Chapter 50
All sound seemed to be abruptly strangled by an unseen hand. The air grew heavy, and the atmosphere was deathly still.
Everyone’s gaze shifted from the injured and fragile Yu Zhi to the imposing and well-dressed man standing before them. Nearby, the doors to several testing rooms, which had somehow opened without notice, revealed researchers peeking out through the cracks, trying to see what was happening.
Curious stares, gossip-filled glances, and even judgmental looks—all kinds of attention were now focused squarely on Fu Suxi.
Fu Suxi’s expression shifted slightly as he realized Yu Zhi’s true intent.
From the beginning, Yu Zhi wasn’t trying to escape, nor was he relying on the assumption that Fu Suxi wouldn’t dare act in front of so many people. Instead, Yu Zhi had deliberately led him here, using the crowd to create a massive misunderstanding about their relationship.
What kind of twisted mind comes up with a plan that harms both themselves and their enemy?
A vein pulsed on Fu Suxi’s temple as a wave of violent rage surged within him. He wanted nothing more than to snap Yu Zhi’s neck right then and there.
Before his fingers could even twitch, the murderous thought was again suppressed by an invisible force.
[User “Scarecrow’s Plow” urges you to act quickly.]
[User “Lord of Flames” wonders if you’re truly incapable of escaping his ability.]
[User “Supplement Your Vitamin E” mocks you for being unable to kill him.]
[User “Supreme King” questions your strength and loudly ridicules you.]
Fu Suxi’s expression darkened further, the cold glint of his glasses only amplifying his intimidating aura.
Suddenly, Yu Zhi leaned closer and whispered into his ear, just loud enough for the two of them to hear: “I have clues about them.”
Fu Suxi’s face remained blank as he lowered his head to meet Yu Zhi’s gaze.
Yu Zhi’s eyes were large and strikingly black, their clarity betraying his emotions easily—a trait he often exploited to manipulate and deceive others.
At this moment, those same captivating eyes blinked at Fu Suxi, and Yu Zhi said softly, “It’s true.”
Fu Suxi let out a sharp laugh, though it was more from exasperation than amusement.
Seeing this, Yu Zhi felt a mix of satisfaction and apprehension.
He relished the fact that Fu Suxi had been embarrassed in front of the Bureau. As for himself… Well, whether “Yu You” was subjected to a forbidden love scenario didn’t concern Yu Zhi.
However, he worried that Fu Suxi might be so furious that he would refuse the bargaining chip he’d just offered.
Fu Suxi hadn’t come to S City’s Special Action Bureau under an alias just for him; he clearly had other tasks, likely requiring an extended stay.
Yu Zhi’s plan was to use Yinxing Biotechnology as a bargaining tool to negotiate with Fu Suxi. But he didn’t trust Fu Suxi enough to do it privately—he needed witnesses.
The Espers present were perfect witnesses. They knew of his existence, his connection to “Yu Yi,” and with the suppression of Fu Suxi’s killing intent by his own ability, they were sure to believe that Yu Zhi held a unique position in Fu Suxi’s life.
Suddenly, the hand gripping Yu Zhi’s neck shifted to his face.
Fu Suxi’s long fingers deliberately pressed against a wound on Yu Zhi’s cheek, pushing down hard as he sneered, “But I’ve never thought of you as my brother.”
The last two words were spoken with deliberate emphasis, making Yu Zhi’s hand, which was gripping Fu Suxi’s arm, freeze.
In the next instant, another hand clamped onto his waist, and the world spun around him.
By the time he regained his bearings, Yu Zhi found himself slung over Fu Suxi’s shoulder.
Yu Zhi struggled furiously. “Yu Yi! Put me down!”
Ignoring him, Fu Suxi addressed the stunned Shang Yu nearby. “Find me a room.”
Snapping out of her daze, Shang Yu quickly pointed toward the side elevator. “There’s a lounge on the fourth floor.”
Carrying Yu Zhi, Fu Suxi strode forward, leaving the crowd behind.
His long strides jostled Yu Zhi’s stomach against his shoulder with every step, making him feel nauseous. “Put me down! I can walk by myself!”
Smack!
Fu Suxi’s hand landed on Yu Zhi’s backside with a resounding slap.
It wasn’t playful at all—the force left Yu Zhi’s rear numb. Worse, he could feel the stares of those who had been watching Fu Suxi now shifting toward him.
“You—!”
Fu Suxi smirked coldly. “Didn’t you want to negotiate with me?”
Turning his head slightly, he drawled three ambiguous words: “Good… brother.”
Those three words sent a paralyzing wave through Yu Zhi’s body. He was completely numb, disgusted, and appalled.
Fu Suxi, you shameless bastard! You actually said it!
Spotting Shang Yu awkwardly averting her gaze in the elevator, Yu Zhi took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. “Your shoulder is digging into my stomach. I’m going to vomit.”
“If you don’t mind me throwing up on your head, then I don’t mind your… unique tastes, dear little brother.”
Fu Suxi: “…”
Glancing at Yu Zhi’s pale, slightly greenish complexion, Fu Suxi adjusted his grip slightly before stepping into the elevator.
The elevator quickly descended to the fourth basement level.
Shang Yu led the way, her pace quickening after she accidentally locked eyes with Fu Suxi, whose possessive gaze made her hasten her steps.
What a terrifyingly strong sense of ownership.
After some thought, she guided them to the deepest, most secluded room on the floor.
They passed through two mechanized doors before reaching a pristine white door.
Using her access card, Shang Yu unlocked the door and suddenly remembered something. She asked, “Minister Yu, should we lift the lockdown on the Bureau?”
Yu Zhi immediately interjected, “No need.”
Fu Suxi glanced at him, then said to Shang Yu, “Continue.”
