Chapter 104

"Hmm, that sounds reasonable." Yuan Lan's golden eyes glanced at the black bracelet faintly visible under the cuff of Bai Xuechao's left wrist, and he asked meaningfully, "But, what should you do if you encounter a situation where you can't use your special ability?"

Bai Xuechao thought, if nothing unexpected happened, Yuan Lan would eventually be defeated by Zhou Chenhao.

If Zhou Chenhao's special ability nullification worked on Yuan Lan, wouldn't that be the problem Yuan Lan was talking about right now?

Bai Xuechao retorted, "Do you carry a gun with you?"

"I do." Yuan Lan smiled and shrugged his shoulders, "When you're out and about, you should always keep one, right? If your special ability energy is depleted, you won't be able to use your special ability, so you need a way to deal with that."

It seemed that in the future, when dealing with Yuan Lan, he would also have to be on guard against him suddenly pulling out a gun.

As for Yuan Lan's reason, the situation of special ability energy depletion was actually very rare for high-level special ability users.

After a special ability user reached level 6, their special ability energy value cap was raised to over 10,000, and it would increase by tens of thousands with each level-up. Unless the battle was very intense and lasted for a long time, and there was no way to replenish it during the battle, it was still quite difficult to deplete it. At least, Bai Xuechao had never encountered such a situation.

Yuan Lan's behavior could be said to be preparing for a rainy day, leaving a dirty trick in advance. However, Bai Xuechao felt that Yuan Lan might just want to see the disbelieving expression on his opponent's face after being suddenly ambushed.

"Then, Little Xuechao, do you want to learn now?" Yuan Lan seemed to have suddenly become interested and wanted to be a teacher. "I can teach you how to assemble this M1911."

"Learn?" Bai Xuechao said faintly, "Isn't assembling this something you can learn just by watching? Do you need to be specifically taught?"

Xiao 6 bit its code handkerchief: This line is so B-king!!

Mortar's hand, holding the gun part, trembled slightly. He thought to himself: Damn it, the newcomer is showing off!

"Learn just by watching?" Yuan Lan's expression seemed even more interested. He got up and walked to the table, picking up the gun barrel and slide that Bai Xuechao had already assembled. "Do you want to try and challenge it? I'll demonstrate it once, and you repeat it."

Bai Xuechao said, "Okay."

It was good to learn another skill.

Yuan Lan picked up the gun barrel in front of Bai Xuechao and put it on top, twisting it as he said, "Turn right 45 degrees to put on the gun barrel, then turn left..."

His assembly speed was neither fast nor slow, and he explained every step very clearly.

Mortar, who was next to him, also followed Yuan Lan's teachings to assemble the gun. As a result, the spring bushing rolled off the table, and he had to bend down to pick it up.

By the time he picked up the spring bushing and looked up, Yuan Lan had already assembled the M1911. The entire teaching session lasted less than a minute.

Mortar: "??"

Lin Changqing couldn't help but laugh when he saw Mortar's stunned expression.

He was familiar with this feeling. When he was in high school, the teacher was explaining a math problem at the front. He just bent down to pick up the eraser he had dropped on the floor, and when he looked up again, he couldn't understand it anymore.

Mortar was only unskilled at assembling firearms, not completely incapable. There weren't many steps left, so he managed to assemble it on his own.

"Safety off." Yuan Lan's fingertip tapped the safety, which was already on. Then he pulled the slide to load a bullet, raised the gun at Qiao Wenjie, who was standing opposite him, and after a brief moment of aiming, pulled the trigger.

"Bang—"

The apple on Qiao Wenjie's head exploded on impact. The bullet embedded itself in the wall, and apple fragments flew everywhere.

Yuan Lan handed the gun to Bai Xuechao and explained how to aim with the front sight. Then he put down the gun and quickly disassembled it.

He smiled, his eyes curving into crescents. He pushed the disassembled parts in front of Bai Xuechao, "Little Xuechao, it's your turn. Don't disappoint me."

Then he picked up another apple from the basin and threw it to Qiao Wenjie.

It seemed that he wanted Bai Xuechao to shoot after assembling the hand/gun.

