Son???
Zong Lin’s hand holding the spear paused, and a moment of confusion flickered across his stern face.
The voice was somewhat familiar to him; indeed, it was a member of the Dawn’s Seventh Squad, whom he had even mentored when they first joined the team.
His impression of this squad member was that although his personality was a bit eccentric and not at all like his older brother, he wasn’t prone to nonsense.
So when Zhu Ping’an said his son was inside…
What is going on?
When did he acquire a son?
It wasn’t just him; Lin Ze was also stunned.
Due to the requirements of the Judgment Society’s plan, he had thoroughly investigated Shen Jie’s information and was certain that there were no children between him and Zong Lin.
Moreover, two men could not have a son—thus, Lin Ze’s first thought was that Zong Lin had been unfaithful outside.
Upon careful consideration, the reasons seemed plausible.
Over the years, Zong Lin had been elevated as a hero in the city. His admirers could probably circle the city several times. There was no shortage of people wanting to get involved with him.
Meanwhile, Shen Jie was just an ordinary person. It was inevitable for there to be limitations and frustrations when high-level superpower user and ordinary people came together. Seeking some entertainment outside was only human nature.
One could even justify it as leaving behind the genes of the strongest superhuman to produce the next generation of city guardians.
As a highly evolved alien with rich knowledge of psychology, Lin Ze felt he had uncovered the truth.
So, had Shen Jie’s affection and time over the years been misplaced?
No wonder Zong Lin didn’t seem concerned when he heard about the possibility of Shen Jie being infected just now.
Ah, humans.
With thunder rumbling, Lin Ze’s face was drenched with rain, his expression growing increasingly grim. Finally, he couldn’t help but say, “These years, Shen Jie really misjudged you.”
Zong Lin: ???
—
In front of the fire exit door, Shen Jie suddenly sneezed.
Concerned, Jian Mingze looked at the white-haired youth before him and said, “Have you caught a cold? The weather has been cold lately; you should wear more clothes.”
In this season, people in the city were all wearing thin sweaters and coats, but the black jacket on the young man was thinner than paper.
Shen Jie shook his head.
A crack had already been opened in front of him, and an indescribable smell wafted out from inside.
Extremely turbid. Mixed with the smell of gasoline, blood, and the decay of corpses. It’s nauseating.
[Detected current air quality is worrisome. Would you like to activate the exoskeleton air purification device?]
Shen Jie: “Activate.”
The air purification turned on, and the turbid air turned into a very sweet orange fragrance.
A little more comfortable.
Shen Jie made a request: “Can you add a scent of disinfectant?”
The system couldn’t understand his preference: [You want to disinfect the air?]
Shen Jie took out alcohol gel and rubbed his hands. “I just like clean scents.”
For example, the scent from Zong Lin was a refreshing soap sensation. He didn’t use perfume; this scent came from washed clothes.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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He has to quickly resolve things and go home to take a shower.
Pull Zong Lin together.
Ktlcxlcu jybea la, jr tf bqfcfv atf vbbg, tf kjr jybea ab rafq lcrlvf.
Suddenly, Jian Mingze said from behind, “Wait, there’s still a kid.”
Turning around, he faced the empty corridor and said, “Don’t hide. Come out.”
Around the corner, Chen Shushu awkwardly rubbed his nose and walked out.
“Why haven’t you left yet?” Shen Jie asked.
Chen Shushu said, “I was just worried about you. I didn’t see you in the hall earlier, so I came back to look for you.”
In fact, he had actually followed Jian Mingze over.
This person who claimed to be the captain of the “Dawn” Seventh Squad not only had a gentle and handsome appearance, which made people feel close to him at first sight, but he even had dimples when he smiled!
Even Zong Lian, who was usually aloof, allowed Jian Mingze to pat his shoulder the first time they met.
Now these two seemed to be going on an adventure together.
Chen Shushu’s alarm bells were ringing loudly in his mind.
Before, when he found out that Shen Jie was already married, he regretted being born too late.
Now, having finally encountered a crush who matched his aesthetics from head to toe, how could he give up the chance to go boldly forward!
Chen Shushu squeezed out a smile and said, “Where are you guys going? Take me with you.”
[This kid! He knows it’s dangerous yet still insists on coming over, he is simply courting death!] As soon as Chen Shushu spoke, the system knew what he wanted to do, and there was a hint of frustration in its tone. [A knife over a head of lust. Why doesn’t he understand? In the books, trying to play the hero to impress a woman every day will eventually lead to disaster. He’ll regret it sooner or later.]
The system seemed to realize that its tone was too harsh and hastily added, [Ahem, I didn’t mean to imply that you, host, are a danger due to your good looks… It’s just that the protagonist’s personality really needs some refining…]
Even without the system’s reminder, Shen Jie wasn’t planning to let Chen Shushu join them. Chen Shushu was just a Rank Seven, level D, ability user. In a domain where B-rank aliens roamed freely and A-rank aliens were not unheard of, he wouldn’t even be a fly in the ointment. While Shen Jie could protect him upstairs, he might not be able to take care of him properly in the more complex and dangerous Underground Experimental Chamber.
