Doomsday Wonderland Vol. 13: Sleepwalking in Dreamland

1635: Sudden Change

"Are we really going to let him go? Wouldn't it be better to kill him after recording the video?" Shortie asked quietly, leaning against the yacht's railing.

After confirming the prisoners were securely tied, the group had left the lower deck to discuss Ah Cheng's sudden decision in private, away from Qiu Chantian.

With the Empire's backing, Qiu Chantian had trampled on Tear City for so long that most of its people wouldn't mind seeing his corpse floating in the sea. Now that they had the chance, the group found it hard to understand why Ah Cheng was so intent on releasing him.

"Of course, we're letting him go."

In the wide warehouse, dim lights flickered over dirty yellow water pooling on the floor. Everyone kept their voices low to avoid echoes. Ah Cheng lit a cigarette, took a drag, and said, "If we kill him, the only thing we'll gain is a sense of satisfaction. It won't help us in any meaningful way."

Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to explain. Xie Feng stood silently to the side, twisting the hem of her shirt with nervous hands. More than anything, she just wanted to leave.

"Think about it," Ah Cheng continued. "If we kill him after recording the video, the Empire will just say he was coerced into confessing. Even without a body, they could fabricate one, claim he's dead, and dismiss the video as a lie from a desperate man under threat. Then, it'll just turn into a useless back-and-forth—'The video's real.' 'No, it's not.' And its impact will be ruined."

Shortie nodded slowly, absorbing the logic.

"If we kill him, the Empire will retaliate," Ah Cheng said, glancing at Xie Feng. "Thinking Tear City will suddenly unite is just wishful thinking. Submitting to the Empire didn't unite us, and the Empire isn't stupid enough to retaliate in the most obvious way. They have countless ways to punish us. Killing Qiu Chantian just to vent our anger isn't worth it."

Xie Feng remained silent.

As events have evolved to this point, she felt a strange realization sinking in.

Something monumental was happening—something that could change the future of Tear City. And her phone call had set it in motion. But that didn't mean she was part of it. She was merely witnessing history shift. The outcome of these events wasn't in her hands. Her opinions, in fact, held no sway over what would happen next.

She was nothing more than a bystander who happened to be there.

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Tear City was her home, and she had triggered these events, yet when everything started to move, she found herself separated, as if a barrier stood between her and the unfolding future. She couldn't quite explain the feeling, and didn't know what was exactly causing it.

"So, we're really giving him two days to escape?" Black Dog asked, clearly reluctant.

"No, that won't work either," Ah Cheng replied. "If he goes missing, the Empire will say we killed him. Sure, they'll secretly worry that he might resurface and probably try to hunt him down, but his disappearance will still weaken the video's impact and credibility. For us, the best outcome is to send him back—intact—into the Empire's hands."

"What?" Shortie gasped. No one had seen that coming.

"Hear me out. If everyone sees him return safely and unharmed, then when we release the video, it'll hit with full force. A leak or betrayal from within always causes more damage than external resistance."

Through the haze of cigarette smoke, Ah Cheng's face was barely visible, but his bitter, hateful smile still shone through. "Of course, we'll need to make the video look natural, as if he's just having a conversation. We could set up a camera in front of him so he thinks he's confessing directly to it, but we'll film him from the side with a phone instead. We can make it work."