Chapter 58: Favors Go Both Ways

Sensing everyone’s attention, the black rat rolled its eyes, burrowed back into the towel, and tucked its head into its thick fur.

Only with the comparison did people realize how extraordinary this black rat was. Qiu Yun stared at it, “This, this rat…”

“It’s a bit special. Let’s keep it for now and see.” Gu Xu patted the black rat. “As for the one in your hand… kill it.”

Whether it would bite people to death or turn them into zombies—there were so many injured at the station, surely the results would come out soon enough.

It was getting late. A few people stayed behind to clean up the “battlefield,” while the rest prepared dinner. Bian Changxi’s hands were first stained with Gu Xu’s blood, then covered in dirty blood from Old Chen. She half-raised her hands and went to the kitchen, asking Lin Rongrong to help pour some water so she could wash up.

Mother Chen, wiping her tears, also came over. Seeing the duck in the pot drying up, she quickly turned off the gas. “Oh dear, the duck’s all burnt!”

Bian Changxi asked curiously, “Why didn’t you add water?” Everyone looked at each other, then burst out laughing and turned to Yingzi. Yingzi replied awkwardly, “That was me.”

Turns out, when Yingzi woke up, everyone was busy killing rats and bugs. Not knowing what was going on, he came straight down and rushed into the kitchen, where the situation was worst. In his excitement…

“Two pots of duck soup just vanished, turning into a mist so thick we could barely see each other,” Qiu Yun teased mercilessly. “Smell that? The whole place reeks of duck. We were all wondering what kind of power that was.”

Yingzi looked at him helplessly—he was definitely gloating.

Only Bian Changxi understood: this was a fog-type ability, a rare derivative element. With this, there were now four ability users in Gu Xu’s original five-person team—two with derivative powers, and one (Gu Xu) about to evolve. It was enough to make anyone jealous.

Old Chen’s injury, just as Bian Changxi expected, didn’t worsen. After watching him through dinner, everyone relaxed; now it was up to the old man to recover. After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms, and those with abilities started cultivating.

Bian Changxi’s room was pitch dark. She focused and shot out a few wooden spikes—her aim was getting better, though the power and sharpness would take time. She thought, compared to this, her vine whip was much more powerful. Was she going to be swinging a vine all the time from now on? Well, that was a skill too.

Her mind kept drifting to Boss Zhang, to the jade bracelet farm, to everything that had happened since her rebirth. The more she thought, the more frustrated she felt. Who was trying to steal her bracelet?

Unable to keep practicing, she took out a carton of milk. After a moment, she also fetched a fire-type crystal core she’d stored in the farm’s warehouse. Drinking her milk, she headed downstairs.

Someone was sitting at the door—it was Gu Xu, on night watch tonight. Thanks to her enhanced vision, Bian Changxi could see him clearly, head down, playing with the fat rat, a faint smile on his lips, his expression otherwise unreadable.

Gu Xu looked up. “Can’t sleep?”

“Not really.” Bian Changxi tossed him the red core, pulled up a chair, and sat beside him. “I found this a while back. It’s no use to me—might as well give it to you.”

The fat rat seemed delighted to see her, let out a howl, jumped off the stool, and tugged at her pant leg, snuffling and trying to climb up.

Bian Changxi felt a bit awkward—the little thing was strong! If she hadn’t been sitting, it might have pulled her pants right off.

She bent down and picked it up. Its fur was surprisingly fluffy and soft, with a fresh, clean scent—Gu Xu must have bathed it. She looked closer. “Hey, it’s brown?”

After a bath, its fur was now a chestnut-brown color. She couldn’t help but think, just how filthy had it been before to look so black?

And it didn’t look like a house rat—she wasn’t sure what breed it was. Its fur was long and beautiful, even its tail fluffy, and it was actually rather cute.

Gu Xu turned the red core in his hand. The glowing red light reflected in his eyes like a dazzling sunset. He asked, “Is this a reward?”

“It’s a thank-you.”

Bian Changxi checked the black rat’s wounds, but the rat was more interested in her milk. “You want some?” She pulled out the straw, opened the carton, and let the rat stick out its tongue to lick. After a couple of licks, it nearly buried its whole head inside, slurping away happily. Bian Changxi laughed, then looked up at Gu Xu. “You asked Qu Nan for help—you must owe him a big favor, right? This time, I owe you one.”

She silently tallied it up: since her rebirth, she owed Cheng Haijun a favor, Yingzi owed her one (well, sort of—he insisted on it, though she thought it was a bit much), and now she owed Gu Xu as well.

