Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Shen Wang was never one to hesitate. He was decisive, emotionally steady. Once he'd made up his mind about something, he didn't change it.

That strange, stubborn streak in his bones always let him pull off the weirdest things.

Like right now. Like here in the S-Zone, signing a Marriage Application Form with Zhou Xiangzhe, becoming newlyweds with official papers.

Once Zhou Xiangzhe's emotions had settled a bit, Shen Wang patted his shoulder lightly. 'Let's go.'

Zhou Xiangzhe looked up, his golden eyes damp as he stared at Shen Wang. He looked pitiful and a little confused, but he knew he'd made Shen Wang angry, so even his questions were cautious.

'Where to?'

'Out of the S-Zone.'

Shen Wang carefully put away the signed Marriage Application Form, then said casually, 'We're going on our honeymoon.'

Zhou Xiangzhe was even more confused.

His latest test results were bad. Really bad. The Deer God Entity's erosion was worse than before. His Contamination Level was already past 90, closing in on 95. You could say he was just one step away from becoming a Pollutant.

In this state, neither the S-Zone nor the Pollution Control Center would let him wander around outside.

Hell, right up until a moment ago, he'd been confined to a containment room, barely able to move. He understood the S-Zone's position — Mutants with Contamination Levels this high were rare.

Shen Wang fished a few small odds and ends from his pocket and laid them out in front of Zhou Xiangzhe. Zhou Xiangzhe looked down and saw they were his custom-made Pollution Inhibitor pieces, those little decorations just scattered there.

'Put them on. Come with me.'

Zhou Xiangzhe didn't know what was happening, but he listened anyway.

He put on each of the new Pollution Inhibitor pieces one by one. But he hesitated at the last one, a Ring. He looked at the Ring already on his finger, then finally tucked the new Ring into his pocket for now.

He still preferred the ring Shen Wang had put on him before.

Shen Wang watched him without comment. Once he was done, Shen Wang led him out of the S-Zone.

Staff and doctors in airtight isolation suits passed by along the way. They saw Zhou Xiangzhe leaving and showed no reaction, as if it was perfectly normal for him to walk out of the S-Zone right now.

They walked all the way to the S-Zone entrance. Looking at the light drizzle outside, Shen Wang turned to him. 'Wait here for me.'

'Where are you going?'

'To file a document.' Shen Wang waved the Marriage Application Form in his hand, then turned and walked off in a certain direction.

Zhou Xiangzhe watched his figure head towards the S-Zone's administrative offices.

Just as he was greedily watching Shen Wang's retreating back, a soft sigh sounded beside him.

Zhou Xiangzhe turned to look. Ming Guang was squatting under the eaves, staring at him gloomily. He held a cigarette that had been doused by the rain. And it wasn't just the cigarette — he was soaked through, reminding Zhou Xiangzhe of Shen Wang's drenched clothes when he'd returned earlier.

'You're here too?'

'Of course I'm here. If I weren't, you wouldn't be getting married.' Ming Guang put the extinguished cigarette between his lips, complaining mournfully.

Zhou Xiangzhe walked over and leaned against the wall beside him. 'So, what happened?'

'What happened?' Ming Guang wore an expression of utter existential doubt. 'You tell me first — just what is Shen Wang's background?'

'What background?' A slightly ominous thought flickered through Zhou Xiangzhe's mind.

Given his current state, the Pollution Control Center normally wouldn't allow them to marry. This wasn't a stable relationship anymore. Zhou Xiangzhe could drop dead any moment, and the world's only Mutant with Talent Pollution Immunity might go down with him.

How could they possibly let them get married?

'Scared the hell out of me.' Ming Guang felt his hands were still trembling.

Zhou Xiangzhe frowned at him. 'Stop beating around the bush. Just tell me.'

Ming Guang stared at him gloomily for a few seconds, then recounted his brief, mind-blowing experience.

So, after Shen Wang asked for a Marriage Application Form, Ming Guang was stumped. Where would he have something like that? But looking at Shen Wang's expression, he figured it was important, so he took Shen Wang straight to the marriage registry.

Even though he was thinking… For fuck's sake, you told me this morning you were just asking! And now, a few hours later, you're getting married?!

