Chapter 76: This Time It Must Be a Good Life (Finale)

Chapter 76: This Time, It Will Surely Be a Good Life (Finale)

Sang Mai slammed on the brakes, the modified off-road vehicle gouging a deep rut through the yellow sand. He turned around, his eyes full of shock and confusion: "...What's wrong, Xiao Wu?"

Before the words were even out of his mouth, the car door was shoved open with force. Shu Hanqing stepped out of the car, not even bothering to explain.

At that, Mu Ye's face changed. He immediately chased after him and cut him off: "Hanqing! What the hell is going on?"

Shu Hanqing stared at the holographic data stream still flickering and jumping on the ring: "I'm going back."

Mu Ye stepped forward to grab his arm.

Shu Hanqing shook off his hand: "...That lunatic Yan Shenyun—he deliberately sent every single one of us away."

He forced the elevator back on. Shu Hanqing stepped onto the metal platform, and as it shot down at breakneck speed, howling wind blasted straight down his collar.

The underground's dead silence and pitch-black darkness rushed back at him.

As he fell weightless, Shu Hanqing stared at the faintly glowing silver ring on his ring finger, and Yan Shenyun's words came crashing back into his mind.

—Flesh and bodies will rot and die, but algorithms will run forever beyond dimensions.

The second the elevator hit bottom, Shu Hanqing stepped out.

Just as he'd expected, the once brightly lit, heavily guarded underground fortress had already shut down most of its main power. Long stretches of hallway were swallowed by cold darkness, with only dim red emergency lights flickering along the walls.

He sprinted down the dim hallway and nearly collided with Yin Bianyan, who was making her last retreat.

Yin Bianyan: "...Xiao Wu? Why are you still here?"

Shu Hanqing stopped short, demanding: "Where's Yan Shenyun?"

Yin Bianyan said the professor had gone to shut down the final systems.

Shu Hanqing took off at once for the central control room at the deepest level.

Yin Bianyan's face went white, her voice edged with panic: "Xiao Wu! What's wrong?"

Shu Hanqing's eyes locked onto the alloy blast door up ahead.

Mu Ye charged up right behind him and reached out to hold Yin Bianyan back.

Shu Hanqing didn't even give the ID scanner a chance to react. He raised his right hand, and the moisture in the air condensed like crazy. His icy, violent water power exploded outward, turning into a raging torrent that blasted the heavy blast door and its electronic locks into flying debris, and sent it crashing down with a deafening roar.

A huge boom echoed as sparks flew everywhere.

Now the center of the control room was fully visible. In the middle of the dim, shadowy hall sat a massive black hibernation pod shaped like a giant cocoon.

Several cold, sharp mechanical arms were slowly reaching down from above the pod, their metal needles aimed inside.

Shu Hanqing's power surged in his palm. The churning water instantly froze into several razor-sharp ice spears that screamed toward the pod.

The ice spears punched through the pod's blast-proof glass and mechanical hubs, sending ice shards and sparks exploding everywhere.

The injection arms, just millimeters from Yan Shenyun's skin, suddenly lost power and froze mid-air with a harsh grinding screech.

Through the shattered cracks of the pod, Yan Shenyun lay still inside.

He looked like he was lost in a dream—pale and calm, with no sign of pain.

Shu Hanqing leaned in, fingers quickly checking his neck and collarbone for a pulse. Then he grabbed the mechanical arms, snapped them off with a sharp crack, and tossed them into the corner.

The control room went quiet except for the faint, broken ticking of the instruments.

Shu Hanqing bowed his head and pressed his cheek against Yan Shenyun's chest.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

There was still a heartbeat.

Thank God this arrogant lunatic... was still alive.

Mu Ye shot a cold look at Yan Shenyun in the pod: "What's wrong with him? Is he dead?"

For a good-natured, big-picture guy like Mu Ye to spit out something so venomous was rare indeed. It showed just how much he couldn't stand Yan Shenyun.

Shu Hanqing shook his head: "Not yet. Damn close though."

Mu Ye's tone was full of genuine regret: "...What a damn shame."

Shu Hanqing: "..."

Shu Hanqing reached out both arms, trying to drag the heavy, unconscious Yan Shenyun out of the broken pod. But after a few tries, it was clear that hauling a tall, grown man with his build was a real struggle.

He stopped, then slowly turned to give Mu Ye a meaningful look.

Mu Ye: "..."

