Chapter 18: The Oriole Follows

Chapter 18: The Oriole Follows

Gao Yang could clearly sense a strange energy coming from the alleyway behind him. He didn’t want to drag this out any longer. Be it fortune or catastrophe, he would have to face it sooner or later. He was going to take it head on this time! Still...he needed insurance.

He cast Wang Zikai a glance, “Come with me.”

“Roger that!” Wang Zikai couldn’t be more eager.

Gao Yang walked into the alleyway. The area was old, the buildings empty and waiting to be torn down for renewal. Only a couple streetlamps still functioned, but even the functional ones were flickering, painting an eerie picture.

Gao Yang and Wang Zikai walked deep into the narrow alley. Wang Zikai started out excited, but his excitement slowly gave way to apprehension as they went further and further in, and after a gulp, he picked up a brick from the ground and clutched on it.

Suddenly, Gao Yang extended a hand to stop Wang Zikai. He shouted at the darkness ahead, “Who is it? Show yourself!”

After a few seconds, a figure staggered out. It was a man, overweight and not very tall. Slowly, he walked into the patch of light from one of the few surviving streetlamps, and Gao Yang finally got a good look at him.

“Fat Jun?”

He was dressed in a gray t-shirt, and his pale face looked lost, his footsteps unsteady. When he heard Gao Yang call out to him, he said, “Yeah.”

“Why are you here?” Gao Yang asked.

“Yeah...why am I here...?” Fat Jun rubbed at his head and suddenly shouted like he was just remembering something, “Ah!”

He stumbled toward Gao Yang and clutched onto him. “Brother Yang! Save me! Help!”

“What is it? Take your time.”

“I, I don’t know... Something’s wrong with me... I was bitten...” Fat Jun struggled to sort out the tangled mess in his head.

“What bit you and where?” Gao Yang asked hurriedly. “Give me the details.”

“Hand...my hand...” Fat Jun extended his right hand. “Something’s really wrong...”

Gao Yang took a look. The hand was intact and perfectly normal.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.” Wang Zikai leaned closer to take a look himself, not wanting to be left out of the loop. He scoffed and said, “You must have jerked off one too many times and gave yourself a hallucination...”

Before he could finish, Fat Jun’s chubby hand gurgled, and a crimson red eye appeared on his palm.

“What the—” Wang Zikai jumped back in shock. “What is that?!”

Fat Jun trembled, on the verge of breaking down. “I don’t know... Save me, help me...” Emerging from n0v@lbin☆, this material harbors clandestine details.

Hit with an ominous feeling, Gao Yang hurried to back off, but Fat Jun’s right hand was quicker and grabbed his neck with unusual power. Then Fat Jun’s arm swole like rapidly fermenting dough, turning into a giant lump of melty flesh in a matter of seconds.

“Nah, it’s nothing. It’s all because of your hard work...” Gao Yang did his best to put on a smile. Thank god this friend of his wasn’t a bright one, or things would’ve gotten really ugly.

“Oh, that’s right!” Wang Zikai was so happy that he only remembered about Fat Jun now. “I didn’t expect this guy to turn against us. Should I kill him?”

“Wait.” Gao Yang stopped him. After a pause, he asked, “You live in the area, don’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“And you live alone because your parents are divorced?”

“Yep. So?”

“Come on. Let’s go to your place.” Gao Yang pointed at Fat Jun, who was still lying on the ground. “Take him with us.”

...

Fat Jun weighed about 90 kilograms, yet Wang Zikai was able to carry him home as swiftly as a swallow without even breathing a little heavily.

Gao Yang noted that with surprise. Monsters were truly terrifying once awakened. He was like a lamb living among the wolves.

Wang Zikai’s family was ridiculously rich. His father did business in real estate, while his mother was a politician and often showed up in the news. Wang Zikai lived in a neighborhood of villas by the river where every square meter cost a fortune.

His three-story mansion came with a parking lot, a swimming pool, a front yard garden, and a big garden area. The price was in a different league of its own compared to regular villas.

In the basement garage, Wang Zikai had tied Fat Jun to a chair.

Gao Yang was going to call Qing Ling, but that would leave behind digital traces, and frequent contacts with her would only attract more attention. Besides, Wang Zikai was now powerful enough to protect him and more.

He told Wang Zikai to fetch him water. Wang Zikai happily obliged. Seizing the moment, Gao Yang accessed his system and took a look. As expected, his Luck points had increased at greater rate again during the time Fat Jun attacked him.

He hid the system.

Not long after, Wang Zikai returned with a bucket of water. Without waiting for Gao Yang’s instruction, he poured it all over Fat Jun’s head. Fat Jun woke up with a yelp.

“Where, where...am I?” Fat Jun’s head was still muddled. “Brother Yang...why did you tie me up...? What happened...?”

“Are you a human or a monster?” asked Gao Yang.

“I’m human! An awakener!” Fat Jun cried out. “Didn’t you know that already?”

Gao Yang didn’t respond. Fat Jun had a Talent and had used it to heal him. That would support him being human. However, the giant lumpy hand didn’t look like the result of a human Talent at all, but a monster’s form. No, I have to check to be on the safe side.

“Do you have that kind of film at home?” Gao Yang asked Wang Zikai.

Wang Zikai paused. “What film?”

“You know, that.”

1. Internet slang to refer to a really strong arm, but it’s often used when you can’t suppress the urge to do something, like throwing a punch at someone, or, well, jerking off. ?