MCL CH10

Chapter 10: This body is the only thing of value…

The bustling city traffic flowed endlessly.

Under the night sky, the distant neon lights were dazzling.

In a place no one noticed, a figure stood for a long time in front of a sign, then strode unhurriedly into a pitch-black alley.

Soon, the tall figure disappeared into the shadows.

[Actually, I really want to interview you. As a human being, your legal awareness is even weaker than mine. What do you think about that?]

The curious voice in his mind rang out, particularly clear in the quiet night.

From asking that college student to borrow his phone to finally finding the address now, Lin Xi had borrowed a total of 15 people’s phones along the way.

Although the whole process couldn’t be described as too difficult, upon careful reflection, it was still quite sigh-worthy.

“Don’t talk nonsense. Although the United Administration often makes exceptions for special cases, I am still a law-abiding, good citizen.”

Stopping his steps, Lin Xi glanced up at the house number. “This is it.”

The dilapidated old house had no doorbell. After knocking for a long time, Lin Xi finally heard the faint sound of footsteps from inside.

After a while, a voice came from the other side of the door: “Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony.”

Lin Xi raised an eyebrow slightly. “Freedom, equality, justice, rule of law.”

The person inside said again, “Are you the one who wanted the Kung Pao chicken?”

Lin Xi said slowly, “No, that’s your Kung Pao chicken. I want the braised chicken with yellow sauce.”

After a moment of silence, the door finally opened from the inside. “Come in.”

[…………] Two psychos.

The light inside wasn’t too bright, but compared to the pitch-black alley, at least he could see his surroundings.

After entering the house, Lin Xi glanced at the person who had opened the door.

He looked to be in his early twenties, younger than he had imagined, dressed in hip-hop attire that was out of place in the old-fashioned environment. He had a lollipop in his mouth, which bobbed up and down casually as he chewed.

Probably noticing his direct gaze, the person also looked Lin Xi up and down. “Were you the one who made those 20-something harassing phone calls today?”

Lin Xi’s eyes curved into a gentle smile, and he corrected him with a calm heart, “Customer inquiries, that can’t be considered harassing phone calls, can it?”

“Why not?” The other person raised an eyebrow, and the lollipop at the corner of his mouth also lifted in a matching arc. “When I received the first call, I thought it was the authorities playing a sting operation with me. I almost planned to move overnight. If it were someone with weaker mental fortitude, they probably would have been too scared to sleep for days.”

Lin Xi praised, “Then your fortitude is quite good.”

“Thanks for the compliment. It would be even better if you could say it more sincerely.” The person said, beckoning Lin Xi to follow. “I’ve understood your specific needs. We do have an identity that is quite suitable, but there are some details you need to verify.”

Lin Xi said, “Mm,” and asked, “How should I address you?”

“You can call me Cool Bro, like everyone else.”

Lin Xi went with the flow. “Oh, okay, Cool Bro.”

You couldn’t tell from the outside, but it wasn’t until they went all the way in that he discovered there was a whole new world inside.

Gradually, the surrounding walls were replaced by densely packed LCD screens, with lines of data constantly being updated, making it feel particularly cyberpunk.

[Are fake ID makers so competitive nowadays?]

“It’s normal. Technology develops fast. No matter what industry, if you want to be at the top, you have to be competitive,” Lin Xi said silently in his mind. “What’s more, the services provided here are so special. The fact that it hasn’t been shut down yet means they must have something.”

[Special? Isn’t it just making a fake ID? Is there a difference?]

“The service isn’t different, the difference is in the clients.” Lin Xi glanced around. “More and more ability users are awakening, so it’s inevitable that there will be ability-related crimes. Many things that can’t be done in the open require a special identity for cover. The clients here have never been ordinary people, but ability users. Of course, although it’s said that way on the surface, whether there are other things hidden among these clients, that’s unknown.”

