Guan Qian was nearly beside herself. She looked helplessly around at the others who had barged in, trying to find some evidence that the two men were joking.
They were joking, right? Or perhaps they simply had terrible personalities and were deliberately saying things that could be misunderstood.
In the original story, the male lead, Chu Yebai, wasn’t exactly a respectable character either. He liked joking around and frightening people, so surely this time was no different, right?
Because if he had any interest in men—no, no, how could that possibly be?
Everyone knew that the male leads in romance novels were straight men who couldn’t be bent even by a hydraulic press. Besides, given the male lead’s arrogant and domineering personality, even if he did develop an interest in men, he wouldn’t drag another woman into a threesome.
They were definitely joking. She was definitely overthinking it.
Guan Qian scanned everyone’s faces hopefully, only to feel her heart plummet.
Their expressions were filled with shame, indescribable awkwardness, and heartache over their boss throwing himself into depravity.
One of the handsome young men pulled something from his pocket and handed it to Chu Yebai.
“Boss, put this on.”
Chu Yebai stared at the box of condoms the appraiser had handed him and fell silent.
“…Why do you have this?”
“It was in a drawer at the front desk. I guess they keep some on hand so guests can have someone deliver them upstairs whenever they want.”
That made sense. This place had originally been a hotel, after all. What didn’t it have?
Chu Yebai had enjoyed himself for a moment by putting on an act in front of the person he had subdued, but his underlings’ stupidity had cut that pleasure in half.
But who was Chu Yebai? His ability to adapt was second to none. In only a few days, he had already figured something out.
Rather than be a pathetic little victim pitied by his idiot underlings, he might as well become a pervert who left them dumbfounded.
There was no other choice. In the apocalypse, what people needed was strength and the ability to intimidate.
Thus, Chu Yebai let out a soft laugh. “Go find another one. That’s not the size I use.”
As he spoke, he flashed a confident smile. “This one’s too small!”
The men around them all clenched their buttocks. The prisoners in the room, especially those who had previously been controlled by Gong Ran, were affected the most.
They looked at Chu Yebai with fear and horror, along with a trace of solemn admiration.
Then they looked toward Gong Ran.
Gong Ran had been given drugs to suppress his abilities. The drugs seemed to have a muscle-relaxing effect as well, leaving his entire body limp. Pei Liang had him pinned down by his arms and legs, keeping him firmly under control, making him look exceptionally vulnerable.
He had not displayed any aggression since they escaped from the prison. Compared with the weak, scholarly doctor he had appeared to be before, he now seemed even more helpless.
As a result, the beauty that had been obscured by the fear and depravity he inspired was revealed.
At a closer look, this mad doctor was actually a rare beauty. His features were exquisite, and because he had spent years in prison without seeing sunlight, his skin was a sickly, deathly pale.
His hair was being yanked back, and perhaps it hurt, because his expression was both humiliated and defiant. Yet under the overwhelming force holding him down, he could do nothing.
That only made him more enticing, as though it made people want to bully him brutally.
Good heavens! Seeing it this way, it made perfect sense that the depraved couple had set their sights on Gong Ran.
Even the rough, uncultured prisoners thought so, let alone Guan Qian.
At that moment, she had only one thought:
It was over.
Pei Liang said to everyone present, “Clear this place out first. Move anything useful. Be careful—the traps this guy set up could be anywhere.”
Then he turned to Gong Ran. “Actually, this is a pretty good place. If possible, I’d rather leave you here.”
Chu Yebai gave a cold laugh. “What? Afraid I’ll bully him if we take him back?”
Pei Liang hurriedly replied, “Of course not. You’re the most broad-minded person there is.”
Then he gave the others another instruction. “You all get to work. We’re going upstairs.”
The two of them then dragged Gong Ran, with absolutely no mercy, to a presidential suite on the second floor.
They knew that room well. It had a soft bed, a huge indoor bathtub, and plenty of room for all kinds of activities.
The bandits sighed helplessly. Guan Tian said indignantly, “What the hell does that woman mean? Is she really planning to have the best of both worlds?”
“No way. Our boss can’t be made to suffer this kind of humiliation.”
Using Little Genius’s Little Bee and the various surveillance devices under their control, the appraiser searched the entire hotel for traps and suspicious objects.
