Chapter 258

Whoa! After reading all the manga content, Su Bei raised an eyebrow. Just as he had guessed, Zhou Renjie had indeed brought back information about the undercover agent. However, the information was scarce; he only knew that the other party was male and had a blood relationship with the leader.

However, there weren’t many people in S-Class who fit this description. First, the four girls could be eliminated. Next, Feng Lan, Si Zhaohua, and Wu Jin could be ruled out. The family backgrounds of these three were public knowledge, making it impossible for them to join the Black Flash Organization and become that so-called Saint.

Mu Tieren could also be excluded. His only living blood relative was the boss of “Life Science and Technology Machinery Co., Ltd.,” who was currently in prison.

That left only five people: Su Bei, Li Shu, Mo Xiaotian, Jiang Tianming, and Wu Mingbai. Finding the mole among these five wouldn’t be difficult; investigating their family backgrounds was just a matter of time.

Just like Ye Lin before, Mo Xiaotian’s exposure was inevitable. Therefore, his choice would inevitably be the same as Ye Lin’s: to stir up some major trouble in this final period.

Su Bei couldn’t help but sigh. Could he please be excused from this kind of activity? He was just an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy. Why did he have to actively participate when he knew danger was imminent?

While he admitted that some boys his age were keen on adventure, he was clearly not one of them.

Pushing aside the chaotic thoughts in his mind, Su Bei opened the forum. There were many ‘hot’ threads he hadn’t seen before, as well as several new ones. The information explosion in these two chapters had sparked an endless desire for discussion among the readers, and there were more forum posts than after the last few updates.

Su Bei first clicked on the one related to him.

《What is the relationship between Su Bei and the ‘Black Flash’ Organization》

【For shampoo, I only use No.0: In the two chapters updated this time, the last chapter said Su Bei was cooperating with the ‘Black Flash’ Organization, and the next chapter said a male student in S-Class is a mole for the ‘Black Flash’ Organization. This is almost a blatant hint about Su Bei’s identity, isn’t it?

But would the old thief tell us the answer so easily? I feel like this is his smokescreen. After all, if the mole really is Su Bei, and he’s hinted at it so much, what’s the suspense? He might as well just announce the result.】

【No.1: I also think Su Bei isn’t the Saint of the ‘Black Flash’ Organization. But honestly, since he’s already cooperating with ‘Black Flash’, it’s not wrong to say he’s a mole, right?】

【No.2: Bro Bei is more of a mole than an actual mole.】

【No.3: What the OP said makes sense.】

【No.4: Honestly, Su Bei really seems like a mole, but if you think about it for a second, you know he definitely isn’t.】

【No.5: I feel like, not counting Zhou Renjie, there are two people in S-Class who have dealings with ‘Black Flash’. One is Su Bei, and the other is the ‘Saint’.】

【No.6: Ah, so none of you think Su Bei is the mole anymore? Am I the only one who still thinks it’s him?】

【No.7: Su Bei really seems like a mole.】

【No.8 replying to No.6:

If Su Bei were the mole, how could he have so brazenly made a deal with Cyril right in front of Jiang Jiang and the other two?】

【…】

【No.43: Regardless of who the mole is, Su Bei’s cooperation with the ‘Black Flash’ Organization is a done deal.】

【No.44: Does anyone firmly believe that Su Bei is a good guy?】

【No.45: The main thing is, although Su Bei cooperated with the ‘Black Flash’ Organization, he did it very openly. He wasn’t even the slightest bit guilty when Jiang Jiang found out.】

【No.46 replying to No.45:

I wish I could be as thick-skinned as him someday.】

【No.47 replying to No.46:

Hahahahahahaha】

【No.48: I feel like Su Bei doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with his actions at all.】

【No.49 replying to No.48:

And there really isn’t, right? It was a consensual transaction, just that the other party wasn’t quite right. But in terms of the act itself, he didn’t violate any rules. And their transaction even took place while the ‘Black Flash’ Organization was cooperating with the good guys.】

