Chapter 40: Trigger 3

Chapter 40: Trigger 3

The system held its breath, exasperated: "...No."

Qi He: "According to your logic, that's how it should be."

"..." The system stiffened its neck, even at the cost of self-deprecation: "I have no logic."

Qi He shook his head and returned to the sofa.

The dim yellow lamp was still on, casting a hazy glow over the polished desktop and his figure.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling window, the night was serene, dotted with scattered lights.

Qi He lowered his gaze, deep in thought: Why would Yan Chuanbai flirt with him? Was it, like himself, just a momentary whim?

Or...

He pressed a hand to the side of his neck. Did that kiss in the training room stir something in him?

The system's voice quivered: "What are you contemplating?"

"Nothing." Qi He snapped out of his thoughts.

Given Yan Chuanbai's "persona" and their relationship, he shouldn't have fallen for him. But the fleeting ambiguity from earlier didn't seem feigned—

His heart rate unconsciously quickened. It was as if the other's subtle maneuvers had sparked a novel sense of curiosity and a competitive urge.

Of course, it was possible he had misinterpreted the situation.

"So, what do you think now?"

Qi He suppressed a slight tremor and steadied his mindset: "To be observed."

The system choked, its anxious heart hanging by a thread: "...Everything you say makes it sound like an experiment."

"Just a professional habit."

...

The next day, there was an S-level meeting.

Qi He got ready and headed to the research institute.

When he pushed the door open, the other three were already there. You Tianxing had something to attend to in the lab and said he would be a few minutes late.

As soon as he entered, his eyes met Yan Chuanbai's.

Both of them appeared calm and composed.

Qi He pulled out a chair and sat down. Recalling last night's events, he glanced over at the other, openly scrutinizing him.

The fingers resting on the table seemed to curl slightly.

Yan Chuanbai turned to him, lowering his gaze: "What are you looking at?"

Qi He went straight to the point: "What did you mean last night?"

Yan Chuanbai's breath hitched almost imperceptibly before he casually quirked a smile, his gaze unwavering: "Exactly what you understood it to mean."

"Do you know how I interpreted it?"

"Oh, then tell me how you interpreted it."

Qi He narrowed his eyes slightly.

Want to keep things vague, huh? When it comes to playing games, he had never lost... After a two-second pause, he leaned forward slightly against the table, bringing himself close to Yan Chuanbai's cheek.

The rhythm of his breathing faltered.

Qi He whispered: "I thought it meant I was mouth-watering."

Then, a laugh sounded by his ear.

Yan Chuanbai tilted his head, neither confirming nor denying: "Then so be it."

Qi He locked eyes with him at close range for two seconds. The other's expression was unclear—whether it was teasing or genuine. His deep eyes held a hint of laughter, indeed possessing a certain allure.

The meeting room door clicked open.

You Tianxing had returned. Qi He caught sight of him from the corner of his eye and pulled back—

He hadn't managed to probe anything.

In the meeting room, the others: "..."

You Tianxing paused mid-step as soon as he entered and saw the scene, then adjusted his mindset and walked over.

Yu Jiang, sitting directly across, widened her eyes. She placed her hands on her lap, holding her breath:

You only did it once last night, meaning you only wanted once...

What... how was that interpreted? I heard you... interpret it.

The last sentence Qi He whispered close to the other was completely inaudible, only vaguely lip-read as: "appetizing."

Her cheeks flushed: Is everyone this open in the apocalypse?!

Beside her, Xia Jiu also seemed to sense something and glanced at Qi He and the others a few times. She turned to ask something but saw Yu Jiang frozen in shock. After a moment of silence, she couldn't hold back:

"...What's shocking you now?"

Yu Jiang slowly turned to her: "Didn't you hear?"

She glanced over, seeing the two were now talking to You Tianxing, and leaned in toward Xia Jiu, blushing as she summarized: "Weren't they discussing how many times they did it last night..."

Xia Jiu, "????"

