Chapter 111: The Interrogation

At the pinnacle of the Ivory Tower, Yi Chen was on the verge of collapse.

He was not afraid to face terrifying opponents that seemed insurmountable; what frustrated him most was the current situation—being restrained and powerless.

All he could do was endure, endure, and endure again.

The crowd surged, a barrage of attacks raining down upon him, tearing his brand-new school uniform into strips. Although they inflicted no real physical harm, they were slowly breaking down Yi Chen’s mental defenses.

Liang Bing alone could not handle the opponents, so Yi Chen had arranged for Lynx to take her to find Lu Yu.

Dragging his friend into the chaos of the infected was a helpless decision. But at a time like this, no one was more trustworthy than Lu Yu.

Just as Yi Chen desperately tried to break through the crowd, tearing apart the ungrateful obstacles before him, the frenzied mob suddenly stopped moving.

Like puppets with cut strings, they all collapsed, fainting one after another. The entire rooftop was soon covered with a dense, dark mass of fallen bodies—a striking sight.

He checked the breathing of several people; all were normal, seemingly just asleep.

Was this the rebound effect after the mental control ended?

There was no time to ponder further. Carrying Mu Qing on his back, Yi Chen stepped carefully through the rare gaps on the ground, sprinted down the tower, and took the elevator.

He couldn’t yet guarantee the place was completely safe; he could not leave Mu Qing alone. As for her two classmates, he had no time to worry about them for now.

Seizing this brief moment, Yi Chen called Zhou Shiwen.

Such a commotion at the Ivory Tower involved hundreds, perhaps thousands of teachers and students. It would be difficult for Future Group to cover up the truth as they had in previous incidents.

“I will send people to handle the aftermath as soon as possible,” Zhou Shiwen said on the other end.

“Send some ambulances. Many people are injured here.”

“Any infections?” Zhou Shiwen’s concern was clear.

Their cooperation was a secret agreement; other executives were unaware.

Although Zhou Shiwen held the ultimate authority in Future Group, major decisions required a relatively “democratic” vote. Some were skeptical of Yi Chen.

If this incident spiraled out of control, it would inevitably affect his support within the group, providing others with grounds to impeach him.

“Not for now. I haven’t attacked them,” Yi Chen replied.

“That’s good…”

“What will you do with the two infected who appeared at the Ivory Tower?” Yi Chen asked immediately.

“Dispose of them as you see fit, but don’t let anyone unrelated find out about their existence,” Zhou Shiwen stated firmly.

Yi Chen ended the call, unaware that Mu Qing’s eyelashes twitched behind him.

The elevator arrived at B1. As soon as they entered the cafeteria, Yi Chen smelled the stench of blood.

“You’re here,” Liang Bing greeted him quietly, clutching a wound. Her expression remained blank, giving no indication of pain.

Yi Chen knew Liang Bing was seriously injured and felt a pang of sorrow. She rarely got hurt in battle. She had just recovered from a fall off a dangerous building not long ago, and now she was injured again. Such a fragile frame—how could she endure this?

Although Lynx had been connected to his mental network earlier, it had exhibited some abnormal behavior and had not obeyed his commands. Now he understood: the Puppeteer had taken more direct physical control of it, turning it into an accomplice.

The troublesome Lynx crouched obediently at Liang Bing’s feet. It was a trick from the enemy, but Liang Bing didn’t blame the animal.

“Yi Chen… tell me, is all this a dream?” Lu Yu rubbed his aching fist and asked bewilderedly.

“You beat everyone up like this, and you still talk about dreams?” Yi Chen pointed at the Puppeteer and Hypnotist, their faces swollen grotesquely.

“Who exactly are they? What are you doing? Even now, are you still planning to keep this from me?” Lu Yu was annoyed, firing off a string of questions.

Before, he had tried to respect his friend’s wishes, waiting for Yi Chen to speak when ready. But now that he had been dragged into this mess and witnessed such world-shattering events, even knowing it was troublesome, he could not turn a blind eye.

“I’m infected with a virus—not an ordinary person, nor a zombie. That’s why I haven’t gone home… Liang Bing is like me, and so are the two people on the ground—we are all infected,” Yi Chen confessed to his friend.

He was grateful to Lu Yu, who had risked his life for him and deserved to know the truth.

Liang Bing, sensing the moment, distanced herself and sat on a nearby bench. Though she could still hear their conversation, she gave them space.

Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, she felt exhausted and chilled, longing for a good sleep.

Lu Yu was silent for a few seconds, needing time to digest the information he had just heard.

Infected with the virus—wasn’t that a death sentence?

He couldn’t imagine how Yi Chen had endured this all this time. If it were him, his spirit would have long since collapsed!

“…You didn’t need to hide this from me. Who are we if not brothers? Telling me sooner would have eased your burden,” Lu Yu sighed.

“Sorry.”

“Enough of that. What’s your next move?” Lu Yu looked around at the chaotic mess.

“I’ve already contacted Future Group. Help will arrive soon. Of course, they won’t disclose the truth publicly.”

“Knowing so much, do you think they might silence me?” Lu Yu joked grimly.

“You can take down infected by yourself; who would dare touch you?” Yi Chen smiled. “But seriously, before the Future Group people arrive, you should leave quickly.”

Lu Yu sneered. He was genuinely worried about running into them and not being able to escape.

After Lu Yu left, Yi Chen’s smile vanished, replaced by deadly intent.

He kicked the recently awakened Puppeteer hard and asked coldly, “Tell me, where are the infiltrators now? What exactly do you want?”

“Hmph! We’re also infected, with such powerful abilities. Why do you serve humans like a lapdog?” the Puppeteer spat blood, his tone full of scorn and mockery.

“Even if we die, we won’t tell you… Ow!” Before finishing his defiance, sharp pain shot through his hand.

Yi Chen had crushed his hand bones!

“Want to die? I can grant you that,” Yi Chen bent down, his gaze sharp as a blade.

The overwhelming intimidation made the Puppeteer tremble, forgetting to scream.

“Even if you don’t talk today, I’ll find out eventually,” Yi Chen said with an expression that said, “Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me perish,” completely dismissing his opponent.

“Don’t get cocky! This is just the beginning! Ouyang Hong and that monster share the same goal—to kill you! Not only you, but your family, your friends, everything you hold dear…” The Puppeteer screamed wildly in desperation.

Suddenly, his voice was cut off. Yi Chen gripped his throat.

The cold touch sent a chill from the Puppeteer’s head to toe. His life was in Yi Chen’s hands, a helpless feeling he had experienced when first encountering the infiltrators.