Shen Feng watched Yue Hengyi's departing back as he led his people away, shaking his head and sighing. "A beauty's embrace is a hero's grave," he murmured. "The more devoted, the easier they fall!"
Shen Feng's plan had succeeded. The pure-hearted Yue Hengyi was now lost in confusion. He certainly wouldn't speak of this upon returning home, and his affairs outside would remain unknown to his family.
Unable to abandon the ailing Sayaka, Yue Hengyi was immediately taking her to the hospital. Fortunately, a dedicated driver was on standby 24 hours a day, so Yue Hengyi didn't have to personally escort her. His broken leg also prevented him from doing so.
Yue Hengyi's superficial wounds had already healed. As an ability user, his muscles recovered quickly. However, his broken bones would take longer to mend completely. Doctors estimated about half a month for them to heal, but even then, strenuous activity would still carry the risk of re-fracture.
Leaning into Yue Hengyi's embrace, Sayaka felt incredibly secure and soon drifted off to sleep.
Just then, the Seven Great Families urgently delivered a document. It was from Tokyo and specifically requested Shen Feng.
Shen Feng was astonished as he read it. The letter from Tokyo addressed him as "Mr. Shen Feng," meaning his real name had been discovered. He hesitated. With his true identity exposed, should he relocate immediately?
Reading further, Shen Feng realized it was a plea for help from Tokyo. While the letter didn't detail the exact nature of the crisis, the desperate tone clearly indicated extreme urgency. Tokyo's situation must be dire for them to seek aid from him, their enemy.
"Lord Shen Fuyao, what are you looking at?" Lanzi approached, inquiring about his activity.
Shen Feng put the letter away and replied calmly, "Someone is asking for my help. It's nothing significant, don't worry about it."
With that, Shen Feng tore the letter to shreds and tossed it into the trash. Tokyo had once dispatched ability users to assassinate him; this was a deep-seated hatred. To overlook such an offense would be to possess a magnanimity bordering on sainthood. Shen Feng was incapable of such forgiveness.
Therefore, Shen Feng pretended not to have seen Tokyo's plea for help. Their fate, whether to live or die, was of no concern to him. Their demise would be ideal, but even if they survived, it would have no bearing on him.
"Oh, Lord Shen Fuyao, I have some Tokyo newspapers here. Would you like to see them?" Lanzi continued to ask.
"Let me see them. Perhaps I can discover Tokyo's current crisis!" Shen Feng considered and then requested the newspapers.
The most striking photograph in the newspaper showed people hanging from trees, their heads severed. The headless corpses dangled from the branches, a terrifying sight. Beside the image, several Chinese characters were written: "The mountains and rivers are foreign lands; we cannot share the same sky!"
Seeing Shen Feng looking at the picture, Lanzi quickly explained, "It's said that Tokyo's ability users were killed by a terrorist organization. Their heads were cut off and their bodies hung from trees as a display of power. Furthermore, over a hundred thousand civilians have disappeared!"
"It's written in Chinese. Could it be that someone from China is in this organization?" Shen Feng mused. Tokyo's attack was likely from this terrorist group. It seemed this organization had many ability users, otherwise, Tokyo wouldn't have sought his help.
"That's possible. I've heard that this terrorist organization is composed entirely of ferocious individuals. Those who have seen them are already dead. Moreover, Tokyo's powerful ability users participated in the battle but were defeated and all killed!" Lanzi added.
Upon hearing this, Shen Feng had to take it seriously. This organization seemed formidable. If they were merely targeting Tokyo, Shen Feng wouldn't intervene. However, if these people specifically hunted ability users to acquire their powers, Shen Feng needed to be cautious. They might consider him a target.
"What is this organization called?" Shen Feng continued to inquire.
Lanzi searched the newspaper and found a report. It was intelligence gathered by a journalist who risked their life to infiltrate Chiba. "It says here, they seem to be called the 'Butian Society,' claiming to mend this broken sky. That's roughly the meaning!"
"Now I'm certain. These people must be from China. I don't recall hearing about such a society before. Could it be newly established?" Shen Feng immediately confirmed their identity. The name of the group made him certain. The legend of Nuwa mending the sky was deeply ingrained in China, known even to elementary school children. Therefore, adopting such a name likely leveraged this well-known allusion.
"I don't know about that. It's said this organization appeared not long ago, about twenty days ago, as if it materialized out of thin air. No one knows who the leader or administrators of this organization are," Lanzi replied honestly.
"Do they wear masks? Like those of fierce demons? Do they?" Shen Feng's mind raced as he asked.
Lanzi looked at the newspaper's description and replied, "No, they don't seem to wear masks, yet no one knows their true faces!"
"That's strange. Who could it be?" Shen Feng muttered to himself, a fog of confusion clouding his thoughts, unable to grasp the situation.
