Chapter 76

Chapter 76

"Brrrt—"

From speaking to firing, Jiang Nian took no more than two heartbeats. His speed in that instant was so fast that neither the enemy nor his teammates could react in time.

Only after he unloaded a full clip, accompanied by two screams, did steel walls and dirt barriers rise from the ground, completely blocking the bullets sprayed in their direction.

His teammates swiftly joined the fight. Cheng Jing and Huang Qian shook off their stupor, sending Thunder Fire crackling back along thorny vines.

Once his teammates unleashed their Superpowers, Jiang Nian was pretty much done.

However, from the energy fluctuations and effects he had sensed earlier, he had already discerned that the two women possessed the Superpower of Charm.

Though immune, he had indeed been attacked, allowing him to identify their abilities without interference.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Gunfire and explosions rang out in succession, the air thick with dust and the iron scent of blood.

The two women lay dead, and the five men on the opposing side went down swinging—until their screams, too, were silenced.

There was no room for mercy. In the apocalypse, clashes often ended in life-or-death struggles; holding back just meant trouble later.

To spare everyone the sight of the carnage, Cheng Jing turned everything to ash with a single motion once the battle concluded.

When the dust settled and silence returned, Jiang Nian stepped forward to inspect the scene. Only three Superpower Cores remained—two pink Charm cores and one solid gray Physical Boost core.

Aside from the two women, only one of the five men had been a Physique-enhanced Superpowered, while the other four were ordinary people.

It was kind of surprising, but it also led to the inevitable conclusion: the brains behind that whole act had been the two women.

They had encountered hunters disguised as prey.

This act clearly wasn’t their first rodeo. Until now, they had never slipped up—or to be exact, the two women had never slipped up.

How many teammates they had cycled through before was anybody's guess.

The Charm Superpower could induce total obsession, making victims blindly obedient to the caster while messing with their memories.

Over time, this fake affection would fuse with the victim’s own emotions, becoming irreversible.

Being caught off-guard by such an ability was bad news.

With two Charm users, the control effect doubled up—more puppets, quicker control.

Under normal circumstances, they could handle ten-plus people no problem, which was likely why they had the balls to attack even being weak…

As Jiang Nian rolled a pink core between his fingers, mulling it over, Jian Cheng’s bright voice cut through the silence:

"Brother Nian, that move was insane! I really didn’t think you’d pull the trigger."

His words shifted the group’s focus. Those who had been discussing the Charm cores now chimed in with their own comments:

"I thought the other side fired first—nearly shit myself!"

"Honestly, they were way outgunned, and the way they were holding those two women had us fooled..."

"We should blame ourselves for not being vigilant enough. We always need some lessons to accumulate experience."

"Gotta ditch that 'see no evil' mentality. From now on, even if a beauty strips naked, I'll be staring real close..."

"Just talk properly, don’t go clattering those abacus beads all over the place, hahaha..."

"Anyway, our godfather came through again, saving our lives!"

"..."

"Don't go that far. I just happened to be alert this time."

Jiang Nian felt embarrassed by the praise. Every time Liao Yu spoke, his heart skipped a beat—the young boss always had to stand out when he opened his mouth.

"This time, we really owe it to Year Year."

Cheng Jing, who was doing the vehicle check before rolling out, was quick to sing his praises openly.

If Jiang Nian had hesitated earlier, he, Huang Qian, and the entire team would have been in a dangerous and passive situation.

The core goal of those people was to have the two women use their mind powers to control everyone, but they didn’t expect Jiang Nian to be unaffected and immediately counterattack, catching them off guard.

If Jiang Nian hadn’t been there, even if they could have resolved the situation, they would've paid dearly.

He was cautious, but mind powers were truly nearly impossible to defend against.

"Brother Nian’s reflexes scream trained fighter."

Zhou Rongbin spoke while scrutinizing Jiang Nian closely.

They’ve killed many zombies, but rarely people—let alone Jiang Nian, who’s been pampered like royalty by Brother Cheng.

So, his quick reaction in this crisis was a huge surprise.

