Gao Yang widened his eyes and stared at Wang Zikai. Wang Zikai sat cross-legged on the floor in the corner, staring back at Gao Yang.
The silence was eerie. No one moved.
"When..." Gao Yang finally broke the silence, "...when did you wake up?"
"Just now," Wang Zikai grinned, looking at Gao Yang with excitement in his eyes.
"When was 'just now'?" Fatty Jun instinctively took a step back and asked.
"A few minutes ago?"
Gao Yang had a bad premonition. "You saw everything?!"
"I saw it all!" Mentioning this energized Wang Zikai. He sprang up. "Holy shit! When I woke up, I saw you guys fighting back and forth. Badass... I thought I was dreaming..."
Wang Zikai gestured wildly with both hands. "I saw Qing Ling get slapped by that thing and whoosh, she flew out. Glass shattered everywhere. Whoa! I was like, 'Holy crap!' That's when I knew I wasn't dreaming. I was scared stupid, okay?! So I hurried up and played dead on the floor..."
Gao Yang rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Hey, what exactly was that auntie? Pretty fierce. She clearly turned into a lizard-man just now, how come she turned back into a human after dying?"
"Also, who exactly are you three? X-Men? Do you have superpowers? This is simply a cow flying on a plane—awesome to the sky! (Bullshit/Badass to the max)..."
"Wang Zikai." Gao Yang interrupted.
"What?"
"Shut up. Let me have some peace." Gao Yang was on the verge of collapse.
Fatty Jun took a step back. "Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, we can't keep him... Let's do it."
"I am not your sister-in-law." Qing Ling lay motionless on the waterbed. "I'm very tired right now. Handle this idiot however you want."
"Idiot?" Wang Zikai pointed at his own nose. "Are you talking about me?"
"No!" Gao Yang shouted, pointing at Auntie He nailed to the wall. "We meant this lizard monster."
"Whoa! So it really is a lizard monster!" Wang Zikai got even more excited.
Gao Yang took a deep breath and made a decision. "Wang Zikai, what I'm about to say is very important. Listen carefully!"
"Oh, okay!" Wang Zikai was all ears.
Five minutes passed.
Wang Zikai looked devout, trying hard to digest the information. "You're saying that my body was modified when I was a child, so I'm very special, and now these lizard monsters want to kill me..."
"Correct! We are all New Humans. To resist the Lizard People, our bodies have been modified to varying degrees. But you are the most special. You are a warrior one in a million, the Destined Youth! In the end, only you can defeat the Lizard People's Boss!"
"Too much information. Let me process this..." Wang Zikai leaned one hand against the wall, falling into deep thought.
Gao Yang took a step forward and spoke emotionally, "Wang Zikai, Qing Ling and I have actually been protecting you in secret. I distanced myself from you recently because my identity was exposed, and I didn't want to drag you into it... You saw it just now, that Lizard Person almost killed us all..."
"Really?" Wang Zikai turned around.
"Absolutely true!"
"Good brother! I knew it... you wouldn't abandon me!" Wang Zikai's eyes were red. He grabbed Gao Yang's hand tightly. "To be honest! The first day of school, when I saw you in the crowd, I just felt you were pleasing to the eye!"
"Me, I've never found anyone pleasing to the eye since I was a kid. Not even my parents! But I just liked you. Unexpectedly... I didn't expect you to hide it so deeply!"
"This is the bond of destiny," Gao Yang smiled. "It seems we are destined to be partners fighting side by side!"
"Damn right! Needless to say!" Wang Zikai was even more excited. "Let's fuck up those Lizard People together! Fuck 'em up! Save the world!"
Gao Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Being stupid actually saved his life.
Fatty Jun watched dumbfounded from the side. What kind of god-tier manipulation is this?!
Qing Ling was still lying on the bed and didn't object—or rather, she didn't have the strength to object.
Fatty Jun quickly squeezed out a stiff smile. "Little brother, keep a low profile first! We humans are still at a disadvantage. There are Lizard People everywhere now. We must hide our identities well and farm safely. Where there is life, there is hope!"
"Understood." Wang Zikai patted his chest vigorously. "Don't fear. Once I get fed and geared up, I'll carry you guys!"
Ten minutes later, Officer Huang arrived after receiving the call.
He pushed aside the barricade and entered the room.
"There was an accident. Mission failed." Qing Ling sat on the bed while Fatty Jun treated her injured arm.
"I can tell from the scene." Officer Huang took out a cigarette and stared at Auntie He, who was still nailed to the wall. "Quite tragic. Let me guess... she looked like a lizard?"
"Yes. What kind of Beast is it?" Gao Yang asked.
"Also a Wrath Beast. As far as I know, Wrath Beasts are divided into three types: Slayers, Devourers, and Callers." Officer Huang squatted down, quietly examining the dead Auntie He.
"The one you encountered should be a Slayer. Very strong combat power. But this one had degenerated severely. If you met one in peak condition, I'd be collecting your corpses right now."
