Chapter 42
[User “Stare of Abyss” is intrigued by your hidden task.]
[User “Momo” looks forward to your completion of the hidden task.]
[User “Cyber Bodhisattva” is curious about your hidden task and has tipped you 10 universal coins.]
[User “Electronic Wooden Fish” finds your hidden task very interesting and has tipped you 10 universal coins.]
With the emergence of the hidden task, the live-streaming room’s viewer count skyrocketed from just over two thousand to four thousand within seconds. Even in this typically stingy chatroom, several viewers tipped generously.
Although the tip amounts were far from the lavish sums in Fu Suxi’s stream, compared to the previous near-empty donations, this was a considerable improvement.
Yu Zhi glanced at the swelling balance in his universal coins account but, for once, was unmoved by the prospect of money.
Money was important, but life was more important.
He quickly shouted in his mind: [System! I refuse to do it!]
If they could force him to “collect garbage” today, who knew what absurd tasks they might coerce him into tomorrow?
[I’m not doing it! Do you hear me?!]
The system was silent.
[System! I voluntarily forfeit this hidden task!]
Still no response.
Yu Zhi: [I’m filing a complaint.]
Finally, the system reacted: [How do you plan to report me?]
Yu Zhi sneered and said aloud to the chat: “Ladies and gentlemen in the audience, please help me file a complaint against this system.”
The system: “…”
Whether or not the viewers could actually complain, or if it was due to another reason, a system panel appeared before Yu Zhi with an explanation.
[The hidden task is a serendipitous event, randomly triggered, and beyond the system’s unilateral control.]
Translation: There’s no negotiating out of this task.
Yu Zhi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to comfort himself.
The hidden task had no time limit.
Not doing it wouldn’t kill him.
Doing it… well, death wasn’t the worst outcome.
Dying might even be better.
Right?
After calming himself, Yu Zhi exhaled slowly and reached out to touch the ends of Chen Tingting’s hair.
[Would you like to collect this garbage?]
[Yes.]
[My Garbage]: 2 (Current version allows a maximum of 5 items).]
[Name: Chen Tingting.]
[Function: A useless corpse.]
[Description: I was born to have value, but I am different. I am my mother’s child. My mom said going to school is nothing compared to working, but I said both are fine—it’s just my fate that’s bitter. My aunt said enduring hardship makes one superior; I endure hardship and serve the superior. My uncle said the diligent reap more. I am a corpse—the dead hold priority. I am Chen Tingting. Ting of ‘Chen Tingting.’]
Yu Zhi’s eyes lowered, staring at the detail in Chen Tingting’s profile.
Then, from behind him, came the faint rustle of movement.
Yu Zhi’s eyelashes trembled. They were here.
A faint sound of “taste” brushed past his ear.
At the same time, a small crater appeared in the ground at his feet.
A woman’s voice rang out sharply: “Hand over the contamination source’s body.”
Turning toward the sound, Yu Zhi first spotted a familiar black uniform, followed by the figure of a tall woman holding a gun aimed directly at his forehead.
His eyes lingered on her face.
He remembered this woman—she was the same Bureau agent who had pointed a gun at Xiao Ming back on the street.
She was also, according to Zuo Feiyang, the deputy leader of his squad.
If he recalled correctly, her name was… Nie Yue?
In a flash, scattered fragments of information connected in Yu Zhi’s mind.
The sudden broadcasts in town, the mention of a “sister” in Chen Tingting’s diary, the missing pages, the deliberate misdirection, Zuo Feiyang’s squad nearly being wiped out…
Yu Zhi’s pupils contracted, his long lashes shading the shock in his eyes.
He’d expected the mastermind to show up eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to be an Action Bureau agent.
Shit, shit, shit!
That meant there was a mole in the Special Action Bureau!
This was far more complicated than he’d imagined.
Yu Zhi quickly masked his thoughts, putting on an expression of surprise and delight. “You’re Zuo Feiyang’s teammate, right? We met on the street.”
Nie Yue stepped over a contaminated corpse, her eyes sweeping over Yu Zhi’s injuries.