Yin Bianyan watched as Mu Ye, his handsome face dark enough to scrape frost off, carried the unconscious Yan Shenyun out on his back.

When Sang Mai, Yi Ran, and the others waiting by the car saw the unconscious Yan Shenyun nearly half an hour later, they were genuinely shocked and hurried to help load him in.

Shu Hanqing leaned against the car door, exasperated: "You've been with him this long, and none of you noticed he wasn't right today?"

Yi Ran looked a little innocent: "...The professor... he's never really been normal all year round."

The heavy off-road vehicle roared back out into the wasteland.

On the long ride back, the unconscious Yan Shenyun lay sound asleep with his head on Shu Hanqing's lap. Shu Hanqing rested his chin on one hand, staring out the window at the endless land rushing by and the barren horizon.

That lunatic Yan Shenyun had injected himself with a heavy sedative beforehand, and now that it had fully kicked in, who knew how long he'd be out.

But at least they'd gotten him back safe and sound.

But before the vehicle could even reach the base's security perimeter, a sudden gale roared up ahead.

From beyond the barren hills, a dozen or more black heavy military tactical vehicles came thundering out, forming a deadly iron ring that boxed their vehicle in.

The sunroof of the lead military vehicle was thrown open. Lei Zheng stood in the wind and sand, his face grim, and made a sharp gesture ordering them to stop.

Before the vehicle had even come to a full stop, Rong Hua from another military vehicle had already lost patience, shoved the door open, and jumped out.

His violent power fluctuations surged, radiating an overwhelming presence as he closed in.

Shu Hanqing quickly yanked the window open, leaned halfway out, and shouted: "Don't do anything! I'm fine!"

Given that Yan Shenyun was still at the top of the most-wanted list, his allies, along with Mu Ye, were understandably rounded up on the spot.

Mu Ye was the last to get out of the vehicle.

Rong Hua shot Mu Ye a dissatisfied sidelong glance, then turned to Lei Zheng and said, "Hey, bro, there's still one here? We can't let this one slip through the net—might as well grab him too."

Shu Hanqing: "Rong Hua! What the hell are you saying?"

Rong Hua, who had been all bluster, immediately hurried over the moment he saw Shu Hanqing glare, looking him up and down with concern: "Hanqing, are you okay? These bastards didn't give you any trouble, did they?"

Sang Mai, standing nearby with his hands cuffed, felt his stomach drop as he looked at Rong Hua.

After all, back then, Rong Hua had a hand in it too, so Sang Mai and the others just raised their hands in surrender, not daring to say a word of protest.

Lei Zheng didn't give them a hard time. He just coldly announced to everyone that this batch of fugitives would be temporarily escorted back to the Fifth District for detention and review.

Rong Hua followed behind Lei Zheng, still fuming, and muttered in a low voice, "Brother, if we don't teach that arrogant Yan Shenyun a lesson this time, I'm gonna want to kill someone! If you ask me, we should just throw him in a dungeon and lock him up till he rots."

Lei Zheng shot Rong Hua a look like he was looking at a total idiot, his tone dripping with frustration and exasperation: "At most, it's just standard procedure to lock him up for a bit. Do you have any idea how far that guy's psychic ability has evolved by now?"

"Besides, he has a special identity. Before the catastrophe, he was a top-tier scientist the higher-ups signed a top-secret agreement to protect at all costs, and several old-timers in the military high command are still dead set on protecting him. And with Hanqing keeping an eye on things, do you think he'd let me touch a single hair on Yan Shenyun's head? Tell me, with a hot potato like this, how the hell am I supposed to handle it?"

Rong Hua clicked his tongue and said, "I really want to punch him straight to kingdom come today."

Lei Zheng asked Shu Hanqing to sit with him.

Shu Hanqing refused.

Luckily, on the last stretch of the return trip, Yan Shenyun, who had been in a deep coma, finally started to come to. After a brief moment of staring blankly with unfocused eyes, he began to piece together the bizarre situation that had spiraled out of his control.

Shu Hanqing felt the weight lift from his thigh and unceremoniously pushed him away from his embrace, saying coldly, "Since you're awake, quit hanging on me and playing possum."

Yan Shenyun sat up straight, a rare look of confusion in his eyes: "...Is this heaven?"

In his original plan, Yan Shenyun had indeed intended to put an end to his miserable, absurd life.

His psychic energy had been pushed to its absolute limit, no longer able to sustain even one more time-space jump, and his fragile, broken mind couldn't bear watching Shu Hanqing walk out of his life again.

