DA chapter 65

Yan Xu narrowed his eyes at this record: “Chen Zhao Di, another family that values sons over daughters. Born in 1996, hospitalized in 2013, and exploited by her family starting at seventeen. After the daughter painfully ‘gives birth,’ the family comes to take away her ‘fruit.’”

After speaking, he looked at Lin Jia.

Lin Jia was also looking at him.

The two looked at each other for a long while.

“Why are you looking at me?” Yan Xu waited, then waited again, and finally said impatiently, “Say something.”

Lin Jia asked in confusion, “Say what?”

Yan Xu: “Say what? Aren’t we comparing answers? Is your answer the same as mine?”

Lin Jia showed an expression of sudden realization. “Oh, so Captain Yan was waiting for my answer.”

Yan Xu said inexplicably, “Wasn’t it you who wanted to compa—”

He stopped halfway. Only then did he realize that Lin Jia had never said they were comparing answers.

Yan Xu: “…”

Damn, it had become a habit.

The ward was quiet for a moment, then Lin Jia said, “The name Chen Zhao Di shows that this family values sons over daughters and exploits daughters. On this point, my answer is the same as Captain Yan’s.”¹招娣 (Zhāodì) is a culturally loaded traditional Chinese girl’s name. 招 means “to call for” or “to summon,” and 娣, in a naming context, refers to a younger sibling—implicitly a younger brother. Taken together, 招娣 literally means “to bring in a younger brother” or “hoping a son will come next.” A girl might be given this name when her parents hoped their next child would be a boy. As such, it can imply that the daughter’s birth was unwanted or regarded as a disappointment.

Yan Xu raised an eyebrow, and Lin Jia continued. “But the character ‘Zhao’ only shows that this family wanted a son. It cannot prove that this family actually has a son.”

Yan Xu froze, his gaze fixed on Lin Jia.

This time, not only had Lin Jia not asked to compare answers, but their answers were also different.

He felt inexplicably disappointed, and the eyebrow he had just raised furrowed.

When Lin Jia looked over, Yan Xu quickly relaxed his brows and said indifferently, “What you said… mm… that possibility exists.”

Lin Jia stared at Yan Xu’s expression, said nothing about it, and only said: “Captain Yan, but…”

He said half of it, then stopped.

The Soup Base had already emerged, but some details were missing.

For example, whether the woman in the VIP ward really had a younger brother, what her family situation was, what she herself thought, why she was confined in the “hospital,” and whether she had ever tried to save herself during those years of blood drawing.

They had already been in Fish Belly for three days. The speed of the Fishman mutation showed that they did not have enough time to search for these urgently needed details. To supplement these details, they could only ask the Fishman.

However, there was one difficulty.

They could only ask three safe Fishman questions per day, and they had already used one. Three minus one equals two, so they only had two safe Fishman questions left.

Yan Xu understood what Lin Jia meant, but he did not consider this to be a big problem. He said lightly, “There are only two safe questions, but unsafe ones are unlimited.”

This time, it was Lin Jia who frowned deeply.

Yan Xu noticed that Lin Jia’s eyebrows were well-shaped—not too wide or narrow, not too thick or light; they looked as if they had been carefully designed. Even when they furrowed, they carried delicacy.

Beneath those beautiful brows were deep eyes, like an abyss or an ancient well. No matter how hard one tried, one could never see the bottom of the abyss or the ancient well.

Impossible to understand, impossible to figure out. Yan Xu was too lazy to look or guess, so he asked directly: “Why are you frowning?”

Lin Jia was even more direct than Yan Xu. “Because I disagree.”

Although the disappointment in his heart seemed to scatter somewhat, Yan Xu still asked, “What right do you have to disagree?”

“Captain Yan.” Lin Jia smiled slightly and spoke calmly. “Last time, you said you owed me something. Does that still count?”

Last time, after Yan Xu offended Lin Jia by speaking carelessly, he promised to do one thing for him.

Yan Xu was a little surprised. He did not expect Lin Jia to bring up the promise so soon.

However, since it was a promise he had made, he would do it, no matter the time limit.

