Chapter 34 Part 2
How cruel!
So, while outwardly respectful, he secretly wished for Shi Xu’s demise, finding solace in others who shared his resentment.
They celebrated Shi Xu’s resignation, and upon hearing he was working as a security guard at Jinzhu Bay, they volunteered for the investigation, eager to witness his downfall.
But instead of seeing Shi Xu’s misery, they were humiliated again.
Chen Han was the most severely injured, his nose broken, his face disfigured.
Despite the pain, his mind was clear.
In a world with pollutants and Variants, he still didn’t believe in ghosts.
It couldn’t be a ghost. It had to be a pollutant.
Why would a pollutant target them, but not Shi Xu?
Because they had badmouthed him. The pollutant was punishing them.
Shi Xu and the pollutant were in cahoots. A former captain of the Anomaly Management Bureau colluding with a pollutant, this was huge news. It would ruin Shi Xu’s reputation.
With this thought, he forgot his pain, eager to expose Shi Xu, even without concrete evidence. He would tell Lin Quan, who, with his hatred for Shi Xu, would surely investigate thoroughly.
He had to tell him, immediately!
As soon as the doctor left, he sat up.
“Brother Han, do you need to use the bathroom?” Guo Shu, sharing the same room, the least injured but still under observation, offered to help him.
“No!” Chen Han sneered. “Your phone, lend it to me.”
His own phone was broken during the fall.
Guo Shu: “Mine’s broken too.”
Annoyed, Chen Han asked his three other friends in the room. “Your phones?”
All five of them, sharing the same room, gave the same answer.
Chen Han cursed.
Guo Shu, seeing his frustration, asked, “Who are you calling?”
“Lin Quan!” He shared his plan.
Instead of dissuading him, they joined in, cursing Shi Xu.
“I knew something was wrong! It was a pollutant!”
“A former captain colluding with a pollutant! Shi Xu is finished!”
“I always thought it was strange how powerful he was, an ordinary human. Was he working with a pollutant all along? Did he borrow its power, like Lin Zhi?”
“It’s possible!”
“Not possible, it’s certain! I never believed he was that strong. Brother Han placed third in the selection, and he couldn’t even last 20 seconds against him. That’s ridiculous.”
The reminder of his humiliation angered Chen Han. “Enough! I can’t walk. Someone find me a phone.”
“I’ll go!” Guo Shu volunteered.
Chen Han had been his cushion, and he felt guilty. This was the least he could do.
He left the room to borrow a phone.
Half an hour later, he still hadn’t returned.
“What’s taking him so long? Just borrowing a phone…”
“I’ll go check.” The least injured among them left the room.
But he didn’t return either.
“Should I go?”
“Wait!” Chen Han sensed something amiss, pressing the call button. They waited for five minutes, but no nurse came.
They exchanged worried glances.
Having worked at the Anomaly Management Bureau, they knew what this meant.
Something was wrong, something serious.
Chen Han had a plant-based ability, the other two, healing and object shrinking.
Chen Han extended a vine to check the hallway, but his injuries weakened his ability. He couldn’t use it to see. When the vine was severed, he couldn’t react in time.
“Danger!” The moment he shouted, the door burst open, the warped door panel flying across the room, embedding itself in the head of the man opposite him.
His companion watched in horror as his head exploded, blood splattering everywhere. He screamed.
Before he could close his mouth, a blood-soaked hand reached out, shoving the cold doorknob into his mouth, down his throat.
Chen Han watched in shock, his two companions dead, the fate of the remaining two predictable.
The creature that killed them had a human form, covered in black slime, its face obscured by blood and gore. It slowly turned its head.
Chen Han’s heart skipped a beat. If he weren’t injured, he could fight, but now, he was helpless.
The pollutant approached him, its slow, deliberate movements amplifying his despair.
He scrambled back, bumping against the bed, then falling off, the IV needle ripping from his hand, blood trailing behind him.
He tried to summon his ability, but he was too weak.
After his defeat by Shi Xu, he felt powerless again.
As death approached, he remembered someone’s words: “Captain Shi is strict with us for our own good. If he showed us mercy, we would become complacent, unable to protect ourselves in real danger. Cherish the opportunity to train under him. If he’s gone one day, no one else will be as capable or patient, willing to guide us.”
It was a former subordinate of Shi Xu’s, now vice-captain of the T City branch.
He didn’t know why he remembered those words.
But he knew he regretted his actions.
He shouldn’t have antagonized Shi Xu. He should have trained harder. Even if he couldn’t defeat Shi Xu, lasting even one more second would have been a victory!
Then, he might have survived, not dying at the hands of this pollutant.
“Every profession deserves respect. Without us ‘lowly’ workers, how would you enjoy your comfortable lives? Why mock us? What’s so funny?” The pollutant spoke in a human voice, its anger intensifying with each word.
Chen Han pleaded desperately, “I was wrong! I shouldn’t have badmouthed Shi Xu, I shouldn’t have mocked you… Please spare me…”
A slime-covered hand reached out, silencing his pleas.
Shi Xu and Gu Sui bought three days’ worth of groceries. While Shi Xu showered, Gu Sui prepared a feast. Having multiple hands was certainly convenient.
After a satisfying dinner, Shi Xu relaxed on the sofa.
Having only slept briefly before being awakened by Qi Yu, he was exhausted, drifting off to sleep. He didn’t sleep long, awakened by the heat.
The heater was on, and he was covered with a blanket. Gu Sui’s body temperature was high, his closeness radiating warmth, making Shi Xu sweat. Besides the heat, he felt an intense gaze on him, burning into him.
Shi Xu’s eyes flashed with annoyance. Gu Sui immediately moved away, apologizing. “Wife, I… wrong. I… massage… your shoulders… Don’t be… angry…”
Shi Xu took a deep breath, beckoning Gu Sui with his finger. As Gu Sui approached, he grabbed his ear, twisting it hard.
“Ow! Wife… mean!”
Shi Xu: “Stop staring at me like a creep while I’m sleeping!”
Gu Sui: “But… Wife… looks… so beautiful… sleeping… I… couldn’t… resist…”
Shi Xu: “Should I gouge your eyes out?”
“If… Wife… wants… I can… do it… myself. Make them… into… rings… for Wife… okay?” Gu Sui blinked.
Shi Xu: “…”
He was serious. He would actually do it. They would regenerate anyway.
Shi Xu didn’t want such a gruesome gift. He released Gu Sui’s ear, getting up and heading upstairs.
Gu Sui followed, chattering behind him. “Wife, you… don’t want?”
Shi Xu: “Keep them for yourself.”
Gu Sui: “Wife… doesn’t want… me to… gouge out… my eyes… Wife… cares… about me… Wife… so gentle…”
Shi Xu: “…”
He didn’t consider himself gentle. He didn’t understand why Gu Sui thought so.
As he reached his bedroom door, Gu Sui blocked his path. Shi Xu looked up at him coldly. “Move.”
Gu Sui didn’t budge, leaning closer. “Wife, can… I have… a good night… kiss?”
Shi Xu’s gaze fell on his lips.
Gu Sui continued, “I… was… good… today, right? Made… two meals… So tired… Want… reward…”
Shi Xu’s lips thinned. Gu Sui leaned closer, a tentative, fleeting touch, then, sensing no resistance, he captured Shi Xu’s lips, deepening the kiss…
Downstairs, the little black cat, after searching the house, found the golden egg peeking at its two dads kissing.
It meowed silently, pushing the egg downstairs.
Reaching the living room, it finally dared to meow loudly, scolding the egg in its own language.
The egg lay obediently beside it, its unseen gaze fixed on a shadow outside the window.
