Chapter 29
The atmosphere became a bit awkward, and Shen Yuzhe also sensed the subtlety in Kai’s words. He immediately changed the subject, saying, “You can tell that I have an ability, but why can’t I feel it myself or know how to use it?”
“So, that’s why I said you need to awaken it,” Kai glanced out of the window and continued, “Having this ability means something, you should understand.”
Shen Yuzhe certainly understood. Ever since Jay told him about Evan monitoring their every move with cameras, he knew that this was the most challenging obstacle to overcome.
Kai explained that the defense of Zoe’s Club was not weaker than Evan’s house. Besides several electronic cameras, there was also an infrared monitoring system around the perimeter. Once it detected someone trying to escape from the inside, the electric grid on the outer wall would automatically activate.
There had been previous attempts to escape from the base, and those individuals were electrocuted to death. Their bodies were hung on the tall outer wall of the base for a month as a warning.
If Shen Yuzhe really had the ability to manipulate electromagnetism, he could disable this layer of defense, making their escape much easier. Once they crawled out of the base, they could hide in the nooks and crannies of the giant world, making it nearly impossible to capture them.
However, Shen Yuzhe had never thought that the key to unlocking the escape route was in his own hands.
He asked eagerly, “So, how can I awaken it?”
Kai shook his head. “I don’t know.”
…This was just a passive skill!
Shen Yuzhe fell into deep thought. According to Kai’s speculation, the commonality between his first “outburst of ability” and Kai’s awakening was that they both faced the threat of death and experienced intense mental stimulation.
However, the ways they manifested their abilities were different. His ability had manifested only once, whereas Kai’s had undergone continuous and stable changes.
…Why was that?
“Could it be that the stimulus I received wasn’t strong enough?” Shen Yuzhe muttered to himself, rubbing his temples as if doing so would stimulate his brain further.
Kai said, “Maybe.”
A few seconds ago, they were discussing a serious topic, and now Kai seamlessly shifted the conversation with humor.
Kai glanced at him and said, “You mentioned that I made you angry when I bit you, right? I can make you even angrier…”
Shen Yuzhe pushed him away stiffly. “Are you kidding me?”
Kai replied with a deadpan expression, “Yep.”
Shen Yuzhe was speechless. This kind of joke wasn’t funny at all!
However, after this little episode, the previously tense atmosphere eased somewhat.
Kai released Shen Yuzhe and lay down on the cushion, saying he wanted to sleep.
Shen Yuzhe was surprised. “Aren’t we going to talk anymore?” He thought they had temporarily formed an alliance, and there were many important details to discuss.
But Kai closed his eyes and appeared somewhat tired. “No matter how much we talk, you won’t awaken your ability overnight.”
Shen Yuzhe hesitated. “But we can discuss plans after the ability awakens, right? Have you thought about any of this before?”
Kai opened his eyes again, and his deep black gaze fixed on Shen Yuzhe’s face, which was close at hand. He said candidly, “Before I met you, I had never thought about escaping from this place.”
Shen Yuzhe, feeling nervous, asked, “Why not?”
“Because it’s the same everywhere,” for someone with his experiences and past, the first thing they pursued wasn’t freedom, but survival.
From M-7 to Zoe’s Club, it was just a change in the rules of survival for Kai.
However, even if he had ruled and dominated the base, he hadn’t let Zoe’s Club change him. He didn’t indulge himself in this environment and couldn’t be swayed by it.
He was still himself, and the meaning of his survival was to pursue one answer – who he really was.
At this moment, a clue finally appeared in front of him, and as he looked at Shen Yuzhe, who was staring at him in amazement, Kai whispered, “But if you want to leave, I will go with you.”
A voice deep inside him told him that this person held the answer he had been seeking all along, and this person would lead him to unravel all the mysteries.
He had never trusted anyone easily, but he believed in the familiarity brought by the scent.
Shen Yuzhe remained speechless, unsure of what to say.
Kai’s face remained expressionless, and his tone was flat, as if he were stating something ordinary. However, it gave Shen Yuzhe a feeling of almost deep affection.
Kai closed his eyes again, and Shen Yuzhe savored the rare tenderness he could draw from Kai. Eventually, he also quieted down.
However, that night, Shen Yuzhe had trouble sleeping almost the entire time.
Initially, his mind was filled with thoughts of his conversation with Kai that evening—Kai’s experiences, the terrifying Exile Zone, the flesh-eating longworms, superhumans…
When he finally fell asleep, he felt as though something was holding him down, and he couldn’t move at all.
In a daze until morning, Shen Yuzhe realized that Kai had almost half of his body pressing against him, his face buried in Shen Yuzhe’s neck, holding him tightly as he slept soundly.