“Go back,” Shen Jie said, his tone as cold as before, “You’re too weak.”
Chen Shushu’s smile froze on his face.
…Too weak, too weak, too weak…
These three words echos in his mind.
Although his abilities were indeed not comparable to Zong Lian’s, he had just awakened as a Rank Seven level D ability user, which could still be considered quite talented in the entire city. He had also helped out before.
Chen Shushu unintentionally let the words slip out.
“Is Rank Seven very powerful?”
It was Jian Mingze who spoke next, still with that gentle demeanor, but his words were sharp. With years of team management experience, he knew that dealing with impulsive youths required firmness. It was better to give them a reality check than let them act recklessly without understanding their own strength and position.
Jian Mingze smiled and said, “In the ‘Dawn’ Cleaning team, even the lowest-ranked members in the logistics team are Rank Seven.”
Chen Shushu hesitated for a moment and said, “I just awakened, with a bit more training, I’ll soon be able to…”
“Zong Lin was Rank Three when he just awakened,” Jian Mingze calmly interjected.
Chen Shushu felt a strong blow and couldn’t help but ask, “I’ve been wanting to ask, who is Zong Lin?”
It couldn’t be the Zong Lin he was thinking of, could it?
“He’s the captain of the ‘Dawn’ Cleaning team, Zong Lin. You should have heard of him,” Jian Mingze replied.
There was no one in the city who didn’t know Zong Lin.
Chen Shushu had more than just heard of him!
During the subway mist incident before, when it was crucial, it was Zong Lin who broke into the field to save people. But his speed was too fast, Chen Shushu only saw the enormous bone wings enveloping Shen Jie completely, and then the two disappeared from his sight.
After being rescued, the rescue team told him that it was fortunate Zong Lin returned to the city today and happened to come to help, otherwise the mist extermination wouldn’t have been able to proceed so swiftly…
But looking at the clues now, it’s obvious that it wasn’t just a coincidence; Zong Lin came to save Shen Jie upon learning that he was in danger!
Shen Jie’s partner is Zong Lin!
Combining the rumors circulating in the city that Zong Lin’s partner is an ordinary person, this speculation becomes even more credible!
With this in mind, Chen Shushu’s mind became even more confused.
If Zong Lian was Shen Jie’s son, but also Zong Lin’s son at the same time, then who was the father between them?
Ordinary men, of course, could not have children, and among male ability users, it seemed like there wasn’t anyone who could give birth…
Wait a minute, Chen Shushu shook his head.
He heard that high-level ability users had a high infection value, and their bodies underwent a high degree of mutation. If they happened to be infected with a special type of infection like a mermaid or something similar, regardless of gender, it was possible for them to develop reproductive organs. So, even if they could have children, it was not impossible…
Chen Shushu felt he had guessed the truth.
No wonder Zong Lian had the surname Zong… That powerful ability user, acting as both a father and a mother, indeed it was tough. It was normal for a son to take the father was surname.
And he, had always misunderstood the attributes of Shen Jie and Zong Lian!
What they lack isn’t a “1”, it’s a “0”!
Chen Shushu felt he had discovered a shocking truth, but then he instantly became disheartened.
—For the sake of beauty, he could still consider a “1”, but a round “0”…
Oh my god, he can’t do it!
So, Jian Mingze saw that as soon as Zong Lin was mentioned, the brown-haired, spiky-haired young man in front of him immediately became dejected, like a teddy bear with no energy.
Is this the success of the beating?
“Here’s the deal, you go out first and join the Ability Training Institute,” Jian Mingze said, “I’ll write a letter of recommendation to your instructor and arrange for you to intern at Dawn. You have good talent, and you should make great progress quickly. Don’t be discouraged.”
Chen Shushu: “…”
He looked towards Shen Jie, wanting to ask something, but Jian Mingze grabbed his shoulder, teleported him to the hospital gate in an instant, and gently but firmly threw him out.
When Chen Shushu opened his eyes again, he was lying on the street in front of the Psychological Treatment Center.
The cold, pouring rain splashed on his cheeks, like tears shed by a broken-hearted singleton.
Then, he saw the two figures battling on the rooftop of the hospital.
Pale bone wings covered the sky, sharp spear pierced through lightning and darkness, the man with white hair and red eyes had a cold and handsome face, like a divine sculpture descending from the heavens.
Even Chen Shushu had to admit, he was indeed very handsome.
Completely fulfilling all the fantasies of teenagers living for the big heroes who saved the world.
And this appearance, this physique, this powerful aura… was completely unrelated to zero.
In that case, Chen Shushu silently thought, the only explanation for the other’s zero was for love.
