Thirty-Six: A Piece of the Plan

“How did it go?” Watermelon seemed a bit interested in the matter, to be honest, it was mostly gossip…

Qi Xi showed no inclination for such curiosity, casting Watermelon a sidelong glance as he replied, “What are you trying to say?”

“You know, senior. I mean, just now, how far did things progress between you two? All that time together—wasn’t there any passion?” Watermelon persisted.

“What do you think?” Qi Xi still refused to answer, responding with a mischievous counter-question.

“How would I know?” Watermelon pulled a pitiful face. “Come on, senior, just tell me.”

Say what, exactly? Qi Xi grumbled inwardly, shaking his head. Then he said, “As a transmigrant, one needs a keen sense of observation. You should deduce your answers from my attire, expression, posture, and movements, instead of just asking endlessly. Otherwise you’ll look like an idiot.”

Truthfully, Qi Xi had no such talents; he only said that to scold this annoying fellow.

His words had their effect. Watermelon nodded, admitting, “You’re absolutely right, senior… but I don’t know how. Sigh…” He grew increasingly frustrated, thinking how he couldn’t even master such basic skills—as a transmigrant, how could he hope to survive?

Another lesson learned!

“Senior, you’re absolutely right!” Watermelon suddenly shouted, startling Qi Xi.

Qi Xi nodded. “And then?”

“And then?” Watermelon was momentarily stunned.

“You just say I’m right and then do nothing? The world is about to end! You don’t even know to seize the moment! Where’s your sense of crisis? Why don’t you feel any urgency? What are you playing at?” Seeing Watermelon feign ignorance, Qi Xi couldn’t help but rant.

After being thoroughly lectured, Watermelon lost all his spirit and quieted down.

Qi Xi surveyed his surroundings. “There’s only one thing to do now: raise our strength to Gene Commander level as quickly as possible. Against ordinary gene-enhanced humans in the city, we’re more than enough. But against a Gene Commander, we’re not.”

Watermelon nodded, showing no particular emotion.

“The fastest way to upgrade to Gene Commander is to hunt one down. It doesn’t matter whether we kill him or not—as long as we get his blood and absorb it, we’ll quickly become Gene Commanders ourselves,” Qi Xi continued, then asked, “You should know where to find someone of that level, right?”

Watermelon thought for a moment and nodded. “Yes, there’s one in the main base of Los Angeles—a strong Gene Commander holds it. But we two probably can’t take him…” Watermelon’s face twisted grimly. “Facing a Gene Commander, we might get wiped out before even making a move. Is there no easier way?”

Qi Xi shook his head. “Even if we can’t win, we have to try. We won’t die for real, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Really won’t die?” Watermelon hesitated, faced with the possibility of true death.

“Of course.”

Soon, Qi Xi and Watermelon arrived at the main base. Watermelon lured out the Gene Commander, while Qi Xi lay in ambush, ready to strike.

Watermelon’s scalp tingled; he’d glimpsed this invincible Gene Commander in his previous life, a humanoid nuclear bomb—so powerful it defied belief. The thought of fighting him made Watermelon shudder, but a transmigrant shouldn’t possess such fear. He recalled his senior’s ‘earnest teachings,’ and the terror faded from his eyes, replaced by resolve and decisiveness.

“Ha!” With a roar, Watermelon toppled a nearby skyscraper, then lifted the massive building—tens of thousands of tons—and hurled it with all his might. Even for Watermelon, this was a huge effort; veins bulged along his hands, muscles tightened and swelled, his clothes tore with a loud rip. But he managed it!

He could move mountains and dominate the world!

The skyscraper smashed into the city.

“Boom!!”

A deafening explosion thundered, clouds of dust billowed skyward, flames, screams, and chaos intermingled.

“My God!”

“Jesus!”

“Damn!”

“What’s happening?!”

But Watermelon didn’t stop his destruction. He grabbed another building, snapped it in half, and tossed it like a basketball.

“Boom!!”

The devastation stopped there, though. As expected, the main base quickly responded; torrents of fire surged forth, too fast for Watermelon to dodge.

But there was no need to dodge.

“Hahaha! You think you can burn me with a mere flicker of fire?!” Watermelon laughed wildly, a surge of flame erupting from his palms. His fire overwhelmed the enemy’s, leaving the Gene General charred and screaming, collapsing to the ground.

Watermelon, with his repulsive force, remained untouched by the flames.

“A mere Gene General, acting so brazenly?” Soon, a discordant voice rang out, but Watermelon ignored it, intent on further destruction.

“Who are you?! Why are you causing trouble here?!”

Just as Watermelon prepared to attack again, another voice echoed, shaking the heavens. The oppressive aura that accompanied it was suffocating, filled with despair.

“This is… just as I remembered. Such power is beyond me!” Watermelon murmured, but in the next instant, his expression became triumphant. “But so what?!”

Despite his bravado, as soon as he saw the figure, Watermelon turned and fled.

This was not cowardice, but a part of their plan.

“Ridiculous fool! Do you really think you can escape?” the cold voice mocked, as a tall figure appeared atop a skyscraper.

It was a man dressed in a black bodysuit, black cape, black hood, and black mask. His expression was disdainful. “A loathsome Eastern rat trying to run? How stupid, how laughable.”

“Go back, all of you. I’ll deal with this senseless criminal myself,” the Gene Commander told those below.

“Yes, sir!”

“Understood, commander!”

He failed to notice the hidden observer.

Qi Xi watched the Gene Commander from the shadows, his lips twitching. Why was this guy dressed like Batman? Even at the end of the world, was he still cosplaying? Couldn’t he tone down his adolescent flair? You’re a Gene Commander! Is this what a Gene Commander should look like? And to think I can’t beat you! A transmigrant losing to someone like you—what a disgrace!

This Batman Gene Commander was named Roger Blue. With his strength, he felt destined to save the world, but the world was already destroyed; no matter how he tried, it was a lost cause. So he could only shift his focus—to things like the city’s public order. In the apocalypse, many believed morality had decayed and laws vanished, so they could kill at will. That was a grave mistake. Justice still existed in this world.

Of course, everyone’s sense of justice was different. Someone else’s justice might not apply to you; yours might not be accepted by others. The law was just a tool to be manipulated. What never changed was the tribunal of conscience within each person—a place of absolute fairness and absolute justice.

Roger’s justice was to reduce crime, punish offenders, and help everyone survive in this apocalypse.

In his eyes, criminals were pitiable creatures; even in the apocalypse, they couldn’t learn to love one another—utterly hopeless!

This bastard before him was one of them!

Roger quickly caught up to Watermelon, watching him flee and feeling very much like a cat toying with a mouse.