43 Exchange

When I saw Bai Ye taking a cold shower downstairs, I quickly pulled my head back while wondering to myself: did Bai Ye actually know I was inside the water tank? If he did, what was the deal with him stripping down and bathing right beneath me? And he even turned on the water heater—wasn't he afraid of boiling me alive? But I soon realized he wasn't trying to harm me; if he had wanted me dead, I would have already been electrocuted and cooked to mush.

As I was pondering this, Bai Ye's voice suddenly echoed in my ears: "Awake? Quicker than expected."

Hearing his words, everything clicked into place. If I guessed correctly, the effects of the anesthetic in my system should wear off much faster after being soaked in cold water. The drug was flushed out rapidly because of what Bai Ye did, which meant he was actually saving me. If he hadn't immersed me in water, my body might still have been too stiff to move.

Yet, why on earth would Bai Ye take a bath? And worse, why use the exact water I had been soaking in? The thought alone gave me goosebumps. You truly cannot judge the world of a deviant with ordinary logic.

So, I quickly called out to him, "I'm awake. Were you saving me? Thank you."

Bai Ye didn't react to my expression of gratitude. In his usual cold and detached tone, he simply asked, "Aren't you coming down to wash up?"

My body stiffened. Could Bai Ye possibly be gay, I wondered, and actually want to shower together?

I was far too embarrassed for anything of the sort, so I hurriedly replied, "No need, I've already soaked enough in the tank. Let me know when you're done and dressed, and I'll come down."

Bai Ye directly retorted, "Get down here if you don't want to die."

My heart skipped a beat, and I thought, is he going to use force?

I quickly realized that probably wasn't the case. I had been poisoned and left soaking in that water, which must have been contaminated. If I stayed up there any longer, even if my life wasn't in immediate danger, it certainly wouldn't do me any good. No wonder Bai Ye had drained the tank so quickly; showering was likely just something he did along the way.

With that thought, I bit the bullet and climbed out of the water tank. Once out, I saw that Bai Ye had already wrapped a bath towel around his lower half. It wasn't as sleazy as my imagination had made it out to be. Still, his sculpted, perfectly defined pectoral muscles and symmetrical six-pack abs—almost as if chiseled from stone—were undeniably sexy. Even as a grown man, I couldn't help but admire them; if a woman were to see this, she would undoubtedly be captivated and surrender herself on the spot.

I carefully hopped down from the water tank. Since my body hadn't fully recovered, I moved with extreme caution and managed not to slip.

Once my feet were planted on the ground, I noticed that the head on the floor wasn't a real human head at all, but a hollow mannequin model. It was crafted with such astonishing realism that, unless you looked closely, you'd never guess it was fake. I figured Bai Ye must have used it to disguise his silhouette; after all, even if the police had left, the front desk might have been given a description. Jin Ze probably instructed the staff to notify them immediately if anyone matching Bai Ye's fugitive profile appeared. I had to admit, Bai Ye's mind was truly meticulous.

After shaking off the excess water from my body and stretching my limbs a bit, I asked Bai Ye, "How did you know I was in the water tank? Did you see that person stuff me in there? What do you want me to do now?"

Bai Ye ignored me entirely. He was fundamentally a cold person who wouldn't waste a single word unless absolutely necessary.

He simply walked away, turned his back to me, and put on his clothes. Only then did he say, "Chen Mu, you are no longer yourself."

I froze. Just as I was about to ask what he meant, it dawned on me: he meant I had been replaced.

A chill ran down my spine, freezing me halfway. What were Jin Ze and Huang Quan doing right now? Were they searching for clues together, trying to solve the case? It sounded like some kind of dark comedy. But a far more cynical thought soon crossed my mind: would Huang Quan eventually bring Jin Ze to arrest me, mistaking me for Huang Quan?

At that terrifying thought, panic truly set in, and I realized just how terrifying it is to be replaced.

At that exact moment, Bai Ye looked straight at me and said, "He can replace you, and you can replace him just as easily."

Hearing this, I didn't understand at first, but it hit me like a lightning bolt. Damn it, Bai Ye meant for me to play the role of Huang Quan! At that realization, my only thought was sheer madness.