【No.50: Su Bei, the king of loopholes.】

【…】

【No.89: But when did Su Bei reach a cooperation agreement with the ‘Black Flash’ Organization? And how did he know the Nightmare Egg was at the girl’s house?】

【No.90 replying to No.89:

Does anyone still try to guess Su Bei’s source of intelligence? As for when they cooperated, maybe they met in private. After all, the old thief didn’t draw anything.】

【No.91: I’m reminded of that old theory again. Do you guys think Su Bei could really be a member of the ‘Destiny’ organization? If he’s from ‘Destiny’, then a lot of things would make sense. For example, why he has so much intel, and why he could quietly accept a mission from ‘Black Flash’. You have to remember, ‘Destiny’ is an intelligence organization! A lot of what Su Bei does perfectly fits the creed of this organization.】

【No.92 replying to No.91:

!!!!!】

【No.93 replying to No.91:

Reasonable!】

【No.94 replying to No.91:

I’ve had this suspicion all along. Su Bei must be a member of the ‘Destiny’ organization!】

【No.95: If the guess above is true, then our S-Class is quite the gathering of moles, huh.】

【No.96: Thank goodness the old thief only put two organizations in the manga. Otherwise, who knows how many more moles are in S-Class.】

【…】

【No.155: It’s obvious Su Bei isn’t the ‘Saint’. The old thief deliberately put these two chapters together just to mislead us.】

【No.156: Damn you, old thief! Try using our Su Bei as a shield again!】

【No.157: I wonder if Su Bei will be forced to leave S-Class because of this. After all, his cooperation with the ‘Black Flash’ Organization is a fact. They will definitely find out about this when they investigate the mole. Endless Ability Academy might not be willing to keep such a hidden danger.】

【No.158 replying to No.157:

Ahhhh no! Don’t go, Su Bei!】

【No.159: Don’t scare me. Su Bei is the most popular character in ‘King of Abilities’. The old thief wouldn’t be so foolish as to drive him away, would he?】

【No.160: If Su Bei really leaves, I’m going to let the chapters pile up and only start reading again when he comes back.】

After reading this thread, Su Bei breathed a sigh of relief. Almost no one in the thread thought he was the mole. Although they all firmly believed he was cooperating with the ‘Black Flash’ Organization, it seemed they didn’t hold any ill feelings about it.

Just as user No. 49 said, the timing of this plot point was rather coincidental. The ‘Black Flash’ Organization was currently cooperating with the Ability Government, so even if he collaborated with them during this period, it didn’t matter. It couldn’t even be considered a betrayal of the good guys.

It seemed the author’s plan was going to fall through. A faint smile touched Su Bei’s eyes as he closed the thread and clicked on the next one.

The next one was a thread discussing the mole.

《A Grand Showcase of Mole Candidates》

【The leaves have yellowed No.0: Based on the information brought back by Zhou Renjie, let’s deduce who the mole might be. First, by elimination, the two male protagonists can be ruled out, right?

Next, Si Zhaohua and Feng Lan are also impossible. I’m too lazy to explain; if you don’t get it, I suggest you go read the character profiles the old thief released.

Mu Tieren is also excluded. He’s already had his own dedicated storyline. The old thief probably won’t give him another special identity, or he’d have too much screen time. Mainly, his popularity isn’t that high, so too much plot for him is meaningless.

So, the final candidates are down to three people: Su Bei, Li Shu, and Mo Xiaotian.

Who do you guys think is the real mole?】

【No.1: According to the old thief’s hints, it should be Su Bei. But I know the old thief is definitely just being mysterious, so it can’t be Su Bei. My guess is Li Shu. He has the vibe of a mole too.】

【No.2: Only three candidates, it actually seems pretty easy to analyze.】

【No.3: It’s definitely Li Shu, he looks like a mole at first glance.】

【No.4: Su Bei is still more likely. I feel like the old thief is playing a game of ‘spy within a spy’ with us.】

【No.5: The real-name section next door has a poll asking who the mole is, and Su Bei’s votes are way ahead of everyone else.】

