Chapter 76: Intelligence, The Witch’s Return

Bai Xiaozhi didn’t consider herself particularly high-minded.

But she could never be like the people in front of her.

Completely, utterly treating human lives like grass.

“Let’s go home.”

Linking arms with Wu Xiaomi, she turned and walked away.

What award ceremony? She didn’t even want to attend.

Having spent so much time with these peers, she was afraid she’d soil Wu Xiaomi.

“You think you’re any different from us?”

It seemed like his defenses broke. Being scolded like this on a live stream enraged the man.

“Your achievements today were all thanks to Wu Xiaomi! Without her, what are you?!”

Bai Xiaozhi’s steps faltered.

“You’re nothing but a vampire! Sucking the blood of that girl to feed your own fame… You’re just as ruthless as we are! Ha— let’s be honest, of the two hundred million people left on Earth today, who isn’t ruthless?!”

Her palm trembled slightly.

Indeed, she didn’t think her success today came from the small teaching sessions she usually held.

Obviously, becoming the most famous strategist was entirely thanks to Wu Xiaomi’s dance.

At least on this point, the man was right.

Everything she had gained came at a cost— paid by Wu Xiaomi…

“Clatter—”

Suddenly, Bai Xiaozhi felt her hand empty.

She looked back in shock.

“Bang—”

The fleeting feeling of weakness vanished as the delicate pink fist struck the man’s face with full force.

A muffled sound, teeth flew toward the camera, and he clumsily collided with the wall.

[Xiaozhi never forced me to do anything!]

[We are friends! Best… friends!]

[Don’t use your filthy values to judge our friendship! You’re not worthy!]

[Phgh—!]

Unable to spit, she wrote it out.

[Phgh] [Phgh] [Phgh] [Phgh!]

She threw a stack of “phgh” notes at the man’s face, one after another, scattering them all over the room.

“……”

The tense atmosphere turned into a ridiculous scene, covered in flying “phgh” papers.

“All right, all right.”

Bai Xiaozhi hurriedly hugged the girl from behind, stroking her hair gently.

Wu Xiaomi was still struggling, [phgh phgh phgh], as if she wouldn’t be satisfied until she filled every sticky note.

“Spitting doesn’t pack enough punch. If you hit a pervert, it might even feel good. You should write the sound of constant spitting— ‘he~te!’”

Wu Xiaomi froze.

She went into deep thought.

—Finally, it quieted down.

Bai Xiaozhi took the chance to hoist the girl onto her shoulder.

Turning around, they headed home.

“How long can your hypocritical Order last?!”

“Do you really think the Syndicate will spare Manggu District?”

“Naïve—”

The insulting voices faded behind them.

Only after passing through the gates of the Wilson mansion did Bai Xiaozhi let out a sigh.

“Sorry.” Huang Xiaoji apologized with a smile. “I thought this event would be like those variety shows back on Earth— just following the organizer’s instructions, completing some mini-games, boosting influence, gaining fans, and earning some points…”

“Actually, you’re not wrong. The organizers intended it that way. It’s just they don’t understand strategists well enough.”

“The Syndicate understands strategists better than anyone,” Huang Xiaoji gritted his teeth. “What could have been a fun social game to relax and share feelings after strategizing has been completely ruined by the Syndicate! Those bastards!”

“At least we’re uninjured. Those people were tough to deal with. We should count ourselves lucky to have come out safe.”

He pulled out the key and unlocked the door to the Witch’s Hut.

The three women entered.

Wu Xiaomi lay somewhat limp on the garden’s grass carpet.

Her body wasn’t tired, but her heart was.

It felt like she had suddenly been dragged from a two-star vampire world into a three-star vampire one.

She couldn’t quite accept the tone of the outside world.

She felt out of place among them.

Their self-righteousness and sense of entitlement made Wu Xiaomi doubt herself— if everyone else acted like that, maybe she should fit in more? Learn from them so she wouldn’t seem like a monster?

After much thought, Wu Xiaomi finally reached a conclusion.

Back when she was wandering, she wasn’t much different from them.

Now, being well-fed and at leisure, she’d started thinking about right and wrong… She’d clearly caught “naïve disease” from Kang Jie.

That disease was truly deadly, knocking a person down to two-star vampire level.

She shrugged.

Kang Jie, the root of all evil.

[You have received a friend request from “Long Qingshuang.”]

Her eyes still couldn’t see, but there was a voice prompt for the friend request.

Long Qingshuang?

Why would that terrifying woman add me?

Her small hand fumbled, imagining where the reject button was, and clicked it.

[Rejected.] A prompt sounded in her ear.

[You have received a friend request from “Long Qingshuang.”]

This one wasn’t done yet?!

Can I block her?

Damn, I can’t see, so I can’t perform such complicated operations as blocking…

Reject!

[You have received…]

So annoying!

Reject reject reject!

After rejecting three times in a row, Long Qingshuang stopped sending requests.

She sent the request to Bai Xiaozhi instead.

Bai Xiaozhi frowned and accepted.

“What is it?”

[Sorry for offending you with my words today. That was my public persona. I had no choice.]

“……”

[I’m not as lucky as you, who can just be themselves and be accepted by everyone. So I have to fall back on my old tricks—acting.]

[People have been suppressed in the civilized world for too long, so in this absolutely free era, they want to see a villain. Ruthless and unrestrained, it lets them justify their own evil deeds.]

Bai Xiaozhi was a little confused by her meaning.

“You added me just to confess?”

[No. I’ve planted someone inside the Syndicate. There’s important news to tell you.]

“What news?”

[Kang Jie won’t live long. The Syndicate has their eyes on him.]

“……”

[You’ve already seen the Syndicate’s methods in this event. If they want to kill someone, you can’t even imagine how they’ll do it.]

“Don’t worry, Kang Jie is safe here.”

[Safe? Ha, you winning last time was pure luck. Besides, who can be sure that explosion wiped out all the Syndicate in Manggu District?]

“…What you’re doing now is exactly like the Syndicate. Making us suspicious of each other and throwing us into chaos.”

[Believe it or not.] Long Qingshuang lazily stretched out a finger, about to hang up the call, “But if one day you can’t survive in Manggu District anymore, you can come join me—Gonglue Tuan of Eden. My door’s always open to you two.”

“Thank you.”

[You’re welcome. By the way… what kind of spell did you put on that little one? I just wanted to tease her a bit, but she didn’t even accept my friend request. Sigh~ she really treats me like Cao Cao…]

“It’s nothing like a spell. We’re just friends… Xiaomi’s not a hundred percent—well.”

[Friends? Then I wish you two the best of luck moving forward.]

“……”

Bai Xiaozhi suddenly felt this woman might not be so bad?

The call ended.

Click.

The Witch landed at the doorstep and pushed the door open.

But she was not alone.

“It’s time you learned a little… about your own origins.”