When he opened his eyes, what he saw was not an unfamiliar ceiling.
It was the snotty, grinning face of Lu Family's Youngest. He bared his teeth, turned around, and shouted, "Mom, Second Brother's awake! He's awake!"
The familiar smell of disinfectant drifted through the air, while the corridor outside was filled with clamour.
Ji Jue looked around blankly and realized he was in a hospital ward. On the bedside table beside him, Old Third was still doing his homework with tears in his eyes, too busy to cry.
Only then did he see Lu Ma's anxious face. She looked as though she had stayed up all night and not rested at all.
Ji Jue tried to recall how he had been sent here, only to discover that his head was throbbing. It wasn't just a lack of Spiritual Substance—more importantly, it was the drinking.
Heaven knew how much he had drunk last night.
Now that he recalled that wild night, even the memories seemed hazy, as though they belonged to another lifetime. The only thing he remembered was someone at the drinking table slapping him on the shoulder while he was throwing up, laughing so hard they bent back and forth.
"This Ji Ji is such a loser."
"Come on, have another one. Big Sister will teach you how to climb dua lang~"
"You're still breathing, so you're fine. As long as you're not dead, you can still drink. Come on, knock one back!"
Coming back to himself, Ji Jue was dumbstruck.
So the criminals hadn't managed to kill him, but the Security Bureau's people had sent him to the hospital instead?
Was there any justice left? Any law?!
"Ji Jue, tell me the truth."
Lu Ma's expression was dark. She tugged on his ear and asked coldly, "What were you doing last night? I'm warning you, think carefully before you speak. Little Dog has already confessed everything."
"Huh?!"
Ji Jue stared blankly and looked toward Lu Feng behind Lu Ma, whose face was bruised and swollen and coated with iodine. He tried to bluff his way through. "Uh, well, I might have had a little too much to drink. After that, I remem—ow! Lu Ma, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Go easy, go easy!"
"You still dare to lie!!!"
Lu Ma unleashed a lion's roar that shook his ears, then slapped him directly on the back of the head. "Officer Wen already told me everything! That bastard Little Dog took you drinking and got into a fight too!!
"If it weren't for the fact that it counted as righteous bravery, I'd have to go to the police station today, kneel down, and beg them to write a letter of forgiveness! And you're still covering for him!"
"Huh? Oh, oh! I guess that's what happened!"
Looking at Lu Feng's frantic winking, Ji Jue wiped away a cold sweat. I thought you knew that Feng Ge had gone on a killing spree alone in that nightclub last night and wiped out the entire criminal organization.
"Right, right, Feng Ge did it all!"
With tears and snot streaming down his face, he began shifting the blame. "I'm innocent, Lu Ma! You can't blame me!"
Lu Feng had killed them all, and Lu Feng the bastard had claimed all the kills. At most, Ji Jue had helped wipe the surveillance records and stepped on the gas twice in the truck. Besides that, the snake he had killed didn't seem to be a protected animal.
If he rounded everything up, wasn't it basically none of his business?
Lu Ma was ultimately soft-hearted, especially toward "good child" Ji Jue. The rolling pin, mop handle, and broom she normally used against "Little Dog" simply couldn't be brought out against him. Even the two slaps to the back of his head had mostly landed near the base of his neck, weak and lacking force. They were nothing like the ferocity and authority with which she could shatter a tire with her bare hands.
Seeing that Ji Jue had recognized his mistake and promised never to repeat it, her attitude softened considerably. After giving him a fierce scolding, she finally said slowly, "The doctor said that, given your condition, you need to stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. You'll stay here obediently and go nowhere. Understood?"
"Huh?" Ji Jue was stunned. "I'm already fine. Look, I'm full of energy. Wait, Lu Ma, hold on."
No amount of protest was useful. There was a kind of illness called "your mother thinks you're sick," and Lu Ma was still a mother—once she got tough, she was even scarier than most mothers. She didn't let Ji Jue pay a cent for the hospital fees or examinations. Not only that, she even planned to go home, kill a chicken, and stew it for him. As for "Little Dog," who was drooling greedily nearby... an unfilial son only got the chicken bones!
"It's pretty lively in here."
A tall figure leaned against the doorway and tapped her fingers against the ward door. She peered inside with a half-smile. When Ji Jue caught sight of the familiar motorcycle jacket and riding gear, his scalp went numb again.
Wen Wen!
"Sorry to bother you." She smiled sweetly. "I'm here to supplement the statement. It'll be quick."
Lu Ma grabbed her hand and thanked her profusely. After everyone else had left, Wen Wen leisurely dragged over a chair, crossed her legs, and sat down. Then, as if performing a magic trick, she pulled a can of beer from somewhere and handed it over.
"Want to sober up?"
Seeing Ji Jue's pale face and his appearance of being on the verge of vomiting, she helplessly shook her head, unscrewed the can herself, and downed half of it. After belching, she sighed emotionally. "Little Ji, your alcohol tolerance isn't very good. You still need practice."