Qiao Wenjie pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, which were a bit crooked because the frame was a little deformed. He caught the apple that his boss threw to him.

Unable to refuse, he had to place it on his head again.

This time, he couldn't help but speak, "Bai Xuechao, did you just say you don't know how to shoot?"

"Actually, you can rest assured. I have fired a gun a few times before," Bai Xuechao replied as he picked up the gun barrel and slide to begin assembly. He said calmly, "So far, I've hit the target every time."

Mortar, having been fooled by him once, didn't quite believe him. Hearing this, he immediately asked, "Is that true or false?"

Bai Xuechao said, "It's true, I'm not lying."

"Oh?" Yuan Lan asked with interest, "Then why did you say you didn't know how just now?"

On the other side, Qiao Wenjie estimated the distance from his position to the table. It was at most ten meters. At such a close distance, even someone who had only handled a gun a few times should be able to aim and hit—at least, that's what he thought.

Thinking of this, Qiao Wenjie was about to relax a little when he heard Bai Xuechao's reply, "Because the shooting range was less than two meters each time, so I could hit it no matter how I shot."

Qiao Wenjie: "?!"

A shooting range of less than two meters, are you kidding me?

Yuan Lan was amused by Bai Xuechao's answer. He held onto the table and laughed non-stop, his shoulders shaking.

Lin Changqing found Qiao Wenjie both pitiful and funny. After much difficulty, he had managed to avoid the terrible marksman Mortar, only to fall into the hands of Bai Xuechao with his two-meter shooting range.

Lin Lang also couldn't help but chuckle. He patted Mu Xinyue's shoulder and said in a loud voice to the despairing Qiao Wenjie, "Isn't our outstanding healer, Miss Mu, here? Could she let you die?"

...Even if he didn't die, getting shot in the head would still hurt.

Qiao Wenjie was silently complaining in his heart when he suddenly realized—wait, Mu Xinyue's "potion" wasn't here. If he was unlucky enough to be shot in the head, and the time and situation were urgent, Mu Xinyue would definitely have to heal him personally with her special ability.

If he could have close contact with Mu Xinyue (even if it was just his head), wouldn't he have profited?

Very good, from now on, Bai Xuechao, you are no longer a shooting assassin, you are Cupid!

Qiao Wenjie's gaze suddenly became fervent as he stared at the somewhat blurry white-haired figure in his vision.

At the same time, Jing Han's train of thought also caught up with Qiao Wenjie's. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately raised his hand to volunteer, "Why don't I be the target this time? Qiao Wenjie has already been one once. Let him rest."

Qiao Wenjie loudly refused, "No need, I'm not tired. I like to see things through to the end. Since the lot fell on me to be the target, I'll do it to the end!"

Jing Han seemed to be persuading him earnestly, "Your hair is all dirty with apple juice. Brother, go wash it. Let me do it."

"Since my hair is already dirty, just use me alone." Qiao Wenjie didn't budge an inch, and a holy light seemed to emanate from his body. He said with a serene expression, "Let me bear this kind of thing alone. There's no need to trouble another person."

Yuan Lan saw through their thoughts and let out a light laugh.

"Is that so?" Bai Xuechao pulled the slide to load a bullet, raised the M1911 he had assembled, and aimed the dark muzzle at Qiao Wenjie. "Let you bear it alone?"

At the same time, Mu Xinyue felt a little embarrassed for some reason. She pushed Jing Han next to her, signaling him to shut up and stop arguing.

Qiao Wenjie said seriously, "Yes, please shoot."

That expression was serious, yet held a hint of eagerness.

Bai Xuechao was actually thinking, what if he took this opportunity to kill Qiao Wenjie?

After all, he was still a newcomer. His aim wasn't good. Even if he "accidentally" shot through Qiao Wenjie's brain, it would be normal.

"Little Xuechao is amazing. He successfully assembled it after watching just once." Yuan Lan smiled gently and applauded Bai Xuechao. His voice was gentle and sweet, "I knew it, we are the same kind."

Bai Xuechao thought to himself, who is the same kind as a pervert like you?

