“—His name is Rong Qi?” Nielsen asked, narrowing his eyes.
Basel, Switzerland. Office of the International Supervision General Administration.
Nielsen looked out through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the snowcapped mountains in the distance and heard Shen Zhuo’s calm, steady voice come through the phone. “Yes. I’ve already had people look into him. No household registration, no origin, no identity records of any kind. Three years ago, he burned to death on a hospital bed in an abandoned sanatorium. His body was completely carbonized. Only some cells remained. Based on speculation, he regenerated an entire body from those residual cells.”
Nielsen’s cold gray brows drew together. After a moment, he murmured, “A genetic-revival evolutionist...”
The International Supervision General Administration had detailed classifications for every direction of evolution. The strongest was undoubtedly destruction and attack; Nielsen and Yue Yang both belonged to that subtype. But as everyone knew, the hardest subtype to deal with was genetic revival, because they were almost impossible to kill. More than that, they often mutated extremely strange, unimaginable abilities beyond ordinary common sense.
“Based on speculation, yes,” Shen Zhuo said. “If he really is a genetic-revival evolutionist, then there’s no way to estimate the upper limit of his ability, ambition, or destructive power. I can’t even determine his class right now, because he’s still in a wheelchair. His evolution clearly hasn’t finished.”
Nielsen toyed with the cap of the fountain pen on his desk and fell silent.
“We caught a broker under him named Liu Sanji. According to his confession, Rong Qi appeared suddenly not long ago. He should have quite a few meteorites hidden in his possession. At the same time, he has a special ability similar to ‘bestowal,’ which can make a Class D evolutionist undergo second evolution and leap straight to Class A. Because of that, he attracted a large number of followers in an extremely short time.”
Shen Zhuo paused, then said, “My recommendation is that we eliminate him as soon as possible. We absolutely cannot give him time to complete his final evolution. Revival-type evolutionists are too special. I’m afraid that if he mutates some kind of above-S-Class ability, the situation will become impossible to clean up.”
Nielsen’s movement with the pen cap stopped. After a long while, he said, “You’re right.”
He stood from behind his desk, picked up the silver-gray suit jacket from the coat stand, and strode out. “This person must be eliminated immediately. There can be no delay. I’ll personally leave for Shenhai in the near future.”
“...” Shen Zhuo seemed a little surprised. “There’s no need. Mr. Bai is still temporarily staying in Shenhai City. He should be able to—”
“Shen Zhuo.”
“Yes.”
Nielsen said flatly, “We actually don’t understand Mr. Bai’s combat strength.”
Every S-Class had a strongest ability of his own, which the International Supervision General Administration called, simply and vividly, a Fatal Strike—the strongest, unique ability. This was also the main distinction between S-Class and Class A.
This ability, similar to an ultimate killing move, was something Nielsen possessed as an S-Class. Fu Chen had possessed one back then as well. The other dozen or so S-Classes had all more or less displayed theirs to the outside world and had them recorded. But strangely, Bai Sheng never had.
It seemed as if he could do a little of everything and understood a little of everything. His ability range was extremely broad, to the point that he even knew the surface level of a medical ability. But he did not seem to like fighting or killing. He had never used any unique ultimate move. Many people’s impression of him was that he was a rich second-generation heir with a very good temper and a cheerful personality.
“I don’t know why Mr. Bai’s genes were able to reach S-Class, but if he isn’t a combat-attack type, then his chances against a genetic-revival evolutionist are relatively low.”
Nielsen paused, then said meaningfully, “Shen Zhuo, you’re an ordinary human. An S-Class can influence you through certain methods.”
“...”
“Don’t let Bai Sheng influence you.”
“I understand.” After a long while, Shen Zhuo said sincerely, his voice close and gentle, while the office’s floor-to-ceiling window reflected the mocking curve of his lips. “You’re right. I’ll be ready at any time to wait for your arrival.”
“I will do everything in my power to protect you.” Nielsen solemnly emphasized each word. “Shen Zhuo, as long as I remain in this position, the International Supervision General Administration will always have a place for you.”
Shen Zhuo answered with a smile, “I understand.”
With a soft click, Shen Zhuo ended the call and gently set the satellite phone on the table.
The large conference room was empty. Shen Zhuo lowered his eyes to the phone. After a long while, he let out an undisguised cold laugh.
“...You should pray the Security Council doesn’t kick you out first. And you still have the nerve to talk about other people behind their backs.”
Knock, knock, knock. At that moment, the half-closed door was struck several times in rapid succession.
“Supervisor, Supervisor!”
Shen Zhuo glanced over.
