Chapter 137: The Deluded Swan

Luo Yajun quickly understood what was happening.

"Phantom," he said, looking at the two Chen Meiyues in front of him. "Changing appearances is the ability of your Phantom. No, it's clear now—you and Phantom share the same ability, right?"

"You used this power to trick the hostages into thinking you were someone else, but it was you all along."

It made sense now. If someone could copy Chen Meiyue's appearance, they still wouldn't be able to sneak into the Secret Service Nine's airship and disable the alarms without being noticed.

Unless, of course, the real Chen Meiyue, a senior agent of Secret Service Nine, was actually involved from the beginning.

Luo Yajun narrowed his eyes. "That hair..."

"It's mine," Chen Meiyue said. "As long as I have a DNA sample, I can change into someone else's appearance. I can even copy their DNA. So, I just became poor, Lin Yi, and then used a piece of my own hair. That's the important evidence you hid."

"Is any part of your story true?"

Luo Yajun stood up as if nothing had happened and brushed the dust off his clothes.

"What happened to those two girls?"

"Well, there's some truth in it, but the truth is mixed with lies. Sometimes, you need lies to make the truth believable," Chen Meiyue said softly. "I was just a kid back then—headstrong, impulsive, reckless. You know how teenagers are."

Luo Yajun's eyes narrowed. "You killed the man."

After a moment's pause, he added more seriously, "You're Shan Xue—the one who escaped. She was your best friend."

"Yes," Chen Meiyue said, meeting Luo Yajun's gaze openly.

"Why?"

Chen Meiyue sighed. "Like I said, I was just a kid, easily impulsive. You can't imagine what it's like. Two best friends, always together. One is beautiful and confident, the center of attention wherever she goes. The other is an ugly duckling, and that's how she's seen."

Luo Yajun remained silent.

"Lin Yi was the pretty one. She's always been beautiful, so she got all the attention. The boy we admired back then used to send her flowers and write sweet messages. She'd show them to me, making a big deal about it. It was clear she was showing off, flaunting what she had to me, her 'ugly' friend.

It took me a long time to understand why such a beautiful girl would choose me as her best friend out of so many others."

It took me a long time to figure it out. I was just the ugly duckling, and she needed me around to feel confident every day.

Luo Yajun frowned.

"So you killed her."

As I said, I was young and careless. I thought it would make me feel better, but it didn't. 

Then I realized it wasn't just her problem. Even after she was gone, I still felt uncomfortable.

I saw that it was the world that was the problem. People with good looks get all the attention and help, while those in the shadows get ignored. We're not meant to shine; we're meant to be pushed aside.

She paused for a moment. A smile that was both familiar and strange appeared on her face.

"And thanks to the great Lytos, my fate has changed. This power is what I always wanted. Now, I can be anyone and anything. No one can outshine me, and the world will revolve around me."

"Lytos? What is that? An ancient being?"

"Something you wouldn't understand," Chen Meiyue smiled.

"So, you've been..." Luo Yajun glanced at the face he thought he recognized since joining Secret Service Nine. "...wearing a disguise?"

"Disguise? No, you're mistaken. These are all my faces, my true appearance. The ugly duckling has become a beautiful swan, and I've left the past behind."

"Interesting view. Professor Miyazaki would be fascinated by your take on phantom-derived abilities. But for now."

With a serious look, Luo Yajun raised his gun and aimed it at Chen Meiyue's head.

"You're under arrest."

"Arrested? By you?" Chen Meiyue chuckled. "Seriously, what are you doing, Detective Luo? You have nothing left, don't you?

This outdated system has let you down, hasn't it? Are you really going to draw your gun on the last person who understands you... just to uphold a world that has given you nothing?"

"Huh, that's funny. But if you really knew me, you'd know it doesn't matter. I just enjoy taking out scum like you."

Luo Yajun sneered.

"Right. You're a paranoid lunatic who sees the world in black and white. I know. That's why I let the phantom put you in that coffin, sealing my past with it.

I don't know why it led you to uncover this story. Maybe because you're a bit different, so I wanted you to know about my past before you die.

There are hallucinogens in that coffin that mess with the nervous system and slow your healing. I planned for you to die there. But I guess it's that annoying bat again, isn't it?"

"Spare me. You just wanted to show off your twisted ways to a dying person. You love to show off and make up reasons to justify it.

I know you're like those other murderers, with a twisted desire to show off. But like you, I've killed countless times.

Besides…"

Luo Yajun paused and smirked.

"You talk too much. Are you waiting for someone?" He grinned. "Let me guess. You and Leng Ji—the traitor you released after disabling the security—had a meeting planned here.

You're stalling, waiting for him to show up... but he's late, isn't he? He should have been here almost three minutes ago."

Chen Meiyue's face turned pale.

Luo Yajun enjoyed her discomfort. He laughed.

"Wanna bet what your partner's doing now?" Luo Yajun said. "I bet he's too busy getting an 'Old Bat Punch' right now to answer your messages."

---

Crash.

The armor on Leng Ji's face cracked from a powerful punch, with red fragments flying everywhere, sparks in the air, and a burnt smell.

He staggered, spitting out blood, eyes wide in shock and confusion.

This is impossible!