Chapter 45
Yu Zhi half-closed his eyes, recalling the information he had about Meteor Biotechnology Corporation.
Meteor Biotechnology was a renowned company, not just because it specialized in cutting-edge biological research and production but also due to its charitable and philanthropic efforts. Meteor had established special scholarships for underprivileged students at many universities, provided apartment housing, and organized various other charitable initiatives. The company enjoyed an excellent public reputation.
At H University, Meteor had sponsored numerous research projects. Since Yu Zhi lived in a Meteor apartment, his project supervisor had even invited him to join one such project.
Back then…
Yu Zhi thought back and remembered.
At the time, he had consulted A’Zheng, who helped him analyze and compare several other projects, ultimately recommending one unrelated to Meteor Biotechnology. Following that advice, Yu Zhi joined a different project.
He shook off the memory and took a sip of water, easing the metallic taste of blood at the back of his throat. He searched WeChat for records related to the social practice event.
Apart from Chen Tingting, Chen Wan had also contacted another account labeled [Wang Fang], who seemed to be the “Aunt Wang” mentioned earlier.
[February 14, 2:00 PM]
Chen Wan: Fang, are you free right now?
Chen Wan: Tingting says she wants to see a psychiatrist. What should I do?
Wang Fang: What happened? Adolescents’ hormones make them emotional.
Chen Wan: Sigh, it’s hard to explain. Let me call you.
[February 16, 3:30 PM]
Chen Wan: I told her to go on the social practice trip to clear her mind. She says she doesn’t want to go.
Wang Fang: If she doesn’t want to go, then let it be. Don’t force her.
Chen Wan: She stays cooped up at home all day. How can she get better? Tingting needs to be pushed—she’s that type.
Wang Fang: …
Wang Fang: The issues with kids are often tied to problems with adults. Read these books: Awakened Parents, How to Communicate with Teenagers, and Three Years of High School with Your Child.
Chen Wan: Got it.
[February 19, 9:24 PM]
Chen Wan: I feel like Tingting has changed after going on the social practice trip.
Chen Wan: She seems scared of me now.
Wang Fang: Maybe you’re just not used to it.
Chen Wan: I’ll keep observing.
[February 22, 3:30 PM]
Chen Wan: Something’s wrong. I found her diary while cleaning the house today.
Wang Fang: You need to respect her privacy. Why would you read her diary?
Chen Wan: I’m just worried about her!
Chen Wan: She wrote in her diary that I eat people. I’m terrified.
Chen Wan: Do you know any psychiatrists? Can you arrange a private consultation for her? I can’t tell if she’s writing this on purpose or if she truly believes it.
Wang Fang: Let me see who I can contact.
[February 23, 9:40 PM]
Wang Fang: Bring Tingting to my place for dinner the night after tomorrow.
Chen Wan: Okay.
[February 25, 5:05 PM]
Wang Fang: Are you coming? Dr. Zhang is already here.
Chen Wan: Sorry, something came up last minute. We can’t make it today.
Wang Fang: What happened? Don’t scare me.
Wang Fang: [Call canceled.]
Wang Fang: [Call canceled.]
[February 26, 5:24 PM]
Wang Fang: [Call canceled.]
*
Yu Zhi scrolled further. The subsequent records were all canceled calls from Wang Fang.
He glanced at the timestamps again. Chen Tingting’s diary ended on February 24, and Wang Fang lost contact with Chen Wan starting February 24.
What had happened during those two days?
Yu Zhi glanced subtly at Lin Xiangyuan, who sat diagonally across from him.
Seeing that Lin wasn’t paying attention to him, Yu Zhi used his backpack to block his movements and discreetly pulled out Chen Tingting’s diary, flipping to the few pages Nie Yue had inserted.
[February 24, Sunday]
Mom told me to stop overthinking and rest quietly for a few days. Then everything would be fine.
Stop overthinking. Rest quietly! Fatten up, so they can enjoy eating more.
I’m a person too! And they want to eat me!
I called my sister. She said she would come save me tomorrow.
