Chapter 50 Pyrokinetic

Chapter 50: The Fire Ability User

Shi Yunzheng said expressionlessly, "No..."

Bai Suizhi narrowed his eyes, watching the helicopter descend towards them. A flurry of questions raced through his mind: Why was the helicopter arriving now? A second round of rescue? But could a new rescue mission truly be organized in such a short time? Would the necessary manpower and resources even be allocated for an operation like this?

Most critically, why was the landing site a remote resort? From every angle, this place seemed highly unlikely to be designated a priority search area.

While he pondered these questions, the others were already excitedly waving and shouting at the sky, "Hey, we're here! There are people here—"

Even knowing the helicopter crew couldn't hear them, everyone shouted for help with all their might. Strangely enough, the helicopter was indeed descending toward their location, its trajectory unusually precise, as if homing in on a beacon.

Seeing the helicopter touch down smoothly on the rooftop of the neighboring villa, they were overjoyed: "They’re really here to rescue us!"

Oliver, though excited, hesitated: "Should we go call Shen Yu?"

Chen Yi knitted his brows: "Let’s call him. Though he might not want to leave." With all the commotion, there was no way Shen Yu hadn’t heard it inside. If he heard but didn’t come out, there was only one explanation—he didn’t want to leave.

When they returned to the second floor, Shen Yu was still in the same position as when they had left. Before they could speak, he preemptively refused: "Not leaving."

Chen Yi suddenly snapped, his frustration boiling over: "Are you planning to stay here until the planet explodes? The food downstairs will last you at most seven days. What will you do after that? Stay here waiting to die?" He couldn’t bear to see someone so determined to ruin themselves, reduced to this half-human, half-ghost state.

Oliver also urged, "I know you’re in pain, but life goes on, doesn’t it? You need to pull yourself together!"

Shen Yu, extremely irritated, hurled something out. Bai Suizhi and Kahn immediately sensed something was amiss and quickly pulled the others back. In the next second, a wall of flame erupted before them.

"If you don’t leave now, the fire will reach you," Shen Yu said coldly.

Before anyone could react, a series of crisp, synchronized footsteps suddenly echoed as a well-trained squad in black uniforms rushed up the stairs.

The leader, a tall man with a cold, imposing aura, said authoritatively, "We are the Special Abilities Disaster Relief Task Force, established by the state during this special period to control risks and combat mutated life forms. I am the team leader, Shi Yunzheng. Everyone, remain where you are and await inspection." He then gestured for his team to begin their work.

Seeing the intruders seemed hostile, Shen Yu clenched his fist, gripping several coin-sized stones, then opened his palm and threw them forward.

*Swish—*

The flames roared higher, nearly reaching the ceiling.

A tall girl suddenly popped out from behind, forming a pale blue energy ball in her hand. She said with a grin, her eyes curving into smiles, "Playing with fire is dangerous. Kids should keep their distance."

The moment the energy ball collided with the flames, a deafening blast sounded, and the two merged into a thick cloud of smoke, filling the air with a choking smell.

Oliver’s jaw dropped, and he could only exclaim, "OMG!"

Chen Yi’s eyes widened like copper bells: "Holy crap!"

Bai Suizhi and Gu Ze were more restrained, not as visibly emotional, but their shifting eyes revealed that their worldviews were undergoing a violent shake-up, teetering on the brink of collapse.

In contrast, Kahn watched with rapt attention, his cat-like eyes darting back and forth, afraid to miss any detail.

As the two engaged in their fierce exchange, the rest of the team got to work checking them. The so-called inspections involved simply pressing a thermometer to their foreheads to check for normal body temperature and signs of infection.

After the inspection, someone guided them, saying, "Please follow us to evacuate the scene and assemble on the neighboring rooftop."

Before leaving, they glanced at Shen Yu, whose figure was distorted by the heat waves behind the black smoke. They were lost for words, unsure of what to say.

Shen Yu seemed stuck in a dead end, unwilling to listen to anyone, stubbornly fixated on the path he had chosen, even if it meant bleeding or sacrificing his life.

As stubborn as a lone wolf separated from its pack.

...

Shortly after Bai Suizhi and the others left, Shi Yunzheng, who had been standing quietly nearby, finally moved. His shoulders relaxed slightly as he drew his gun with a swift, explosive motion. His knuckles stood out as he firmly gripped the trigger, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, instantly locking onto the snarling, struggling zombie in the corner.

With a "bang," the bullet pierced its target accurately.

