Chapter 48

Agreed?

Water Pit once again settled onto General Wu's sofa, munching on a chicken leg while listening to him speak.

"Allowing non-humans to live in the human world is a complex undertaking. For instance, how will they live, work, earn a living, and coexist peacefully with humans after their arrival? All these aspects demand meticulous planning."

Water Pit nodded: "Precisely, yes, that's exactly it."

"Implementing a policy requires both time and personnel. This isn't a task that can be accomplished in a day or two."

Water Pit: "Well said, indeed."

"We hope the Abyss Lord will recognize our sincerity. We are prepared to sit down and discuss constructively how to advance this matter."

"What you say is reasonable." Water Pit nodded continuously. "Very thorough." Humans operate this way—so many rules and such strictness—he understood.

General Wu breathed a sigh of relief: "So, regarding the Abyss Lord's perspective…"

Water Pit waved his hand: "His thought process is entirely different from mine. He's not one for reason; discussing these things with him would be futile."

Water Pit sighed: "To put it in human terms, it's like a brilliant and insightful subordinate being stuck with an unreasonable boss. You understand what I mean, right?"

"……" For a moment, General Wu was speechless.

"But it's alright. I genuinely enjoy human life, so I'll help you manage him."

"……Thank you then. I hope you can convey my words to the Abyss Lord. We are truly sincere."

"Understood, I'll do it."

Water Pit wiped his hands and extended one to General Wu: "Could you arrange an identity for me and provide some funds so I can fly back? I find human transportation far more convenient—you just sleep and you're there. Hopping from one puddle to another is quite bothersome."

"Certainly, that's a minor detail."

Comrade Water Pit got his wish and boarded a plane, unaware that several surveillance agents were trailing him.

Upon flying back to Jin City, Water Pit checked into the Cliff Hotel. This was where he had first encountered the Abyss Lord. Since he couldn't reach him by phone, he decided to wait for him here.

The Cliff Hotel boasted guest rooms upstairs and a full range of dining and entertainment options downstairs. He could live here indefinitely without ever getting bored.

Life was so wonderful, he was utterly delighted.

*

Whether human or monster, everyone experiences a period of fascination when exposed to novelties. Shen Jin was no exception.

However, he soon realized that Jiang Linchuan was an irritating human, as he would only provide comfort after the lights were off at night. No matter how much Shen Jin pestered him during the day, Jiang Linchuan would never agree.

Thus, the Abyss Lord, initially swept away by pleasure, finally regained his senses. This human, Jiang Linchuan, was only worthy of his favor at night; during the day, he was no longer deemed suitable.

The blue-furred cat snuggled into the arms of the sleeping cub, closing its eyes. The cub's small arms embraced him, and the two slept soundly.

The out-of-favor Jiang Linchuan glanced at them but paid it no mind, unaware that a black mist had already traveled underground to the abandoned, unfinished building.

Within a few days, Hua Fudie and Tu Mi had excavated a large underground laboratory, modeled after the factory, and confined all the humans within it.

"How is it, Godfather?" Hua Fudie asked, wearing a protective suit and mask, hands clasped behind his back. "This is the empire I've built for you. Doesn't it look impressive?"

"Is there any income?"

"Yes," Tu Mi said, pulling out an account book. "We contacted two influencers and brought in a million. However, we're currently operating without proper licenses. The previous factory had a beauty salon's reputation, but we have nothing. Frankly, it's not easy to manage. My idea is to open an online store and sell nationwide. We could even have Ji Feiyu do live-streaming sales."

"Then sell."

"The problem is, we're not human. We lack official identities. All my documents are fake; they're completely useless."

Oh, right.

The Abyss Lord finally remembered Water Pit, whom he had dispatched.

*

Water Pit was enjoying life at the Cliff Hotel, oblivious that the area was surrounded by a sophisticated network of high-precision instruments, designed to alert whenever a non-human entered.

Shen Jin was accustomed to the Special Operations Brigade's equipment and always suppressed his aura according to their standards, so his entry immediately triggered an alert among the watchers.

Shen Jin raised an eyebrow. Interesting.

