Chapter 57: Here to Pick You Up Part 1

Bypassing the rose garden that had turned into a wasteland, they arrived at the familiar small building. Not only was Han Yuyan there, but Li Zhen Zhen was as well, with two armed bodyguards following behind Li Zhen Zhen.

From a distance, Li Zhen Zhen, who was well-maintained, looked about the same age as Han Yuyan.

Just as Bai Chen Zhu was about to lead Tang Zhao over, he paused in his steps and suddenly sensed something off.

One, two, three, four… Bai Chen Zhu roughly counted the number of people and compared it to the mental power he sensed.

Tang Zhao craned his neck: “Bro, what’s up?”

“Something’s strange.” Bai Chen Zhu thought for a moment. “I’ll go by myself. You do one thing for me.”

—

“You’re here.” Han Yuyan saw Bai Chen Zhu approaching alone and smiled at him.

She was about to introduce both sides when Li Zhen Zhen shook her head.

Bai Chen Zhu got straight to the point: “We know each other.”

This saved unnecessary small talk, and the three of them entered the house.

They did not go directly to the first floor but instead went up the stairs to the second floor. Looking down from there, Bai Chen Zhu finally got a clear view of Bai Li downstairs.

It turned out Li Zhen Zhen had confined him within a chalked circle on the floor of the hall for him to move around in. Bai Li’s limbs were all connected to thick iron chains, and as he paced the first-floor hall, every movement produced the sound of chains.

“I hope you can save him.” Li Zhen Zhen looked at the disfigured zombie below and said, “This is not only a mother’s selfish wish but also the base’s need. I’m willing to let Bai Li be your research subject. From now on, this small building will be your laboratory. You can recruit the talents you need, make requests for equipment, you can… but you absolutely cannot harm him.”

Han Yuyan had her hands in her pockets and said coldly: “Does injecting, drawing blood, or taking medicine count as harm?”

Li Zhen Zhen shook her head. “I mean irreversible, permanent harm.”

Han Yuyan then showed a rare smile. “Miss Li is benevolent. But like this, how can we observe him up close?”

Li Zhen Zhen thought for a moment and said to the two bodyguards behind her: “Capture him.”

Bai Chen Zhu leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed and watched. Before long, Bai Li was restrained on a cross, and the group came down from the second floor.

This was also the first time Bai Chen Zhu had gotten close to a zombie. The rotten face still vaguely showed the boy’s original features, with bluish-purple skin, a swollen body, nearly black blood, and monstrous strength like a strongman.

When he roared and struggled, even the cross shook with him.

Bai Chen Zhu felt a sense of crisis in his heart and distanced himself from the zombie on the cross.

Han Yuyan was talking to Li Zhen Zhen. She occasionally glanced at the incessantly struggling Bai Li and suddenly said: “Miss Li should know that after humans are infected, they turn into either zombies or ability users. These are almost two extreme directions of change. Even for experiments, we need control groups.”

What did she mean? Capturing a zombie wasn’t enough; she wanted to capture an ability user too? Bai Chen Zhu frowned at her.

Li Zhen Zhen looked hesitant. “What do you mean?”

“Conveniently, there’s not only a zombie here but also a precious mental system ability user.” Han Yuyan turned to look at Bai Chen Zhu, her face stern as she spat out sharp words. “Very suitable for experiments.”

Li Zhen Zhen followed her gaze. “You’re after him? I disagree.”

With a snap of her fingers, Han Yuyan caused many people to appear on the third floor of the small building, all armed with weapons and guns aimed at the man below. Bai Chen Zhu glanced over and felt these people looked very familiar.

He thought for a moment and easily recalled that they were the group who had protected her when he first met Han Yuyan.

It seemed they had all been turned.

To think the small building hid so many people, and Han Yuyan had come ahead of time. Li Zhen Zhen said incredulously: “What are you doing? My father assigned those people to you not for you to be rude to our guest!”

Han Yuyan said indifferently: “Since Miss Li can sacrifice her own son for experiments, then sacrificing a nephew is hardly excessive.”

More curious about Han Yuyan’s ability than the Bai Chen Zhu within arm’s reach, he asked: “You can tell my superpower?”

