Saving Unpermitted

Chapter 82: Assassination

While the city was still under lockdown, Shu Jun brought Xia Yufeng back to Y City. Zhu Yanchen would continue to act as “Marshal” for a while longer, so Xia Yufeng was placed in the Ai’s Clinic—after all, Ai Xiaoxiao wasn’t there, so there weren’t many people in the clinic now.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t go to the command center that evening; he went straight back to the Zhu residence to meet Shu Jun.

When Zhu Yanchen’s mother and older brother were still around, the Zhu household was considered lively. Now, apart from the family doctor and the nanny, only Zhu Sheng and Zhu Yanchen remained in the Zhu household. The spacious and bright house had several unoccupied rooms. Zhu Sheng didn’t keep the rooms arranged for the deceased; the extra rooms were all cleared out, like discarded cicada shells.

The meal was plentiful, but there were only two people at the table.

Zhu Sheng informed him to come back for dinner. It seemed that even when he wasn’t around, Xia Yufeng would also come back to the Zhu residence for meals. Zhu Yanchen didn’t know if it was a performance for others or if Zhu Sheng didn’t want to dine alone.

Zhu Sheng wasn’t wasteful; the dinner consisted of three simple dishes. There was a clear stew of oxtail, a dish of cabbage and tofu, and a dish of minced meat stewed with eggs—all suitable for the elderly.

Zhu Yanchen took his seat and silently began eating.

“Your posture is much better today.” Zhu Sheng glanced at him.

“Practice pays off,” Zhu Yanchen replied calmly.

“Mm.”

Another awkward silence followed. Zhu Sheng ate slowly, and the large dining room was illuminated warmly by the lights. However, Zhu Yanchen sensed a coldness from the elderly man beside him. During this period, he interacted with Tang Heyu quite a bit. Although Tang Lao had some disrespectful tendencies, unlike an elder, he had a liveliness that Zhu Sheng lacked.

Although the Tang family didn’t like Tang Heyu, they lived together in a lively manner, taking good care of him. On the other hand, considering safety factors, there were no distant relatives living with Zhu Sheng.

Zhu Yanchen paused his spoon motion.

“…Zhu Lao.”

“Hmm?”

“Now that you know that the player system can cause various problems, should we consider cooperating with Yi Ning as a backup plan?”

As long as they eased up on the issue of the settlement’s residents, the conflict between the two could still be salvaged.

“Mm, I had someone look into Zhu Yanchen’s research. The reason the player system malfunctioned was because the Erosion Swamp consumed the synthetic human’s body and obtained a vast amount of information.” Zhu Sheng scooped a spoonful of stewed egg; his hand trembled with the characteristic tremor due to old age.

“…I see.”

“Then just make sure the Erosion Swamp doesn’t come into contact with them,” Zhu Sheng said casually. “After dealing with this batch of synthetic humans, I will find someone to optimize the new system. In the future, synthetic humans won’t need to venture deep into the erosion zone for operations. The loss of purification speed can be compensated by the productivity of the new ‘Players’.”

Then he paused and started talking to himself. “We need to make changes to the ‘campus training’ in the virtual city… the issue of separation between citizens and synthetic humans… hmm, and the handling after the service period…”

Zhu Yanchen tightened his grip on the spoon handle.

“What?” Zhu Sheng noticed Zhu Yanchen’s gaze and snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, you were just talking about cooperation with Yi Ning. Yi Ning is too softhearted and indecisive. If he becomes the leader, humans will be in big trouble.”

While saying this, Zhu Sheng stared at the spoon in front of him and didn’t even look at Zhu Yanchen.

Zhu Yanchen adjusted his emotions for a moment. “Why do we have to continue with the player system? Its flaws are glaring, and the risks are too great.”

“Do you know about nuclear energy towers? They were one of the important energy sources before the apocalypse.”

Considering Xia Yufeng’s knowledge, Zhu Yanchen answered cautiously, “I’ve heard a little bit about it.”

“It appeared hundreds of years ago, along with similar facilities like ‘nuclear power plants’. Compared to safe nuclear energy towers, nuclear power plants had the risk of leaks and even explosions. Once an accident occurred, the destruction that’s city-level wasn’t uncommon.”