I really do need practice. Otherwise, how could anyone compete with a liquor vat that gained sentience like you?
Ji Jue grumbled inwardly. Reading her expression, he cautiously addressed her. "Officer... Supervisor Wen?"
"Why so formal? The Security Bureau position isn't convenient to disclose casually outside. Just call me Wen Jie. There aren't that many rules."
Wen Wen leaned back in her chair and waved dismissively. "Relax. I know what young people like you are worried about. The field report and investigation are already out. Neither of you has anything to do with it. Everything's settled at the Security Bureau. You two brothers can just act as though nothing happened and live peacefully."
"Oh, thank you so much!"
Ji Jue was overjoyed. He nearly crawled out of bed to kowtow to her. Big Sister was broad-minded and definitely wouldn't care about the tiny bit of grumbling he had just done inwardly.
But...
After hemming and hawing for a long while, he still couldn't help asking, "Um, those people... what exactly were they? Were they vampires or something..."
"Blood Thirst Syndrome. In the hospital—well, in the records of a certain hospital—it's a plague virus ranked 109th in terms of social threat. Hmm, if I told you about Supreme Goodness Nine Calamities right now, your head would definitely spin, so just think of it as an infectious disease involving zombie vampires."
Wen Wen spoke calmly. "Someone was secretly spreading this virus and causing trouble in Yacheng. The people who attacked you were basically all infected.
"A large portion of them went to see doctors after falling ill. Some were frightened and hid away. And others... thought this was a gift from heaven, and even wanted to use it for something. You saw the result yourself. They degenerated into beasts, ugly without realizing it. While alive, they were puppets of others; after death, they didn't even have complete corpses left, becoming sacrifices instead."
Ji Jue swallowed, his whole body prickling with horror.
Leaving aside why such a ghostly thing was ranked only 109th—whether there were 108 even more terrifying monstrosities ahead of it—the fact that Blood Thirst Syndrome had been deliberately spread through Yacheng was enough to make him burn with impatience and urge Lu Ma and the others to move away immediately.
"Relax. Just wait peacefully until you're discharged. Go to school when you should and go to work when you should. Live your life as usual."
Wen Wen grinned and smiled boldly. "Although the progress of the investigation can't be disclosed casually, the Dragon Offering Society's little bastards won't be able to hide for long. In a few days, once I reduce that bastard to ashes, everything will be fine."
At this, her smile became meaningful. "Of course, if you're worried and want to participate personally, I wouldn't mind."
"No, no, no! I'm a huge piece of trash! I can't even truss a chicken. If I get involved, I'll only make the Security Bureau's rice more expensive. I won't trouble you." Ji Jue shook his head frantically, like a rattle drum.
"Is that so? What a pity."
She said it was a pity, but Wen Wen didn't seem to care in the slightest. She didn't even investigate the abilities and strange aspects he had displayed the previous night. She merely patted him on the shoulder.
"Since you're sick, get some proper rest... Oh, right. Here, take this. Consider it a keepsake."
As she spoke, she took a sealed bag from her pocket and casually tossed it onto Ji Jue's bedside. The crisp clack made his eyelids twitch.
He glanced at it and froze. He rubbed his eyes, then looked again. No matter how he looked at it, the transparent sealed bag seemed to contain a women's watch.
And moreover, it seemed, perhaps, maybe, possibly... to be the same "Red Wing" watch Zhu Hong had worn on her wrist last night?
Five million one hundred thousand?!
The moment that sale price surfaced in his mind, Ji Jue felt as though he had been electrocuted. His ears buzzed. "Th-this... this... is it really appropriate?"
He stared blankly at Wen Wen and began wondering whether this woman was coveting his looks. Or had something gone wrong with his brain?
But this was five million one hundred thousand!
That was a lot of money!
It was enough for a hundred Ji Jues to grow from orphanhood to adulthood. Enough for seven Ji Jues to repay the entirety of their student loans at Tianmen University in one go. Enough for one Ji Jue to sell it and exchange it for a large sea-view apartment in the city, then buy a Cosmos Mustang he had previously only been able to wipe down. No, forget the car—if he used the money to buy a storefront and rent it out, he could become a noble upper-class citizen of the city.
So... if he kowtowed and pledged himself to her now, was it still in time to offer himself as a beast of burden and repay her for the rest of his life?
He fell silent. His eyes felt glued to the watch. After a long while, he only wanted to slap himself twice, take back his gaze, and wave his hand. "I can't accept this. Really."
Take it away. I really will regret it if you don't.
Stop talking.
Wen Wen wasn't surprised or concerned.
After the police finished cleaning up the scene, this had been presented to her "as usual." Naturally, it wasn't the only thing. They had even paid quite a bit extra, hoping she would show mercy and avoid implicating too many people.