The wounds weren’t fatal but were severe enough to hinder his movement. In this condition, even if he used his abilities, he couldn’t get far.
She pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang—
Another crater appeared on the ground.
Yu Zhi felt a stinging pain in his calf; the bullet had grazed his leg.
His faint smile froze for a moment.
This woman wasn’t even pretending to play nice.
“I’ll say it again. Hand over the contamination source’s body.”
Nie Yue looked down at Yu Zhi, speaking slowly: “You don’t have any offensive abilities, no combat skills, and no weapons capable of handling me.”
Yu Zhi’s eyelashes quivered. She even knew he didn’t have an offensive ability.
Had she been watching them from the shadows all this time…?
The live-stream audience erupted in excitement at the unfolding scene.
[User “I Love Earth” curses you for not dying within an hour, ruining their bet.]
[User “Lord of Fire” is eager to claim everything belonging to ‘Scarecrow’s Bet.’]
[User “World’s Cutest Girl” is eager to claim everything belonging to ‘Scarecrow’s Bet.’]
[User “Stare of Abyss” wants to claim everything from ‘Scarecrow’s Bet’ and advises you to surrender and die quickly.]
Nie Yue, seeing Yu Zhi remain motionless, urged coldly: “Hand over the contamination source’s body now, and I’ll let you die quickly.”
This confirmed it for Yu Zhi—Nie Yue didn’t take him seriously at all.
Using a “quick death” as a threat…
If he were to die, nobody would find it quick or pleasant.
Dropping the act, Yu Zhi leaned lazily against the wall and raised an eyebrow: “If you’re going to threaten someone, at least say something like, ‘Hand it over, and I’ll spare your life,’ right?”
Nie Yue paused, visibly taken aback.
Yu Zhi continued: “I can give you Chen Tingting’s body, but you’ll have to answer a few questions first.”
At this, Nie Yue sneered: “Why would I answer your questions?”
Yu Zhi gave her a strange look, as if the answer were self-evident: “Because you want Chen Tingting’s body.”
Nie Yue: “…”
After a moment of silence, her expression darkened. “I could just kill you and take the body.”
Yu Zhi tilted his head: “You’ve been watching me for a while, haven’t you? You should know my spatial ability is a little… unique.”
“If I die, everything in my space disappears with me.”
The second part was pure bluff. He had no idea what would happen after his death.
Yu Zhi’s clear, bright eyes locked onto hers. His youthful and striking features had a deceptive charm, making his words all the more convincing.
Nie Yue’s face turned even darker.
Indeed, she had noticed that Yu Zhi’s spatial ability wasn’t normal.
Most spatial abilities allowed direct retrieval, but Yu Zhi always retrieved items via intermediate containers—a car, a bag—it wasn’t the typical space ability at all.
She couldn’t afford to gamble with Chen Tingting’s body.
Yu Zhi blinked playfully, adding: “Sis, since you’ve already put me in this mess, at least let me die understanding why.”
Nie Yue stared at him for a moment, her tone icy: “Don’t think stalling for time will help you.”
“Zuo Feiyang and the others won’t be coming to save you.”
The words hit Yu Zhi like a jolt. He kept his face impassive, but his mind raced.
No wonder he hadn’t seen Xiao Zuo and Xiao Ming. Something had happened to them.
Stay calm.
Nie Yue had said “can’t save you,” not “are dead.”
Most likely, they were trapped somewhere. With the contamination source neutralized, there was no longer any mental pollution affecting them, making it harder for them to die.
Yu Zhi steadied himself and replied nonchalantly: “Even if it’s useless, I’d like to stall and see.”
His frankness made Nie Yue pause, her eyes narrowing as she studied him.
Seeing the growing excitement in the chat over Yu Zhi’s “desperate struggle,” she scoffed softly: “Fine. Ask.”
Yu Zhi got straight to the point: “Are you the ‘sister’ mentioned in Chen Tingting’s diary?”
Nie Yue: “I am.”
Yu Zhi pressed on: “What did you tell her? Why did she think Chen Wan was trying to harm her?”
