Chapter 17
Shen Yuzhe didn’t notice that amid his burning anger, the spotlight above his head flickered intermittently, and the holographic projection on the activity room’s screen flashed momentarily due to unstable signals.
This subtle change didn’t draw much attention from the others—except for one person.
Kai, isolated in his area, suddenly fixed his gaze on Shen Yuzhe. Though weaker than last time, the same aura, the same color wafted through the air, all coming from that direction!
He could tell Shen Yuzhe was angry, very angry, but beyond that, there was nothing else.
This time, Zoe didn’t confine Shen Yuzhe and the others within transparent boxes. Instead, they were released to mingle with his own mini people.
However, due to the different owners they had, the treatment differed. The mini people in the room were in no way accepting them. Shen Yuzhe’s group stood in a relatively empty space.
As Kai’s gaze fell on Shen Yuzhe, Shen Yuzhe also seemed to instinctively look back at him.
Kai squinted his eyes, his nostrils flared—this guy seemed to have gained a bit of weight, and there wasn’t just the familiar scent of fruit; his whole being emitted a sweet aroma of food…
While Shen Yuzhe was trying to identify the various foods, he suddenly smiled shyly at Kai.
Kai: “…”
In response, Kai sent a gaze full of aggression towards Shen Yuzhe, icy and devoid of emotion.
Shen Yuzhe awkwardly touched his nose… getting close to him was really difficult.
At that moment, another person’s attention was drawn to Shen Yuzhe—Marl, the bearded man. He still held a grudge against Shen Yuzhe for the inexplicable fainting episode during the last competition.
Shen Yuzhe had almost lost his life to him, and he had some psychological trauma from that encounter. He used Johnny’s body shape to slightly avoid Marl, hoping to avoid further conflict.
However, he didn’t realize that this was the most wrong move he could have made.
With Jay being selected for the competition, Johnny, as the only burly man among the four of them, instinctively took on the role of protector.
Seeing Marl glaring at “him” with malevolence and remembering the taunting from the bearded man behind the transparent box during their first encounter, Johnny glared back and even flipped him off.
Marl was instantly infuriated and promptly gathered three to five companions who held him in high regard. They squeezed through the crowd and headed straight towards them!
Sensing danger, Mina and Lily screamed, retreating in fear.
Marl quickly found an excuse for the fight. “Why are you two beauties hiding? Since we’re free, let’s have some fun together!”
This provocative statement was like a slap to Johnny’s face, and it managed to further ignite his anger.
Johnny extended his arms to protect Mina and Lily like an eagle guarding its chicks, all the while cursing Marl loudly with coarse language.
Tensions were rising in the atmosphere, and the two groups were on the verge of a fight.
But judging by the situation, Shen Yuzhe knew that their side wouldn’t gain any advantage.
Not to mention that Marl had more people on his side, this was Zoe’s territory after all. For a split second, Shen Yuzhe saw Eulie seeming like he wanted to come over and help, but he wisely chose silence after assessing the situation—because they were outsiders, and it wouldn’t be wise to offend their companions to assist a rare outsider.
Finally, after Johnny shouted, “Let’s fight if you dare!” Marl initiated the brawl.
He extended his arm and landed a punch squarely on Johnny’s face, hitting him right on the bridge of his nose, which drew raucous laughter from the onlookers.
The little people watching all seemed to relish the chaos, with some even whistling and inciting the scene further.
A riot was about to unfold before their eyes…
Johnny had been shouting fiercely just a moment ago, but he was no match for these desperadoes accustomed to brawling. After exchanging a few moves with Marl, he couldn’t hold on. Within moments, everyone heard him crying out in agony, his face soon covered in blood.
With his female comrades insulted and his comrade covered in blood, even though Shen Yuzhe was weak, he couldn’t stand idly by like a coward. He had to step forward to fight.
This was exactly what Marl had hoped for. He wanted revenge, he wanted blood, he wanted to vent his anger!
Shen Yuzhe and Johnny struggled to fend off Marl and his group’s attacks. Shen Yuzhe couldn’t help but glance at Kai not far away, hoping for some support, only to see Kai standing there with his arms crossed, his expression cold and indifferent.
Shen Yuzhe suddenly felt disappointed. The current danger he was facing merged with the nightmare he had just had, amplifying his sense of injustice.
… If Kai were his brother, he would never just stand by like this!
At that moment, something fell from Shen Yuzhe.
The man who was about to attack Shen Yuzhe, seeing this, immediately stopped, staring dumbfounded at the objects on the ground, and yelled, “There’s food!”
A flash of inspiration hit Shen Yuzhe’s mind. He hastily pulled at his clothes, causing a cascade of food to fall to the ground—there were jerky, dried fruits, chocolates, corn kernels…
Kai: “…” It seemed he hadn’t smelled wrong.
The onlookers were all dumbfounded, including Marl and his cronies. Many people who had been tormented by hunger for days rushed forward with red eyes. They were no longer interested in fighting Johnny and Shen Yuzhe; instead, they fought over the food on the ground!
Shen Yuzhe pulled out a few remaining beans from his pocket and threw them into the crowd. Then, he hastily stepped back a couple of paces, making sure to help Johnny, who was coughing up blood, to his feet.
Once at a slightly safer distance, Shen Yuzhe shouted at the people clamoring for the food, “If you lay a hand on them again, there won’t be any next time!”
Crowd: “…”
The food was quickly snatched up, and Marl stuffed the last handful of nuts into his mouth, still somewhat unsatisfied.
Shen Yuzhe kept a vigilant eye on him, concerned that he might not back down.
At this critical moment, surprisingly, Ace stepped forward. “Marl, don’t stir up trouble anymore.”
