Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 372 - 346 Lu Chan Surrenders Continued

Chapter 372: 346 Lu Chan Surrenders Continued

Lu Chan wants to swear his loyalty to me?

Like what Mr. Zhu intended with the Zhu family back then, defecting to my side?

"Why would you do that?" I ask.

"There are several reasons. First, I have wronged you and Mazao in the past, and although you think I’m a different person from the Lu Chan of before and thus let me off easy, I can’t just sever myself from the mistakes I’ve made," Lu Chan says, "Joining you and working for you, contributing... It’s way too presumptuous to think that can compensate for all my wrongs, but at least it can make up for some of them.

"Second, you’re the newly risen Impermanence and will soon become the rising star of Luo Mountain; meanwhile, I’m in the process of getting fired from my old boss and looking for a new job... It so happens we have a past, albeit not all happy memories, but you must have seen my capabilities and value from our past collaborations. This should suffice in lieu of sending in a resume and going through interviews, making it easier for you to come to a decision..."

"That’s not what I meant," I say, "You’re no longer the Extraordinaryist Lu Youxun of the past, but rather Lu Chan who now wishes to become a hero who saves the masses, standing on the grounds of Governance Ideology. Since you’ve seen through me to such an extent, you should realize that I’m not interested in either Governance Ideology or Extraordinaryism. How does joining me aid you in achieving your own dream?

"I don’t take you as someone who simply sees an acquaintance become Impermanence and then rushes to climb the ladder... You must have a deeper thought."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chan reveals a strange smile, and Zhu Shi comments from the side, "I get it now... What deep thoughts? He’s betrayed Governance Ideology before, now he’s betrayed Extraordinaryism, and he can’t find a decent position wherever he goes, even the stance of Dong Che is many times better than his current one!

"—Hmm? Wait, Lu Chan first betrayed his Governance Ideology superiors, then betrayed the Extraordinaryist Ming Zhuo, and now he’s come to Senior Brother Zhuang who’s neutral, wouldn’t that make him a traitor to three...?"

Seeing Zhu Shi with a contemplative expression, as if about to say something extremely unbecoming, Mr. Zhu hurriedly interrupts with a harsh cough, and Lu Chan also shows an extremely awkward expression. Only Mazao, who has been quietly listening to the conversation, watches the others with a confused look, seemingly unable to understand why they are overreacting so much.

"Anyway... I didn’t mean to betray my two former superiors, well, actually it was intentional, but it was due to forced circumstances... Zhuang Cheng, you understand, right?" Lu Chan clumsily defends himself.

"I see. You’re having trouble job-hunting, so you’re looking to work at an acquaintance’s place," I say.

"Uh, something like that, I guess. And since you turned me back into this persona, don’t you feel a sense of responsibility towards me?" Lu Chan tries to joke to ease the awkward atmosphere.

Zhu Shi teases, "If you had the appearance of a girl when saying that, it would be more convincing; as it is now, forget it."

"After that incident, the ’possible avatar’ in a young girl’s form, I think I could summon it with some effort," Lu Chan surprisingly takes the bait, "If you’re interested in that version of me, Zhuang Cheng, I’m not entirely..."

"If you make that sort of joke again, I’ll curse you to only drink heated cola for the rest of your life," I say.

Lu Chan’s face freezes, and Zhu Shi steps discreetly away from Lu Chan, remarking softly, "As expected of Senior Brother Zhuang, such a venomous curse thought of so quickly... Is this the fate of those who anger the gods..."

That’s right, the consequences of angering me are quite severe.

"Back to the point, I can still practice my principles at your place," says Lu Chan seriously, "Although you are neutral, most of the people gathered around you are from the Governance Ideology, so you would maintain a friendly stance towards the common masses, right? And for me, I hope that the members who join you in the future will be demon hunters friendly towards the masses."

Mr. Zhu looks at Lu Chan critically, "I see, by joining Zhuang Cheng’s side, you’ll be able to screen future comers. As long as the people around him are from Governance Ideology, then he essentially becomes Impermanence standing for Governance Ideology. Is this your scheme, the best contribution you can make to Governance Ideology now?"

Although Mr. Zhu himself is from the Governance Ideology camp, he somewhat shows a closer stance to mine between me and Governance Ideology.

