QT: The Rescue Of The Miserable Bigshots-Chapter 293 - 9.39

Looking at Chen Ran, the protagonist who was willing to expose his greatest secret just to stop him, Jiang Jiamian felt a mix of complicated emotions.

This was probably the protagonist he understood the least.

Based on his past experiences with protagonists, he originally expected Chen Ran to become jealous, resentful, and eventually lose his composure because of his appearance. He expected targeted hostility or calculations.

But he actually fell in love with him?

A bottom falling for another bottom...

A same-sex pairing, at that.

Although no one had stated that Jiang Jiamian must be a bottom, in the original story, Chen Ran was definitely a bottom.

Jiang Jiamian stroked his chin. He had to admit that he truly did have overwhelming alpha energy, even the protagonist had unintentionally bent off course.

"Chen Ran, thank you."

Chen Ran’s sincerity was obvious, and Jiang Jiamian couldn’t keep up his act any longer. He solemnly expressed his gratitude before continuing, "But this time, I have to go. Only by going can I come back safely and settle everything with Fang Jing."

Chen Ran exclaimed anxiously, "But that’s an advanced zombie horde! He wants you to die! If you’re going to turn against him eventually, you might as well do it now while you still have a chance. Why must you go there?"

Chen Ran really didn’t understand. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Jiang Jiamian let out a cold laugh. "Because I need an opportunity."

An opportunity to establish his name, gain a foothold, and terrify Fang Jing beyond belief.

"But..."

"No buts."

Just as Chen Ran opened his mouth to continue, the kitchen door behind him suddenly swung open. Ling Zhuang walked out carrying a bowl of steaming chicken soup and shot Chen Ran a cold look.

"Do you want to stay for some soup?"

It sounded like an invitation, but anyone with half a brain could tell he was politely kicking him out.

"No, no."

Chen Ran forced a dry laugh, stood quickly, and prepared to leave, though he still glanced at Jiang Jiamian with hesitation.

He still wanted to persuade him, but the atmosphere between these two was suffocating.

He didn’t want to butt in, yet he couldn’t stop himself from worrying.

Even if he knew Jiang Jiamian would never reciprocate his feelings, he was still someone Chen Ran admired and cared about. He didn’t want anything to happen to him.

But what could he do?

In the end, he was just an outsider.

Meanwhile, at the base...

"As soon as Jiang Jiamian leaves, quietly bring his sister Jiang Qing here to me."

Fang Jing sat back with calculation written all over his face. "Remember, don’t alert Professor Ling."

Jiang Jiamian... just go die peacefully.

Even if you somehow survive, once I have your sister in my hands, you’ll still have no choice but to bow your head.

"Chief Fang, I was just about to report this. The gatekeeper replied that Jiang Qing... she went to B City with Jiang Jiamian!"

Fang Jing froze. "What? He brought Jiang Qing with him?"

He had specifically instructed Jiang Jiamian to take two people to transport motors for the mission. He never expected that Jiang Jiamian would actually bring Jiang Qing, a woman, along.

Still... this only made things easier.

Unless he was disproportionately lucky, Jiang Jiamian would probably die alongside his sister on this mission.

Fang Jing leaned back with satisfaction, completely at ease. "Have someone call Professor Ling. No, invite him over."

He had already asked Shen Yunqing yesterday.

He had confirmed that Ling Zhuang truly had created a potion capable of granting an ordinary person significant power.

Even though the current effect wasn’t comparable to real awakened abilities, it was enough to attract countless powerless people.

But Fang Jing’s main concern wasn’t the potion’s control, it was whether Ling Zhuang could develop something to strengthen those who already had abilities.

He had kept quiet about his nephew Fang Geng’s matter and had not exposed the potion issue yet, simply because of Jiang Jiamian.

But now, Jiang Jiamian had been sent away, and Ling Zhuang possessed no awakened ability. There was nothing holding him back.

"Understood, Chief Fang. I’ll go immediately."

Laboratory.

"Invite me? For what?"

Ling Zhuang slowly cut open the throat of the mutated rat on the dissection table. He didn’t even lift an eyelid when he heard Shen Yunqing’s voice from the doorway.

Jiang Jiamian should have already left the base. That must have given Fang Jing the illusion that he could pressure him.

Did this mean, in outsiders’ eyes, he was nothing more than a gigolo relying on Jiang Jiamian’s protection?

That wouldn’t do.

Not good at all.

"I don’t know." Shen Yunqing replied honestly. "Someone came looking for you. You don’t allow unauthorized people in the lab, so I passed on the message."

"Hm."

Ling Zhuang set the scalpel neatly onto the tray Shen Yunqing had brought.

"Tell him I’ll go after I change my clothes."

On the road to B City...

"Brother, what kind of mission are we going on? Why didn’t you say anything and just dragged me along?"

Jiang Jiamian’s SUV had already left the A City base and was speeding steadily toward B City. Sitting in the passenger seat, Jiang Qing kept glancing at him, unable to hold back her questions any longer.

There were two other people in the back, but she immediately noticed they had no abilities at all.

What kind of mission required bringing two burdens?

Jiang Qing couldn’t understand.

Jiang Jiamian lifted the corner of his lips. "We’re going on a picnic."

Jiang Qing stared. "Huh?!"

A picnic?

"Yeah. We’re just picking up some power-generation equipment. We can have a little picnic while we’re at it."

The two people in the back, who had no abilities at all, were supposedly sent as laborers. But Jiang Jiamian knew very well that Fang Jing had simply arranged for them to die along with him.

So he didn’t hesitate to mock him openly, "To use Chief Fang’s exact words, B City is perfectly safe. Moving equipment doesn’t require everyone to have abilities. With my high ability rank, I can handle everything myself."

