novelraw Chapter 84 The Loop
Chapter 84 The Loop
“Are you out of your mind?!”
Sang Biao couldn’t hold it in anymore and roared.
No matter how much awe he felt toward the enigmatic Jiang Ran, at this moment he truly couldn’t endure it.
“Is this the time for studying? Where were you earlier?! Didn’t bother learning in class, didn’t bother learning at school—now that you’re in prison you suddenly remember to study?!”
He sucked in a breath, furious.
“Too late!”
Jiang Ran turned back.
Sang Biao’s face was flushed purple with rage.
For a moment, he didn’t look like a fugitive plotting escape—he looked like a homeroom teacher berating a student for not living up to their potential.
But right now… it really wasn’t the best time for academic discussion.Everyone had risked their lives stepping out of their cells for the sake of escape. More or less, they were all irritated by Jiang Ran’s apparent waste of time—only too afraid to say it aloud.
“Fine.”
Jiang Ran released old Zhang Yang’s hand.
“Let’s escape first.”
This tempo wouldn’t work. Next time he came to the year 2045, he would have to find a different way to contact Zhang Yang. Jiang Ran thought to himself.
Sang Biao was single-minded about escaping.
He, on the other hand, was single-minded about learning the proof of Goldbach’s Conjecture.
The two were completely incompatible.
Next time, he would have to think of a way not to follow Sang Biao in the escape—and to secure a chance to be alone with Zhang Yang.
Only then would he have enough time to study properly.
Zhang Yang had said it himself.
Understanding Goldbach’s Conjecture wasn’t impossible—but it absolutely wasn’t something that could be grasped overnight.
It required a foundation in higher mathematics.
And systematic study of specialized theory.
Therefore—
He absolutely could not keep wasting time playing jailbreak games with Sang Biao.
Move.
The five-man escape squad followed the same route as before and arrived at the equipment room.
This time, however, Jiang Ran pulled old Zhang Yang aside into the outer room to speak privately.
“Professor Zhang,” Jiang Ran whispered, “my higher mathematics is decent. If I want to understand Goldbach’s Conjecture well enough for you to explain it and for me to follow… what theoretical knowledge do I still need?”
“Books, mathematicians’ works—can you recommend something?”
At his current level, Jiang Ran knew he couldn’t comprehend the proof yet. He wasn’t in a rush.
He planned to return to 2025 and prepare properly—build a foundation—then formally ask Zhang Yang for instruction.
Old Zhang Yang adjusted his glasses.
He looked Jiang Ran up and down, puzzled.
Of all times—during a life-or-death jailbreak—this young man had decided to study?
It made no sense.
But years of teaching had ingrained in him the habit of valuing students’ questions and answering academic inquiries seriously.
So he listed several mathematical works without hesitation.
“If you can finish those books and find a teacher to explain them systematically, you should be able to understand Goldbach’s proof.”
“Lu Yu’s method is essentially a line of thought—a logical structure. It’s not inherently difficult to understand. It’s just that for centuries, no one thought of approaching it that way.”
Jiang Ran nodded and memorized the titles.
Lu Yu…
He couldn’t help but feel a twinge of emotion.
In the original timeline, Lu Yu would enroll at Donghai University in September 2025. Around 2027, at age twenty, he would prove Goldbach’s Conjecture and shock the world.
If Jiang Ran “stole” that achievement from 2045 and published it in 2025—
He would be intercepting Lu Yu’s glorious life.
It was unethical.
But there was no choice.
Without doing so, he couldn’t enter Donghai University.
Without entering Donghai University, he couldn’t proceed with reviving Cheng Mengxue.
Lu Yu… sorry.
Jiang Ran bowed internally, as if seeking unilateral permission.
If he could return to Worldline 0, reset history—
Then it wouldn’t count as stealing anything.
On Worldline 1, yes, he would appropriate the proof—just for a recommendation letter.
