Chapter 130: Waiting

Yi Chen entered the isolation room where Lu Yu was staying, only to find him staring blankly at his own hands.

"Don't push yourself too hard; take it slow. Ling Lan must have told you not to force it," Yi Chen advised.

"I don't have a choice," Lu Yu said with a wry smile. "My parents will be back in a few days. I have to master this ability and be able to control it at will, otherwise, I’ll give myself away."

"You intend to go back to them?" Yi Chen asked in surprise.

"Of course!" Lu Yu replied firmly.

Yi Chen scrutinized him carefully. Lu Yu’s appearance remained unchanged; he looked exactly as he had before. If he could control his supernatural abilities, he would appear to be an entirely ordinary person. This struck Yi Chen as highly unusual.

Whether it was Liang Bing, Xue Man, or Chang Qing, they all possessed striking, unnatural hair colors. As for himself, it went without saying—not only was his hair white, but his left eye had turned a piercing red. While he didn't know what the deceased Zhang Lei, the Puppeteer, or the Hypnotist had looked like before to make a comparison, their hair colors had not been pure black either. Even if they didn't differ greatly from ordinary people, there was still a distinction.

An infected individual like Lu Yu, who showed no physical changes at all, seemed to be a rare exception. However, the difficulty for an infected person to live among ordinary humans was immense. Setting aside everything else, the difference in dietary needs alone was like heaven and earth.

"We can't eat human food," Yi Chen reminded him.

"I know. Dr. Ling has already told me."

"If the hunger becomes unbearable, we might attack the humans around us."

"I know that, too. And there’s a high probability my powers could accidentally harm them; I’ve thought about all of it," Lu Yu paused. "I will try my best to overcome it. Worst case, I’ll just run to the hospital every day for meals."

"This isn't something you can just overcome by trying hard!" Yi Chen felt a surge of irritation. Was Lu Yu failing to see the reality of his situation? Did he really think he could live as he once did?

"I don't want to be as miserable as you; the feeling of having a home but being unable to return to it is terrible. Plus, I don't want to upset my parents," Lu Yu shook his head. Clearly, he had gone through a fierce internal struggle.

Yi Chen fell silent for a moment before sighing. "Suit yourself." He knew exactly what that pain felt like, and since Lu Yu was an only child, the blow to his parents if he were to vanish would likely be even worse. Having seen the path he himself had taken, he realized that if Lu Yu wanted to choose a completely different way—even with all the hidden dangers and difficulties—it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

"The Ivory Tower incident has led to a suspension of classes, so my life won't be much affected for now," Lu Yu smiled.

"Should I call you naive, or just stupid?" Yi Chen’s frustration dissipated. He handed over a small bag containing the items Lu Yu had been carrying with him: his house keys, his wallet, and a delicate little flute. Yi Chen pointed to the flute and asked, "You still play instruments?"

Lu Yu blinked, then realized what he meant. "Oh, this? It’s the Hypnotist’s weapon. I snatched it from him back then. I couldn't destroy it, so I just shoved it in my pocket. I studied it later; it’s actually quite interesting. It’s telescopic, beautiful, and easy to carry, so I just kept it."

"You’re quite something. Taking down three infected while you were still an ordinary person—you’re definitely talented. Stick with me, and you’ll have a bright future," Yi Chen patted his shoulder.

"Don't be so arrogant. Maybe you’ll be the one sticking with me later," Lu Yu countered. "By the way, where are the Hypnotist and the Puppeteer from the Ivory Tower now? Will they come back to cause us trouble?"

"Don't worry, I left Mountain Cat to deal with them," Yi Chen said. He then proceeded to tell Lu Yu everything: the situation with his family at the hospital, and the history of his grievances with the Crawlers and the Lurker. Since Lu Yu had been his close friend since childhood and was now truly one of his own, Yi Chen held nothing back.

"That’s terrifying... if things go wrong, your battle with the Lurker might tear this city apart!" Lu Yu broke into a cold sweat after hearing the story. He hadn't realized his friend was more than just a simple infected.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s true that after I undergo 'corpse-morphosis,' it’s very hard for me to stop. This power can guide us to victory, but it can also lead to destruction," Yi Chen said. This was a problem that had always worried him. If Mu Qing hadn't risked her life to stop him last time, he didn't know what the consequences would have been; likely, none of the living people at the scene would have survived.

"With me here this time, I can play a role. If you lose control, I’ll restrain you," Lu Yu boasted, tapping his chest. Whether it was humans, zombies, infected, or monsters, they didn't escape the framework of electricity—it was just a matter of the current's strength and the desired effect.

"Fine, that’s exactly what I was hoping for," Yi Chen laughed. This was the intention he had discussed with Ling Lan regarding partnering with Lu Yu. The Lurker was a major threat, but wasn't he himself a hidden danger? With Lu Yu’s help, regardless of which side caused a slip-up, it could theoretically be contained.

"For now, we should keep our group together. I don't know when that monster will show itself, but I feel it won't give up until it achieves its goal. Auntie and Linlin are at the city center hospital; we need to keep watch nearby, just in case," Lu Yu suggested.

Yi Chen nodded. He was right. If his friends and family were too scattered, the Lurker could attack whichever side it chose, and he would be exhausted from racing back and forth, with the time spent on the road potentially leading to tragedy.

...

Following this, Yi Chen had Zhou Shiwen find a hotel near the city center hospital, where everyone moved in to monitor the area around the clock. Several days passed, and everything remained calm; nothing happened. The waiting grew increasingly anxious, but their opponent, the Lurker, was truly patient.

Yi Chen didn't know what it might be planning during these days. On his side, Liang Bing had fully recovered, and Lu Yu had found his rhythm, becoming increasingly adept at controlling electricity.

In the blink of an eye, the day arrived for Yi Chen’s mother, Chen Hong, to be discharged from the hospital. The Future Group specifically sent a car to pick her up. Since the Yi family’s original residence had been destroyed, Mu Zongxing, who was in charge of the Future City construction, had arranged a new apartment for them, fully equipped with all the necessary daily supplies and home appliances.

Mu Zongxing’s assistant, Xiao Li, was very attentive toward Chen Hong, bringing many gifts and three sightseeing tickets for the Old Mill. Speaking of the Old Mill, it was the most famous tourist attraction in Nanchuan City, designed by a renowned British architect. Formerly an abandoned industrial factory, it had been reborn as a creative exhibition hall for the era of artistic awakening.