Ethan Shaw wasn’t in a hurry to take the money. Instead, he handed over a paper bag he’d picked up at a convenience store, filled with garlic-flavored fried chicken. “Hungry? Have some.”

The fried chicken instantly shifted the farmer’s attention. He nearly forgot he was holding a small fortune, eagerly grabbing a couple of pieces and savoring each bite.

They shared the chicken for a while, then took turns drinking from a 550ml bottle of cola. Ethan drank straight from the bottle without a second thought, while the farmer, more mindful of etiquette, poured the drink into his mouth from above.

“Your watch…sold for $40,000. It’s all here!” The farmer proudly patted the suitcase, courtesy of the pawnshop.

Ethan smiled lightly. “Nice, $20,000 should keep you going for a while.”

The farmer hadn’t expected him to actually split the money evenly, and his face lit up with joy. “You’re a good man, truly a good man!”

Ethan chuckled. “Guess I really helped you out, didn’t I?”

The farmer responded enthusiastically, “Of course! You’re my benefactor! What’s your name? I’ll remember it forever! My name’s Ma Liangcai.”

Ethan replied, “I’m Yubing Shaw. So if I need help in the future, don’t turn me down, alright?”

Ma Liangcai thumped his chest in earnest. “Not a chance. If you need anything, just say the word. I always keep my promises.” His excitement even brought a slight flush to his cheeks.

Ever since becoming a high-level hunter, Ethan had decided to go by an alias, Yubing Shaw, cutting all ties with his past self. The old Ethan Shaw had achieved little, had fallen out with his family, and truthfully, there wasn’t much left for him to miss.

Making a friend like Ma Liangcai was yesterday’s affair; today, Ethan was already in a holding cell, focused and meditative. The reason he felt so at ease about coming and going from detention was due to a powerful hidden skill given to high-level hunters by Algernon. Remember that chip implanted in his central nervous system? It allowed him to communicate with the outside world. Even under seemingly impossible prison conditions, he still had the means to direct his new friend, Ma Liangcai, to take care of certain matters.

In fact, Ethan had noticed the plainclothes officers trailing him early on. So, he’d taken an opportunity to hide the "Kiss of Gray" in a toilet’s tank in the restroom. Fearing it would deteriorate if left for too long, he asked Ma Liangcai to quietly retrieve it.

Ma Liangcai agreed without hesitation; if his benefactor asked, he’d do anything without question. He’d learned over the years to read people’s expressions and figured that his benefactor might be no ordinary man. Best not to ask too much.

…

As dusk fell, Zhou Shirong was resting in the living room of his 49th-floor apartment after dinner. This apartment might have been the only asset his father left him in the will. But now, anything could happen.

Zhou Shirong was puzzled—if that insightful big brother was so capable, why had he walked into a trap?

He lit a Fonseca cigar, filling the air with a soft blend of vanilla and wood. Normally, at this hour, he’d call over a beautiful woman for company. But today, he wasn’t in the mood. Even a playboy knows when he’s at a crossroads in life. In just a few days, he’d find out whether he was headed for a downfall or soaring success.

Suddenly, a familiar tune from Haydn’s serenade started playing—his phone ringing.

Glancing at the blank caller ID, he figured it might be a call from a special agency, maybe the police?

He was wrong; it was someone even more unexpected. The voice on the other end was his insightful big brother.

“We still have unfinished business. Shall we continue?”

Zhou Shirong asked, “You’re out?”

Ethan replied, “Would I be calling if I wasn’t? I’ll be sending you something soon. A friend of mine named Ma Liangcai will bring it over. Once you have it, I’ll explain what it is and what I need you to do with it.”

Zhou Shirong asked, “When will he arrive?”

Ethan answered, “He’s about a kilometer away, so soon.”

Ma Liangcai had taken a driverless taxi to the Moonview Complex. After a quick report at the entrance, he went up to the highest point in Building 3, the 49th floor. He’d never been this high up before, and the swift elevator ride left his ears slightly aching.

Zhou Shirong opened the door, took one look at the plainly dressed farmer, and knew this man was completely unrelated to the mastermind. After a few polite exchanges, he accepted a shoulder bag. Through the soft material, he could feel what seemed to be a tube-shaped object inside.

Once Ma Liangcai left, he called Ethan to confirm he’d completed the task.

After Ma Liangcai left, Zhou Shirong received another blank call.

“Did you get it?”

Zhou Shirong replied, “Yeah, a tube-like thing.”

Ethan continued, “Excellent. That’s a radiation weapon, responsible for the 218-person massacre at Chuangye Plaza. Since radiation doses are measured in Grays, it’s called the ‘Kiss of Gray.’ It has three settings. The first is a ‘Flying Kiss,’ lethal in about 30 days. The second is an ‘Embrace,’ lethal in three days. And the third is a ‘French Kiss,’ lethal within three hours. Now, you have two choices. First, turn me in, hand this to the police, and they’ll give you a nice plaque thanking you for your outstanding contribution to the safety of Wu City residents. Or, you can send your unloving father a ‘Kiss of Gray.’ Whether you choose the Flying Kiss, Embrace, or French Kiss is up to you; it’s all the same. Your father is already on his last leg. Give him a push and let him go peacefully.”

Zhou Shirong asked, “Are you sure no one can overhear our conversation?”

