Chapter 975: The Informed

"Tsk tsk, Shijiu," Zhou Liu called out, "help me out, I have something to say."

Yun Shijiu frowned slightly after hearing this. "Liu Jie, what is this about?"

"About Mao," Zhou Liu replied.

Yun Shijiu spoke with a hint of reluctance. "Liu Jie... is this against the rules?"

"Tsk tsk, what do you mean?" Zhou Liu said. "I just want you to help with something. Is it that difficult?"

"Liu Jie... please forgive me," Yun Shijiu said, lowering his head. "Wu Ge once instructed that any major confidential matters regarding Mao must have him present. Otherwise, why not have him join the meeting? That way, I won't be in such a tough spot."

"It's fine," Chen Jun Nan interjected from the side. "Consider this as being for me. I'll take responsibility for whatever comes up."

"You..." Yun Shijiu stared at Chen Jun Nan in silence for a few seconds.

"You were in the last conversation, so you should know my identity, right?" Chen Jun Nan said. "When it comes to Mao matters, I can make decisions."

Yun Shijiu glanced at Zhou Liu, then at Chen Jun Nan and Jiang Ruoxue, sensing that the situation was getting a bit complicated. These "big figures" seemed to have him caught in a difficult position.

After thinking for a while, he finally spoke. "Alright... but I'll be listening in the whole time. If anything goes wrong, I'll immediately go get Wu Ge."

"Good, that's fine," Chen Jun Nan nodded.

In the next second, a mysterious domain unfolded, enveloping the four people in the room.

It was Jiang Ruoxue's first time in a Jian Mo space, and she felt as if her ears had gone deaf, unable to hear any sounds at all, plunged into absolute silence.

After a few seconds of quiet, she turned to Zhou Liu and said,

"Zhou Liu, tomorrow is the time..."

"Tsk tsk, tomorrow... so soon?" Zhou Liu frowned.

"That's right, tomorrow morning, Qi Xia will bring Yan Zhichun into the Di Long game. That's when we need to gather our forces," Jiang Ruoxue said without hesitation. "We already set up the cause and effect between us before. Whenever Yan Zhichun needs it, a message will be sent to all surviving Ji Dao members. You remember that, right?"

"I remember..." Zhou Liu said, though her expression showed clear distress.

"What kind of face is that...?" Jiang Ruoxue asked. "Now that things have come to this... you're not hesitating, are you?"

"It's not... tsk tsk." Zhou Liu sighed. "Go on, tell me more. What do we do once we gather everyone?"

"I... don't know," Jiang Ruoxue said. "Zhichun is probably doing this to protect me or ensure the plan goes smoothly. She hasn't shared the details with me yet. I only know we need to assemble the team and wait for her next instructions."

"Wait for her instructions...?" Zhou Liu asked, puzzled. "Tsk tsk, is this happening in sync with the Di Long game?"

"No..." Jiang Ruoxue replied, her face complex as she glanced at Chen Jun Nan beside her. "Zhichun has decided to make a slight adjustment to Bai Yang's plan, putting it after the Di Long game. This might even be news to Bai Yang herself, but it's also for the sake of us Ji Dao."

"Ev-everyone..." Yun Shijiu interrupted Jiang Ruoxue's conversation.

"What...?" Jiang Ruoxue turned to him. "Is this already bad enough that you need to call Wu Ge?"

"No... it's not," Yun Shijiu shook his head.

As he listened to their discussion, something suddenly occurred to him.

Bai Yang, gathering everyone, plan.

It might be an astonishing coincidence, but he had been present when Bai Yang first mentioned this plan.

Back then, before he could pierce his own ears, he had heard the first part of the plan clearly.

But no matter how he looked at it, this seemed to be a Ji Dao plan... what did it have to do with Zhou Liu?

Countless questions swirled in Yun Shijiu's mind, shaking his convictions.

"If you have something to say, just say it," Jiang Ruoxue said. "Do you have any doubts...?"

"...Liu Jie," Yun Shijiu asked, "are you sure this really involves Mao?"

Yun Shijiu hadn't wanted to reveal that he knew about the plan, as it was client confidentiality.

But this bizarre plan was clearly full of danger, and if it threatened Mao, he had no choice but to speak up.

"That's right," Zhou Liu nodded. "Tsk tsk, once this plan starts being executed, Mao will likely be drawn into it."

Yun Shijiu didn't fully understand, but he quickly thought of a ridiculous possibility. "Liu Jie... are you Ji Dao...?"

"Tsk tsk, yes," Zhou Liu nodded. "Shijiu, I've always been Ji Dao, but I'm also Mao."

"You..." Yun Shijiu was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Liu, Liu Jie, no matter if you listen to me or not, we can't get involved in this plan... you shouldn't either. They're challenging an unbeatable force here... if you go along with them, it's like leading the entire Mao to its doom."

The three others stared straight at Yun Shijiu, their expressions incredibly complex.

Though the situation was strange, none of them were ordinary people. In just a few seconds, they pieced together the implications.

"No wonder only Bai Yang and Zhichun knew about this..." Jiang Ruoxue murmured. "Back then... you were there?"

"I..." Yun Shijiu hesitated. "Yes... I was on site. This whole thing is too absurd, Liu Jie... let Ji Dao go ahead and risk their lives if they want, but Mao can't."

Zhou Liu didn't respond, just silently touching her ear stud.

"Liu Jie... if you don't agree, I'll have to go find Wu Ge right now," Yun Shijiu said. "I've always respected you, and you've never done anything harmful to Mao, so give it up now. I can help keep your identity secret, and I'll pretend this never happened."

Seeing Yun Shijiu's determined stance, even Chen Jun Nan felt tense for Zhou Liu, but Jiang Ruoxue and Zhou Liu remained unfazed.

"Wha-what...?" Yun Shijiu said. "Liu Jie, what do you mean by looking at me like that?"

"Tsk tsk, Shijiu..." Zhou Liu said calmly, "in your eyes, I'm a 'spy', someone ready to lead the entire Mao to its death..."

"Isn't that what you are...?"

"But Wu Ge already knows," Zhou Liu said. "He's always known my identity; I've never hidden it from him."

"What...?"

"So you can go tell him if you want," Zhou Liu continued. "After all, when Ji Dao carries out their plan, it's also the moment Mao executes its final plan."