With that, he strode into the room and kicked the door shut behind him.
The lounge was spacious, complete with a large double bed, a sofa, a coffee table, a desk, and more.
After closing the door, Fu Suxi released his grip on Yu Zhi.
Sensing that he was about to be dropped unceremoniously to the floor, Yu Zhi quickly leapt down on his own.
His injuries had already torn open from all the running earlier, and this sudden movement caused a sharp pain that made his vision blur. Resigned, he plopped onto the floor.
The tiles, chilled by the underground level’s atmosphere, felt like frost seeping into his bones. Yu Zhi shivered involuntarily.
He glanced around, then shuffled backward until he was sitting on the carpet, leaning against the sofa for support.
Fu Suxi noticed the subtle movements but said nothing as he took two steps closer, looming over Yu Zhi.
Yu Zhi scanned the room, noting the absence of obvious surveillance cameras. “No cameras in here, right?”
Fu Suxi replied curtly, “None.”
Yu Zhi got straight to the point. “The source of the pollution in Taijiang Town was man-made. A human-caused disaster. I have relevant clues.”
Fu Suxi stared at him silently, his expression unchanging.
Yu Zhi continued slowly, “There’s a mole in the S City Special Operation Bureau.”
He caught the faintest shift in Fu Suxi’s expression and lowered his gaze to hide his own emotions.
So, was Fu Suxi’s visit to S City related to the mole?
“Who’s the mole?” Fu Suxi asked.
Yu Zhi blinked. “Nie Yue.”
“But she’s not here now.” After a pause, Yu Zhi recounted everything that had happened at Taijiang High School, including Nie Yue and the presence of another accomplice, but omitted the evidence about Meteor Biotechnology on Chen Wan’s phone.
“No matter if there are other moles in the Bureau, they’ll definitely make a move within the next few hours.”
Fu Suxi glanced at Yu Zhi’s injured arm, his long legs crossing casually. “Your injuries won’t heal anytime soon. As for Zuo Feiyang and your… boyfriend, treating mental contamination will take even longer.”
“So why would they act in the next few hours?”
Yu Zhi froze for a moment when he heard “boyfriend” and only then remembered he’d lied to Fu Suxi before, claiming Lu Liming was his boyfriend.
After a moment of silence, he admitted, “Because while I was in the polluted zone, I started a life-and-death betting pool.”
Fu Suxi raised an eyebrow, immediately guessing that the betting pool revolved around the timing of Yu Zhi’s death. “So, you want me to protect you?”
Yu Zhi, his voice hoarse, said, “No. I want you to keep an eye on Zuo Feiyang and Lu Liming.”
“Nie Yue spent at least a year in the Bureau. Her backers must have mapped this place inside and out. To cover their tracks, they’ll definitely act while the betting pool is still ongoing.”
“They can’t kill me, but they can kill Zuo Feiyang and Lu Liming.”
Fu Suxi’s gaze shifted to the bloodstained bandage on Yu Zhi’s arm, where fresh blood was slowly seeping through. He analyzed calmly, “So, you’re offering one clue in exchange for three lives.”
Yu Zhi corrected him, “One clue, plus evidence related to the pollution source, in exchange for Zuo and Lu’s two lives.”
Fu Suxi’s smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You’re asking me to watch over them, which means letting you go.”
“Letting you go means sparing your life.”
Yu Zhi: “…”
Turning slightly to face Fu Suxi head-on, he replied without flinching, “How is that sparing me? It’s sparing yourself.”
He gave a forced smile. “Unable to kill me, yet constantly wanting to, and not even being able to think about it—must be frustrating, right?”
The curve of Fu Suxi’s lips disappeared as his killing intent flared up, only to be extinguished once again.
Seeing Fu Suxi’s darkened expression, Yu Zhi wisely stopped provoking him and changed the subject. “You don’t have to act personally. If you keep an eye on Zuo and Lu, someone else will deal with any trouble.”
“As for me, if someone does manage to kill me, wouldn’t that be a bonus for you?”
Fu Suxi sneered. “If you’re working with them, I’d lose everything in the process.”
Yu Zhi froze, meeting Fu Suxi’s gaze.
Fu Suxi’s eyes, behind the glint of his glasses, were devoid of warmth—deep, dark, and brimming with chilling malice.
It was then that Yu Zhi realized something he had overlooked. Fu Suxi’s obsession with killing him wasn’t purely because of his violent tendencies.
The idea that Fu Suxi was just a bloodthirsty maniac was a preconception fed to him by A’Zheng’s setup. This led Yu Zhi to overlook the possibility that, from Fu Suxi’s perspective…
He must look extremely suspicious.
First appearing at H University’s affiliated hospital, then entering the Cockroach scenario before Fu Suxi, clearing the pollution source first, and even prompting a system announcement about the updated polluted instance rules.
On top of that, he had an ability that could suppress Fu Suxi’s killing intent, had taken Fu Suxi’s pollution detector, and tricked him several times.
Now, he was entangled in the Bureau’s mole situation.
Although everything was genuinely coincidental, someone with Fu Suxi’s personality wouldn’t believe in coincidences. He would only grow more suspicious.
Lowering his lashes, Yu Zhi found himself at a loss for words. Explaining wouldn’t convince Fu Suxi, but staying silent felt like admitting guilt.
After a moment of silence, he muttered dryly, “I’m not working with anyone. I’m just an ordinary bystander.”
Fu Suxi didn’t respond. Yu Zhi heard a faint click.
Yu Zhi looked up and saw Fu Suxi lighting a cigarette. Smoke curled around his sharp features, softening the edges of his face yet adding an air of casual menace.
“If you’re not one of them,” Fu Suxi said leisurely, his tone indifferent, “what makes you so sure I’m not another mole in the Bureau?”