Zhu Sheng showed an unusual interest.

“Of course, the probability of accidents was very low, but they did happen. At that time, it was crucial to various countries, and despite the risks, no one abandoned its benefits. The same principle applies to the player system. These are major matters concerning people’s livelihoods. If we stop progressing just because there are risks, humanity can’t develop at all.”

But life isn’t a machine.

“You…”

Zhu Yanchen took a breath, suppressing his emotions. “Are you sure you won’t consider abolishing the player system? Introduce the settlement’s residents as labor and let the machines handle the purification slowly. The difference would only be…”

“The efficiency would be too low, and the social burden too great.” Zhu Sheng interrupted, then glanced at Zhu Yanchen. “Xiao Xia, you’re quite talkative today.”

Zhu Yanchen remained silent for the rest of the time. After the meal was over, he stood up and left with one final question.

“Zhu Lao, have you ever regretted this insistence?”

Zhu Sheng didn’t directly answer. He sat in the bright and spacious dining room, his face reflecting the color of an old man. The dining room felt like a huge coffin.

“Continuing this is beneficial to the people, that’s for sure. If we give up now…”

Zhu Sheng didn’t finish his sentence until Zhu Yanchen left the dining room.

At the same time, elsewhere.

After hearing Zhu Yanchen’s words, Shu Jun didn’t taunt Yi Ning. As planned, he revealed some information to Yi Ning using the identity of “Gray Claw”, a resident of the settlement, and then politely declined Yi Ning’s recruitment request.

“I already have a boss.” Shu Jun whistled. “Sorry, Mr. Marshal.”

Yi Ning felt quite regretful, but he didn’t have the habit of forcing others. Under the protection of Yi Ning’s bodyguards, the two of them left the meeting restaurant.

“Mr. Gray Claw, where do you plan to go next? If you don’t have a place to stay, I can arrange it for you.”

“No need. I have to head to the outskirts to meet my boss.” Shu Jun waved his hand nonchalantly.

“I see. Then I…”

Before Yi Ning could finish speaking, he was suddenly pulled closer by Shu Jun. A bullet hit the spot where Yi Ning had just been standing.

“A sniper.” Shu Jun didn’t hesitate and tightly grabbed Yi Ning’s collar, swiftly entering the nearest alley. Yi Ning’s two bodyguards tried to follow but were shot in the head, one after the other.

“…The Zhu family.” Yi Ning gritted his teeth.

“What do you mean?” Shu Jun asked while observing the surroundings. “If you die, won’t the election be delayed? I remember Zhu Sheng wanted to settle things quickly.”

“Perhaps my recent actions were too noticeable, and he became aware of them.” Yi Ning furrowed his brow. “It’s a tense period now. Even if I die, Zhu Sheng can find a way to directly place Zhu… His puppet in power.”

“He’s really going all out this time.” Shu Jun adjusted the mask on his face. “By the way, with the city in lockdown like this, it’s unlikely that the residents from the outer settlements can vote. Lately, Zhu Yanchen has been quite active. Wouldn’t it be simpler to defeat you in a fair manner? Zhu Sheng seems lacking in confidence.”

“…Zhu Yanchen’s reputation isn’t good, and he has poor support among the people,” Yi Ning sighed softly. “Even if the settlement’s voting rights are cut off, my chances of winning against him are fifty-fifty.”

Once he exposed the evidence that Zhu Yanchen was a fake, he would win. Zhu Sheng must have realized his intentions and wanted to strike first, cutting off the source of trouble.

“I see.” Shu Jun smiled. “This is why I dislike all this political intrigue. Well, Lao Yi, you can’t die just yet.”

“Lao*…?!”

*Clarity: Since Shu Jun is addressing him as Lao, it means he regards Yi Ning on friendlier/closer terms now, which is why Yi Ning reacted like so (given they just met and shouldn’t be so familiar).

“Counting the sniper, we’re surrounded by about thirty people. They’re really determined to kill you.”

While speaking, Shu Jun scanned the dark alley with his gaze.