[February 25, Monday]
My sister came. She killed Mom.
Mom bled so much. She told me to run.
But where can I go?
The one who eats people is my mom. I’m the daughter of someone who eats people.
Mom’s dead, but I’m still the daughter of someone who eats people.
[February 26, Tuesday]
Mom doesn’t seem to be dead. I saw her late at night when I went to the bathroom.
Was it Mom? Or Mom’s ghost?
Does Mom’s ghost also want to eat me?
[February 27, Wednesday]
Aunt Wang came over early in the morning, asking what was wrong and why I wasn’t answering calls.
She must be looking for an excuse to eat me.
I chased her away. She gave me a strange look and said I was crazy.
[February 28, Thursday]
Mom’s ghost appeared again. She was glaring at me in the mirror.
[February 29, Friday]
I took out the trash today. The kid upstairs called me Aunt Chen. Didn’t he always call me Sister before?
[March 1, Saturday]
Mom is still glaring at me in the mirror. Ghosts can’t eat people, can they? She hasn’t eaten me.
[March 1, Saturday]
I finally gathered the courage to ask Mom why she eats people.
She asked me why I eat people.
But I haven’t eaten anyone.
I haven’t eaten anyone!
Mom is saying the same things as me.
The person in the mirror isn’t Mom—it’s me.
Am I… Mom?
Am I Chen Wan?
Then where did Chen Tingting go?
[March 2, Sunday]
Tingting is gone. I saw her diary.
I think I ate her.
*
Yu Zhi flipped through the diary, page by page, watching as Chen Tingting’s handwriting grew increasingly erratic.
Although he had a rough idea of what had happened, seeing it unfold still sent chills down his spine.
Before attending the social practice event, Chen Tingting’s mental state had already been fragile. From her conversations with Chen Wan, it was evident that much of her psychological stress stemmed from her family—a single-parent household, an overbearing and suffocating mother, relatives who were much the same, constant comparisons, and relentless pressure…
In a way, Chen Tingting had indeed been “consumed” by her mother and family.
Consumed, chewed up, and reshaped into the image of someone who “eats” others. This explained why the faceless students in the polluted zone were eaten and spat out, only to turn into lip-face monsters.
When Chen Tingting transformed into a pollution source, the dungeon [Save the Children] created its pollution rules based on her logic: eating and being eaten, facelessness, and distortion.
Yu Zhi let out a slow breath, sliding the papers back into the diary before stowing it away into [My Items], sinking deep into thought.
Chen Tingting’s physical transformation had occurred only after Chen Wan was killed by Nie Yue, but her drastic mental change happened after the social practice trip.
The diary didn’t mention her doing anything unusual or consuming anything special, nor had Chen Wan brought it up. This pointed to the social practice trip organized by Meteor Biotechnology as the key factor in Chen Tingting’s transformation into a pollution source.
What exactly had happened during the trip…?
A’Zheng hadn’t mentioned anything about the operations of the Special Action Bureau or about Meteor Biotechnology.
Yu Zhi sighed quietly. What kind of half-hearted novel was A’Zheng speed-reading through?
No context, no details, just constantly bringing up Fu Suxi! Truly a case of obsessive devotion.
The sky was overcast, thick with clouds that seemed ready to unleash a downpour at any moment. Beneath the gloom, rubble and ruins were scattered everywhere. The closer they got to the S City urban area, the more ruins appeared.
After a while, a towering wall reaching into the clouds came into view, standing atop the wasteland.
At first glance, it bore some resemblance to the stone barrier Fu Suxi had erected in H City. Stretching endlessly into the distance, the wall was a mixture of stone and some kind of metal, appearing extraordinarily sturdy upon closer inspection.
At the base of the wall were three gates: one large and two smaller ones, resembling ancient city gates. Each was guarded by personnel in black uniforms.
Staring at the familiar-looking structure, Yu Zhi couldn’t help but comment, “This wall…”
Lin Xiangyuan explained, “It’s been built over the past few days. No pollutants have appeared in S City’s core areas. The wall was constructed recently—it blocks pollutants outside and helps manage the interior effectively.”
