Chapter 21:Covering the Lie

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Su Xiaomu's spine. A terrifying suspicion bloomed in his mind. This was G City. Much of the terrain was familiar, yet some places felt jarringly different. Like that incredibly tall mountain near the coast? He'd assumed future geographical shifts, but now it seemed wrong.

"Saw it in a novel," Su Xiaomu answered, feigning surprise while his mind raced. "But big shots like you wouldn't know about such things, right?" He shrugged, feigning regret.

Li Yansheng narrowed his eyes. "Young Master Su, someone like you enjoys reading novels?" The wastrel heir? Unbelievable.

"Funny," Su Xiaomu retorted, rolling his eyes. "You don't even know me. How could you possibly know I don't like reading novels?" The man's suspicion was suffocating.

"Even if you did read an apocalyptic novel," Li Yansheng pressed coldly, "the state censors them. How did you find it?" Anything deemed harmful to the masses was swiftly erased.

Su Xiaomu snorted. "Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean others haven't. And what I read was useful to you, wasn't it?"

Zhang Yi, who had remained silent, finally spoke. "Yansheng, I've also come across similar novels. But you know I had no interest in them."

Su Xiaomu was stunned Zhang Yi would help cover his lie. The man beside him was so unpredictable, utterly inscrutable.

Li Yansheng's skepticism lessened noticeably. "Can that novel still be found?"

"If you think you can find it, or if the author is still alive, sure," Su Xiaomu replied with a humorless smile.

He wasn't afraid of them investigating. In this apocalypse, finding someone who had vanished? Nearly impossible. Even before, it wouldn't have been easy.

Lan Yun studied Su Xiaomu. "Since Young Master Su read that novel, he must know quite a bit about the apocalypse. Care to enlighten us?" His tone was gentle, but his eyes held an unyielding pressure.

Others might have been intimidated by Lan Yun, but Su Xiaomu, raised scraping the bottom, had seen all sorts. He wouldn't be cowed. "Boss, it was just a novel. It doesn't match the reality here at all. And..." He paused meaningfully. "...you all know I only said those things about the blood to calm Yan Qing down." These old foxes must have realized that.

"Whether it's useful is for us to decide. You just need to tell us," Li Yansheng insisted, clearly not letting Su Xiaomu off the hook.

Su Xiaomu took a deep breath. He understood when the odds were against him. "My memory isn't great. I only remember bits and pieces." He then recounted what he knew... "The zombies now are probably the most basic, not yet evolved. Haven't you noticed their speed increasing?" Seeing nods, he continued, "As for how they'll evolve? I truly don't know. And if humans can turn... animals, plants might too..."

By the time Su Xiaomu finished, it was past midnight. While the youth seemed fine, the others' faces were ashen, looking like they were severely constipated. Su Xiaomu secretly relished the sight.

Su Xiaomu followed Zhang Yi back. Looking down, he could see lights still on, faint noises drifting up. Tilting his head up, he saw only pitch blackness, not a single star visible.

The moment they entered the room, Su Xiaomu collapsed onto the only bed. "Exhausted..." Talking had left his mouth parched. They hadn't even offered him water! These people clearly enjoyed squeezing every drop from him, a mere youth.

"Wha... wha... what?" The sudden, overwhelming presence looming over him made Su Xiaomu stutter in alarm.

Zhang Yi gazed down at the youth beneath him. His skin was smooth, poreless. "Who are you?" he asked, unsure why he'd helped cover the lie. "Don't try anything clever. I can send you straight to hell anytime..." A cruel smile curved his lips.

Su Xiaomu's heart pounded thump... thump... thump... with pure tension. He'd thought Zhang Yi had dropped the issue since he'd stayed quiet on the way back. He hadn't expected an ambush! How could he have let his guard down?!