The vibration of an old phone echoed within the sub-dimension.
The screen lit up, displaying a number that had called multiple times.
Yue Shi leaned back on the sofa, his eyes closed, his fingers unconsciously tapping twice on the armrest.
The vibration stopped.
After a few dozen seconds, it rang again.
He opened his eyes, his gaze devoid of emotion.
He reached out and picked up the old phone, his thumb hovering over the answer button for a moment.
He pressed it.
The call connected.
Yue Shi did not speak.
The receiver was filled with a cold, icy silence.
After a few seconds, a man's voice came from the other end, struggling to remain steady yet still sounding weak and tense.
“Brother Yue? Is that you?”
Yue Shi didn't bother answering such a pointless question.
His voice was calm, like an emotionless AI.
“Get to the point. You have thirty seconds.”
On the other end of the line, Bai Wanyang lay on a hospital bed. Outside the window, the harsh, pale light of the hospital corridor flickered.
He took a sharp breath, discarding all useless pleasantries and skipping the part where he would play the emotional card.
“It’s been a long time. This is Bai Wanyang.”
“My supernatural ability was stolen, and my luck was taken as well.”
“The person who did it is named Zhang Songyun. He used to be my friend.”
“I’m a cripple now. The Investigation Bureau gave me a clerical position, but I can't accept this.”
He spoke quickly but tried to keep his thoughts organized.
“I can't find anyone willing to help me, so I could only think of turning to you.”
“Brother, help me! I want my things back. I want revenge!”
He finished speaking.
The receiver remained silent.
This silence was more unsettling than any verbal pressure.
Bai Wanyang could hear the buzzing of blood rushing to his temples, and his throat felt dry and tight.
After a moment, Yue Shi’s voice sounded again, his tone completely unchanged.
“Why should I help you?”
“What benefit is there for me?”
“You actually managed to fumble such a winning hand. If I help you this once, can you really turn the tables?”
The three questions were like three blades, precisely stripping away any warmth and exposing Yue Shi's cold, indifferent nature.
Bai Wanyang's heart sank, and the faint, lingering warmth of hope was completely extinguished.
He had originally thought that he and Yue Shi were friends on relatively good terms.
How disappointing.
His life was such a failure.
But Bai Wanyang didn't show any anger or dissatisfaction.
During this time, as he lay on the hospital bed, he had repeatedly chewed over his experiences.
After being beaten down by reality, those naive fantasies had long since been ground into dust.
He had already anticipated Yue Shi's attitude.
Or rather, he had to anticipate it!
Success depends on a single burst of courage; it wanes on the second attempt and is exhausted by the third. He couldn't let Yue Shi's attitude break him. If he lost his nerve now, he would spiral into self-abandonment, with no hope of ever rising again.
Bai Wanyang lowered his voice. Since he was the one asking for a favor, he had to adopt the right posture.
He stated, “I have nothing now. I can't give you the payment you need.”
“But I understand the current state of the Amber City Investigation Bureau, and I understand Zhang Songyun. He...”
Bai Wanyang paused slightly, choosing a compelling angle.
“You should know who Zhang Songyun is.”
“The night the Clown wreaked havoc in Amber City, Zhang Songyun survived multiple high-risk supernatural incidents as an ordinary person, completely unscathed.”
“He can directly influence a person's luck. It's not just a matter of probability; it's a definitive seizure and transfer.”
“I went through a period of bad luck, and his subsequent good fortune happened simultaneously.”
“This isn't a normal supernatural power. At least, I've never heard of anything like it.”
“The way he stole my ability was also very strange. There was no combat; it seemed like he could do it just through long-term contact.”
“Don't you think an ability that can change luck values is very special?”
After finishing, Bai Wanyang held his breath.
He was destitute now, with nothing to offer as a bargaining chip.
So he had to shift his strategy, on one hand showing his potential utility,
And on the other, finding a way to make Yue Shi interested in Zhang Songyun.
Even if Yue Shi didn't help him today, once Yue Shi focused on this peculiar 'lucky one,' Zhang Songyun would definitely have a hard time!
Bai Wanyang had made the right bet.
On the other end of the line, the corner of Yue Shi's mouth twitched.
He was indeed interested.
‘Is it something else related to Destiny?’
The Book of Fated Prophecies he had obtained in the Supernatural Game Show represented destiny.
That woman at headquarters could also interfere with fate, creating ill-fated connections between people.
And this Zhang Songyun could steal luck and make others unlucky?
Yue Shi made a quick judgment.
Zhang Songyun's ability was worth investigating. Perhaps it could help complete the Authority of Destiny.
As for his old colleague, Bai Wanyang, his hatred was genuine and his despair was absolute.
Hatred and despair were high-quality fuels that could drive reckless behavior.
A blade, even a disposable one meant to be thrown away after use, had value as long as it was sharp enough and stabbed into the right place at the right time.
Amber City, the territory of that mysterious Director Tang...
After considering for a long while, Yue Shi spoke. “I can give you a chance.”
Bai Wanyang’s spine straightened. “Go on.”
Yue Shi's phrasing was very blunt. “I will give you new power, enough to let you stand up and bite back.”
“But there is one thing: I don't guarantee your safety, and I certainly don't guarantee you'll return to your original state.”
“You might die in the process, or things might get even worse.”
“In exchange, you will find Zhang Songyun in Amber City, latch onto him, and tear him apart.”
“Use every method you can think of to make him suffer, to cause chaos, and to force the factions that might be behind him to reveal themselves.”
“Not just Zhang Songyun—anyone who stands in your way, anyone who makes you unhappy, you can hurt them all.”
“I need you to create chaos. The bigger, the better.”
Hearing these words, Bai Wanyang's heart hammered in his chest, and blood rushed to his head, causing a wave of dizziness.
Yue Shi lowered his voice slightly and continued, “Behind every single thing you do, you must leave traces—traces that vaguely point toward the Bureau headquarters.”
“You need to make them think it's the people from headquarters who are stirring up trouble in Amber City.”
“Stoke the conflict between the local Amber City bureau and headquarters. You don't need to prove it; you just need to plant the seeds of suspicion.”
Bai Wanyang understood instantly.
He wasn't just going to be a blade; he was going to set a trap to frame headquarters.
He couldn't guess what Yue Shi was thinking.
Was he planning to make the different factions tear each other apart out of suspicion?
This was dangerous.
One wrong move, and he would die in some corner, his death meaningless, perhaps without even a body left to bury.
But...
Bai Wanyang gripped the phone tightly, his palms drenched in cold sweat, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright.
What else did he have to lose?
His health, his abilities, his dignity, his friends, his future... all of it was gone.
Now he only had this breathing shell of a body left, and the hatred burning in his chest made his very organs ache.
“I accept.”
“What do I need to do?”
“When can you give me the new ability?”
Bai Wanyang's voice was hoarse, but he didn't hesitate.
“Wait,” Yue Shi replied with only one word before adding,
“Watch your mouth. The next time I contact you, it will be through a different method.”
“Until then, stay as flat as a corpse. Don't do anything unnecessary. Pretend you've already accepted reality.”
With that, the call was abruptly disconnected.
The dial tone sounded.
Bai Wanyang slowly lowered his arm, the phone sliding onto the bedsheets.
He stared up at the ceiling, his chest heaving violently a few times before gradually calming down.
Deep inside, his kindness was slowly fading away.
His hands slowly clenched into fists, his nails digging into his palms and leaving several bleeding marks.
It didn't hurt.
Compared to the void of losing everything, this little bit of pain was nothing.
Rate on N.U.