In the chaos of the apocalypse, controlling humans was already difficult enough, let alone pollutants. Building a tall wall to isolate the dangers within a short time was the optimal solution.
Thinking about it now, Yu Zhi realized that the stone wall Fu Suxi had built in H City also provided some degree of protection.
Fu Suxi must have known this; he’d thought of it immediately on the second day.
That mad dog wasn’t just smart—he was scheming and calculating!
A’Zheng, you really didn’t choose the wrong dog to adore.
Lost in these errant thoughts, Yu Zhi noticed the armored vehicle slowing down as it approached the wall’s gates and came to a halt.
“S City doesn’t allow unrestricted entry,” Lin Xiangyuan explained. “Civilians need to undergo health checks before entering. We have passes.”
He glanced at Yu Zhi’s pale face. “Can you hold on? The hospital ahead can only perform basic checks. For mental contamination, we’ll need to go back to the bureau—or we can drop you at the hospital first and have someone come pick you up later.”
Yu Zhi looked out the window. Behind the wall lay a vast area with a general hospital and another high wall beyond it.
Through the vehicle’s window, Yu Zhi saw the hospital grounds bustling with people.
The more people, the greater the danger.
“I’ll stay with you,” Yu Zhi said.
Lin Xiangyuan nodded. “Alright.”
After the entry passes were inspected, the armored vehicle passed through the twin walls and entered S City proper.
The buildings within the wall were far more intact compared to those outside, reminiscent of the pre-apocalypse era. Yet the streets were almost deserted, giving the area a desolate and eerie atmosphere—both familiar and alien.
Passing an old residential building, Yu Zhi noticed that behind every window, tightly drawn curtains had been cracked open just enough for prying eyes.
As the vehicle drove further down the street, more and more residents peeked out, one after another, their faces hidden but their gazes intense.
Even through the window, Yu Zhi could feel their burning stares.
Lin Xiangyuan noticed it too, his tone puzzled. “These people weren’t like this when we left earlier. What happened? Did the bureau do something that stirred up their curiosity?”
Hearing this, Zuo Feiyang also peeked outside, while Lu Liming remained fast asleep, snoring away.
Suddenly, the armored vehicle screeched to an abrupt stop.
“What’s going on?” Lin Xiangyuan asked immediately.
“Brother Lin, someone suddenly ran out from the alley. I don’t think I hit him, but he—” The driver stopped mid-sentence as screams erupted from outside.
“Ahhhh! The Special Operation Bureau’s s killed someone!”
The previously silent street buzzed with activity as more curtains were drawn open, and more people peeked out to investigate.
Lin Xiangyuan frowned, his expression grim. “I’ll go check it out.”
Yu Zhi looked out the window.
The supposed victim was a man with a scarred face, rolling on the ground clutching his leg. However, his eyes kept darting toward the vehicle.
Inside nearby shops, a few people—some masked, some wearing hats and scarves—watched intently. Their gazes weren’t focused on the fallen man but rather on the armored vehicle, as though searching for something.
Yu Zhi locked eyes with one of the onlookers, whose eyes brightened as though he had found his target.
A bad feeling welled up in Yu Zhi. He immediately grabbed Lin Xiangyuan’s arm just as the latter was opening the car door.
“Don’t get out!” he warned.
At that moment, several bullets struck the slightly open car door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lin Xiangyuan’s face darkened. “Damn sons of bitches! They dare attack us? Are they tired of living or what—”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The windshield in front of Yu Zhi was riddled with bullet marks.
If they hadn’t been in this armored vehicle but instead the SUV he had picked up earlier, he would’ve been riddled with bullets by now.
Yu Zhi glanced at the livestream comments filled with sighs and lamentations. He said calmly, “They’re probably here for me.”
Zuo Feiyang’s expression sank. He mouthed silently: [?]
Yu Zhi shook his head. “They’re likely after the universal coins.”
Zuo Feiyang froze. “What?”
