Ch 200: Is There Really Such a Good Thing? [QT]

Zhang Yang’s past life was thoroughly questioned over and over again, every detail scrutinized until nothing was left out. After the relentless interrogation, he was utterly exhausted and had no more secrets to withhold.

As for the crimes he committed in this life—drugging Shen Yunxuan and attempting to have thugs control her—his prolonged detention was deemed sufficient punishment. Since he had also signed an immunity agreement, once it was confirmed that he had confessed to everything, they placed a hood over his head and transported him back to his residence.

Privately, all monitoring measures for him had been set in place. There was no worry that he would engage in activities that would betray the country or disrupt society. If he dared to break the law, those monitoring him would arrest him immediately.

Having been locked up for so long, Zhang Yang felt like he was dreaming when he suddenly found himself at his doorstep. He cautiously scanned his surroundings for a long time before entering. Once he shut the door behind him, standing alone in his familiar home, he finally felt the reality of his release.

He was free!

Just like that? No dissecting him for research? No further attempts to extract information from him? They just let him go?

He couldn’t comprehend it—it made no sense to him. In his understanding, revealing such a secret should have led to eternal doom. And yet, here he was, free and unharmed. Why?

Suddenly, Shen Yunxuan came to mind. Even now, he wasn’t sure if the people who captured him were actually the police or what their connection to Shen Yunxuan was. The only thing he knew for certain was that it was she who deliberately led people to capture him!

A sneer curled on Zhang Yang’s lips as he felt a surge of schadenfreude.

Maybe his rebirth wasn’t of much value to the state—perhaps he wasn’t worth researching. But Shen Yunxuan was different. A dimensional traversal system, the ability to obtain resources that didn’t exist in this world—he refused to believe the government wouldn’t be tempted.

Regardless of whether those people were truly from the government or what their exact relationship with Shen Yunxuan was, one thing was certain: now that he had spilled all the secrets about the traversal system, Shen Yunxuan was doomed. She would either be dragged into a laboratory for dissection or be forced to traverse dimensions endlessly, gathering resources.

That foolish woman—she had opposed him in both lives, and now she had ruined herself. Secrets like this should have been guarded to the grave. Now that she was exposed, she would suffer beyond imagination.

Just as he had this thought, he heard the sound of the door unlocking. Someone was entering with the passcode, making him jump up in alarm. He turned to see Xie Lili standing there, staring at him in shock.

“Zhang Yang? You’re back?” She ran up to him, grabbing him in anger. “When did you come back? Where have you been?”

Already brimming with frustration, Zhang Yang shoved her hands away. “What kind of tone is that? Do I need to report to you wherever I go?”

Xie Lili’s hands turned red from the force of his slap. The pain, combined with Zhang Yang’s impatient attitude, made her eyes well up with tears. She was utterly hurt. “What’s wrong with you? You said you wanted to be with me—I’m your girlfriend! You disappeared suddenly, and I wasn’t even allowed to ask about it? Do you know how worried I was? I even went to the police, but they told me you weren’t missing, that you left on your own.”

Her voice took on an accusatory tone. “Shen Yunxuan disappeared, and not long after, you vanished too. Do you know what our classmates are saying? That you two ran off together! And then some woman named Fang Ding came looking for you—she knew I was your girlfriend but still slapped me twice! I was humiliated in front of everyone! I became a complete joke!”

Xie Lili’s sharp accusations and crying grated on Zhang Yang’s nerves. He had no patience for these women right now. His mind was a chaotic mess, solely focused on finding a safe place to escape to and continue enjoying his second chance at life.

He began pushing Xie Lili toward the door. “I never said you were my girlfriend. It was just casual fun—who would take it seriously? Don’t forget, you threw yourself at me. Now get out and don’t come looking for me again.”

Xie Lili’s eyes widened in shock. “Zhang Yang! You bastard! It’s because of Shen Yunxuan, isn’t it? She showed up, and now you’re back too. You left together, didn’t you?”

Zhang Yang froze. “Shen Yunxuan just appeared? Where?”