The Supervision Office officer outside the door had hurried up from downstairs and was still panting slightly. “Team Leader Chen said Liu Sanji’s condition is very bad. He might not survive tonight. He wants to ask you to go take a look!”
Although it was not unexpected, he had not thought it would happen this quickly.
Shen Zhuo rose and walked out of the conference room, heading toward the elevator at the end of the corridor.
·
With a soft sound like flowing water, gentle white light vanished into Bai Sheng’s fingers. Even the last scar disappeared, and his battered fingertips fully recovered to their original state.
Injuries caused by abilities were different from ordinary injuries and were generally very difficult to heal. But the Witch of Italdo was worthy of being an extraterrestrial being. Her healing ability was much stronger than that of ordinary evolutionists.
Bai Sheng leaned against the sofa and repeatedly examined his own hands. After a long while, he sighed with feeling.
“Your Supervisor Shen has me in his heart!”
Witch of Italdo: “...”
Chen Miao: “...”
Noda Shunsuke, who appeared and disappeared unpredictably anytime and anywhere, was truly too difficult to guard against. After leaving the health center, Chen Miao had been so worried that he immediately had someone find an anti-ability shielding device from the storeroom and put it on Shen Zhuo’s wrist. Once activated, no spatial tunnel could open within twenty meters of it.
In addition, for the sake of the entire Supervision Office building’s safety, Chen Miao, who had worried himself sick, had carried two cans of yellow peaches to find Bai Sheng, hoping to invite Mr. Bai to help guard the Supervision Office. Mr. Bai had politely declined. This was what he said:
“Look, I’m only a volunteer performing unpaid labor. No official position, no salary, and nowhere to reimburse even the thirty-eight yuan and sixty cents for my taxi ride home after working overtime at night. I truly can’t take on such a heavy responsibility. I’d better go back to my hundred-million-yuan mansion, lie on my three-meter-wide bed, weep into my pillow, and prepare for the civil servant exam.”
Chen Miao: “...”
Chen Miao felt as if he had been kicked in the soul by a dog. Just as he was about to lead a group of underlings—note: all of whom had official positions—to throw themselves at Brother Bai’s thigh and cling to it shamelessly, a Supervision Office officer came sprinting over from afar with an imperial decree. The moment the decree was opened, it deafened everyone’s titanium-alloy dog ears on the spot:
By heaven’s mandate, Supervisor Shen decrees: Brother Bai’s hand is injured. Brother Bai should not go home yet. He should first go to the Supervision Office and have the Witch of Italdo help heal his hand. Thus it is ordered.
In the next second, everyone saw Bai Sheng bloom with joy. He forgot about salary, stopped mentioning taxi fare, and let his hundred-million-yuan mansion drift past like smoke. Holding those two cans of yellow peaches in his arms, he happily boarded the Supervision Office vehicle.
Everyone prostrated themselves in admiration and unanimously believed Supervisor Shen was wise. If he used these methods to become a player, the entire Three Gorges Dam would not have room for all the fish he raised.
“I have one question,” the Witch of Italdo finally could not help saying.
Bai Sheng answered sincerely, “Yes. We men really are this shallow and easy to satisfy.”
Pure-hearted young man Chen Miao protested quietly, “I’m not. I don’t!”
Shui Ronghua’s office was on the basement level. Turn left and it was the special-care ward. Turn right and it was the morgue—a very reasonable layout. If someone died on the left, they could simply be pushed to the right. Fast, convenient, time-saving, and labor-saving.
Through the one-way glass, Liu Sanji could be seen unconscious in the ward next door. He had probably been personally interrogated by Shen Zhuo in the warehouse. His entire body was barely human, and the life monitor gave off regular beeps.
“Your taste really is special.” The Witch of Italdo sighed as such, picked up a sunflower seed, and put it into her mouth. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as a plan came to mind. “Handsome, how about this? Why don’t we cooperate?”
Bai Sheng: “?”
“I’ll have Shui Ronghua drug that Shen guy. You take him home and lock him to the bed. From then on, we can summon wind and rain in Shenhai, dominate everything, lord it over anyone we want, and eat as many people as we want. How about it?”
Chen Miao: “?!”
“I’m extremely tempted, beautiful.” Bai Sheng laughed, crossing one leg over the other as he lounged lazily on the sofa. “But as an outstanding tyrant CEO graduate of the Male Virtue Program, we’re no longer into forced confinement these days. First, it can easily lead to the tragedy of a tyrant CEO turning into a legal case. Second, we still yearn for sincere love. Generally, we prioritize cultivating feelings first. Only if that really doesn’t work do we try courtesy before force.”