【No.6 replying to No.5:

That section next door never uses their brains. We’re used to it.】

【…】

【No.41: Is no one suspicious of Mo Xiaotian? Even Qi Huang suspected him!】

【No.42 replying to No.41:

It’s really hard to suspect a naive and sweet boy.】

【No.43: Actually, based on that part of the plot, the possibility of Mo Xiaotian being the mole is quite high.】

【No.44: I’m more curious about what’s under the bandage on the back of Mo Xiaotian’s neck. The old thief wouldn’t include a shot like that for no reason.】

【No.45: Seriously though, if Mo Xiaotian were really the mole, how could he have withstood Qi Huang’s probing so many times?】

【No.46 replying to No.45:

I also think you guys are overestimating Mo Xiaotian’s intelligence. Didn’t you see that Qi Huang gave up suspecting him after testing him?】

【No.47: I remember the ‘Oracle’ said before that Xiaotian might be the mole.】

【No.48: Our Xiaotian can’t be the mole! He’s so cute, how could he be a mole?】

【No.49: If Mo Xiaotian is really the Saint of the ‘Black Flash’ Organization, then I can only say that this organization is finished.】

【No.50 replying to No.49:

Hahahahahahaha】

【…】

【No.102: Actually, there’s no need to guess blindly here. With only three candidates, if the Ability Government isn’t useless, they should be able to get to the bottom of it soon.】

【No.103: Have you guys ever thought about something? We don’t suspect Jiang Jiang and Mingbai because we know they’re the manga protagonists and have read the first part, so we know their backgrounds are clean. But the Ability Government will very likely suspect them. After all, compared to the other characters with clear family histories, these two orphans are too easy to arouse suspicion.】

【No.104 replying to No.103:

! True, we were taking our omniscient perspective for granted.】

【No.105 replying to No.103:

I can already imagine a plotline where Jiang Jiang and Mingbai are misunderstood.】

【No.106 replying to No.105:

Nooo!】

Although the author had almost explicitly hinted at Mo Xiaotian’s identity as the mole in the manga, just as the readers didn’t believe Su Bei was the mole, they also didn’t believe Mo Xiaotian was one, thinking it was just a shield the author put out for the real mole.

Most readers on the forum believed that Li Shu was the real mole.

But that was indeed plausible. Compared to Su Bei, who was constantly used as bait by the author, and Mo Xiaotian, who had a naive and sweet personality, Li Shu, with his yandere-like model student image, did seem more like a mole.

As for whether Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai would be suspected by the Ability Government, Su Bei could only say that the readers’ worries were correct. The two of them would absolutely be primary suspects.

Among the five remaining suspects, Su Bei’s own parents’ backgrounds were verifiable—one soldier, one police officer, both very difficult to fake. After all, both professions required background checks. They could not only check him but also go back several generations, making it easy to see that he had no long-lost relatives.

Mo Xiaotian had a grandfather. Although the leader of the Black Flash Organization was also an old man, one must remember that Mo Xiaotian’s grandfather had personally attended the school’s anniversary celebration. The Ability Government probably wouldn’t imagine he could be so bold for a while, so they wouldn’t suspect him for the time being.

As for Li Shu, the readers didn’t know, but Su Bei knew very well. If he remembered correctly, his parents were alive, but their relationship was very mediocre. His parents had divorced shortly after he was born and had each started new families.

But whether his parents wanted him or not, it didn’t change the fact that he had many living blood relatives. So he definitely couldn’t be the Saint of the ‘Black Flash’ Organization and could be easily ruled out by the Ability Government.

After all these people were excluded, the ones most likely to be targeted were naturally Jiang Tianming and Wu Mingbai, who were orphans and knew nothing about their origins. And being an orphan was indeed a perfect setup for being taken in and brainwashed by a villainous organization from a young age, making them the best candidates to take the fall.

Coupled with their protagonist status, the author was highly likely to build a misunderstanding plotline around them.