As he worked, he asked coolly, “What else could she mean? Do you want to charge upstairs right now and stand up for our boss? Tell him he can’t keep throwing himself into depravity?”
Guan Tian thought about it and grew a little timid. “M-Maybe we can talk to the boss about it in private later. He seems to be enjoying himself right now.”
“Let me make one thing clear: it’s not that I’m afraid to speak up for what’s right. It’s just that now isn’t the time to be so tactless.”
The bandits around him gave him disdainful looks.
Meanwhile, the prisoners who had been herded into a group at gunpoint felt sympathy for Gong Ran for the first time in their lives.
What a novelty. They had originally thought that a monster like Gong Ran would have everyone cheering even if he went to hell.
After hearing the bandits’ conversation, Guan Qian nearly burst into tears from anxiety.
But with the dark mouths of guns pointed at them, she didn’t dare make a reckless move.
At that moment, her two brothers stood up. The bandits didn’t seem to have any intention of restraining them.
They even ordered the brothers to help tie everyone up.
Guan Qian stared at them in disbelief. “B-Big Brother? Second Brother?”
Her two brothers looked pleased with themselves. “Surprised?”
“Actually, in the afternoon, while the two of us were sunbathing on the beach outside, we got stung by a bee.”
“We thought it was strange. What was a bee doing by the seaside? Then the thing started writing words in the sand, saying that when it stung us, it had already injected poison into our bodies.”
“We were scared half to death at first. But it turned out all they wanted was information about the traps in the hotel that we knew about, plus for us to betray Gong Ran when the time came.”
“They should’ve said so from the start. Why would they need poison for something like that? If some philanthropist had come to save us from this living hell, we would’ve agreed on the spot.”
Hearing that, the intruders nodded approvingly.
“You two did a good job. Otherwise, capturing that cunning madman here wouldn’t have been easy.”
Guan Qian was so furious that she nearly left her body. Pointing at her two brothers with trembling fingers, she shouted, “What the hell have you two idiots done?”
Her dream of becoming the heroine, the villain she had staked her entire fortune and all her hopes on, and the future she had imagined standing beside the man at the pinnacle of humanity—
All of it had vanished before her ambitions had even begun. It was all gone, completely gone, and things were even more miserable than in the original story.
At least in the original, the villain had held out until the final battle, and the male lead had only managed a hard-fought victory. But now, thanks to her meddling, not only had she failed to avoid any of the dangers, she had instead turned the ultimate villain into a disposable lackey who was killed after only three chapters.
Her two brothers were unhappy when they heard her say that.
“Hey, I don’t understand when you started losing your mind.”
“If it weren’t for the two of us idiots, do you think you’d still be alive after mixing in with this bunch?”
They weren’t wrong. These were all hardened, vicious prisoners convicted of serious crimes. They had committed every kind of offense imaginable.
Guan Qian was a young, beautiful woman. Mixed in with this crowd, she would have had no idea how to survive if not for her two burly brothers, who were well respected in prison.
As for Gong Ran? Anyone who believed that he would do anything was kidding themselves. Someone could die right in front of him, and he would probably just keep reading his newspaper without so much as blinking.
The prisoners around them immediately began complaining to the Guan brothers.
“Then why the hell did you tie us up?”
“We’re not Gong Ran’s slavishly loyal lackeys. We neither intend to resist nor avenge him.”
They turned toward the intruders.
“Benefactors, we can’t thank you enough for saving us.”
“From now on, we’ll follow you. Let us join you, brothers.”
The appraiser smiled. “You’re all serious offenders. Isn’t serving hard time what criminals are supposed to do?”
“Did you think the apocalypse meant you wouldn’t have to stay in prison anymore? Don’t worry. There’ll be plenty of work for you from now on.”
Everyone’s hearts sank. They had barely escaped one den of wolves, only to fall into another tiger’s lair.
But leaving the prisoners downstairs aside, at that moment, inside the presidential suite upstairs—
Gong Ran had already been thrown onto the bed by Pei Liang. She and Chu Yebai stood at the head of the bed with their arms folded, watching him with ill intentions.
Even though Gong Ran wasn’t stupid enough to misunderstand the double meaning in their words like those idiots downstairs, the situation still made him feel a little uneasy.
Fortunately, he knew exactly how long the drug he had developed himself would remain effective.
