Destiny Chose
1724 Words
Gao Yang stared wide-eyed at Wang Zikai, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor in the corner, looking back at him.
The air was eerily silent, and everyone remained still.
"You..." Finally, Gao Yang broke the silence: "When did you wake up?"
"Just now," Wang Zikai grinned, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he looked at Gao Yang.
"Just now? When exactly?" Chubby Jun instinctively stepped back, asking.
"A few minutes ago, I guess?"
Gao Yang had a bad feeling: "You saw everything?!"
"Saw it all!" Wang Zikai's energy spiked as he spoke. He leaped up: "Damn! When I woke up, I saw you guys fighting like crazy. I thought I was dreaming..."
Wang Zikai gestured wildly with his hands: "I saw Qing Ling being slapped away, whoosh, flying right into the glass, shattering it. Whoa! That's when I realized it wasn't a dream. I was scared stiff! Immediately lay down and played dead..."
Gao Yang held his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Hey, what exactly was that auntie? She was pretty tough. She turned into a lizard person, but now she's back to human form after dying?"
"And what about you three? Are you like X-Men? Do you have superpowers? It's insanely cool..."
"Wang Zikai." Gao Yang interrupted.
"What's up?"
"Stop talking, let me have a moment of peace." Gao Yang was overwhelmed.
Chubby Jun stepped back and said, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law, we can't keep him here anymore... Let's do it."
"I'm not your sister-in-law." Qing Ling lay motionless on the water bed, exhausted. "I'm really tired right now. Deal with this i***t however you want."
"i***t?" Wang Zikai pointed to his nose. "Are you talking about me?"
"No!" Gao Yang shouted, pointing to Auntie He nailed to the wall. "We're talking about this lizard monster."
"Wow! It really is a lizard monster!" Wang Zikai became even more excited.
Gao Yang took a deep breath, making up his mind. "Wang Zikai, what I'm about to say is very important. Listen carefully!"
"Okay!" Wang Zikai was all ears.
Five minutes passed.
Wang Zikai, with a look of solemnity, tried to process the information: "So, you're saying my body was modified when I was a kid, which makes me very special, and now these lizard monsters are trying to kill me..."
"Exactly! We're all new humans, modified to some extent to resist the lizard people. But you're the most special, a one-in-a-million warrior, the chosen one who can ultimately confront the boss of the lizard people!"
"That's a lot to take in... let me think about this..." Wang Zikai leaned against the wall, lost in thought.
Gao Yang stepped forward, speaking passionately: "Wang Zikai, Qing Ling and I have always been secretly protecting you. I've been distant lately because my identity was exposed, and I didn't want to involve you... You saw it yourself just now, that humanoid lizard almost killed us all..."
"Really?" Wang Zikai turned around.
"Absolutely true!"
"Brother! I knew it... you wouldn't leave me behind!" Wang Zikai's eyes were red as he tightly grabbed Gao Yang's hand. "To be honest! The first time I saw you in the crowd on the first day of school, I felt you were very likable!"
"I've always found everyone unlikable, even my parents! But I just found you likable, I had no idea you were hiding this deep!"
"This is the bond of fate," Gao Yang smiled. "It seems we are destined to be comrades in arms!"
"Of course!" Wang Zikai became even more excited. "Let's take down those lizard people together! Save the world!"
Gao Yang sighed in relief: A silly brain can indeed save your life.
Chubby Jun was dumbfounded by this play: What kind of divine strategy is this?!
Qing Ling, still lying on the bed, did not object—or perhaps had no energy to object.
Chubby Jun hurriedly forced a stiff smile: "Little brother, keep it low-key! We humans are still at a disadvantage right now. There are lizard people everywhere, so we must hide our identities and grow stronger quietly. As long as we have the green hills, we won't worry about firewood!"
"Understood." Wang Zikai thumped his chest confidently. "Don't worry, once I grow stronger, I'll protect you all!"
...
Ten minutes later, Officer Huang, having received a call, hurried to the scene.
He pushed aside the obstacles and entered the room.
"There was an accident, the mission failed," Qing Ling said, sitting on the bed while Chubby Jun treated her injured arm.
"Just looking at the scene, I can tell," Officer Huang took out a cigarette, eyeing the body of Auntie He still nailed to the wall. "Pretty brutal. Let me guess... she looked like a lizard?"
"Yes, what kind of beast was it?" Gao Yang asked.
"She was a Dvesha Beast. As far as I know, there are three types of Chen Beasts: the Slayer, the Devourer, and the Hornblower." Officer Huang squatted down, quietly observing the deceased Auntie He.
"You encountered a Slayer, very powerful. But this one was severely degenerated. If you had met one in its prime, I'd be here to collect your corpses now."