But just as one of the posters in the thread said, there were only so many candidates for the mole. Even if there was a misunderstanding plot in the middle, the government would surely provide an answer soon, either in the next chapter or the one after. So they didn’t need to worry; it wouldn’t be long before the mole’s identity was revealed.

He scrolled down to the next thread, which was about Zhou Renjie.

《Little Jie is actually an undercover agent! Baby, Mom knew you never betrayed us!》

【Can be a mom-fan of anything No.0: Aahhhhhh Mom is so proud of you! To secure your position as the young head of the family, you were willing to put yourself on the line. I knew that a friend approved by Si Zhaohua and Ai Baozhu wouldn’t be someone who could be easily turned!】

【No.1: It took me a moment to figure out who ‘Little Jie’ was.】

【No.2: OP, you truly live up to your username…】

【No.3: Zhou Renjie actually has mom-fans?】

【No.4 replying to No.3:

Should they be girlfriend-fans instead?】

【No.5: I originally thought Zhou Renjie was quite impressive, but I couldn’t help but laugh out loud after seeing this post.】

【No.6: Let me add a tag for the OP #Bizarre#(not)】

【No.7: Although I was shocked that Zhou Renjie wasn’t a real traitor but an undercover agent, this post has clearly shocked me more.】

【…】

【No.55: Say what you will, Zhou Renjie was truly amazing this time. Let’s not forget he’s only about 16 years old. To be able to judge his own situation so clearly at this age, decisively turn a crisis into an opportunity, and go undercover in an evil organization for several months without being exposed…

One thing after another, I can only say that if Zhou Renjie’s design were just a bit more handsome, he would have definitely gained a lot of fans this time.】

【No.56: Now that you mention it, I just realized it too. He is very impressive!】

【No.57: Who would have thought that Zhou Renjie, who seemed to have the air of a minor villain before, would end up becoming a great hero?】

【No.58 replying to No.55:

I’ve already become his fan even if he isn’t handsome.】

【No.59: Actually, if you look at the manga, Zhou Renjie has lost weight since he came back (whispering).】

【No.60: Sigh, what No.55 said is right. A character’s image is really important in a manga. Good-looking people don’t have to do anything and they still get a lot of fans (no shade intended towards any character). Less attractive ones have to put in a lot of effort to gain a few fans.】

【No.61 replying to No.60:

But the characters themselves don’t need fans. As long as their efforts are rewarded in their own world, that’s enough. The number of fans outside the manga doesn’t bring them anything.】

【No.62 replying to No.61:

Not necessarily. For characters with a lot of fans, the old thief will definitely have to be considerate of the fans when he wants to stir up trouble.】

【No.63: To the person above, the old thief is actually quite conscientious among manga artists. He usually doesn’t mess with his own characters randomly.】

【No.64 replying to No.63:

But that doesn’t stop fans of your manga’s characters from fighting for their rights every day.】

【No.65 replying to No.64:

That’s just how it is with popular series and popular characters.】

【…】

【No.123: Speaking of which, Zhou Renjie will probably face retaliation from the real mole now that he’s back, right?】

【No.124: What the person above said is very likely.】

【No.125 replying to No.123:

In that case, can’t they use Zhou Renjie to lure out the mole?】

【No.126 replying to No.125:

Good idea.】

【No.127: Don’t do this to our Little Jie! He just escaped the tiger’s den only to enter the wolf’s lair.】

【No.128: Su Bei, Li Shu, Mo Xiaotian. Who looks more believable trying to kill Zhou Renjie?】

【No.129 replying to No.128:

Li Shu. He looks like he’s full of murderous intent towards everyone else.】

【No.130 replying to No.128:

It’s still Li Shu. The idea of Su Bei or Mo Xiaotian doing it just feels out of place.】

【No.131: Being hunted by any of these three would be miserable. Save Zhou Renjie! ()】

This thread also gave Su Bei some inspiration. Indeed, Mo Xiaotian’s big move would likely revolve around Zhou Renjie. After all, Zhou Renjie had publicly defected to the ‘Black Flash’ Organization. Now, his identity as an undercover agent was suddenly revealed, causing the ‘Black Flash’ Organization a major loss. It could be said that they had completely lost face.