It was just…

He just didn’t know what Lin Jia would ask for.

Especially at this moment, after glancing at Lin Jia, Yan Xu could not help but guess—most likely to stop his behavior.

While unsafe Fishman questions were unlimited, this was not a bug that could be exploited freely. The Fishman would assign tasks with time limits. Before the deadline, if the task was not completed or the Soup Base was not found, time would be lost, which would lead to death.

And this would also cause the Fishman mutation to multiply. Lin Jia was meticulous and would never naively think that this method alone could let them leave Fish Belly.

This bug would not be used lightly unless there was no other way.

Who knew.

“Stay alive properly,” Lin Jia said.

Yan Xu paused for a moment.

Lin Jia still looked at Yan Xu, waiting for Yan Xu’s response.

What followed was a long silence. After quite a while, Yan Xu’s slightly hoarse voice, carrying a hint of avoidance, finally broke the silence. “I promised to do one thing for you. This doesn’t count.”

Lin Jia had long expected that Yan Xu would not comply. He lifted his gaze, looking directly into Yan Xu’s eyes so he could not dodge.

After locking gazes, Lin Jia pressed his lips together and softly asked, “Then… does living for me count?”

The two looked at each other. No one knew whose heartbeat quietly sped up.

“Does it count?”

“……”

“Captain Yan?”

“.”

“Captain Yan?” Lin Jia asked tirelessly.

Finally, Yan Xu gave a dry cough with his hands on his waist as if supporting himself. “Besides this, is there any other way?”

He still did not give a direct answer, but Lin Jia was not anxious. He knew Yan Xu was right. When so many details were missing, the only option was to try using this bug.

What he opposed was not Yan Xu using the bug but Yan Xu’s way of thinking.

Whenever the situation became complicated and dangerous, Yan Xu’s first thought was to sacrifice himself.

He did not know how that habit had formed, but he did not like it.

It could even be called annoying.

Lin Jia did not show his inner thoughts. He smiled faintly. “There is no other way. But if there were another way, could Captain Yan manage to stay alive?”

The topic was pulled back by Lin Jia again. Irritated by his inexplicably accelerated heartbeat, Yan Xu impatiently said, “Fine, I know.”

Today was the due date of the curly-haired man, and most of the nurses were guarding him on the second floor of the inpatient building. Lin Jia used the same trick again, luring the nurses away from the third floor with the cat. Then, he quickly came down from the third floor to the second floor with Yan Xu.

“You stay here.”

Before Lin Jia got close to the Fishman, Yan Xu, who was one step ahead, turned back and found a safe position for Lin Jia—still behind that pillar.

The one asking the Fishman question was Yan Xu, and the outcome would either be finding the complete Soup Base or being killed by the Fishman.

If Yan Xu died, Fish Belly would continue, but that would most likely alert the nurses. So, Yan Xu first arranged a hiding place for Lin Jia. That way, if he died, Lin Jia would still have a chance to escape.

Lin Jia said nothing. Two seconds later, he went to the position Yan Xu had pointed out.

Then, he raised his head, his gaze fixed on Yan Xu.

Even without Yan Xu’s arrangement, how could Lin Jia not have considered the possibility of Yan Xu’s death? He certainly would have looked for a hiding place.

But strangely, when Yan Xu spoke to arrange it, he had hesitated for two seconds.

Of course, two seconds was very short.

In the blink of an eye, it was gone, and Yan Xu didn’t notice anything.

He stood carelessly in front of the Fishman, then suddenly, as if he had just thought of something, he drew out the revolver he always kept close to him.

Turning around, he tossed it to Lin Jia.

You can read the full completed story here with instant full access. ✨

• 1
  招娣 (Zhāodì) is a culturally loaded traditional Chinese girl’s name. 招 means “to call for” or “to summon,” and 娣, in a naming context, refers to a younger sibling—implicitly a younger brother. Taken together, 招娣 literally means “to bring in a younger brother” or “hoping a son will come next.” A girl might be given this name when her parents hoped their next child would be a boy. As such, it can imply that the daughter’s birth was unwanted or regarded as a disappointment.