C16 Su Kouye's Heart

Su Kouye gave his body a shake and stretched out with a yawn. "There, all better. It's a whole different ballgame for a bioengineered person. Such a serious injury, and I'm healed after just one night's sleep. Hang tight, I'll whip up some breakfast for you."

"No need. We're down to just biscuits and bottled milk. There are no fresh ingredients left for you to flaunt your cooking skills. Instead, tell me how you got so badly hurt."

"I went down to the first floor and noticed there weren't many zombies around, just a lot of their dismembered limbs. Then I ran into a mutated dog. But this was no ordinary mutated dog—it was three to four meters tall with a massive build, probably from feasting on zombies. It still wasn't a match for my complete body, so I planned to transform to take it on. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shift forms. Seems like I can't transform twice in the same day, and in my human-beast form, I was no match for it..."

Before Su Kouye could finish, Jiang Feng cut in sharply, "Hold on, first explain why you even went to the first floor. Didn't you agree with Urendir to just clear out the second floor?"

"I, I..."

"Su Kouye, if you don't have a good excuse, Urendir won't let you off the hook, even if I do." Jiang Feng's face was stern.

"I'm sorry, everyone has their selfish moments. I just wanted to get stronger, so I couldn't resist cleaning out the first floor. I admit I got a bit greedy, but what's wrong with wanting to be stronger? I'll be by your side, supporting you. What are you all so worried about?" Su Kouye's voice grew heated.

"Greedy is human nature, but we need to keep it in check, or else who knows what kind of trouble we might get into down the line," Jiang Feng said, having long recognized Su Kouye's avaricious streak and hoping to steer him right.

"Trouble? Are you suggesting I might do something terrible? Jiang Feng, what are you getting at? You think I'd betray you?" Su Kouye's volume rose.

"No, no, no, that's not what I'm saying."

"You really have to watch what you say. I'm aware of your resolve to unite the land of Chaudon, and I've always believed that by following you, I would achieve what I desire. There's no benefit for me in leaving you. I'm also aware that Urendir has her biases against me, which is why I'm driven to become stronger—to surpass her and become your right-hand man."

Right-hand man?

At this, Jiang Feng felt a twinge of guilt. Had he not allowed his preconceived notions to cloud his judgment, perhaps he would have been kinder to Su Kouye.

"Su Kouye, rest assured, I trust you. It's not always about what you say, but what you do that counts. You've consistently gone out of your way to assist me, putting your all into even the smallest tasks like preparing a meal. Know that I take to heart everything you've done; I won't let your efforts go unrewarded in the future."

With that, Jiang Feng extended his hand in a gesture of absolute trust.

Tears unexpectedly welled up in Su Kouye's eyes as he grasped Jiang Feng's hand, "Thank you for your trust."

"Our journey together is far from over—we need to stay united," Jiang Feng said with a smile.

"Absolutely. And about Urendir, should I apologize to her in person?"

"There's no need. It was just cleaning a floor, hardly a major issue. I'll speak with Urendir; she'll understand. Let's head out for breakfast first."

At the breakfast table, Jiang Feng engaged everyone in lively conversation, subtly emphasizing the importance of unity.

Chen Ming and Su Kouye were eager to show their support, while Urendir maintained a nonchalant demeanor.

"Su Kouye, Chen Ming, you both need to keep pushing yourselves to grow stronger. If you can reach Urendir's level of strength, there's no doubt we'll achieve great things," Jiang Feng said, deliberately complimenting Urendir in the hopes of improving her mood.

In lieu of wine, Su Kouye and Chen Ming raised their glasses of milk to Urendir, "Here's to you."

"Come on, it's just milk. Plus, I don't get all these macho rituals, so let's skip the toasting," Urendir dismissed.

"Just go with it, Urendir," Jiang Feng encouraged.

"I've said it before, I don't go in for all that. Is that so hard to understand?" Urendir declined once more.

"Urendir, that's not very considerate. You won't even show me respect, let alone Jiang Feng?" Su Kouye said, visibly annoyed.

"What's this about 'face'? Are you out of your mind? Why are you trying to force me into something I don't want to do? What era do you think this is? You think you're the emperor or something?"

"Urendir, you're being too dismissive of others," Su Kouye stood up, raising his voice.