Yet, I quickly recognized that this was a brilliant plan—one that could even allow for a counterattack. Once I inverted the roles and played Huang Quan, infiltrating the real criminal syndicate and tapping into their network of connections, I might actually be able to uproot this entire web and expose the ultimate boss.

However, saying it was much easier than doing it. Two urgent and critical problems lay right before me; if I didn't figure them out, trying to reverse-replace Huang Quan would be tantamount to suicide.

Problem number one: Huang Quan had taken my place beside Jin Ze. Was his goal to genuinely live as me, or was he acting as a mole within the police force to steal intelligence? If it was the latter, it would be utterly impossible for me to replace him, because he could contact the mastermind at any moment, and my disguise as an impostor would be exposed instantly.

Problem number two: I hardly knew anything about Huang Quan, nor did I have any files on him. How on earth was I supposed to impersonate him?

As I wrestled with these two dilemmas, Bai Ye pulled something else out from his garments.

It was a smartphone. Bai Ye handed it directly to me.

Though I was curious why Bai Ye had a phone for me, I quickly took it and looked at the screen. Opening it revealed a document containing detailed information about Huang Quan—from his birth up until the moment he accepted this assignment, almost every major event was recorded meticulously, with special emphasis on several critical turning points in his life.

I was utterly stunned. How the hell did Bai Ye pull this off? Where on earth did he get this kind of intelligence?

Just as I was looking at him with a gaze of absolute admiration, Bai Ye coldly remarked, "This isn't information I investigated or gathered myself. I found this phone stuck to the back of the water tank. It was taped right there—meaning Huang Quan left it behind."

Hearing that, my mind went completely blank. What on earth was Huang Quan playing at? Why would he leave his own smartphone behind and leak all his personal secrets?

While I stood there bewildered, Bai Ye stated in his characteristically chilling tone, "So it's quite obvious. Huang Quan wants you to replace him, too. He wants the two of you to swap identities."

Everything snapped into focus instantly. Damn it, that Huang Quan was truly cunning; he was pushing me into a corner. He must have grown weary of his life as Huang Quan and envied my life as the "good guy." He genuinely wanted to usurp my identity and become me completely—now, in the future, and forever.

No wonder he had spoken with such earnest sincerity when he said, "The pain is yours, the happiness is mine." He wasn't just acting the part of Chen Mu the assassin; he genuinely wanted to trade lives with me.

This meant Huang Quan had left the phone on purpose. He hadn't spared my life to hunt me down again later, but to ensure I survived and continued living under his identity. I even suspected he knew Bai Ye would come to my rescue and aid me. Everything had been part of his grand design.

It was utterly mind-boggling. Why were all my brothers such utter lunatics? How could anyone hatch such twisted schemes?

At that moment, Bai Ye spoke up again: "Chen Mu, you have no choice. If you go to your police friend right now and tell him the truth, do you think he'll believe you? On what grounds? The fact that he didn't notice anything unusual about you from the start proves that Huang Quan played your part to absolute perfection."

I sighed inwardly, overwhelmed by a deep sense of helplessness. Bai Ye continued, "Therefore, you have to become Huang Quan. This is your only chance to turn the tables and drag the mastermind out into the open. Chen Mu, your police friend left you behind, but I won't. I will help you become the strongest Chen Mu."

Hearing this, a jolt went through my heart. I knew I had no other path to take. With Bai Ye's assistance, perhaps I really could pull off something earth-shattering.

How ironic and absurd it was: a genuine criminal and a police officer had become allies, while I, a real soldier, was forced to team up with a deranged criminal. Truly, fate loves to play tricks on people.

Yet, a spark of anticipation ignited deep within my chest, and my blood began to race. I swore to myself that I would eventually reclaim my true self, and when I did, I would crack this entire string of major cases and return in glory. Therefore, I had to make good use of Bai Ye as a piece on my board.

With that in mind, I asked a question I already knew the answer to: "Bai Ye, between me and Huang Quan, why did you choose to help me? Can I really trust you?"

Bai Ye turned his head to look out the window, his peach-blossom eyes filled with a lingering yearning for the assassin Chen Mu.

After several seconds of silence, Bai Ye finally replied, "Because you are more like him."

Just as his voice trailed off, the phone in my hand suddenly rang.

I picked it up and saw a text message from someone named Qing'er: Room 319, Anyang Hotel. Waiting for you.