The Witch immediately asked, “When are you planning to use force?”
Bai Sheng guaranteed earnestly, “Right now, I’m quite enjoying the feeling of being a stupid fish fed bait every day. When I want to use force, I’ll definitely let you know.”
The Witch could only sigh and give up. Resentfully, she said, “I advise you to act early when you should. Don’t end up making a mess of things like Fu Chen. What a shame. I used to be very optimistic about him.”
Bai Sheng immediately perked up. “So Senior Fu and Supervisor Shen back then...”
“Cough, cough!”
Chen Miao immediately puffed out his chest and clarified solemnly, “Brother Fu wasn’t that filthy. Brother Fu and Senior were the same. They both simply had a noble pursuit of scientific exploration!”
The room fell quiet for a moment. Both of them wore expressions that were very difficult to describe.
After a long while, Bai Sheng raised a hand and applauded Chen Miao with great solemnity.
“?” Chen Miao looked as if he had been insulted. “It’s true. I was still in graduate school back then, soaking at Senior’s side every day, wanting to die while writing papers. How could I not know? Senior never even went out to eat a single meal with Brother Fu!”
Bai Sheng patted him encouragingly. “Yes. We believe you. Senior Fu was merely conducting great exploration for human science.”
Chen Miao: “...”
The fact that Chen Miao had been able to grow healthily beside Shen Zhuo for so many years proved that he was naturally immune to all sarcasm and veiled mockery. He blinked his pure eyes at Brother Bai, then nodded in innocent confusion after a long while. “Oh.”
At that moment, the alarm in the special-care ward began beeping. Liu Sanji’s IV bag had run dry.
“I’ll go change his IV bag.” Chen Miao stood from the office sofa and reminded them worriedly, “Brother Bai, once your hand is healed, hurry and let Senior Shui come back. The hospital bed we moved back from the health center is still in the biochemical room next door, waiting for Rong Qi’s DNA to be extracted.”
Bai Sheng returned him a look that said, Leave it to me.
Chen Miao left reassured. As soon as the door on his side closed, Bai Sheng rose with a whoosh and sat down beside the Witch. Without preamble and without the slightest concealment, he asked:
“How did Fu die?”
“...” The Witch said, “Handsome, I just love tyrant CEOs like you, acting types who flip faces faster than turning pages.”
“You flatter me. If I didn’t think a daily salary of 2.08 million was too little, I would have thrown myself into the entertainment industry long ago and brought an Oscar statuette back for the motherland one way or another.” Bai Sheng leaned against the sofa cushion with no sense of being an outsider, reached for the cigarette pack on the table, drew one out, and handed it to the Witch. “Beautiful, it’s just the two of us here. Leak me a little background information on my romantic rival. I’ll buy you Chanel later. Deal?”
The Witch did not know what Chanel was, but the Witch absolutely loved talking behind Shen Zhuo’s back. She leaned forward to look out the window, then shrank back, accepted the cigarette, and crooked her finger, meaning: You know what to do.
Bai Sheng immediately understood. With a snap, he lit the lighter and virtuously lit the cigarette for the Witch.
“—Fu Chen, Asia’s first S-Class, died of being a lovestruck saint.” The Witch casually swept her hair behind her ear, her crimson lips exhaling a stream of smoke. “Do you know what his strongest ability was?”
Bai Sheng showed an expression of respectful attention.
“Cross Coordinates.” The Witch gestured at her palm and said, “When this ability activated normally, an upright cross would appear on Fu Chen’s hand. It represented an infinite health bar and absolute defense. Any attack directed at him would automatically rebound and be evenly distributed among everyone present, regardless of ally or enemy. In other words, when the explosion happened, as long as Fu Chen activated the upright cross, he wouldn’t have died at all.”
Bai Sheng asked, “Then why didn’t he?”
“Because what he activated was the inverted cross.”
The Witch’s tone was a little disdainful and a little complicated. “The inverted cross does the complete opposite. It can draw all damage across the entire field, regardless of ally or enemy, back onto the caster. In other words, Fu Chen was willing to endure the entire explosive impact with his own body in exchange for everyone else being safe and sound... Put another way, to keep Shen Zhuo alive, he would rather die himself.”
The office was quiet for a moment.
A subtle change passed over Bai Sheng’s expression.
“What about Su Jiqiao?” Bai Sheng asked after a long while. “Why was Su Jiqiao blown into critical condition?”
“The evolution source explosion was too violent. One inverted cross couldn’t take all of it. Excess impact overflowed. Fu Chen’s final action before he died was to put a vacuum shield on Shen Zhuo, but Su Jiqiao had nothing. You understand.”
