Chapter Sixty-Four: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkey

“Pah, pah, pah, may good fortune be with us. If Cheng Zhi vanishes, so be it—as long as you return, that’s all that matters. Sophia said it herself: I’m your slave now, bound to you by association. If something happens to me, it won’t affect you much, but if something happens to you, even if I survive, I’ll return to base as a slave with no memory!”

Although Zhou Yi hadn’t put the call on speaker, the volume was so loud that Cheng Zhi, who was standing nearby, heard every word. He wasn’t all that surprised by the outcome; after all, he’d already considered the worst possibilities, so accepting this wasn’t so difficult.

Zhou Yi, however, frowned. Sophia hadn’t mentioned this before—she’d only said that if he lost his slave, one would be assigned to him. Of course, if a task failed in this world, the right to own a slave would be revoked, and the “fatty” would become common property. Wasn’t that exactly how things began for him?

Zhou Yi drew in a sharp breath.

Cheng Zhi looked at Zhou Yi in confusion. He didn’t understand what was wrong—perhaps Zhou Yi wasn’t familiar with the rules of slavery. But since they were both from the base, and both Zhou Yi’s slaves, Cheng Zhi was curious about the fat man on the other end of the line.

“Enough chatter for now. I’ve brought Cheng Zhi back,” Zhou Yi said.

“Oh...” The fat man grunted, nearly dropping his phone. His eyes widened, pressing the phone to his ear as his voice shot up an octave.

“What did you say? You brought Cheng Zhi back? What does that mean?”

Zhou Yi quickly pulled the phone away from his ear, a trace of annoyance flickering across his face at the fat man’s overreaction.

“Stop talking nonsense. Has Sophia returned?”

“No.”

“Come out. I’m right outside the basement door!”

Though filled with questions, the fat man didn’t dare tarry. He quickly disguised the door to Sophia’s quarters, squeezing a bit of toothpaste into the keyhole to seal it shut before running up the passageway.

At the top, he spotted Zhou Yi waving from inside a car. And, at a glance, he saw Cheng Zhi—after all, they’d met at Shanda University, and Cheng Zhi’s towering height was hard to miss.

The fat man paused, approaching Zhou Yi warily.

“Boss, you’re finally back. What’s going on? Why did he come with you?”

Zhou Yi gestured for him to get in. Once the doors were closed, he explained, “Cheng Zhi was hiding from the Hunters, always on the run, evading them. I caught up with him, told him I’d bring him back to base. At least he won’t have to keep living this endless loop. And we brought the spirit stone, too!”

The fat man blinked, astonishment etched across his face. He didn’t quite understand Zhou Yi’s intent—was this an act, something he was supposed to repeat when Sophia asked? Or had arrangements already been made?

He cleared his throat.

“So, he’s slave number two now? Call me ‘big brother’!”

Cheng Zhi was obedient. Although the fat man looked younger, this request was a gesture of acceptance; refusal would mean exclusion.

Cheng Zhi bowed slightly. “Big Brother Fat!”

The fat man’s expression darkened. He’d only asked to be called ‘big brother’—what was with the ‘Fat’? Was that discrimination?

Zhou Yi burst out laughing. The fat man was quick on the uptake; with just a few hints, he understood the situation. But at that moment, a voice sounded behind him.

“You truly surprise me. Not only did you subdue an Awakened, you also found the spirit stone!”

At the sound, the fat man shrank back, hurriedly moving aside. Zhou Yi remained seated, merely smiling at the newcomer.

“It seems Miss Sophia is in good spirits?”

Sophia snorted, opened the car door, and got in. She shot a glare at the fat man, who was still stunned.

“Hurry up and get in. Do you enjoy the smell of the morgue? I left you to guard the door, and you let someone escape.”

The fat man hunched his shoulders and quickly climbed in on the other side.

Watching through the rearview mirror, Zhou Yi noticed Sophia seemed displeased. Had something gone wrong at the base? And, come to think of it, he hadn’t brought out Zhang Linna’s duplicate.

