is the foundation of the Mechanical Faith; if he truly helped them breach it, every secret of the Faith would be laid bare before their eyes.

They would then possess every weakness of the Mechanical Faith, rendering the Church utterly fragile before them.

Should they wish, they could, with such “transparent” intelligence, uproot the entire Mechanical Faith without breaking a sweat.

And when that day came, he would be the Church’s sinner.

Jin‑zhong’s steps grew slightly unsteady as he trudged down the street, his mind a chaotic storm that made him oblivious to the bustling crowd around him.

In that daze, he suddenly felt his chest collide with something soft.

His muscles tensed instinctively, and at that very moment a sharp cry reached his ears.

“Ouch!”

Looking down, he saw a girl of about seven or eight, carrying a bamboo basket, knocked to the ground by his stumble.

“Why weren’t you watching where you were going!”

The girl did not recognize Jin‑zhong in his plain clothes; she busied herself picking up the scattered flatbreads, muttering:

“My flatbreads are all scattered, my bread…”

Her voice trembled with a hint of sobbing; Jin‑zhong froze for a heartbeat, then knelt swiftly and deftly gathered the flatbreads back into the basket.

He then said:

“They’re all dirty now, can’t be sold. Let me compensate you.”

A spark of delight lit the girl’s eyes, and she replied:

“Ten grams of gold!”

“No problem.”

Jin‑zhong fished a small piece of gold from his coat, weighed it lightly, and handed it to the girl.

“No need to look for more.”

“Thank you, sir!”

The girl, overjoyed, tucked the gold away, bowed to Jin‑zhong, and lifted her basket to leave.

Jin‑zhong let out a soft “eh,” halted her with a puzzled tone, and asked:

“Weren’t they all dirty? Why are you still trying to sell them?”

“Of course!”

The girl leaned close to Jin‑zhong, lowered her voice, and whispered:

“I won’t sell them to city folk.”

“ The people of Huadu were driven away; in recent days, many merchants from elsewhere have come into the city.”

“ They can’t tell whether the cake is dirty or not, so selling it to them is just right!”

The girl's triumphant expression made Jin Zhong both laugh and sigh; he shook his head and said:

“ Doing business this way, you’ll eventually get beaten up.”

Hearing his words, the girl replied indifferently:

“ I’m not afraid of a beating; after all, it won’t kill me.”

“ You rich adults will never know.”

“ A few days ago, when those Huadu folk came over, many of them nearly died.”

“ So I have to earn more money. Sir, you won’t tell anyone, will you?”

“ I won’t.”

Jin Zhong’s expression grew complex as he shook his head, paused, then suddenly asked:

“ You want to make money. Do you also want to be a ‘grown‑up’?”

“ No.”

The girl shook her head and answered:

“ I need to save enough money to leave Jinling.”

She lowered her voice, speaking conspiratorially:

“ I heard that those who worship the Supreme Eight‑One have built a city within the Jinling ruins.”

“ Life there is far easier than in the city of Jinling.”

“ If it’s true, I’ll go there and never have to return!”

Those words left Jin Zhong rooted to the spot.

He gave no reply; the girl looked at his face in puzzlement, then turned and walked away on her own.

After a long while, Jin Zhong slipped his hand into his own coat.

As if he had made a resolve, his steps suddenly grew a little steadier.

Meanwhile, inside the manor.

He Shuo and the newly returned Zeng Yi watched the drone‑surveillance feed on the screen; when the girl in the footage left, He Shuo lifted his head and said:

“ The little girl you found performed well; I can’t even spot a flaw.”

Hearing that, Zeng Yi smiled and shook his head, replying:

“ It wasn’t necessarily an act; I only taught her a few simple things.”

“ Much of what she told Jin Zhong likely came from her own heart.”

“ For instance, I only taught her the line ‘Only after the Supreme Eight‑One drives the Huadu people away can I continue my business’; the rest she uttered herself.”

“ The thoughts of the lower‑class masses are indeed shifting, and the speed of that shift exceeds our expectations.”

“ That is the charm of technological marvels.”

He Shuo sighed appreciatively, thought for a moment, then asked:

“ Do you think this Jin Zhong will act according to our wishes?”

“ Most likely, yes.”

Zeng Yi nodded and answered:

“ I think the impact he’s feeling is far greater than the impact I’ve felt.”

“ Xie Liu, Li Shi, and I have all received only positive instruction.”

“ But he, on the other hand, has both positive and negative influences.”

“ His transformation should have been faster than ours, yet the Mechanical God cult’s doctrine is so strong that it makes him appear obstinate.”

“ Still, the fact that he can take this step is already a good sign.”

“ Even if he backs out at the last minute, it won’t affect us much, right?”

“ Since we now know about the Great Library, we might as well just break in.”

“ The reason we haven’t acted yet is essentially because we’re considering the civilians here, not because of the Mechanical God cult, correct?”

“ Exactly.”

He Shuo looked at Zeng Yi approvingly, teasing slightly:

“ You’ve improved a lot these past days; the change is remarkable.”

Zeng Yi chuckled and replied:

“ Commander, you as well—at least you smile more than when you first arrived, which is good.”

“ When a mission is completed well and we win a battle, of course we smile.”

He Shuo rubbed his temples, then continued:

“ I hope the first mission we undertake within Jinling city will also go smoothly.”

“ Victory or defeat, we’ll see tonight.”

(End of chapter)