Players, Please Board the Train

”Yu Qingqing, I’m not your cousin.” Xu Huo hung up after saying this, but the phone rang again immediately:

”Xu Huo! Even if distant relatives are barely family, you’re being too heartless...”

Hang up.

Another call: ”Can’t you let me finish speaking? All men are trash...”

Hang up again.

After several rounds, Xu Huo finally said into the phone, ”Speak properly or I’ll turn it off.”

There was silence for a few seconds before a subdued voice said, ”Someone bullied me. My agent tricked me into entertaining a client.”

”Where?” Xu Huo grabbed his keycard and headed out.

”Ruixi Hotel, ninth floor.”

Xu Huo paused mid-step, turned around and went upstairs instead. After climbing two floors, he spotted a slender figure sitting on the stairwell landing, her eyeliner and foundation smeared across her face as she sent voice messages while wiping tears.”That fat bastard dared to grope me! I kicked his family jewels so hard they’ll never work again!”

”...My agent’s no good either. I should’ve listened to my cousin and gone home to inherit the family fortune. After all, we’re loaded.”

”Good that you realize that.” Xu Huo pulled her up by the arm and examined her. Though her makeup was ruined, she seemed fine otherwise.

Yu Qingqing’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him. ”Cousin! You’re amazing, actually arriving within five minutes!”

”I’m staying here tonight.” Hearing footsteps in the hallway, his expression turned stern. ”Why didn’t you leave immediately after something happened? Didn’t you consider retaliation after hitting someone?”

Just as Yu Qingqing was about to respond, the stairwell door was kicked open. A portly middle-aged man stormed in with her agent and two bodyguards. Spotting her, the man roared and reached out to grab her: ”You bitch!”

Xu Huo blocked his arm and shoved him back, making the man stumble into his bodyguards.

”Who the hell are you? Dare interfere with my business!”

”He’s Yu Qingqing’s cousin, just an extra,” the agent sneered, completely dismissing Xu Huo before turning to Yu Qingqing. ”What are you standing there for? Come apologize to President Zhu!”

”Apologies can wait,” President Zhu pointed at Xu Huo. ”You! Clean her up and deliver her to my bed tonight. If I’m satisfied, we’ll let this slide. Otherwise, neither of you will survive in Ting City!”

Xu Huo backhanded him away. With a sickening crack, President Zhu screamed while clutching his wrist, retreating as he howled, ”Beat them to death!”

The bodyguards charged, but Xu Huo effortlessly grabbed one’s arm and flung him down the stairs. Before the man finished tumbling, he slammed the other’s head into the wall!

Two wails echoed in succession, yet Xu Huo hadn’t moved from his original spot.

”P-please don’t come closer!” The agent stammered as Xu Huo approached him. ”Assault is illegal!”

Xu Huo casually backhanded him, sending the agent crashing to his knees, spitting out blood and teeth.

Dragging President Zhu over, Xu Huo sat on the steps, smoking leisurely as he stared at the two kneeling men without speaking.

The agent, more perceptive than President Zhu, trembled as he pleaded, ”Brother Xu, let’s talk this out! It’s not worth getting arrested over scum like me!”

Xu Huo smiled. ”Ever heard of Evolvers?”

”Most Evolvers don’t eat people, but some prefer human flesh. While you were committing crimes, they’ve been starving in some corner of this city, desperate for a meal.”

Though Evolvers weren’t publicly acknowledged, rumors spread quickly online nowadays.

Despite never having seen one, President Zhu’s group had heard the whispers—Evolvers possessed superhuman strength and speed, making them nearly impossible to catch after committing crimes. President Zhu’s bodyguards, paid twenty to thirty thousand monthly, were no pushovers, yet against Xu Huo they were like children, unable to even fight back. And he knew so much about Evolvers—he must be one!

Evolvers eat people!

Their legs turned to jelly at the realization.

”What do you want? There are cameras everywhere in this hotel! You won’t get away!” President Zhu’s teeth chattered, terrified Xu Huo might pounce and devour him alive.

”Don’t worry, I’ll burn the surveillance room later.” Xu Huo flicked his cigarette ash.

Now even the bodyguards trembled.

”Brother Xu! Brother Xu!” The agent clung to his leg. ”This wasn’t my idea! Zhu here took a liking to Qingqing and pressured our VP! Threatened to fire me if I didn’t bring her! My wife’s pregnant—I can’t lose this job! Who’d do such a despicable thing otherwise!”

President Zhu glared daggers at the agent’s back, but survival took priority. He shoved Yu Qingqing toward Xu Huo and bolted for the stairwell door!

The bodyguards hesitated, but before they could move, the door reopened. President Zhu staggered back in, hands clutching his throat as if being strangled by an invisible force, his obese body lifted until only his toes barely touched the ground, preventing his own weight from immediately strangling him!

”H...help...” He stared at the bodyguards, but they cowered in the corner like they’d seen a ghost, not daring to even glance at Xu Huo.

President Zhu’s face turned purple, pants soaked with urine, tears and snot flowing as he managed two wheezing words toward Xu Huo: ”Mer...cy...”

Only then did Xu Huo release him. Watching the man collapse like a dead pig, he remarked, ”Do less evil. Times have changed.”

Turning to the agent, he asked, ”Yu Qingqing terminates her contract tomorrow. Any problems?”

Snapping out of it, the agent immediately responded, ”No problem! I’ll prepare the paperwork immediately, convince the company to waive penalties!”

Xu Huo nodded and motioned for Yu Qingqing to follow him downstairs.

Back in his room, Yu Qingqing stood cautiously by the door. ”Cousin...you’re not hungry right now, are you?”

Xu Huo turned with an amused expression. ”True, girls smell much better than middle-aged men.”

Yu Qingqing’s beautiful eyes widened. ”We’re family! Blood is thicker than water!”

”You know why zombies in movies always go after relatives first after rising?”

”Why?”

”Because blood is thicker than water—tastes better.”

Yu Qingqing sighed in relief, patting her chest. ”Thank goodness we’re not blood-related.”

”Go wash up. Cancel the contract tomorrow and fly home.” Xu Huo smiled faintly.

”No way.” Yu Qingqing ran over and clung to his arm playfully. ”Even if I quit acting, I can stay to take care of you! When you’re hungry, I’ll lure bad guys for you to eat. How’s that? Pretty loyal for a cousin, right?”

Xu Huo’s expression changed abruptly. He grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and roughly pulled down her collar.