But the marriage registry flat-out refused to register them. For starters, Shen Wang came alone. Zhou Xiangzhe was still in the S-Zone. And more importantly, Zhou Xiangzhe's Contamination Level didn't meet any of the conditions for marriage registration.

So Shen Wang went and had a huge fight with the Pollution Control Center's higher-ups.

The gist was: Zhou Xiangzhe gave his all for Central City, ready to die for it, and now you won't even let him register? In the old days, people like you would've been spat on by the masses!

It was the first time Ming Guang had seen someone dare to block the Pollution Control Center's entrance and yell at the higher-ups. He was so shocked he even forgot to record it.

They argued for half an hour. The Pollution Control Center higher-ups couldn't handle Shen Wang, but in the end, they still told him: no dice.

Zhou Xiangzhe's Contamination Level had hit 95%. One more step and he'd mutate. Shen Wang might have Contamination Immunity, but he was still only Class B. When the time came, forget suppressing Zhou Xiangzhe — he'd be lucky not to get hurt by him. So they came up with a truly outrageous condition.

If Shen Wang's rank reached Class S, they'd allow him to marry Zhou Xiangzhe.

'So you know what happened next?' Ming Guang's face was full of horror. 'Shen Wang went straight to the Talent Threshold Test site, forced the staff there to test him, and guess what? He got promoted to a new Class S on the spot, slapping everyone present in the face.'

'Holy shit, is it that easy to become an S-Class?! What kind of insane luck do you have? You just pick a lover and he turns out to be a new S-Class?!'

Zhou Xiangzhe was silent for a few seconds, then said, 'It wasn't just picking.'

'I'd already decided on him.'

'Fine, fine, you two are true love, okay?' Ming Guang rolled his eyes. 'Anyway, after that, the Pollution Control Center higher-ups had nothing left to say. They had to give Shen Wang the Marriage Application Form and agree to let you two marry.'

'And then, at Shen Wang's request, they handed you over to him.'

Ming Guang looked mournfully at his rain-doused cigarette.

'What does that mean?'

'It means from now on, you go where I go. No acting on your own.' Shen Wang walked out, the Marriage Application Form in his hand now stamped with a seal. Besides that form, he held another document.

Zhou Xiangzhe reached out for it. Shen Wang looked at him for a few seconds, then handed it over.

It was a guarantee that only got printed under special circumstances.

The High Contamination Partner Responsibility Agreement.

As Zhou Xiangzhe's partner, the moment Shen Wang signed this agreement, he became responsible for all of Zhou Xiangzhe's actions. Including… ensuring that if Zhou Xiangzhe's Contamination Level exceeded the limit, he would be killed, preventing him from turning into a Class S Pollutant that would wreak havoc.

Zhou Xiangzhe's hand trembled slightly. He stared at Shen Wang's signed name on the paper, his fingers pressing against it over and over, as if trying to rub it away.

Zhou Xiangzhe was a good person. He didn't want anyone bearing the weight of his life. Especially not Shen Wang.

But Shen Wang had done it anyway.

To marry him, he'd become an S-Class Mutant, signed the marriage papers and this guarantee, all to pull him out of this situation.

Shen Wang's love was never less than his.

'We're free to move now.' Shen Wang said. 'I'm taking you to get treatment.'

Ming Guang squatted to the side, watching the two of them, feeling like a massive third wheel.

But he was happy for Zhou Xiangzhe, too.

In this apocalyptic era, finding genuine feelings was hard. Mutants got better resources, but they also carried the world's dangers. Few Mutants married, because their Contamination Level was a ticking time bomb.

And then there was this guy, completely ignoring his lover's 95% Contamination Level, insisting on being with him, becoming a couple through thick and thin.

He didn't know what to say.

They must love each other immensely.

'I'll handle Polaris.' Ming Guang said. 'You two go wherever you want. But Shen Wang, you're a newly minted S-Class Mutant. With things so unstable right now, the Pollution Control Center won't let you wander for long. They'll probably assign you a mission soon.'

Ming Guang looked at them. 'Watch the timing.'

With that, he stood up and walked into the rain. The cigarette between his fingers got drenched again — completely unsmokable now.

