Chapter Fifty-One: The Exposed Conspiracy

Yue Longze trotted off eagerly to buy breakfast for the hands-off director. Chiba Masao took the bag from him, gulped down the milk in big swallows, and devoured the bread in three bites. Beside him, Sonoko Aoki seemed entirely used to this scene by now.

“This guy's eating speed... it could rival mine,” Yue Longze muttered under his breath, watching Chiba Masao finish his food in less than two minutes.

Soon, the other students arrived as well, stepping in from the cold, snowy morning into the dojo, where the heater was running. Everyone felt a wave of warmth and comfort.

“I didn't expect the director to come today!” Haneda Masako’s voice sounded soft and gentle, like the girl next door.

“The director must be here to challenge Coach Azawa again!” Yoshida, short and plump, twisted his body in an exaggerated fashion, making everyone stifle their laughter.

“As the director, shouldn’t I be here to supervise your training?” Director Chiba, trying to keep a straight face, gave Yoshida a light knock on the head.

...

Once everyone had changed into their uniforms, it was just about eight o’clock, and the day’s training began.

“Masako, you’ve made a lot of progress lately!” Yue Longze stood before the group, who were practicing diligently, and praised Haneda Masako.

“Really?” A hint of delight flashed across Haneda Masako’s delicate face.

“Of course, why would I lie to you?” Yue Longze spread his hands helplessly, then turned to address the group. “Though I can’t teach you the Hokushin Ittō-ryū, what I do teach is practical and widely used in kendo. I hope you’ll all keep working hard!”

“Hehe, I’ll work even harder!” Haneda Masako nodded obediently, a strange blush rising on her cheeks.

“Yoshida, do you think Masako might have a crush on Coach?” Masao Koichi whispered to Yoshida when Yue Longze wasn’t looking.

“Just look how happy she gets when he praises her. I’d bet eight or nine times out of ten she’s fallen for him!” Yoshida hid his mouth behind his wooden sword, whispering back.

“Hey, what are you two muttering about?” Yue Longze’s sharp hearing was not to be underestimated.

“Ah, we were saying Coach Azawa looks really handsome today!” Masao Koichi replied with a cheeky grin.

Hearing this, Yue Longze pulled a disgusted face, making it clear he wasn’t interested in men.

...

Yue Longze always felt happy spending time with these students, but elsewhere, some people were far from pleased.

At the TPC Pacific Base, inside a dimly lit room.

“Last night’s operation failed again?” Director Miyazawa frowned at the three men in black standing before him, hands clasped behind his back.

“Forgive us! It was our mistake!” The man in front replied anxiously.

These three were the assassins who had attempted to kill Yue Longze the night before. To avoid suspicion from others at the base, they’d only come to report to their handler—Director Miyazawa—after disposing of their comrade’s body early that morning.

“Never mind, if necessary, I’ll kill him myself!” Director Miyazawa waved his hand dismissively. The thought that he could become a giant anytime via Dr. Tango’s research soothed his frown, and the golden rims of his glasses flashed coldly in the lamplight.

“You’re dismissed.” He didn’t want to scold them further; these three were loyal followers he’d painstakingly cultivated.

As the sound of footsteps faded, the empty room was left with only Miyazawa. The dim light cast his already unpleasant features in an even more sinister light, and the yellow epaulettes on his blue uniform stood out sharply.

The first operation had aimed to capture Yue Longze alive and bring him back to the lab for dissection, in hopes of uncovering the secret behind this young man’s ability to transform into a giant.

The second operation last night, however, was meant to kill him outright—for Dr. Tango had completed the device that would allow Miyazawa himself to evolve into a giant. There was no longer any need to study Yue Longze alive.

“In these dark times, only one person can save these foolish humans—and that is me!” Miyazawa’s maniacal laughter echoed through the room.

...

“Isn’t it time you told me about that condition you mentioned before?” A voice suddenly echoed in Yue Longze’s mind. He was in the middle of explaining a technique at the dojo when he froze, his sword suspended in the air. Everyone stared at him in confusion.

Chiba Masao, sitting to the side with his takeout, put down his chopsticks and bellowed, “Hey, kid, what’s wrong?”

Despite the roughness of his voice, there was unmistakable concern in his tone.

“Coach Azawa...” Haneda Masako looked on in worry, seeing Yue Longze frozen mid-demonstration.

After about half a minute, Yue Longze finally lowered his sword and relaxed his posture.

“Uh, I just felt a bit unwell just now.” He could only offer an awkward excuse in the face of everyone’s concern.

“Coach Azawa must be working too hard...” Haneda Masako said gently, her eyes full of concern.

...

It was Masaki Keigo who had communicated directly with Yue Longze’s mind just now, using his extraordinary mental powers. The mysterious condition Yue Longze had once mentioned had never left Masaki’s memory.

Yue Longze told Masaki Keigo to meet him near Grandma’s house tomorrow night to discuss it in detail.

That day, while busy at work, Yue Longze also took the opportunity during a break to investigate the undersea tunnel he’d tracked the night before.

He obtained a map and, after extensive inquiries, uncovered a crucial fact: the tunnel was built by TPC and led straight to the Pacific Base.

“How can this be?” Yue Longze was stunned, but quickly composed himself. Thinking back over the story, he soon identified a key suspect: Dr. Tango.

In the original work, it was Dr. Tango and Masaki Keigo who developed the method to evolve into a giant. Dr. Tango was primarily focused on restoring the stone giant.

But in this timeline, Masaki Keigo would never betray him. So only Dr. Tango remained, coveting the power of the giants.

“Is it you, Dr. Tango?” Yue Longze clenched the map in his hand until it was crumpled, rage burning in his eyes.

Unfortunately, he had only guessed half the truth. Some people’s schemes ran much deeper and had never been revealed in the original story.

Still, Yue Longze would not act hastily. Without concrete evidence, no matter how high the suspicion, it was only that—suspicion.

Never wrong a good person, never let a bad one go free. That was Yue Longze’s principle.