Chapter 22: One Or Six?

The die spun right before their eyes.

The number facing up blurred into a red mass due to the high-speed movement.

 

It was carefully measuring, assessing the index.

This was a target it had never encountered before… extremely dangerous.

A voice warned it, but it couldn’t actively stop this test.

Of course, if it had its own consciousness, it would have jumped out of Yu Ziyu’s hand the first moment he touched it.

 

Yu Ziyu looked at it with a playful gaze.

Unlike the other two, who stared without blinking, almost worriedly watching the die, he was simply leaning back lazily with his arms crossed.

His body tilted slightly back, his expression almost contemptuously looking down at the floor, as if he were evaluating its function instead.

“This kind of place is still too dangerous for you.

I shouldn’t have let Xiao He guard you alone.”

Lou Chen frowned, completely unaware of the strong protective instinct his words revealed.

“You are too important to me… to us.”

 

Even though Yu Ziyu was prickly and shrouded in mystery, he never considered him to be like the rest of them.

As the only human capable of contending with Pride, he must have some undisclosed trump cards.

But in Lou Chen’s eyes, Yu Ziyu was still just a frail, exquisitely beautiful photographer from outside their circle.

 

Xiao He, who had been directly criticized, lowered his head in shame, obviously thinking the same: “…”

 

Their reactions earned a strange glance from Yu Ziyu.

He knew what they were thinking, but he had never understood it…

It was the same in the game.

Most peculiarly, he was usually seen as the one who needed protecting.

 

Lou Chen noticed his gaze but didn’t react to it.

He himself didn’t think this attitude was strange, because the monsters coming for Yu Ziyu would only increase.

Therefore, he truly did need their protection.

“How long was he on the third floor?”

Lou Chen asked softly.

 

He knew Yu Ziyu wouldn’t answer him and had learned to ask Xiao He directly.

Seeing this, Yu Ziyu raised an eyebrow.

 

Xiao He thought for a moment and said, “Ten minutes.”

 

The time wasn’t necessarily too long, but the die was still spinning.

This was too abnormal.

Lou Chen frowned in thought.

The third floor had existed for such a long time, and this had never happened before.

The instrument couldn’t have malfunctioned silently, because Lou Chen had used it just seconds ago.

Therefore, the result only pointed to one thing—the problem lay with Yu Ziyu himself.

“Are you alright?”

Lou Chen turned to look at Yu Ziyu.

 

Faced with his concern, Yu Ziyu obviously didn’t take it to heart and replied perfunctorily, “Couldn’t be better.”

 

But in the eyes of the other two, this was undoubtedly a lie.

The time the die had been spinning was simply too long.

“Is that so?

Then do me a favor and mock me a few more times.”

Lou Chen stared at the die, which had temporarily stopped on 1, trembling slightly in place, forcing him to lower his voice.

“Let me know your mental state is fine.”

 

For once, Yu Ziyu was choked up.

The corner of his mouth twitched as he repeated, “What did you say?”

 

Lou Chen turned to look at him and suggested seriously, “Insult me.”

“?”

The relaxed expression on Yu Ziyu’s face disappeared.

He looked at Lou Chen with an indescribable expression, as if he had discovered a puddle of sewage on the ground.

But Lou Chen ignored his weak resistance and reached out to grab his wrist, his eyes clearly urging him.

“Hurry up.”

“Are you a pervert?”

This time, Yu Ziyu asked with unprecedented sincerity.

He tried to shake off his hand—but failed.

So he looked earnestly at the young man beside him and said, “Or are you mentally ill?”

 

Hearing the photographer’s familiar sarcasm, Lou Chen’s expression was unreadable for a moment.

After a long pause, he seemed to confirm something and finally slowly released Yu Ziyu’s wrist.

 

He thrust his hands into his jacket pockets, tilted his head to look at Yu Ziyu, and then murmured in a low voice, “Can’t believe there’d be a day I’d beg someone to insult me, and actually enjoy it.”

