Chapter 26: The Truth Revealed—I'm the Mole!

Fat Bubble slumped to the ground, bawling his eyes out in a mess of tears and snot. His lips moved ceaselessly, muttering gibberish, with bubbles forming at the corners of his mouth. The entire scene was almost comical in its absurdity.

“Enough with the crying. Tell me what happened,” Qin Xiaofan said with a frown.

Fat Bubble sobbed a few more times, wiped his tears, and stammered, “Boss... I... I have to come clean!”

Everyone froze.

Qin Xiaofan teased, “So, you’re the billionaire in disguise?”

Fat Bubble shook his head, his body trembling as he continued, “I’m coming clean. Actually... I’m the traitor. Scarface A—he was revived by me!”

Gasps of shock filled the room. Even Qin Xiaofan was taken aback. All eyes turned to Fat Bubble, their disbelief plain to see.

“Bubble, stop spouting nonsense. This isn’t something to joke about!” Fat Grass pleaded anxiously at his side. The two of them had been among the first to be revived, sharing the same fate, and had become the best of friends during their time together.

Fat Bubble’s face was full of sorrow. “Handsome Grass, I’m sorry. I’ve let you down.”

Fat Grass panicked, clutching the strands of grass atop his head in despair. “Bubble, I’m begging you, don’t say things like that. People like us could never join a group like Change the World! They wouldn’t want us even if we paid them!”

“I’m sorry, Handsome Grass! I lied to you.” Fat Bubble’s grief overwhelmed him, and he began to recount everything in detail.

Before the petrification crisis, Fat Bubble had suffered because of his peculiar ability. Not only was he the butt of everyone’s jokes, but he also couldn’t find a job. After burning through the savings his parents had left behind, he survived for a long while by scavenging for food in trash bins.

Life was truly worse than a dog’s.

Then, a distant cousin reached out to him. This cousin was a member of the Change the World organization. Perhaps out of pity, he took Fat Bubble in, giving him the status of an outer member and a way to earn his keep. Usually, his tasks were low-level—gathering intelligence online and such.

“I was sick of the looks people gave me! Sick of their ridicule!” Fat Bubble shouted, his emotions spiraling out of control. “My cousin promised that after Change the World succeeded, I’d be given a place of honor, never again having to beg for food like a stray dog!”

So, in pursuit of status, when Fat Bubble saw the statue of Scarface A that morning, he chose to revive him. Yet things didn’t go as planned—Qin Xiaofan was too strong, and with a single stroke, he beheaded Scarface A.

The more Fat Bubble thought about it, the more terrified he became, convinced that it was only a matter of time before he was exposed. At last, alone and overwhelmed by guilt deep into the night, he broke down and confessed.

Was this really the truth?

Someone stepped forward, picked up the bamboo tube that had once held his “Water of Civilization,” and pulled out the wooden stopper. Sure enough, it was empty.

The group fell silent, all eyes on Fat Bubble. It was hard to imagine that this simple, timid, overweight man—who barely dared look others in the eye for fear of being hit—had hidden such depths.

Qin Xiaofan’s brow furrowed deeply. Something about this didn’t sit right with him. In his memory, Fat Bubble was honest and well-behaved, content just to have enough to eat. He’d never seen a hint of ambition in those dull eyes.

“No! This can’t be!” Handsome Grass shouted hysterically, breaking down completely. Fat Bubble was his closest friend in the group—the only one he truly confided in. If Fat Bubble really was a member of Change the World, it meant losing his one true friend forever.

He began to cry, like a child, and then fell to his knees before Qin Xiaofan. “Boss! Please, spare him! Please! He just made a stupid mistake...”

Qin Xiaofan remained silent, scratching his forehead and pacing back and forth. He still felt something was off, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

In the end, Qin Xiaofan ordered Fat Bubble to be locked up until he could unravel what was wrong and decide what to do next.

At long last, Dai Li—the long-haired woman—and Li Qiang the bald man were cleared of suspicion. Dai Li heaved a sigh of relief, but Li Qiang could find no joy in his exoneration. Because he’d been caught peeping at Dai Li bathing, Qin Xiaofan had punished him by tying his feet with vines and hanging him upside down from a tree outside the cave, where he’d stay until dawn.

A truly miserable fate...

The next morning, Qin Xiaofan went to check on the wheat fields as usual, bringing a few people with him. Thankfully, the wheat was hardy, and the previous day’s thunderstorm had not done much damage. The seedlings stood more than half a meter tall, some already flowering, filling the air with a unique fragrance.

Qin Xiaofan straightened the stalks that had been bent by the wind, pulled up the weeds just sprouting, then led everyone back.

For three days, the sky remained clear. Life for Qin Xiaofan settled into a regular routine, shuttling between the cave and the wheat fields, watching as the wheat blossomed and green heads began to form.

Meanwhile, under Xiaoyan’s organization, the others busied themselves with building wooden houses. With the group’s numbers now up to thirty, the cave was overcrowded—they had to hurry and finish the cabins.

This time, they laid proper foundations and, avoiding overambitious designs, started with small, sturdy huts.

At last, on the sixth day, twenty wooden cabins were completed. Each cabin covered about ten square meters, neat and square, just big enough for one person. Looking out from the cave, it resembled a small village. The cabins were simple and drafty, but just about habitable. Seeing the twenty new homes, everyone was filled with pride and satisfaction.

Some made makeshift furniture to place inside, adding to the sense of accomplishment. Thus, the beginnings of a tribe took shape.

Qin Xiaofan wandered among them, nodding with satisfaction. Encouraged by his approval, everyone worked with even greater enthusiasm, beaming with joy.

That night, Qin Xiaofan assigned twenty people to move out to the cabins, making the cave spacious once more. Those left behind were secretly delighted, feeling favored by their leader.

“Boss... um...” someone began, but lost their nerve mid-sentence.

Qin Xiaofan smiled, unconcerned. He knew perfectly well what they were hoping for—another distribution of the Water of Civilization. But he had his own plans. The timing and number of people to revive had all been carefully mapped out in his mind. Besides, the formula for the Water of Civilization needed some adjustments; otherwise, he’d never have peace of mind.

Fat Bubble, meanwhile, was still locked up in a wooden cage. The others ignored him completely, refusing to speak to him. Only Handsome Grass continued to bring him food every day, leaving Fat Bubble in tears of gratitude each time.

Qin Xiaofan, for his part, still couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the whole affair. But deep down, he felt certain that, sooner or later, he would discover the truth. Only then could he know who the real traitor was.

The wheat finally ripened! Just as Qin Xiaofan had calculated, it matured on the tenth day after planting. Standing before the golden fields, everyone was overwhelmed with excitement.

What was this? It was the fruit of their labor!

At Qin Xiaofan’s command, they began the harvest. At the thought of steaming white rice, everyone worked with renewed vigor.