Xie Lili scoffed mockingly. “Don’t pretend! Our advisor posted in the group chat that a package from the orphanage arrived for her. She just went to the university to pick it up. He even posted a picture with her on his social media, saying he was proud of how much she had grown after graduation.”

Zhang Yang snatched the phone from Xie Lili’s hand and found the post.

It really was Shen Yunxuan.

The advisor had taken a picture with her, and she had cooperated with a soft smile. Her brows were relaxed, her expression free of worry—there was no sign of someone who had been captured or forced into experiments.

And in just a few months, she had transformed. She had become breathtakingly beautiful, with an aura that made people feel as if she were out of their reach. No wonder the advisor had been surprised and proud, believing that she must have excelled in her career.

But Zhang Yang knew better.

With the traversal system bound to her, having a normal job was impossible—unless she started her own business. And yet, the way she carried herself now, she looked exactly like someone who had risen to a high position, someone powerful and well-connected.

Had she gained treasures from the dimensions? Or had she used her dimensional points to enhance her charisma?

Zhang Yang glared at the photo of Shen Yunxuan, completely certain that she was living a great life—nothing like the mess he was in!

Why? This was a social media post from just now. By that time, he had already confessed that he was the one who bound the system to Shen Yunxuan. Shouldn’t those people have arrested her? How was she still out there, free to move as she pleased? How was she still looking so carefree and well-off?

What the hell was going on?

Everything contradicted what Zhang Yang believed. In both his lives, he had been convinced that the secret of the system had to be guarded with his life—once exposed, something terrifying was bound to happen. Yet now, Shen Yunxuan was perfectly fine, and he couldn’t understand why. He couldn’t accept it. If she was untouched, then why had he been locked up for so many days, interrogated endlessly?

Seeing his expression, Xie Lili, realizing he was just as clueless about Shen Yunxuan’s situation, asked, “Wait… you weren’t with her? Then where the hell have you been all this time?”

Zhang Yang stared at her in a daze and muttered, “Me? I was locked up and interrogated every day… because I bound the golden finger to Shen Yunxuan…”

Slap!

A sharp, resounding slap landed across Zhang Yang’s face, cutting off his words. Xie Lili snatched her phone back and yelled in rage, “You think I’m stupid? You’ve been playing me this whole time, haven’t you? I must have been blind to fall for you!”

By the time Xie Lili slammed the door and stormed out, Zhang Yang finally snapped back to reality. He had just spoken the truth, yet no one believed him. The lingering sting on his cheek confirmed that everything was real—he had been reborn, only to live a miserable life, while the system he had used to try and ruin Shen Yunxuan had actually given her an unbelievably good life.

He became convinced that the system was to blame—it must have changed its rules. Instead of tormenting Shen Yunxuan, it had helped her.

Anger and resentment burned inside him, but he had no way to track Shen Yunxuan down. Even if he did, what could he do? He didn’t dare to look for her. What if she was already under surveillance? He couldn’t risk getting himself caught up in another mess.

Zhang Yang pulled out his phone and quickly opened an app to buy a plane ticket out of the country—only to find that he was banned from leaving! His face turned pale as he immediately recalled how many times they had asked him if he was a spy.

Was his freedom restricted?

Zhang Yang forced himself to stay calm. At least he had been released—he was still free to move around. His past life’s success may have been 90% due to the system, but after spending over a decade in the business world, he knew plenty of golden opportunities. As long as he seized them, he could still become wealthy.

He didn’t need to think about anything else. He didn’t need to dwell on Shen Yunxuan. All he had to do was invest well, make money, and enjoy a luxurious life surrounded by beautiful women.

But no matter how he tried to console himself, Shen Yunxuan’s image from that photo refused to fade from his mind. His chest felt tight, filled with an unshakable frustration.

She was doing better than ever.

Zhang Yang could never have imagined that she would dare to hand the system over directly. He simply couldn’t comprehend why she was living so well.

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Meanwhile, after obtaining Zhang Yang’s confession, SAB immediately began preparing for the next traversal.

The Armed Forces Division intensified its training. The Civil Affairs Division used Zhang Yang’s descriptions to simulate various fourth-level crisis worlds—apocalyptic, interstellar, beastmen civilizations, and more—using 3D projections to help the team acclimate and overcome fear.