The Witch shrugged and showed a slightly malicious expression. “The most ironic part is that Fu Chen practically dug out his heart and lungs to protect Shen Zhuo, but after that Shen guy woke up, he pushed all the responsibility onto Fu Chen. He said Fu Chen’s operational error caused the explosion, while he himself washed his hands of it completely. He nearly made that group of brothers Fu Chen had when he was alive explode with rage... I heard those people once kidnapped Shen Zhuo and planned to kill him. Do you know why Shen Zhuo wears gloves? It’s because that time, in front of all those brothers, Yue Yang carved a humiliation mark into the back of Shen Zhuo’s hand with a knife, and only then did it count as settled. Everyone under heaven knows Yue Yang especially hates him!”
“...”
Bai Sheng’s eyes were extremely subtle. He made no comment on that last sentence.
“So, strike when it’s time to strike.” The Witch patted Bai Sheng encouragingly and delivered her closing argument. “That Shen guy isn’t worth your courtesy. Be careful you don’t end up as a second Fu Chen after all that courtesy. Just go straight to force.”
Bai Sheng leaned against the sofa, thoughtful, his long fingers stroking his jaw. After a long while, he asked, “So how exactly did the evolution source explode? Didn’t you use time reversal to look?”
The Witch blew out a smoke ring in boredom. “Handsome, reversal is random and one-time use. Also, it requires an extremely high degree of scene overlap with the incident location. As for a place like the Qinghai test site, which was blown sky-high in its entirety...”
Beep-beep-beep!
At that moment, the life monitor alarm suddenly rang urgently from the special-care ward next door.
“Where’s Senior Shui? Is Senior Shui back yet?” Chen Miao shoved the door open with a whoosh. When he saw that the one on the sofa was still the Witch of Italdo, he immediately cried out, “Something’s wrong with Liu Sanji’s condition. Hurry and have Senior Shui come take a look!”
The Witch stubbed out the cigarette and stood unhappily. “What could be wrong? Why not just let me eat him? Anyway, that Shen guy has already finished interrogating him, and I’m still hungry...”
Then the instant she entered the ward, her voice choked off on the spot.
Compared to a few hours earlier, Liu Sanji had practically become a different person.
He lay on the hospital bed, making rapid, hoarse moans. The skin across his entire body was rapidly rotting in large swaths. His limbs had become soft and slender, his hands and feet hanging around his body like four crimson water hoses.
“Save... save me...”
Each word he squeezed out sent blood foam continuously bubbling from the corners of his mouth, mixed with teeth falling out one by one.
“...” Bai Sheng was silent for a moment, then turned and quietly asked the Witch, “Forget it. How about I take you to Michelin for lobster salad?”
“I finished changing the IV bag and went out to take a phone call. When I turned back, he’d already become like this.” Chen Miao did not dare approach the bed. “What exactly is going on?”
The Witch’s outer appearance rapidly faded. Flesh grew over exposed bone, the blood spots on her skin disappeared, and her red curls turned black. In just a few seconds, she retreated back into the body. Taking her place was Doctor Shui Ronghua, white medical coat, flat shoes, her face capable and alluring.
“Side effect of second evolution.” Shui Ronghua pinned her long curls behind her head with practiced ease using a pen and instructed Chen Miao, “This person can’t be saved. Go notify Supervisor Shen.”
“Yes!”
Chen Miao immediately turned on his walkie-talkie and strode out quickly. “Basement level, special-care ward. An accident has occurred with the detainee. Immediately ask the Supervisor to come. Hurry!”
Shui Ronghua walked quickly toward the hospital bed and swiftly checked the various readings. Bai Sheng followed behind her and looked Liu Sanji up and down in his miserable state, doubtful. “—‘Side effect of second evolution’?”
“Second evolution should never have existed in the first place.” Shui Ronghua reacted quickly and injected Liu Sanji with a painkiller. “This person’s genetic ceiling was Class D, but he was forcibly pushed across classes to Class A. The result is that the genes throughout his body can’t withstand the burden, so his DNA double helix breaks. It’s the same principle as stretching a rubber band to its limit until it snaps.”
“...”
“The chromosomes inside the human body deactivate one after another, cells can no longer regenerate, then the skin rots, the liver dissolves, organs melt... It’s equivalent to skipping the step of death and directly turning into a living corpse. That is what you’re seeing now.”
Liu Sanji convulsed violently. When the needle was pulled out, it tore off a large patch of skin with a wet rip.
