Chapter 113
Rooftop
The woman wore a striking, form-fitting red dress and slender high heels, swaying gracefully as she walked to the edge of the rooftop.
She gazed toward a distant residential building and said slowly, “No wonder Yingmian was so eager to rape him.”
“The way he makes people feel… is indeed special.”
“Are the people you care about all this special?”
As she spoke, Hongtao turned around. The hem of her dress traced an arc in the air, brushing past the man in a khaki tactical jacket beside her.
The glasses that had once rested on Fu Suxi’s nose were gone. His narrow eyes were half-closed, pupils unfocused and dull. There wasn’t a trace of emotion on his face—like an empty wooden puppet.
Hongtao’s gaze swept over him. Smiling sweetly, she said, “Time to go see your brother. Aren’t you happy?”
Fu Suxi stood motionless, without any reaction.
“He’d rather believe the words on the wall than believe me. He’s probably already guessed who the contamination source is.”
Hongtao paused, the curve of her lips deepening. “I have to see with my own eyes the look on his face when he kills the contamination source.”
“If he cries, that would be best. His skin is so fair—he’d definitely look beautiful when he cries. It’s a pity this time the contamination source can’t be—”
“Forget it.” Hongtao cut herself off, tossing the black umbrella in her hand to Fu Suxi. “You hold the umbrella. I’ll take you to see your brother.”
Fu Suxi caught the umbrella. With a snap, he opened it. His wrist twisted, and the sharp tip of the umbrella thrust straight toward Hongtao’s eye.
Hongtao’s expression changed slightly. She grabbed the edge of the umbrella and looked into Fu Suxi’s unfocused eyes before snatching it back irritably. “You can’t even hold an umbrella properly. So clumsy.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the livestream chat began scrolling rapidly, urging her to make Fu Suxi do all sorts of things.
Hongtao glanced at the comments and tucked her hair behind her ear.
Turning Yu Yi into this state and making him obey simple commands had already consumed a great deal of her ability. There was no need to waste more on trivial matters.
She switched hands to hold the umbrella and smiled at the livestream. “Today’s persona is a Jiangnan beauty holding an umbrella.”
“This beauty doesn’t do the kind of things you’re suggesting.”
“Yu Yi, follow me. I’ll take you to see your brother.”
With that, she descended the stairs, swaying gracefully.
“The sun goes down, it rises again tomorrow;
Flowers wither, next year they bloom the same;
Big brother, big brother, once gone without a trace…”
The familiar song. The familiar voice. The familiar tone.
Yu Zhi’s face grew even worse. Damn it—this was Xiao Hei’s voice! The song Xiao Hei used to hum at the company!
Xiao Hei wasn’t dead?!
Xiao Hei was Yingmian?!
The livestream users realized it too. Their schadenfreude intensified; the barrage of comments became even more frenzied.
[User “Pure and Abstinent” eagerly anticipates the other party’s rape game and tipped you 20 universal coins.]
[User “One Life, One Love” looks forward to your depraved group game and tipped you 20 universal coins.]
[User “Scarecrow’s Straw” viciously curses you to be raped to death.]
[User “Electronic Wooden Fish” excitedly beats the wooden fish for you and tipped you 20 universal coins.]
[User “World’s Cutest Girl” hopes you’ll face men head-on and tipped you 40 universal coins.]
Yu Zhi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He looked out the window.
The sky was pitch black, like ink spilled across it. Residential buildings on both sides loomed like massive barriers, blocking most of the heavens.
Nothing was clear—not even the outlines of the buildings.
Yu Zhi quickly said to Lu Liming, “Drive somewhere more open. Anywhere.”
Lu Liming had nothing left to vomit. His face was greenish as he answered and floored the accelerator.
The engine roared. The off-road vehicle shot forward.
Just as they passed one residential building, several fence-like black lines suddenly descended from the sky and stabbed heavily into the ground, blocking the road.
Lu Liming couldn’t dodge in time. The vehicle slammed straight into them.
With a loud bang, the black lines remained firmly rooted, undamaged. The SUV’s bumper, however, cracked off a corner.
Doctor Qi was thrown from his seat.
“Xiao Ming, take another route,” Yu Zhi said, hurrying to help Doctor Qi up.
Lowering his head, he saw eyeballs growing on the back of Doctor Qi’s hand. Worse still, Doctor Qi’s back was damp, his clothes bulging with small lumps.
Something was growing underneath—rolling incessantly.
Yu Zhi inhaled sharply and bent down to pick up the fallen dagger.
The moment he grabbed it, the car door thudded violently.
Two or three vaguely humanoid contaminants lunged at the door. The window hadn’t been fully closed—several arms covered in eyeballs suddenly thrust into the vehicle.
A dense cluster of eyeballs nearly smothered Yu Zhi’s face.
Swearing, he grabbed the rifle and fired repeatedly at the creatures outside.
Bang. Bang.
