Chapter 52
Why?
Why was Fu Suxi able to exert such dominance? Was it because he was the protagonist of this twisted novel? Because A’Zheng didn’t mention that he was secretly a world-destroying antagonist?
Yu Zhi’s eyelid twitched involuntarily, and his heart pounded erratically as he felt Fu Suxi’s sharp gaze pin him in place.
Staring at the plush carpet beneath his feet, Yu Zhi didn’t dare let his expression betray him. His mind raced, replaying every moment he’d spent with Fu Suxi, trying to recall if he’d ever let slip anything about the novel’s secrets.
The answer came quickly: no. Their interactions had been brief, and he had never revealed anything.
But Fu Suxi clearly believed Yu Zhi was hiding something. If he didn’t cough up some kind of explanation today, Fu Suxi wouldn’t let him off the hook, let alone agree to his terms.
Yu Zhi blinked, calming himself as he made his decision. Raising his head, he looked Fu Suxi in the eye. “Actually, I’m a senior at H City University of Commerce. My name is Yu You.”
Fu Suxi took a drag on his cigarette, narrowing his eyes slightly. “A senior? How old are you?”
“Twenty-two,” Yu Zhi replied, truthfully.
Fu Suxi sneered. “Twenty-two, and you think that qualifies you to call yourself my brother?”
Unfazed, Yu Zhi said with a straight face, “Twenty-two is the perfect age to be a big brother.”
“…” Fu Suxi’s face remained expressionless.
Seeing that Fu Suxi wasn’t asking follow-up questions about his supposed university life, Yu Zhi breathed a small sigh of relief. Good. It seemed Fu Suxi didn’t have any lie-detecting abilities or tools, which meant he could keep bluffing.
“I awakened a passive ability after the apocalypse,” Yu Zhi continued, his tone steady. “It’s called prophecy.”
Fu Suxi let out a soft laugh, a sound filled with derision and disbelief.
Pretending not to notice, Yu Zhi plowed on, unperturbed. “When the system released the video of you completing the first main quest, my ability was triggered.”
“The prophecy foretold that you would survive until the end of the apocalypse.”
Fu Suxi, still puffing on his cigarette, studied Yu Zhi with an almost amused expression, as if watching a performance.
Yu Zhi’s heart sank. Why does he look like he already knows I don’t have a prophecy ability?
[Livestream comments:]
[User “Rebirth from a Different Universes” finds your lies amusing.]
[User “Cutest Girl in the World” is curious whether you truly have prophetic powers.]
[User “Top-Ranked Player” doubts the authenticity of your claims.]
[User “Scarecrow’s Plow” curses your imminent demise, eager to reclaim what’s theirs.]
[User “Young Rich Master” believes in your prophetic powers.]
Yu Zhi saw the barrage of comments flashing on his system panel, but Fu Suxi still didn’t say a word.
The silence stretched until Fu Suxi finished half his cigarette. Then, in a measured tone, he asked, “You still haven’t explained why you’re so sure I’m not an insider.”
Yu Zhi blinked and replied, “Oh, I never confirmed whether or not you’re an insider.”
“I simply trust my prophetic ability that you’ll live to the end of the apocalypse. So, I’ve aligned myself with your current role.”
“You’re with the Operation Bureau now, so I chose to tell you about Nie Yue being the mole.”
Flicking the ash from his cigarette, Fu Suxi asked the next question, “If I’m destined to survive, why did you run the moment you saw me in H City?”
Yu Zhi’s lips twitched. “Because during the first main quest, you slaughtered so many people. Why would I stick around and risk you killing me?”
“And secondly,” Yu Zhi added after a pause, his voice layered with half-truths, “I don’t know why the prophecy is tied to you, but since you’re going to survive, you’ll definitely attract a lot of trouble.”
“The prophecy says you’ll live—not me. If trouble finds us, the one to die won’t be you; it’ll be me.”
“…Or worse, I might end up dying by your hands first.”
Fu Suxi gave him a long look. For once, Yu Zhi wasn’t lying—this made sense.
Yu Zhi reached into his inventory and pulled out Chen Tingting’s diary, waving it slightly. “Here’s some evidence. I can give it to you now. If you help me, I’ll provide the rest of the lead later.”
He flexed his fingers and added casually, “That Ji Yin guy seems keen on keeping me alive.”
Fu Suxi stared at Yu Zhi’s clean, youthful face. “You’ve got everything calculated, haven’t you?”
Even Ji Yin’s involvement was part of Yu Zhi’s plan. Fu Suxi realized the ridiculous rumor of “brotherly love” was just another layer to ensure their interactions would reach Ji Yin’s ears if something went wrong.