Shen Feng decided not to involve himself further. As long as this mysterious organization didn't bother him, he wouldn't intervene. His priority was recovering from his injuries. Shen Feng felt he would be fully healed in another ten days. His muscles would regain their former strength, and his subcutaneous fat would replenish, allowing him to bid farewell to his gaunt appearance.
Meanwhile, Yue Hengyi had brought Sayaka to the hospital. This hospital was also owned by the Seven Great Families. Yue Hengyi contacted them, and immediately, someone personally attended to them. The hospital director himself conducted a comprehensive examination of Sayaka. It was determined that her illness was a common cold, but her body was weak, requiring careful treatment. Recovery was expected in a few days.
Yue Hengyi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. As long as she was alright, that was all that mattered.
Yue Hengyi couldn't wait for Sayaka to recover naturally. Relying solely on her immune system to fight the virus was not ideal. What was a cold? An acute upper respiratory tract infection! And now, in this era of doomsday, medicine was scarce, and many had to rely on their immunity to combat illness. Yue Hengyi couldn't allow this to happen to someone close to him.
The hospital immediately arranged the best available room for Sayaka and prepared an IV drip. With antibiotics administered, the virus would be no match, and she would recover in a day or two.
Sayaka felt she had inconvenienced Yue Hengyi and was very embarrassed. She considered herself a burden, which was frowned upon in this country's culture. No one should cause trouble for others or society, or they would face criticism.
"Thank you so much for troubling yourself. I'm just an ordinary person and have never received such good treatment. You are truly a kind person!" Sayaka said, bowing gratefully to Yue Hengyi.
"No, no, no. It's me who owes you. Whatever you want, I will try my best to fulfill it. In any case, I am not an irresponsible man. I will take responsibility!" Yue Hengyi said earnestly. His upbringing had taught him that after doing something excessive to a girl, one must take responsibility.
Sayaka, however, dismissed it as mere politeness. She turned to look out the window, watching the scenery while receiving her IV drip. Since the doomsday, she hadn't been to a hospital. The reason was simple: she couldn't afford the high medical fees. Now, she was not only in a hospital but in the best room, bright and with a beautiful view of a garden outside. All of this was thanks to Yue Hengyi.
Yue Hengyi sat on a chair by the bed, waiting for the IV drip to finish. He began to drift off, contemplating how he should compensate her. However, seeing Sayaka's current demeanor, it seemed she was already prepared, and Yue Hengyi gradually relaxed. Perhaps he didn't need to worry too much about it.
Sayaka leaned against the headboard, quietly receiving the IV drip and gazing at the scenery outside the window. The cool liquid entering her body gradually lowered her temperature.
But then, Sayaka saw a figure outside the window and became agitated. She sat up abruptly, her eyes fixed on the garden behind the hospital. She spotted someone who shouldn't have been there: her husband.
Sayaka never expected her husband to be there. Moreover, he was with a pregnant woman who looked familiar. After a moment of thought, Sayaka suddenly remembered that this woman was her husband's superior. Her husband often mentioned going to meetings, and she had believed him, never suspecting anything even when he returned home late every night.
It was at this moment that Sayaka realized she had perhaps trusted her husband too much. If he were truly loyal, why would he be at the hospital with his pregnant superior? And they appeared so intimate; it wasn't normal.
"Darling, where are you now?" Sayaka, unwilling to accept it, pulled out her phone and began texting.
The man in the garden immediately took out his phone. Soon, Sayaka received a reply: "I'm working right now. Is there a problem?"
"I wanted to ask if you'll be working overtime again in a few days? I was planning to treat you to a candlelight dinner!" Sayaka continued to text.
A reply soon came: "I've been very busy lately and don't have time. Let's talk about it later. I'm working now and can't chat!"
Afterward, the man in the garden put away his phone and, supporting the pregnant woman, left the area. Sayaka was utterly devastated.
Sayaka felt deeply betrayed. She had believed that even in the midst of doomsday, they could build a good life through their own efforts. But now, it seemed that was not the case at all. Her husband had long since changed his heart, and the life she had hoped for never existed from the beginning.
"Wuwuwu..." Sayaka couldn't accept the reality. She covered her face and burst into tears, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.
Sayaka was in immense pain. She felt she had lost everything. Her family had vanished the moment the zombies appeared, and her friends had disappeared one by one. The only one who could accompany her was her husband, but now, even he had changed his heart and was with another woman. And she herself had been threatened into doing something she didn't want to do. Thinking of all this, she felt utterly hopeless. Having lost everything, did she still have the right to live?
Yue Hengyi, who had been lost in thought, suddenly saw Sayaka begin to cry. He snapped back to reality, thinking, "This is bad. I've made this woman cry. My retribution has arrived!"
Yue Hengyi mistakenly believed that his actions last night had caused Sayaka to cry. He quickly tried to comfort her, "Don't cry, don't cry. I told you I would compensate you. I was wrong last night, but you initiated it first. I will take good care of you, don't worry!"
...