Chapter 182

Chapter 182 On the way, the idle Ian had eagerly searched the school’s official website for past student graduation photos, found Leeds’ picture, circled him, and sent it to them. Though the photo was blurry due to its age, the general outlines were clear. It showed a large group of students standing in rows, with two circled at the back center: one blond, one purple-haired. The blond one grinned boldly, arm around the purple-haired boy’s shoulder. The purple-haired boy smiled gently, standing neatly. No doubt, these were their targets: the blond was Cyril, the purple-haired was Leeds. Despite the photo’s blurriness, their youthful vigor was evident, and the purple-haired boy bore a fifty percent resemblance to the elderly woman before them. Clearly, they hadn’t come to the wrong place—this woman was indeed Leeds’ relative. "Hello, we’re students at ‘Alpha Ability Academy,’ Leeds’ juniors. We’d like to ask you about some things. Is that convenient?" Jiang Tianming asked politely but directly. Normally, such matters might be approached cautiously to avoid suspicion, but their sudden visit was obviously tied to Leeds. In this case, being upfront was better than being evasive. However, he didn’t mention Cyril, needing to gauge the elderly woman’s attitude before deciding whether to reveal everything. At the name "Leeds," the woman’s expression shifted. Her initially kind demeanor faded, as if she wanted to say something but didn’t know what. Finally, she opened the door wider, making way, and said in a weary voice: "Come in." Entering the shabby house, there was no hidden grandeur—inside was as rundown as outside. Yet, it was clear the owner cherished life: the room was tidy, furniture spotless, and though old, nothing felt sloppy. The shoe rack by the door held only one pair of shoes, the table had a single coaster, and the coat rack bore just one jacket... From these details, it was clear only one person lived here. Su Bei deliberately noted the photos on the wall: some of Leeds, some of the elderly woman with another man, and a family portrait of the three. Without exception, they were all young in the photos. If Leeds had no photos because he was deceased, why were there no recent photos of the woman or the man? Su Bei pondered, adjusting his luck to its maximum. He didn’t adjust Jiang Tianming’s luck—not out of selfishness, but because it was less cost-effective. Su Bei wasn’t sure if it was due to this being a manga world, but most people’s "Destiny Compasses" were identical. However, a small group had destinies far weightier than others. Without question, manga protagonists like Jiang Tianming were among them. Altering their fates required far more Mental Energy than others, for both large and small pointers. Thus, Su Bei only adjusted his own luck to conserve Mental Energy. Speaking of Jiang Tianming’s "Destiny Compass," there was a small anecdote. Su Bei had once tried moving Jiang Tianming’s large pointer downward—not to kill him, as he could reverse it in time, but to test the cost. The result? It was impossible. From what he sensed, even expending his life force wouldn’t suffice to kill a manga protagonist. Back to the matter at hand. The two sat on the sofa, and Jiang Tianming stopped the woman from pouring water, finding an entry point: "Didn’t the school compensate your family back then?" The implication was clear: if they had, why was she living here? From the fact that "Alpha Ability Academy" could casually give out skill books, it was evident they were wealthy. In the Ability world, they were rich; in the ordinary world, even more so. A compensation of millions was trivial. The woman’s expression stiffened. Knowing what he meant, she nodded perfunctorily: "They did, but I spent it all extravagantly over the years." She still stubbornly poured them each a glass of water, and one for herself. Su Bei raised an eyebrow, interjecting: "By the way, we haven’t asked—you are Leeds’...?" "Mother. I’m his mother," Leeds’ mom replied. "No wonder you look so much like Leeds. He must’ve inherited more of your genes, right?" Su Bei said casually, as if making small talk. "I look more like my dad. My mom always complains about it." Hearing this, Leeds’ mom recalled the past and couldn’t help smiling: "Yes, his dad used to complain to me too. But I say, what’s there to complain about? The kid may look like me, but he was closer to him." The conversation flowed naturally, and Su Bei asked: "So, where’s Leeds’ father? Out working?" This was his true aim. Since Leeds’ mom was alive, the lack of recent photos with her husband meant either they’d divorced or he was dead. From her earlier attitude, she held no resentment toward Leeds’ dad, only fond remembrance and regret. Su Bei ruled out divorce, concluding Leeds’ dad was deceased. This wasn’t a big deal—life was fragile. But one detail caught Su Bei’s attention: in the last photo of Leeds’ dad with his son, Leeds looked about seventeen or eighteen. There were