"Not much training, can’t compare to you guys... But it’s true I was in plenty of scraps back in school, so sometimes the muscle memory just kicks in, you know?"

Jiang Nian said it lightly, then stole a glance at Cheng Jing not far away.

To pursue Brother Jing, he’s really been playing it straight for years. Those 'glory days' of cornering bullies in dark alleys and beating them up already feel like a lifetime ago.

Besides, most fights nowadays involve mind powers. As a backup fighter, there’s no need to show off too much—as long as Brother Jing allows him reasonable field training, he won't kick up a stink.

Huang Qian called it, saying after everyone finished their praises:

"Xiao Nian was just in full hubby-protection mode, which is why he reacted so fast."

She then walked over and gave Jiang Nian a tight hug:

"Thank you!"

"Aw sis, don't mention it!"

Jiang Nian didn’t deny it because it was the truth.

The two women used their mind powers too quickly. The moment he noticed Brother Jing was affected, all he wanted was to eliminate the culprits and stop their attack.

He didn’t even consider using his mind power for a temporary fix—he acted on pure instinct, and by the time he realized it, the bullets were already flying.

Once someone started, it was easier to keep the conversation going. Liao Yu finally jumped at the chance to satisfy his nosy streak, butting in with a smirk:

"Dad, I heard you willingly gave up your position as the boss and stepped back from that life for Cheng."

"Who told you that?"

Jiang Nian asked with a reddened face, then laughed at Liao Yu's slightly stunned expression:

"Exactly! Who needs to *be* the boss when you can *have* the boss? With Brother Jing, I have the whole world."

His voice was a bit loud—Brother Jing must have heard it.

"Cough..."

Liao Yu choked on the in-your-face PDA but, still burning with curiosity, pushed further:

"So, in your eyes, is Cheng really flawless?"

He had never been in love. When his parents were alive, he was a wild rebel; after they passed, everyone around him was insincere except for his teammates.

So, he didn’t understand yet craved the raw, all-consuming love.

"Everyone has flaws..."

Jiang Nian paused, thinking seriously before answering:

"Brother Jing has flaws too—he’s *too* damn good."

At *everything*. He didn’t care; his boyfriend was perfect.

Liao Yu: "Wait, what?"

Others listening nearby: "..."

How is that a flaw?!

"‘Amazing’ how?"

Huang Qian felt there was something odd about that statement.

Jiang Nian, familiar with Sister Qian’s teasing ways, put a finger to his lips and winked:

"Shh! Any more questions and you’re just being nosy. Those who haven’t been in love should go get yourselves some love—no matter how sweet others’ relationships are, they’re not yours."

With that, he walked toward Cheng Jing, who was trying (and failing) to hide his laugh by the car.

He had always known his teammates were nosy as hell. In a good mood today, he decided to play along—after all, Brother Jing wouldn’t mind.

"Nian, you’re *different* now!"

Huang Qian lamented, heartbroken. Once a man’s skin got thick, he’s no fun to mess with anymore.

"Ha..."

Yang Kai, who had been watching their exchange the whole time, couldn’t help but laugh too.

No wonder Cheng was head over heels—who wouldn’t love a boyfriend so silver-tongued?

"Alright, let’s roll out. Any later and we’ll be running late."

Cheng Jing finished, opening the car door and hopping into the driver’s seat. On the way back, he’d drive, with Jiang Nian claiming shotgun beside him.

Liao Yu sneakily glimpsed at the big brother's grin that was harder to control than an AK's recoil, nudging Zhao Lei beside him with his elbow:

"Brother Zhao, look at how lowkey freaking out Cheng is—he’s about to burst."

"He got some love from his boo, what’s wrong with being a little happy? If you’re jealous, go get yourself some."

After saying this, Zhao Lei walked toward the car.

Liao Yu pouted:

"I’d love to, but I can’t find anyone. Wanna hook up?"

Without even turning his head, Zhao Lei shot back:

"Young master, (sarcastic) you must be sick."

Liao Yu shrugged:

"Says the one who's not exactly Mr. Normal."

We're all fair game here, why not take a nibble?