Chapter 23: The Big Triangle
Everyone froze for a moment.
Yu Tianxing looked toward Qi He. Yu Jiang looked toward Yan Chuanbai. Yan Chuanbai was staring at Guan Shangchun. Qi He slightly tilted his head, meeting someone’s gaze.
Guan Shangchun took a breath. “…speed.”
Everyone: “……”
That was quite a breath.
Qi He greeted lightly, “So it’s you.”
No wonder someone was reckless enough to roam the wilderness alone—it turned out to be an S-rank ability user. But with such weak attack power, then most likely…
The next moment, Yu Tianxing continued, “He’s a psychic-type ability user.”
After a pause, he asked, “You two know each other?”
His eyes drifted toward Yan Chuanbai, while Yu Jiang looked back at Qi He again. Yan Chuanbai kept one hand in his pocket, his expression unreadable.
Qi He said, “We ran into each other once before.”
Yu Jiang’s pupils trembled slightly, and she whispered, “An affair…?”
Guan Shangchun tilted his head. Yan Chuanbai’s brow twitched.
Qi He caught that. “……”
He didn’t even have a partner—where was the ‘affair’ supposed to come from? He looked calmly at Yu Jiang and repeated, “A chance encounter.”
Yu Jiang’s pupils stopped shaking; she let out a quiet sigh of relief. “Sorry.”
Yu Tianxing broke the awkwardness with a cheerful smile, waving both hands. “Alright, let’s all sit down and talk.”
…
They all moved to sit at the table.
It was a long rectangular table, two seats per side. Qi He picked a spot at random and sat down. Guan Shangchun took the seat to his left. Then the chair to his right was pulled back—Yan Chuanbai sat down at the head of the table.
Yu Tianxing, who had been about to sit there, paused—then chose to sit across from Qi He instead.
Yan Chuanbai looked at him. “What did you want to talk about?”
Yu Tianxing said warmly, “Mainly to introduce everyone to each other, and also to go over the relocation of the shelter’s residents.”
He had already reported Guan Shangchun’s addition to headquarters, but since the current head of Base I was Yan Chuanbai, he went into more detail this time:
“He just arrived at the base yesterday. His ability was tested at S-rank—so that makes one more known S-rank for us, which is good news~ His ability type is Perception—he can sense large-scale movements of zombies and humans from a long distance, which will be a huge help for early warnings and rescue operations.”
Yan Chuanbai gave a quiet “Mm.”
He turned slightly toward Guan Shangchun, looking at him for a couple of seconds. “Welcome aboard.”
Guan Shangchun seemed to sense something, turned his head, and smiled back. “Thank you.”
Across from them, Yu Jiang kept her eyes wide open, trying hard to catch every word.
Yu Tianxing looked from side to side, then clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s talk about the shelter.”
Yan Chuanbai withdrew his gaze and began reporting the situation. A large number of civilians had already been handed over to the military’s logistics department for resettlement. As for the remaining ability users, they would be transported back to the base along with essential supplies by convoy tomorrow.
There were no major issues in the overall plan, so Yu Tianxing asked, “How did you convince them to move?”
Yan Chuanbai’s fingertips paused slightly. “By reason and emotion.”
Yu Tianxing: “……”
Keeping his smile, he said, “I hope that’s exactly how you phrase it in tomorrow’s report to headquarters.”
Yan Chuanbai tapped his fingers lightly, then elaborated a little. “The residents there had already formed a stable settlement and were unwilling to relocate. Fortunately…” He paused, then corrected himself, “Coincidentally, a mutant zombie appeared and attacked their leader. To determine whether there was any infection, they collectively decided to move to the base.”
The system said flatly: [It wasn’t a coincidence.]
Qi He, unconcerned, shifted his gaze away.
When he turned his head, he met Guan Shangchun sitting on his left.
Guan Shangchun turned his eyes toward him. His eyes were bright and moist, his hair soft and slightly long, and his features delicate—like some kind of aquatic plant. When his gaze met Qi He’s, he gave him a small smile.
Qi He was about to speak when, from his right, came a voice—
“Do you have anything to add?”