Ha. Fang Jing thought he could provoke him with a few flattering words and trick him into charging straight into death.

It was true that Jiang Jiamian had accepted the mission because of Fang Jing’s provocation, but whether this trip turned into a suicide mission was not something Fang Jing had the qualifications to decide.

The distance between A and B City wasn’t far. In less than an hour, Jiang Jiamian’s SUV rolled across the boundary.

But mere seconds after the wheels crossed the line...

The silent city suddenly came alive.

As if catching the scent of prey, zombies burst out from the ruins on both sides of the street.

Because Jiang Jiamian had deliberately suppressed his unique Zombie King aura when leaving the A City base, the moment he entered B City, all four people in the SUV became obvious targets.

"Brother! Zombies!"

Seeing the sudden swarm, Jiang Qing went pale and instinctively grabbed the car door, her body leaning toward Jiang Jiamian in fear.

"Not just zombies!" Jiang Jiamian said calmly. "Second-level zombies."

"Second, second level?!"

The two men in the back turned deathly white.

They had zero abilities.

On the street, it wasn’t just one or two. A constant stream of zombies kept rushing out, and almost every single one was second-level.

Jiang Jiamian chuckled as the first zombie lunged toward the front of the SUV. He quickly glanced into the back seat. "Which of you can drive?"

"I-I-I..." The man stuttered, trembling so hard he could barely speak.

"Brother! I can drive!" Jiang Qing blurted out suddenly, voice shaking but firm.

"Good!"

Jiang Jiamian jerked the steering wheel sharply. The heavy SUV slammed into the zombie that had been about to pounce, knocking it aside as he spun the car around.

He flung the door open the next second. In one swift movement, he reached over and dragged Jiang Qing from the passenger seat into the driver’s seat.

"Drive! Head back! Don’t stop the car!"

Before Jiang Qing could even react, he jumped out and slammed the door closed behind him.

"Brother!"

Realizing what had happened, Jiang Qing’s expression twisted in panic. She reached for the door handle, but it was blocked from the outside, she couldn’t open it at all.

At that moment, the advanced zombies that had been pushed away by the SUV’s swing came charging back with renewed ferocity.

A swarm of them, almost forming a full encirclement, surrounded the vehicle.

The people inside were safe for the moment.

But the man outside?

Jiang Jiamian had become the easiest prey.

Five or six second-level zombies leapt at him like starving beasts.

"Brother!"

Jiang Qing screamed, shaking the door violently, completely forgetting that she was supposed to be driving.

But in the next instant...

A streak of silver light flashed across her vision.

A silver longsword materialized in Jiang Jiamian’s hand. With a wave infused with terrifying power, two zombies were instantly decapitated. At the same time, he caught both crystal cores midair with perfect precision.

His body shot forward like an arrow. With effortless agility, he dodged the remaining zombies’ attacks, leaving them collapsing to the ground behind him.

"Drive!"

Jiang Jiamian shouted when he saw Jiang Qing frozen in fear. "If you don’t move, the car won’t escape! Don’t hesitate, step on the gas!"

"Brother! Get in the car!"

Jiang Qing was already crying.

Jiang Jiamian cut down several more zombies blocking the road. "If I get in the car, none of you will escape, not even the car! Jiang Qing, don’t make me shout again!"

Jiang Qing’s face went pale. Gritting her teeth, she squeezed her eyes shut and slammed her foot down on the accelerator.

Jiang Jiamian moved with deadly precision, slashing at zombies climbing onto the car. His movements were as graceful as a spinning butterfly, yet each strike carried lethal force.

With a single person, he carved open a narrow escape path through a swarm of advanced zombies.

But the relentless horde behind him kept growing.

Eventually, he disappeared into a sea of swarming second-level zombies.

By the time Jiang Qing opened her eyes again and looked around...

She had already driven out of B City.

"Brother... No! Brother!"

She yanked the steering wheel, wanting to turn back immediately.

But the two men in the back seat grabbed her shoulders in fear.

"We can’t go back! If we go back, we’ll die for sure!"

"But my brother is still in there!!" Jiang Qing shouted, eyes red.

"We can’t help him!"

One of the men finally regained some rationality. "We don’t have abilities! That’s a whole street full of second-level zombies! We’d just be throwing our lives away!"

"Maybe... maybe he’ll get lucky and come back alive!"

The other added desperately. "Even if we wanted to save him, going back like this wouldn’t help! It’s better to hurry back to the base and get powerful ability users. That’s our only hope!"

"Find help! Hurry!"

Jiang Qing inhaled shakily, forcing herself to calm down. She stepped hard on the accelerator and sped back toward the base.

Meanwhile, inside B City...

As soon as the SUV vanished from sight, Jiang Jiamian stopped moving.

A silent wave of invisible pressure spread outward.

The frenzied zombies that had been attacking suddenly froze mid-motion. Their bodies trembled violently...

And then.. they dropped to their knees.

A chorus of low roars echoed through the ruined streets.

In the center of the zombie horde, Jiang Jiamian stood tall, bathed in the quiet submission of the undead. His dangerously beautiful features and cold poise made him look like an uncrowned king.

"You all stay here. Keep a low profile. Without my command, do not approach the A City base. But if I summon you, you’d better respond immediately. Understand?"

"Roar!"

Jiang Jiamian clapped his hands clean, kicked aside a few zombies near his feet, and reached into his spatial storage. He pulled out a cloth, spread it neatly on the ground, and sat down.

He placed food and drinks on it with exaggerated seriousness.

"We agreed on a picnic..." He said calmly. "Can’t waste the trip."