Before even entering the room, Gong Ran had already mapped out its layout in his mind and begun designing an escape plan.
At that moment, Pei Liang walked over and patted his cheek. Her eyes were filled with undisguised admiration, as though she were looking at a treasure.
She praised him, saying, “You really haven’t disappointed me. How long has it been?”
“In just one day, you went from extracting a sample to formulating an effective inhibitor. Without it, controlling you would have been several times more difficult than it is now.”
Although this man had been involved in similar inhumane projects before the apocalypse, there was no denying his ability and speed of reaction.
But those words grated on Gong Ran’s ears, especially when Chu Yebai added insult to injury.
With a smile, he picked up where Pei Liang had left off. “Being controlled by your own research—getting hit by that rock must really hurt.”
Pei Liang smiled. “All right. Dr. Gong is the honored guest I’m taking back with me. Try to be a little more courteous.”
Then she turned to Gong Ran. “Your drug restricts your abilities and physical strength, but it shouldn’t affect your mind, right?”
“If it doesn’t, I’ll speak frankly.”
Gong Ran raised an eyebrow. Of course, he understood the value of his own existence.
Pei Liang wasn’t the only one capable of recognizing talent. Even before the apocalypse, he had already demonstrated just how important—and dangerous—he was.
He smiled, his composure returning to his face. “Please, Ms. Pei.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he continued, “Though I can probably guess what you want to say.”
“I don’t really mind. Whatever you ask of me now, I can agree to it.”
“But the key question is…” His eyes fixed on Pei Liang. His gaze seemed to deepen as his smile grew wider. “I may dare to agree, Ms. Pei, but do you dare accept?”
Given his abilities, if Gong Ran was given even the slightest opportunity, he could cause trouble. The destruction he could inflict was on an entirely different scale from that of an ordinary thug.
If they weren’t careful, he might be able to destroy an entire base with ease.
Yet if they wanted to make use of his talents, there was no way to eliminate the danger he posed.
Pei Liang understood that. Gong Ran also knew she wasn’t naive enough to think that capturing him once, then imprisoning, intimidating, or coercing him, would make him bow his head.
So before Pei Liang could even ask her question, he had already thrown the ball back into her court.
Pei Liang nodded. “I knew that before I came looking for you.”
Gong Ran’s eyes narrowed. Before she came looking for him—which meant she had someone like Guan Qian on her side as well?
How interesting.
He was just about to speak when Chu Yebai stirred up trouble.
“Not so fast. This man is far too dangerous. Talking to him like this could lead to complications.”
“So instead… we should strip him down first.”
Gong Ran’s pupils contracted. He turned toward Chu Yebai, his expression twisting with fury.
What was wrong with this telekinetic freak?
Pei Liang nodded in agreement. “That’s true. His research facility was rigged with so many traps. There’s no way he doesn’t have something else hidden on him.”
Then she said to Chu Yebai, “Search him carefully. Don’t make the same mistake I did last time and leave behind even a single needle. I had to hide and fake an attack just to put his mind at ease enough for me to sleep.”
The smile on Chu Yebai’s face froze. “W-Well, you’re not exactly a professional.”
As he spoke, his evil hand reached toward Gong Ran, as though he intended to vent all the humiliation he had suffered back then on this man.
The smile on Chu Yebai’s face had twisted into something almost grotesque, and the malice in his eyes was impossible to conceal.
He grinned. “Don’t worry. I guarantee I won’t leave a single thing on him—not even something he was born with.”
Gong Ran felt utterly disgusted and hurriedly shifted away. “Get lost, you pervert! Touch me and see what happens!”
Chu Yebai scoffed. “How novel. The notorious mad doctor who kills people for a living is calling me a pervert?”
“Come on, don’t be shy. We’re both men. Anything you have, I have too—” He paused. “Oh. Maybe you’re just insecure.”
“Never mind. I can understand how you feel. It must be unpleasant, but just bear with it.”
Pei Liang watched the scene unfolding before her, feeling that something about it was rather strange.
She asked Chu Yebai, “Why do I feel like you’re enjoying this?”
Chu Yebai replied, “I’m not. I’m helping you. You’re the leader of the base, the head of all of us. You need to maintain your dignity and bearing.”
“You shouldn’t have to handle these trivial matters yourself.”
