MCL CH23

Chapter 23: “President Yan, I’m a little scared.”

The incident happened in an instant. Ju Ze rushed forward, but only managed to grasp at empty air.

His first reaction was to call for the corporation’s ability user guard team. He had just taken out his phone and dialed a few numbers when he suddenly remembered something. He looked questioningly towards Samuel, who was not far away. “Mr. Samuel, a rift of this level shouldn’t pose any danger to our president, right?”

Samuel returned a smile. “Of course.”

He had just watched Yan Xingzhou walk over to Lin Xi and had naturally witnessed the entire process of them being pulled in. He looked at Ju Ze and blinked slowly, not stingy with his praise at all. “As expected of Yan’s assistant, your judgment is indeed excellent. Forget an A-class rift, even an S-class rift would pose no danger to him. On the contrary, ever since that incident, he’s been living like a lone bird. It’s rare to see him take an interest in another man. As his best friend, I should help him cherish every opportunity to deepen their relationship, and so should you. After all, you wouldn’t want him to be immersed in the past, remaining a widower for Lin forever, would you?”

“…”

Ju Ze opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Finally, he cleared his throat softly. “Mr. Samuel, your Chinese is truly… quite distinctive.”

Samuel’s eyes curved as he smiled. “Right? I think so too.”

After speaking, seemingly oblivious to Ju Ze’s speechless expression, he turned to look at the other rifts. “Back to business. When Gu Beiqiu and the others finish cleaning up and come out of the rifts, you should know what to do, right?”

Ju Ze pushed up the glasses on his nose, a glint of wisdom flashing across the lenses. “Of course. I will protect this excellent opportunity for the president to be alone.”

Samuel gave him a smiling thumbs-up. “Yan will definitely give you a raise when he gets out.”

At the same time.

Inside the rift’s inner world.

Being pulled in by such a massive force, Lin Xi’s vision was temporarily stripped away. By the time it cleared up again, he could feel himself lying in an embrace that carried a faint body warmth. The person beneath him let out an unprompted sneeze, and the resulting vibration in his chest made the sensation of their contact all the more distinct.

He still remembered the scenes before entering this rift.

Lin Xi slowly raised his gaze and met Yan Xingzhou’s eyes.

As their eyes met, an unusual silence fell between them.

A moment later, Yan Xingzhou spoke, “Are you planning to lie on me like this forever?”

“…”

For some reason, Lin Xi suddenly stopped moving as he looked at Yan Xingzhou. He waited until the expression in the other’s eyes shifted from calm to confusion, and then gradually began to show clear ripples of emotion. Only then did he tighten his grip on Yan Xingzhou’s collar, his voice appropriately lowering, “What should I do, President Yan? I feel a little scared right now.”

After he finished speaking, a very subtle silence fell around them.

[Puke—!]

[He clearly already suspects you. It’s useless for you to struggle on your deathbed.]

Lin Xi silently lowered his gaze, holding onto his conviction like an actor, making the fearful expression on his face appear much more sincere.

Based on Lin Xi’s understanding of Yan Xingzhou, he was quite certain that the man’s next move would be to throw him off.

Sure enough, a moment later, he felt a sense of being airborne.

However, contrary to his expectations, Lin Xi, making no move to counter it, did not fly ten meters away as anticipated. Instead, he landed on his butt with a thud that was neither light nor heavy.

The inner world created by an A-class contaminant was a boundless desert. The fall sent Lin Xi tumbling into the yellow sand, so it didn’t hurt.

He patted the sand from his trouser legs and saw that Yan Xingzhou had already stood up unhurriedly.

Since Lin Xi was still half-squatting on the ground and Yan Xingzhou was standing not far in front of him, the angle was perfect for a condescending, scrutinizing posture. It was just that having just served as a human cushion, his black suit, still stained with sand, looked somewhat comical. But when he spoke, his tone was the same as usual. “You, feel scared?”

It was less of a question and more of a sneer.

This guy, Yan Xingzhou, really loves to observe people.

Lin Xi slowly stood up from the ground, his expression still perfect. “Mmm… very scared.”

Even Lin Xi himself knew that this sounded completely unconvincing. Yan Xingzhou wasn’t as easy to fool as others.

As expected, after a brief exchange of glances, the man in front of him turned and walked away without any hesitation.

Forget it. The act is over anyway. What happens next, happens.

Lin Xi rubbed his temples with a slight headache.

