System, You Screwed Me Over!?

As Green Radish spoke, she hurriedly told the driver to pull over.

Niu Wudi's body had turned so completely into paper that he could not even take a step.

Watching the paper money flutter down from the sky, Green Radish gritted her teeth and actually found an umbrella in the back of the truck. Without worrying about whether it could block the paper money, she rushed out of the truck, crossed the trench, and ran toward Niu Wudi.

"You're the crazy one! You've already pushed your ability to its limit! What are you coming out here for? Get back!"

Seeing Green Radish running toward him, Niu Wudi spoke in a voice filled with anger.

He wanted to say more, but a piece of paper money drifted onto his face. His head, the last unchanged part of him, also began transforming, becoming like that of a paper effigy.

In the end, Niu Wudi never managed to get his last words out.

Lin Qi watched Green Radish sprint through the paper money.

The survivors' vehicles following behind had already swarmed past when the little truck stopped, disappearing into the darkness. Only he had slowed down slightly.

Green Radish could not die.

Neither could Niu Wudi.

It was not that he was some saint. If the team lost two Extraordinary members at once, how much longer could he last as a member of that team?

"Whew."

Lin Qi drew a deep breath and looked up into the sky.

The paper money landed on the umbrella without harming Green Radish, but the Red-Clothed Opera Performer was already diving down toward her.

How could Green Radish, a mere support Extraordinary, possibly be a match for the Red-Clothed Opera Performer?

"Lin Qi, what are you doing? Hurry up and run!"

Wang Feng's sedan overtook Lin Qi. Sitting in the passenger seat, he shouted, "The anomalies behind us are catching up! If we don't run, we'll all die here!"

Lin Qi did not respond, and Wang Feng's car soon disappeared.

Staring at the Red-Clothed Opera Performer, he said softly, "Buddy, do me a fav-"

The diving Red-Clothed Opera Performer briefly froze. The eyes beneath her veil seemed to lock onto Lin Qi.

Without hesitation, Lin Qi pulled another thousand in Ghost Cash from the system.

Drawn by the Ghost Cash, the Red-Clothed Opera Performer swiftly descended from the sky and appeared outside the driver's window.

A strange floral fragrance wafted from the Red-Clothed Opera Performer, drifting through the window and into Lin Qi's nose.

Lin Qi had no attention to spare for anything else. He raised both hands above his head and obediently handed over the thousand in Ghost Cash.

Apart from the principal, the Red-Clothed Opera Performer was the most terrifying anomaly he had encountered so far. He had no choice but to behave himself...

However, although the Red-Clothed Opera Performer readily accepted the thousand in Ghost Cash, she remained standing motionless outside his window.

Seeing her reaction, Lin Qi's heart sank. What's going on? This isn't how things are supposed to go. I give her Ghost Cash, and she leaves me alone for now, right?

So what was happening now?

Their eyes met. Staring at the veil, Lin Qi did not know what to do for a moment, but his other hand, held behind his back, had already quietly reached for his machete. Thin arcs of electricity began crackling along his palm.

"My dear~~"

"It's not enough~~~"

The operatic voice sounded again from beneath the Red-Clothed Opera Performer's veil.

Hearing that, Lin Qi actually felt relieved. Wanting money was better than wanting his life.

He pulled out another thousand in Ghost Cash.

The Red-Clothed Opera Performer snatched it from him, but still showed no intention of leaving.

Lin Qi took out another thousand in Ghost Cash.

Then another thousand...

Only after he had handed over five thousand in Ghost Cash did the Red-Clothed Opera Performer begin retreating, fading away into the sky.

Lin Qi thought he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but he had not expected the Red-Clothed Opera Performer to leave behind an operatic refrain that sent chills down his spine.

"My husband~~"

"I have accepted your betrothal deposit~~"

"In a few days, I shall come to collect the rest of your bridal gifts~~"

"As husband and wife, we shall henceforth share everything~~"

The operatic voice grew fainter and fainter until it vanished into the air.

The darkness in the sky began to recede.

The pursuing anomalies turned into black mist.

The scorching sunlight fell on Lin Qi, yet he remained dazed for a long time.

What exactly had he done?

Wasn't he supposed to be using his ability?

Why? Why had it become bridal gifts?

"Kid, what did you do?"

Green Radish helped Niu Wudi back to the truck.

Niu Wudi's body had returned to normal, but he looked extremely weak, as though he might pass out at any moment.

"Ugh, don't even mention it."

Looking miserable, Lin Qi also wanted to see whether an Extraordinary could offer him some advice. "I was only trying to help you two. I was going to give her some Ghost Cash to send her away, but he took it as bridal gifts to marry her. Tell me, is there any way I can shake her off?"

"Huh?"

As Green Radish listened to Lin Qi's account, her little cherry-red mouth opened so wide it could almost fit a duck egg. "Good heavens, you're seriously the most badass guy I've ever met! Even that captain of ours isn't a tenth of what you are!"

"You actually proposed to an anomaly! My entire family would be shocked for three hundred years!"

Lin Qi: ...

Lin Qi had to hand it to her. Speechless, he said, "Look, beautiful, I did it to save you two. Shouldn't you be helping me come up with a solution right now?"

"Oh, fair point."

Green Radish nodded seriously. Just as Lin Qi thought she had a good suggestion, she spoke again. "Then you've asked the wrong person. Other than saving lives and treating injuries, I don't know how to do anything."

Lin Qi: ...

In all his time since the apocalypse began, Lin Qi had not been left speechless as often as he had by Green Radish.

"But..."

Green Radish changed tack. "I'll ask the captain for you when we get back. He knows a little more than I do."

"Sorry for the trouble." Lin Qi could only pin his hopes on the captain.

"All right, since the anomalies have withdrawn, let's head back first." Green Radish returned to the truck, and its engine started.

Lin Qi drove behind the truck, completely distracted.

The Red-Clothed Opera Performer's final words circled through his mind like a curse. "Why did I have to go and do that? Now I'm screwed..."

Lin Qi sighed.

Of course, if time turned back, he would still make the same choice.

If the team lost two Extraordinary members, an apocalypse team stripped of its fighting strength would not survive much longer either.

Now he could only pin his hopes on the captain and hope he could offer some solution.

As Lin Qi drove, he wondered whether he could squeeze some compensation out of the system. "System! System, get out here! Why doesn't your ability match its description?"

Dead silence. Nothing but dead silence answered him.

His system did not seem to possess any consciousness. It was merely a string of cold data, and no matter how he called out, there was no response...