Pei Liang: “…”
She had to admit it again: this pretty boy had an unprecedented talent for reading the room.
Gong Ran heard that and said, “Fine. You can take my clothes off. Not him.”
“You wish,” Chu Yebai said with a grin.
“Otherwise, I won’t cooperate.”
“As if bringing you twenty beautiful women would make you cooperate.”
That wouldn’t have worked. Gong Ran had never been particularly interested in women to begin with. Most of the time, he didn’t even perceive men and women as different genders.
Seeing the two of them waste time bickering, Pei Liang rolled up her sleeves. “We’ll do it together!”
Then she stepped forward and tore Gong Ran’s clothes open.
The mad doctor’s body was laid bare before her. Pei Liang whistled. “Not bad. Though I’m not jealous of you yet.”
She had been speaking to Chu Yebai, but Gong Ran’s entire body tensed at those words.
His hand clenched the bedsheet beneath him, even his toes curling against it. Under the woman’s gaze, his body began reacting in ways he found deeply abnormal.
Gong Ran knew perfectly well what was happening to his body and mind. He could explain the sudden sense of shame from a biological perspective in an instant.
What he couldn’t explain was why these chemical reactions were happening now.
It wasn’t as if he had never had women release their hormones around him before. Even Guan Qian constantly radiated that kind of allure in every possible way.
“What’s different from now?”
Gong Ran still hadn’t figured it out, but Chu Yebai was already displeased.
His face instantly darkened as he glared at Pei Liang. “Want me to take my clothes off so we can compare?”
“Let’s see whether he has anything to be jealous of.”
The man was detestable, but this topic seemed to give Pei Liang a thread she could use to divert her attention.
So she joined in. “Ha! Don’t just talk. Do it.”
“My body is absolutely in line with every definition of beauty.” Gong Ran spoke as though it were an undeniable fact. “After all, my genes are exceptional—among humans, they’re one in a million.”
“Such superior genes manifest in every aspect, whether intelligence, strength, or physical aesthetics.”
Chu Yebai sneered. “Yes, yes, yes. Every man thinks that way. Go downstairs later and ask Guan Tian. He thinks the same.”
“He even thinks he’s brilliant beyond compare. Whether you’re any good isn’t for you to decide.”
Pei Liang’s head began to ache. Wasn’t something wrong with this scene?
Wasn’t she supposed to be negotiating with a dangerous doctor? How had this turned into a contest between two males over their appeal?
If she hadn’t stopped him, Chu Yebai really would have taken off his clothes.
Even so, he had already undone his belt.
Pei Liang thought to herself: Do you still remember how domineering and arrogant you were as the leader of the hijackers on the cruise ship when you said, “I make the rules”?
“All right, all right. Are you deliberately here to cause trouble? If this keeps up, the drug’s effects will wear off. Can’t you tell he’s stalling for time?”
“Tsk!” Gong Ran clicked his tongue in annoyance at having his scheme exposed.
Chu Yebai retrieved his belt, fully aware of what was going on.
Still, he genuinely hoped this mad doctor would escape.
Although Gong Ran was useful, his existence was ultimately more harmful than beneficial to Chu Yebai.
Pei Liang understood this as well, which was why she didn’t expose him. Instead, she watched with considerable interest.
Everything on Gong Ran had been searched and confiscated. Finally, Pei Liang removed his glasses as well.
She put them on herself and looked at Gong Ran. “As expected, they aren’t prescription lenses.”
“I knew it. With your abilities, you would have cured something as trivial as myopia long ago—or perhaps you’d never have developed it in the first place.”
After all, this man had been a famous prodigy since childhood. The first time he had appeared in an international newspaper, he had only been thirteen, hadn’t he?
Pei Liang had looked up those old reports. Unlike the pale, sinister-looking madman he was now, the boy in the photographs had bright eyes and a lively air about him. His youthful handsomeness made him instantly likable.
When Gong Ran saw Pei Liang wearing his glasses, a look of novelty appeared on his face.
Before he could understand what was happening, Chu Yebai leaned toward Pei Liang and murmured, “Want to try wearing these tonight?”
Pei Liang raised an eyebrow, then took off the glasses and placed them on Chu Yebai’s face.
He suited glasses rather well. The slightly scholarly gold-rimmed frames emphasized his deep-set eyes, which seemed capable of drawing people in. They looked like flawless black onyx displayed inside a glass case.