Zhou Yi decided not to ask—if Sophia didn’t want to explain, it was pointless. He started the car and drove straight to Su Yongming’s apartment. The group got out, Cheng Zhi trailing nervously behind the fat man, afraid to utter a word.

Zhou Yi opened the door, gesturing for everyone to enter. Sophia pulled up a chair and sat, her gaze settling on Cheng Zhi, then finally on Zhou Yi.

“There’s no need to leave a duplicate of Zhang Linna. She seems to have other secrets; for safety’s sake, she was dealt with. You’ve decided to bring Cheng Zhi back?”

Zhou Yi nodded. “He didn’t kill the Chosen One. The Hunters wanted to use him, then kill him. So I want him.”

Sophia’s gaze swept over the group. Zhou Yi promptly offered the wooden box. Sophia opened it, examined the stone.

“It truly is a spirit stone—and a gold one at that. Is there anything else you need to report about this world?”

Zhou Yi considered, then shook his head. “No. With Zhang Linna gone, Su Yongming’s company is safe. As for Li Mei, the recent news means they can’t hide any longer. Fatty, write Su Yongming a letter. Tell him the blueprints are in the computer. That should suffice.”

The fat man acted quickly; as Zhou Yi finished speaking, the message had already been sent. Zhou Yi glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction.

Afterward, Zhou Yi left a note and placed their remaining money on the table, asking Su Yongming to give it to students in need.

Sophia glanced at him, puzzled. “This is just a mission world. Everyone here is virtual data. Is there any point to this?”

Zhou Yi shook his head. He wasn’t being sentimental, but every life, at least in their own reality, struggles to survive. Whether their world is hard or painful, a little more kindness can never hurt. But such things were impossible to explain to someone like Sophia, half-machine as she was.

“We can go now.”

Sophia tapped the control panel on her wrist. The fat man moved to Zhou Yi’s side, dragging Cheng Zhi along. They all stood together atop a circular platform that appeared on the floor. A burst of white light enveloped them, a roaring sound filled their ears, and then everything went dark.

Moments later, the world brightened again.

Zhou Yi quickly opened his eyes and sat up in the pod, glancing around. They were back in Departure Hall Three. The fat man was also up, groaning repeatedly, while Sophia stood by the pod.

Zhou Yi climbed out, heading toward the fat man, though his own legs felt weak, as if numb from kneeling too long. He was momentarily bewildered—not seeing Cheng Zhi, he was puzzled.

Reaching out, he pulled the fat man out, and then it was clear: Cheng Zhi had been lying beneath the fat man. This method of return was almost too much for Zhou Yi to accept.

The fat man yelped, shouting at a cluster of white-robed figures nearby, “Damn it, why so stingy? Couldn’t he get his own pod? All bones—he nearly killed me! My poor body, my hips!”

Zhou Yi averted his gaze, embarrassed by the fat man’s outburst. These white-robed attendants were truly incompetent. His eyes landed on Carter, the leader among them.

Zhou Yi said nothing, merely stared at Carter. Flustered, Carter bent low, drawing close to Sophia.

“Vice-Lord, you’ve brought back a slave. Should I report to Lord Waldner?”

Sensing Zhou Yi’s displeasure, Sophia lifted a leg and kicked Carter across the room. He hit the wall and curled up like a shrimp.

“Slaves should act like slaves. Since when does Number Seventy-Two have the right to speak?”

Her actions made all the white-robed attendants tremble in fear and drop to their knees. Cheng Zhi, witnessing the scene, was struck dumb with terror.

He didn’t need an introduction; it was clear these people held little power, but some were two-faced. Today, Miss Sophia was setting an example—he was the monkey, and she was killing the chicken.

Carter, sturdy as ever, scrambled to his knees before Sophia, head bowed low. “Vice-Lord, you are right. I overstepped. My crime is unforgivable. Your servant awaits your orders.”