Chapter 58: Interrogation—Whose Jade Bracelet Is It?

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

It was only by comparison that people realized 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 stroked the black rat. “As for the one in your hand… kill it.”

Whether it could kill or zombify people—there were so many wounded at the station, surely a result would come soon enough.

Night was falling. A few people stayed behind to clean up the “battlefield,” while the rest prepared dinner. Bian Changxi’s hands were stained with Gu Xu’s blood first, then covered in filth from Old Chen’s wounds. She held her hands up and went to the kitchen to ask Lin Rongrong for water to wash them.

Mother Chen, wiping her tears, came over as well. Seeing the duck in the pot boiling dry, she hurriedly turned off the gas. “Oh dear, oh dear, the duck’s all burnt!”

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

It turned out that when Shadow woke up, everyone was busy killing rats and bugs. Not knowing what was going on, he’d rushed down from upstairs, straight into the chaos in the kitchen, and in his excitement…

“Two pots of duck soup evaporated just like that, turning into a cloud of steam. We could barely see each other,” Qiu Yun teased mercilessly. “Just smell it—duck everywhere. We were all wondering what kind of superpower this was.”

Shadow looked at him helplessly. This was pure schadenfreude.

Only Bian Changxi understood: this was a fog-type ability, a rare derivative element. Now, just in Gu Xu’s original five-person team, four had powers—two derivatives, and one (Gu Xu) on the verge of evolving. It was enough to make anyone jealous.

Old Chen’s wound, as Bian Changxi had predicted, didn’t worsen. After watching him through dinner, everyone relaxed. The rest was up to the old man’s own recovery. They ate together, then went back to their rooms. Those with powers began to train.

Bian Changxi’s room was pitch dark. She focused and conjured several wooden spikes—their accuracy improving, though strength 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 around all the time in the future? Well, it was a skill, after all.

Her mind kept drifting to Boss Zhang, the jade bracelet farm, and all that had happened since her rebirth. The more she thought, the more frustrated she became. Who was after her jade bracelet?

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

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

Gu Xu looked up. “Not sleeping yet?”

“Can’t sleep.” Bian Changxi tossed him the red core, pulled up a chair, and sat beside him. “I found this a while ago. It’s no use to me, but it’s perfect for you.”

The fat rat seemed delighted to see her. With a squeak, it jumped off the stool, grabbed her pant leg, and started climbing up.

Bian Changxi felt a bit awkward—this 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 unexpectedly fluffy and soft, with a fresh, clean scent—Gu Xu must have bathed it. She looked closely. “Hey, it’s brown?”

Turns out, after a bath, its fur was a chestnut-brown color. She couldn’t help but think: it must’ve been filthy to look so black before.

And this rat didn’t seem like a house rat—she didn’t know what breed it was. Its fur was long and beautiful, even its tail was fluffy, and it was rather cute.

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

“It’s a thank you.” Bian Changxi checked the rat’s wounds, but it was more interested in her milk. “You want some?” She pulled out the straw, tore open 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 and looked up at Gu Xu. “You asked Qu Nan for help—you owe him a big favor, right? This time, I owe you.”

She did a quick tally. Since her rebirth, she owed Cheng Haijun a favor, Shadow owed her one (sort of—he insisted, though she thought it was too much), and now she owed Gu Xu.

Gu Xu smiled. “You like keeping score, don’t you?”

“Favors are the foundation of social interaction,” Bian Changxi said matter-of-factly. “If you don’t keep things clear, it all gets messy, and then I feel like I’m drowning in debt. In times like these, life and death are commonplace. Rather than getting tangled up in endless obligations, I’d rather keep everything 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 was completely honest. “I’d been wondering how to build a relationship with the Jiangcheng military without making it obvious. You actually solved a problem for me.”

Bian Changxi was taken aback. He’d deliberately gotten close to Qu Nan—and wanted to do it subtly? 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 extraordinary. Even in Sucheng, he’d be among the top brass. Why would he need to lower himself for Jiangcheng?

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

He held out a green core. “This is from today’s haul—my thanks.”

Bian Changxi blinked, then couldn’t help but laugh. “Why do I feel like we’re competing to out-thank each other?”

Still, a green core was always welcome. 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 you broke that night—was it a bracelet?”

Bian Changxi shrugged. “That’s what he was after. It’s not even a real treasure—who knows why he’s so obsessed.”

Gu Xu didn’t show any doubt at her words. His dark brows furrowed slightly in the murky night. “He doesn’t seem to believe the bracelet is really gone. I’m afraid he has more tricks up his sleeve.”

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

For a while, neither of them spoke. Both were quiet and reserved, and couldn’t find a good topic. In the silence, only the distant roars of zombies could be heard—too far to make out clearly, but the sense of oppression 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 the river and a single barricade from here. It’s already completely overrun. Many survivors went there today and never came back. At this rate, the zombies will cross over in two or three days.” Gu Xu suddenly said.

In other words, it wouldn’t be safe here for long, unless there was an organized defense and counterattack. She asked, “The army will be here soon, right?”

“Yeah.”

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

“Just right for wiping your face.”

“Too bad, another bottle of water gone.”

Though it was teasing, there was laughter in their voices. Bian Changxi could feel a faint mist drifting down from upstairs—Shadow must have vaporized another bottle of water.

Gu Xu smiled. “What do you think of Shadow’s power?”

Bian Changxi thought for a moment. “Every power has its own strengths. There shouldn’t be any useless abilities. I think Shadow’s power doesn’t seem very offensive, but if used well, it could be great.”

Come on, fog-type? At its peak, it’s as elusive as a ghost, perfect for theft and assassination—enough to keep people up at night, always on edge. Useless? Hardly.

So, yeah—nothing to be jealous of.

Bian Changxi was about to go upstairs to sleep, but the fat rat clung to her, hanging onto her clothes and sleeping soundly, its mouth twitching in a silly, adorable way. She felt a bit soft-hearted, but she didn’t know this rat well yet—she couldn’t risk keeping it with her. Better to let Gu Xu, the capable one, handle it.

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

Gu Xu sensed a “so disappointing” kind of emotion from it. Amused, he patted its head. “You want me to chase after her? You’re really nosy. Where did you come from? Why do you seem so familiar to me?”

The fat rat bared its teeth and glared at him, then suddenly deflated like a punctured ball, turned away in a huff, and started gnawing on its paws, its round black eyes rolling about."