Bai Xuechao closed one eye and began to aim, looking at the front sight. The front sight, the rear sight, and the apple on Qiao Wenjie's head were all on the same straight line.

To be honest, it was the first time he had taken shooting so seriously. The feeling was a bit strange.

The thought of killing Qiao Wenjie just now was only a fleeting one.

He couldn't shoot and kill Qiao Wenjie here. First, with Mu Xinyue around, Qiao Wenjie would probably be saved, and he would only get himself into trouble. Second, killing Qiao Wenjie like this would be a waste. The best way to deal with him was to guide the SAIDB to expose Qiao Wenjie as a mole, and he could also suppress the Apocalypse Society at the same time.

Along with a gunshot, the apple on Qiao Wenjie's head once again shattered into pieces.

The juice splashed everywhere, but he himself was unharmed.

"Wow." Yuan Lan let out a soft sigh.

Bai Xuechao quite dashingly tossed the gun in his hand onto the table. His eyes, as bright red as plum blossoms, held a hint of carelessness as he said faintly, "Heh, too easy."

Xiao 6 was about to be knocked out by its host's effortless coolness. It frantically scattered little flowers at the bottom of Bai Xuechao's vision, showering him with rainbow farts, "Host is awesome, you are the most powerful B-king! You are the god of cheesy! No wonder I suddenly felt it got darker around me, it turns out it was your handsome and B-king aura shining!"

Bai Xuechao: "..."

6, you're starting to play the awkward game too, aren't you?

On the other side, the hand/gun slid a half-circle on the table from the force of being dropped, and the muzzle happened to be pointing at Mortar.

Mortar quickly turned on the safety of this gun to prevent accidental discharge. At the same time, he thought to himself: Damn it, Bai Xuechao got to show off again!

"Yes, it's too easy." A smile played on Yuan Lan's lips. He raised his hand and put it on Bai Xuechao's shoulder, looking at Mortar, "Mortar, do you want to give it a try?"

Mortar was speechless.

Both Bai Xuechao and Yuan Lan said it was too easy. If he missed the apple later, wouldn't he be doubly embarrassed?

"No." Mortar decided not to humiliate himself. He would go to the shooting range when he got home. Next time, he would reclaim his glory! (delirious)

Qiao Wenjie persuaded, "Senior Mortar, give it a try."

Mortar resolutely refused, "No need."

"Then in your 'duel' this time, Little Xuechao is the victor!" Yuan Lan announced the result.

Mortar: "Mhm..."

He had encountered a cheat. What else could he do?

"Same old rules, we'll play three games. Now, let's draw for the second one." Yuan Lan stretched out his arm and picked up the game box he had placed on the table earlier. He casually drew out a slip of paper, unfolded it, and read, "The second game is blindfolded hitting people."

Bai Xuechao saw that when Mortar, who was opposite him, heard about this game, his face immediately twisted into a pained mask.

It wasn't just Mortar. Lin Changqing, Lin Lang, Jing Han, and the others also had pained expressions on their faces. This made Bai Xuechao a little curious. He guessed that perhaps the way of hitting people was very hardcore, which was why they showed such pained expressions.

Yuan Lan went to a nearby box to look for a blindfold. His tall figure had his back to the others, and his tone was somewhat nostalgic, "We haven't played this in a long time."

Lin Lang put away his pained expression, a glimmer of hope in his eyes, "Boss, who's doing the hitting this time?"

Mortar also looked expectantly at the back of Yuan Lan, who was searching for something.

Mu Xinyue twirled a strand of her hair with her index finger, as if casually mentioning, "Why don't I do it this time? I haven't done it before."

Yuan Lan found a rectangular box, opened it, and took out a black blindfold from inside. He turned around and said, "The purpose of this gathering is to welcome Little Xuechao to the Apocalypse Society. He's the protagonist this time, so let him do the hitting~"

The glimmer of hope in Lin Lang's eyes was extinguished. Mortar's forehead hit the table with a "thud." Mu Xinyue disappointedly released her twirling finger.

Soon, Bai Xuechao found out why they all wanted to be the one doing the hitting.

As he had expected, Yuan Lan handed him the spiked mace that was standing in the corner.