The human-shaped black mist arrived at Water Pit's room to find him in a white bathrobe, soaking in the balcony swimming pool. A floating tray held red wine, cake, and crayfish. Water Pit sat cross-legged, eating with oily hands, rinsing them in the water between bites.

"Abyss Lord, you're here." Seeing the human-shaped black mist, Water Pit emerged from the water. "I couldn't reach you at all. I called so many times. The humans have agreed, though the procedures are a bit complicated."

Water Pit relayed General Wu's words and then expressed his own opinion: "I believe this plan is feasible. After all, we're here to enjoy human life. There's no need to cause panic. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that they're trying to deceive us, so we can extend the timeline somewhat, but we can't let them dictate everything. Don't you agree with me, Abyss Lord?"

Shen Jin sat on the sofa, hands clasped and legs crossed: "Go ask them for a human identity, then open a beauty salon and register an account. I want to sell products online. If they accomplish this, it shows sincerity. We can extend the deadline by half a month. After that, I want to see their concrete plan."

Water Pit gave an OK gesture: "I'll go tomorrow."

After discussing the important matters, Water Pit cheerfully said: "Abyss Lord, the food here is exceptionally delicious. Shall I order some for you to try?"

"No need." The human-shaped black mist waved his hand. "I sneaked out and need to get back quickly."

Sneaked out?

Since when did such words apply to the Abyss Lord?

Shen Jin left, taking three watchers with him and delivering them to the abandoned, unfinished building. He tossed them into the lab: "These three, give them special attention."

Hua Fudie: "Got it. We just happen to need test subjects. Three premium human test subjects, right this way."

By the time Shen Jin returned to the Special Operations Brigade, the cub had woken up and was smothering the cat with kisses. Jiang Linchuan watched from his chair, growing increasingly suspicious. Since when was this cat so well-behaved? Just as he was about to step forward, the cub was pushed off, kicking his little legs as he fell backward, only to be grabbed by the back of his collar by Jiang Linchuan.

The cat leaped onto the windowsill and jumped down. Jiang Linchuan stood by the window, watching it strut away with an arrogant swagger toward the cafeteria. Hmm, this cat had become obsessed with the cafeteria food, showing up there like clockwork every day, rain or shine.

……

Water Pit knew nothing of all this. Using the funds General Wu provided, he bought himself a suit and a suitcase, transforming into a business elite. Then he took a plane back to General Wu's residence.

The three humans following Water Pit had lost contact. General Wu's expression was grim, but Water Pit beamed: "I've convinced him. The Abyss Lord said the deadline can be extended, but you have to do one thing for him."

General Wu suppressed his doubts: "Alright, tell me."

Water Pit relayed the Abyss Lord's words.

Get an identity, open a company, sell products online.

General Wu nodded: "Fine. I'll give you the processed documents in three days."

"Great, great." Water Pit gave General Wu a thumbs-up. "You're truly a reasonable human."

Water Pit returned to the Cliff Hotel by plane, bringing back four "tails."

He called the Abyss Lord, who came over and took away the four "tails," handing them to Hua Fudie.

Three days later, Water Pit went to collect the documents and brought back another four.

Shen Jin felt that humans were incredibly generous, continuously providing him with test subjects, so he decided to grant them a further extension.

*

Jiang Linchuan hadn't been idle these past few days either. Although he forbade his team from going out, he still went out daily to search for people, especially Old Turtle, whom he was very worried about.

He and Old Turtle had known each other for many years. The first time they met was when Jiang Linchuan went to apprehend him.

At that time, Old Turtle was living under a bridge, scavenging for a living. When Jiang Linchuan arrived, he came across an orphan being bullied, with Old Turtle protecting the child and getting beaten up in the process.

Old Turtle was a very kind non-human, possessing no significant powers. Jiang Linchuan could only hope that the Abyss Lord would show mercy to one of his own kind.

Considering the number of non-humans and humans involved, Jiang Linchuan thought it more likely that they were not hiding in the city center. Abandoned factories in the suburbs seemed more plausible.

Jiang Linchuan left Shen Jin behind, as Shen Jin had barely escaped being devoured by the Abyss Lord. Besides, the kid had been keeping a low profile lately, seemingly frightened by the Abyss Lord, and hadn't tried to run off.

