novelraw Chapter 287 - 274: She Won’t Allow It
Chapter 287 - 274: She Won’t Allow It
Li Xiao was a smart man. He instantly understood what Gu Xi meant.
"Sheng Chenghe," he said quickly, then paused before adding, "He’s from the Qee Family. Before the apocalypse, Sheng Chenghe was an assistant to the head of the Qee Family. But he disappeared eight years into the apocalypse and was never seen again. Rumor has it he died outside the base."
Li Xiao glanced at Gu Xi, deliberately stressing the word "rumor."
Gu Xi lowered her eyes.
’As expected.’
She had asked Yang Chi to investigate this before, but it had been too late. The files had already been erased.
Gu Xi asked again, "Who else knows about this?"
Li Xiao froze for a moment before the realization hit him. He didn’t know who else was aware, but he was certain of one person... Li Ming definitely knew.
’So, is she asking me this because she suspects Li Ming?’
Li Xiao’s emotions were suddenly complicated. He let out a silent sigh of relief, paused, and then took the initiative to ask, "Are you trying to investigate what happened to those Hibernation Chambers from the early days of the apocalypse?"
He hadn’t known about it at first, but when Li Ming suddenly began investigating a few years ago, it caught Li Xiao’s attention.
His dear cousin never wasted his efforts on pointless tasks.
However, all he managed to find out was that a batch of advanced materials and equipment had vanished in City A. He couldn’t find any other leads.
He only learned about the Hibernation Chambers after chasing Ye Xin to City A, when the Gu Family let a few details slip.
Now, however, Li Xiao projected an air of complete confidence, as if he knew everything. "Miss Gu, I know where those Hibernation Chambers are..."
"You really know?" Gu Xi didn’t believe him.
The words Li Xiao had been about to say died on his lips when he met Gu Xi’s gaze. Her eyes were calm and deep, as if she had already seen through everything.
His gaze faltered. "Miss Gu, I do know something about the location of some of the chambers... Over the years, the Gu Family has been working with the man in City A..."
He looked up at Gu Xi. "From what I know, the Gu Family has spent the last few years sparing no effort to trick him into giving them some of the Hibernation Chambers..."
The man he spoke of was Yun Ye.
"Tricked?" Gu Xi remained noncommittal.
She didn’t know who was leading the Gu Family, but she knew Yun Ye.
’...No one could trick Yun Ye. Not even Li Ming, back in the day.’
’Because, to his very core, Yun Ye looked down on humanity.’
’And in the face of absolute power, all schemes and plots are nothing but paper tigers.’
’So, if I’m not mistaken, the Hibernation Chambers the Gu Family has... the ones they think they worked so hard to get from Yun Ye... were actually just a handout. He gave them the chambers on purpose.’
’As for his motive...’
Gu Xi lowered her eyes.
’Who else but me could make Yun Ye go to such lengths?’
’And using a few Hibernation Chambers to bait the Gu Family out into the open... In Yun Ye’s eyes, that was probably his gift to me.’
’It was also the most crucial step in making me sever my blood ties to humanity.’
’After all, my mother is long gone. If I also sever this tie to the Gu Family, I’ll truly be all alone.’
’But Yun Ye would never understand that human emotion is about more than just blood ties.’
’And I’ve always been someone with weak familial bonds to begin with.’
’I don’t need Yun Ye to serve me the Gu Family on a platter just so I can vent.’
’I’ll deal with the Gu Family myself.’
’But the rest of those Hibernation Chambers still have to be found.’
’I like the world as it is now. I won’t let those filthy things destroy it.’
’I won’t allow it.’
Li Xiao had a rough idea of what she was thinking. After all, she was one of the apocalypse’s great heroes, someone who had given everything for the base. If anyone hated zombies the most, it would have to be Gu Xi and those like her.
His eyes shifted, and he hurriedly said, "I’ve had some dealings with the man in City A myself. I can act as an intermediary and help you find those Hibernation Chambers..."
Gu Xi’s gaze snapped to him. "So your initial goal," she said calmly, "was to use me to get those Hibernation Chambers from Yun Ye."
Li Xiao fell silent. That was, indeed, the Gu Family’s intention.
The Gu Family had been targeting those Hibernation Chambers for a long time.
