System, You Didn't Say the Villain Can Read Minds! - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

◎It’s my turn to protect you.◎

Before today, the system had never called her “Host” or used the respectful “you” .

The system had indeed returned, but it seemed to have a new soul—if it had a soul.

This change made Mo Jiu uneasy.

Mo Jiu: Who are you? Where’s the original system? Bring back the system I’m familiar with!

Although the old system constantly gave her tasks she didn’t want to do, it was easy to fool. She didn’t know if the new one would be as easily fooled.

The system’s response was: I am the original system! A slight change in personality is normal after a restart, please don’t mind it, Host!

Mo Jiu: Is this a slight change?

Mo Jiu: I still prefer your original unruly self. Can you change back?

System: Ah, well, I wasn’t unruly… Wait, let’s discuss serious matters first!

Mo Jiu: Go ahead.

System: Due to the villain Yun Wenzhou actively choosing not to kill the Host, the original host’s fate has changed, directly resulting in the Host being unable to leave this world. After a series of analyses, the Book Repository decided to have you remain by Yun Wenzhou’s side to guide her actions.

System: The next plot will take place in the shelter. The Host will meet the female lead and the female supporting lead of this book. Due to their distrust of the villain Yun Wenzhou, they refuse to act with her, causing Yun Wenzhou to hold a grudge. While the two are outside the shelter searching for supplies, Yun Wenzhou lures an SS-class anomaly into the shelter, allowing it to slaughter everyone inside.

System: The Host’s mission is—to create discord between the female lead and the villain, guiding Yun Wenzhou to carry out the actions expected of her as a villain.

Mo Jiu was silent for a while.

She escaped Yun Wenzhou’s revenge, but she couldn’t escape the fate of a contract worker.

I wonder if there are any loopholes in this mission…

Mo Jiu: What if, no matter how I guide her, Yun Wenzhou refuses to kill the people in the shelter?

System: That won’t happen. Please have faith in yourself, and have faith in me! As long as you complete all the tasks properly, Yun Wenzhou will definitely return to the predetermined track!

Mo Jiu: Oh.

Really? Mo Jiu was skeptical.

After all, the biggest internal mole here was herself.

200 meters, not too far, not too close. Neither Mo Jiu nor Yun Wenzhou could drive, so they planned to walk.

On the way, they saw craters left by meteorite fragments on the ground, burning car wreckage, and crashed drones. The normally bustling street was now desolate like a no-man’s-land.

However, the usual hustle and bustle were mostly provided by robots.

In the year 2333, with the rapid advancement of technology, human living standards had improved, but the population had decreased instead of increased. Most factories were occupied by AI, and transportation was replaced by self-driving cars and drones, leaving no human employees. Thus, once the power system failed, the entire city would be paused like this, changing from busy to silent.

The downside was the inability to quickly organize enough manpower to systematically solve such sudden situations. The upside was that the radiation from the meteorites could only cause biological anomalies. With fewer people, there were naturally fewer anomalies.

An occasional mutated bird with three wings and nine eyes flew by. Before it got within ten meters of them, Yun Wenzhou controlled small stones to smash it into a bloody pulp.

The two successfully arrived at the shelter.

The shelter was a large hemisphere, with at least twenty people lining up at the entrance, waiting to enter.

Four fully armed guards held strangely shaped laser guns, strictly controlling the entry of refugees.

They verified everyone’s identity, asked about their skills, and then assigned them to appropriate areas.

Mo Jiu and Yun Wenzhou obediently stood in line. They saw some people being let in and others being ruthlessly turned away.

As they got closer, they overheard the conversation between the guards and a refugee.

“The shelter has limited capacity. You’re not even willing to wash clothes. Why should we let you in? It’s better to raise a pig than you! At least a pig can be slaughtered for food!”

The guard’s tone was awful, seeming cold and heartless in this disaster setting, but the refugee he was facing was the ultimate “giant baby.”

“Just because I can’t do anything, I don’t deserve to live?” The giant baby righteously questioned. “Isn’t the shelter meant to shelter people? Am I not human?”

“Of course you are, but I already said, the shelter doesn’t keep idlers. Everyone must exchange labor for safety. You have no skills, can’t cook, can’t wash dishes, can’t wash clothes, and aren’t willing to learn. With your attitude, keeping you is a pure waste of resources. In short, if you won’t wash clothes, go away. Next!”

“No, if I had the ability to survive, why would I come to the shelter!” The giant baby refused to leave and insisted on arguing clearly with the guard. “I can’t do anything, but I have money! I’ll give you a million!”

“Money is useless here! Get lost!” Another female guard said, kicking the giant baby’s backside. “If you’re so capable, hire bodyguards yourself! Our shelter is too small to accommodate a big Buddha like you!”

Mo Jiu couldn’t help but lean into Yun Wenzhou’s ear and whisper: “Even if he really couldn’t do anything, a lie wouldn’t hurt. He should at least try to sneak in first.”