She finally turned in shock: No, girl, although the atmosphere between them was a bit ambiguous, it's definitely not like that!

-

The meeting, filled with mixed thoughts, concluded.

Today, Xia Jiu was scheduled to report to the cultivation base.

Qi He checked the time—it was almost noon. He also wanted to check on Meng Yan's research progress.

He said to Xia Jiu: "I'll go to the cafeteria with you. I've invited Meng Yan; we can have lunch together."

"So she's your acquaintance." Xia Jiu stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Sure, give us a heads-up about each other."

You Tianxing headed to the research lab, Yan Chuanbai went to military HQ, and Yu Jiang went back as usual to her own residence for lunch.

Qi He went with Xia Jiu to the cafeteria.

...

The cafeteria was crowded at noon.

Meng Yan had just come from the research facility.

Dressed in a neat white shirt, she carried a report under her arm intended for Qi He. Holding her tray, she made her way through the crowd, her practical ponytail and clean attire making her stand out.

Just as she was about to find a seat, a familiar voice came from nearby: "Hey, isn't that Meng Yan?"

She turned and saw Ke Yuan sitting there with three former teammates.

This was the first time she had run into them since joining the research facility. Meng Yan ignored them and was about to turn away when Ke Yuan, eyeing the report under her arm, said sarcastically:

"Carrying a report even during a meal? Trying to look important?"

She paused and shot back with equal scorn: "Better than cowering all the time."

Clang! Ke Yuan and the others slammed their trays down and jumped up aggressively: "What did you say?!"

They had been made to kneel repeatedly during training sessions, and their built-up anger made them eager to take it out on her. The base strictly prohibited fighting... Ke Yuan stared at Meng Yan, knowing she resented them. If he could get her to throw the first punch—

He smirked: "Meng Yan, what are you acting so superior for? If it weren’t for us helping you awaken your superpower, you wouldn't be where you are today."

Meng Yan’s face turned icy as she glared back.

Seeing this, Ke Yuan pushed further triumphantly: "Why don’t you show some gratitude—"

"What’s going on? Do you need something from her?"

A crisp voice interrupted from the side. Xia Jiu appeared beside Meng Yan, frowning as she glanced at Ke Yuan and the others:

"What’s all the mumbling about? What are you talking about?"

Ke Yuan, startled by the unfamiliar face, was about to retort when his eyes suddenly fell on Xia Jiu’s "S+" identity card. He froze, choking back his words and staying silent.

"Tch, never mind..."

He turned away, pretending nothing had happened. The next moment—thump! thump!!!

They all knelt in unison.

Clatter—the trays beside them overturned, sending food flying.

"What the hell!"

Qi He walked over with his tray, said with fake concern: "I heard you calling me from over there and rushed right over. Don't mention it."

The group just stared...

After speaking, Qi He called to Meng Yan and Xia Jiu: "Let’s go, over there."

Once the three had walked away,

Ke Yuan and the others stood up from the mess, with everyone watching. His face turned red with anger, and he gritted his teeth, muttering bitterly:

"Putting on airs just because she’s got a few S-rankers backing her!"

"What’s there to boast about? She just developed a nutrition formula—it’s not like she did it all by herself."

"I could refuse to drink the stuff she’s researching anyway!"

...

On the other side of the cafeteria, Qi He and the other two sat down.

He glanced at Meng Yan’s expression. "You okay?"

"I’m fine." Meng Yan’s face remained calm. During her time in the lab, she had lost weight, losing the baby fat in her cheeks. It made her appear even more slender and elegant.

She hadn’t forgiven them, but she no longer cared.

In the face of humanity’s survival and great scientific achievements, those people were barely even ants in her eyes.

She handed Qi He the report she had brought: "Take a look. This is the final stage."

Qi He took it and looked it over. "I’ll come by the lab later to check it out."

"Huh? You should've said you were coming earlier, I wouldn’t have brought it."