After getting in the car, Ming Guang rolled down the window.

'Hey.' He called out. 'When this is all over, you have to invite me to your Wedding!'

As Zhou Xiangzhe's only friend, Ming Guang didn't want to see him reach a dead end. He didn't want to see him become a Pollutant either.

He hoped Shen Wang really had a way to treat Zhou Xiangzhe.

…

After the failure of the Shinin Project, the beleaguered Pollution Control Center finally got its first piece of good news.

A fourth S-Class Mutant had finally appeared.

Unfortunately, this S-Class Mutant was fixated on Zhou Xiangzhe. Not only did he sign a Marriage Application Form with Zhou Xiangzhe, he also signed a guarantee to handle Zhou Xiangzhe's Contamination Level.

The Pollution Control Center didn't dare oppose it. They were terrified that if they did, this new S-Class Mutant would just take Zhou Xiangzhe and disappear. So they let him sign. But they also worried that if something happened to Zhou Xiangzhe, his lover Shen Wang's Contamination Level might skyrocket, leading to Mental Aberration.

After all, at this stage, among all the S-Class Mutants, only Shen Wang's Contamination Level was low and stable.

Well, actually there were two others. But Lan and Eagle Hound Sect weren't within their consideration.

To reassure the panicked public, and with Shen Wang's consent, they announced the news of the fourth S-Class Mutant's appearance. At least it let people know they weren't completely without hope.

Shen Wang's condition for agreeing to go public was three days of wedding leave. With Zhou Xiangzhe.

The Pollution Control Center agreed to this too. They really wanted Shen Wang back on duty, but the man was newly married. The three problematic Contamination Sites were relatively stable for now. They didn't want Shen Wang thinking the Pollution Control Center had poor benefits.

Right around this time, Eagle Hound Sect was forced back into his black hooded coat, listening to the voices around him.

They were currently at Central City's Outer Wall.

Security inside Central City had tightened a lot. Security Force members patrolled everywhere. Of course, they could still get into Central City, but Lan got pissed the moment he heard 'the news about Shen Wang and Zhou Xiangzhe getting married.' It was better to look for leads out here on the Outer Wall.

Besides, these Academy types couldn't operate properly inside the proper High Wall anyway. They preferred crawling into nooks and crannies, like rats.

'Your brother's become an S-Class.' Eagle Hound Sect said to the man reading a book beside him.

The man reading didn't acknowledge Eagle Hound Sect, calmly turning a page in his Premonition Scroll.

So Eagle Hound Sect asked again.

He gave a cold little hum. 'He should've been Class S to begin with.'

He'd just eaten a pseudo-S-Class Moon Theft. His Talent Threshold was probably already boosted to S.

Eagle Hound Sect tsked, finding it all incredibly boring. He squatted down beside Lan and played with the tassels on his clothes.

Lan finished reading everything on the tree, then finally spoke. 'Zhou Xiangzhe really knows how to handle people.'

'Hm?' Eagle Hound Sect looked at him.

'The Academy has been dealt with by the Pollution Control Center.' Lan said calmly. 'After guessing our identities, he immediately demanded the Pollution Control Center clean up the Academy. He's sending me a signal.'

'The grudge is between me and the Academy. The Pollution Control Center is on my side. So, when I settle things, don't drag them into it.'

Eagle Hound Sect tugged on a tassel, his tone casual. 'Will you listen?'

'The ones who had a problem with us from the start were the Academy. I don't like the Pollution Control Center, but I'm not going to attack them.' Lan closed the book. 'Besides, my little brother is in the Pollution Control Center now. I'm even less likely to target them on purpose.'

'I don't think Zhou Xiangzhe was guarding against you from the start.' Eagle Hound Sect hit the nail on the head. 'He was just worried that Despot would target the Pollution Control Center.'

Compared to the Academy, the Pollution Control Center represented more than just that organization. It was the combination of the Dispatch Team and the Security Force, with tens of thousands of ordinary people behind it. Pull one thread and the whole thing moves. Zhou Xiangzhe had to consider the safety of ordinary people, which is why he sent Lan that safety signal.

So, in a way, Zhou Xiangzhe understood Lan. He believed Lan would only target the Academy, not other innocents.