Bai Sheng’s pupils constricted slightly. In an instant, the image of Quanshan County Health Center appeared before his eyes: Shen Zhuo stepping hard onto the windowsill, his body lean and taut as a bow, his brows and eyes dark, cold, and deep, with a blood-red A clear on the back of his hand.
“...Why?” he murmured. “Why was Shen Zhuo fine after forcibly evolving to Class A?”
Shui Ronghua kept handling the matter in her hands and did not speak.
“Did Shen Zhuo really obtain his ability by injecting a serum?” Bai Sheng’s sharp gaze abruptly flicked toward the female doctor. “What exactly was your research institute doing back then? What exactly was that serum?”
After a long while, Shui Ronghua finally looked up at Bai Sheng calmly and said with steady emphasis, “Active meteorite extract.”
“Supervisor Shen has already told you. What he injected was active meteorite extract.”
Bai Sheng stared at her and dangerously narrowed his eyes. He was just about to speak when he suddenly stopped, sensing an icy, powerful, and unfamiliar presence from next door.
It was an ability.
An S-Class evolutionist’s senses were extraordinarily keen. Bai Sheng instantly looked toward the door. Shui Ronghua did not understand why, but in the next moment, she saw him rush out of the ward, leaving behind a stern command:
“Stay here. Don’t move!”
“?”
The female doctor hesitated for only two seconds before taking a silver pistol from the drawer, chambering it with a practiced click, and quickly following him out of the ward. Immediately afterward, her entire body went rigid.
Bai Sheng stood with his back to her in the middle of the basement corridor. The muscles of his back were completely taut, and he was facing a figure who had appeared out of thin air not far away.
—It was a young man in a wheelchair.
He seemed to be only in his early twenties. No disability could be seen on him. His clothes were simple but neat and refined. Unexpectedly, his features were handsome, his eyes as gentle and deep as black obsidian.
Compared to three years ago, when he had been lying on the hospital bed in the health center, the change was truly too great. But Bai Sheng still recognized him at a glance.
“...Rong Qi,” he said quietly.
“I heard Supervisor Shen sent me a message asking why I didn’t personally come over.”
Rong Qi’s long fingers were interlaced as he leaned back against the wheelchair. It was a very peaceful and relaxed posture.
“So I came.”
·
With a dull boom, the descending elevator abruptly stopped, stuck between the tenth and eleventh floors.
Shen Zhuo had just been about to press the elevator call button when his hand was suddenly pressed down. It was the Supervision Office officer who had informed him to go downstairs. The man gave him a sinister smile.
“Supervisor Shen.”
In that instant, Shen Zhuo’s heart sank.
He slapped the alarm button, and a piercing alarm instantly rang through the building, but it was already too late. The “Supervision Office officer’s” face automatically tore in half, revealing a completely unfamiliar real face. He was actually a disguise-type ability user. He tore the anti-ability shielding device off Shen Zhuo’s wrist and crushed it bare-handed into scrap metal.
Everything happened in a flash.
Without a word, Shen Zhuo drew his gun and chambered it. Before the other man could lunge at him, he pulled the trigger.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three consecutive shots blew the disguise-type ability user’s head into a bloody mess. The corpse collapsed to the floor with a thud.
At the same time, the surrounding shield vanished, and a black hole silently appeared at the back of the elevator.
Within one-thousandth of a second, Shen Zhuo had just started turning to fire when his throat abruptly went cold. A sharp blade was already pressed against his neck from behind.
“We meet again, Supervisor.”
The elevator’s metal doors reflected the scene behind Shen Zhuo. A person had reached out from the black hole.
It was Noda Shunsuke.
“...” Shen Zhuo’s neck was forced backward. “What are you here for?”
Noda Shunsuke laughed.
Red light flashed urgently inside the elevator, illuminating the sharp, two-inch scar on the side of his face—the one Shen Zhuo had personally carved out with an electric whip. It also reflected the naked, dark-red bloodlust in his eyes.
“Don’t worry, beautiful. I’m not here to kill you.”
He gestured twice across Shen Zhuo’s white-porcelain cheek, as if wanting to slash an identical scar into it in revenge. But after tracing the air twice, he seemed unable to bring himself to do it. Instead, his thumb wiped hard across the side of Shen Zhuo’s neck. The rough pad of his thumb immediately scraped away a layer of flesh, and hot blood surged out.
Shen Zhuo clenched his teeth. Blood wound downward, soaking through his collar and clavicle.
“I came today to kill that S-Class named Bai.” Noda Shunsuke leaned close to his ear and said softly, the malice in his smile entirely unconcealed. “And to take you along to watch with your own eyes.”