Elder Xu and Elder Chen personally met with senior military officials to request weaponry and equipment. The Logistics Division prepared compact, long-lasting food supplies and clothing tailored to the various dimensions Zhang Yang had described.

No one in the bureau was idle. Everyone felt the looming crisis and was working tirelessly to prepare for the next traversal.

Shen Yunxuan had already written a beginner-level method for cultivating spiritual energy. To her, it was as basic as kindergarten-level knowledge. But to those who had never cultivated before, it was as mysterious as an ancient script—concepts like sensing meridians and absorbing spiritual energy were hard to grasp.

Still, everyone was making an effort. Some even made a habit of standing on the rooftop at dawn and dusk to “absorb the essence of the sun and moon,” hoping it would help.

Among them, Dong Yue and Gao Lang were the first to sense spiritual energy and successfully begin cultivation. They were naturally suited for it.

Instead of feeling jealous, the others were inspired. If someone could succeed, it meant that Shen Yunxuan’s cultivation method was legitimate!

At first, when they heard she had written it herself, they had their doubts—even knowing that her intelligence was now among the highest in the world. But now, those doubts were completely erased. They were convinced.

Gao Lang even remarked, “You know, Zhang Yang’s biggest failure in his past life might’ve been not raising his intelligence stat. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so stubborn, stuck in his old ways. He lived an extra life and still didn’t grow.”

But then again, there were plenty of people who lived to be eighty or ninety without ever maturing. Some people were just insufferable, incapable of growth. Gao Lang had seen many like that and wasn’t surprised. He just felt it was a complete waste that someone like Zhang Yang got a second chance—only to fail again.

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Shen Yunxuan was also diligently cultivating. Every day, she spent an hour or two guiding the others, while the rest of her time was dedicated to strengthening her own abilities—whether it was cultivating spiritual energy, practicing qinggong, or mastering martial arts.

Many martial arts techniques were incredibly refined, but when combined with spiritual energy, they produced a synergy where the total effect was greater than the sum of its parts. She found herself completely engrossed in refining this combination, constantly exploring new ways to merge the two for even greater power.

Moreover, with the vast number of books she had scanned and brought back, even though she now had a memory palace and could remember things after reading them two or three times, remembering was not the same as mastering. No matter how high her intelligence was, some things required research—just like top scientists who spent their lives dedicated to continuous study.

So whenever Shen Yunxuan got tired from cultivating, she would read. The scanned books had been printed into high-quality copies and placed on the shelves in her office. She spent her days immersed in reading and learning, feeling both fulfilled and intrigued. Many of these books contained knowledge she had never encountered before—it was like opening the door to a whole new world.

She had only remembered to pick up her package from the school while she was interrogating Zhang Yang. She had long since changed her old number and WeChat, so she had never seen the instructor’s messages in the group chat. What reminded her was a memory from her past life—after months of being harassed by Zhang Yang and struggling at work, she had received a notice from the school about a package sent from the orphanage.

The package itself wasn’t anything special—just some food items sent by the orphanage director, since Shen Yunxuan often sent money to support them. But she had still gone to pick it up.

Back then, she had lost a lot of weight due to all her struggles, and her face had looked weary, with a mix of stubbornness and guardedness. The instructor had shown great concern, asking her a lot of questions and even offering to introduce her to a job. She had declined, afraid that Zhang Yang might target the instructor too. But now, looking back, she realized that kindness had been a source of warmth—just like the warmth of the orphanage director.

So this time, she brought high-quality supplements as a gift for the instructor. She hadn’t expected the instructor to assume she was doing extremely well in her career and proudly post about it on social media. Shen Yunxuan didn’t mind at all. She simply asked about the instructor’s health, picked up the package, and left. Afterward, she also reached out to the orphanage director to check in and transferred a sum of money to support the orphanage.

The amount made the director jump in shock. In the past, Shen Yunxuan had only ever sent a few hundred or at most a thousand yuan—just a small gesture within her means to help the children. But this time, she had sent five hundred thousand. The orphanage director was so startled that she immediately called her.