So he had sealed all his research data and key codes into the silver ring he'd given Shu Hanqing, then chose to lie down in the hibernation pod, ready to slip away unnoticed in that cold, desolate underground.

Without him—this stubborn madman—weighing him down and tormenting him, Shu Hanqing might live a good life.

If so, then there was no longer any reason for Yan Shenyun to exist in this world.

Shu Hanqing looked at him, but there was no trace of amusement in his eyes: "Sorry, Professor Yan, but this is hell."

Yan Shenyun fully woke up and looked around.

He realized that his wrists were bound with a pair of heavy, cold alloy handcuffs—special restraints designed to suppress ultra-high-tier abilities. Not only that, but the entire convoy was filled with armed escorts, and Mu Ye, Sang Mai, and even Yi Ran were all in cuffs and under arrest.

Not far away, in the back seat of another vehicle, Rong Hua had rolled down his window and was staring at him like a captured criminal.

Yan Shenyun: "..."

Shu Hanqing said expressionlessly: "...Yan Shenyun, you and I still have unfinished business. You don't have the right to die without my say-so."

The vehicle fell into a long, dead silence.

Yan Shenyun was silent for a very long time, his dark eyes locked onto Shu Hanqing, and he spoke hoarsely, word by word: "...Will you still need me?"

Yan Shenyun thought, if Shu Hanqing needed him, that would be his reason for living.

Shu Hanqing met his gaze head-on and nodded.

Yes. He would.

Yan Shenyun lowered his head to look at the heavy handcuffs on his wrists and replied in a barely audible voice: "Okay."

Shu Hanqing: "Lei Zheng and the others won't kill you out of respect for me. As long as you come back to the base with me obediently, I'll pretend that whole underground base thing never happened."

Yan Shenyun raised an eyebrow slightly: "...You really think they won't do anything to me?"

Of course Shu Hanqing didn't trust them. He knew perfectly well that Lei Zheng and his men would love nothing more than to tear Yan Shenyun apart: "As long as I'm around, I've got your back."

The words had barely left his mouth when a soft click sounded.

Under Shu Hanqing's shocked, wary gaze, Yan Shenyun actually snapped open those specially made cuffs. Without even flinching, he pulled a hidden micro communicator from his pocket and quickly typed in a series of command codes to send a signal.

The next second, as Shu Hanqing stared in utter disbelief, Yan Shenyun very matter-of-factly slipped the handcuffs back over his wrists and locked them.

Shu Hanqing: "..."

Yan Shenyun: "...I developed these too. They can only suppress purple-tier abilities—they don't work on me."

Now that's some skill.

By evening, the convoy stopped and set up camp at the outer base of the Fifth District.

Because Yan Shenyun's hands were cuffed and useless, Shu Hanqing carried over a tray of steaming food, sat in front of him, and fed him bite by bite.

Lei Zheng, passing by, couldn't take it anymore. He strode over, snatched the tray away and handed it to one of his soldiers, then yanked Shu Hanqing aside, scowling, "Babe, why are you being so gentle with him? He's a top fugitive who betrayed the base! If it weren't for you, I'd have put a bullet in him a long time ago. He doesn't deserve you treating him like royalty. If you ask me, we should just starve these bastards to death!"

Shu Hanqing ignored his rant entirely, snatched the tray back, and turned to hand out food to Mu Ye and the others, who were also shackled nearby: "If you hadn't insisted on cuffing them for no reason, would I be playing nursemaid here?"

Rong Hua walked over: "You're watching us like hawks—are you afraid we'll find a chance to off them both?"

Shu Hanqing nodded: "That's a real possibility."

Caught red-handed, Rong Hua and Lei Zheng exchanged a glance, frustration flashing in their eyes.

They were indeed thinking day and night about putting a bullet in Yan Shenyun and Mu Ye, those two thorns in their side. Unfortunately, with Shu Hanqing guarding them so closely, they couldn't find a single opening to make a move.

The escort convoy finally drove into the high-security core of the central base.

At the front of the welcoming party stood none other than Shen Huan and Luo Xingxiong, as well as Rong Hua's influential father—Rong Hai, the top commander of the central base.

Rong Hai, in his tall, imposing dark gray military uniform, shot a sharp look back and forth between Lei Zheng and Rong Hua, his brows furrowed, and started scolding them bluntly without any warning: "What the hell are you two brats doing charging over here with such a huge force? Do you need this much fanfare just to pick someone up? This is a total disgrace!"