A faint smile tugged at Nie Yue’s lips, like she had remembered something amusing: “I only told her the truth.”
“Her mother was harming her.”
“Chen Tingting lived seventeen years under Chen Wan’s control. Everything she ate, everything she did—Chen Wan decided it all.”
“She wasn’t allowed to have her own hobbies. Even when she didn’t want to participate in social practice, she was forced to go. Chen Wan even meddled with her practice topics.”
“How was that not harmful?”
Yu Zhi seized on a keyword: social practice.
Had Chen Tingting and Nie Yue met during this activity?
One of the contamination source teachers had mentioned that Chen Tingting and other faceless students had declined academically after participating in social practice.
Many students must have gone to this event…
Yu Zhi followed up: “If you only told her the truth, why did she become a contamination source?”
In this contamination zone, victims turned into predators.
But the sheer number of faces on Chen Tingting’s body suggested “eating” wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed.
Nie Yue’s gaze lingered on his bag for a moment before she took a step closer.
Yu Zhi remained utterly motionless, maintaining the same posture as before.
His face was as pale as paper, his head slightly tilted back, and the delicate, vulnerable curve of his neck fully exposed.
This blatant display of his most fragile and vital area erased the last shred of wariness in Nie Yue’s mind.
It didn’t seem like an act.
She reached into Yu Zhi’s bag, pulled out the diary, and stuffed the previously torn pages back inside carelessly. Dodging the deeper implications of his question, she replied casually:
“I don’t really know why.”
“Initially, I didn’t even choose her. My target was Wang Lili.”
Yu Zhi’s brow furrowed slightly. Wang Lili—the classmate mentioned in the diary who had gone missing.
Nie Yue had been targeting multiple people.
“But Wang Lili lacked potential.” Nie Yue paused, a hint of approval flashing across her face. “Chen Tingting was the least promising of them all, but she exceeded expectations and became a contamination source.”
“I fed her three ability users, and she evolved from a C-level to a B-level contamination source.”
“If it weren’t for you, she might have—” She stopped herself, then corrected, “She might have survived longer.”
“What a pity.”
Her words conveyed regret, but there wasn’t a trace of remorse on her face. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted slightly in a smirk.
Yu Zhi looked at her with a blank expression. “You’re experimenting on people?”
Nie Yue’s amused demeanor vanished instantly.
Tucking the diary away, she snapped impatiently, “You already know too much.”
She raised her right hand, aiming directly at Yu Zhi’s forehead. “Hand over the contamination source’s body.”
Yu Zhi sighed softly. “Alright.” Slowly raising his right hand, he said, “I’ll give you Chen Tingting’s body—”
Before he could finish the sentence, he vanished.
Nie Yue didn’t have time to react before she felt a cold pressure against her temple.
Something was pressing into her head.
She had mentally prepared for Yu Zhi to potentially flee but hadn’t anticipated that he would choose to fight back.
This was the same guy whose first instinct when the contamination zone appeared was to run—now he was suddenly standing his ground?
Nie Yue’s eyes darted to the object at her temple and saw the barrel of the gun in Yu Zhi’s hand.
She couldn’t believe it. “You had a gun this whole time?”
“Why didn’t you use it against the contamination source—”
Midway through her sentence, realization dawned. “You did it on purpose!”
“You knew I’d come, didn’t you? Even your injuries were fake?”
Yu Zhi ignored her outburst and jabbed the gun against her temple, pressing firmly. “One pull of the trigger, and you’re dead.”
Nie Yue didn’t flinch. Instead, she provoked him: “What’s wrong? Are you planning to avenge Chen Tingting?”
“You’re the one who killed her.”
Yu Zhi raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Can’t I just avenge myself? You did just try to kill me, after all.”
Nie Yue fell silent.
Yu Zhi continued, his tone nonchalant but with a hint of righteous audacity: “Since you were kind enough to share information about Chen Tingting, let’s settle accounts now.”
After a brief pause, he added, “Hand over all your universal coins.”
Nie Yue: “???”
What the hell was this? Robbery?
BAHHAHAHAAA I CANTT
Tynx ya for the chappiieee~