This is machine translated and all copyrights belong to the author. Please note that the translator might take creative liberties for better readability. Thank you for reading.
Even the passing seconds had become a joyful thing.
As Jian Hua walked out of Huan Yu Cinema and returned to the sunlight, the city became eerily silent. Jian Hua’s heart turned cold.
Lu Zhao was strange, and the mob who had caused the destruction at the Pearl Hotel was also strange. So, what was the deal with this sudden appearance of the girl?
Crying wouldn’t move Jian Hua. They were in a world where time had stopped, and the girl’s “field” of power around her was stronger than the other wandering people in the city.
She was someone who had managed to control her ability and stabilize her powers.
But even with that, even if the girl cried her eyes out, Jian Hua wouldn’t pay her any attention.
Not to mention, once she realized that acting helpless wouldn’t work, the girl immediately switched to her second plan: declaring that she and Jian Hua shared the same stance, facing the same crisis, and she had the advantage of knowing the truth. She was willing to wait for a “collaborator” to overcome the difficulties together.
It was a good attempt, but it wouldn’t work on Jian Hua.
She was a variable, and if Jian Hua believed he could control that variable, he would confidently step out and learn everything he wanted from the girl, but Jian Hua didn’t know enough about his own powers. The confidence this power gave him couldn’t surpass the law and the machinery of the state.
The more others wanted Jian Hua to make a particular choice, the less interested he became. Unless he wanted it himself, it was off the table.
Exposing himself, meeting the girl, and at best finding out a piece of the truth (which might not even be true), would that solve Jian Hua’s predicament of being pursued by the police?
No, it wouldn’t. If the girl had a way, she wouldn’t be a “missing person,” and she wouldn’t have to search for him so desperately. Behind any motive, there was profit. Things couldn’t be judged solely based on appearances. Although he couldn’t figure out what she was up to, for Jian Hua at the moment, having one more “comrade” would only provide mutual comfort and be utterly useless.
If he wanted comfort, he could go find Li Fei, at least he knew him inside out. To be with any random girl on the roadside…
Did he think he didn’t have enough suspicion on his back?
The police found a missing girl, a strange man accompanying her, and the girl pointed out where her friend’s body was. What kind of news story would that make? Jian Hua didn’t need to think twice to know.
Jian Hua picked up the bike he had thrown on the ground and swiftly disappeared to the end of the street.
Shortly after, the girl, who had completed a round in the shopping mall, walked out and carefully counted the bikes parked at the entrance. Then her face instantly changed. “No, something’s wrong, one is missing!”
The girl rushed out, looking around, the sunlight shining on the road, the world silent, and the shadows cast by the buildings unmoving.
Suppressing the urge to shout loudly, the girl nervously bit her finger. “This can’t be right. Jian Hua is an S-level esper, fearless. The books say that being close to him is like handing your life over to him, letting him decide! In a situation where he can control my life and death, why would he give up the opportunity to know the truth?”
As she muttered to herself, the girl couldn’t help but hit her head with her hand.
“Damn it, what bad luck! When I first transmigrated into this body, the original host didn’t chase after Jian Hua when she saw something was wrong when coming out of the elevator. Why didn’t she seize that opportunity…?”
After her frustration subsided, the girl had to think of another way. She pondered and pondered until suddenly she had an epiphany.
“Could it be that the person in the elevator that day wasn’t Jian Hua? The author mentioned on Twitter that Jian Hua was the first awakened individual to arrive in this abandoned world. If the Huan Yu Cinema incident wasn’t the first, then could it be that Jian Hua fell into this abandoned world and awakened silently while he was alone at home?”
The more she thought about this speculation, the more reasonable it seemed. Realizing her mistake in the guide, the girl stomped her foot in frustration. “I’ve underestimated you. Well, since I’m already in the surveillance footage, everything will be destroyed anyway.”
Leaving Huan Yu Cinema in anger, the girl hadn’t walked far when a figure suddenly appeared behind a car.
Her vision went dark, and she felt an extra arm around her back, tightly gripping her arm and shoulder, restraining all her movements. The power “field” around the girl underwent a change, engulfing her completely.
