Chapter 3
Shen Yuzhe didn’t hesitate and immediately removed his brother’s clothes and pants.
His brother was heavily intoxicated, mistaking Shen Yuzhe for tending to him, and even let out a half-conscious grunt, as if complaining about Shen Yuzhe’s rough actions.
Shen Yuzhe changed into the blood-stained clothes himself.
He took his brother’s phone out of his pocket, thought for a moment, and used that phone to send a message to his own number, imitating his brother’s tone:
“If I don’t come back, don’t seek revenge for me, live well.
— Brother Shen.”
After typing the last two words, Shen Yuzhe couldn’t help but grin, finally feeling like he was acting older for once.
Glancing at his brother, who was sleeping carelessly, he couldn’t resist reaching out and touching his cheek.
His brother’s skin was rougher than his own, even though they looked exactly the same. Shen Jiyun had been out and about for the past two years, and his young face had gathered a bit of wind and frost.
Shen Yuzhe withdrew his hand and silently watched his brother’s sleeping face for a while. Finally, he softly murmured, “Brother, I’ve already lost Mom and Dad, I can’t lose you too…”
If something were to happen to him, his brother wouldn’t just let it go, and then all his efforts would be in vain.
He only wished for his brother to live a healthy and safe life, to be himself without anyone else worrying about him.
Of course, he also prayed that he would return safely, even if he had to come back stronger even if he lost an arm or a leg. At that time, he would use this as a condition to make his brother listen to him once. They would sell the house here and move to the capital together.
After doing all this, Shen Yuzhe remembered something else and sent a message to He Minghao: “Sorry, He Minghao, something came up at home, I can’t make it to the summer camp.”
He Minghao replied quickly, sending a disappointed expression: “That’s too bad. If you’re not going, then I won’t go either.”
Shen Yuzhe was puzzled: “Why?”
He Minghao: “Because I just wanted to go with you. Even though we’ve only known each other for a short time, I’ve been looking forward to school since we parted. If we could go to the summer camp, I could see you sooner.”
Shen Yuzhe: “…”
He Minghao: “Haha, am I being too cheesy? Don’t misunderstand! I just have a feeling of ‘Bo Ya meeting Ziqi’, like I’ve met you too late!”
Shen Yuzhe forced a wry smile. Such a good person, he wondered if they would have a chance to continue being friends in the future…
“Knock, knock.”
The sudden knocking sounded like a sharp cone, stabbing at Shen Yuzhe’s heart.
— They’re here.
Shen Yuzhe casually stuffed both phones under the pillow, put on his brother’s cap, and walked to the door.
“Who is it?”
“Food delivery.”
“I didn’t order any food.”
“This is the Shen Jiyun residence, right? It’s the food delivery for here.”
“Heh…” Shen Yuzhe involuntarily chuckled softly, “The wrongs have a source, and debts have a master. I know you’re here for Shen Jiyun, but my brother is sleeping. I don’t want to disturb him. If there’s something, let’s settle it outside.”
Outside fell silent for two seconds, and another voice spoke, “Since little brother is a sensible person, come out on your own.”
The fear before impending danger was always worse than the danger itself. Once he decided to face it, Shen Yuzhe wasn’t as afraid anymore.
He calmly opened the door and stepped outside.
A row of unfamiliar figures dressed in black stood outside, twice as many as he had seen when he went out to buy soy sauce earlier.
Wang Chaolin, you beast…!
“Are you Shen Jiyun?” The leader, a tall and refined-looking man, wore bright yellow night vision goggles.
Shen Yuzhe raised an eyebrow, scanned the group, and tried to imitate his brother’s fearless aura as he said, “Wang Chaolin isn’t here? You bring a bunch of lackeys and hide like a turtle?”
The man with yellow goggles tilted his head and looked puzzled, “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Shen Yuzhe’s brow furrowed.
Then, the man with yellow goggles took a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket and said, “I’ve heard you’ve practiced Muay Thai. Even though my group could easily subdue you, I don’t want my people getting hurt. If you cooperate, you’ll save us a lot of trouble.”
As he finished speaking, the group of thugs-like individuals menacingly approached Shen Yuzhe.
Initially, Shen Yuzhe thought of offering token resistance, but he immediately raised his hands, surrendering without a struggle.
A wise man doesn’t fight when he’s at a disadvantage. He was a fake Shen Jiyun, and not to mention Muay Thai, he didn’t even know Tai Chi. It would be foolish to confront these people head-on.
The man with yellow goggles handcuffed his hands and praised him, “Smart move.”
