Chapter 39: Cousin

“Yu Qingqing, I am not your cousin.” After Xu Huo finished speaking, he hung up. A second later, the phone rang again

“Xu Huo! Even if relatives are separated by thousands of miles, you’re being way too cold-blooded...”

He hung up.

It rang again: “Can you just let me finish? Men are all big pig feet...”

He hung up again.

After several repetitions, Xu Huo finally spoke into the phone, “Speak properly, or I’m turning my phone off.”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end before a low voice whispered, “I’m being bullied. My manager lied and said I had to accompany a client.”

“Where are you?” Xu Huo grabbed his room card and headed out.

“Ruixi Hotel, ninth floor.”

Xu Huo paused, then turned and headed upstairs. After passing two floors, he happened to see a slender figure sitting on the steps at the stairwell landing. Her eyeliner and foundation were smudged into a mess as she wiped away tears while sending a voice message.

“That fat bastard actually dared to touch me! I’ll kick his lineage into oblivion!”

“...My manager isn't any better. If I’d known, I would have listened to my cousin and gone back to inherit the family fortune. After all, my family is so rich.”

“It’s good that you know.” Xu Huo stepped forward and pulled her up. He looked at her closely; although her makeup was ruined, her mental state seemed alright.

Yu Qingqing’s eyes lit up as she looked at him. “Cousin, you’re a miracle! You actually made it here in five minutes!”

“I’m staying here tonight.” Hearing footsteps in the hallway, he said with a stern face, “Why didn't you leave immediately when things went wrong? Did you not think about retaliation after hitting someone?”

Just as Yu Qingqing was about to say something, the stairwell safety door was kicked open. A prosperous-looking middle-aged man burst out, accompanied by her manager and two bodyguards. Upon seeing her, the middle-aged man reached out to grab her in a rage, “You little slut!”

Xu Huo intercepted his hand and pushed him back. The man stumbled a few steps before being caught by the bodyguards behind him.

“Who the hell are you! How dare you interfere in my business!”

“He’s Yu Qingqing’s cousin, just an extra.” The manager didn't give Xu Huo the time of day and spoke directly to Yu Qingqing, “What are you standing there for? Get over here and apologize to President Zhu!”

“The apology is off the table. You!” President Zhu pointed at Xu Huo. “Now, you wash Yu Qingqing clean and deliver her to my bed. If I’m satisfied, we’ll let this go. Otherwise, don't expect to survive in Tingcheng!”

Xu Huo swung his hand and slapped him away. With a sickening *crack*, President Zhu clutched his face and screamed in pain, shouting as he backed away, “Beat him to death!”

The bodyguards rushed forward, but Xu Huo easily grabbed one by the arm and shoved him down the stairs. Before he could even finish rolling, Xu Huo grabbed the other man by the back of the head and slammed him against the wall!

Two wails rang out in succession. Xu Huo remained standing exactly where he was, without even shifting his footing.

“You—you—don't come any closer!” The manager looked at the man approaching him. “Hitting people is illegal!”

Xu Huo casually slapped him. The manager collapsed to his knees, spitting out blood along with his teeth.

Dragging President Zhu over, Xu Huo sat on the steps and stared at the two men kneeling side by side. He leisurely lit a cigarette, remaining silent for a long while.

Compared to President Zhu, the manager was much better at reading the room. Trembling, he said, “Brother Xu, let’s talk this out. It’s not worth you going to jail for a small man like me!”

Xu Huo smiled. “Have you heard of Evolvers?”

“Although most Evolvers don't attack humans, some enjoy eating their own kind. While you are committing crimes, they are hiding in some corner of this city with empty stomachs, starving and desperate for a bite.”

Information about Evolvers had not been made public, but with the prevalence of the internet, any ripple in the news would cause a stir online.

Even though they had never seen an Evolver, President Zhu and his group had heard rumors. They only knew that Evolvers possessed immense strength and speed, making them extremely difficult to catch after a crime. President Zhu’s two bodyguards were hired at a monthly salary of twenty or thirty thousand, so they weren't unskilled, but in front of Xu Huo, they were like children who couldn't even fight back. Moreover, since he knew so much about Evolvers—he was an Evolver!

Evolvers were cannibals!

The men suddenly felt their legs go weak.

“What do you want to do? There are surveillance cameras everywhere in the hotel, you can't run!” President Zhu’s teeth chattered, terrified that Xu Huo would pounce and eat him alive the next second!

“Don't worry, I'll go burn down the surveillance room in a moment.” Xu Huo flicked his cigarette ash.

At this, even the two bodyguards began to tremble.

“Brother Xu! Brother Xu!” The manager grabbed his leg. “You can't blame me for this! It was that man surnamed Zhu who took a liking to Qingqing. He cleared it with the company's Vice President and forced me to bring her here, threatening to fire me otherwise. My wife is heavily pregnant; I can't lose my job! Who would want to do such a dirty job otherwise!”

President Zhu glared at his back with hatred, but he couldn't afford to settle scores now. He shoved Yu Qingqing toward Xu Huo and bolted through the stairwell door!

The two bodyguards also intended to move, but unexpectedly, the safety door opened again. President Zhu came stumbling back, clutching his throat and whimpering, as if being dragged by something invisible toward the wall. His bloated body was hoisted up, leaving only his toes barely touching the ground, preventing him from being hung dead by his own weight immediately!

“Save... save...” He stared at the bodyguards, but they didn't dare approach, shrinking into the corner as if they had seen a ghost, not even daring to look at Xu Huo.

President Zhu’s face was engorged with blood, his pants were soaked, and tears and snot ran down his face. His eyes rolled toward Xu Huo as he managed to wheeze out two words: “Mercy...”

Only then did Xu Huo release him. He glanced at the man sprawled on the ground like a dead pig and said, “Do less bad things in the future. Things are different now than they used to be.”

Having said that, he turned to the manager. “Yu Qingqing will go to terminate her contract tomorrow. Any issues?”

The manager snapped back to his senses and immediately said, “No problem! I'll prepare the contract right away and persuade the company not to charge any liquidated damages!”

Xu Huo nodded and called Yu Qingqing to go downstairs.

Back in his room, Yu Qingqing stood cautiously by the door. “Cousin, you aren't hungry right now, are you?”

Xu Huo turned around and looked at her with a half-smile. “True, a girl smells much better than a middle-aged man.”

Yu Qingqing’s eyes widened. “Brother, we are relatives! Blood is thicker than water!”

“Do you know why the zombies in horror movies always suck the blood of their own relatives first after coming out of the coffin?”

“Why?”

“Because blood is thicker than water. It suits their palate better.”

Yu Qingqing let out a huge sigh of relief and patted her chest. “That’s great then. We aren't blood-related.”

“Go wash up. Once the contract is terminated tomorrow, take a plane back.” Xu Huo gave a faint smile.

“I won't.” Yu Qingqing ran over and grabbed his arm, acting spoiled. “Even if I stop being an actress, I can stay here to take care of you. If you get hungry, I'll go out and catch bad people for you to eat. How about that? I'm a pretty loyal cousin, right?”

Xu Huo’s expression shifted slightly. He grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and forcefully pulled back the collar of her clothes.