The person attacking the girl was Red-Haired Jack. He wasn’t surprised by the bizarre scene unfolding before him. He just clamped down on the girl’s arm, appearing as if he were wrestling with thin air, which looked quite comical.
“Surrender! Your trickery won’t work on me. You’re not invisible, you know!” Jack wheezed.
He had come to Huan Yu Cinema to investigate whether the online cases were related to the Black Abyss Boss. Jack was fluent in Chinese, but he struggled when it came to understanding discussions among Chinese netizens. He didn’t understand the trendy phrases and some of the word usage was completely different from what his Chinese teacher had taught him.
As a result, when he encountered a girl on the road without companions or weapons, his eyes lit up. It was a perfect opportunity! Whether she was a transmigrator or an original character, he would capture her first and ask questions later.
“Hello, don’t be nervous. I need your help. Let’s cooperate…”
The girl’s cold laughter echoed in the void.
“Ah!” Jack screamed in pain, covering his lower body. His grip on the girl’s arm loosened, and taking advantage of the opportunity, the invisible girl escaped.
Jack convulsed and threw away the durian that had smashed into him, his hand now riddled with multiple holes.
In excruciating pain, Jack curled up and took several minutes to recover. “Oh… my God! China… already has space espers?”
Poor Jack, he lamented the strict gun control in China. He attacked with confidence, thinking that Chinese girls rarely carried self-defense sprays or electric batons. Little did he know that he encountered someone who had already awakened their powers, wielding a lethal weapon like a durian.
Jack’s legs trembled, and he rolled on the ground twice in fear.
***
Huai City was vast, but Jian Hua had no idea where he should go.
He placed his bicycle in its original spot and walked along the tree-lined path in the residential area, feeling a sense of emptiness in his heart.
Jian Hua regretted the oversight on the night of the elevator incident. He hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, and now it was too late to do anything about it.
He wasn’t foolish enough to run back home and pack his things to escape. China was a large country, but running away wouldn’t solve anything. This wasn’t like a decade ago. Once a wanted photo was released, hiding in remote areas wouldn’t be of any use.
Jian Hua’s mouth tasted bitter as he realized that he would have to pay a visit to the detention center.
It was late autumn in Huai City, and the ground in the residential area was covered in fallen leaves.
The swing frame was rusty, and the exercise equipment used by the elderly was damaged. Jian Hua felt his craving for cigarettes resurface. The cold wind made his head spin, so he decided to sit down on a bench by the roadside.
He didn’t bother to brush off the dust and fallen leaves from the bench.
His head grew heavier, and Jian Hua raised his hand to massage his temples. Just then, a soccer ball rolled to his feet.
His gaze froze as Jian Hua heard the sound of people’s voices. The once empty green belt in the residential area was now filled with playful and laughing children. Cars were passing by outside the neighborhood fence, and the bustling city life had returned.
His pocket vibrated, indicating a new message on his phone.
“Jian Hua, are you okay?” It was from the persistent Lu Zhao.
Jian Hua immediately shoved his phone back into his pocket but heard a startled “wow” sound beside him. The child who came to pick up the soccer ball was frightened by Jian Hua’s “villainous” appearance with a hat, mask, and sunglasses.
“… ”
Jian Hua silently walked away, feeling the grandmother’s wary gaze as if she thought he was a kidnapper.
He returned home, feeling a sense of indifference as if he didn’t care even if the sky collapsed. He fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
Surprisingly, it was the best sleep he had in over a decade. No dreams, no disturbances. When he woke up, it was already pitch dark outside.
The clock pointed to 2 o’clock in the middle of the night.
Even the passing seconds had become something enjoyable.
A colorful page featuring General Wu torn from a magazine was pinned to the bedside table in Jian Hua’s bedroom. He stared at it absentmindedly, but before he could finish his contemplation, the doorbell rang.
Jian Hua frowned. Was it Lu Zhao again?
If he didn’t open the door in the middle of the night, that guy would probably knock until the neighbors came out to scold him.
Jian Hua walked into the living room with a cold expression, turning on the hallway light. However, the moment he opened the door, his gaze froze upon seeing the military insignia
–two bars and a star, indicating the rank of a Major.
Late at night, a high-ranking military officer standing outside his door with a bulging waist, Jian Hua couldn’t help but glance at the corridor behind him.