“Neither did I.”

Yu Ziyu retorted sharply.

“There really are more and more lunatics these days.”

“You infected me.”

Lou Chen said without any logic.

“…”

Xiao He, who had witnessed everything, was left speechless.

 

The atmosphere between the two standing opposite each other had originally fallen into a tense, confrontational state.

What surprised him was that Yu Ziyu, who gave people a frail, delicate impression, just stood there, his aura actually matching that of Lou Chen, who had dealt with so many things.

 

But after that simple exchange, the atmosphere bizarrely became harmonious again.

Xiao He simply couldn’t get a word in and could only stand between them like a human cardboard cutout, expressionless.

 

Maybe I shouldn’t be here, he thought, otherwise I wouldn’t have seen the captain break the image he’s built over the past two years in just one day.

So, he quickly shifted his gaze to the die on the floor, pretending to intently appreciate its patterns, ensuring he wouldn’t be silenced for learning the captain’s secrets.

“Perhaps we should focus on it,” he said cautiously after a moment.

“You’re right,” Lou Chen said.

However, more than ten seconds passed, and the die was still twitching uncontrollably on the ground, like a snake nailed down, writhing and gasping in agony.

It would jump to 6, but then hesitantly flip over, showing the 1 side facing up…

Determining Yu Ziyu’s mental state, a simple task, was clearly difficult for it.

 

How could this be?

It shouldn’t.

Xiao He immediately showed a surprised expression.

He glanced at Yu Ziyu in shock: “It couldn’t be that your sanity value keeps fluctuating, right…?”

 

He looked up at the other, and the die finally let out a sharp “screech———————”, interrupting his unfinished sentence.

It stopped abruptly, one side facing everyone present.

After seeing it clearly, everyone was stunned—

1…?!

 

This mental state was absolutely abnormal.

Only monsters could possibly have such a low value and still retain sanity.

Given Yu Ziyu’s mocking tone, identical to before, and his relaxed, effortless stance, his sanity value absolutely couldn’t be just 1!

 

Was the die wrong?

Xiao He stared at it incredulously: “That’s impossible!”

 

Lou Chen stood still with his hands in his jacket pockets, not moving.

 

Yu Ziyu, however, wasn’t surprised at all.

He chuckled inwardly, feeling a sense of mischievous satisfaction.

Then, he lifted his foot and, before Lou Chen and the others could react, walked over and picked up the die.

He tossed it in his hand and said meaningfully, “I suggest we try again.”

 

Seeing that their captain remained silent, seemingly acquiescing to Yu Ziyu’s action, Xiao He could only say hesitantly, “…O-okay?”

 

And this time, Yu Ziyu didn’t throw it on the ground.

He raised his hand, holding it in his palm.

The slender fingers of his other hand pinched the upper half of the die and gave it a gentle twist.

It began to spin painfully, as if struck by a whip.

 

Xiao He held his breath.

He was genuinely a bit worried and really didn’t want to see that deadlocked scene again.

 

But this time, within seconds, the die quickly stopped on the 6 side.

“Oh.”

Yu Ziyu uttered an ambiguous sound.

 

He turned around and spread his hands towards the two, showing them the die in his palm.

He raised an eyebrow and said, “So, this is the sign of mental stability?

Then we’re both 6.

Maybe you should give me a corresponding badge too, right, Captain, the one who recognizes me as the savior?”

 

When he said “savior,” Yu Ziyu emphasized the tone.

 

So, it really was just a minor glitch with the instrument earlier?

Xiao He turned his head, only to see that Lou Chen hadn’t moved his gaze from Yu Ziyu.

Although he was smiling, his brows were furrowed.

 

The die couldn’t be forcibly manipulated… unless… unless the person being judged was too special.

Xiao He pondered silently.

Although he personally seemed excitable and careless, as the duty vice-captain of the Supernatural Management Bureau, he couldn’t always be this careless.

 

But Yu Ziyu showed no signs of abnormality at all.