Lu Liming noticed the backseat chaos and immediately slammed the brakes and spun the wheel.
The SUV executed a sharp drift, flinging the contaminants off before speeding down a narrow path ahead.
Yu Zhi hadn’t even had time to relax when Yingmian’s singing echoed again from the rooftops, pressing on their hearts relentlessly.
Though the SUV raced forward, the voice clung to them like a shadow.
“Big brother, big brother flies without a trace;
My big brother once gone never returns…”
Lu Liming finally caught the lyrics. “Is the contamination source singing?”
Yu Zhi replied, “No. Someone from Meteorite Biotech. Probably Yingmian—the one Hongtao mentioned.”
Hearing it was a human gave Lu Liming slight relief—but once he understood the lyrics, his face turned even greener. “Why sing this song? Ruining my childhood.”
They sped onto the main road of the temporary shelter area.
More contaminants roamed there. As soon as the SUV appeared, they surged forward as if receiving orders.
Lu Liming was about to ram through them when, before he could drive even three meters, several black lines slashed diagonally through a building ahead.
A massive chunk of wall collapsed with a thunderous crash, blocking the road.
Lu Liming slammed the brakes, tires screeching. He veered into a side path.
Yu Zhi glanced back. The contaminants chased them, and in an instant, eyeballs burst from their bodies, turning in unison to stare at him.
He narrowed his eyes.
Xiao Hei’s ability hadn’t harmed the contaminants.
It was as if he deliberately avoided them, instead destroying distant buildings.
Yu Zhi’s mind raced.
Back in the company instance, Xiao Hei’s ability hadn’t harmed any contaminants either.
Did he not want to hurt them—or could he not?
Yu Zhi pressed his lips together. Back then, Fu Suxi had needed to be contaminated to move freely. Xiao Hei hadn’t been contaminated—yet he moved unhindered.
The eerie, cheerful song continued between the buildings.
Yu Zhi leaned forward and pressed Lu Liming’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. He won’t attack us for now.”
Yingmian was playing a game. Enjoying the hunt.
Just like Hongtao, he wanted Yu Zhi to watch familiar faces become contaminated.
That’s why he blocked the main road—forcing them toward heavier contamination.
Yu Zhi scanned the surroundings and said calmly, “Keep going. After the third building, turn right back to the main road. No matter how many contaminants block us—ram through.”
Lu Liming steadied himself. “Got it!”
They charged forward, smashed through three contaminants, and reentered the main road.
The singing above faltered briefly.
Ahead lay the leisure area. The closer they got, the more contaminants filled the streets.
Black lines rained down again—this time not slicing buildings, but piercing the ground like arrows, forcing detours.
The road buckled and warped. The contaminants remained untouched.
Yu Zhi was certain now. Xiao Hei couldn’t harm contaminants.
“From now on,” he said quickly, “drive wherever you can.”
Then he turned to Doctor Qi. “Can you hold on?”
“Yes,” Doctor Qi replied stiffly. “But I think my back might also be growing—”
“No need to think. It is,” Yu Zhi said bluntly.
Doctor Qi: “……”
He took off his jacket and turned his back toward Yu Zhi. “Do it.”
“No.”
“???”
Yu Zhi shoved the dagger into his hand. “I’ll leave the armored vehicle. You and Xiao Ming split up and lure Xiao Hei away. I’ll pretend I’m still in your car using teleportation, then leave.”
He added, “Xiao Hei is the one singing.”
“He doesn’t seem to attack contaminants. Since you’re contaminated, you might actually be safer.”
Doctor Qi understood—Yu Zhi intended to act alone.
“You’re going to find Minister Yu?”
Yu Zhi sneered. “What’s the point?”
“I’m going to find the contamination source.”
“Who is it?” Lu Liming asked urgently.
“Yan Yang,” Yu Zhi said.
He put on Doctor Qi’s combat jacket and zipped it to the top.
The contamination source was an ability user. Someone Meteorite had carefully chosen.
Fu Suxi had brought Yan Yang and Shang Yu to the temporary shelter. Fu Suxi entered the instance. Shang Yu returned.
Only Yan Yang was missing.
Yu Zhi opened the car door, took out an armored vehicle from [My Props], looked up at the rooftop—and teleported up in a flash.
In the darkness, Yingmian moved lightly across the rooftops, dressed entirely in black, blending perfectly with the night. A pitch-black mask covered his face; only his pale lips were exposed.
They curved upward as he sang, “My brother flies like a little bird—”
The song stopped abruptly.
A twisted laugh echoed through the dead night.
Yingmian giggled and sang instead, “My brother flies back like a little bird.”
Yu Zhi looked at him expressionlessly. “I thought you were dead.”
Yingmian let out a soft “Ah,” touched his injured chest, and laughed again.
“I remember.”
“That was our precious memory.”
“Brother, did you miss me?”
Yu Zhi sneered. “Miss you? Did you ever think about the people?”
Yingmian: “…………”