He turned back to see Yan Chuanbai looking straight at him. The other two also turned their eyes his way.
Qi He paused briefly before replying gently, “No, you’ve already covered everything in detail.”
Yan Chuanbai’s tone was mild. “Really? And what exactly did I say?”
Qi He: “……”
He deflected it back. “You seemed to say nothing, yet managed to say everything.”
Yan Chuanbai looked as if he was about to continue, but Yu Tianxing’s smile twitched, his tone strained but composed. “Hearing a report like this—I guess I deserve it.”
Both men: “……”
—
When the meeting ended, everyone began to disperse.
Qi He stood up, but heard Yu Tianxing call out, “Um, Mr. Guan—”
Guan Shangchun said, “Just call me Guanshang. The first two characters sound like my surname anyway. My old friends used to call me that.”
Yu Tianxing smiled. “Alright, Guanshang. I still have some research-related matters to discuss—would you mind staying a bit longer?”
Guan Shangchun sat back down. “Sure.”
Yu Jiang, who had trouble moving around, was pushed away by Yu Jin.
Qi He and Yan Chuanbai left the room together.
It was nearly mealtime, and after running around all day, the two of them decided to head straight to the cafeteria.
As they left the research institute, Yan Chuanbai suddenly asked, “He’s the one you said had terrible aim, right?”
…When had he ever put it that bluntly?
Qi He corrected him. “What I said was that he’s the one who told us not to return to the base.”
Yan Chuanbai replied, “Oh, so just a brief encounter then.”
“You could put it that way.”
He didn’t speak again, not until they entered the cafeteria.
Inside, it was packed with people. The relocated residents from the shelter had just arrived—most of them had come here to eat.
Qi He and Yan Chuanbai each grabbed a tray of food.
They were carrying their trays, looking for seats, when suddenly there was a loud clang! as they passed one of the tables.
Qi He turned his head and saw, two seats away, Zhou Shun staring at them—his spoon had fallen straight into his soup bowl.
Qi He: “……”
All he’d done was help the man rebuild his cognitive functions. Surely that shouldn’t have caused lasting side effects, right?
Zhou Shun quickly regained his composure and stood up.
He’d already heard from others that the two weren’t actually called those strange dish names. “Brother Yan, Brother Qi—I didn’t realize you were using aliases before. I won’t call you wrong anymore.”
Qi He looked at him calmly. What does he mean, ‘both’? He’d always been called Qi He.
From beside him came what sounded suspiciously like a restrained laugh.
Qi He decided not to pursue it. “You’ll be attending my training session tomorrow.”
Zhou Shun, unaware of the implications, said cheerfully, “Oh, okay.”
That settled the topic—for now.
Yan Chuanbai turned toward Aunt Tian and a few familiar residents nearby. “Are you getting used to things here?”
Aunt Tian looked startled to be addressed by a commanding officer, but quickly steadied herself. “We’re getting used to it. The lodging’s been arranged, and the meals are covered by the military too. They said we can rest for two days before looking for work.”
Qi He paused slightly and turned his head.
Yan Chuanbai’s expression remained as cool as ever, but his brows seemed a touch more relaxed. “Mm.”
They went to sit at an empty table nearby.
Qi He glanced at the person across from him. Military expenses couldn’t be authorized on a personal whim—any reimbursement had to go through layers of approval. It wouldn’t have been processed that quickly.
That could only mean one thing: the costs had come out of Yan Chuanbai’s own account.
Sensing his gaze, Yan Chuanbai looked up. “Something wrong?”
Qi He said, “Didn’t expect you to do something like that.”
Yan Chuanbai’s hand paused briefly on his chopsticks, then resumed as if nothing had happened. “Do what?”
Qi He didn’t press, seeing that he wouldn’t admit it. He just shook his head. “Doing something purely out of goodwill, with no ulterior motive.”
“……” Yan Chuanbai gave a dry, humorless laugh. “Thanks for your faith in my character.”
“No need to thank me—you can go ahead and demonstrate it more often.”
—
After dinner, Qi He returned to his quarters.
They’d been away from the base for nearly three days, so the missed training sessions had to be made up. Both he and Yan Chuanbai would be teaching tomorrow.