“If you agree to my invitation,” Lou Chen said.

 

As his words fell, Yu Ziyu’s face darkened.

He immediately said listlessly, “Impossible.

I won’t join the Supernatural Management Bureau.”

 

Detecting that everyone had met the passage requirements, the invisible barrier disappeared.

Yu Ziyu walked out first.

Lou Chen walked shoulder to shoulder with him.

Xiao He followed closely behind, muttering quietly as they walked, “…What exactly requires you to convene a 3A-level meeting?”

 

In fact, not all members of their department were present.

Members were often out on duty; it had been a long time since they’d gathered like this.

3A naturally referred to the highest-level meeting.

All members with mental strength above B would attend.

Generally, the department wouldn’t easily convene this meeting unless there was truly an unsolvable problem.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Yu Ziyu unexpectedly said, glancing back at him.

 

Because of this look, Xiao He was already starting to feel uneasy.

 

They quickly arrived at a door marked with red paint.

 

Lou Chen pushed the door open.

The others at the long table immediately looked over.

Strangely, their expressions were all surprisingly anxious.

 

They were all wearing the same uniforms Yu Ziyu had seen last night, but the insignia pinned on their clothes were different.

Yu Ziyu had originally thought their numbers would be much greater than those of the monsters.

In reality, it wasn’t that much higher.

 

Just as B-level spirit corresponded to A-level monsters in the Land of Desire Amusement Park, A-level spirit corresponded to S-level monsters.

They had only six S-level members.

And the people present, including Captain Lou Chen, numbered only about ten above B-level.

 

As soon as Lou Chen entered, he stood at the front.

Everyone looked at him.

Yu Ziyu glanced around a few times, found it boring, and walked out from behind him.

Ignoring the probing stares of the others, he pulled out the nearest chair and casually sat down.

 

He was simply too special…

When Yu Ziyu sat there, the others could very clearly feel a sense of dissonance.

He didn’t belong here.

Or rather, he shouldn’t be in a dangerous place at all.

This exterior could melt anyone’s heart, evoking a soft, protective instinct.

 

Yu Ziyu picked up a basin-shaped ornament from the table, lowered his head, and ignoring everyone staring at him, began to daydream.

 

Suddenly, Lou Chen cleared his throat, interrupting everyone’s gaze.

He stepped forward slightly, blocking Yu Ziyu from view, earning an impatient “tsk” from the latter.

But Lou Chen didn’t move aside.

“I hope you can give us a special reason.”

 

Then, a young man wearing glasses spoke.

 

He looked as if he had crawled out from under water.

His face was pale from blood loss, his body wrapped in bandages seeping with blood.

His hair and clothes could be called unkempt.

But the gaze behind his glasses was extremely sharp.

He sat upright in his chair, staring intently at Lou Chen.

“Xu He.”

Lou Chen nodded at him, calling out his name.

 

Hearing this, Xiao He leaned forward.

Seeing Xu He’s condition, he immediately looked worried: “How did you get injured…?”

Saying this, he decisively walked over to Xu He, dragged a chair to sit beside him, placed his hand on his shoulder, and checked his condition.

The two were obviously close.

Yu Ziyu noticed they both wore the same blue rubber bracelets on their wrists—like issued equipment.

“I think you’d better rest first.

The captain won’t blame you, right?”

“Thanks, it’s no longer a problem.”

But Xu He interrupted him.

He had more urgent matters now.

So he said calmly, “Just now, Captain, I also have something to report to you.

Regarding Jealousy—I’ve already gone to the western part of the city as you instructed.”

“What?!”

Xiao He exclaimed.

 

Yu Ziyu glanced sideways.

 

Lou Chen showed no weakness, replying calmly, “I remember I didn’t agree to let you go in, just to have you wait outside.”

 

Although his voice lacked much fluctuation, it carried a cold feeling.