-

After the meal, they headed to the laboratory.

Meng Yan’s office was right next to the lab.

A transparent glass wall separated the two spaces, offering a view of the lab’s sophisticated equipment and samples, along with a few researchers and assistants inside.

She first led the two into her office.

She handed them a sample: "This is the current final version."

Qi He took it, examined it, and passed it to Xia Jiu. "How long for results?"

Meng Yan replied, "Since the ingredients and ratios need constant adjustment, and we have to wait for each round of clinical trial results, it's been slow going. But now, with Xia Jiu—"

Xia Jiu snapped her fingers, staring at the test tube: "Two days."

Meng Yan’s eyes widened in surprise. "That fast?"

"My Identification Superpower can provide data directly. As long as you keep up with the adjustments, all that’s left is to conduct clinical trials on the 'final version' and verify the results."

Meng Yan grabbed her arm excitedly: "Where were you sooner!"

"I’ve only been at headquarters for a few days."

Xia Jiu tossed her short hair and glanced at the two: "Alright, no need to stare at me like that. It’s only natural to be impressed by me."

Qi He: "..."

Meng Yan: "..."

Their system exclaimed: "She’s even more arrogant than you!"

Qi He shrugged it off: "Exceptional people always share certain traits."

The system corrected itself: "...Actually, you’ve got her beat."

Right at that moment, the communicator beeped.

Qi He checked it and saw You Tianxing's text, concise in content:

"Come to the control room immediately."

He glanced up; Xia Jiu hadn’t received one. That was a high probability that it was another combat situation.

After giving a quick heads-up, he hurried to the research facility.

...

As soon as he reached the control room door,

he encountered a group of military personnel rushing out. The door swung open and shut as Qi He stepped inside.

Inside, both You Tianxing and Yan Chuanbai were there.

His gaze first fell on the screen behind them, showing a pre-apocalyptic map. Two technicians were nearby, adjusting communication signals.

Qi He turned his attention back. "What’s going on?"

Both men looked serious.

You Tianxing turned to him. "Just now, an unfamiliar signal source suddenly connected—from F City, far north near the border. You could say that we’ve discovered a hidden Base III that’s never made contact with the outside world."

Qi He held his breath briefly, then slowly exhaled. "What happened?"

You Tianxing explained briefly. "F City’s base is built underground, and is in a remote area with blocked transportation. The people inside have never come out or connected to communication channels, so they remained undetected."

—Built underground.

Qi He’s gaze sharpened. "Were they attacked?"

"...Yes," You Tianxing responded.

F City was an underground city, which had once withstood wave after wave of zombie attacks. But after the mutants evolved, the entire city was nearly exposed to the mutants—

"Just now, their technicians finally connected to our frequency and sent a distress signal."

You Tianxing took a deep breath. "F City is on the brink of collapse."

Qi He pursed his lips. "What’s the headquarters’ plan?"

Yan Chuanbai said beside him, "Each base must send at least one S-class Combat Department member for support." He met Qi He’s gaze. "I’ve already prepared a helicopter. I’ll take a team there."

Time was tight. Qi He was about to say "agreed,"

but he suddenly looked at Yan Chuanbai and asked, as was his habit, "Does it have to be you?"

Yan Chuanbai looked down, then looked back. "Not necessarily."

Silence fell for two seconds.

Just as Qi He’s heart was starting to relax, a sharp "Beep!" echoed in his mind—like a program stuttering—before a piercing alarm and a panel screen popped up:

"Alert! Host detected..."

At the same time, another prompt and panel screen overlapped almost instantly: "Beep! System loading..."

"Affecting the final plot, triggering—"

"■■■Loading successful■■■"

"Key plot will begin in two days. Host, please prepare in advance."

Layers of panels, like triggered pop-ups, filled Qi He’s entire field of vision in an instant!

An unsettled intensity surged in his eyes.

He grabbed Yan Chuanbai’s arm beside him, looking directly at the panels. "Go!"