Seeing this scene, Shu Hanqing suddenly realized—it turned out that during the escort, Yan Shenyun had already covered all his bases flawlessly.

Pick someone up? Weren't they supposed to be arresting people?

Rong Hua, the moment he saw his old man's cold, stern face, couldn't be bothered to say a word.

Lei Zheng called out, "Uncle Rong, it's just for safety's sake—it's just safer to bring more people along..."

Rong Hai waved his hand, his expression stern. He ordered the heavily armed soldiers around him to fall back: "Alright, that's enough—everyone, fall back! Where's Professor Yan?"

He's still locked up in the back.

Lei Zheng ordered someone to bring Yan Shenyun out.

Rong Hua sneered: "Who does he think he is? Acting like he's got some real pull just because he's got a title? He's just a traitor."

Rong Hai stared at Rong Hua and said in a low voice: "That man is a top-tier genius every base is fighting to get their hands on. If you were captured, do you think any of the senior military officials would risk their lives to save you? But if even the slightest thing happens to Yan Shenyun, I'd risk my own life to keep him safe!"

Rong Hua's face darkened in an instant, and Lei Zheng standing nearby didn't look much better.

Yan Shenyun got out of the vehicle, and the higher-ups all crowded around him.

Seeing they couldn't get a word in, Rong Hua and Lei Zheng swallowed their frustration and moved to a tactical off-road vehicle nearby to talk in private.

Both of them looked openly defiant.

Lei Zheng said: "The moment Hanqing comes out, you rush over and use your knack for throwing a tantrum as the young master to take him away."

Rong Hua wasn't some fool to be manipulated. He shot him a sideways glare: "Why me? Why don't you do it?"

Lei Zheng said: "Can you really just sit there and watch Yan Shenyun take Hanqing away? That's your own father after all—in front of everyone, he'll at least spare you some embarrassment. Besides, Hanqing's always had a soft heart. Once you drag him away, I'll clean up the mess that follows."

Snatching someone away required someone willing to make a scene, and Rong Hua, with his hot temper and family connections, was clearly the perfect candidate.

The two were mid-plot when a cough sounded from behind them.

They turned around, and Mu Ye was staring at them expressionlessly.

Lei Zheng spat out: "You did that on purpose, didn't you! I've been sick and tired of that deadpan face of yours. And Yan Shenyun too—with all the underhanded things he's done, I could beat him three hundred times a day and still not be satisfied! Day in and day out, he's even more of a phony than you are. Since you overheard all this, let's form a temporary tactical alliance—the three of us—to take him down together!"

Mu Ye coughed again.

Lei Zheng shot Mu Ye a disdainful glance, his tone merciless: "You don't agree? Compared to Yan Shenyun, I can at least stand you—barely! But that Yan Shenyun—he's the one I can't stand the most! Rong Hua, you take Shu Hanqing away later, and we'll have your back."

Mu Ye silently raised his hands—he was still handcuffed.

Rong Hua thought, Rong Hai wouldn't give him an ounce of respect anyway. But if he could actually find a chance to get Shu Hanqing out of here, he wouldn't give those two scheming bastards, Lei Zheng and Mu Ye, any chance to interfere.

Over there, Rong Hai was speaking to Yan Shenyun in a deferential tone: "Professor Yan! If you're ever unhappy with the base's arrangements, feel free to come to me anytime. Next time you go out, be sure to let us know."

Yan Shenyun had his hands in his pockets, his expression icy, and said flatly: "Sorry for the trouble, General Rong."

Rong Hai quickly waved his hand: "No trouble at all!"

Shu Hanqing had been trailing behind, and Yan Shenyun kept glancing back at him. With so many eyes on him, Shu Hanqing had no choice but to move forward—otherwise, he would've made a run for it long ago.

Rong Hua came out of nowhere, grabbing Shu Hanqing's hand and pulling him out of the crowd: "Hanqing, come with me, I need to talk to you."

Rong Hua had planned to grab him while everyone was distracted.

Standing nearby, Rong Hai stared at his son's outrageous behavior.

Until Yan Shenyun on the other side grabbed Shu Hanqing's other hand.

Rong Hai barked: "Rong Hua, what the hell are you doing?"

Yan Shenyun: "He's mine."

Rong Hua, provoked, couldn't stop himself from blurting out: "Bullshit! Since when is he yours? If it weren't for you sticking your nose in, you wouldn't even be in the picture."