There were no police officers or arrest teams, just a Major.
“You’re Jian Hua?” the Major asked.
“Yes, who are you looking for?” Jian Hua instinctively replied.
“Can I come in and talk?” the Major requested.
Silently, Jian Hua opened the door, contemplating the possible outcome of this situation, which seemed different from his speculation.
Zhang Yaojin’s eyes were redder than a rabbit’s, and his face filled with exhaustion. He had been shuttling between Haicheng and Huai City for the past few days, only finding time to rest during the car rides.
Once the lights in the living room were on, Zhang Yaojin surveyed the room. The decoration was outdated, with no wallpaper, just tiled floors. The electrical appliances in the living room appeared ordinary, and the sofa was made of synthetic leather, but it was clean.
Jian Hua didn’t bother with tea or water and simply nodded to the unexpected guest in the middle of the night, signaling for him to take a seat.
Zhang Yaojin’s emotions were complex. To ensure the safety of his subordinates, he had chosen to come alone. Everyone else was waiting outside the residential area, not even daring to stay downstairs.
The Jian Hua mentioned in the penguin chat group records was described as rebellious, elusive, cautious, and low-key, with formidable strength. However, the reality of this rundown house and the dilapidated state of the neighborhood suggested that it was likely a second-hand house purchased by Jian Hua. This contrast was far from the description of a humanoid nuclear weapon.
“Hello, I’m Major Zhang Yaojin.”
He introduced himself while studying the expression of the person sitting opposite him on the sofa.
Jian Hua, already resigned to his fate, remained calm and didn’t speak, instead observing the unexpected visitor intently.
“I am a Major in the National Special Forces Unit ‘Red Dragon.’ I am responsible for counter-terrorism, hostage situations, and espionage involving political conflicts.”
Jian Hua’s eye twitched at the mention of a secret agency. The fact that the government was aware of a lot meant that he wouldn’t be mistaken for a lunatic and thrown into a mental hospital.
“Major Zhang, have you seen the surveillance video?” Jian Hua decided to get straight to the point, aiming to shake off any trouble and deal with the suspicion later.
“Hmm?”
Zhang Yaojin was momentarily taken aback. Although he reacted quickly, Jian Hua didn’t miss the surprise in the Major’s tired expression. Jian Hua realized that the Major didn’t come to his doorstep after reviewing the surveillance footage.
“We have implicated Li Fei in the Pearl Hotel explosion incident,” Zhang Yaojin said. He didn’t expect that, upon re-investigation, he discovered a connection through Li Fei’s personal relationships.
Jian Hua’s expression turned peculiar. “So, it was him who mentioned me?”
The author has something to say:
Li Fei: No, I won’t take the blame for this!!
Last Edit 06-16-2023 3:30 PM
This is machine translated and all copyrights belong to the author. Please note that the translator might take creative liberties for better readability. Thank you for reading.
Thanks for your work, Translator-sama! I’m so glag you picked up this gem. But I heard that this novel is a pain to TL. Is it right?..
Thanks for the updates, missed this novel 😀
It’s here~!!! Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
Really thank you so much for picking this novel!
Fight~!! (o≧∇≦)o
And the butterfly effect~! Our dear beautiful butterfly effect!
If those people had just not done those things out of the script they wouldn’t be hunted down nor would they unknowing have given those 2 dangerous powerhouses to militaries on a silver plate!
Now it’s the government time to keep those away from the evil path (since they didn’t cross there yet) and even have their help!
I think that in the original because of LF’s accident JH didn’t have get a job and as he saw the world stopped he saw it as an opportunity to lead his life, like those crazy people from the hotel but with more brain. While on LF’s side he fell from glory and after months met his crush that also had powers and joined him…… basically a “I don’t have nothing, so let’s screw the world” kind of thing?
But now~
Transmigrators/reincarnators X The world’s people X Transmigrators with brain that already joined a real force not from the mc’s country or underworld
Yay~ ＼(๑>◡<๑)／
Thanks for the chapter ✌💜
Thanks for the chapters~
So Li Fei being around Jian Hua keeps both of them grounded in morality and not caring about revenge or thirst for power? 😂
oh, so the girl is dead and an ability user is using her body??