[Eh? The other things you’re talking about couldn’t be…]

“Back when I was working, it was during the process of apprehending mutated species that I learned about this industry. For these mutated species to stay in human society and evade capture, the identity of an ability user is their best cover.” Lin Xi’s voice showed no emotion. “From the perspective of ‘existence implies demand,’ the existence of this industrial chain is enough to explain the problem.”

At this point, a hint of amusement gradually appeared in his eyes. “Don’t look at the superficial peace outside. More and more fissures are appearing. After three years, the crisis brought by you contaminants has clearly grown larger and larger. And not only has ability-related crime increased, but with the continuous increase in mutated species, public security will also be greatly threatened. Actually, I’m also very curious, when the human living space is squeezed to a certain extent, and even the facade of false peace can no longer be maintained, how do those people at the top plan to end it?”

[Tsk tsk tsk, do you know that in your current state, you look like a great villain who is looking forward to the destruction of the world.]

Lin Xi’s eyelids drooped slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips without a sound. “A high evaluation.”

“This is it. Wait for me a moment.”

Cool Bro, who was walking in front, rummaged through a cabinet in the corner and finally found a tablet. He tapped on it and handed the contents to Lin Xi. “A fire-type ability user registered with the Ability Management Administration. If you don’t mind the minor details, it should be just what you need.”

When he took out the tablet, Lin Xi had caught a slightly evasive look in Cool Bro’s eyes. After taking it and glancing at it, he immediately understood. “So this is what you call ‘minor details’?”

Knowing he was in the wrong, Cool Bro cleared his throat lowly. “You know, all the ones we sell are genuine ability user codes. These are all registered with the management Administration. It’s not easy to find a missing ability user whose file hasn’t been confirmed dead and canceled. You came to me because you value the safety factor of our goods.”

“Your goods are indeed safe, but…” Lin Xi smiled and returned the tablet to Cool Bro, tapping it lightly with his fingertip. “A 53-year-old fire-type ability user, won’t that be too easy to expose?”

Looking at the “53 years old” clearly written in the age column, it was a long while before Cool Bro moved his gaze back to Lin Xi’s face. “The market demand has been a bit high recently. There’s really only this one fire-type ability user left. If I don’t have it here, you don’t even need to think about other places. Just say it, do you want it or not?”

After a brief thought, Lin Xi sighed. “Alright, I’ll take it.”

A smile finally appeared on Cool Bro’s deadpan face. He found a QR code payment sign from the side and placed it on the table. “Scan the code?”

“Cash.” Lin Xi placed the bag he was carrying on the table. “Ten thousand, right?”

“No, it’s thirty thousand.”

Lin Xi, who was about to open the bag, paused slightly and looked up. “Raising the price on the spot?”

“I guess so.” Cool Bro replied rather briskly. He dragged a chair over and sat down casually, with an attitude of “I’m not in a hurry, no matter how much you are.” “I just said, our goods have been in short supply recently. It’s fine if you don’t want it. Anyway, even at this price, someone else will take it soon.”

[Wow, wow, he’s treating you like a pig to be slaughtered!]

Lin Xi stared straight at the person in front of him, his expression calm.

After a moment, he asked slowly, “Do you have a knife?”

This tone, combined with an extremely gentle expression, would have sounded as normal as asking “Have you eaten?” if one didn’t listen to the specific content.

Cool Bro’s eyebrow raised slightly. He fumbled around on the side and really did pull out a knife and toss it in front of Lin Xi, asking with interest, “I do. What, you want to rob me?”

“Not really. In a civilized society, being too rough is not good,” Lin Xi said, picking up the knife and playing with it for a couple of times before slowly walking to Cool Bro.

He slowly bent down, then—took the other’s hand and placed the handle of the knife in it.

Cool Bro’s expression froze slightly.

Looking up, he met the pair of heterochromatic eyes that were still smiling faintly, just inches away.

