I'm Human Too

Meng Huai shrugged and spread his hands. "Now that we agree on that, let's talk about payment!"

Qin Xiuying asked in surprise, "Didn't we already pay you?"

Meng Huai grinned. "That's not quite right. That money was for the protective gu. After all, refining gu takes time and effort. I can't let you use them for free.

"Now we're talking about my fee for handling this matter. There's no such thing as a free lunch, and nobody works for free either. Besides, we need to settle the karmic debt.

"Mr. Chang is a wealthy man, so the amount certainly can't be small. Otherwise, it would cheapen his status. Let's do this: donate a hundred million to my wife's Charity Foundation over five years. That shouldn't be a problem, right?

"For rich people like you, a hundred million is just a modest goal you can achieve without even trying. Don't always have the rich helping the rich. Help ordinary people out once in a while, too."

Chang Yanping smiled unconcernedly. "You're right, Mr. Meng. It's only a little money, and it's for a good cause. I've always enjoyed doing charity work. It's a deal."

Meng Huai clapped his hands. "You certainly are decisive, Mr. Chang. Go take care of what I told you first, and make sure everyone knows about it. That'll make it easier for me to do my job."

Chang Yanping nodded. "Rest assured, Mr. Meng. I'll hold a press conference tomorrow and explain everything clearly. Sorry for troubling you with the rest."

After seeing Chang Yanping and the others out, Yun Zimo returned to Meng Huai's side, and he handed her the check.

Meng Huai grinned cheekily. "This is our money for living expenses. I'll let my wife keep it safe. I promise to be a model husband and hand over every penny I earn."

Yun Zimo set the check aside and asked curiously, "How did you know the gu attack was connected to that accident a while ago?"

With a look that practically begged for a smack, Meng Huai said, "I guessed, of course. I'm not some immortal. How would I know what it was connected to? If I really had that ability, why would I bother being a Gu Master? I'd just buy lottery tickets and hit the jackpot every day."

Yun Zimo was dumbfounded. She had never expected Meng Huai to say that. Could he take anything seriously?

Meng Huai rested his head on Yun Zimo's lap. "I may have guessed, but I'm probably not far off. There's always a reason behind these things. Without some grudge, no one would risk committing such an outrageous act.

"Anyone who can use Wormless Gu has extraordinary abilities. People like that value their own lives immensely. Unless they were pushed to the brink, they would never do this."

Understanding dawned on Yun Zimo. "The fact that they chose to strike now means it must have been something recent that drove them to take such a desperate risk.

"And of everything that's happened recently, this incident caused the biggest uproar. More than a hundred people died. Just thinking about it is heartbreaking."

Meng Huai shifted into a comfortable position. "As outsiders, all we feel is sorrow. Have you ever thought about the people involved—the victims' families—and what must be going through their minds?

"What matters most is how the incident was handled. Dozens of experts actually testified that the homebuyers' footsteps created resonance and caused the floor slab to collapse.

"I'm no builder, but even I know that if a reinforced concrete slab collapses, there should still be steel bars inside it. It shouldn't be completely empty, should it? Did rats eat them?

"I won't say any more. But that attitude of 'whether anyone else believes it or not, I believe it' will never convince the public. It only lets them bully people who can't fight back."

Yun Zimo lowered her head without speaking. She knew Meng Huai was right. When people encountered injustice, they yearned for a hero. Whether the one who appeared was truly a hero or some kind of monster did not really matter.

Meng Huai yawned. "If I'm right, those so-called experts will all die tonight. But I don't intend to save them. People who deserve to die should die. That's justice."

Yun Zimo was about to say something when she realized Meng Huai was already fast asleep. She shook her head helplessly and began idly browsing on her phone.

In his drowsy haze, Meng Huai found himself back at the Butterfly Bar. You Xueli looked the same as ever, but the proprietress was nowhere to be seen.

Meng Huai looked at You Xueli. "Don't you have any respect for people? My dreams are my own business. Could you stop meddling with them whenever you like?"

You Xueli set a glass of liquor in front of him. "Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. I brought you here today to watch a good show."

As he spoke, the television in the bar lit up, cycling through images of mutilated corpses. Every one of them had ruptured intestines and rotting innards, a sight too gruesome to bear.

Meng Huai drained his glass and smiled faintly. "I already guessed. If bastards like these didn't die, Heaven really would be blind.

"But the people who deserved to die are dead now. It's time to stop. Given the mitigating circumstances, hand over your life-bound gu, and I'll let you off."

A man in a black cloak appeared beside him, as though he had been sitting there all along.

The man spoke in a hoarse voice. "Heaven was always blind. Otherwise, how could this have happened? My wife and I worked for years just to save up enough for a down payment.

"We didn't want anything else. We just wanted a home here, a place where my child could be born—our own home. What did I do wrong? What the fuck did I do wrong?"

Meng Huai sighed. "You did nothing wrong, but you can't break the rules. Using gu to harm people is forbidden."

The man in black said scornfully, "I followed the rules from childhood. I never broke them. Later, I happened to acquire these abilities, and I still lived an honest life.

"Every day at work, my boss berated me like I was dirt, but I never once thought of using these powers. All I wanted was to spend the rest of my life happily with my wife.

"But what did I get in return? My wife and unborn child both died, and they said she had only herself to blame. Someone told me not to make trouble. Even if I tore a hole in the sky, they could patch it up.

"You want to talk to me about rules? Those are the rules. I refuse to accept them. I refuse to follow them. Those people must pay, and this is only the beginning."

Meng Huai sighed. "I can't do anything about what you've told me, because I'm only a Gu Master. There are some things I need to investigate. I'll have an answer in seven days.

"Chang Yanping has certainly done plenty of wrong, but he doesn't bear the main responsibility for this incident. He's also done a lot of good. I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to die.

"When the time comes, we'll have a match. If you win, we die. If I win, hand over your life-bound gu."

The man in black said in a low voice, "If I win, I won't ask you to die. There aren't many good people left. If you win, I'll die anyway. Revenge is the only reason I'm alive. Thank you!"

After the man in black vanished, You Xueli looked at Meng Huai in surprise. He clearly had not expected him to do that.

Meng Huai looked at his glass. "I'm a Gu Master, but I'm human too."

A smile returned to You Xueli's face, and he poured him another drink.