"Will you kill her?"

Shao Xinyuan’s eyes widened in surprise, and Wenzhi watched him closely, already prepared for whatever answer came.

At that moment, the door burst open.

Wang Chenxi walked in, with Shu Yuzhen right behind him

Yuzhen was striking with long red hair, faint ember-like eyes, and just about Wenzhi’s height.

The second his gaze landed on Wenzhi and Xinyuan, he lit up.

"Holy hell, he looks even hotter in real life!" he blurted, rushing forward without hesitation, his eyes wide and shameless.

"And you..." his gaze dragged over Wenzhi, slow and deliberate. "You look so damn yummy... you can bend me any day."

He grinned, reached out and was instantly shoved back as an invisible force slammed into him, pushing him clean across the space until he landed beside Chenxi again.

Yuzhen blinked rapidly, clearly not expecting that.

Chenxi laughed. "You deserved that."

Yuzhen shot him a glare, brushing his hair back with exaggerated composure before straightening.

"Anyways," he said, like nothing had happened, "the commander’s here, Shao Xinyuan."

Xinyuan raised a brow. "Jiang Zhaohe?"

"Yes! The woman who solos men and steals their women. She’s hot as hell." Yuzhen fanned himself dramatically, completely unbothered, which drew a faint smirk from Wenzhi.

"Did you get the briefing on the sectors that turned into red zones?" Chenxi asked.

"I did," Xinyuan replied calmly, walking back to the table. He removed his glasses, then slid them back on quietly.

"Red zones expanding overnight..." he continued. "At this rate, the corruption could spread globally within five years."

Yuzhen tracked his every move, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip. He looked extremely interested.

Wenzhi noticed. And immediately cringed.

"I mean, it’s possible," Wang Chenxi shrugged.

In the novel, the red zones weren’t expanding. That wasn’t even the threat they were dealing with.

This was new.

"Can I see the briefing? I haven’t read it," Wenzhi said.

Chenxi pulled out his phone. "I can send it to you."

"I’ll send it to him myself. You don’t have to, Chenxi." Shao Xinyuan cut in immediately, already walking over.

Wenzhi turned to him with a look that clearly said, Really?

Xinyuan just smiled.

Wenzhi frowned, checking his messages in his watch instead.

Duan Ze.

Without another word, he turned and walked out.

He needed to figure out what Doctor Bai was up to.

Unfortunately, he also had a red zone mission to deal with.

Not long after, a massive sky ship descended onto the Rift Suppression Corps grounds.

Wind howled outward as it landed.

Team one Espers and guides moved quickly, boarding in practiced coordination.

And then, she stepped into view.

Jiang Zhaohe.

She was tall, composed and overwhelming. Her long, wavy black hair shifted with the residual wind, and the sheer pressure rolling off her presence was enough to make the air feel heavier.

She stood just slightly taller than Wenzhi. The only SSS rank esper in the world.

She spoke calmly with Nuo who was very clearly trying not to blush.

Understandable.

Zhaohe was the kind of woman people couldn’t ignore.

Nuo stepped away soon after, rejoining Zhiyao and Suye, who were already with Chenxi and Shu Yuzhen.

Wenzhi, meanwhile, was handed a new phone.

Duan Ze got one too.

"Government-issued?" Wenzhi asked, turning it over in his hand.

"Yeah." Duan Ze murmured as he chowed down on the cake in his grasp.

Wenzhi narrowed his eyes as he powered it on.

The phone was definitely bugged. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

His gaze lifted and landed on Xinyuan who was now standing with Zhaohe with a smile on his face. It was like they knew each other.

Wait!

Wenzhi’s eyes sharpened.

In the novel, Jiang Zhaohe was the only SSS-rank Esper in existence. And Shao Xinyuan’s childhood friend.

They had been separated after his awakening. But she awakened shortly after, too.

Which meant she wasn’t just the commander of the Corps, she was also tied to the Old Blood Faction.

Wenzhi knew that the Old Blood faction didn’t want him. They wanted what he led to. Shao Xinyuan.

And... They had spies everywhere. It wouldn’t take much to find out that Wenzhi was the only guide who survived initiating a guiding session with him.

A miracle. A fucking breakthrough. Which was almost... literally. Almost.

And now Xinyuan was out in public. Accessible.

Which meant Wenzhi was too.

Dead or alive didn’t matter.

They would take him apart piece by piece if they had to until they found a way to control Xinyuan through him.

Wenzhi exhaled slowly.

This was twisted. Completely twisted.

In comparison, Gu Luhan had been lucky.

He had chosen the cage. Stayed in the research facility. Played along.

And in the end, Xinyuan was the only one who resisted properly. After all, he was used by the government. Used by factions. Thrown into wars that had nothing to do with him.

And.... Luhan died.

Xinyuan made sure that the world followed not long after.

A perfect ending.

Happily ever after.

"...What are we going to do about the Old Blood faction, Wenzhi?" Duan Ze’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

Wenzhi looked at him. "What do you mean we?"

Duan Ze didn’t hesitate. "I want to help."

For a brief second, Wenzhi almost softened. Almost.

Instead, he turned away. "No. I’ll handle it. I have my ways."

Duan Ze studied him. Maybe it was what he saw that day. Wenzhi killing without hesitation.

Or maybe he had finally realized the person standing in front of him wasn’t the same one he used to know.

Either way, he didn’t argue.

Wenzhi lifted his gaze and met a pair of bright, interested eyes.

Zhiyao who was watching him. Still curious and interested.

Wenzhi smirked.

Yeah. He was starting to enjoy this.

The chaos. The attention. The game.

Happily ever after.

****

Hello, my dear readers,

I apologize for the slow updates recently. I’ve been unwell for a few days due to my autoimmune condition. But hey, writing this story is one of the things keeping me sane, haha.

Your support truly means so much to me. I’ll do my best to update three Chapters daily. If you see only one or two, it just means I’m not feeling well that day.

Thank you again for all your support, and let the journey begin.