“To be honest, all my possessions combined don’t add up to thirty thousand.” Saying this, Lin Xi slowly took a step back. The hand on Cool Bro’s wrist pulled the person forward, and he smiled with incomparable gentleness. “But I really need this identity right now. So after thinking it over, to pay off the debt, my body should be the only thing of value at the moment.”

In the dead silence, Cool Bro seemed to hear a wind that shouldn’t exist in the sealed room. “…”

The corner of his mouth twitched violently. “I’m not gay. You stay away from me…”

Before he could finish, with a slap, he saw Lin Xi slam his own left hand on the table in front of him.

Lin Xi’s right hand was still holding Cool Bro’s wrist.

Under his guidance, the dagger held in his hand was thus lightly drawn across Lin Xi’s left wrist.

The blade was very sharp, faintly leaving a fine wound. Traces of blood seeped out.

“Like this, use some force, cut this hand off, and it’s yours.” The smile in Lin Xi’s eyes was still faint, and his persuasive voice was slow and full of temptation. “If I remember correctly, the body parts of ability users have always sold well on the black market. This hand should at least be able to sell for twenty or thirty thousand, right?”

Cool Bro was completely silent.

Compared to the shock of previously thinking he was gay, his current gaze was undoubtedly more like looking at a madman.

Lin Xi slowly blinked his eyes. With a slight force, the wound under the blade instantly deepened.

He seemed to feel no pain and asked with a sincere tone, “So, can we make a deal—Cool Bro?”

“…”

Cool Bro’s lips were tightly pressed together. He squeezed a sentence from between his teeth, “Deal!”

Half an hour later, Lin Xi slowly walked out of the pitch-black alley.

Returning to the light, he weighed the bag in his remaining left hand, which was now significantly emptier, and said sincerely, “The world is indeed full of good people.”

A subtle movement seemed to be on the verge of speaking, but in the end, the voice in his mind couldn’t help but retort: [The shop owner just didn’t want to provoke a madman for no reason.]

“It’s all the same. As expected of Cool Bro, he’s handsome and kind-hearted.” Lin Xi chuckled. After the traffic light at the crossroads turned green, he took a step. “When I buy a phone later, I’ll remember to go to his shop and give a five-star review.”

[Actually, I’m a little curious.]

Lin Xi: “Curious about what?”

[If he wasn’t so ‘kind-hearted,’ were you really going to leave a hand behind?]

Lin Xi: “What else?”

[I thought you were going to use that knife to take him apart. But to get a worthless identity, you’d rather be a cripple?]

“What does it matter?” Crossing the road, the traffic light changed again. The sound of cars shuttling behind him made Lin Xi’s words seem distant and close at the same time. “This body is no longer human anyway, is it… even the severe injuries in the quarantine zone could heal so quickly. Calamity, actually, I’m also a little curious. After cutting off a hand, how long would it take you to grow it back?”

[…………]

[So this was your real intention!]

[A problem that could have been solved by borrowing money, just because of your curiosity, you deliberately chose this way to torment me?]

“Unfortunately, he didn’t want my hand in the end.” Lin Xi’s tone was filled with distinct regret. He placed his hand in front of his eyes and examined it repeatedly. The emotion flickering in his mismatched eyes, set against his calm expression, seemed to have a kind of eager anticipation.

If others don’t want it, maybe someday I’ll just cut it myself. I can both experience life and make money. It seems pretty good.

He could almost imagine the feeling of a sharp blade cutting through an artery.

The process of blood gradually turning cold, of cells and tissues losing their vitality bit by bit, must be very interesting.

[Control yourself a little. Your self-destructive tendencies are a bit serious.]

The voice in his mind commented as such. A moment later, it also chuckled softly: [But I have to admit, if I have to coexist with someone, Lin Xi, you are indeed the best choice.]

[Hee hee hee, I like madmen.]

Lin Xi withdrew his gaze.

His voice melted into the wind, as compliant as ever. “Thanks for the compliment.”