Shen Yuzhe was not used to being held like this while sleeping, and it felt ambiguous and strange. He stiffly struggled a bit, and Kai instinctively tightened his arms, almost choking him.
Due to the movement in his arms, Kai soon woke up, but he acted as if nothing had happened and released Shen Yuzhe. His attitude was as if he had treated the other as a mere pillow—just a casual embrace without any expectation of showing remorse to a pillow.
Shen Yuzhe sat up in frustration and tried to remember the two sentences Kai had said before going to sleep that night. He clenched his teeth and endured it.
After seven days had passed, Kai kept his promise and opened the tower door to let Shen Yuzhe out.
On this day, it happened to be the day of an event at Zoe’s Club. However, the activities during normal weeks were not large in scale, with few outsiders and only a handful of spectators.
The competition drew lots for those who had failed to win a card in the previous card game. They were paired off to fight in the central combat arena of the base, giving them a chance to win a food reward.
Shen Yuzhe went to watch and met several people there. Their gazes were as strange as ever, but knowing that he was “Kai’s person,” no one dared to openly taunt him.
Only Joe, who had a relatively good relationship with Shen Yuzhe, walked up to him.
However, when Joe noticed the still-healing bite marks on Shen Yuzhe’s neck that hadn’t completely faded, he immediately revealed a more ambiguous look than the last time they met. Moreover, Shen Yuzhe hadn’t slept well for the past two days, appearing to have dark circles under his eyes and a pale complexion, making people wonder.
However, Shen Yuzhe didn’t have the patience to explain himself repeatedly to Joe. He didn’t care if he was misunderstood, as he had more important matters to attend to. He took out the small bottle he had been carrying and showed it to Joe, hoping to find out if Joe knew the meaning of the hexagram.
With so many people in the base, maybe someone other than Randy, who had already left, knew.
Unfortunately, Joe was also clueless about the origin of the hexagram.
Shen Yuzhe put away the bottle and thought of the conversation he had with Kai the previous night. He asked, “Do you know about Zone M-7?”
Joe’s expression changed when he heard that. “Of course, it’s said to be a hellish place!”
Shen Yuzhe asked, “Who told you that?”
Joe replied, “Several people in the base were brought out of that place by Zoe’s Club, including Kai, and Yuli as well. I heard Yuli talk about it once. He said it’s filled with wild beasts, and hardly anyone can come out alive.”
Shen Yuzhe smiled bitterly. “So, does that mean Zoe’s Club is their savior?”
Joe shrugged. “Kind of.”
After watching the fights for a while, Shen Yuzhe asked again, “Do you remember which zone you came from?”
“I’m not sure,” Joe said. “According to Yuli, only people who were officially exiled have a zone mark. He was originally from Zone M-6…”
Shen Yuzhe raised an eyebrow. “And why are you asking all these questions?”
Shen Yuzhe pretended to be casual and said, “Just curious, because I woke up and was brought to Evan’s house right away. I’ve never lived in a large community like this.”
Joe looked back at the combat arena, his gaze distant. “The place I was in was much better than here.”
Shen Yuzhe was intrigued. “How so?”
“It was a large place with many people like us. We were divided into different communities. I was in one called D39, with over fifty people, including one leader and one teacher. The teacher taught us how to recognize things and read. Sometimes, we played games…”
Joe seemed to be lost in some pleasant memories as he spoke at length. He talked about their daily lives, the games they played, and the girl he liked.
Shen Yuzhe listened, almost mesmerized, hardly believing that such a utopian environment could exist in the world.
But as Joe continued to speak, his expression changed. He suddenly said, “However, in that place, we had to undergo tests every now and then. If we didn’t meet the criteria, we couldn’t continue living there.”
Shen Yuzhe frowned. “What criteria?”
Joe replied, “I don’t know what criteria, but I didn’t pass.”
Shen Yuzhe asked further, “What kind of tests were they?”
“For example,” Joe explained, “in the first test, they showed me pictures of strangers and asked how I felt. I said I felt nothing, and I passed. Another time, they gave me a fruit to taste and asked how I felt. I said it was sweet and sour, and they asked if I had any other associations. I said it felt like the feeling I get from Betty—Betty is a girl in our community. I passed that test too.”
Shen Yuzhe then asked, “But what happened when you didn’t pass the test?”
Joe’s eyes flickered, and he said, “The person conducting the test asked if I ever dreamed.”
Shen Yuzhe was taken aback.
Joe continued, “I said yes, and she asked me to describe what my dreams were like.”
Shen Yuzhe’s face gradually turned stern…