When Liu Xiaojing first heard the term "Quanxing," he had no idea what it meant. Just as he was about to ask Er Zhuang for an explanation, he noticed that the screen had suddenly gone blank. At the same moment, a series of knocks echoed through the door. The visitor, no doubt, was one of the so-called "Quanxing" individuals.
"Er Zhuang?" Liu Xiaojing, momentarily ignoring the knocks, looked once again at the computer screen, confused as to why Er Zhuang had suddenly disappeared.
[Xiaojing, the person outside is a "monster" from Quanxing, one of the Four Madmen—Shen Chong. His ability is "Usury," a power that allows him to lend others his strength through a contract, all the while drawing interest, causing the victim to slowly break down and eventually lose their sanity. (anxious)]
"Shen Chong?" Liu Xiaojing couldn't help but feel a little confused.
[Yes, from the surveillance cameras in the hotel hallway, it's clear that the person outside is Shen Chong. As for his exact purpose... that remains unclear for now. (anxious)]
"Quanxing... Could they be the bad guys?" Liu Xiaojing inquired.
[Yes! A bunch of selfish, unscrupulous bastards! (angry)]
"What should I do?" Liu Xiaojing wasn't sure whether the person outside was truly an enemy, but having observed Er Zhuang's attitude toward Quanxing, he quickly made up his mind.
[Flee! Their intentions are unclear, and their abilities are troublesome! A naive individual like you is bound to fall into their trap. The best course of action is to leave immediately. (anxious)]
[Hold on! I just received word! This hotel is one of Quanxing's secret hideouts! You must leave now! (shocked)]
"..." Liu Xiaojing, sensing Er Zhuang's nervousness, felt a surge of caution, but he didn't immediately follow the advice to flee. Instead, he glanced at the intact door to the hallway.
"What's there to worry about? This person seems much more polite than you guys. Maybe they don't even have malicious intent. I'll just wait for now. Tomorrow, I'll report to the company. As for today... I'd like to meet this extraordinary individual from Quanxing."
[This is madness! What if something goes wrong? (anxious)]
"It's fine. I'm sure if I wanted to leave, no one could stop me. Did you forget what happened yesterday?" Liu Xiaojing, while aware of the potential danger, wasn't nearly as nervous as Er Zhuang. In fact, he was rather intrigued by the purpose of the person outside.
[Emmm... it's different. The abilities of the Four Madmen are unique. You... Fine, I'll leave it to you. If possible, the company's leader hopes you can capture Shen Chong alive.]
"Capture alive? I'll play it by ear." Liu Xiaojing pondered for a moment before nodding calmly, as if filled with confidence in his own strength. With that, he closed the computer screen, cut the power to all electronic devices in the room, and ended his communication with the company.
Once done, the polite knocking at the door resumed. Liu Xiaojing, hearing the sound, turned his gaze toward the door. Slowly standing up from the desk, he stretched lazily as if just waking from a nap, then walked over to the doorway.
...Click.
Creak...
The old lock on the small hotel door clicked open, the door creaking slightly as it was pushed ajar. On the other side stood a well-dressed man in a suit and tie, with glasses perched on his nose. He smiled as he entered Liu Xiaojing's line of sight.
"Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shen Chong." Shen Chong smiled as he sized up Liu Xiaojing. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and slowly extended his right hand, offering a handshake. "If my guess is correct, you must have had quite a significant involvement in the recent zombie incident in Lianmen Harbor. The art of corpse-riding from Xiangxi, correct? How should I address you?"
"Liu Xiaojing." Liu Xiaojing glanced at Shen Chong's extended hand but made no move to shake it.
Noticing Liu Xiaojing's indifference, Shen Chong withdrew his hand with a smile and adjusted his glasses again. "Liu Xiaojing? From the Liu family of Xiangxi? But I've heard that the current heir of the Liu family is the only one, and... I believe she's a woman, right?"
At this, Liu Xiaojing's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly masked it. "I have no connection to the Liu family. It's just a coincidence that my surname is Liu. There's nothing to hide."
Shen Chong didn't detect Liu Xiaojing's subtle reaction and instead seemed taken aback by Liu Xiaojing's honesty. "Not from the Liu family? Then perhaps from another family in Xiangxi? But..."
"There's nothing more to say. I have no connection to any corpse-riding family. As for the incident you mentioned, I'm not involved. If there's nothing else, please leave." Liu Xiaojing had no intention of befriending Shen Chong or gathering information about the Liu family from him. Given the events that had already transpired, he now had better ways to obtain that information. The company, he was certain, had already recorded every detail about the Liu family and the girl, so there was no need to pry anything further from this unreliable individual.
Initially, Liu Xiaojing had been curious about Shen Chong's reason for visiting, but after a few exchanges, all he'd heard were meaningless pleasantries, which dulled the curiosity he'd briefly had.
"Mr. Liu, please wait."
Shen Chong placed his hand against the closing door, his smile never fading as he looked at Liu Xiaojing inside. "Since Mr. Liu is an independent individual without any background, there's no need for me to hide anything from you."
"Hide what?" Liu Xiaojing glanced at the hand Shen Chong had placed on the door. "Mr. Shen, I'm not sure how you found me or what your sudden visit in the middle of the night is about, but if it's just trivial matters, I might get very upset."
Shen Chong pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and grinned mysteriously. "Of course, it's something important. I wonder... have you ever heard of Quanxing?"
At this, Liu Xiaojing feigned caution and looked at Shen Chong. "You're from Quanxing? Why are you looking for me?"
"I am one of the Four Madmen of Quanxing—Shen Chong." Shen Chong once again introduced himself. "Since Mr. Liu is an independent individual with no background, doesn't it feel like a waste to be living in a place like this? If you don't mind..."
"I refuse." Liu Xiaojing immediately rejected the offer, having guessed that Shen Chong wanted him to join Quanxing. "To others, Quanxing isn't exactly a reputable organization."
"That's where you're wrong." Shen Chong smiled and explained, "Mr. Liu, as an extraordinary individual, hasn't your current situation already proven the point?"
"You have the ability to live better, yet you're forced to hide away in such a dark and damp corner, all because you can't use your powers in front of ordinary people, due to the rules of other prestigious families and organizations?"
"Why should ordinary people have it better? Why must we lower our heads and live in the shadows? Extraordinary beings... should be the ones in charge of this world."
"Mr. Liu, join Quanxing, use your abilities as you wish, live for yourself. Wouldn't that be a better life?"