Marl angrily retorted, “You never meddle in affairs. Why are you making an exception for these outsiders today?”
Ace raised an eyebrow. “It’s not for the outsiders; it’s for you. This is the isolation zone, and Zoe mentioned that fighting is prohibited here. You surely know the consequences if he finds out about your actions.”
Marl’s face turned red, and he glanced angrily at the sky.
Ace continued, “Furthermore, this person risked bringing food in. It’s evident that he’s not our enemy. I know you’re unhappy about the outcome of the last competition, but I was the one who knocked you out that time. If you’re upset, you can take it out on me.”
Shen Yuzhe was taken aback by Ace’s words. The person who knocked out Marl was Kai, not Ace. But Marl definitely wouldn’t know that. Ace’s actions could be seen as him voluntarily exposing himself, shifting Marl’s resentment away from Shen Yuzhe.
Hearing Ace’s words, the balance in the hearts of the others started to tip towards Shen Yuzhe’s side. After all, they had no significant grudges with him or his companions. If Shen Yuzhe was truly willing to bring more food for them every month, who would engage in killing the goose that laid the golden egg?
As a result, many of those who had gotten some food chimed in with fair words, including Eulie, who hadn’t dared to speak up before.
Marl huffed with a red face, shot one last glare at Shen Yuzhe and his companions, and finally gave up.
The absurd chaos ended like that.
Shen Yuzhe looked at Ace gratefully but still didn’t dare to get any closer to them. He huddled in a corner with his companions.
Mina carefully tended to Johnny’s wounds and asked Shen Yuzhe in a hushed voice, “No wonder you looked… considerably rounder today. How did you even think of bringing all this food?”
Shen Yuzhe gently rubbed his arm, still sore from being hit, and glanced in Kai’s direction.
This food was originally meant for Kai…
But thinking about how he had just stood by and watched, Shen Yuzhe’s heart felt somewhat resentful—serves you right for not helping.
In truth, Kai didn’t intend not to help. If Shen Yuzhe were in real mortal danger, he would certainly take action.
But before intervening, he wanted to confirm whether this guy would unleash his ability in a crisis. If he did, Shen Yuzhe could handle those people himself.
He never expected that this guy would use food as a shield against attacks or that Ace, who usually minded his own business, would step up for him.
All of this disrupted his plan, but it also made him increasingly curious about Shen Yuzhe…
Just as Shen Yuzhe was about to respond to Mina, Lily asked, “Are you really planning to bring them food every time?”
After several months of recovery, Lily had become more outgoing, but her mental age was still somewhat low. Sometimes the things she said sounded like they came from a girl of around ten years old.
Shen Yuzhe nodded and simply said, “Yeah.”
Fortunately, the spectators outside the arena were engrossed in the match and remained unaware of the situation inside the isolation zone. Otherwise, Shen Yuzhe couldn’t be sure if he would be able to bring food in next time.
Lily complained softly, “They are so bad, even resorting to violence. Why give them food?”
Shen Yuzhe sighed wryly, “They’re actually quite pitiful.”
Johnny wanted to say something but ended up wincing in pain as his mouth tugged at his wounded lip. He decided against speaking.
Mina, on the other hand, agreed with Shen Yuzhe’s sentiment, sighing, “They’re all unfortunate souls. They really shouldn’t be harming each other.”
“Indeed,” Shen Yuzhe was comforted that Mina’s perspective aligned with his own.
The one-hour match quickly concluded, with Jay returning unharmed to Shen Yuzhe’s side. He had helped secure victory for their team.
While there was always a winner and a loser in a match, the fact that someone won also meant someone had to go hungry. Nevertheless, Mina and the others were still pleased for Jay.
But as soon as Jay returned, he noticed that his companions had been attacked. He immediately grew serious and inquired, “What happened?”
Lily rushed to complain, “They bullied us!”
Seeing the hostility brewing in Jay’s gaze, Shen Yuzhe pulled him back and shook his head. “It’s fine; the situation has been resolved.”
He briefly explained the course of events, and once Jay understood, he still gave Marl, the troublemaker, a stern warning with his eyes.
At that moment, Shen Yuzhe realized that despite Jay’s usual reserved and aloof demeanor, he was someone deeply loyal to his friends.
The teammates who were on the same team as Jay also seemed to have understood the incident that had unfolded here. They were equally displeased with Marl’s behavior.
The tense and mysterious atmosphere gradually dissipated as many on both sides exchanged friendly glances.
“Don’t forget who our real enemies are,” Shen Yuzhe reminded Jay softly, just as long as Jay returned safely, that was a reason to be happy.
Another person who was happy was Evan outside the arena. If Shen Yuzhe’s victory was attributed to luck, then Jay’s success was due to his solid skills.
Winning two consecutive bets not only gave him a taste of the thrill of the game but also earned him Zoe’s approval.
“Not bad, Evan,” Zoe congratulated him with a pretense of enthusiasm, shifting his gaze to the only two females in the arena. “But it’s been a while since you let the little beauties join the game. It’s getting a bit dull. Look at my warriors; their eyes are starting to turn green.”
The guests inside the arena responded with lecherous laughter to Zoe’s words. Evan, who had already grown corrupt as he observed two matches, now saw the little people as mere “items” to amuse them and no longer harbored any pity or sympathy.
Zoe leaned in and whispered to Evan, “The next time you bring them here, I’ll arrange something fresh for you to enjoy.”
Evan’s face lit up as he replied, “I’m looking forward to it.”
Inside the arena, Mina and Lily were unaware that a sinister fate loomed over them, casting a dark shadow.