Yun Wenzhou leaned into her ear and replied: “Someone with that level of intelligence probably truly can’t do anything.”

The giant baby’s internal thoughts were unbearable, something like [They won’t grovel to me for a million?] and [How dare you treat your dad like this?].

He sincerely believed that money could buy everything.

If he had read more books, he would know that the value of money is endowed by commodities. Money is just a medium of exchange between commodities and has no intrinsic value, only a consensus based on trust.

The world after the meteorite impact was full of uncertainties. Before a new order and consensus were formed, currency without trust was essentially waste paper. Bartering was the safest option.

The shelter’s approach was essentially trading labor for shelter, food, and safety. In a way, it was indeed cold and heartless, but reasonable.

Just…

“Is the shelter a government facility?” Mo Jiu asked Yun Wenzhou.

“Kind of,” Yun Wenzhou replied. “It was constructed by the government, but they only mandated that refugees must be accepted after a disaster. The specifics of how to admit them are decided by the director.”

“I see.” Mo Jiu was a little absentminded. Why did she have the mistaken impression that the government would unconditionally take in everyone? She knew nothing about this world’s government.

She felt… that there was another world in her mind, different from this one, where she had lived a real life.

But this was clearly the first world she had experienced.

While she was zoning out, the guard started questioning the next refugee, a woman with a high ponytail, looking young, under 20, dressed in comfortable sportswear, full of vitality.

“Name?”

“Ye Lan.”

“Student?”

“Yeah, first year of university. I was on summer vacation, just casually running laps at the sports field. Then halfway through, I was forced to play dodgeball and even ran into disgusting monsters. I fought my way here.”

“…What skills do you have?”

“Are you asking about life skills or superpowers?”

“Huh?”

Hearing the word “superpowers,” Mo Jiu paused, curiously leaning forward to carefully examine the woman.

She could only see her profile, a face that would definitely have a name in a novel, with determined eyes that gave off an aura of righteousness.

Mo Jiu: The Female Lead?

System: Yes, the female lead Ye Lan! The woman who kills the villain and saves the world!

Oh, so she’s Yun Wenzhou’s enemy.

Mo Jiu thought to herself.

The guard at the shelter entrance clearly didn’t know about the ability awakening caused by meteorite radiation and looked at Ye Lan like she was crazy.

The woman behind Ye Lan nudged her waist with her elbow and said, “She’s joking. We can do anything. She has good stamina and can do manual labor. I know a little medical knowledge and can help save people. Oh, right, my name is Yue Xinghe.”

The system proactively introduced her to Mo Jiu: Female Supporting Lead Yue Xinghe, the woman behind the female lead, the entire protagonist team’s blood pack!

Mo Jiu: Why are you so excited?

System: Because your mission has arrived! Mission ‘Befriend,’ get acquainted with the protagonist team and gain their trust.

Get their trust first, then slander Yun Wenzhou, right?

Who exactly is the villain here…

Mo Jiu complained internally, noting that this mission had no time limit and planning to enter the shelter first before doing anything else.

However, just then, a series of gasps came from behind, followed by the gruesome sounds of flesh expanding, bones breaking, and clothes tearing.

Mo Jiu instinctively turned around and watched a living human swell into a grotesque monster amidst agonized screams.

Mo Jiu didn’t even have time to discern its gender when it was human. She only knew that after its mutation, it had a massive body and arms as thin as bamboo poles.

Its greatly elongated upper body split open, forming a terrifying, gaping maw filled with jagged teeth.

The people around screamed and fled in the opposite direction. The guards who should have fired their guns were frozen in shock.

“Everyone step back! I’ll handle it!” Ye Lan shouted, raising her hand. The shadow at her feet converged onto her hand, forming a completely black longsword!

Great opportunity! Watch me show off!

Yun Wenzhou’s lips twitched as she listened to her inner thoughts.

She knew this person had the ability to deal with the monster, but showing off in front of her Sister? Not a chance!

Yun Wenzhou abruptly raised her hand, directing it toward a toppled telephone pole nearby.

The telephone pole righted itself under her control, flew toward the monster, and then—smashed down hard!

With a loud boom— the telephone pole, thicker than a person’s thigh, crashed down on the monster’s head, instantly flattening its entire body!

Ye Lan was stunned, the guards were stunned, and everyone around was stunned!

Ye Lan: No good! Someone’s stealing my thunder!

Yue Xinghe: Another Esper? (Ability user)

Guard: Holy crap! That’s an ability? Abilities really exist? Am I dreaming?

People around: I don’t know what happened, but we’re saved!

Yun Wenzhou looked at Mo Jiu behind her.

Mo Jiu’s inner thoughts were: As expected of my darling, so cool! I have to say, having her by my side is quite reassuring.

Yun Wenzhou lifted the corners of her lips in delight: “Sister, you protected me for so many years. Now, it’s my turn to protect you.”