“Yunxuan… did you commit a crime?”

Shen Yunxuan couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course not. What are you thinking? You watched me grow up—do I seem like the type to do something like that?”

“But this is too much money! Where did you get so much? Did you find a rich boyfriend? You… you didn’t go down a bad path, did you?”

Hearing the concern in the director’s voice, Shen Yunxuan felt warmth in her heart. Even though the director had misunderstood, her tone was full of care and worry, not judgment. In her past life, when she had been overwhelmed with struggles, the director had passed away. She had lost touch with the orphanage for years, only reconnecting once she was firmly established in the business world.

But by then, the orphanage was no longer a deeply personal connection—it was just a habit. She had set up a regular monthly donation, treating it as charity. Besides donating to the orphanage, she had contributed to many other charities because, having grown up as an orphan herself, she had experienced both the cruelty and kindness of the world. She simply wanted to do her part to bring comfort to those who were suffering.

Perhaps it was precisely because she had accumulated so much good karma that she was now experiencing such a smooth and fortunate life in this rebirth.

Shen Yunxuan had no hesitation in sending such a large sum to the orphanage because she trusted the director’s integrity. She knew the director would never misuse the money but would instead use it to improve the orphanage and give the children a better life.

In response to the director’s concerns, Shen Yunxuan reassured her with a smile, “Don’t worry. I’m actually a military officer now. I even took a photo in uniform at my office—I’ll send it to you. This money is a bonus I received for accomplishing a major achievement. But you can’t tell anyone about it—it was a classified mission, and it has to remain a secret.”

The director immediately lowered her voice as if afraid someone might overhear. “A secret mission? Then don’t tell me anything else. As long as you know what you’re doing, that’s enough.” Then, she muttered in confusion, “What kind of achievement gives such a big bonus? And how did you become a military officer after graduating? That wasn’t your major, was it?”

Shen Yunxuan had no choice but to explain, “Special missions require skilled people, and I’m smart, so I was recruited.”

The director believed her instantly, her voice filled with relief. “I see. That’s good, that’s good. Little Yunxuan has become impressive now—I can rest easy.” Then she quickly added, “But you still can’t donate so much to the orphanage. I’ll accept fifty thousand, but the rest—”

Shen Yunxuan quickly interjected, “I have plenty. You always taught me to only do what’s within my abilities, and I know my limits. Have I ever been reckless? Don’t worry about it—this is my goodwill, and it brings good karma. Please don’t reject it.”

“Alright, alright, you always know what to say,” the director relented with a chuckle. “Then I’ll tell the children that it was a gift from their Yunxuan jiejie, so they’ll remember your kindness. I’ll also set aside some of it for tuition fees to help them through high school and university…”

Listening to the director’s gentle voice as she talked about her plans for the money, Shen Yunxuan felt warm inside. She realized she had been negligent—although the director had passed away many decades later in her past life, she had eventually let go of many things and forgotten them. With all the chaos surrounding her rebirth, it had taken her a while to think of the orphanage director.

Fortunately, it wasn’t too late.

The director’s health issues had built up over years of overwork and neglect. In her past life, a bad flu during the winter had landed her in the ICU, and she hadn’t survived. But now, early checkups and proper care could prevent that.

Once the director finished explaining her plans, Shen Yunxuan reminded her, “You just focus on making the arrangements and don’t overwork yourself. I’ve sent a lot of health supplements for you, and I also bought you a full medical checkup package—make sure to go to the hospital for regular checkups. I even scheduled an appointment with a well-known local traditional medicine doctor. Remember to go see them and take some herbal medicine to improve your health.”

The orphanage director hadn’t been this happy in a long time. Being cared for and reminded by a child she had raised filled her heart with warmth. “It’s not easy for a young girl like you to be out in the world on your own. Take care of yourself first. I’m doing just fine, don’t worry about me. But your stomach has always been bad—you really need to take care of it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been taking good care of it. I haven’t had any pain in months.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Just remember to eat properly—nothing is more important than your health…”

Shen Yunxuan listened to the director’s endless concerns and reminders for a long time. Every word was filled with care and affection. Her face carried a gentle smile the whole time—there was no impatience, nor did she feel like she was wasting time.