If they let it go, their ‘underworld status’ would surely take a huge hit. After such a major embarrassment, if they couldn’t even get their revenge, they would look too pathetic.

So, the last thing Mo Xiaotian would do before leaving would most likely be to cause trouble for Zhou Renjie. In that case, Su Bei would only need to keep an eye on Zhou Renjie’s Destiny Compass. Whenever its pointer tilted to the right, that was likely when Mo Xiaotian would make his move.

With such a signal, Su Bei at least wouldn’t have to be on constant alert for Mo Xiaotian’s antics. He sighed in relief and closed the forum. Overall, the reader feedback on the forum this time was quite good and wouldn’t cause any adverse consequences for him.

As for Jiang Tianming, Wu Mingbai, and Zhou Renjie, who were likely to have bad luck next, Su Bei didn’t plan to warn them. Ultimately, it was their own business, and it wasn’t like they would face any real danger because of it. Why should he go out of his way?

The next morning, as soon as Su Bei turned on his phone, message notifications flashed incessantly. He clicked on them and saw that their S-Class group chat was blowing up with messages.

Su Bei scrolled through briefly and quickly understood why there were so many messages. It started because Zhou Renjie had been reported on the official website for his great contribution. Ai Baozhu had forwarded the report to the group, re-added Zhou Renjie to the chat, and then excitedly recounted Zhou Renjie’s deeds, helping to clear up everyone’s previous misunderstandings and facilitate his smooth return to the academy.

Upon learning that their previously defected classmate had not actually betrayed them but had gone undercover in the ‘Black Flash’ Organization, and had successfully sent back a lot of intelligence during that time, and had even saved many people yesterday, rescuing their classmates from dire straits, the group chat naturally became extremely lively.

Su Bei took a look and saw that Mo Xiaotian was not among those discussing. Normally, if something like this happened, he would have been the first to cheer for Zhou Renjie. But now, it was his real organization that had suffered a setback, so Mo Xiaotian was naturally not in the mood to celebrate.

His silence wouldn’t arouse suspicion either. After all, when Zhou Renjie defected, the reason he used was a dispute with Mo Xiaotian over a competition spot. Even if he was big-hearted and held no grudge, it was understandable that he would hesitate to speak up for a moment.

【Always Smiling: @The Undercover Agent Returns So when are you coming back to school? You are coming back, right?】

【The Undercover Agent Returns: Of course. I’ll be back once things here are wrapped up, probably in two or three days.】

【This Young Lady: We’ll all come back together then. By the way, who’s at the academy now?】

【The Grim Reaper Has Come: Just the few of us. You guys and the class president’s group haven’t returned yet.】

【This Young Lady: So that means if we go back now, we probably don’t have to attend classes?】

【Project Modify Lampposts: Yep, yep, the teachers aren’t back yet.】

【Flaming Phoenix Tree: This is great! I have to get back quickly then.】

【Mechanical Tree: @Flaming Phoenix Tree I just got the news and haven’t had a chance to tell you. New support has arrived, so we can go back tomorrow.】

【Flaming Phoenix Tree: ! Private message.】

【Si: We should be heading back in the next two days as well. Tianning City doesn’t need our help anymore. We can leave as soon as Renjie finishes his report.】

【Unbreakable Dream: I brought you a local specialty. Will you be moved? @The Grim Reaper Has Come】

【Unbreakable Dream: Expectant.jpg】

【The Grim Reaper Has Come: That won’t be necessary.jpg】

After a series of peaceful and cheerful comments, Zhou Renjie’s message shattered the calm atmosphere.

【The Undercover Agent Returns: By the way, there’s something I think everyone should know. There is a real mole from the ‘Black Flash’ Organization in our class. The Ability Government will be investigating the suspects next.】

As soon as these words appeared, the once-lively group chat instantly fell silent. No one said another word in the group chat, but Su Bei immediately received several private messages. He didn’t need to think to know that it was Jiang Tianming’s group contacting him.