Yu Zhi kept holding the diary, his gaze locked firmly with Fu Suxi’s.
After a long moment, Fu Suxi finally reached out and took the diary from him.
The act of taking it signified his agreement to the deal.
Yu Zhi exhaled deeply. The day’s relentless tension finally eased from his shoulders, leaving him utterly drained.
Fatigue, pain, and sleepiness hit him all at once. The ordeal of the day had pushed him to his limits. His temples throbbed painfully as exhaustion consumed him.
He struggled to his feet, clinging to the sofa for support. His vision swam, and he knew he was mere moments from passing out.
Hobbling toward the large bed in the room, he collapsed face-first onto it, his muffled voice coming through the pillow. “Brother, I’m sleeping now. Go do whatever you need to do.”
Rolling over to breathe, he whispered to the system, “Keep an eye out for me. Even the air I exhale should be ‘hard.’”
System: “???”
Yu Zhi pulled the blanket over himself. “What if someone tries to smother me? My exhaled carbon dioxide is part of me, too.”
System: “…Noted.”
Moments later, the room was filled with the sound of Yu Zhi’s steady, deep breathing.
Fu Suxi stubbed out the cigarette and walked to the window, his gaze falling on Yu Zhi’s resting figure.
[Attempting to view personal information…]
[Unable to retrieve details.]
[Access denied.]
The notion of “prophecy” Yu Zhi had mentioned earlier? Only half-believable.
That ability wasn’t prophecy, yet Yu Zhi clearly had a way of knowing things—details about himself, his troubles, his future…
Fu Suxi’s gaze drifted downward, scrutinizing Yu Zhi from head to toe.
The deep gray bedding made Yu Zhi’s pale skin even starker, nearly translucent. The bloody wounds that mottled his body appeared all the more jarring.
Perhaps sensing the attention, Yu Zhi’s body shifted slightly, curling inward. Half his head disappeared under the blanket, but his thin neck remained exposed. The prominent vertebrae stood out sharply, looking fragile enough to snap with the slightest pressure.
Such fragility—yet he’d deliberately left himself unguarded. Trusting him, of all people, to safeguard the others while leaving himself vulnerable?
Fu Suxi chuckled under his breath. Yu Zhi wasn’t someone who’d sacrifice himself for others. He was still hiding something.
The thought came suddenly, and Fu Suxi acted on it. His hand shot out, gripping Yu Zhi’s neck and twisting it sharply to the right.
It didn’t budge.
His brow furrowed. He tried twisting it left. Still no movement.
That alabaster neck looked fragile enough to snap, but it was impossibly sturdy. No matter how much strength he used, it wouldn’t give.
Fu Suxi’s expression darkened.
Releasing Yu Zhi’s neck, he moved on to test his arm, then his wrist, his fingers, even his ears. Everywhere he touched was unyielding, as if carved from steel. Not even the slightest dent appeared.
Finally, Fu Suxi retrieved a power saw from his inventory, pressing it against Yu Zhi’s wrist.
The blade spun and bit down.
Crack, crack.
Two loud snaps later, the saw blade fractured. A piece ricocheted, landing on Yu Zhi’s lips, which looked soft and pliable but remained untouched. The blade chipped further upon contact.
“…”
Fu Suxi’s silence lingered as he stared at Yu Zhi’s sleeping form.
Yu Zhi lay face-down, his head nestled in the pillow. His slow, steady breaths caused the blanket over his nose to rise and fall.
Fu Suxi reached out again, but noticed something odd. Two small holes had formed in the blanket at precisely the spots where his nostrils exhaled.
Even his breath was “hard.”
[Livestream comments:]
[User “Scarecrow’s Plow” urges you to find a way to kill him immediately.]
[User “Patch and Sew” marvels at his flawless strategy and tips you 100 universal coins.]
[User “Canned Piggy” reminds you that he’s using a specialized tool.]
[User “Pure Hearted and Desireless” points out the expensive nature of his item and advises you to act quickly.]
Fu Suxi glanced briefly at the rolling comments before averting his eyes. The consensus was clear: Yu Zhi was using some kind of high-grade item.
He didn’t currently have a tool capable of nullifying its effects.
Turning, Fu Suxi strode toward the door. As he reached for the handle, a single, deliberate comment floated across the screen:
[User “Cutest Girl in the World” suggests retaliating by using similar methods—perhaps by taking some compromising photos of him.]
Fu Suxi froze, his hand still on the door handle. His eyes narrowed slightly. “What photos?”
After a pause, his hand slipped from the handle.
*
As Shan Yu left the fourth underground basement, the third basement was abuzz with activity. Groups of people huddled together, speculating on what had transpired.
