Chapter 24
Yu Zhi lifted his eyelids and stared straight at Fu Suxi.
This was the first time he had gotten a close look at Fu Suxi’s face. His features were sharply defined and strikingly handsome, with an aggressive intensity. Though the killing intent that had surrounded him earlier had dissipated entirely, a trace of menace lingered between his brows. His long, upturned phoenix eyes carried a faintly deranged glint, suggesting a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
If Fu Suxi had been like a rabid, bloodthirsty dog earlier, now he was a mad dog draped in human skin.
Yu Zhi thought to himself that being wrapped in human skin was an improvement—at least now they could communicate.
While Yu Zhi studied Fu Suxi, Fu Suxi studied him in return.
“You saved me?” Fu Suxi’s tone carried a hint of playfulness, his gaze calm and probing.
Yu Zhi nodded calmly. “Yes, I saved you. Your mental state was on the verge of collapse.”
He had initially intended to say, “You were acting insane,” but swallowed the words just in case. After all, his ability might have erased Fu Suxi’s murderous intent, but that didn’t mean Fu Suxi wasn’t capable of violence.
To play it safe, Yu Zhi softened his phrasing. “You didn’t seem quite right earlier.”
“I wasn’t,” Fu Suxi denied flatly.
Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow. “Your eyes were red.”
“Normal.”
“…”
Yu Zhi was momentarily at a loss for words. Normal? Who’s ever heard of normal people having their eyes turn red when they use their powers?
He had underestimated Fu Suxi’s shamelessness.
“So, you didn’t save me,” Fu Suxi concluded leisurely. “However, I truly didn’t kill you.”
Yu Zhi suddenly had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, in the next moment, Fu Suxi smirked and asked, “How do you plan to thank me for sparing your life?”
Yu Zhi was speechless.
There’s nothing more terrifying than a mad dog with a brain.
Thank him? He could thank his whole family.
Meeting Fu Suxi’s gaze, Yu Zhi pulled the half-empty pack of cigarettes from his pocket and handed it over, forcing a strained smile. “Here, thanks.”
Fu Suxi didn’t stand on ceremony. He took the pack, lit one with his ability, and exhaled a plume of smoke. “Your life’s only worth half a pack of cigarettes?”
Yu Zhi’s expression didn’t change. “Sorry, I’m not worth much.”
“…”
Smoke curled lazily between them, easing the tension. The nicotine seemed to relax Fu Suxi, who quietly observed Yu Zhi’s pale, refined features.
Yu Zhi’s ability had only eliminated Fu Suxi’s desire to kill—it hadn’t affected his rationality. He still wanted to kill Yu Zhi, but every time the impulse surfaced, it inexplicably vanished before he could act on it.
This intrigued Fu Suxi. An ability like this could easily render anyone powerless.
As he smoked, Fu Suxi reached out and clamped Yu Zhi’s face between his fingers, his touch rough as he rubbed at the dried blood on Yu Zhi’s cheek.
Abilities like Fu Suxi’s required a medium—blood—to strip powers. Normally, he’d accomplish this by snapping someone’s neck, but since he couldn’t kill Yu Zhi, he felt uncharacteristically clumsy.
[Ability Steal Failed.]
[Ability Steal Failed.]
[Ability Steal Failed.]
[Ability Steal Failed.]
Yu Zhi winced at the pain, hissing softly.
He tried to push Fu Suxi’s hand away, but Fu Suxi’s grip was like iron, unmoving.
What the hell was wrong with him?
Just as Yu Zhi was about to curse, his gaze met Fu Suxi’s, filled with amusement as if he were inspecting a rare, fascinating toy. Fu Suxi’s grip tightened, as though intent on peeling away Yu Zhi’s skin.
Wait a second…
Yu Zhi’s eyelid twitches. Is this mad dog trying to steal his ability?
He immediately opened his system panel. His abilities remained intact—two, to be exact—and all his inventory items were still there. Nothing had been taken.
From above, Fu Suxi’s voice descended lazily. “What are you so nervous about?”
Yu Zhi thought, Wouldn’t anyone be nervous running into a notorious thief like you?
But he didn’t dare say it aloud. Instead, after a brief pause, he deliberately provoked Fu Suxi. “Because you’re touching me. It feels… weirdly gay.”
Fu Suxi froze. “?”
Yu Zhi continued with a straight face, “I’m afraid you’ll do something inappropriate.”
Fu Suxi: “…”
Yu Zhi felt the fingers on his face stiffen momentarily, so he added fuel to the fire. “Just to be clear, I’m only ever a top.”
Fu Suxi: “…”
As soon as the words left Yu Zhi’s mouth, the hand on his face withdrew.
He let out a sigh of relief, reaffirming his theory that the best way to handle a lunatic was to outdo them in lunacy.
But before he could settle completely, he suddenly felt his body lifted off the ground, his world spinning.