“…Although the department has already sealed off the old school district in time, forbidding anyone from entering to prevent ordinary people and some players from wandering in by mistake… last night, I don’t know how, but some guy managed to get over the wall.”

 

Xu He bit his lower lip, explaining to Lou Chen, “He’s a streamer, brought all the relevant equipment.

I only found out from the tech department that he was even live streaming online!

So, I had to find that person and then…”

“What did the tech department say?”

Lou Chen interrupted him. “I want the exact words.”

“Uh, they said the viewer count had reached twenty thousand… if not stopped, and the public saw what was inside, it would definitely cause panic…”

“Yu Ziyu.”

Lou Chen lowered his head, his expression softening as he called his name.

 

Hearing his name, Yu Ziyu put down the ornament in his hand, his voice flat: “What.”

“If it were you, what would you do?”

 

Yu Ziyu didn’t know what he was going on about now.

So he pursed his lips, put the ornament back, and didn’t plan to cooperate.

But Lou Chen, under the gaze of all the members, actually reached out and poked him in the waist.

At that moment, Yu Ziyu truly wanted to chop his finger off.

 

Perhaps Lou Chen also sensed the danger.

He quickly withdrew his hand before the other could catch it and break it.

“Find someone to contact the platform, cut off his stream immediately, or just ban his account outright.”

 

Hearing this, Xu He was stunned: “I tried, but the platform side said…”

 

Yu Ziyu clicked his tongue and said bluntly without any politeness, “I don’t care about all that.

It has to be banned.

Don’t tell me you’re still going to sympathize with the platform’s difficulties at a time like this?

Don’t be ridiculous.

Their biggest loss is just making a bit less money.

Or do you want everyone to know that monsters are part of everyday life?”

“What if… they really won’t ban it?”

“Are you the government department, or are they?

Just find a reason to make them rectify the situation.

Since they’re so reluctant to part with money, just shut them all down.”

 

It was evident that the righteous side indeed had many inconvenient constraints and didn’t quite understand that as long as the goal was achieved, the means didn’t matter.

“But what about the streamer?”

“There’s a caution tape around the sealed-off school area, right?

And people guarding it, forbidding entry, right?”

Yu Ziyu said with a cold eye. “I’m sure you have people guarding it round the clock.

You’ve already been so thorough.

So, did you force him, compel him to go in?”

“An ordinary person staying inside will definitely die.”

“Then let him die.”

He clicked his tongue impatiently.

 

Xu He was stunned by this.

He hadn’t expected someone with Yu Ziyu’s appearance to say such things.

It completely overturned his first impression of him.

“…”

 

The air fell into silence.

After a long moment, Yu Ziyu suddenly smiled.

This rare, lazy smile instantly diluted the fear he originally inspired, making him seem much more approachable, like a hibernating little snake waking up: “I was joking.”

“Teacher Ziyu, please don’t do that anymore…”

Xiao He said helplessly.

 

Although they hadn’t known each other long, thanks to Yu Ziyu’s habit of never hiding himself, Xiao He could already tell from some previous interactions about his twisted sense of humor.

 

But Yu Ziyu just gave him a cold look that said “deal with it yourself.”

 

Xiao He: “…”

“You survived purely by luck,” Lou Chen said.

“Jealousy isn’t like the monsters you’ve dealt with before.”

“I know.”

Xu He laughed bitterly. “I didn’t even see it.

I was attacked as soon as I entered the school.”

 

He had heard the rumors about the western part of the city, but he didn’t know what they meant until last night, when he deeply realized it.

It wasn’t just a story.

Perhaps it could be said that the story had turned into a terrifying reality.

This forced him, completely unprepared, to be driven back by fear once inside the teaching building.

 

See Jealousy?

He thought most people wouldn’t get the chance.

 

While Xu He and Lou Chen were talking, the phone in Yu Ziyu’s windbreaker pocket vibrated.

 

His hand slid in like a boneless snake, fished it out, glanced at the screen, and then, with a flick of his slender fingers, tossed it back into the inner pocket.