Lin Xiangyuan was incredulous. “You’re saying they’re trying to rob us?”
“How dare these people try to rob a Special Operation Bureau vehicle?”
Yu Zhi thought for a moment and said, “Probably because I’m not officially part of the Bureau.”
Lin Xiangyuan: “???”
Zuo Feiyang, confused, asked, “What do you mean?”
The two of them, along with the driver, looked utterly baffled. Meanwhile, Lu Liming was still sound asleep, snoring loudly.
Yu Zhi raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you see the comments telling you to kill me?”
Ever since leaving Taijiang High School alive, Yu Zhi had suspected the livestream viewers might try to hire someone to kill him.
After all, these viewers, whose identities were unclear, often resorted to such tactics even outside of bets.
The lowest odds on the betting pool—death within 3 to 24 hours—weren’t just due to Fu Suxi and the mole chasing him. It was also because the viewers had plenty of ways to manipulate events.
By inciting others to kill him, they could earn universal currency and indulge in the bloody violence they craved.
For the system, this was an entirely beneficial setup with no downsides.
Zuo Feiyang admitted honestly, “I don’t really look at the comments.”
Lin Xiangyuan added, “The Bureau’s Code explicitly advises us not to—”
But when he finally glanced at the comments, his voice abruptly cut off.
He had expected a few comments inciting violence.
What he hadn’t expected was a flood of them!
The screen was filled with comments urging murder.
[User “Scarecrow’s Straw” hopes you kill your teammate and promises to reward you with 1,000 universal coins after the deed.]
[User “Child of the Sun” hopes you kill the man sitting across from you and promises a 500 universal coin reward.]
[User “Cute Figurine” eagerly anticipates you killing your teammate and offers 500 universal coins.]
[User “Cilantro Latte” reminds you to deal with the one who deceived you and urges you to kill your teammate quickly.]
In just a glance, the potential rewards from the comments added up to tens of thousands of universal coins—far exceeding the reward for clearing a pollution source.
People die for money, just as birds die for food. Especially in times like these, it was no wonder the attackers outside dared to target the Special Operation Bureau.
Lin Xiangyuan was stunned. “What… what did you do to them?”
What kind of earth-shattering thing could someone have done to make so many people place bounties on their head?
Yu Zhi explained succinctly, “In the dungeon, I made a bet with them on when I’d die.”
Zuo Feiyang was shocked. “What?”
Betting his life?
Do all S-Class Espers gamble like this?
Lin Xiangyuan looked at the restless figures in the surrounding buildings and then back at Yu Zhi’s pale face. “What if you actually die?”
Yu Zhi thought for a moment and said with a straight face, “Then I’ll go out in style.”
Lin Xiangyuan: “…”
Zuo Feiyang: “…”
The armored vehicle was bulletproof. As long as they didn’t get out, the scarred man and his group outside couldn’t do anything to them. Knowing there were ability users from the Bureau, the attackers didn’t dare approach recklessly.
As the gunfire momentarily ceased, Lin Xiangyuan was about to step out when two more armored vehicles appeared at the end of the street.
Someone shouted, “Their reinforcements are here! Run!”
With that, the scarred man’s group immediately fled without looking back.
They scattered quickly, slipping into nearby residential areas and vanishing in no time.
The attackers came swiftly and disappeared just as fast.
Standing by the vehicle, Lin Xiangyuan didn’t even know whom to chase or where to start.
The approaching armored vehicles stopped nearby, and the ability-user in the driver’s seat greeted him. “Captain Lin, what just happened?”
Lin Xiangyuan asked back, “Are you reinforcements?”
The ability-user was confused. “Reinforcements? The headquarters sent us to pick someone up. What about you? Weren’t you out on a mission? What happened with those people?”
Lin Xiangyuan shook his head. “I’ll explain back at the Bureau. First, I need to take Zuo Feiyang and the others for treatment.”
After a brief exchange, Lin Xiangyuan cursed under his breath and slammed the vehicle door shut. “Xiao Feng, step on it. Let’s get back to the Bureau, now.”