Jiang Linchuan spent several days driving around the streets. One day, while passing by Jin City's largest wholesale vegetable and fruit market, he casually glanced over and spotted a familiar face—Old Turtle.

Old Turtle was pulling a metal cart loaded with vegetables and various types of meat.

Jiang Linchuan slammed on the brakes, pulled over to the side of the road, thinking he must be mistaken.

Old Turtle had always been hunched over because the turtle shell on his back was a weakness he couldn't conceal. But now, his back was straight, with no trace of the shell visible.

Old Turtle was driving a small truck, and Jiang Linchuan followed slowly behind.

The truck wound its way, passing under a bridge and onto a dirt road. There were almost no other vehicles on this road, making Jiang Linchuan's car conspicuous even from a distance.

The small truck ahead came to a stop, and Old Turtle got out, standing by the roadside and observing.

As Jiang Linchuan's car approached, he parked and stepped out as well.

“It really is you. What are you doing here?” Old Turtle’s face fell as he hurried over, grabbing Jiang Linchuan’s arm. “Get out of here, now!”

“Weren’t you swallowed by the Abyss Lord?” Jiang Linchuan stood his ground, looking him over.

“Don’t worry about that. Just leave, now.” Old Turtle tried to push him toward the car. They were already close to the abandoned, unfinished building. If it were just Hua Fudie and the others, it might be manageable, but lately, the Abyss Lord had been showing up occasionally. If he discovered Jiang Linchuan, things would get complicated.

“Are those humans still alive?”

“They’re not dead for now, Captain Jiang. Just stay out of this.”

“What does the Abyss Lord plan to do with them?”

“You ask too many questions,” Old Turtle said impatiently, glaring at him. “Just go.”

Jiang Linchuan actually opened the car door, ready to leave. Old Turtle was fine, and it seemed the humans were safe for the time being. Confronting the Abyss Lord was not something he wanted to get involved in, especially since he had two kids to take care of at home.

“Alright, I’m leaving. If anything happens, make sure to call me right away.” Jiang Linchuan started to get in the car but suddenly stopped short, his head jerking up.

Old Turtle felt it too and turned to look.

Outside the abandoned building, a group of soldiers in uniform had appeared out of nowhere, stealthily entering the building.

Startled, Old Turtle instinctively yelled at the top of his lungs, “What are you doing?”

The shout alerted those inside the building and startled the people outside.

One of the soldiers quickly turned and fired a shot in Old Turtle’s direction. Jiang Linchuan acted fast, shoving Old Turtle out of the way. However, the weapon was much more advanced than previous models. With no time to dodge, a round bullet sank into Jiang Linchuan’s arm.

“Are you okay?” Old Turtle hurriedly supported him.

“I’m fine.” The bullet was designed for non-humans. If it had hit Old Turtle, it would have caused severe damage. But against a human, while still harmful, the impact was significantly reduced.

Jiang Linchuan saw who was leading them—Yun Feng.

Had he really chosen to confront the Abyss Lord head-on? Had they discovered the Abyss Lord’s weakness?

Old Turtle released him and started forward, but Jiang Linchuan grabbed him. “What are you doing?”

“I have to help them,” Old Turtle said urgently.

“With the Abyss Lord there, what are you afraid of?”

“He’s not always around… He…” Before Old Turtle could finish, the sky above the abandoned building suddenly darkened. Within seconds, the area was enveloped in fog, plunging the world into complete darkness.

Jiang Linchuan pulled Old Turtle behind him. His vision was completely obscured by the darkness, and he could only hear the sound of the wind.

His body lifted into the air, floating weightlessly, carried forward by the wind.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead. Yun Feng and the others were spinning rapidly inside a tornado, tumbling like clothes in a washing machine.

“It’s the Abyss Lord. The Abyss Lord is here,” Old Turtle said, also floating mid-air, gripping Jiang Linchuan tightly, afraid the Abyss Lord would suck him into the vortex as well.

Tentacles emerged from the ground, seizing the humans and throwing them one by one into the underground laboratory.