Although Yan Xingzhou most likely suspected him of being Calamity, in a way, he wasn’t wrong. Calamity was inside his body. Even if there was no evidence for the time being, as their symbiotic relationship lengthened, the contamination value of this body would inevitably gradually exceed the limit for a normal human.

This was also the reason why Yan Xingzhou had specifically found a way to keep him by his side.

When that day truly came, when Yan Xingzhou personally moved to eradicate him, this “Calamity,” should he continue to wear this disguise?

Lin Xi looked down at his hands in silence.

Although he had a new skin, he was essentially no longer human.

On the surface, he said he didn’t want to drag Yan Xingzhou into this mess with him, but in reality, wasn’t it also because he didn’t want to face him looking like this?

Right now, humans and contaminants were in a state of fighting for their living environment. Once Yan Xingzhou knew he was back, rather than worrying about facing each other as enemies, he was more worried that this man would choose to become an enemy of all humanity for his sake.

Thinking about it carefully, that was completely something Yan Xingzhou was capable of doing. When that time came, it’s not like he could take the man back to the contaminant world to live in seclusion, right?

At this thought, Lin Xi suddenly let out a small laugh.

Living in this world really does present you with some troublesome choices.

“What are you still doing over there?”

The voice came, and Lin Xi looked up to see that Yan Xingzhou, who he thought had walked far away, had stopped not far ahead.

Under his gaze, Yan Xingzhou’s brows furrowed distinctly. After a brief moment of thought, he finally said, “If you’re scared, then stay close.”

Lin Xi was stunned for a moment, and this time, he genuinely laughed out loud. “Coming.”

The desert of the inner world was barren. The two walked one after another, their tall figures blurring in the wind and sand.

It was desolate, with nothing in sight.

The sky above was scarlet. There was no sun, yet the entire world was plunged into a blood-like color.

Having received Yan Xingzhou’s appropriate invitation, Lin Xi was in a good mood and obediently followed behind, looking as if he intended to be a qualified pendant.

The wind was strong. Yan Xingzhou walked in front, blocking much of the dust and sand. Lin Xi would occasionally glance up at him, then lower his eyes with a smile.

The scene was quite harmonious for a while. However, as time ticked by in this inner world where it was easy to lose track of time, they didn’t know how long they had been walking, nor how much longer they needed to continue.

Their clothes were already soaked with sweat. It wasn’t just a mental strain; it was undoubtedly a great test of physical stamina as well.

By this point, Lin Xi had naturally come to a judgment.

It was obvious that this was the lair of a mental-type contaminant. Among A-class contaminants, this type could be considered the most troublesome.

The desert they were currently walking through was undoubtedly under its constant surveillance.

It had found them and pulled them into this world simply for its own amusement.

And when this entertainment lost its appeal, a new program would appear.

For example, now.

Finally, in this desolate desert, a lone door appeared before them.

Lin Xi remembered his persona and asked appropriately, “This door… are we supposed to go in?”

Yan Xingzhou grunted in affirmation. “If you still feel ‘scared,’ you can always choose to stay here alone.”

Lin Xi quickly stepped forward and grabbed the corner of Yan Xingzhou’s clothes, giving his answer through his actions.

Yan Xingzhou glanced down, instinctively raising his hand. But as his gaze swept over Lin Xi, he ultimately didn’t push him away. “If you’re coming in, stay close.”

With that, he stepped through the door.

As Lin Xi followed him in, the door in the desert silently closed.

Then, the view that had been immersed in blood-red suddenly seemed to brighten completely.

When he saw the surroundings clearly, a rare look of astonishment flashed across Lin Xi’s eyes.

He almost subconsciously looked at Yan Xingzhou, and the man’s instantly deepened gaze met his. Even the atmospheric pressure around them seemed to solidify.

If they didn’t know they were in an inner world, just looking at this scene, it was exactly what a normal office building in the human world should look like.

But this seemingly ordinary environment was one that Lin Xi was all too familiar with.

This was his former Chief Executive’s office at the United Administration.

Of course, they couldn’t have actually come out of the inner world. Everything before them was undoubtedly the work of that A-class contaminant.

And the door just now was opened by Yan Xingzhou.

After looking around, Lin Xi silently lowered his gaze.

As the top dream-ability user among humans, it was hard to imagine just how strong his obsession was to have his inner heart spied upon by an A-class contaminant within a rift.

This man, sometimes, he really doesn’t have to be so persistent.