“To be honest, while you’re thinking about the settlement, aren’t you worried about Y City? What if you and Zhu Sheng cause trouble here, and the synthetic humans overthrow both of you? Wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse?”

“I don’t plan to kill Zhu Sheng. If things go wrong, he can protect Y City as much as he wants.” Yi Ning drew his sidearm. “I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t stand by and do nothing while my compatriots die before my eyes.”

Shu Jun: “……”

A’Yan’s judgment was accurate. Yi Ning was a kind person and would make a good leader, but he wouldn’t be qualified as a leader.

“Survive first, then give your speech, Yi Ning.” Shu Jun lowered his voice. “Now, it’s my turn to ask you. Where do you plan to go next?”

“The command center is definitely ambushed, and my own home is no good. If possible, I’d like to go to the Tang family.”

“No problem. Just remember to pay the fee.”

Unfortunately, they couldn’t fly. Shu Jun patted the backpack on his back. To deceive others, he had let it absorb some water and carefully wrapped the sword, placing it inside the backpack.

His powers couldn’t be used, and it was inconvenient to take out weapons, which made this battle truly exhausting.

Shu Jun sighed heavily, opened the communicator, and sent a few text messages to Zhu Yanchen. “Yi Ning, take off your uniform jacket and give it to me. Then hide in that trash bin over there. An hour later, someone from the Tang family will come to pick you up. Until then, no matter what you hear, don’t look outside, understand?”

“Gray Claw, how do you know the Tang family…”

“It’s my boss’ connection. Don’t ask further.” Shu Jun took off Yi Ning’s uniform hat and put it on his own head. “Hurry up and take it off. Once they surround us, you won’t have time to hide.”

Yi Ning had no choice but to take off his jacket and put on Shu Jun’s dirty settlement attire before getting up and hiding inside the trash bin. Fortunately, with the city on lockdown, there were fewer people throwing garbage, and the bin was relatively clean.

“The Marshal’s uniform looks pretty good.” Shu Jun laughed and tightened his belt. With one hand, he picked up the backpack and made a random gesture.

The “Duplication” ability activated, and another Yi Ning slowly stood up in front of him, whose eyes were lifeless and devoid of emotion.

Considering that the duplication could only create a superficial appearance, to ensure that the footsteps sounded authentic, Shu Jun added some erosion vines to weigh it down.

He thought for a moment, then opened the backpack, took out the balled-up Monday, and stuffed it into the “duplicate’s” body. Monday had been chewing a candy ball inside the bag, but suddenly being pulled out, it angrily made three clicking noises.

“Stop making a fuss.” Shu Jun glanced at the nearby trash bin, lowering his voice. “I’ll get you another candy. Stay inside this thing’s body—once you’ve shaken off the pursuers, sniff out my location and rendezvous with me.”

“Five.”

“What?”

“Five. Jars.”

“You’re exaggerating. If you keep making noise, I’ll lock you up in a can.” Shu Jun was both exasperated and amused.

“Two. Jars.”

“Fine, fine, two jars. Hurry up.”

“Happy.” Monday expressed its happiness.

“…As long as you’re happy.” Shu Jun ignored it and neatly stuffed it into the duplicate’s body, then gave the duplicate a command.

“They’ve run out! Yes, both of them ran out. One of them lost their backpack, which probably had another set of uniforms inside.” Nearby, an observing assassin began contacting his comrades.

“What should we do?”

“Chase. I’ll take teams A and B to chase the one on the east side, and teams C and D will go after the one on the west side. Lift the blockade on the alley… Yes, I’m sure there are only two people in the alley, and they both ran out.”

“Understood.”

About a dozen pursuers caught up. Shu Jun clicked his tongue, quickening his pace. However, his knowledge of the interior of Y City was limited. Even if he could traverse walls and roofs, there were still four or five people tightly pursuing him.

He didn’t know how Monday was doing.

Shu Jun shook his head and vaulted over a low wall with his bare hands. Unfortunately, he ended up at a dead end. It seemed like he had entered a residential area that had been converted from a factory, surrounded by intimidatingly tall walls.

Unless he used his powers or manipulated the erosion substance, he wouldn’t be able to climb over them.

