Chapter 822 - 314: Stains on Life, Common-Law Marriage

Ren Zhong sat quietly on the spacious bed, listening to the sound of water trickling from the nearby bathroom, his mood unprecedentedly complex.

In the bathroom, Ma Xiaoling was taking a shower.

She seemed in a great mood, whistling non-stop, showcasing the charm of a bathroom diva.

The place where the two were staying was the villa arranged by Ma Dafu to cover up for Ren Zhong and Ma Xiaoling’s fake relationship to gain Yang Bingzhong’s trust.

Ren Zhong still remembered the night Ma Xiaoling unleashed her impressive acting skills, letting out heart-wrenching cries.

Time has changed, and he and Ma Xiaoling have returned to this villa with a similar goal.

The difference is this time, they need to be real.

Ren Zhong wasn’t sure if Ma Xiaoling understood what this meant.

Over ten minutes ago, Ren Zhong carefully analyzed his understanding of the network using precise language, then laid out the whole plan.

Ren Zhong said, "As I mentioned earlier, the ’network’ to the entire Source Star Society is like the brain to humans; it monitors everything and controls everything. Unless we take down the ’network’, all efforts are futile. There is an invisible yet objectively existing, insurmountable wall blocking my path."

"I can save and change the fate of the people in Starfire Town, Liao Yuan County, and even Yangsheng City, allowing them to lead good lives. But as soon as I want to take it further, I will die, you will die, and everyone in Starfire Town will die."

"Even if I do nothing next, the things we’ve already done are a ticking time bomb. No one knows when the ’network’ will make a new judgment on us, categorizing us as revolutionaries, detonating the bomb, and obliterating everything in an instant."

Ma Dafu shook his head, "Things that haven’t happened yet can’t be assumed."

Ren Zhong’s tone became heavy, "When it really happens, it’s too late to say anything. Forget rebellion, we won’t even have the chance to defend ourselves, right?"

Ma Dafu pondered for a moment, "Yes."

Ren Zhong: "If I said it has happened before, you might not believe me. But as a descendant of the Yangsheng Ma clan, Old Ma, you should be well aware of the Nameless City incident. Do you think having blind luck is meaningful, Old Ma?"

Ma Dafu: "It’s meaningless, you’re right."

Ma Xiaoling scratched her head, "What are you talking about? I understand every word, but together I have no idea what it means."

Ren Zhong and Ma Dafu both said, "You just listen, there’s no need to understand."

Ma Xiaoling: "Oh."

Ren Zhong continued: "For now, Sun Ai has managed to restrain the ’network’ on a small scale, but her ability goes beyond that; she can completely take down the network."

Ma Dafu: "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

"If it really happens, it will lead to war, and many people will die."

Ren Zhong: "But a large part of the wilderness people on Source Star are still living the kind of lives as they did in Starfire Town before. Do you call this living? What’s the difference? Living like you’re dead versus dying in battle for the sake of living – which is better? Which meets the needs of the wilderness people more?"

Ma Dafu mused for a long time, "What kind of help do you need from us?"

"The real job of the core Ma family members is to serve as the ’network’ maintenance team. Entering the Ma family’s core circle offers a chance to access the ’network’s secrets and find its physical location. Even if it’s not an exact position, at least we can get an approximate direction, saving a lot of time. There’s only twenty years left until the Great Migration, and a great purge might occur before that. Time waits for no one, I must speed up progress. As it stands, the only way is to marry Ma Xiaoling."

Ma Dafu was shocked, "Marry?"

"Yes, marry, and it must be an actual marriage, not a feigned one." Ren Zhong nodded emphatically, "After the marriage, I’ll return to the Ma family with her. Currently, the Ma family has noticed her combat talents. Prior to this, I received an invitation from Deep Communication Group, but it was a different department, not the core sector I intended. Combining our values, I’m certain we can achieve our goal."

Ma Dafu: "How confident are you?"

Ren Zhong: "It could be ten percent, or it could be a hundred percent."

"What do you mean?"

Ren Zhong rubbed his fists, "Just consider it a hundred percent. For so long, everything I’ve done seemed to have the risk of failure, but I ultimately succeeded, didn’t I?"

Ma Dafu nodded, "True. But this time the situation is a bit different. If you only need my help, I’d risk this old body of mine without hesitation. But there’s her... sigh."