The light refracted across the lenses, creating tiny glimmers and casting a hazy veil over his gaze.
The sight stirred Pei Liang’s interest. She nodded. “All right. We’ll try the glasses tonight.”
Gong Ran was furious. He wasn’t an oblivious fool who knew nothing about such matters. Gritting his teeth, he said, “What are you doing with someone else’s glasses?”
Hearing his voice, Pei Liang seemed to remember something. “Oh, right. We can’t let our guard down.”
As she spoke, she twisted the temple of the glasses open. Sure enough, a needle as fine as a strand of hair slid out. Its tip shimmered blue, and no one knew what kind of drug had been applied to it.
Pei Liang clicked her tongue in admiration. “You really can’t be careless for even a moment.”
After handing the glasses to Chu Yebai, Pei Liang climbed back onto the bed and braced her upper body beside Gong Ran’s head.
She slipped one hand into his hair, letting her five fingers comb through the thick strands a few times.
Putting aside his academic achievements, that head of hair alone was enough to make countless top doctors and scientific researchers green with envy.
“Mmm…” Gong Ran’s eyes narrowed involuntarily. Rationally, he wanted to resist the drowsy pleasure of being made comfortable under someone else’s control.
Then, for the first time in his life, his mind failed to keep up with the situation, and an embarrassingly soft sound escaped him.
Gong Ran hurriedly bit down on his lower lip and stared at Pei Liang in disbelief.
Pei Liang’s gaze shifted from his hair to his face. Without his glasses, Gong Ran’s eyes no longer appeared so deep or terrifying.
People without myopia might wear glasses to conceal the calculating sharpness in their eyes, but Gong Ran happened to be the opposite.
His gaze was actually remarkably pure, not so different from that of the boy in the old photographs Pei Liang had seen.
That made sense. Rather than being evil, he had always been someone wholly devoted to constructing his ideal world. He had never once wavered in his convictions.
A person like that could commit the most heinous acts imaginable while still remaining utterly pure inside.
That was also why the more one understood him, the more horrifying he became.
Pei Liang straightened. “All right. You shouldn’t have anything else hidden on you.”
“Because what comes next requires your cooperation, behave yourself. Don’t make me resort to extreme measures.”
“How about it?”
When Pei Liang smiled and said those last three words, a chill ran down Gong Ran’s spine.
He found it inexplicable. Given his arrogance—and the fact that he had never actually experienced these so-called “extreme measures”—how could he possibly have developed such an intense sense of danger out of nowhere?
There had to be a reference point.
He turned his head and glanced at Chu Yebai. In an instant, he understood where that inexplicable sense of danger had come from.
He smiled, mockery flashing across his face. “Oh? Someone seems to have firsthand experience with that.”
Chu Yebai smiled as well, but there was something feral in it.
He said to Pei Liang, “Why not start with the torture, just like you did to me back then?”
“You should know his personality well. He’s the type who won’t shed a tear until he sees the coffin. To avoid wasting time—”
Before he could finish, Pei Liang shot him a glance. Chu Yebai’s scalp tightened, and he immediately fell silent.
It was a warning not to make light of something she had already seen through.
Sure enough, the next moment, Pei Liang injected another dose of inhibitor into Gong Ran.
Then she smiled and nodded at him. “Thanks for the reminder. I have a fairly good idea of how long this drug lasts now.”
“That will be very useful for controlling the amount of time we have for our conversation.”
“Tsk!” Gong Ran clicked his tongue again.
Pei Liang glanced at Chu Yebai. “What? Do you want me to throw you out myself?”
Chu Yebai would have loved to shamelessly stay behind. After all, given their relationship, he had plenty of excuses.
But it was obvious that Pei Liang was about to get serious.
This was not the time to challenge her authority, so Chu Yebai could only descend the stairs sulkily.
He held his belt in one hand, fastening it again as he walked down.
By the time he reached the first floor, he had just buckled it into place.
He looked up and found everyone in the living room staring at him with complicated expressions.
After a long silence, Guan Tian forced a laugh. “As expected, Big Boss is still the best. You accomplished with ease what the rest of us couldn’t manage.”
Guan Qian burst into tears with a loud wail.
She was crying so loudly!
