Chapter Sixty-three: I Do

Zhou Yi looked at Cheng Zhi and did not explain what it meant to be a slave or what was required. In any case, if one wanted to live, it would be in the lowest posture. If this couldn’t be done, it was impossible to make use of such a person; after all, to hide spirit stones, the safest way would be to kill him.

He didn’t have to wait long before Cheng Zhi seemed to make up his mind. Being used by the hunters was a dead end anyway; at least the man before him offered a path—he could take a chance!
“I’m willing!”

Zhou Yi breathed a sigh of relief and raised his chin toward the doorway.
“Get someone to load the truck. We’re leaving!”

People are like this—once the bottom line is reset, there’s nothing they can’t accept. Living is always better than dying. Cheng Zhi didn’t even hesitate; he got up and called for help.

Zhou Yi glanced at the stone in his palm, tossed it into the smallest box, and stood by the door, watching as Cheng Zhi summoned the workers to load the truck.

There weren’t many hands, but they worked swiftly. Dozens of stones were loaded, not in boxes, but simply thrown in one by one, which looked safer.

When they finished, Cheng Zhi dusted his hands and waved at the workers.
“All right, go rest. Sorry for making you work so late!”

The workers were honest folk and hurried to open the main gate. Cheng Zhi drove, carrying Zhou Yi away.

At that moment, Zhou Yi’s phone rang. Seeing Fatty’s number, he quickly answered, though the line crackled with interference.

“Hey, my god, why hasn’t your phone been reachable? Have you left yet?”

Zhou Yi narrowed his eyes, glanced at the back seat piled with stones, and guessed these spirit stones were causing the trouble.

“Yes, I followed Cheng Zhi. Don’t worry, calm those two down—I’m safe here!”

Fatty let out a breath; he really was worried. He and Zhou Yi were tied together: their fortunes rose and fell as one. If Zhou Yi died, his fate would be dire.

“Miss Su said our contribution is enough. Whatever happens to Cheng Zhi is fine. For the sake of safety, let’s not do anything foolish—being too prominent isn’t necessarily a good thing, right?”

Zhou Yi glanced at Cheng Zhi. Although the young man seemed to be driving diligently, his ears were clearly perked up, listening in.

“Don’t worry. I want to bring Cheng Zhi back, but not for cleanup. He’s got his own abilities. I won’t say more on the phone—wait for my word.”

Fatty didn’t waste words—he trusted Zhou Yi’s judgment.

Cheng Zhi seemed relieved. He drove at a steady pace, stealing a glance at Zhou Yi.

“So should I call you Boss too?”

Zhou Yi looked out the window and didn’t respond. He leaned back, eyes half-closed, as if asleep.

“No need to rush to ask. Don’t get any ideas. Before we reach the base, I’ll make things clear.”

Cheng Zhi nodded; this was what he’d been waiting for. He was completely in the dark now, but Zhou Yi seemed different—far more powerful than those two hunters. With such strength, what did it matter if he was a slave?

Having made up his mind, Cheng Zhi relaxed a bit and focused on the road. After about an hour, the car slowed to a stop.

At the same time, Zhou Yi opened his eyes.
“We’re here?”

Cheng Zhi nodded.
“I’ll move the stones. This is the entrance, but I blocked it—just in case some animal or person tried to get in.”

Zhou Yi nodded, saying nothing more.

Cheng Zhi got out, rolled two stones aside, pulled out a pile of dead branches and weeds, dusted himself off, then got back in.

Sure enough, the entrance was large enough for a vehicle. The car started again, driving into the cave. The mouth was small but the interior spacious, growing wider as they went. At first, a large stone seemed to block the way, but going around it, not only one but four cars could pass.

They reached a secluded corner. Above was another opening with water trickling down, though now in winter only droplets fell.

The car stopped, Cheng Zhi jumped out, and Zhou Yi followed.

“That little opening up there where the water comes down is where I first fell in. I’ve tried—it’s possible to hide things anywhere in this cave.”

Zhou Yi observed. This wasn’t a stalactite cavern but looked like traces left by a subterranean river that had since dried up.

“All right, let’s unload.”

With no one around, Zhou Yi and Cheng Zhi quickly moved the stones out, piling them in a hollow beneath the dripping water. The place was strewn with rocks of all sizes; their stones blended in perfectly.

When they finished, Cheng Zhi tossed a few stones on top so they’d attract even less attention.

“All right, let’s go.”

This time Zhou Yi drove. After leaving the cave, Cheng Zhi stuffed the entrance with weeds and branches, then rolled the stones back in place. From outside, it was nearly impossible to see what lay beyond.

Zhou Yi drove toward the city; by now, daylight had broken. The two found a breakfast stall, ate, then got back in the car. Zhou Yi finally turned to Cheng Zhi.

“Soon, I’ll take you to meet two people. One is my slave, the other is the deputy commander of the base and my supporter.

But you know there are things they cannot learn. Otherwise, not only you, but this world itself might cease to exist.”

Cheng Zhi shuddered. Though he understood a little and was ready to leave, the thought of the world vanishing made his heart skip.

“Why?”

Zhou Yi sighed, handed Cheng Zhi a cigarette, lit one for himself, exhaled a smoke ring, and rolled down the window.

“It’s like a coal mine. Once it’s hollowed out, you either flood it or blow it up, because collapse is inevitable and it becomes a hazard.

This world is no different. If people knew it could produce vast amounts of spirit stones, would it remain peaceful? At the very least, we must let it recover and rest, don’t you think?”

Cheng Zhi nodded vigorously. Zhou Yi hadn’t finished, but he understood: if he kept the secret and obeyed, the world might be preserved.

“Sir, I’ll listen to you. No matter what, I don’t want this world erased or destroyed. It’s my birthplace, after all.”

Zhou Yi nodded; he understood the sentiment.

“I get it. For now, I don’t have the means to deal with these spirit stones, so we must hide them. When we gain the ability, we’ll retrieve them. That way, we can ensure the world’s stability and preserve our own strength. Do you see what I mean?”

Cheng Zhi had finally let go. To be a slave, one must have a slave’s mindset. If he was given an explanation, that was the greatest mercy—surely he didn’t expect to talk about human rights?

“Thank you for explaining, sir. But how should I address you from now on?”

Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t thought about that. Fatty liked to call him Boss, and though Fatty was a slave at the base, Zhou Yi regarded him as a friend—a friend to whom he could entrust his back. As for Cheng Zhi, he hadn’t reached that level.

“For now, call me ‘sir’. When we reach the base, we’ll see. Speak less, do more. As for spirit stones, there’s only this batch in this world. We’ll take them to the base. This world isn’t stable, and to prevent hunters from coming again, I’ll have this world sealed. That way, we’ll all feel secure.”

Cheng Zhi’s eyes lit up.
“That’s the best arrangement!”

Zhou Yi smiled; for this moment, Cheng Zhi was sincere.

“Let’s go. Time to return. Remember, your only ambition is to become the richest man in the world, nothing more!”

They spoke no more. The car drove straight to the entrance of the underground morgue. Zhou Yi dialed Fatty’s number, and the call was instantly answered.

“Boss, how are you?”
“Alive.”