“Done chatting?

It’s my turn now.

I’m not that free, after all.”

 

Yu Ziyu pushed his chair back and stood up.

 

This action instantly attracted the attention of everyone present, including those other members who had been cautiously remaining silent.

Their gazes were unconsciously drawn to him, naturally captivated, even forgetting that Lou Chen, standing right beside him, was the one who truly held the authority.

 

They didn’t even know who Yu Ziyu was, yet they still subconsciously assumed a posture of seriously listening.

 

Some people are naturally skilled at controlling a room.

When he doesn’t want to speak, no one notices his existence.

But the moment he wants to become the center of attention, it happens instantly.

Yu Ziyu handled it with ease.

“In three days, ‘Pride’ is going to hold a grotesque show.”

Yu Ziyu said lightly. “At the art museum in the city center.

I think I’ve received an invitation too.

You’d better be prepared.”

“What——???”

 

An uproar.

 

Pride?!

Just hearing the name was enough to send a shiver down one’s spine.

It had obviously become a nightmare for countless players.

 

As everyone knew, S-level monsters had the ability to disrupt magnetic fields.

Their level of supernatural power could directly distort the surrounding reality, bringing monsters that didn’t originally exist into the real world.

They would become its servants, bringing a terrifying storm limited only by imagination, not by possibility.

This would destroy the already precarious peace.

 

And Pride was above S-level.

They couldn’t gamble; they dared not guess how wide an area it could affect.

“This is why I called everyone here.”

Lou Chen was the calmest person in the room, the only one maintaining an expressionless face.

“We must clear the city center by then, evacuate the crowd, suspend broadcasts and traffic, and prevent anything unknown from being infected by Pride.”

“But, that’s the city center!”

Xiao He couldn’t help but exclaim.

He was stunned.

“This matter… can we make it in time?”

 

His hands trembled; he simply couldn’t imagine how chaotic the real world would become after Pride appeared.

And Jealousy… what would Jealousy do?

They couldn’t guess, couldn’t even begin to imagine, because nothing like this had ever happened before.

“Quite obviously, that’s what Pride thinks too,” Lou Chen said.

 

Yu Ziyu said impatiently, “Stop complaining and whining.

I’ve already given you three days.

That’s plenty.”

 

Lou Chen didn’t catch that: “Hm?”

“I’m leaving.”

Yu Ziyu glanced at him and said, “I only came to say this.

I don’t know why your captain insisted on my presence, but I have other things to do.”

 

Xu He finally found an opportunity.

The gaze behind his glasses shifted to Yu Ziyu: “So… who are you?”

 

The captain would absolutely not casually bring someone to headquarters, and moreover, display such a protective attitude.

Xu He noticed that if anyone so much as scrutinized Yu Ziyu for a moment, Lou Chen would subtly block their view and even give that person a warning look.

 

Yu Ziyu: “A concerned passerby.”

 

Lou Chen: “The savior recognized by the game.”

 

They spoke simultaneously, their voices colliding as if deliberately performing in unison.

The room fell into dead silence.

You could hear a pin drop.

The air was suffocatingly tense, especially the widened eyes of those who heard Lou Chen’s words.

“I haven’t agreed to that yet.”

“Also the future minister of the Supernatural Management Bureau.”

 

Yu Ziyu abruptly turned his head to look at Lou Chen, his gaze stabbing towards him like two daggers.

 

The silence finally broke because someone exclaimed excitedly.

It was a young woman who looked quite young.

Realizing what she had done, her cheeks flushed bright red as she covered her mouth.

Her voice shattered the silence.

The crowd, catching on belatedly, instantly erupted into noisy commotion.

They all looked at Yu Ziyu in disbelief, as if he had suddenly turned into something glowing with gold.

 

It was practically the focus of all attention.

 

Lou Chen flashed him a smile.

 

However, Yu Ziyu glared at Lou Chen, feeling for the first time the urge to kill him right there in front of everyone.

 

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