After days of nonstop travel, he washed up and went to rest early.
The next morning—
Qi He left his room right on time.
He pressed the elevator button; it was descending slowly from above. Ding! The doors slid open—to reveal Yu Tianxing and Guan Shangchun inside.
…From the upper floors—so it seemed Guan Shangchun had moved into the level where Ying Zhen used to live.
Qi He stepped in and greeted them. “Morning.”
Both of them replied, “Morning.”
As the elevator doors closed, the enclosed space grew quiet. For some reason, the usually talkative Yu Tianxing didn’t say a word. Only one gaze lingered on Qi He.
He turned his head and met Guan Shangchun’s eyes. “…Is there something wrong with how I look today?”
Guan Shangchun shook his head. “No—you look completely right.”
Yu Tianxing suddenly broke in with a laugh. “Ha ha.”
Qi He assumed he was just trying to keep up with the conversation and went on asking Guan Shangchun, “Then why were you staring at me?”
“Being drawn to the strong is human instinct.” Guan Shangchun stared at him without blinking, speaking matter-of-factly. “Your ability level is very high, and your marksmanship is excellent. My perception is sharp—I can feel that you’re… exceptionally strong.”
Qi He said cheerfully, “System, every word he says is a compliment.”
The voice in his head seemed wholly disinclined to reply.
Yu Tianxing suddenly laughed again. “Ha ha~”
Sliding into the conversation with practiced friendliness, he said, “Then why not look at Yan Chuanbai? He’s strong too.”
Guan Shangchun lowered his lashes slightly and said tactfully, “My perception also includes emotional perception.”
Inside the elevator: “?”
Yu Tianxing seemed to realize something and promptly closed his mouth.
Ding! The elevator reached the ground floor in complete silence.
Qi He thought for a moment, then nodded in understanding. “So you can sense that he naturally carries invisible barbs.”
The other two: “……”
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out.
Just as they exited, Yu Tianxing received a call. After hanging up, he said to Guan Shangchun, “Sorry, Guanshang—some of the research data just glitched, I need to go fix it. As for that experiment… next time, alright?”
Guan Shangchun replied softly, “It’s fine, go ahead.”
Yu Tianxing barely had time to wave before rushing off in a whirlwind.
That left Guan Shangchun momentarily unoccupied.
Qi He looked at him for a moment. “Your ability might be psychic-type, but you’ll still need to go out on missions later. From what I saw last time, you haven’t had formal combat training. If you’re free now, do you want to come to the training field with me to practice?”
Guan Shangchun’s eyes shone faintly, like they were damp with light. “I’d like that.”
…
At the training field, most of the trainees were already present.
Three minutes remained before the session began.
Yan Chuanbai stood at the front, tactical harness fastened, gloves on, firearm secured.
He glanced toward the edge of the field.
Qi He was usually there five minutes early—he wasn’t sure why he was running late today.
Just as he was thinking that, a familiar figure appeared.
Qi He approached at an unhurried pace, still in his usual simple white T-shirt, calm and composed. Behind him followed Guan Shangchun.
Yan Chuanbai’s gaze shifted toward them.
The once-bustling training field instantly grew quieter.
Especially on the left side—every trainee there straightened up, some even tensing completely, instinctively entering combat readiness.
Zhou Shun, new to the group, glanced around in confusion. “What’s going on?”
A trainee beside him didn’t even move his eyes, only murmured softly, “Instructor Qi’s training… isn’t exactly standard.”
Zhou Shun: “?”
Qi He crossed the field first to grab his equipment.
As he fastened his gear, he walked over to Yan Chuanbai and stopped in front of him, adjusting his belt buckle as he said, “Guanshang’s got nothing to do, so I told him to train with my team.”
Yan Chuanbai raised an eyebrow. “Can he keep up?”
Qi He thought for a moment. “I’ll keep it moderate.”
“When the fighting starts, things get rough. You’ll have to split your attention to watch him?”
“I’ll just have him stand off to the side.”
Yan Chuanbai was about to respond when Qi He glanced over—Guan Shangchun stood awkwardly at the front of the formation, looking at him with a hopeful, uncertain expression.
