After I Stopped Being a Simp, My Husband Fell for Me on His Own - Chapter 27

“Wow, what an incredible opportunity.” Yu Yi was terrified to death, but he kept his expression neutral, offering only a slightly awkward smile. “What exactly would I be doing?”

As he spoke, he shifted halfway off his stool. His mind raced as he desperately tried to recall the path he took to get in, ready to bolt for the door at a moment’s notice.

“Scavenging for scrap in the Contaminated Zone,” Chen Cheng said, leaning back. Behind him, a recycling sign hung on the wall, looking particularly conspicuous.

Yu Yi stopped mid-motion.

“What?” Yu Yi asked, his voice filled with disbelief. “The Contaminated Zone? Scavenging for scrap? Are you joking? Is that a place one can just wander into?”

Chen Cheng continued, “You know how in the old days, before people robbed a tomb, they would send a chicken down first?”

“No,” Yu Yi replied, even more bewildered.

Chen Cheng gave a mysterious smile. “You are that chicken.”

Yu Yi froze. What did that mean? Was he being asked to dive into the deep end?

Chen Cheng leisurely pulled out a cigarette and tucked it into the corner of his mouth. He did not light it immediately. Instead, he looked at Yu Yi and asked a completely unrelated question. “You do not see this brand of cigarettes much anymore, do you?”

“No,” Yu Yi nodded.

“Take a guess where they came from.”

Yu Yi managed a bitter smile. “Brother Chen, I am just a student. How would I know something like that?”

Chen Cheng laughed and lit the cigarette. He took a deep drag and exhaled slowly. Through the swirling smoke, his sharp eyes seemed to darken. “I got them from the Contaminated Zone.”

Yu Yi was stunned.

Chen Cheng’s voice sounded muffled behind the smoke. “What do you think exists in the Contaminated Zone, aside from lethal pheromones and monsters?”

“What else?” Yu Yi felt as though he was glimpsing a hidden truth, but he was afraid to follow the thought.

“Resources. Endless resources.” Chen Cheng took the cigarette from his mouth and tapped the desk, causing ash to fall away. “Before it was contaminated, the outside world was a city just like this one. How much do you think is out there?”

Yu Yi remained silent.

In truth, he was starting to panic. None of this felt like information one should share with a Beta they had just met. Did he say this to every interviewee? This was clearly an illegal operation. Did they not fear being reported?

Chen Cheng stopped talking. His sharp gaze locked onto Yu Yi. Without the veil of smoke, the intensity of his stare made Yu Yi’s skin crawl.

“I am just a Beta. I do not know anything.” Yu Yi started to stand up. “Brother Chen, I cannot do this. You should find someone else. I promise I will not say a word about today. I—”

As he spoke, Yu Yi tried to leave. Before he could finish his sentence, the open door behind him slammed shut. Chen Cheng relaxed, propping his feet up on the desk and looking at Yu Yi with a provocative glint in his eyes.

This was his natural ability.

Yu Yi watched as vines suddenly crawled across the back of the door as if growing out of thin air, locking it tight. There was no way out.

“I did not choose you at random,” Chen Cheng said, his tone suddenly shifting to one of command. “Defense Academy Student Yu Yi, Class of 2008, execute your orders immediately!”

Yu Yi went rigid. He stared at the man in front of him, unable to believe his ears. That voice—the person who had tricked him into shutting off the central inhibitor inside the mecha that day was him!

“You,” Yu Yi felt a flash of anger, but he quickly suppressed it. The man before him was no ordinary Alpha. Like Ji Xingxiao, he possessed a natural ability to manipulate matter. “Why did you trick me into turning off the inhibitor?”

Chen Cheng arched an eyebrow. “To see how long you could last in the Contaminated Zone, of course.”

“Just for that?” Yu Yi was incredulous. He had almost caused everyone’s death. “Do you not fear being arrested?”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No.” Yu Yi felt a wave of regret. He was on someone else’s turf in a remote location, and he had no idea if Ji Xingxiao had even seen his message. He had to play soft. “I have been terrified since that day. That was attempted murder of teammates. I could go to prison for that.”

“But nothing happened, did it?” Chen Cheng laughed, looking up at Yu Yi. “A test requires pressure to reveal true data. Do you think we would run a business like this without greasing the right wheels? Rest assured, nothing will happen to you.”

This man named Chen Cheng seemed entirely at ease with the situation.

Knowing he had no way to escape, Yu Yi slowly sat back down. “You saw it yourself. I did not last long.”

“This is your medical report.” Chen Cheng opened a drawer and pulled out a document, sliding it toward Yu Yi. “The body does not lie.”

His medical report—of course. The Ji family had insisted on a physical exam, and since he was not a high-profile figure, it would not be hard for someone with connections to get a copy. Yu Yi glanced at it. He could not understand the dense data and did not plan to try. “I still do not think I can help with anything.”

He was just an ordinary Beta.

“You are not just helping me; you are helping yourself.” Chen Cheng spread his fingers over the numbers on the report. “For every trip to the Contaminated Zone, I can give you this much.”

Yu Yi desperately wanted to stay in the Upper District. He wanted to make money and be successful so that he could prove Cheng Sui, that trash of a man, and his judgmental classmates wrong.

But that was just a dream. Yu Yi knew the difference between dreams and reality. Money was important, but life was more important.

“Scared of dying?” Chen Cheng seemed to read his mind.