A dark green off-road vehicle materialized next to Fu Suxi. The back door swung open, and Yu Zhi was unceremoniously thrown inside.
Momentarily dazed by the abrupt motion, Yu Zhi’s mind raced to one absurd thought: Could Fu Suxi actually be gay?!
But A’Zheng never mentioned anything about this!
“Bang!” The car door slammed shut.
Yu Zhi looked up to see Fu Suxi standing outside, closing the door himself. It seemed Fu Suxi wasn’t planning anything unspeakable inside the car; rather, he intended to drive them somewhere else.
Despite Fu Suxi standing outside, Yu Zhi’s attention was drawn to his interface, where his balance of Universal Coins was steadily climbing.
Curious, he glanced at the stream of comments on the live feed:
[User “Take Your Vitamin E” bless you with your fears becoming reality! – 50 Universal Coins]
[User “Scarecrow’s Plow” hope you seduce him! – 50 Universal Coins]
[User “Firelord” can’t wait to see you punished! – 50 Universal Coins]
[User “Lush Green” excitedly tipping you! – 50 Universal Coins]
The usernames were unfamiliar, and the tips were unusually generous. They were likely heavy hitters from Fu Suxi’s live stream rather than Yu Zhi’s usual viewers.
Yu Zhi’s brain worked rapidly as he analyzed his current situation:
The bad news: Escaping Fu Suxi’s grasp was temporarily impossible.
The good news, part one: Fu Suxi couldn’t kill him—at least not yet.
The good news, part two: Staying near Fu Suxi could rake in significant Universal Coins.
For once, the good news outweighed the bad, leaving Yu Zhi with the faint illusion that his luck had turned.
He sat up slowly, calmly fastening his seatbelt.
“Ding dong—” At midnight sharp, a familiar chime sounded from the sky.
Then came the system’s childlike voice:
“System Notice:
Main Quest Two is now officially complete!
The Universal Coin Trading Function is now live!
All Earth residents are encouraged to actively participate in missions and protect Earth. Protect Earth. Protect Earth!”
As the system’s voice faded, an announcement appeared on Yu Zhi’s interface:
[Universal Coin Trading Update Announcement]
Dear Earth Residents, to better defend Earth, the Universal Coin Trading Feature is now fully operational:
- All Earth residents can freely trade Universal Coins with no transaction fees.
- Completing actions related to pollutant dungeons may yield Universal Coins.
- More features are waiting to be discovered! Actively participate, complete missions, and protect Earth!
Yu Zhi glanced at Fu Suxi. The man remained completely indifferent to the announcement, climbing into the driver’s seat and starting the engine.
Yu Zhi quickly said, “What about Xiao Ming?”
Without even looking up, Fu Suxi replied, “Just a B-rank ability user.”
Yu Zhi froze. How did Fu Suxi know Xiao Ming was B-rank?
Aware that Fu Suxi didn’t care about others’ lives, Yu Zhi adjusted his approach. “You didn’t kill him. He should be thanking you.”
Fu Suxi turned the wheel and said dismissively, “I’m generous.” The implication: no thanks necessary.
Yu Zhi’s lips twitched. “If you want to use my ability, you’ll need to bring him along. I need his healing powers.”
Fu Suxi glanced at the rearview mirror, his gaze falling on the still-bleeding wound on Yu Zhi’s face. The scab was forming at a snail’s pace—not at all like an ability user, slower even than an ordinary person.
Yu Zhi wiped the blood from his face and pressed on. “Keeping me alive is more useful to you than letting me die. Bring Xiao Ming along. Whatever you need from me after that, I’ll cooperate.”
Fu Suxi paused mid-motion, clearly aware that Yu Zhi was not as harmless as he appeared. If Yu Zhi was willing to cooperate, it would save him considerable trouble.
Casually, Fu Suxi asked, “Is he your boyfriend?”
Yu Zhi immediately grasped Fu Suxi’s angle—trying to gain leverage. Feigning nonchalance, he answered, “Yes, he’s my boyfriend.”
Fu Suxi smoked quietly, making no other moves.
Yu Zhi’s heart pounded faster with every second that passed.
Finally, Fu Suxi acted. He stubbed out his cigarette, got out of the car, and walked toward Lu Liming.
Yu Zhi exhaled deeply, releasing the tension in his clenched hands.
Perfect. Fu Suxi didn’t have a lie-detecting ability.
Cooperate? Fat chance!
This bastard—just wait. As soon as there’s an opportunity, I’ll take you down.
Fu Suxi, as brusque as ever, grabbed Lu Liming by the collar and hauled his unconscious body into the back seat like a sack of potatoes.
Once Fu Suxi got back into the car, he spun the steering wheel, slammed the accelerator, and the vehicle roared to life.
The engine growled as the off-road vehicle sped forward.
Yu Zhi had just fastened Lu Liming’s seatbelt when he glanced up—and immediately froze. The car was hurtling directly toward a six-story-high wall.