Gu Xu smiled. “You really like keeping track of these things, don’t you?”

“Favors are the foundation of human relationships,” Bian Changxi replied matter-of-factly. “If you don’t keep things clear, it gets messy, and then I feel like I’m drowning in debt. In times like these, life and death are everyday matters. Rather than getting tangled up in endless obligations, it’s better to keep things clear and simple. Don’t you agree, Captain Gu?”

Gu Xu smiled. “Just call me Gu Xu.”

“…Alright.”

He added, “You don’t need to feel pressured. Getting on good terms with Qu Nan is exactly what I wanted.” He looked sincere. “I’d been wondering how to build a connection with the Jiangcheng military without making it obvious. You actually solved a problem for me.”

Bian Changxi was stunned. He’d deliberately gotten close to Qu Nan—and wanted it to look natural? She didn’t quite understand. Gu Xu was an elite from the capital’s special forces. She didn’t know his exact rank, but his status was clearly exceptional. Even in Sucheng, he’d be among the top. Why would he need to lower himself for Jiangcheng?

“Qu Nan needs my support, too. We’re cooperating for mutual benefit, though he probably thinks he’s getting the better deal. So really, I should be thanking you today.”

He held out a green core. “We got this today—my thanks to you.”

Bian Changxi blinked, then couldn’t help but laugh. “Why does it feel like we’re just trying to outdo each other?”

Still, a green core was always good. Though it was only first-tier, it was full of energy and high quality—the zombie it came from must have been strong. She said sincerely, “Thank you.”

After chatting for a while, her usual wariness toward Gu Xu faded. She asked, “By the way, did Boss Zhang ask you anything?”

Gu Xu thought for a moment. “The thing that broke that night—it was a bracelet, right?”

Bian Changxi shrugged. “That’s what he was after. It’s not even anything special, but for some reason, he just won’t let it go.”

Gu Xu’s face showed no doubt at her words. His dark brows furrowed slightly in the murky night. “He doesn’t seem to believe the bracelet is gone. I’m afraid he’s got more tricks up his sleeve.”

Bian Changxi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as you believe me, that’s fine. “Let him try. We’ll deal with whatever comes.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Both were quiet, reserved people, and couldn’t find much to say. In the silence, only the distant roars of zombies could be heard—too far to make out clearly, but the sense of threat was unmistakable. Occasionally, there were gunshots, human screams, shouts, and curses.

Even in the new district, things outside were still chaotic.

“Zone B is just across a river and a barrier from here. It’s completely overrun now. Quite a few survivors went out today and never came back. At this rate, it’ll only be two or three days before the zombies cross over,” Gu Xu said suddenly.

In other words, even here wasn’t safe anymore—unless they organized a large-scale defense and counterattack. She asked, “The army should be arriving soon, right?”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly, there was a bang from upstairs, followed by Qiu Yun’s complaint: “Yingzi, my clothes are wet again!”

“Just use them to wipe your face.”

“Too bad, another bottle of water gone.”

Though they were joking, laughter filled the air. Bian Changxi could feel a bit of mist drifting down from upstairs—Yingzi must have vaporized another bottle of water.

Gu Xu smiled and asked, “What do you think of Yingzi’s ability?”

Bian Changxi thought for a moment. “Every power has its own strengths. There’s no such thing as a useless ability. I think Yingzi’s doesn’t seem very offensive, but if used well, it could be pretty great.”

Joking aside—fog-type abilities, at their peak, could be as elusive as ghosts, perfect for stealth and assassination. How could that be useless?

Some things, you just can’t be jealous of.

Bian Changxi got up to go to bed, but the fat rat clung to her, hanging off her clothes and sleeping soundly, its mouth twitching in a silly, adorable way. She felt a bit soft-hearted, but she didn’t know enough about the rat yet to keep it with her. Better to let Gu Xu, the capable one, handle it.

She tossed the fat rat at Gu Xu’s feet. It looked at her with sleepy, aggrieved eyes. As soon as Bian Changxi disappeared up the stairs, it turned to Gu Xu, baring its teeth and gesturing angrily.

Gu Xu sensed a “so disappointing” vibe from it and laughed, patting its head. “You want me to chase after her? You’re really nosy. Where did you come from, anyway? Why do you seem so familiar?”

The fat rat bared its teeth and glared at him, then suddenly deflated like a punctured ball, turned away in a huff, and sulked, gnawing on its paw, its round black eyes spinning.

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