Yu Yi was honest. “Who would not be?”

“You still seem a bit angry, do you not?”

Did he dare say yes?

“Let me explain so you do not hold a grudge,” Chen Cheng said. “Why do you think you and those other people were able to walk away unscathed?”

“I do not know.”

“Because of Ji Xingxiao.” When he spoke the name, Chen Cheng seemed to grit his teeth. “That kid is annoying, but his ability is undeniably powerful.”

Yu Yi understood. They had counted on Ji Xingxiao being able to control the situation.

“Why me?” Yu Yi was confused. “There are so many Betas. My identity is not the best choice, is it?”

On the surface, Yu Yi was Cheng Sui’s son and Ji Xingxiao’s fiancé. It made no sense for him to collaborate with them.

“The reason is quite simple: you need money.”

Damn it.

Since Yu Yi remained silent, Chen Cheng continued his explanation. “You know that Betas are generally immune to contaminated pheromones, but their limit is usually one hour, right?”

“Yes.” He actually did not know that. During his two-week leave, he was supposed to be learning the rules, though he had not learned much.

“You are different.” Chen Cheng took another drag of his cigarette. “Last time it was one hour. This time it was two.”

“What do you mean?” Yu Yi finally caught the implication.

“Your tolerance is unique,” Chen Cheng said, squinting at him. “Your resistance to contaminated pheromones grows exponentially. In time, you will be able to come and go as you please in the Contaminated Zone.”

In the Contaminated Zone? Yu Yi did not fully grasp what Chen Cheng meant, but he had seen Ji Xingxiao and the rest of the squad use heavy protection just to enter the zone. This was the first time in twenty years someone had told Yu Yi he was different from everyone else, even if he did not know what it signified.

Seeing Yu Yi’s silence, Chen Cheng did not press for an answer. He sat leisurely and smoked. Only when the cigarette had nearly burned to the filter did he speak again. “Now do you understand why I said you are the chicken?”

“But how did you know I would get into the mecha? How did you know I would come here? How did you know?”

Yu Yi could not continue. A chill rose from his heart. He realized that everything had been within this man’s control.

“You are smarter than I thought.” Watching Yu Yi’s sudden silence, Chen Cheng crushed his cigarette on the desk. He leaned back into his chair, satisfied. “Go or stay, it is up to you. Make money or not, it is up to you. This is your only chance.”

“I…” Yu Yi’s eyes wavered. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke with difficulty. “If I do this, will I die?”

Chen Cheng snorted as if he had heard a joke. “What do you think?”

“I do not know,” Yu Yi looked at him blankly.

“Everyone dies,” Chen Cheng said. “Besides, you will not be going alone.” His tone softened slightly. “You are just responsible for finding the optimal path for us. You are not going on a suicide mission. You will have teammates to ensure your safety.”

“Of course, if you are truly unlucky, then forget I said anything,” Chen Cheng added.

Perhaps the word teammates gave Yu Yi a hollow sense of security, or perhaps he truly had no other options. He realized this might be his only way to make money and find his own purpose. He knew that if he continued like this in the Upper District, he would never get what he wanted; he would only become more lost.

After a long silence, Yu Yi finally said, “The money—how is it paid? I want a deposit first.”

“The rule here is full payment upon completion,” Chen Cheng said, tilting his head. “However, I can make an exception for you.”

He idly fiddled with a silver chain around his neck and scanned Yu Yi’s body. Yu Yi was confused. After a moment, Chen Cheng cursed under his breath. “Damn it, do you leave the house without a communicator?”

“I have it.” Yu Yi quickly pulled it from his pocket.

The moment he took it out, a transaction notification appeared. From the corner of his eye, Yu Yi saw that Ji Xingxiao had replied to his message. It was just a short question mark: [?].

The money had arrived. It was exactly 50,000 star coins. Yu Yi felt even more anxious. Chen Cheng’s willingness to pay so easily meant he was certain Yu Yi could not run away with the money.

Chen Cheng raised an eyebrow. “You received it?”

“I did.”

“Work with me, and you will never lack for anything.” Chen Cheng reached for another cigarette, but the silver chain around his neck suddenly flashed. He checked the message and stopped mid-motion.

Someone on the other end seemed to be speaking. Chen Cheng exploded in anger. “What? He insulted the boss? Tell him to get lost!”

Yu Yi was speechless.

“The nerve! Dock his pay! Tell him his bonus for this month is gone! He dares to curse at his boss!”

Chen Cheng cursed for a bit longer until the connection seemed to cut out. He sat back down and remained silent.

Yu Yi checked the time. It was not yet 6:00 PM. He asked, “Can I go back now?”

“Yes, there is nothing left to do. Your future teammates are all in the Contaminated Zone right now.” Chen Cheng waved him off. “Go on.”

Yu Yi felt as though he had been granted a pardon. He stood to leave, but the vines on the door had not disappeared. They were still clutching the wood tightly.

“Next Friday. Do not be late,” Chen Cheng said. Only then did the vines recede, revealing the old wooden panels once more. “I will introduce you to your teammates and explain your specific duties then.”

“Fine. I understand.” Yu Yi turned to leave, his heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Should he really go? Should he tell Ji Xingxiao? Could he tell Ji Xingxiao?

“By the way, about this,” Chen Cheng’s voice came again, this time with a warning. “You know that you cannot tell anyone about this, right?”

Yu Yi remained silent.

“Do not waste your only chance to make money.”

Support