Chapter 74 Confession (End of Inverted V)

Gu Yibei acted swiftly; by early afternoon, he had found them a new house, not far from their current residence. He even arranged for it to be cleaned and stocked with necessary supplies, and sent a car to pick them up.

This time, Shenchi didn't put Ping'an in the space but carried him directly into the car, heading for their new home.

Gu Yibei and Xia Yi had already arrived, and together they toured the new residence.

The new place was a three-story villa. The ground floor housed the kitchen, living room, and bathroom, while the upper two floors were bedrooms. There was also a small swimming pool, clean but empty.

Ming Jing immediately looked at Shenchi.

Shenchi waved his hand, and the pool instantly filled with ice blocks, which then melted under a layer of flames, quickly filling the pool with cool water.

The weather was scorching hot, and everyone except Shenchi was sweating profusely. Cao Kun, being a fire ability user, could provide warmth in winter but was helpless in summer.

Without much ado, Ming Jing started stripping off his clothes. Gu Yibei brought over three towels, "Good thing I prepared these."

Xia Yi didn't want to undress, and Shenchi couldn't touch cold water, so they sat by the poolside playing with little Ping'an.

Shenchi took out a notebook from the space and handed it to Xia Yi, "Your notebook." Seeing Gu Yibei swim over, he added, "Sorry, both Cao Kun and I read its contents."

Xia Yi blushed, remembering what was inside. No wonder Cao Kun reacted that way when he heard Gu Yibei's name.

Gu Yibei pondered, "What notebook, Xia Yi? Can I take a look?"

Xia Yi put the notebook away, "Nothing important, just some speculations about crystal cores."

Gu Yibei smiled.

Xia Yi ignored Gu Yibei and turned to Shenchi, "I should apologize too; I told a third person about your situation."

Gu Yibei chimed in, "It was my doing. He kept asking me to find someone, so I had to ask for details."

Cao Kun swam over, stood up, and shook his hair, teasing, "Watching so closely?"

Gu Yibei had broad shoulders, a slim waist, and smooth muscle lines, making him quite attractive. Cao Kun, on the other hand, was tanned and muscular, exuding strength. His wet body dripped with water, radiating testosterone.

In comparison, Ming Jing seemed less impressive. Though he had some muscles, he was generally skinny with fair skin and bright eyes, looking more like an adolescent boy.

Ming Jing glanced between the two and silently submerged his face in the water, blowing bubbles.

The two on the shore simultaneously looked away.

Xia Yi still had many things to do, and Gu Yibei, though on leave, had work to attend to, so they soon left.

Before parting, Xia Yi suddenly turned back, "By the way, I forgot to mention: Jin Shufan is also in Lu County, and he seems close to Jiang Zhendong."

Cao Kun's expression darkened slightly.

That night, after washing the dishes, Cao Kun hesitated for a moment before knocking on Shenchi's door.

Shenchi and Ming Jing were giving Ping'an a bath and cleaning his navel area, as his umbilical cord was starting to fall off and needed to stay dry.

Seeing Cao Kun enter, Ming Jing got up, carrying the giggling Ping'an out and closing the door behind him.

Shenchi: "Do you want to ask about the space?"

Cao Kun shook his head. While others might not know, Cao Kun did. They hadn't obtained any Level 4 crystal cores, and the only one they had was absorbed by him.

Theoretically, if they had one, a normal person would prioritize upgrading the more offensive ice ability rather than the less promising space ability.

So, Shenchi's words today were partially hidden, but Cao Kun didn't care. He was more concerned about Shen Tian's unfinished sentence.

What did he mean by "not without a man"?

Why did Shenchi hate Shen Tian so much, sever ties with his parents, and what did President Wang have to do with Shenchi?

His intuition told him it was related to Ping'an.

But if Shenchi's family fell out because of his pregnancy, then based on Shen Tian's words today, he wouldn't hesitate to use it against Shenchi. Considering the due date and Shenchi's sudden change in behavior before the apocalypse...

So...

Perhaps, that man wasn't Shenchi's lover.

The more Cao Kun thought about it, the more agitated he became. Finally, he couldn't hold back, "You and your parents..."

Shenchi sensed something was wrong and sternly said, "Don't ask what you shouldn't."

Cao Kun, frustrated, retorted, "Then what can I ask? June 18th, Magpie Bridge Hotel..."

Shenchi suddenly snapped, "Shut up!"

Cao Kun: "What if I say I was the one that night!"

"Shut up!!"

Shenchi leaped up and punched Cao Kun in the face. Cao Kun retaliated, throwing Shenchi to the ground, and they began fighting.

Ming Jing, hearing the commotion, rushed over, but before he could touch the doorknob, both men shouted from inside:

"Get lost!"

Though both were engaged in a physical fight, Cao Kun was a Level 4 ability user and naturally stronger. Soon, Shenchi was pinned down.

Shenchi trembled all over, "Do you love me?"

Just as Cao Kun was about to say "of course," Shenchi coldly replied, "Do you think I must open up to you just because you love me?!"