Everyone in the room sucked in a breath of cold air.
"However, the most terrifying among Wrath Beasts are actually the Callers. If you encounter one, you will die without a doubt."
"Are Callers strong?" Qing Ling asked.
"Not strong. But they use their special vocal cords to instantly notify all Beasts within a one-kilometer radius."
"..."
Gao Yang didn't speak. It was a small mercy in a great misfortune.
It seems dumping all points into Luck was somewhat useful. Metaphysics... better to believe it exists.
"Officer Huang, hello." Fatty Jun stepped forward, extending his hand with an eager smile. "I am your new companion."
"I figured." Officer Huang extended his hand and shook it. He turned back to look at Wang Zikai, who looked clueless yet brimming with confidence.
"This spirited young man is..."
Suddenly, Officer Huang's brows knit together, a cold killing intent rising in his eyes.
"Officer Huang!" Gao Yang quickly stepped forward, blocking Wang Zikai. "He is also a companion."
Officer Huang looked into Gao Yang's eyes. After a moment of silence, he guessed the gist of it. Lost ones (Delusion Beasts) don't necessarily have to be killed. After all, they are too human. As long as you maintain boundaries and don't "stimulate" them, theoretically, "peaceful coexistence" is possible.
But overall, humans know too little about Beasts. This behavior is still too saintly. Still, Officer Huang wasn't qualified to lecture this young man, seeing as he hadn't killed "Old Liu" either.
He nodded and lowered his voice. "Confirmed safe?"
"Safe."
"Alright." Officer Huang lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. "You three clean yourselves up and leave immediately. Go to school as usual."
Officer Huang looked at Fatty Jun again. "You're the owner of this hotel, right?"
"Yes."
Officer Huang nodded, surveying the carnage. "I can handle this as a robbery gone wrong. But there are too many signs of a struggle to cover up in a short time. The risk of exposure is too high."
"Is there any other way?" Fatty Jun asked.
"Do you mind making the news? 'Gas Leak Explosion in Love Hotel Leaves One Dead, One Injured.'"
The dead one would naturally be Auntie He; the injured one would be Fatty Jun. Since they were acting, they might as well go all the way. Fatty Jun could heal himself anyway, so this "bitter meat stratagem" (self-injury ruse) cost nothing.
"This... but this is my entire fortune! Really blow it up?" Fatty Jun was heartbroken. "I didn't buy insurance! I won't get compensation, and I might even face fines..."
"Is it more important than your life?" Officer Huang retorted.
"Officer Huang is right. Aside from life and death, nothing is a big deal," Gao Yang also persuaded.
Fatty Jun sighed and cursed. "Burn it, burn it! Trading a building for a few companions, it's worth it!"
Ten minutes later, Gao Yang and Qing Ling walked out of the hotel.
It was early morning. The whole city was just waking up under the shroud of morning light.
Pedestrians were sparse on the streets. There were a few breakfast carts, seven or eight young people just finishing an all-nighter at the internet café, and a lazy water sprinkler truck driving past them.
Wang Zikai followed excitedly behind the two, looking like he was on steroids. "Damn, everyone looks like a Lizard Person to me now!"
"Keep your voice down!" Gao Yang reminded him. "Go home first and stay put. Qing Ling and I are going to school. Pick us up at the school gate tonight in your car. I have a mission for you."
"Understood." Wang Zikai ran across the street and got into his sports car.
Before driving off, he didn't forget to wave at Gao Yang, high-spirited. "Fuck 'em up! Save the world!"
"For a Lost to not go berserk after such stimulation defies logic," Qing Ling said coldly.
"I thought you let him off," Gao Yang sighed.
"Impossible." Qing Ling's gaze was sharp. "If he dies tonight, we'll be too suspicious. We'll find a suitable opportunity later to..."
Qing Ling stopped mid-sentence, her expression darkening.
"What is it?"
Just as Gao Yang asked, he realized Qing Ling was looking behind him.
Gao Yang turned around, his face draining of color.
"Gao Xinxin?!"
Gao Yang's sister was standing a few meters away. She was wearing her newly bought Lolita dress and a blonde wig, looking as pretty as a doll. She stared expressionlessly at Gao Yang.
If they had bumped into each other normally, Gao Yang would definitely have complimented his sister on how pretty she looked. But at this moment, he was so nervous he almost stuttered. "Sis, what are you doing here? Uh, I had some business with my classmate..."
"Stop acting. I've already discovered it," Gao Xinxin said calmly.
Gao Yang's heart sank.
Qing Ling took a step forward, subtly curling her fingers, ready to strike.
Gao Yang still held onto a shred of luck. He continued, "Sis, what are you talking about? I don't understand..."
"It's too late." A cold sneer that didn't suit her age appeared on his sister's face. "I have already told everyone."
Immense despair and terror choked Gao Yang's throat in an instant.
—A Caller!