Why had the “minister’s brother” claimed there was an emergency at the research building? And why had everything seemingly resolved itself?
Suspecting the “emergency” was merely a diversion by Yu Zhi, Shan Yu tersely reassured everyone that nothing was amiss before hurrying off to file a series of reports: the new minister’s arrival, the lockdown, and more.
Passing by the observation room, she overheard Lin Xiangyuan and Dr. Qi recounting the events from the research building.
Unable to resist her curiosity, she stepped inside.
“Are you two close with the minister’s brother?” she asked casually. “How did he even get into the Bureau?”
Lin Xiangyuan recounted how Yu Zhi had arrived with Zuo Feiyang to clear a contamination zone, including what Yu Zhi had said to them in the observation room.
Listening to the details, Shan Yu grew more convinced: this was undoubtedly a case of forced, unhealthy, romanticized brotherly affection.
She turned to the two men. “When I first picked up Minister Fu, he was clutching a photo of his brother, looking for him at the hospital. I thought he was tracking a fugitive or something.”
“But it turned out to be…”
“…A lover,” Lin Xiangyuan supplied.
“…A brother,” Shan Yu corrected.
“…A brother-lover,” Dr. Qi concluded.
The three of them fell into an uncomfortable silence.
After a while, Lin Xiangyuan spoke cautiously. “So… what now?”
Shan Yu shifted uneasily. “Minister Fu’s killing intent completely dissipates when he’s near his brother. There probably won’t be any immediate issues there.”
“But honestly,” she added, lowering her voice, “we should worry about ourselves more than his brother. The headquarters made it very clear—several times—that the new minister’s temper is bad. They’re not just warning us to stay out of trouble; they’re also reminding us that he’s untouchable.”
“Whatever happens, the HQ will back him to the hilt. Got it?”
Lin Xiangyuan opened his mouth to reply but thought better of it, swallowing his words. With a sigh, he muttered, “No wonder he’s so cocky.”
Shan Yu shot him a warning glare. “Just don’t let him hear you say that.”
Lin Xiangyuan nodded quickly. “Don’t worry, I know better than that.”
In this world, human life was the cheapest commodity.
Dr. Qi spoke slowly, breaking the heavy silence: “Does someone have an eye on Yu You? His condition’s serious—moderate shock takes time to recover from. Not to mention, his injuries are difficult to heal…”
“Yu You?” Shan Yu blinked, surprised. “Is that his name?”
Dr. Qi and Lin Xiangyuan nodded in unison.
Shan Yu murmured, “The brothers’ names are so different, though.”
Both names were simple, yet completely unrelated in style or theme.
She thought for a moment and frowned. “They don’t look much alike either. Yu You even seems younger than Minister Yu.”
“I’ll grab some meds,” Dr. Qi said, closing the patient file as he stood. “I’ll bring his medical records to the research department too—it’ll make the subsequent treatment process smoother there.”
Shan Yu nodded but then seemed to remember something. “Hey, do you have any… cough-cough kinds of medicine? Bring some along too.”
Dr. Qi paused silently for a moment before opening a hidden cabinet.
In his office, there was medicine for everything.
He loaded up a bag with supplies, and the three of them promptly set off for the research building, heading straight to the fourth underground basement.
Upon reaching the rest area where Fu Suxi and Yu Zhi were staying, they considerately waited outside for a while. Only when they heard no ahem incriminating sounds from within did they begin nudging each other to knock.
Lin Xiangyuan, after being pushed to the front, reached out to rap on the door. To his surprise, the door was ajar, and his knock swung it wide open.
What they saw inside froze them in place.
Yu Zhi lay on the bed, his tattered clothing exposing a body marked with bruises of varying sizes. His entire frame was motionless, as if he had passed out.
Meanwhile, their impeccably dressed new minister sat nearby, one hand rubbing Yu Zhi’s waist and the other holding a phone, which was aimed directly at Yu Zhi’s half-naked form.
“!!!”
Shan Yu gasped audibly, snatching the bag of medication from Dr. Qi in a panic. She flung it inside and slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
In the observation room, the contents of the bag spilled onto the floor, scattering pills and bottles everywhere.
One cylindrical container rolled to a stop at Fu Suxi’s feet.
He glanced down and saw two characters printed on it in bold font: lubricant.
“…”
Expressionlessly, Fu Suxi nudged the bottle with his foot. It rolled forward, flipped over, and revealed additional bold characters: Smooth and Passionate; Edible and Rinse-Free
[Livestream comments:]
[User “Cutest Girl in the World” reminds you that the other party once used a similar item and hopes you’ll follow the instructions for proper use.]
“Snap—”
The phone in Fu Suxi’s hand split cleanly in two.
LMAOO