Ethan replied, “This is a secure line. Every network has private channels; otherwise, the world wouldn’t work. There will always be people who need privacy.”

Zhou Shirong paused, “Is there a third option?”

Ethan laughed, “The Kiss of Gray is in your hands. What do you think? Take your time to think it over; I’m not in a rush. See you around!”

The line went dead with a series of beeps.

…

Zhou Xueyan, meanwhile, was preparing at the Linwa Hibernation Technology Company. He was about to undertake a long-term hibernation, lasting anywhere from six months to three years. His hope was that by then, Renila’s research would have solved the side effects of extended life brought by “Spring Breeze.” Money wasn’t a problem; each session of hibernation and reawakening cost $1 million.

With a strong mental resolve, Zhou Xueyan faced death itself with indifference. He didn’t need his only child around to stir up trouble. Fang Jinlin, Zhou Shirong’s mother, was the only one by his side. Though not on the best terms, she was still his last remaining family. He trusted his two old friends more, but today, they couldn’t be there, and he didn’t want to trouble them.

Zhou Xueyan asked Fang Jinlin, “I thought I saw Shirong just now. Was he here?”

She shook her head. “No, you must be mistaken. You’ve refused to make him your heir; he hates you. He wouldn’t come to see you.”

Zhou Xueyan shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t need anyone’s pity. After hibernation, technology will have advanced. In three years, I’ll be reborn. Science is worthy of respect. In some ways, your son is an accomplice to those who would kill me. I’d never make him my successor. Enough; the doctors are here. You should go now.”

She left, and as she stepped out, she spotted her son outside. Surprised, she asked, “Why didn’t you go in? There’s a chance he might not wake up from hibernation. This could be your last time seeing him.”

Zhou Shirong sighed, “What difference does it make? He’s made up his mind. Let’s go.” His hand remained in the shoulder bag, where the Kiss of Gray lay, fully capable of penetrating walls.

Only after his mother left would Zhou Shirong release the deadly radiation, ensuring no one else was harmed.

…

In his mind, the police officer wasn’t interested in seeking justice. Officer Hu was just doing his job, and the 218 deaths weren’t his responsibility. The investigative team assigned from above had nothing to do with him. Once he learned of Zhou Xueyan’s death, he no longer felt any particular urge to deal with Ethan Shaw, who’d been in the holding cell for three days.

“Name?”

“Yubing Shaw.”

“Nationality?”

“Wu Nation.”

“Age?”

“Thirty-five.”

“Height?”

“One sixty-five.”

“Weight?”

“Fifty-five.”

“Education?”

“Bachelor’s.”

“Field?”

“Philosophy.”

“What?” Officer Hu was surprised—a rugged suspect like him, a major suspect, had studied philosophy?

Officer Hu input the ID number he’d just obtained into his tablet. Surprisingly, it all checked out. There was indeed someone named Yubing Shaw, and his records, including the photo, all matched the information provided. This identity was one of Algernon’s creations, a seamless cover. Algernon’s expertise in identity fabrication was unmatched; what others might see as an insurmountable challenge was child’s play to an organization capable of creating something as powerful as the Dark Forest System.

“So, what kind of philosophy do you study?” Officer Hu’s curiosity was piqued. In his over twenty years on the force, he’d never encountered a philosophy major on the suspect list.

“My interest is primarily in ancient Greek philosophy,” Ethan replied.

Officer Hu laughed. “I get it! Socrates, Plato, Aristotle!”

Ethan gave him a half-smile. “Those are the three sages that everyone outside the field knows about, but frankly, they’re only mediocre. Socrates’ most famous line is, ‘The only thing I know is that I know nothing.’ People take it as modesty, but in reality, he genuinely had no idea about the universe’s nature. Plato? He had his ‘Republic’ and other ideals, but they were wildly out of touch with reality. He refused to accept the harsh truth that the universe doesn’t need humanity at all; he believed it was here for us. As for Aristotle, he thought heavier objects fall faster than lighter ones, never even bothering to test his theory—just full of assumptions.

"The two Greek philosophers I admire are Heraclitus and Democritus—the two Cretans. They were true thinkers. Their ‘natural philosophy’ acknowledged the universe’s ruthlessness and indifference; even if humanity went extinct, the universe wouldn’t spare a shred of pity. Heraclitus observed that fire was the most elemental form of matter, believing it to be the source of all things. Fire, in essence, is energy. Much later, Einstein’s theory of relativity proved the relationship between matter and energy, showing that the two are interchangeable. But two thousand years earlier, Heraclitus had already anticipated this idea, identifying the interchangeability between fire and other forms of matter.

"As for Democritus, he conducted a thought experiment. If the universe were infinite, any distance could be infinitely divided, meaning crossing any distance would take infinite time, making movement impossible. So, the universe must be finite. He proposed that there’s a smallest, indivisible unit of matter—the atom. The modern concept of an atom being further divisible isn’t a refutation of atomic theory; it’s just that the modern ‘atom’ has a different definition from Democritus’. Some particles are indeed indivisible, as his theory suggested. And now we know that the universe is indeed finite, with a lifespan of about 13.8 billion years and a radius under 100 billion light years.

"So, Officer Hu, scary, isn’t it? That’s the power of philosophy.”