This spiked mace had a long handle, and its date-pit-shaped head was covered with metal spikes, like a stick with a cactus stuck to it. It had a certain weight when held in the hand.

Bai Xuechao was a little shocked.

This was too hardcore. The party was like a feast at Hongmen Gate.

Yuan Lan used his puppet threads to enclose an area within the game room.

"Later, you'll be blindfolded and use this to hit people." Yuan Lan hooked the black blindfold with his finger and pointed at the spiked mace in Bai Xuechao's hand, explaining the rules, "The time limit is 3 minutes. Anyone you hit is eliminated. If the countdown ends and you haven't eliminated anyone, you will be punished."

Bai Xuechao let out an "Oh."

His gaze passed over Yuan Lan's shoulder and saw the others behind him.

Lin Changqing and Lin Lang were putting their hands together and bowing to him frantically, as if asking him to let them off. Mortar was dejectedly making the sign of the cross on his chest, muttering something. Qiao Wenjie and Jing Han were standing next to Mu Xinyue, probably going to protect her later. Tao Ru didn't seem too afraid of this, sitting lazily on the sofa with a listless look on his face.

Finally, there was the inconspicuous Yu Ruolan. She was sitting at the very end of that row of sofas. When she noticed Bai Xuechao's gaze sweeping over her, she lowered her eyes and gave Bai Xuechao a shy smile.

"It's inconvenient for you to hold things. I'll help you put it on." After Yuan Lan finished speaking, he helped Bai Xuechao put on the black blindfold.

The light in front of Bai Xuechao's eyes disappeared completely, and he was plunged into darkness.

He held the spiked mace in his right hand and thought to himself, this blindfold is really good at blocking out light. It would definitely be great for sleeping.

Bai Xuechao felt his left hand being held. That person pulled him in a certain direction, and Yuan Lan's unique, gentle, and sweet voice continued to sound next to him, "Everyone has to stay within the area I've marked out. If you escape the area, you'll be considered eliminated by me."

After saying this, Yuan Lan brought him to a stop and let go of his hand.

Bai Xuechao felt Yuan Lan's large hand pressing on the back of his neck, but not with much force.

He thought about what the room looked like before he put on the blindfold. He stretched out his hand and indeed touched the puppet thread. He then bent down and passed under the puppet thread with the force of Yuan Lan's hand.

"Alright, I've set the countdown for three minutes." Yuan Lan's voice gradually faded away.

"Ready—start!"

Bai Xuechao held the spiked mace with a clear target.

He went straight for the place where Yuan Lan's voice was last heard. At the same time, that place was also where the scent of cream was the strongest.

Yuan Lan raised an eyebrow.

Most of Bai Xuechao's face was covered by the black blindfold, revealing only his straight and upturned nose, his pale, thin lips, and his delicate, sharp chin. The pure black blindfold made his exposed skin look even paler, and his white hair was like snow falling on his cheeks.

The spiked mace in his hand actually only weighed a few jin, but the advantage was that it was covered in spikes. Getting hit by it was no joke.

Bai Xuechao swung the spiked mace and, without hesitation, swept it towards Yuan Lan's position.

Yuan Lan immediately ducked, and the spiked mace swept over his head, bringing a gust of wind. It was clear that Bai Xuechao was not holding back.

"Wow, Little Xuechao, you're so cruel," Yuan Lan said with a grin, as if provoking him.

Bai Xuechao didn't say a word. The spiked mace spun twice in his hand, and with the inertia, it swept fiercely towards Yuan Lan again.

Yuan Lan dodged again and started moving towards a crowded area. Seeing this, the others scattered, and the sound of footsteps became very chaotic for a moment, with both light and heavy steps.

Because Yuan Lan was running around, the creamy scent that was originally easy to distinguish became everywhere. But Bai Xuechao used his hearing to locate him and accurately found Yuan Lan's footsteps among the many messy ones, constantly chasing after him and hitting him.

Bai Xuechao had only one target: to hit Yuan Lan.

Seeing this, Mu Xinyue ran out from between Qiao Wenjie and Jing Han. She probably wanted to go forward and help Yuan Lan, and Qiao Wenjie and Jing Han had no way to stop her.