To ordinary people, Hibernation Chambers filled with High-level Zombies and the infected were a menace. But in the hands of those in power, they were a powerful deterrent—a valuable bargaining chip.
Very useful indeed.
That’s why, to ensure he succeeded, the Gu Family had not only activated numerous covert networks but had even assigned him Shadow Guards from the Family Head’s personal retinue.
’Those high-level espers were supposedly here to protect me, but in reality, they were probably meant to observe Gu Xi up close.’
’But I never expected that in Gu Xi’s hands, those Shadow Guards would be no different from ordinary people. They were wiped out in an instant.’
’A Divine Rank esper... so terrifying.’
But a man like Li Xiao would always find a way to survive, even in the most desperate of situations.
Just like right now...
"Miss Gu, I’m not lying," he said, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "That first group of people truly had nothing to do with me. However, I suspect the Gu Family allowed them to approach you first. They were probably hoping to wear down your powers..."
’But the real trump card was the people I brought with me.’
’Unfortunately, everyone had underestimated Gu Xi’s current power.’
’The Gu Xi of today is even more terrifying than the Blood-colored Asura of the past!’
Trying his best to ignore the thick smell of blood in the air, Li Xiao gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down.
Gu Xi was noncommittal about his statement.
She suddenly asked him, "Who exactly is Zhou Jing’s mother?"
Li Xiao froze, apparently not expecting the question.
The truth was, he hadn’t even known who a minor figure like Zhou Jing was before. Even later... he’d only managed to learn that she was Zhou Jinyu’s illegitimate daughter and that her background was complicated.
As for Zhou Jing’s mother...
"I don’t know," Li Xiao said after a moment’s thought. "But my guess is that she’s connected to the Gu Family..."
Gu Xi froze for a second. ’No wonder Zhou Jinyu has risen through the ranks so quickly. The Gu Family has been backing him all along. I wonder if Ye Xin knows about this.’
In that instant, Gu Xi realized that Zhou Jing’s mother was probably how Yun Ye had guessed the truth about her origins.
’Yang Chi had looked into it. Zhou Jing’s background was extremely complex—so complex that even he couldn’t get to the bottom of it—but she had always maintained contact with City A.’
’I suspect Zhou Jing’s mother has deep ties to City A, and to Yun Ye.’
’That would make everything fall into place.’
’My appearance must resemble one of my parents. So when I first started to make a name for myself, the Gu Family must have noticed.’
’And the Chen sisters were working for the Gu Family to begin with. It would have been child’s play for the Gu Family to get a blood sample from the research institute for a DNA test...’
’So the Gu Family must have known about me from very early on. Gu Yumin’s appearance back then was their first attempt to sound me out.’
’Unfortunately for them, with Li Ming around, the Gu Family’s initial scheme fell through.’
’And Yun Ye must have learned about my origins from the Gu Family, which led him to orchestrate all of this.’
’And Zhou Jing’s mother... She might be the key.’
’I’ll have to find a chance to tell Li Ming about this.’
Gu Xi was lost in thought for a moment when Li Xiao suddenly spoke up. "But Zhou Jinyu himself might not know about this."
"Explain," Gu Xi said, raising an eyebrow.
At this point, Li Xiao decided to go for broke. "Zhou Jinyu certainly is resourceful and clever," he said. "He’s very good at political maneuvering. But Ye Xin has been wary of him for years..."
’That Ye Xin is a sharp woman. Zhou Jinyu is no match for her.’
With this candid analysis, Li Xiao effectively positioned himself on Gu Xi’s side.
Gu Xi gave him a faint, unreadable smile.
’So adaptable. No wonder Li Ming let his cousin run wild all these years.’
Catching sight of the thin vine that had crept up to the tip of his nose, Li Xiao gritted his teeth and decided to press his luck one more time.
"Actually, back when you... after the Doomsday Squad was disbanded, Ye Xin grew very close to Mr. Qee in private for a while."
At this, Li Xiao carefully glanced up at Gu Xi, then asked with feigned hesitation, "I was just wondering... after you left the Central Base, did Ye Xin ever contact you...?"
Gu Xi slowly, deliberately, raised her head. Her voice was calm. "What are you trying to say?"