Chapter Nine: The Bustling Multitude, Yet No Difference Among Them

Facing the Duke before him, Su Wen decided that whenever in doubt, he should start by using [Appraisal].

[Appraisal: Joseph Reinhardt, Hereditary Duke of Bavaria, Reformer of the Age of Origin, 12th Seat of the Northern Europa Supreme Council, Origin Knowledge—(Knight)—(Glory), Chronicle of Civilization—Character Archives—(Reinhardt)—(Duke of the Lion)]

After the appraisal, he concluded: this is a true big shot.

[Game Prompt]
[You have successfully saved Duke Reinhardt and gained the friendship of the Duchy of Bavaria.]
[World Reputation +50]
[Player is in a bleeding state, HP -0.1, HP -0.1...]

Looking at his 120 max HP—having only lost 5 points after being stabbed, with the bleeding state barely making a dent—Su Wen felt only one thing: peace of mind.

But life had to go on. He forced himself to feign immense pain while speaking with concern to the burly, dignified middle-aged aristocrat:
"Duke, are you alright?"
"I am fine. Medical staff, quickly bandage this gentleman," Joseph said in a deep voice, his gaze toward Su Wen carrying a hint of approval.

[Joseph Reinhardt, Personal Friendliness +30]

Just like that, after the Cairns Hotel security department finished their cleanup, the banquet was terminated. However, the Westminster House of Lords resolution for the following day was not postponed; on the contrary, its importance was heightened due to this emergency.

One hour later, with one hand bandaged, Su Wen successfully met Duke Reinhardt again under the introduction of Heron Campbell.
"Duke Joseph, regarding what happens next, please do not doubt me," he said calmly.

Then, under the astonished gazes of the gathered nobles, this 'Mr. Night Watcher' raised his gun with his uninjured hand and aimed it at the nurse who had just finished bandaging him.
He pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The last assassin fell dead, caught completely off guard.

[Game Progress: Three 'Zero-Sum Game' assassins cleared. Current progress (3/3)]

*It was you.*
Serving as my medical attendant not only nearly turned my hand into a mummy, but my bleeding effect didn't even stop—it even dropped another 8 points.
Furthermore, the [Appraisal] field in his eyes clearly marked:
[Appraisal: Elar Toran Brusselin (Disguised ID), First-Order Assassin of the Zero-Sum Game, Extraordinary Trait (Neurotoxin), Origin Knowledge (Alchemy)]

"Duke, the bandages she used on me contain neurotoxins; she is also an assassin from the 'Zero-Sum Game.' Now, all dangers have been cleared."

Su Wen smiled and tossed the gun to the ground.
[Achievement Unlocked: Grand Finale]
[Achievement Comment: Thank you for your cooperation in making the final scene of the performance grand and magnificent.]
[You have completed the one-star game objective: Clear the assassins.]
[You successfully altered Duke Reinhardt's death ending.]
[Sophia Reinhardt Favorability +50]
[Future timeline altered; 'Inner Ring Great Explosion' and 'Herald' time nodes have changed accordingly.]
[How will you choose next? Will you decide to push for the enactment of the 'Trans-Limit Act' under the guise of the 'Night Watcher'?]

Su Wen raised his remaining hand. It was only after the real medical team examined the three extraordinary assassins he had cleared that they believed his words.
Joseph Reinhardt, this veteran aristocrat and member of the Council's twelve seats—a possessor of the Extraordinary Knowledge [Knight]-[Glory]—did not guard himself strictly against Su Wen. Instead, he expressed his gratitude while upholding the spirit of a knight. He then had a servant bring a pot of tea and said in a deep voice:
"Are you saying the people who assassinated me are from the 'Zero-Sum Game'? Those rats hiding in the shadows have begun planning assassinations after only losing two bases."

Su Wen nodded. "I received urgent intelligence from my handler this time. To protect your life, Duke, I had to take action in front of all the distinguished guests."
"With my guarantee, you can rest assured. Also, feel free to state any reward you desire; the Duke of Bavaria is not stingy toward his rescuers."