Cao Kun stared at Shenchi with bloodshot eyes, as if struck by a sudden blow. After a long moment, he slowly released his grip on Shenchi. "I'm sorry."

The door opened and closed. Shenchi lay on the ground, covering his eyes with the back of his hand, and the room fell silent.

That night, Shen Tian also had a hard time. After leaving the restaurant, Jiang Zhendong questioned him in detail about his conflict with Shenchi. Of course, Shen Tian couldn't admit that he had tricked Shenchi into sleeping with a client. Instead, he claimed that Shenchi had seduced the client for better sales performance. As for the details about Shenchi's associates and his relationship with Gu Yibei, Shen Tian was completely clueless.

Jiang Zhendong nodded, comforted Shen Tian with a few words, and then they engaged in intimacy twice.

After falling asleep, Shen Tian began to have nightmares. He dreamed of being dragged into the eighteenth level of hell, where he was either having his tongue pulled out or being boiled alive. These terrifying dreams woke him up several times.

Jiang Zhendong, lost in thought, ordered an investigation into Shenchi's background overnight. He then heated a cup of milk for Shen Tian to drink and, unusually, stayed to sleep with him.

The next day, Shenchi, accompanied by Ping'an, Cao Kun, and Ming Jing, went to the Research Institute, where Xia Yi personally received them. Gu Yibei, however, was called away early in the morning.

Xia Yi was surprised to see the bruise on Shenchi's face. Just as he was about to ask, he noticed Cao Kun's injuries from the corner of his eye and hesitated. "What happened to you guys?"

Cao Kun answered evasively, "We tripped and fell."

Xia Yi: "..."

The Research Institute was divided into multiple zones, each working on different research projects. Some projects were interconnected, so people often moved between zones, making most of the researchers familiar with one another.

Researchers in white lab coats bustled around, occasionally nodding to each other as a greeting.

The appearance of Shenchi and his companions didn't attract much attention; people merely glanced at them before returning to their work. Some curious individuals gave Ping'an a few extra looks.

It wasn't uncommon for outsiders to come for examinations, mostly psychics, which the researchers were used to seeing.

Xia Yi first led them to the blood sample collection station. To prepare for the tests, they had all skipped breakfast.

Xia Yi started with Ping'an and Shenchi, while assistants handled the others. Later, he collected some water from the Spirit Spring for analysis. During the wait, he found Shenchi and the others just as they were moving on to the next test.

After a series of physical examinations, Xia Yi led them to a semi-enclosed room filled with various instruments. There was a back door leading to an open field surrounded by towering mountains.

"This is where we test psychic abilities," Xia Yi said, attaching electrodes to Cao Kun and instructing him to attack the wall. He recorded the data from the instruments and his observations.

After testing everyone, they were all panting from exhaustion. Xia Yi instructed them to unleash their psychic abilities without holding back. Shenchi and Cao Kun seemed to be competing, causing flames to scorch the area one moment and ice to blanket it the next.

Fortunately, they were mindful of others nearby. Ming Jing, Xia Yi, and Ping'an, who were close by, remained unaffected. Ping'an was even excited, waving his arms enthusiastically as if eager to join in.

Xia Yi ignored them and focused on studying Ming Jing's psychic ability, which intrigued him greatly.

There was another psychic in Luyi, a student of Professor Jing from Zone 3, whose abilities had reached Level 3. It was rumored that this psychic could control someone's actions for a short period. Unfortunately, Professor Jing kept a tight watch, and his authority exceeded Xia Yi's, preventing him from obtaining more detailed data.

The test results wouldn't be available immediately. During the break, Shenchi released the scar-faced zombie, which instantly occupied most of the space as a giant, headless creature.

Xia Yi gasped in surprise. Shenchi and his companions then provided a detailed account of their battle with the Level 5 zombie. Shenchi, being the most knowledgeable, took the lead in explaining.

Xia Yi grew increasingly alarmed as he listened. The recent communication only mentioned that Level 5 zombies could grow to enormous sizes, but no one knew that the crystal core inside their pineal gland had shifted!

"This is too significant..." Xia Yi looked at Shenchi. "Can you report this to higher-ups? You don't need to mention the body; just say you're survivors from the safe zone in Yushan City."

The threat posed by Level 5 zombies was immense. If not reported promptly, it could put humans at a severe disadvantage in future confrontations.

Shenchi had no objections, and Ming Jing fully agreed. Cao Kun did not oppose either. He reasoned that if they didn't report it, other survivors would eventually do so. By reporting it now, they could gain favor and perhaps make Jiang Zhendong and his group more cautious.

As for the scar-faced zombie, Cao Kun was almost certain it was a discarded pawn. Otherwise, how could Jin Shufan and the others escape from Wanqian City and travel hundreds of kilometers to command it to attack the safe zone?

Author's Note:

Starting June 25th, the story will go VIP. Updates will be 10,000 words at a time. Thank you for your support!