The penny suddenly dropped for Rong Hai, and he roared: "Rong Hua! You're messing around with men behind your old man's back?"

That thunderous shout cut through the air, yet Rong Hua didn't bat an eye, casually pointing at the hand Yan Shenyun had on Shu Hanqing: "Dad, look closely—he's not only doing it too—he's even worse..."

Yan Shenyun could no longer be called just the other man.

The fifth man?

Shu Hanqing stood between the two, and out of the corner of his eye, he clearly saw Rong Hua's fingers by his trouser leg quietly counting.

Shu Hanqing: "..."

He started to wonder—was he really the guilty one here? In ancient times, he'd probably have been drowned in a pig cage for this by now.

Shu Hanqing's gaze darted between Rong Hua and Rong Hai, father and son, and he quickly yanked his hands free from both Rong Hua and Yan Shenyun.

He looked at Rong Hai's ashen face and forced a stiff, polite smile.

Yan Shenyun.

Rong Hua tried to step forward but was stopped by his father, who called out Shu Hanqing's name.

Shu Hanqing ignored him completely, thinking, just get out of here fast, don't make a scene.

After returning to the central base, Yan Shenyun, with his irreplaceable top-tier intellect, retained his high status—no one dared to touch him.

Lei Zheng managed to push Shen Huan out in one fell swoop and smoothly became the base's second-in-command, just one step away from running the entire central base.

Mu Ye took over Luo Xingxiong's position, while Rong Hua was Rong Hai's chosen successor.

This time, the zombie king ultimately failed to cause any trouble—the zombie horde had been completely driven out of human-inhabited areas. All that was left was for the military to conduct large-scale sweeps and clean-up operations.

Shu Hanqing found a quiet, detached house at the edge of the base to live in. He'd wanted peace and quiet, but every few days, "neighbors" with all sorts of ulterior motives would show up at his door.

That handful of people genuinely cared about him, obsessing over his safety to the point of being ridiculous.

Shu Hanqing, worn out by the constant interruptions, simply stopped going out much.

The day Yun Ying and Qi Zhuo got married, the wedding was grand and lively—a union so full of vitality and blessings it was the most worthy celebration of all. The white flowers—usually seen only at graves and altars as symbols of mourning—now held in the hands of the newlyweds, radiated purity and hope.

The wedding was held in District Three. Beneath the massive, compassionate stone statue of the Madonna, survivors who had made it through the disaster and lived to see this day gathered, with a group of children in clean but worn clothes standing in the front row, singing hymns in clear, crisp voices.

Under the azure sky, a flock of white doves suddenly took flight—many of them had eaten breadcrumbs Shu Hanqing had casually tossed out before.

Among the wedding guests were not only former teammates from the Shengsu Squad, but also familiar faces from the superpowered community.

Rong Hua had somehow gotten a few bottles of champagne from someone's private cellar and was now raising a ruckus in the crowd.

Mu Ye, in a black suit with a solemn expression, officiated the ceremony.

Sang Mai stood off to the side, so moved his eyes were red-rimmed as he rubbed them.

For the rest of the Shengsu Squad, Yun Ying was less a comrade-in-arms and more a daughter they'd raised and protected themselves.

Yan Shenyun and Lei Zheng couldn't make it, but they had gifts delivered.

At the liveliest moment—the bouquet toss—the flower bundle, full of blessings, arced through the air, and a hand snatched it cleanly out of the sky.

Rong Hua caught the bouquet and, amid the crowd's deafening cheers, stepped straight through them and knelt down on one knee in front of Shu Hanqing.

The usually unruly Rong Hua was uncharacteristically nervous, stammering as he spoke: "I... I didn't expect to catch it either. Today was rushed, and I didn't have time to prepare a proper ring."

Before he finished speaking, a slender green vine rapidly grew and twisted in his palm, blooming into delicate little flowers in the blink of an eye, as if by magic forming a small white flower ring.

Rong Hua lifted his eyes and stared straight at him: "...Brother, will you marry me?"

Because he was attending a wedding, Shu Hanqing wore a light-colored shirt that complemented his temperament today, making him look clean and fresh. He seemed to be slightly tipsy, and as he looked at Rong Hua, a soft smile warmed his eyes. He gracefully extended his finger, allowing the flower ring to be slipped on.

Mu Ye, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward, grabbed Shu Hanqing by the waist, and pulled him into his arms: "He's drunk. Rong Hua, stop your nonsense here."