Qi He said, “Alright, I’ll head over first.”
With that, he strode back across the field.
On the training field, nearly all the trainees had arrived.
There were three minutes left before the session began.
Yan Chuanbai stood at the front, tactical harness already fastened, gloves on, gun secured.
He glanced toward the edge of the field.
Qi He always arrived five minutes early for training—today, though, for some reason, he was late.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the familiar figure appeared.
Qi He was still in his usual plain white T-shirt, walking over at an unhurried pace, calm as ever. Behind him trailed Guan Shangchun.
Yan Chuanbai’s gaze followed them.
The once-noisy field suddenly quieted.
Especially on the left side—every trainee there straightened up at once. Some even tensed all over, automatically entering combat readiness.
Zhou Shun, attending for the first time, looked around in confusion. “What’s going on?”
The trainee beside him didn’t even shift his eyes, just murmured quietly, “Instructor Qi’s training… isn’t exactly conventional.”
Zhou Shun: “?”
Qi He crossed the field and went to collect his gear.
While strapping it on, he walked toward Yan Chuanbai, stopping in front of him as he adjusted his belt. “Guan Shang didn’t have anything to do, so I brought him to train with my group.”
Yan Chuanbai’s brow arched slightly. “Can he keep up?”
Qi He thought for a moment. “I’ll go easy.”
“If things get intense, you’ll have to split your focus to watch him.”
“I’ll just have him stand off to the side.”
Yan Chuanbai was about to reply again when Qi He turned his head—Guan Shang was standing awkwardly at the front of the line, looking at him with uncertain eyes.
Qi He said, “Alright, I’ll head over first.”
And with that, he strode back to the field.
Yan Chuanbai remained where he was, expression blank, watching from afar as he silently counted in his head: Qi He usually exchanged at least five sentences with him—today, it had only been four.
It felt like part of the attention that once belonged to him had been drawn away.
The gap that had been quietly filled before loosened again, knocking around restlessly in his chest.
…
On the other side, Qi He was helping Guan Shangchun with his gear.
After all, Guan Shangchun was an S-rank ability user—psychic type, no less—so he was about as valuable as they came.
Qi He waited for him to finish fastening the straps, then instructed, “Once training starts, if it’s not your turn, stay back a bit.”
Guan Shangchun nodded. “Got it.”
“There’s a team challenge later,” Qi He added. “Don’t join that one yet. I’ll give you separate training.”
“No problem,” Guan replied.
“Alright, then you can—” Qi He started to tell him to head back, but noticed one of his belt straps twisted. “This part’s flipped, not buckled right.”
When Guan Shangchun looked down in confusion, Qi He simply reached out. “Here—”
A sudden ice spike shot up from the ground!
Qi He jerked his hand back instantly, yanking Guan Shangchun out of the way with a burst of gravity before drawing his gun in one smooth motion—click.
Yan Chuanbai was already there, closing in with an ice blade slashing toward him.
Bang!
A single shot forced Yan Chuanbai back, and Qi He stepped away two paces.
Heart pounding, he looked over.
Yan Chuanbai stopped, completely calm, and announced, “Sneak attack.”
Meeting Qi He’s gaze, he added, “Your rule—anytime, anywhere.”
“…” Qi He.
He steadied the still-shaken Guan Shangchun with one arm, then shot Yan Chuanbai a deep look. “I did say that, but you—”
Before he could finish, there was a sudden BOOM!!!
Earth energy burst up beneath all three of them at once.
In an instant, dust exploded skyward, gravel and sand scattering everywhere.
The sudden chaos caught everyone completely off guard.
Standing in formation, Zhou Shun finally understood.
So this is what they meant by “not exactly conventional.”
He felt, for once, that he had made an excellent decision—then grinned smugly toward the front and declared,
“Sneak attack!”
——————————————————
Author’s note:
Zhou Shun: Today, I successfully ambushed three S-ranks. Guys, did I do it right? 😎✋
Qi He: ……
Yan Chuanbai: Well, at least I’m not the one who got hurt.
Guan Shangchun: 😭💥