no photos after that. Since Leeds died at that age, Su Bei couldn’t help but suspect his father died around the same time. Recalling the epidemic, Su Bei guessed his father died from it. But if Leeds ended the epidemic with his life, did his father die before that? Or was there more to it? Despite asking as naturally as possible, the sensitive question made Leeds’ mom instantly wary, her voice cold: "He’s been gone for years." Her reaction only heightened suspicions about the father. A glint flashed in Su Bei’s eyes, but he feigned ignorance of her shift, saying regretfully: "Parents who raised a hero like Leeds must be great people. I believe Leeds’ father is living happily in paradise. Please take care." He meant to shift topics to ease her guard, but unexpectedly, a bitter expression crossed Leeds’ mom’s face. She said nothing, her grip tightening on her glass, until she finally seemed to resolve herself, asking: "What do you know?" Jiang Tianming was stunned, looking at Su Bei, confused about what in their exchange had uncovered a secret that forced Leeds’ mom to yield. Su Bei appeared confident, but inwardly, he was baffled. What had he said to make her react like this? Could she not make him seem like some shady figure? Though he didn’t know what triggered her, one thing was clear: he’d stumbled onto her secret. It must be the luck boost at work—fortune favored the lucky. Maintaining his calm facade, he quickly reviewed his words. There had to be a key point. He pinpointed three phrases: "a hero like Leeds," "parents are great people," "living happily in paradise." Which one had broken her? Considering other scraps of information—father and son likely died at the same time, the mother lived frugally despite compensation, the father’s death was suspicious—Su Bei needed to weave them into a coherent story. With a rough hypothesis forming, he sighed and said comfortingly: "You don’t need to punish yourself for your husband and son’s deaths. They’d be heartbroken seeing this from above." This was a gamble. Beyond what Elvis shared, Su Bei knew little about Leeds. Ideally, he’d investigate where Leeds’ mom spent the money. But time was short, so he had to guess. She clearly hadn’t spent it on herself, so it was either saved or given away. Knowing some died in Leeds’ experiments, she might’ve given the money to their families. But that didn’t add up—"Alpha Ability Academy" wouldn’t compensate only Leeds and not others. If everyone was compensated and her son was dead, why such guilt? Another detail: no recent photos of Leeds’ mom on the wall. If Leeds and his dad had none because they were dead, why none of her? Combining this, Su Bei boldly guessed that at least Leeds’ dad’s death was tied to her, explaining her self-punishment. Whether true or not, offering comfort after so many years was reasonable. After speaking, he lowered his eyes to sip water, hiding his tension. It was a gamble—if he failed, she’d see through his bluff, making the task harder. Even Su Bei felt nervous. But as he lifted his glass, his hand twitched, spilling a few drops. Had he not steadied it, the glass might’ve fallen. Pausing, Su Bei set the glass down, grabbed a tissue to wipe the spill, and looked sheepishly at Leeds’ mom. Only then did he notice her eyes had reddened. Choking back sobs, she said: "You don’t need to comfort me. I know it was my stubbornness that caused Leeds to... to..." Unable to say it, she wailed: "I killed him!" As expected, she bore guilt, but surprisingly, not for her husband, but her son. Leeds’ death was tied to her! But how? Su Bei couldn’t fathom it. Leeds died sacrificing his life force to end the epidemic—what did that have to do with his mother? Did she force him? That didn’t seem right. From Su Bei’s understanding of human nature, if she’d sacrificed her son for the greater good, she wouldn’t feel this guilt. And what role did the father play? She didn’t mention his death, suggesting it wasn’t her fault in her view. But with years of manga-reading experience, Su Bei was certain the father’s death wasn’t irrelevant in this story. In a manga world, everything tied to the story had a purpose. Since Meng Huai sent them here, this matter was definitely linked to Cyril’s invasion of "Alpha Ability Academy." Su Bei said gravely: "I didn’t want to reopen your wounds, but your silence has caused Cyril to gravely misunderstand. To be honest, we came hoping you’d clarify things." Another gamble. He wasn’t sure how Leeds’ family matters tied to Cyril. But Meng Huai said there was more to it, and the principal didn’t seem villainous, so Su Bei guessed Cyril’s misunderstanding stemmed from Leeds’ mom’s silence. What she hid and how Cyril misunderstood, Su Bei didn’t know, but pretending to know was enough. "Cyril... that boy still hasn’t let go after all these years?" Mentioning an old friend, Leeds’ mom’s expression grew dazed, then suddenly tense: "What has he done?" Jiang Tianming, picking up on something, answered: "He believes if the principal hadn’t stopped Leeds’ experiment, Leeds could’ve developed a cure, or his final attempt succeeded but was halted. So now he’s retaliating against the principal and all of ‘Alpha Ability Academy.’" He hadn’t been detailed earlier, as Leeds’ actions weren’t entirely wrong, and it was understandable if Leeds’ mom and Cyril resented the school. But seeing she didn’t resent the school and there was more to the story, Jiang Tianming shared the truth. As expected, she was horrified: "He... he’s back for revenge? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have... I..." She stammered, unable to finish, and slumped down: "But what can I do?" Seeing this, Su Bei grew certain her secret was crucial, saying firmly: "You just need to tell him the truth." Leeds’ mom knew he was right, but some truths were hard to voice. She didn’t know how to expose her old lie. If she did, her reputation might not matter, but her son’s would be ruined. "Sorry, I can’t..." Before she could finish refusing, Su Bei cut in: "Can you really bear to see Cyril kill the principal and hundreds of ‘Alpha Ability Academy’ students die?" He knew once refusal was voiced, it would solidify her resolve. Interrupting her made it harder for her to refuse again. Jiang Tianming followed: "No matter what, Leeds traded his life for others’ safety, right? That achievement won’t be erased." He was certain the principal’s hidden truth wasn’t about this. If Leeds hadn’t truly saved others, the principal wouldn’t let the misunderstanding persist. His judgment was correct—Leeds’ mom’s face showed clear wavering. After long hesitation, she nodded: "I can’t face them myself, sorry. If you have no other business, please leave." Unexpectedly, she’d said this. It seemed her mistake was grave, and Leeds wasn’t as innocent as Cyril thought. But only she and the principal likely knew the truth. The principal couldn’t be relied on, so they had to pry her open. Outside in the hallway, Jiang Tianming frowned: "I’ll ask Subing if she can use [Word Spirit] over the phone." Using Abilities on civilians was against rules and might lead to punishment from the Ability Government. But in an emergency, with a school’s safety at stake, their actions would likely be understood. Even if not, they trusted Meng Huai and "Endless Ability Academy" to bail them out. Lan Subing quickly confirmed she could control others over the phone. [Word Spirit] relied on voice, so as long as the sound transmitted, the Ability worked, though it consumed more Mental Energy. But with the [Word Spirit]-infused Ability in hand, Jiang Tianming hesitated: "If we force her to speak the truth, will Cyril believe it?" He wouldn’t say something sanctimonious like "Is this right?" Leeds’ mom’s refusal to speak, endangering the school for her and her son’s reputation, was the real wrong. "As long as we bring evidence, he’ll verify it himself," Su Bei said calmly. They had ways to make people speak truth; Cyril would have more. No worry about uncovering the truth. Before they could knock again with the truth-forcing [Word Spirit], Leeds’ door opened. Leeds’ mom stepped out, her expression complex upon seeing them still there. Seeing her open the door, they sensed something, standing silently in surprise. After a moment, Leeds’ mom took a deep breath, resolute: "I won’t go to the school to explain in person, but I can record a video stating the truth. If possible... I hope only Cyril sees it. The principal too—he knows the truth." "No problem!" Unexpectedly, she’d come around without coercion, saving them trouble. They had no issue with her sole request. Jiang Tianming was briefly elated but quickly rational, adding: "We’ll need to review it first to avoid any issues." If the video didn’t clarify things or was useless, reviewing it early would help them prepare. Leeds’ mom nodded, prepared for them to watch. She shuffled to the inner room, recalling the long-past but still vivid events. Five minutes later, she returned, face grim, handing them a camera before issuing an eviction: "The video’s in there. Leave now, watch it outside. If it’s fine, don’t come back." With what they wanted, they didn’t linger, thanking her and leaving the tenement, finding a quiet spot outside to view the video. The video was only five minutes, but afterward, both fell silent. "So that’s the truth," Jiang Tianming said after a moment, lips pursed, expression sour. "Auntie, she really..." Perhaps unsure how to describe her actions or feeling it wrong to speak ill of an elder, he stopped. Su Bei shook his head, saying sardonically: "No wonder she didn’t want to reveal the truth in person." If this truth came out, Leeds’ posthumous reputation might be uncertain, but Leeds’ mom, still alive, would face endless blame. What was the truth? Su Bei had half-guessed right. Leeds’ father was indeed sick, but not with the epidemic virus—it was another terminal illness, like cancer, untreatable with current human medicine.