Lin Xiangyuan returned to his seat, casting a curious look at Yu Zhi and firing off several questions about the betting pool.
Yu Zhi answered a few trivial questions, such as how the betting duration was limited to 24 hours, and that wealthy users typically placed bets starting at four figures.
When the topic shifted to universal currency, Lin Xiangyuan couldn’t help asking, “If you win the bet with those livestream viewers, do you also make a lot of money?”
Yu Zhi nodded.
Lin Xiangyuan gave him a thumbs-up, a mix of admiration and envy in his expression. “You’re the real deal—risking life for wealth.”
Yu Zhi: “…”
Lin Xiangyuan patted his shoulder reassuringly. “Once we’re back at the Bureau, you’ll be safe. The Bureau forbids us from interacting with the livestream, and those people don’t seem bold enough to risk their lives for universal coins…”
The Special Operation Bureau wasn’t necessarily safe either.
Yu Zhi and Zuo Feiyang exchanged a knowing glance but didn’t speak.
With Lin Xiangyuan and his team in the car, it wasn’t a good time to discuss sensitive matters.
Yu Zhi lowered his gaze slightly and looked at the system’s betting pool panel. Now, only two options remained:
4: The Earth resident will die within 3 to 24 hours — [Odds: 1:1.4]
5: The Earth resident will survive past 24 hours — [Odds: 1:10]
Yu Zhi called out mentally to the system: [Show me the data for options 4 and 5.]
The system displayed a large table of data.
The dense text and numbers made Yu Zhi’s headache worse. He pinched the bridge of his nose. [Can I see a summary instead?]
System: [Number of users who placed bets: 1,467. Total amount wagered: 85,832 universal currency.]
Yu Zhi’s eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. He hadn’t expected the viewers to be so cautious—over half of the online audience had bet on Option 4.
[What about Option 5?]
Those betting on 4 wanted him dead, while those betting on 5 wanted him alive. Yu Zhi relished the idea of watching these groups turn on each other.
System: [User “momo” bet on Option 5: 1,000 universal currency.]
System: [User “Rich Young Master” bet on Option 5: 0.1 universal currency.]
Yu Zhi: [That’s it?]
System: [That’s it.]
Yu Zhi: [???]
Seriously?!
Out of over two thousand online viewers, only two thought he wouldn’t die?
???
He’d expected fewer people, but not this few—not even a fraction of those betting on Option 4.
Yu Zhi’s lips twitched stiffly. The so-called “Rich Young Master” had never spent more than a tenth of a universal coin on him.
The other user, “momo,” was new and evidently had money, but it was unlikely they’d go against over a thousand other users for his sake.
His plan to let the two opposing factions fight each other was clearly not going to work.
He needed a new strategy.
Yu Zhi pressed his lips together and began to devise another plan.
*
Outside S City’s Wall
Beneath the grim, overcast sky, the roar of an engine suddenly broke the silence. A jet-black motorcycle sped toward the gate, skidding to a stop and kicking up a cloud of dust.
The gate’s guards immediately raised their weapons, blocking the rider’s path. “Who goes there?!”
The rider braked smoothly, dismounted, and removed their helmet. Narrow, sharp phoenix eyes swept over the guards before turning to the approaching armored vehicle beyond the gate. Without a word, the rider casually stored the motorcycle and helmet into a spatial space.
Seeing this, one of the guards hesitated. “Are you an ability-user from the Special Operation Bureau? Do you have a pass?”
The man replied coolly, “Ask them.”
The guard followed his gaze and saw the armored vehicle from the Bureau approaching from within the wall.
A woman sitting in the passenger seat of the armored vehicle quickly jumped out and strode toward the man. “Shang Yu from the Operations Department of S City’s branch.”
The man, Fu Suxi, nonchalantly adjusted a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. Far from softening his sharp and imposing features, the glasses only added an air of predatory elegance to his demeanor.
Shang Yu saluted respectfully. “You must be the one sent by the headquarters—”
Fu Suxi interrupted indifferently, “Yu Yi.”