Lan snorted coldly, looking extremely displeased.

'Don't think that means I'm satisfied.' Lan's tone was gloomy. 'He stole my brilliant little brother. I'll never forgive him for that, not in this lifetime.'

Eagle Hound Sect didn't care about any of that. He only cared about one thing.

'If the Pollution Control Center has dealt with the Academy, then don't we have no target for revenge?'

'Of course they couldn't uproot the Academy completely. And those guys in the Academy are so cunning, they knew the Pollution Control Center had been dissatisfied with them for a long time.' Lan said. 'Some of them escaped. Some were locked up by the Pollution Control Center. And some had been guarding against the Pollution Control Center from the start — they got the news and went into hiding.'

'Hide and seek?'

'Something like that.'

Even as he said that, Lan's Premonition Scroll didn't have much information about the Academy. He looked at Eagle Hound Sect, who was slacking off beside him.

'Can you sense anyone from the Academy?'

'At least not here.' Eagle Hound Sect answered.

'Really?'

'I wouldn't mistake anyone from the Academy.' Eagle Hound Sect smiled. It was an arrogant, wicked smile, even showing his canine teeth. That single deep blue eye held a threatening edge.

Lan believed he really was like that.

'But,' Eagle Hound Sect said, 'your little brother's coming.'

'I know.' Lan said resentfully. 'But I don't want to see him. Especially not standing next to Zhou Xiangzhe.'

Every time he saw them together, he remembered that his adorable little brother should have been living by his side. It was all the fault of that damned Academy, making his brother drift to an Orphanage, and then meeting Zhou Xiangzhe. Finally reunited after growing up, and then Zhou Xiangzhe stole him away.

Zhou Xiangzhe, that damned human trafficker!

'So, we're leaving now.'

/

'Why are we coming to the Outer Wall?' Zhou Xiangzhe asked Shen Wang.

'Looking for someone.' Shen Wang walked while checking a location on his phone.

To accurately confirm each other's locations, their father had given them each a marker before they left. Family members with this marker could share their location. Shen Wang had come to the Outer Wall because he'd seen Lan's location, but now it seemed: Lan didn't want to see him.

His location was rapidly moving away from the Outer Wall.

Alright, alright. It looked like Lan still wasn't satisfied with his choice of partner.

'You came to find Lan?' Zhou Xiangzhe figured it out instantly.

Shen Wang glanced at him. 'Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet the in-laws, and you're not ugly. So I'm bringing you to meet my brother first. Remember to greet him properly when you see him.'

Zhou Xiangzhe: …

He imagined the scene of meeting Lan and calling him 'gege'. He fell silent.

A long time later, Zhou Xiangzhe finally spoke. 'You're not making things hard for me. I think you're making things hard for him.'

Lan would be furious.

'Who told him not to like you.' Shen Wang spread his hands. 'Forget it. He's probably tracking the Academy's trail right now. Let's not bother him.'

Actually, there was a reason Shen Wang wanted to see Lan first.

As a Mutant with the Premonition Talent, Lan knew too much. He wasn't omniscient, but he was more flexible than omniscience. Besides, this world hadn't yet produced an 'Omniscience' talent. If there were problems with no clear solution, asking Lan was the best option.

So Shen Wang wanted to ask him if he knew how to avoid Contamination Level growth.

Zhou Xiangzhe had guessed this too. He reached out and took Shen Wang's hand.

'Pollution Containment to limit Contamination Level growth isn't completely impossible. Right now there are two Class S Mutants relying on special means to suppress their Contamination Level.' Zhou Xiangzhe's voice was very soft, his golden eyes full of reassurance. 'One is Safehouse. To keep S-Zone running normally, he's been hibernating in a cryo-chamber the whole time. Hibernation can curb Contamination to a certain degree.'

'The other is [Sacrifice]. The Academy used a special drug to prolong his life, forcibly suppressing his Contamination Level. A pity he's already been killed by Lan.'

Shen Wang pulled his hand back.

'Of course I'm not letting you go into hibernation or soak in drugs.'

Could that even be called living?

Shen Wang liked a vibrant Zhou Xiangzhe. He wanted Zhou Xiangzhe to look at him gently. He wanted to feel Zhou Xiangzhe's warmth.