“Bang!”
With an ear-splitting crash, the vehicle smashed into the wall, breaking through it to create a passage wide enough for them to drive through. Bricks and debris flew everywhere as the wall crumbled in a cascade of dust, trembling the ground.
As they sped away, Yu Zhi looked back and saw the immensity of the wall in full detail. It stretched endlessly across the horizon, its scale breathtaking.
To think one person could do something like this… He really is the protagonist of a novel.
Yu Zhi stole a glance at the back of Fu Suxi’s head.
Fu Suxi hadn’t asked anything about the Cockroach Dungeon. He didn’t seem to care about it. This meant that the maze in H City wasn’t specifically designed for them or for the Cockroach Dungeon.
If it wasn’t just a game to pass time and toy with them, then the purpose could only be related to Main Task Two: burning through abilities.
Yu Zhi closed his eyes, falling into deep thought.
With this level of power, there was no way Fu Suxi had started from zero in just a couple of days. If pollutants had existed in the world for some time, then ability users must have as well.
The car had been traveling for some time when the in-car phone suddenly rang.
Fu Suxi answered, and a deafening roar exploded through the cabin. “Fu Suxi!”
Yu Zhi perked up, silently straining to listen.
Fu Suxi, anticipating the torrent of questions, cut the person off coldly with two words: “Not dead.”
The voice on the other end, Ji Yangqiu, immediately softened, speaking rapidly. “Good job! You’re a saint! On behalf of all humanity, I thank you for sparing him—”
Fu Suxi interrupted again. “Where’s the nearest pollutant source to H City?”
Ji Yangqiu was momentarily stunned. “Why do you want to know that?”
“To give you an opportunity to thank me.”
Ji Yangqiu: “?”
“Isn’t being your son enough?” he retorted.
“I don’t need a son,” Fu Suxi replied flatly.
After a brief silence, Ji Yangqiu skipped discussing the pollutant source and instead barraged Fu Suxi with questions. “First, tell me about the person who stole your dungeon. What do you mean by ‘not dead’? Are they on the verge of dying? Why would you still have time to worry about pollutant sources? What exactly happened? Who is this person—an ordinary guy with a god-tier awakened ability, or someone from there…?”
Fu Suxi responded to only one question: “His ability is special. It makes killing intent impossible.”
Hearing that, Ji Yangqiu became even more excited. “What the hell? That’s a god-tier ability! Isn’t that practically invincible? Bring him to B City—no, never mind. You’re clumsy. Just protect him, and I’ll send someone to pick him up.”
“He’s not one of them, right? Definitely not, or you’d already be dead. Is he right there with you? What’s his name?”
Fu Suxi glanced at the rearview mirror. “Stop pretending to be asleep. What’s your name?”
Caught in the act, Yu Zhi slowly opened his eyes and, without missing a beat, said, “Yu Yi.”
“Which ‘Yi’?” Fu Suxi asked suspiciously.
Yu Zhi replied smoothly, “The ‘Yi’ as in ‘I’m always number one.’”
Fu Suxi: “…”
Ji Yangqiu on the other end: “…”
Since Yu Zhi technically shouldn’t know Fu Suxi’s name, he politely reciprocated, “And you are?”
“Fu Xing. Xing, as in ‘making the trip worthwhile,’” Fu Suxi replied without missing a beat.
Yu Zhi: “…”
Ji Yangqiu couldn’t resist chiming in, “And I’m Ji Yin. Yin, as in ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing.’”
Yu Zhi: “…”
Yu Zhi didn’t bother exposing Fu Suxi’s obvious pseudonym nor questioning whether Ji Yin was a real name. Instead, he politely greeted them.
Bringing the conversation back on track, Fu Suxi asked again, “Where’s the nearest pollutant source?”
After a pause, Ji Yangqiu sighed in defeat. “Possibly in J City, but I’m not sure of the exact location. Take your passenger to J City for now—”
Before he could finish, Fu Suxi hung up, punching the GPS to route them toward J City.
*
B City
After the call ended, Ji Yangqiu gestured to the intern managing the communication ability, dismissing him with a wave.
The moment the door clicked shut, he issued orders, his tone sharp and efficient. “Investigate a man named Yu Yi from H City. He sounds young, under 30.”
“Send a team to J City to track Fu Suxi. Bring the special tranquilizer guns.”
The subordinate hesitated. “Tranquilizer guns?”
“Yes, and bring a psychic ability user too. Fu Suxi won’t cooperate in handing over the guy. Take him by force.”
Imagining Fu Suxi being restrained, Ji Yangqiu couldn’t suppress a grin. “Soon, Fu Suxi will be my personal weapon on a leash!”
The subordinate: “…”
“I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”
“Oh, and one more thing,” Ji Yangqiu added with a sly smile. “Make sure the aircraft avoids S City.”
“Pollutant source isn’t in J City. It’s in the neighboring city of S City.”
Yay it’s back ??