Yuan Lan gestured to her, signaling her not to come over, but Mu Xinyue still ran over.

Just as she ran to Yuan Lan's side, the rapidly descending spiked mace suddenly stopped above her head.

"Who?" Bai Xuechao asked. Everyone in the Apocalypse Society except Yuan Lan had taken the X8 pills and had no lure-pheromone scent on them. He thought for a moment and judged that the person was a girl based on the weight of their footsteps. "Mu Xinyue?"

Mu Xinyue looked up at the spiked mace hanging above her head. Her wide red eyes reflected the date-pit-shaped head full of spikes.

She subconsciously responded, "Mhm..."

Even though the misunderstanding between them had been cleared up, Mu Xinyue still didn't like Bai Xuechao, just as she didn't like Yu Ruolan. She felt that Yuan Lan paid too much attention to them, and it was a bit of an eyesore.

Bai Xuechao retracted the spiked mace hanging above Mu Xinyue.

Mu Xinyue came to her senses and said stiffly, "I don't need you to go easy on me. Just consider me hit."

After speaking, she glanced at Yuan Lan, directly passed under the puppet thread that enclosed the area, and voluntarily eliminated herself.

Yuan Lan rested his arm on the puppet thread, his golden eyes looking at the somewhat gloomy-faced Mu Xinyue. He smiled and said, "Thank you for saving me, Miss Mu."

Only then did Mu Xinyue feel a little happier. Then, her eyes widened—

It turned out that Bai Xuechao had taken advantage of Yuan Lan's talking to pick up the spiked mace and hit him again.

Yuan Lan quickly ran away.

What followed was a chase between Bai Xuechao and Yuan Lan.

Bai Xuechao swung the spiked mace, and Yuan Lan ran towards the crowded areas with a grin on his face. Even though the footsteps of the crowd were chaotic, Bai Xuechao could still find Yuan Lan. When he was cornered by Bai Xuechao, Yuan Lan would even roll on the ground to dodge, regardless of his image.

Bai Xuechao swung the spiked mace and missed again. After nearly three minutes of chasing, he was a little out of breath.

At this moment, he felt Yuan Lan roll past his feet. He found the right opportunity and gave him a kick.

Yuan Lan let out an exaggerated "Ouch."

The phone alarm rang at that exact moment. Three minutes were up.

"Bai Xuechao!" Mu Xinyue's voice was a little frantic. "Where are you kicking!"

Bai Xuechao recalled the feeling of his foot just now, but the fluffy slippers were too thick. He only knew that he had kicked something, but he didn't know where he had kicked.

He pulled off the blindfold in front of his eyes with one hand.

Yuan Lan was sitting sideways not far from his feet. His left hand was supporting his body on the ground to maintain his balance, and his right hand was behind him, covering his own butt. He was staring with his eyes wide open, his expression very innocent.

Bai Xuechao: "..."

Alright, now he knew where he had kicked.

Lin Changqing and Lin Lang were punching each other, trying hard to hold back their laughter. They were hitting each other's backs with "thudding" sounds. Mortar was covering his mouth tightly to prevent his laughter from escaping.

They had seen it with their own eyes. Bai Xuechao had kicked Yuan Lan's butt, and just as Yuan Lan was rolling, it looked as if he had been kicked over by Bai Xuechao.

Yuan Lan was stunned for a long time, then suddenly burst out laughing, as if he himself found it unbelievable, "This is the first time I've been kicked in the butt since I was a child."

"You should be glad I kicked you in the back," Bai Xuechao said.

Yuan Lan thought about it seriously, "Mhm... that's true."

The second game was over. Mu Xinyue voluntarily left the area and eliminated herself.

According to the rules, she was considered to have been eliminated by Bai Xuechao and had to accept the punishment.

Even the punishments at the Apocalypse Society's gatherings were decided by drawing slips of paper.

Mu Xinyue's red eyes held a hint of nervousness as she drew a punishment slip from the box.

When she saw the content on it, her suspended heart finally died.

Mu Xinyue read, "Write the name of the winner of this game with your butt."