Who knew what kind of murderous demon they had made her out to be outside? In any case, she had no intention of sparing a single one of the chickens that deserved killing. As for the monkeys who hadn't been involved in this matter, so long as they learned their lesson, she naturally wouldn't go slaughtering their entire families.
It was best if they learned the principle: don't touch what shouldn't be touched.
"Put your mind at ease. If you don't take it, that bunch of useless fools will sell it for money anyway. It's better to give it to you.
"Consider it... compensation for the victim. Besides, didn't you also fight bravely against evil forces?"
Wen Wen patted his shoulder, her smile strange. "Especially that famous line of yours. It was practically thunderous enough to deafen the ears. My colleagues were all impressed when they heard about it."
"Stop, please, stop."
Ji Jue only wanted to clutch his head, dig a hole through the bed, and burrow all the way to the center of the earth. He cried out in despair, "I was possessed! That wasn't me, really! I'm not usually so edgy!"
"Whether you're edgy or not doesn't matter, but I really like what you said."
Wen Wen's expression gradually turned solemn. "Ji Jue—in this day and age, people who can awaken on their own and receive the Heavenly Selection without relying on a Secret Rite are exceedingly rare. There are even fewer people like you.
"But apart from you, I've seen too many Chosen Ones who looked down on everything."
"Some of them were full of spirit at first, believing that they had gained power and could do anything. After suffering setbacks, they gradually became extreme. In the end, they started saying things like they had no choice, that they were doing it for everyone else and for the future, before walking down a dark, dead-end road.
"Others sprinted toward that dead end from the very beginning. They lived well themselves, but wouldn't let anyone else live.
"In the end, they harmed both others and themselves, bringing endless disaster..."
Wen Wen told him, word by word, "So they all died."
"..."
Ji Jue wanted to speak but stopped. He really wanted to ask for more details, but looking at her calm, almost cold expression, it seemed that many questions already had their answers.
There was no need to ask further.
"Don't forget what you said, Ji Jue, and don't use your abilities to do bad things."
Wen Wen raised her hand and waved the exquisitely crafted fist at him, telling him, "Don't become like them."
In the silence, Ji Jue looked at her fair palm, her long fingers, and that "little fist" that appeared to possess not the slightest bit of destructive power. He swallowed dryly.
He nodded frantically, obedient as a chicken.
"Good. Then I didn't make this trip for nothing."
Wen Wen pushed back her chair and waved goodbye. "Goodbye, Ji Jue. I hope you become someone who can accomplish something."
Ji Jue instinctively wanted to get up and see her off, but when he heard her final words, he froze where he was. He nodded seriously and told her, "I will."
And so Wen Wen smiled.
Then she turned and left.
For a time, the empty hospital ward contained only Ji Jue and the ticking sound coming from the table.
Inside the sealed bag, the gift that had already been thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared by a specialist continued to run unhurriedly, its hands moving as usual.
Waiting for the mercy and care of its new owner.
But as Ji Jue held it in his hand, joy was accompanied by an inescapable headache.
Over five million! Over five million!
He had never seen that much money in his entire life. Now, if he simply put it in his pocket and made a trip to the Black market, he could have anything... Well, obviously not. Without proof of purchase or the proper packaging, an intermediary would definitely rip him off viciously. Being able to sell it for a third of the price would already count as burning incense to thank the gods.
He might fail to get any meat and still attract the attention of thieves, bringing endless trouble.
Surely he couldn't keep it and wear it himself?
Wait, he already had one. If he wore another, wouldn't Cousin get jealous? Besides, someone as poor as him would be taken for wearing a knockoff even if he put it on. No one would believe it was real.
Wait... perhaps this wasn't so bad?
He subconsciously raised his head and looked toward the doorway, in the direction from which heavy footsteps were approaching.
A tall, sturdy woman was walking toward the ward. She carried a full thermos in one hand and a huge bag of snacks and nutritional supplements in the other.
She still had a bandage wrapped around her own head, yet her face always wore a smile, as if no hardship could bring her down.
"Lu Ma?"
Ji Jue smiled too and raised his hand. "Feng Ge and I saved up to buy you a little gift... Ah, it's not worth much. Look, it's all gaudy, so it must be cheap. Just wear it. Try it on."
"Oh? You finally understand how to curry favor with me?"
Lu Ma put down her things, pinched Ji Jue's cheek with mock displeasure, and casually took the watch. "Don't think acting cute will get you off the hook. You still have to stay in the hospital... Don't keep buying this kind of stuff. It's a waste of money."
She continued muttering, but when she held it against her wrist to compare, she couldn't help smiling brightly.
She fastened it around the slimmest part of her sturdy wrist and moved it twice. Then she felt that such a delicate thing didn't suit her. "Does it look right?"
"Of course it does."
Ji Jue leaned against the bed and watched her smiling, happy face.
"It suits you better than anyone."
Before you continue