"Using ’conspire’ might be going too far. I merely hope that Zhuang Cheng has more good people around him. Although you won’t say it outright, you wouldn’t let unqualified people influence him, right? Essentially, we are all doing similar things," Lu Chan said straightforwardly. "Besides... at present, I don’t have such a strong desire to contribute to Governance Ideology. Choosing to stand with Zhuang Cheng, part of my reasoning is the hope to consider the future issues outside the frameworks of Governance Ideology and Extraordinaryism."

Extraordinaryism is undoubtedly the worst path for the common populace, yet Governance Ideology also has drawbacks that could potentially tilt toward Extraordinaryism. The girl Lu Chan once told me about this, a problem long recognized by the Lu Chan of old, save that back then, he was unable to detach himself from his own stance.

"Zhuang Cheng, what do you think?" Mr. Zhu looked at me, "After you’ve made a name for yourself as Impermanence, more people will surely flock to you. Their strength may be useless to you, but as Impermanence, you need to establish connections and anchor yourself in the abnormal world.

"If you are concerned that management tasks will take up your time and energy, don’t worry about that; the Zhu family will handle it for you. As for this Lu Chan, although ostracized by both factions, probably still has quite a few private connections and is capable. Bringing him on board might also fill our gap in intelligence gathering."

For example, we might need such talent in tracking down clues about Shan Liangyi... Mr. Zhu seemed to be hinting at this.

In the end, it seemed that it was up to me to make the decision, so I nodded: "Then, Lu Chan, you’ll be my man from now on."

Lu Chan exhaled a sigh of relief, then his expression turned serious, and he knelt on one knee in front of me to pay his respects.

This was the first time someone had shown me such a gesture, and I wasn’t quite sure how to respond. But I understood that I should take it seriously, so I stood stiffly, just like a wooden man.

"From now on, I, Lu Chan, am willing to go through fire and water for you, without hesitation," he said earnestly.

Why do I feel like you’re too practiced at saying this... Though I knew this was a solemn occasion, I couldn’t help but think this.

The issue of Lu Chan’s allegiance was resolved here. He first went to the hotel lobby to check-in, while we found our own rooms. Mr. Zhu had booked single rooms for us; he and Zhu Shi first went to their rooms to put away their luggage. Although I didn’t have any luggage, I still went to take a look at my room.

Mazao seemed to have gotten used to following me around, much like an NPC character that automatically follows the player in a game, and she came into my room with a vacant look, then she saw the room with only one bed and looked puzzled.

Perhaps she hadn’t been listening carefully when others were present, much like a child who zones out while adults are conversing. It wasn’t until I reminded her that her room was next door that she snapped out of it and turned to go to the neighboring room.

Yet she had only turned halfway when she paused, then turned back around, and silently looked at me.

I wasn’t planning on resting in this room; I was just coming in to take a glance before joining Lu Chan to head to the place where Ming Zhuo was for a life-and-death battle. So, it could be the last time we see each other. I looked at Mazao silently, just like her, our gazes quietly merging together.

This was the first time I was heading to the battlefield with the resolution that I might not return. Although I had plans and ideas for what comes after, if I were to die there, it would all be for naught. Therefore, some things might be better to say sooner rather than later. No, such things can only be said at times like this. And I must seize this opportunity. If I miss it, I might never be able to say it again.

"Mazao, do you remember what I told you in the hotel in the nearby city after the battle at the Human Bureau headquarters?" I mustered up the courage to speak, "At the time, you asked me why I would go to such lengths, why I would fight against Ming Zhuo for you... At first, you thought I had those kinds of feelings for you, right?"

Mazao seemed caught off guard, not expecting me to suddenly bring this up, and then said, "Yes... but you eventually told me the answer, didn’t you? You wanted to protect me because of my Broom Star Physique..."

"That is indeed a very important reason. Without it, our relationship might not have been possible from the start. But wanting your Broom Star Physique doesn’t necessarily conflict with me liking you," I said, bracing myself.

"Yes, it’s not necessarily a conflict..."

She nodded initially as if understanding, then waited for me to continue. I didn’t speak further but continued to look at her. After three or four seconds, she finally reacted belatedly, her eyes slowly widening.

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