Shen Yu, whose attention had been elsewhere, jolted violently. He instinctively looked at Shi Yunzheng, his eyes quickly shifting to the hand that had just put the gun away. His heart hammered against his ribs, the noise making him anxious.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze fixed on Shen Yan’s body lying stiff and motionless on the ground: a bullet hole in his forehead was leaking dark brown fluid, coating the ashen skin. The once turbid, bulging eyes now were dull, half-open and staring at the ceiling. Spittle mixed with blood had dried on his chin, a picture of utter, final wretchedness.

His brother... was dead?

Shen Yu stiffly turned his head, glaring at Shi Yunzheng, and gritted out word by word, "Why?"

Shi Yunzheng said expressionlessly, "Unconditionally eliminating mutated life forms and protecting the people’s lives and interests is our top priority."

Shen Yu’s eyes nearly burst with rage, his entire body trembling: "You’re asking for death!"

With that, he launched himself forward, lunging directly at Shi Yunzheng. His fingers, quick as lightning, grabbed the man’s collar, sparks flickering at his fingertips.

Shi Yunzheng stepped back, tilting his head to avoid the attack while simultaneously seizing Shen Yu’s wrist and yanking him down hard. Shen Yu lost his balance instantly, his knees hitting the floor with a dull thud. Without pause, he clenched his left fist, driving it toward Shi Yunzheng’s face with a force that split the air.

A scorching heat brushed past Shi Yunzheng’s ear as the fist closed in. Shi Yunzheng remained calm, twisting Shen Yu’s wrist and swiftly kicking the back of his knee.

A faint "crack" sounded as Shen Yu was forced down onto the ground, his hands twisted and locked behind his back, unable to move.

He growled low and furiously, like an enraged young beast.

Maintaining his hold on Shen Yu, Shi Yunzheng looked straight ahead, his tone devoid of emotion: "According to regulations, individuals with special abilities may choose to join the government-sanctioned CDC and disaster relief units specifically created to address infectious disease outbreaks. We now need to ask if you're willing—"

Shen Yu sneered, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

His brother’s body lay not far away, and the man who killed him was acting as if nothing had happened, spouting nonsense that even a fool would find absurd.

Shi Yunzheng added, "Of course, you may also refuse."

Shen Yu wished he could kill this condescending man. He slowly spat out four words: "Not even a dog would go."

Shi Yunzheng: "Understood. We respect your decision. Now, please come with us to the Survivor Base. We will provide you with a safe location and enough food."

Shen Yu repeated what he had just said: "I’m not going to any damn action team or Survivor Base. Understood?"

Shi Yunzheng finally frowned, his voice deepening: "Don't be difficult about this. It concerns your own safety."

Shen Yu laughed scornfully: "When I needed you, you weren’t here. Now that I don’t need you, you all come swarming."

Shi Yunzheng’s brow furrowed tightly, his mind flashing back to what he had seen from the helicopter: charred bones covering the entire rooftop, the vast resort silent as a graveyard.

Shen Yu suddenly burst into laughter, the sound growing louder and more piercing: "Everyone’s against me, isn’t that right? Isn’t it?"

He seemed to be asking Shi Yunzheng, or perhaps the empty void.

Shi Yunzheng, unusually flustered, whispered to Lin Xue beside him, "What do we do now?" The action team had five members, plus a pilot. Two had escorted the others next door, leaving only Shi Yunzheng and Lin Xue.

Lin Xue said, her expression complicated, "Maybe... you should let him go first?"

Shi Yunzheng shook his head: "No, he’ll attack us."

Lin Xue pointed out bluntly: "Not us—you."

"And Captain, I've been meaning to ask for a while—have you considered taking some courses in the art of conversation?" It was rare to see someone whose every word managed to step on everyone's landmines.

Shi Yunzheng ignored Lin Xue's nonsense—he was simply following the procedure, every step lawful and compliant. Where did he go wrong? Still, he released Shen Yu's hand, which he had been restraining.

Instead of attacking them as Shi Yunzheng had expected, Shen Yu collapsed to the ground as if all his strength had drained away. "Just go. I'm begging you."

Shi Yunzheng replied, "That's not possible. Ensuring your safe return to the base is our responsibility."

Shen Yu sneered, "Then why did you abandon us before? And what about those five fools earlier? If things were really as you said, why were they trapped here?"

Shi Yunzheng explained, "Due to limited manpower and the challenging nature of the rescue missions, we had to prioritize the majority's interests. But the situation is different now."

Shen Yu retorted, "How is it different? Just because I have special abilities? You came here for me, didn't you? That bullshit abnormal magnetic fluctuations you mentioned earlier—if it weren't for that, you wouldn't even be here today, would you?"

Shi Yunzheng fell silent, because their purpose in coming here was indeed Shen Yu.

Shen Yu lifted his eyelids and glanced at Shi Yunzheng's expression. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue? Am I right?"