Is This How You Plan to Infect Me?

Chen Xun's gaze hardened, his muscles tensing instinctively.

Next to him, Lu Nianxin suddenly looked up, studying him with an amused glint in her eyes. She had quickly picked up on it—this guy was scared. At the same time, she guessed the reason behind Chen Dafen's unusual question. Chen Dafen, usually indifferent to the affairs of others, had only asked that because he had received orders.

Chen Xun remained silent, his eyes fixed on Chen Dafen.

At that moment, Chen Dafen, completely relaxed, sat down in the vehicle. Lu Nianxin slid into the driver's seat, her cold demeanor slipping into the car beside him. Only Chen Xun remained standing outside.

"Get in," Chen Dafen waved lazily, his smile wide. "What are you standing out there for? I'm just asking a casual question. Nothing serious."

"Captain Chen," Chen Xun took a deep breath before sliding into the seat next to Chen Dafen. "You understand the importance of a safehouse... Such sensitive information is not something most people would share casually, given the risk of being targeted and having it destroyed."

"Oh, is that so?" Chen Dafen scratched his head. "In Xinchang, are people really that cautious? Over in Jinling, my safehouse is public knowledge."

"Your strength is great, Captain Chen, so you have no fear of such things."

Chen Xun took a slow breath, then continued, "My safehouse is in the west side of the city. If you wish, we can head there now."

As he said this, he stole a glance at the rearview mirror, where his eyes met Lu Nianxin's, her expression unreadable.

"Ah, the west side?" Chen Dafen clicked his tongue, stroking his chin. "That's a bit far. We're on a mission right now, so it's not convenient to pay you a visit. Let's save it for another time!"

"By the way, you were so nervous earlier... did you think I was going to destroy your safehouse?"

With that, Chen Dafen slapped Chen Xun on the shoulder, leaning in with a grin, his voice low and teasing. "You're afraid, aren't you?"

Suddenly, Lu Nianxin slammed her foot on the accelerator, pushing the car into high gear. The vehicle sped forward, and Chen Xun's gaze snapped to the front, meeting the cool, calculating look in Lu Nianxin's eyes through the rearview mirror.

"Yes," Chen Xun lowered his head, admitting calmly, "No one can stay calm in front of Captain Chen. You're too powerful; I naturally have my concerns."

Chen Dafen raised an eyebrow, studying him with a scrutinizing look. "Then why didn't you hide it from me? You wouldn't be lying, would you?"

"Captain, I would never lie to you. It would serve no purpose." Chen Xun shook his head. "Even if I hid my safehouse, there's no escape. If you wanted to harm me, you'd find a thousand ways to do so. Everything I do would be futile."

"Ha! You sure know how to talk!" Chen Dafen laughed heartily, clearly pleased. This guy had some sense!

Seeing Chen Dafen's grin, Chen Xun relaxed a bit. "So, Captain, what's with the sudden curiosity about my safehouse? Just a casual question, or...?"

Chen Dafen waved dismissively. "It's not just casual."

He leaned back, shaking his head. "I was just thinking—if I were to destroy your safehouse, would you mind?"

Chen Xun froze, his face going pale in shock.

He had assumed that Chen Dafen was simply asking out of curiosity, but now it was clear—he really did intend to destroy his safehouse!

And what was this? Asking if he would mind? Wasn't that the point of the question?

"Captain," Chen Xun's voice tightened with a hint of frustration. "Do you think I should mind? Or should I not mind?"

"You're asking me?" Chen Dafen frowned, clearly irritated. "I asked you, and now you're asking me?"

Helpless, Chen Xun let out a sigh, no longer holding back. "Captain, why do you want to destroy my safehouse? If I've offended you in some way, just say it. If you simply dislike me, then feel free to kill me, no need for these threats and humiliations."

Chen Dafen looked at him with amusement. "What, are you mad now?"

He slapped Chen Xun on the back, laughing. "Don't be upset, buddy! I didn't explain properly. There's actually a rule back in Jinling related to this!"

"You're from Xinchang, so I don't blame you for not knowing."

Chen Dafen continued, his smile widening. "But I've been thinking—Xinchang's rescue mission isn't that big of a deal. Once this is all over, I was actually thinking of recommending you to our commander in Jinling."

"So, I wanted to discuss something with you ahead of time."

"You see, in Jinling, there's this benefit everyone loves. If you're not satisfied with the talents of your safehouse, you can always choose to have it destroyed and then get a new one by the end of the month's chaos."

Chen Dafen's explanation caused Chen Xun to relax, his expression finally easing. So that's what this was about.

After a moment's thought, Chen Xun nodded, clearly impressed. "Captain, that is indeed a good benefit... If I'm not mistaken, the one who destroys the safehouse is the commander, right?"

Chen Dafen didn't finish, but Chen Xun had already caught on.

"That person earns points for destroying the safehouse while ensuring the safety of the one being destroyed... It's a win-win situation."

Chen Xun nodded, clearly impressed by the plan, admiring how quickly it had been implemented across the city. "The commanders in Jinling really know their stuff. They must be truly capable people."

Chen Dafen's eyes gleamed. "So, what do you think? Didn't you say yesterday that your talent isn't much? You don't think you're a combat-type, right? Here's a golden opportunity."

"Not everyone gets to participate in this replacement program in Jinling. It's a rotational thing, to keep the disaster relief mission going. But I think you're a good guy, so I'll recommend you for a spot. You can bypass the regular process."

"I'll make sure you get a combat-type talent, A-level! You'll be safe while we do it."

Chen Xun's heart warmed at the gesture, realizing Chen Dafen had taken his casual comment seriously.

However, he quickly shook his head, still hesitant. "Thank you, Captain, but I'm not ready for that. What if I have bad luck and don't get an A-level talent after a few months? That would be a waste of time."

"Besides, while my talent isn't combat-related, it could still help the commanders with some intel gathering."

"I'm not entirely dissatisfied with my talent, but I think it might still be useful to the commanders. I'd prefer to discuss it with them first."

His words were sincere, placing the collective good over personal gain. There was no fault to be found.

Yet, Mike couldn't shake the feeling something was off.

"This doesn't sound like the whole truth."

He frowned. "He's hiding something!"

Mike's mind whirred. Chen Xun didn't want to destroy his safehouse—he was avoiding it! Was he trying to pass the soul plague onto Mike? No, Chen Xun wasn't an infected, so how could he do that?

Mike's thoughts raced. Had Chen Xun been hiding something darker all along?

4o mini