“Wait, wait. I’m not Yi Ning.” Shu Jun pushed down the lower half of his mask and raised his hands. “Your target is Marshal Yi Ning, right? I’m just a worker from the settlement, doing tasks for money. Killing me won’t serve any purpose. How about we both take a step back? You can continue with your work, and I’ll just go home…”

“Get him.” One of the assassins made a gesture. “Ask him about Yi Ning’s whereabouts thoroughly.”

“No, no, no.” Shu Jun hastily waved his hands. “I really don’t know anything. I’ve been leading the synthetic humans all along, so I have a faster pace. Spare me, please.”

“There’s news from the other side. They confirmed Yi Ning’s death. The body fell into the river and was washed away. What should we do?” The reporter’s voice was very low, but Shu Jun heard it clearly.

The leader of the group glanced casually at Shu Jun. “Forget it, let’s go assist the other two teams. As for this one…”

Shu Jun stood at attention.

“Kill him. It’s better not to have any trouble.” The leader waved his hand. “He’s just someone from the settlement. If he disappears, no one will make a fuss.”

From behind the wall, the sound of dripping water reached Shu Jun’s ears. He sighed. “Everyone, I’m begging you. I haven’t seen your faces, and I’m not familiar with this place. How could I possibly leak any secrets? Yi Ning is dead, and I don’t want to offend anyone. I have a date tonight, and my lover is waiting for me—”

“That’s not what you said earlier,” one of them said coldly. “You said you were going to meet your boss. So, is your boss your wife? This guy is full of bullshit; we can’t let him live.”

“Can’t we negotiate?” The sound of water behind him was getting closer.

“Cut the crap. Do it.”

Gunshots rang out, but it wasn’t Shu Jun who was hit. Another figure appeared out of thin air—a distorted and contorted figure, limbs twisted, vaguely resembling a human but more like a pitiful corpse.

“Well done, Monday. I’ll get you three jars of candy.”

“You. Promise.” A few responses came from the body’s cavity. Shu Jun smiled, then directly tore open the “corpse” with one hand, gripping the wet hilt of the sword tightly.

The next moment, the assassins didn’t realize what had happened, and their thoughts sank into darkness.

“Within an hour, dispose of the bodies and bloodstains, including the clothing and metal. Don’t be picky.” Shu Jun gave orders to the erosion substance around him. “After finishing, disperse individually and ensure that you are at least ten kilometers apart.”

After cleaning up the scene, Shu Jun let out a long sigh of relief. Leaning against the wall, he stared at the slowly disappearing body with a face devoid of any expression. The air was cold and damp, intensifying the stench of blood.

At that moment, his communicator vibrated. Shu Jun swiftly answered the call.

“It’s me,” Zhu Yanchen’s voice came through. “I just spoke with Mr. Tang, and the Tang family has taken Yi Ning in. They will strengthen his protection until the end of the election.”

“Mm.”

“…In a bad mood?”

“You can tell?” Shu Jun laughed dryly.

“You killed people.”

“Spot on. Did you hide a camera on me or something? Yeah, I killed about four or five people. It feels…strangely exhilarating.”

It was a peculiar sense of pleasure. Shu Jun was acutely aware of his own sensations, and he was certain that something inhuman within him had been satisfied. On one hand, he felt discomfort, but on the other hand, he experienced a strange kind of pleasure—a sensation that could almost become addictive.

This contradiction threatened to tear his emotions apart. If this was the reward mechanism created by the Erosion Swamp through “hatred”, it was indeed quite troublesome.

“Does it feel truly pleasant?” Zhu Yanchen seemed to see through his thoughts.

“A’Yan, have I ever told you that you can be quite intimidating sometimes.”

“No,” Zhu Yanchen earnestly replied. “In this situation, I discussed it with Mr. Tang a few days ago. Your emotions are unstable right now. Don’t stay there for too long. Come back home first.”

“Go home?”

“…Come to me.”

Shu Jun no longer looked at the body on the ground. He lifted his head and gazed at the sky covered by dark clouds. The emotions that had nearly torn him apart were slowly calming down now.

“Yeah, I’ll head back now.”