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Chapter 190. Zhang Qiuyue's Past
"A con artist..."

Jiang Jianxin murmured and repeated the sequence name again.

Zhang Qiuyue nodded, then frowned and asked the white-robed swordsman before her:
Why is Haidu considered a paradise for con artists?

"This one……"

Zhang Qiuyue thought about it and felt it was difficult to explain:
"They are very good at deceiving people, and Haidu is extremely chaotic. In an orderly society, swindlers can only engage in old-fashioned professions such as thieves and fraudsters, but in chaotic times, swindlers can do many more things."

"I can't explain it to you in detail because the Fraudster Rank has developed into a diverse array of ranks, making it difficult to generalize. However, there are many Fraudster Ranks here, and you'll understand once you've seen them."

Jiang Jianxin stroked his chin and looked at Zhang Qiuyue, saying:

"Speaking of which faction you belong to... Chaos or War?"

She had been curious about this for a long time, because on the surface, it was impossible to tell which camp Zhang Qiuyue belonged to.

However, as Yin Ju's capable subordinate, Jiang Jianxin guessed that he should also be in the war camp.

"Ah...you're asking me?"

Zhang Qiuyue opened her eyes wide and asked cautiously.

Her expression resembled that of a student called upon by a professor to answer a difficult question before the apocalypse, or an intern suddenly called upon by the director at a morning meeting; her clear pupils reflected obvious astonishment.

Looking at her like this, Jiang Jianxin's lips unconsciously curved into a gentle smile:

Yes, that's what I was asking you.

Zhang Qiuyue's fingers unconsciously tightened around her clothes, the fabric crumpling into a ball in her palm.

She lowered her eyelashes, her voice so soft it almost dissipated into the air:
"I... am just an ordinary person."

"what?"

This time, it was Jiang Jianxin's turn to be surprised.

She never expected that Yin Ju, a powerful figure in water warfare, would have such a capable subordinate as an ordinary person.

Zhang Qiuyue pursed her lips, her fingertips nervously rubbing the hem of her clothes, and secretly raised her eyes to look at the white-robed sword master in front of her.

In a society where talent and ability reign supreme, ordinary people without talent are at the very bottom of the social hierarchy.

Those with extraordinary talent would generally show disdain upon hearing that she was just an ordinary person. Some might be good at concealing it, but their contempt would seep into their eyes, like fine needles chilled to the bone.

However, in the eyes of the young swordsman before him, which were as clear as a cold pool, there was neither condescending arrogance nor feigned pity, but only a reassuring focus.

She simply tilted her head and smiled gently, like a breeze:
"So you must have some other exceptional qualities."

The voice was clear and gentle, yet it felt like a warm current flowing into your ears.

Zhang Qiuyue stared blankly at the patterns on her sword sheath, and suddenly felt that the inferiority complex that had accumulated in her heart over the years was being smoothed out inch by inch by this casual sentence.

"I...I don't seem to have any...outstanding qualities."

Zhang Qiuyue has worked in the flood control office for several years, and this was the first time she had ever stammered while speaking.

How did you get to the flood control office?

Jiang Jianxin asked curiously.

Zhang Qiuyue's fingers unconsciously rubbed the hem of her clothes, her gaze gradually drifting into the distance.

"That was before the end of the world."

Her voice was as soft as a falling leaf.

"Back then, certain forces in the gifted society would still recruit students through the college entrance examination in the ordinary society."

As the floodgates of memory slowly opened, Zhang Qiuyue felt as if she had returned to that dark and damp old house.

The corners of the walls, with their peeling paint, are forever permeated with the smell of cheap alcohol and despair.

“My father was an alcoholic,” Zhang Qiuyue said slowly.

“Every time he got drunk, the floor of the house would become my mother’s execution ground—until one day, when my mother could no longer get up, he would start beating me.”

The light, filtering through the gaps in the canvas, cast dappled shadows on her pale face, like unhealed wounds.

"The college entrance examination was my only lifeline. I buried myself in a sea of ​​questions and wore out every reference book. Because I knew that only by getting into a university far away could I change my destiny."

Her voice choked, and her Adam's apple bobbed up and down a few times.

"On the day the results were released, I ranked third in the whole county. Everything was getting better, but my father secretly changed my college application."

In her memory, the sunset was blood red, and Zhang Qiuyue seemed to see again the glass bottle stained with wine reflecting a ferocious light in the sunlight.

"You good-for-nothing! Trying to run away like your mother?"

His roar, mixed with the smell of alcohol, sprayed onto Zhang Qiuyue's face. In the instant the glass bottle shattered, she reached for her phone in her pocket and, before completely losing consciousness, finally dialed the police station's emergency number.

When she woke up again, she was in the hospital. When the police arrived, her head was wrapped in bandages, and blood had soaked through the gauze.

Before the police could even speak, the girl broke down.

She cried like a madwoman, tears mingling with blood and scabs rolling down her face, recounting everything in broken sentences—her father's brutality, her altered college application, that blood-stained dusk. Fate had almost crushed her.

There was a few seconds of silence in the ward.

A young policewoman's eyes flickered slightly after hearing this. She dismissed her colleagues and waited until the footsteps faded away before leaning close to the hospital bed and asking in a low voice:

"Do you... want to study in another province?"

Zhang Qiuyue was stunned, her swollen eyes staring blankly at her.

“There is a school that is not part of the regular higher education system.”

The policewoman's voice was soft, yet carried a hidden firmness.

"It's not a 211 or 985 university, and it's even hard to say whether it's a junior college or a university... but its admission scores are ridiculously high, so not many people are willing to apply."

The shadows of the trees outside the window swayed, and sunlight cast dappled patterns on the floor.

"This year they only wanted to recruit one student, but they didn't even manage to recruit one."

The policewoman paused, then lowered her voice.

"If you'd like, I can help you."

Zhang Qiuyue opened her mouth, her throat dry and sore.

The policewoman uttered some strange words—"TV station," "war alliance"—none of which she understood.

But one thing she was very clear about: if she continued to stay here, her life would rot and stink like her mother's, fueled by alcohol and violence.

So when the policewoman finally asked her "Are you going or not?", she didn't hesitate for a second and nodded vigorously.

Even if it's a strange place, even if the road ahead is unknown.

Anything is acceptable as long as we can escape.

Later on...

That's how things turned out.

The strange school the police mentioned is called Binhai Talent Academy. While such schools may not be well-regarded in ordinary society, they are considered prestigious institutions in the talent community.

She was sent to the Darong Coastal Science Academy for further studies under the name of the Coastal Talent Academy. After studying river and coastal zone research for four years, she was directly employed by the flood control office and became Yin Ju's deputy.

—Sometimes, the turning point in life is just that simple.

The girl who once huddled in a pool of blood, crying in despair, now stands in the flood control office, having finally found her own direction.

Thank you to Jiufang Liuhu, Book Friend 20181109224631397, Sweet Donut 9002, Dafu Dagui Zhixiaozhi, Jiufang Liuhu, Nian Nian Sui Sui Ping An An yr, Olue, Book Friend 20250512690, Mushroom Village No. 99 for their monthly tickets, and to Yuechi who is eating lemon candy for his donation to Edric. Thank you all for your support!