But once Cheng Mengxue was saved and the worldline transitioned, he would already be a Donghai University student. He and Cheng Mengxue would enter together.
Lu Yu would not know him.
He would not know Lu Yu.
And in 2027, Lu Yu would still prove Goldbach’s Conjecture.
The glory would still belong to him.
Jiang Ran wanted only to save Cheng Mengxue.
He had no desire for fame.
Soon.
The disorganized squad reached the corridor fork again.
Sang Biao took a deep breath.
“Left side—”
“Left is completely, absolutely impossible,” Jiang Ran interrupted. “That abandoned building is under sniper surveillance from every angle. We’ll be spotted no matter what.”
Sang Biao scratched his head.
“Then right? That leads to the execution ground!”
“Right side has risks too. One guard and three police dogs.”
He had confirmed last time—three dogs.
“But at least there we have a chance to fight back. Not like the left—enemy hidden, us exposed.”
“I get it,” Killer responded first.
“You want to ambush on the right, eliminate the guard and the dogs.”
“Exactly.”
Jiang Ran nodded.
“It’s the only path. High risk, high reward. We gain a pistol, uniforms, access to staff quarters…”
“As long as we reach the execution ground in disguise and blend into the crowd watching Jamie’s beheading, we’ll be hidden in plain sight.”
Everyone nodded. It sounded reasonable.
But Bookworm Zhang Yang pushed his glasses up.
“You seem to be implying something. What’s the difficulty?”
Jiang Ran spread his hands.
“The only difficulty is that we’re terrible.”
“We have zero coordination. At a signal, we’ll instantly devolve into chaos and get wiped out.”
“Professor Zhang, you’re too slow—you can’t keep up. Sang Biao, you’re too fast—charging before anyone’s ready.”
“Bullshit!” Sang Biao snapped. “You haven’t even tried! How do you know I can’t hold back?”
“What about me?” he demanded eagerly.
“You…”
Jiang Ran sighed, recalling last time.
“You’re the funniest. You tripped immediately and rolled straight into the police dog.”
“Bullshit!” Sang Biao exploded. “You think I’d kneel to a dog?!”
Each worse than the last. Each more confident than the last.
“Fine. Assign roles.”
Three electric batons for three dogs.
Sang Biao, Jiang Ran, and Hothead each took one.
Bookworm Zhang Yang—no task. He was too old.
Killer’s burden was heaviest.
Unarmed—he would eliminate the armed guard.
He insisted.
“Don’t worry,” Killer smiled, rotating his wrist. “Leave it to me.”
They hid along the right corridor.
Jiang Ran’s palms were sweating.
“Woof!”
A short bark echoed from ahead.
Footsteps. Metal clinking.
Killer held up five fingers. Silent countdown.
5.
6.
7.
2—
“AAAAAAAHHH!”
Hothead burst out early, swinging his baton.
“You—!”
Jiang Ran cursed.
Sang Biao followed, slipped on a crate, rolled forward like tumbleweed, and landed on his knees in front of a police dog.
“Woof!”
The dog happily accepted his kneecap.
Jiang Ran was speechless.
History repeating?
Fine.
He sprang from cover.
Predict.
Sidestep.
Strike.
Blue arcs crackled as his baton hit a dog’s abdomen.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four gunshots.
Jiang Ran braced for impact—
But felt nothing.
He turned.
Killer stood there, left hand crushing the guard’s throat, right hand gripping the pistol—smoke rising from the barrel.
The guard’s skull was blown open.
The three dogs lay twitching.
Jiang Ran inhaled sharply.
He hadn’t even seen what happened.
In a blink—
Killer had strangled, disarmed, reversed, and executed three precise headshots.
This was no ordinary man.
Killer stepped forward.
“[…] You’re a time traveler, aren’t you?”
Absolute confidence in his tone.
“You predicted everything. Every detail.”
He crouched.
Locked eyes with Jiang Ran.
“[…] This isn’t your first time here… is it?”