Bai Xuechao was slightly stunned and pointed a hand at himself.

Mu Xinyue said unhappily, "Yes! It's you!"

"Then don't write it," Bai Xuechao said.

It was clearly a punishment for Mu Xinyue, but he felt as if he was being punished. Also, was today a day that had something against butts?

Originally, Mu Xinyue was very reluctant to write with her butt, but as soon as she heard that Bai Xuechao was going to let her off, not wanting to owe him a favor, she immediately said in a very loud voice, "No! I'm going to write it!"

She did as she said and quickly started writing by wiggling her butt.

Bai Xuechao: "..."

Sister, there's really no need.

After Mu Xinyue finished writing, she probably felt a little embarrassed too. She covered half of her face and shrank behind Yuan Lan.

Yuan Lan was about to draw for the third game.

Bai Xuechao threw the spiked mace away and collapsed on the sofa, "I'm tired. Can I not play anymore?"

He was really tired.

The spiked mace weighed about six or seven jin. He had been chasing Yuan Lan with that thing for three minutes. After that burst of excitement passed, his arms were now incredibly sore, and his heart, which had been racing from the chase, had not yet calmed down.

"Huh?" Yuan Lan had already taken out the slip of paper. He looked at the game on it and stuffed the slip back in. "Then let's stop here for today. We'll make it up next time."

The others were about to be happy when they heard the first half of the sentence, but the second half made their faces fall.

Forget it, one day's escape is one day's escape.

Mu Xinyue was not very happy. She pouted behind Yuan Lan and said, "I used to beg you to stop playing, but you still insisted on playing."

"I can't help it. Little Xuechao is not in good health." Yuan Lan shrugged and threw the game box back on the table. "The protagonist of the party said he doesn't want to play anymore, so we'll play next time."

Mu Xinyue: Special treatment, I feel even angrier!

Yuan Lan suddenly remembered something and said, "Because this gathering was decided on a whim, I didn't prepare gifts for you."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, feeling great.

But they weren't happy for long. Yuan Lan revealed a smile, "Don't worry, I'll make it up to you tomorrow~"

Everyone: There's really no need!!

***

After the gathering, Bai Xuechao and Yuan Lan returned to the bedroom.

After washing up, Bai Xuechao placed a rolled-up quilt in the middle of the bed and lay down on the left side of the bed, which was the side he had taken a short nap on before.

"Such a childish dividing line." Yuan Lan said this, but he cooperatively sat on the side of the bed near the door, leaning against the headboard. Then he turned off the main light in the bedroom and turned on the bedside lamp on his side.

He picked up a paper book from the bedside and began to read quietly.

Xiao 6 said, "Good night, Host."

Bai Xuechao closed his eyes and said to Xiao 6, "Good night."

Ten minutes later.

Bai Xuechao couldn't help but turn over, his back to Yuan Lan.

He couldn't sleep.

He was so unaccustomed to it. There was another person next to him when he was sleeping, and they had a different alimentary nature. The sweet creamy scent was too fragrant; it was like sleeping in a cream puff.

Yuan Lan turned a page of his book and suddenly said, "You're still awake."

Bai Xuechao didn't speak.

Yuan Lan's voice was very gentle, coming softly from behind him, "Stop pretending to be asleep. I know you're not asleep. Did you forget my little skill of being able to tell whether a human is asleep or not?"

"I'm not pretending to be asleep," Bai Xuechao finally spoke.

Yuan Lan said again, "You can't fall asleep next to me."

Bai Xuechao turned his head to look at him, "You knew?"

"How was it?" Yuan Lan closed the book in his hand, his eyes curving as he looked at Bai Xuechao and asked, "The Apocalypse Society is very interesting, isn't it?"

Hearing this, Bai Xuechao was stunned for a moment. His translucent, glass-like red eyes reflected Yuan Lan's gentle, smiling face.

He suddenly realized that Yuan Lan didn't believe that he had sincerely joined the Apocalypse Society, but he was playing along, trying to win him over in various ways, to make him accept and like the Apocalypse Society.

He was really bold enough.

—Whether it was him or Yuan Lan.