When Gao Lang and Dong Yue came looking for her, they happened to witness this scene. They exchanged glances and quietly stepped aside to wait. They listened as Shen Yunxuan spoke in a soft, caring voice for a long time before finally hanging up the call.

This was a side of Shen Yunxuan they had never seen before. Although she had acknowledged Elder Xu as her grandfather and officially became part of the Xu family, the entire Xu family was composed of soldiers. They were all in good health, and she never needed to worry about them. Shen Yunxuan herself was always focused on learning and cultivating, and in the different dimensions, she was always at the forefront, protecting others and engaging in duels.

This was the first time they saw her gentle and tender side. It made them feel even closer to her. It might seem strange to find a twenty-two-year-old girl endearing, but Shen Yunxuan wasn’t just any young woman—she was their leader, their captain, someone much stronger than them. Yet at this moment, she felt incredibly approachable, and even their own hearts softened.

After hanging up the phone, Shen Yunxuan turned to them and asked, “What’s the matter? Do you need something?”

Dong Yue quickly responded, “It’s nothing urgent. We’ve finished preparing everything we need for the next mission, and we wanted you to check it over. If everything looks good, we’ll pack it up. Also, we need to decide whether to store things in the storage bags or the system’s inventory.”

Shen Yunxuan nodded and put away her phone. “Alright, let’s go.”

As the three of them headed downstairs, she casually asked, “How’s your cultivation going? Any difficulties?”

At the mention of this, their faces lit up with excitement, and they quickly shook their heads. Gao Lang, full of enthusiasm, said, “No difficulties at all! If I had known I could cultivate, I would’ve started practicing back in the other dimension. I could’ve helped those ghosts get revenge and even shown off a little.”

Shen Yunxuan chuckled. “So you’re not afraid of ghosts anymore? How about this—after we reach Level Five, I’ll take you back to the ghost dimension. You can get your fill of excitement there. What do you think?”

Gao Lang immediately froze, scratching the back of his head as he muttered, “Well… we’re not at Level Five yet. I should probably watch a few more horror movies first.”

Shen Yunxuan didn’t tease him further. Instead, she gave them a serious reminder: “Make sure you memorize the martial arts techniques well and practice frequently with each other. Especially focus on training everyone in evasion, defense, and escape skills. We’re slowing down our upgrades for now—our safety is the top priority.”

Both of them nodded in agreement. Dong Yue then asked curiously, “Captain Shen, if we’re prioritizing self-preservation in the future dimensions, do we still need so many people coming along for the missions?

Last time, they had taken fifty special forces soldiers, along with Elder Xu, Elder Chen, and several experts. However, most of them hadn’t been needed, and they had all taken unnecessary risks. If the goal was survival, wouldn’t it be better to bring only a few skilled individuals for easier movement and concealment?

Shen Yunxuan thought for a moment. She had a strong feeling that their Level Four mission would be in an apocalyptic dimension with supernatural abilities. If that were the case, they needed to consider whether to lay low or take action. After all, they were only at Level Four—advancing to Level Five wasn’t a big deal. If the energy crystals from high-level zombies in the apocalypse turned out to be a new energy source, wouldn’t that mean they could continuously return to this world and bring back valuable resources once the system reached Level Five?

With this in mind, she made a decision. “This time, the entire armed forces division is coming. Go inform them and prepare a modified transport truck.”

With more people, and with the support of martial arts and advanced weapons, they wouldn’t necessarily lose against a small-scale base. She was also very curious about the so-called psychic-type zombies. If their energy cores were useful to her, what kind of effects would they have?

As Shen Yunxuan walked, she started planning out what they would need for the apocalypse dimension—what actions they should take and what resources they should bring back. The thing she had initially resisted so much, the forced traversal, had now become something she was looking forward to.

This time, they were fully prepared. They would never be like Zhang Yang, hiding the entire time and learning almost nothing about the new world. That was a dimension where strength ruled—Shen Yunxuan wasn’t sure if it was because her own power had increased, but she could already feel the surge of battle intent within her!

🌸˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧🩷˚⋆