Shen Yuzhe followed the group onto a black van. The ride went on for a while, and nobody said a word.
In the middle of the ride, the man with yellow goggles answered a call and respectfully replied, “Yes, we’ve got the person. We’ll be at the airport soon.”
Airport? Shen Yuzhe panicked, “Where are you taking me?”
Yellow Goggles remained expressionless, “You’ll find out.”
Sweat started forming on Shen Yuzhe’s forehead. Only now did he realize that what was happening was quite different from what he had imagined.
The people around him probably weren’t Wang Chaolin’s people. Yellow Goggles had just mentioned that his boss disliked bloodshed, yet rumors had it that the thug killed by Wang Chaolin had lost an arm.
But regardless, they were after his life. Shen Yuzhe wouldn’t suffer for his brother’s sake in vain.
Eventually, they arrived at the airport, and Shen Yuzhe was pushed onto a private plane with no visible markings.
It was close to midnight, but Shen Yuzhe was as awake as if he had consumed several times the normal amount of coffee. His heart raced and he was restless, but Yellow Goggles injected something into his neck, and he quickly lost consciousness.
When he woke up again, Shen Yuzhe opened his eyes, but it was still pitch dark.
He was blindfolded, and his body felt weak, as if he had been injected with muscle relaxants. He couldn’t even muster the strength to make a fist.
He didn’t know how much time had passed, but they must have gotten off the plane. He now felt like he was sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed forward. The ground was smooth, without the sound of friction.
Finally, they stopped.
Shen Yuzhe heard Yellow Goggles’ voice above him, “Mr. Zou, we’ve arrived.”
The voice on the other end of the line finally let out a slow “Hmm.”
Then, Shen Yuzhe’s vision flashed, and his blindfold was removed.
He found himself in an elegantly decorated Western-style study. He saw another man sitting in a wheelchair in front of him, leaning over a massive solid wood writing desk, writing something.
After a while, the man lifted his head and slowly turned his wheelchair around.
However, Shen Yuzhe didn’t look at him. His attention was drawn to an ornament on the man’s table.
It was a glass box, containing a creature about the size of a palm, crouched on the surface, staring in his direction with a terrified expression.
What was that…
…a person?
Just as Shen Yuzhe was shocked, the man with gray hair suddenly reached out and lifted the hanging string above the glass box. The small figure inside, struggling to keep its balance, immediately stood up.
The man let out a low chuckle and looked at the dumbfounded Shen Yuzhe, “Isn’t it interesting?”
Only then did Shen Yuzhe shift his focus onto the man.
The man had deep features, a lean face, gray eyes, and gray hair that cascaded down his shoulders. He didn’t look like a typical Chinese person or a Westerner.
Due to his thinness, he seemed to be huddled together, with his body draped in soft silk clothing, like a skeleton holding up a delicate frame.
“Who… who are you?” Shen Yuzhe’s speech was slightly incoherent due to his shock.
The man responded, “I am a deity.”
Shen Yuzhe: “…”
The man: “Upon meeting a deity, shouldn’t you be overwhelmed with joy?”
Shen Yuzhe was perplexed, “Why should I be overwhelmed with joy?”
The man: “Because not everyone has the chance to meet a deity.”
These lines sounded quite cheesy, but the events that had already unfolded made Shen Yuzhe feel that this situation was far from a joke.
He sneered, “Then why me?”
The man squinted his eyes, “You’ve been searching on the Dark Web for so long. Haven’t you always wanted to meet me?”
…Dark Web?
Shen Yuzhe immediately recalled the mysterious web pages on his brother’s computer. He wasn’t stupid; he had looked up the term “Dark Web” online after his brother mentioned it.
If the regular internet used by people was just the tip of the iceberg, then the Dark Web was the submerged part of the iceberg.
What we see and hear normally is only a small portion of what certain people are willing to show us. The rest of the iceberg, above and below the water’s surface, is the true nature of the world.
Suddenly, Shen Yuzhe had an epiphany. It seemed like he understood why his brother had sought this person.
His brother wanted revenge for their parents, but in reality, he had no means to do it. So, he turned to the Dark Web to find mysterious organizations, and perhaps through some twist of fate, he really managed to find one.
Following the man’s words, Shen Yuzhe said, “So… what can you offer me?”
The man smiled ambiguously, “Grant your last wish, fulfill it for you, and grant you a new life.”
As he spoke, he shook the glass box again.
Shen Yuzhe locked eyes with the terrified face inside the box, his pupils shrinking, mirroring the same expression.