Could there be someone else in the world besides him who could guess superpowers by sensing mental power?

“A guess.” Han Yuyan said, “You didn’t hide it much.”

Han Yuyan’s observational skills had always been sharp. Bai Chen Zhu was so sensitive to her superpower yet lacked Tang Zhao’s brute strength, so it was most likely a mental system one.

But she didn’t know the specifics.

Ordinary ability users were everywhere, but mental system ability users—besides herself, the only one she knew of was Bai Chen Zhu. And he said he was leaving in a few days; she couldn’t let him go!

Today was a good opportunity, with none of his friends around.

So that was it. Bai Chen Zhu chuckled lightly, as if understanding why the original host had an aunt like this—stubborn, suffering, and distant.

What aunt? She was a mad scientist who turned on people without hesitation.

The two behind Li Zhen Zhen stepped forward to guard her. Li Zhen Zhen ordered the people upstairs: “I forbid it. Everyone, stand down!”

There was no reaction from the third floor.

Han Yuyan walked toward Li Zhen Zhen. “It’s fine, Miss Li. I’m your guest too, aren’t I? An important one at that.”

Her dark eyes fixed on Li Zhen Zhen, hiding arrogance beneath a hypocritical face and cold severity under a gentle facade. “Think about it: Young Master Bai has already made such a big sacrifice. What’s one more person? Right?”

“You’ll agree, won’t you? This is just my family matter; you have no reason to interfere.”

Under her persuasion, Li Zhen Zhen hesitated. She suddenly shuddered, realizing her firm will was wavering.

A trick! She retreated two steps, covered her eyes, and refused to look at Han Yuyan. “Shut up!”

“Alright.” Han Yuyan stopped. She smiled helplessly. “Miss Li, if you do nothing and just stand there, that’s the greatest help to me.”

“As for you,” Han Yuyan turned to Bai Chen Zhu, “Little Zhu, I told you to stay and keep your aunt company longer.”

The dozen or so gun barrels from the third floor were all aimed at Bai Chen Zhu’s head. Under this threat, he seemed to have no way to retreat—only the possibility of ending up tied to a cross like Bai Li.

Bai Chen Zhu remained calm throughout. The surprise Han Yuyan gave him was less than Tang Zhao’s explanation of friends and partners.

He said: “Auntie, you’re new here; you shouldn’t be so reckless. At least find out my superpower first.”

Han Yuyan’s snap earlier had been cool, so Bai Chen Zhu imitated her pose and snapped his fingers, though not very skillfully.

Suddenly, there was a commotion on the third floor. All the guns abruptly turned toward the source of the disturbance. In the moment Han Yuyan was distracted and looked over, the next second, she was rushed by Bai Chen Zhu, who grabbed her neck and slammed her against the wall.

The force was immense. Han Yuyan cried out in pain and looked at him in shock, seemingly never expecting her timid, introverted nephew to go this far.

“Urgh! Gah! Bai Chen Zhu, let me go!” She gasped roughly, clutching the hand he had around her neck.

Another superpower. Bai Chen Zhu raised an eyebrow. Not only did he not comply, but in a few moves, he dislocated both her arms. As they went limp and slid down, he kept one hand on her neck and covered her mouth with the other, handling her like a rag doll.

Only then did Han Yuyan feel fear and looked toward Li Zhen Zhen.

Bai Chen Zhu anticipated this and pressed her head into the wall. He gave Li Zhen Zhen a polite smile. “Miss Li, this is my family matter.”

He borrowed her words.

People fell from upstairs one after another, hanging from the railing like dried meat.

Tang Zhao jumped down from the third floor, let out a breath of relief, and said with hands on hips: “Bro! That snap was cool. Let me try it sometime.”

“I don’t want to get ambushed again.” Bai Chen Zhu kept Han Yuyan’s mouth blocked and tossed her to Tang Zhao. “Miss Li, my apologies, but you’ve seen my aunt’s superpower now. If one day she bewitches the people around you, don’t say I didn’t warn you—then not just Bai Li, but you and Mr. Li would be in mortal danger.”

Li Zhen Zhen was indeed frightened. She hadn’t expected Han Yuyan to be so bold as to use the people they sent to escort her to capture an ability user—even if that user was her relative.