Everyone in the room inhaled sharply.
"However, the most dangerous of the Dvesha Beasts is actually the Hornblower. If you had encountered one, you would have had no chance of survival."
"Is the Hornblower very strong?" Qing Ling asked.
"Not in terms of strength, but it can use its special vocal cords to alert all the beasts within a 1 mile radius in an instant."
"…"
Silence filled the room as everyone processed the situation. It's very wise to add all the attribute values to the "Fortunate" value.. Sometimes, placing faith in the unknown could pay off.
"Officer Huang, good to meet you." Chubby Jun stepped forward, extending a hand with an eager smile. "I'm your new companion."
"I can see that." Officer Huang shook his hand and then turned his gaze to Wang Zikai, who looked clueless but confident.
"This young man is...?"
Suddenly, Officer Huang's brow furrowed, and a cold, murderous intent flashed in his eyes.
"Officer Huang!" Gao Yang quickly stepped forward, shielding Wang Zikai. "He's also a companion."
Officer Huang studied Gao Yang's eyes for a moment, understanding the situation. Lost ones didn't necessarily have to be killed; they were too human-like. As long as they were handled carefully, without 'triggering' them, they could theoretically coexist peacefully.
But generally speaking, humans knew far too little about the beasts, and such leniency could be risky. However, Officer Huang wasn't in a position to lecture the young man; after all, he hadn't killed "Old Man Liu" either.
He nodded, lowering his voice, "Are you sure it's safe?"
"Safe."
"Alright." Officer Huang lit his cigarette, taking a deep drag. "You three clean up and leave immediately. Go to school as usual."
Turning to Chubby Jun, he asked, "You own this hotel, right?"
"Yes."
Officer Huang nodded, surveying the gruesome scene, "I can help you handle this as a case of home invasion. But there are too many signs of a fight, and it's hard to cover up in a short time. The risk of exposure is too high."
"Is there another way?" Chubby Jun inquired.
"How about making the news? 'Couple's Hotel Gas Leak Explosion, One Dead, One Injured'."
The deceased would naturally be Auntie He, and the injured would have to be Chubby Jun. It was a full act, after all, and since Chubby Jun could heal, the plan wouldn't be costly.
"But... that's all I have! Really blow it up?" Chubby Jun seemed pained. "I don't have insurance! I won't get any compensation, and I might even face a fine..."
"Is it more important than your life?" Officer Huang countered.
"Officer Huang is right, nothing is more important than life and death," Gao Yang advised.
Chubby Jun sighed deeply, cursing under his breath, "Burn it then! One building for a few companions, worth it!"
...
Ten minutes later, Gao Yang and Qing Ling walked out of the hotel.
In the early morning, the city was just waking up under the embrace of dawn's light.
The streets were sparsely populated with a few breakfast carts, several young people who had spent the night in internet cafes, and a languid water truck that passed by them.
Wang Zikai, bubbling with excitement, followed behind them like he was on a caffeine high: "Damn, now everyone looks like a lizard person to me!"
"Keep it down!" Gao Yang cautioned him. "You go home and stay put. Qing Ling and I are going to school first. Come to the school gate to pick us up in the evening. I have a task for you."
"Understood." Wang Zikai ran across the street to his sports car.
Before driving away, he didn't forget to wave at Gao Yang, full of spirit: "Let's kill them! Save the world!"
"It's not normal for a lost one to be stimulated like this and not go berserk," Qing Ling remarked coldly.
"I thought you had let him go," Gao Yang sighed.
"Impossible," Qing Ling said with a steely gaze. "If he dies tonight, we'll be the prime suspects. We'll find the right opportunity later..."
Qing Ling stopped mid-sentence, her face darkening.
"What's wrong?"
As soon as Gao Yang finished asking, he noticed Qing Ling's gaze was fixed behind him.
Turning around, Gao Yang's face drained of color.
"Gao Xinxin?!"
His sister, Gao Xinxin, stood a few meters away. She was wearing a new Lolita dress and a golden wig, looking as pretty as a doll, but her face was expressionless as she stared at Gao Yang.
If it were any other day, Gao Yang would have complimented his sister on her beauty, but at this moment, he was almost stuttering with nervousness. "Little sister, what are you doing here? I... I'm just dealing with something with my classmate..."
"Stop acting. I've already found out," Gao Xinxin said calmly.
Gao Yang's heart sank.
Qing Ling stepped forward, her fingers poised and ready to strike.
Still hoping for the best, Gao Yang continued, "Little sister, what are you talking about? I don't understand..."
"It's too late." A cold smile that didn't match her age appeared on his sister's face. "I've already told everyone."
A wave of despair and terror instantly gripped Gao Yang's throat.
—The Hornblower!
- Writer
