C8 No Problem

Lounging on the plush leather sofa, Chen Cheng watched with an amused smile as Zhou Xuqing stood over the man she had pinned to the floor.

"Spill it. Who sent you?" Zhou Xuqing demanded, her eyes glinting with lethal intent.

"I... I have no idea what you're talking about. You've definitely got the wrong guy," the man stammered.

Without a hint of mercy, Zhou Xuqing sliced off the man's thumb with her dagger, pressed her foot against his head, and growled, "If you don't start talking, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

Her dagger then grazed the man's groin.

The sound was faint, yet Chen Cheng on the sofa instinctively crossed his legs, a sense of déjà vu washing over him.

"No, no! I swear I know nothing! You... you're committing premeditated murder. The security bureau won't let you get away with this."

The man struggled frantically, his eyes wide with panic as he looked at Zhou Xuqing, his voice laced with a thread of threat.

"Ten."

"I really don't know anything! Please, big sister, I'm innocent."

He pleaded desperately, hoping Zhou Xuqing would spare him.

"Six."

"I... I truly don't know—"

"Just a friendly reminder, we're at the Spring Hotel," Chen Cheng interjected.

The man's eyes bulged in disbelief as he stared at Chen Cheng.

"One."

"Wait a moment."

Chen Cheng pulled out several cans from his bag and opened one. The sweet aroma of fruit wafted through the room, making even Zhou Xuqing involuntarily swallow.

"I prefer peace over violence; I'm not fond of bloodshed," Chen Cheng said with a grin.

Seeing what he thought was a lifeline, the man, ignoring his wounded hand, scrambled over to Chen Cheng, bowing his head repeatedly in gratitude.

"Thank you, big brother. I'm truly innocent."

"If you keep up this act, there's nothing I can do to help you. But if you spill everything you know, all these cans on the table are yours," Chen Cheng offered, sliding the open fruit can towards him.

The man's eyes, once filled with fear, now gleamed with greed.

Chen Cheng, noting the success of his tactic, allowed himself a satisfied smile.

"All this will really be mine if I tell you everything?" the man's voice quivered.

Chen Cheng gave a slight nod.

With that, the man divulged all the information he had.

The Wild Boar Mercenary Group specialized in human trafficking, preying on vulnerable individuals and extorting protection money from the impoverished. They dabbled in the 'food' trade as well.

Their stronghold was nestled in the slums just outside the town.

Lee Xiao, the head of the Wild Boar Mercenaries, was a prominent figure in Calcheth. His greed was piqued when he learned that Chen Cheng had brought out some canned goods and had been invited into a private room at the trading post.

Naturally, they wouldn't dare act within the town limits, not until they had fully assessed Chen Cheng's capabilities.

The man was merely expendable, one of many in the outer slums.

Chen Cheng listened to the informant's report in silence, then fell into contemplation.

"Heh heh, boss, what do you think about... Heh heh!"

The man's eyes were fixed on the canned goods spread out on the table.

The worth of one can could sustain him for a lifetime, let alone the four that lay before him.

Chen Cheng, growing impatient, gestured dismissively.

Before the man could approach, Zhou Xuqing's finger was already on the trigger.

A loud bang echoed as blood splattered across the floor, with a droplet of brain matter even contaminating the canned fruit.

Chen Cheng turned to Zhou Xuqing with a frown.

"What was that for? Such a waste."

He strode over, stowing the cans into his backpack, and reached for the tainted canned fruit to eat.

"Don't eat that, it's got brain matter in it," Chen Cheng warned.

Zhou Xuqing paused, only slightly taken aback, having been through far worse. She shrugged nonchalantly and downed the contents of the can.

"I've been through tougher scrapes than this... This is nothing."

She licked her tongue around the can, ensuring not a morsel was wasted.

"Next time, leave this to me. We can't afford to waste food."

Chen Cheng observed Zhou Xuqing, realizing she was someone with quite the backstory.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Chen Cheng exchanged a wary glance with Zhou Xuqing.

"They're right on time. Don't worry!"

Zhou Xuqing confidently moved to answer the door.

With a quick excuse, they briefed a few attendants on the situation, who then removed the body. They were thorough, cleaning up every last trace of blood before departing.

Subsequently, the manager personally offered an apology to both of them, along with a compensatory offering: a mutant steak.

Chen Cheng wrinkled his brow as the aroma of the steak wafted up. "Is this even edible?"

"Absolutely. You don't know how good you've got it. I haven't had the pleasure of eating this in years."

As Zhou Xuqing dined with refined grace, Chen Cheng nonchalantly pulled out a selection of red wine from his backpack.

"Red wine?"

With a swift motion, Zhou Xuqing seized it.

Watching her adept handling of the bottle, Chen Cheng thought she would certainly pass for a high-society lady in the modern world, the kind at the pinnacle of social standing. This only reinforced his suspicions.

In this world, where a meal was hard to come by, red wine was an even rarer luxury.

"Don't give me that look. I'll share the story with you when the time comes. It's clear you're no ordinary individual. Are you, perhaps, a metahuman?"

In the post-apocalyptic world, metahumans were the supreme rulers.

Humanity's hierarchy was categorized as follows: Ordinary human, level one human, level two human, level three human. Upon reaching a certain evolutionary threshold, individuals would awaken their superpowers, classified as One Star metahuman, Two Stars metahuman, Three Stars metahuman, along with the ranks of Lord, King, and Emperor.

There were also mutant clones, categorized as level one mutant, level two mutant, Super Mutant, Special Mutant, and Epic Mutant.

Zombies, too, were stratified: ordinary zombies, mutant zombies, super zombies, king level zombies, and emperor level zombies.

Mutated monsters ranged from ordinary creatures to level one, level two, level three, level four, king level, and divine level. And there were whispers of even more enigmatic beings.

As Zhou Xuqing laid out the hierarchy, Chen Cheng's thoughts deepened. He realized he was far from the apex; by the system's standards, he was merely an ordinary person. Without the system, striking it rich in this apocalyptic world would be as daunting as ascending to the heavens.

It was clear he needed to complete his mission. But before that, he had to seize the opportunity to bring back something from his own world, before the system's next task commenced. The thought of his penniless state back in the modern world caused his brow to furrow once more.

At that moment, Zhou Xuqing also recognized what set Chen Cheng apart, but since he remained silent, she refrained from probing further—after all, they both harbored secrets.

Their relationship was, indeed, finely balanced.

A series of knocks shattered the room's quietude.

Zhou Xuqing quickly resumed her mercenary demeanor and went to answer the door.

"Hello, my apologies for the intrusion. May I speak with Mr. Chen?"

A polite voice floated in from the threshold.

Zhou Xuqing glanced back at Chen Cheng, signaling that the visitor was welcome.