Looking at the dialogue on the screen, Su Wen suppressed his desire for money as a poverty-stricken young man. To avoid exposing his abilities and location, and to prevent being targeted by the real 'Night Watcher' for impersonation, he couldn't even ask for a new bicycle. He could only cough twice and say righteously:
"I do not ask for a reward, but I know you will be participating in the highest-level decision-making at the Westminster House of Lords across the Thames tomorrow."
"You wish to offer some suggestions?" Mentioning government affairs, the tone of the Lion of Bavaria, Duke Reinhardt, became more serious. "Tell me your thoughts."

Su Wen nodded. He recalled Qin Mingyuan, who stood firm until the last moment of civilization, and the old man Lin Yunwen, who liked to slack off in the shade, and Jiang Menghan, who used coldness to disguise herself while resisting the malice of the world.
[Note: What you say next will, to a certain extent, alter the future course of events.]

He knew what he wanted to say.
"The Age of Origin has arrived, and the influence of the Extraordinary will gradually change the course of this social civilization. But I have family, and lovers I need to protect and cherish. They may not have such powerful abilities, but they stand by our side all the same. I do not wish for the 'Trans-Limit Act' you are introducing to cause further social estrangement between the Extraordinary and ordinary people in this world. Constraint on ability, equality in personality. That is my suggestion."

The next second, the game froze.
[Future time node for the 'Trans-Limit Act' has been changed.]

[Timeline Correction:
1. Original Night Watcher reputation increased; the 'Zero-Sum Game' organization in Northern Europa is listed as the primary target for eradication.
2. The 'Trans-Limit Act' is cancelled; upon the proposal of Duke Reinhardt, the 'Equality Act' is established.
3. The 'Human Frontier Evolution' project of the Laisangton Company is hindered; the time node is pushed back.]
[Future altered.]
['Trans-Limit Act' game session ended.]

The death countdown before Su Wen's eyes stopped ticking once again. He didn't know why, at a juncture where he could change the world's timeline, he hadn't thought of those fools from the Su family, but rather of Jiang Menghan and those other Extraordinary individuals he had only met a few times.

He laughed freely and spoke to himself: "I traded tens of millions of dollars that I could have had just by opening my mouth for a more gentle social environment for you all. Miss Jiang, shouldn't you treat me to lunch tomorrow?"

Afterward, the screen on Su Wen's computer transformed into a blue planet. Against a background of scattered stars, the image descended into the parliament of the Palace of Westminster in London, England.
Joseph Reinhardt, dressed in formal aristocratic attire, stood in the parliamentary hall and said:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, perhaps you are all aware of my assassination by the Zero-Sum Game."

The Grand Duke of Westminster offered his respects: "The danger warning system failed; the Clock Tower's third-order extraordinaries were dealing with frontier ruins at the time. Joseph, this is my fault."
"There is no need to discuss the division of responsibility. Besides, there were five second-order extraordinaries in the banquet hall yesterday; they were simply interfered with by the enemy's 'Cognitive Correction.' What I want to talk about is today's agenda."

Duke Reinhardt spoke calmly, "The Night Watcher from yesterday told me that while regulations are needed to limit the abilities of the Extraordinary, in terms of personality, there is no difference. It is worth deep reflection. I propose that the House of Lords sign the 'Equality Act' starting today."

One year later, on the banks of the Seine, a sculpture group titled [Terminating the Trans-Limit Act] was exhibited for the first time. It depicted a Duke and a Night Watcher having a late-night talk in a burning banquet hall.
In the corner of the exhibition, an Extraordinary juggler dressed as a clown was performing tricks with ion-state flames, surrounded by a circle of curious children cheering happily.
His ability to manipulate fire might never improve again, but surrounded by the children, he felt proud of himself.

"A good ending," Su Wen said.

[Future simulation process ended.]
[Entering game settlement stage.]