The gap in physical fitness between ability users and ordinary people was too vast. If strength control was not enough, even a slight touch can result in a fracture. For the sake of protecting one’s loved one, sacrificing a little physical advantage didn’t matter much.
Since even Zong Lin… his uncle could do it, then he certainly could too!
Chen Shushu suddenly stood up.
He decided to go to the Ability Training Institute right now.
Training! Getting stronger! Hugging his wife… No, hugging his husband back home!
—-
After tossing Chen Shushu out of the hospital gate, Jian Mingze returned to the fire escape door.
Shen Jie and Jian Mingze walked into the passage.
The passage was pitch black, with no light.
Jian Mingze put his hand into his coat pocket and took out a flashlight from inside. He turned it on, and the flashlight illuminated the passage.
However, Jian Mingze’s coat pockets were shallow, and didn’t seem like they could fit a flashlight.
“The pocket is connected to a small personal storage space on my body, where I keep some simple everyday items,” Jian Mingze explained gently, noticing Shen Jie’s gaze.
Although his ability was called “Sideways Jump”, high-level ability users still retained the low-level abilities they acquired during their evolution. This small personal storage space came from Jian Mingze’s ability “Treasure Chest” when he was at Rank Nine.
With the light from the flashlight, they could see that the walls of the passage were also covered with blood-red characters.
The most prominent were several repeated “HELP” written in a crooked and twisted manner, like scribbles made by a panicked child.
There were also some blood-colored handprints, moving red scratches, and so on, the color not as vivid as the painted words, having dulled over time.
They were now at the entrance of the first-floor fire escape corridor, with two paths ahead: one leading upwards and the other downwards. Based on the same doors seen on the upper floors, the fire escape corridors up to the 33rd floor should be interconnected.
Perhaps, over the years, the patients diagnosed with the “Final Treatment Plan” at the treatment center were transported underground through this corridor by the nurses.
“Let’s go,” Shen Jie said, his voice echoing in the narrow corridor.
The corridor had a “Z”-shaped structure, split in the middle, with stairs on one side and a slope on the other.
Compared to Shen Jie, who had an air filter, it was clear that Jian Mingze had difficulty enduring it. His furrowed brow intensified.
Soon, Jian Mingze couldn’t bear it anymore. He took out an N95 mask from the treasure chest and handed one to him.
Shen Jie refused his kindness and briefly explained the reason for entering the underground laboratory.
He didn’t know how to define “companion.” But Jian Mingze’s spatial ability was very useful and could provide a lot of help, so he tacitly allowed the other party to accompany him. And he decided to share information — that probably counted as being “companions,” right?
“So, the reason you came here is to find the ‘Soul Box,’ completely resolve the Undead Soul Corpse, and try to rescue the survivors in the Underground Experimental Chamber,” Jian Mingze said.
Shen Jie replied, “More or less.”
“Looks like I made the right choice following you. If I had known about this, I wouldn’t have left the people here behind,” Jian Mingze said. “But, if Captain Zong knew you were being so impulsive and reckless, he’d surely be worried.”
Shen Jie furrowed his brow, feeling the need to explain, “I have no relation to Zong Lin.”
Jian Mingze looked at him gently, smiled, but said nothing.
The corridor was extremely long. The two of them briskly walked for ten minutes, the staircase winding continuously, the bottom shrouded in darkness, like a path to hell.
The only change was the blood words on the walls, which increased as they delved deeper, becoming more and more dense until almost every inch of the corridor walls was stained crimson.
Finally, they reached the end of the staircase.
Instead of cold cement steps, they stepped onto a layer of carpet.
The carpet felt oddly soft.
“No, big sister, don’t come over—don’t come!”
Suddenly, a little girl’s voice, tinged with tears, rang out in the distance.
Shen Jie instantly recognized it.
It was Xiao Ya’s voice.
Oh, so the mermaid infection type can give someone the ability to give birth? Maybe in the future Zong Lian can be more then just a cosplay.
XD well in Zong Lin’s pale bone king consciousness he was a mermaid… got it Zong Lin wants a kid 😆 👍
In this chapter, 2 individuals have connected the dots, both arriving to the wrong conclusion ;”>
Shushu entering his switch era
Chen Shushu is hilarious 😂
I part of me hopes that the exoskeleton can develop its own consciousnes and really become Zong Lin and Shen Jie’s son, if only so that Chen Shushu doesn’t suffer another crushing heartbreak 😭😭😭
Kkkkk nah it’s funnier Shushu with no hope and a lot of misunderstanding (≧▽≦) poor guy, so out of luck!
Agreed🤣🤣
Kkkkk Zong accused of having a child out of deadlock, betraying his partner, being hermaphrodite, being a 0…. KKKKKKK now we have a protag completely bend over and over kkkkkkkk
Shushu’s brain hole has me dying omg 😂
Hugging husband hehe