Not lying somewhere, life hanging by a thread, powerless the moment someone gave up on him.

What kind of salvation was that?

Pulling Zhou Xiangzhe in a certain direction, Shen Wang walked while dialing a number.

Zhou Xiangzhe quietly watched the road ahead, actually listening in secretly. Soon, the other side picked up, but the person answering wasn't Lan.

'We're here.' Shen Wang said. 'Where are you?'

Zhou Xiangzhe carefully hooked his fingers around Shen Wang's hand. After Shen Wang hung up, he asked, 'Who were you calling?'

'Are you jealous?' Shen Wang looked at him.

Zhou Xiangzhe blinked. 'If you're willing to tell me, then I won't be jealous.'

Hearing that, Shen Wang laughed. It seemed like he'd finally found something to laugh about in this whole awful experience.

A strange thing to laugh about.

After he finished laughing, Shen Wang said, 'You'll find out in a moment.'

This 'you'll find out in a moment' surprised Zhou Xiangzhe a bit.

Because the person who finally came to meet them was actually Qiang Li'an.

The burly man started sniffling the moment he saw them, then choked out congratulations on their Wedding, and went on to praise their great love countless times! He even boldly declared that all the romance novels he'd ever read couldn't compare to their trials and tribulations together.

This was true love!

Zhou Xiangzhe: …

For the first time in his life, he felt that what Qiang Li'an was saying was agreeable, yet also so cringe-worthy he wanted to sew his mouth shut.

'You know we got married?' Zhou Xiangzhe asked, puzzled.

'Of course! Everyone knows! The Vice-Captain said so!'

Still crying, Qiang Li'an opened the notice Ming Guang had posted.

'The Vice-Captain said you have three days of marriage leave, so don't let anything disturb you — he'll handle everything. I thought the Vice-Captain had finally had enough of your bastard ways and staged a coup! I didn't expect it to be true!'

Zhou Xiangzhe fell silent again, unsure what to say.

Was he really such an unpopular Captain?

'Alright, keep talking and Captain Zhou will get angry.' Shen Wang cut in with a smile. 'Did you bring the thing I asked you to make?'

'Of course!'

Qiang Li'an immediately pulled a box from behind him and handed it to Shen Wang. 'I worked overtime to get someone to make it! Absolutely good quality and affordable!'

'What is it?' Zhou Xiangzhe asked.

'Qiang Li'an has been outside the city a lot, knows some old-school craftsmen. And he reads a lot of novels, knows how to set up a little romantic scene.' Shen Wang explained.

Zhou Xiangzhe blinked.

Perhaps sensing how delicate the atmosphere had become, Qiang Li'an took off without a word, bolting away fast as a rabbit, leaving the place to the pair of newlyweds.

Shen Wang opened the box in his hands, took out a smaller box from inside, and handed it to Zhou Xiangzhe.

'Open it.'

Zhou Xiangzhe gazed into Shen Wang's eyes. After a moment, he reached out and opened the box.

There was nothing extra inside the box, just a pair of simple silver Rings standing side by side.

Zhou Xiangzhe thought of something. He took a soft breath and turned to look at Shen Wang.

'We skipped a lot of steps.' Shen Wang said. 'No proposal, no ceremony, just muddled our way into being together. But we should still have Rings.'

'Do you like them?'

'It wasn't just muddling our way into being together.' Zhou Xiangzhe looked at the Rings, his golden eyes as if filled with sunlight. They were bright, but he still refuted the statement. 'I wanted to marry you. It was serious, definitely not casual.'

Shen Wang smiled.

He reached out, took one of the Rings, and then took Zhou Xiangzhe's left hand.

In this dusk, this sunset evening, at a deserted street corner, like a magnificent blooming flower, his peach-blossom eyes were full of a love that could drown a person.

Shen Wang said, 'Will you give the rest of your life to me?'

'You have to live a long time. If it's too short, I'll be at a loss. You know I never like to come out short.'

Zhou Xiangzhe looked at the person he loved, his eyes full of affection.

'I will.'

In front of Shen Wang, he couldn't say anything that sounded like a refusal.