"Oh yeah? Just because you've achieved your complete form doesn't mean I'm scared of you," Urendir shot back, standing to meet Su Kouye's gaze.

"Sit down, both of you! What's with all the commotion?" Jiang Feng banged on the table.

Su Kouye sat down immediately, and after a moment's hesitation, Urendir slowly followed suit.

"Was everything I said before in vain? It's a rare chance for us to have become bio-enhanced beings and to have found each other. Is unity really that difficult? Alright, let's drop it. If Urendir doesn't like it, don't push her. And Urendir, try to be a bit more courteous when you refuse next time. We should all show a little understanding. Now, let's eat quickly. Today's mission involves tackling a large mutated dog on the first floor, which is a hundred times more formidable than a zombie. We need to be on our toes," Jiang Feng said, trying to soothe the tension.

Keeping the team's harmony was truly a challenge, given everyone's distinct personalities. Jiang Feng did his best to mediate.

Yet, there was a subtle shift occurring quietly. Deep down, Jiang Feng was beginning to feel a twinge of annoyance at Urendir's rudeness and arrogance. Overall, though, his fondness for Urendir still outweighed any irritation.

After a quick breakfast, the five of them got moving and headed for the first floor.

The ground was smeared with dark red blood and littered with the corpses of zombies Su Kouye had dispatched. The main door was firmly sealed.

"It looks like the security personnel managed to seal the exit when the crisis hit, but some stragglers got through and caused this tragedy," Chen Ming remarked with a tinge of sorrow.

"No one's immune to this calamity. Even without those stragglers, the atmospheric radiation is inescapable," Su Kouye explained.

"Enough with the bickering. Quiet down and remember what we're here for," Urendir interjected.

Jiang Feng and his group roamed the first floor for quite some time, yet the massive mutated dog remained elusive.

"Su Kouye, any sign of the mutated dog?" Urendir inquired.

"It's likely hiding. I managed to injure it earlier, so it's probably been hiding for a while now."

"With its size, where could it possibly hide?"

"It's not as large as you might think. In comparison to my complete body, it's much smaller. My complete body stands ten meters tall, while the dog is probably around four meters—still quite rare, considering most mutated dogs are merely half a meter."

Jiang Feng, most familiar with the Heyday Building's layout, elaborated, "The mutated dog couldn't be above the third floor—that's the residential area, where each level is just over three meters high, too small for the dog. The first three floors are non-residential and quite spacious, with ceilings over six meters. Yesterday, Su Kouye's complete body caused part of the third floor to collapse, merging it with the second floor, creating an even larger space. It's possible the dog is hiding there."

"So, it's probably on the second or third floor."

"Possibly, but let's be honest, those floors are expansive. Searching them will be time-consuming," Jiang Feng told the group.

"Does that mean we're giving up on the search?" Su Kouye challenged.

"No way. A four-meter-tall mutated dog would make for an exhilarating fight, not to mention the combat experience we'd gain," Jiang Feng responded.

"But searching the first three floors is a huge task. We could be at it until nightfall. Doesn't seem very efficient, does it?" Chen Ming internally resisted the idea of searching for the dog. His strength was limited compared to the others, and he was better off enhancing his abilities by fighting zombies. Aware that his opinion might not hold much sway, he still offered his suggestion, knowing ultimately the group's decision would prevail.

"How about we split up to search for it?" Su Kouye proposed, clearly eager for the hunt.

"Splitting up? That's far too risky. Absolutely not," Urendir protested.

"Lady Urendir, you're worrying too much. The mutated dog isn't all that formidable, and I managed to injure it yesterday."

"But didn't you claim yesterday that the mutated dog was a hundred times stronger than the zombies?" Urendir countered.

"Oh, come on, that was just hyperbole. It's not literally a hundred times stronger. It's fair to say it's more powerful than my humanoid form, but compared to my complete body, it's no match."

"And what's with this 'complete body' business? Ever since you've been able to transform, you've been harping on about your complete body. It's driving me insane. If you're so confident, transform now. I'll still take down your complete body."

"Urendir, such arrogance. Are you looking for trouble?"

The tension between them was so palpable that Chen Ming instinctively backed away, his fear evident.

"Have you two lost your minds? Why this constant bickering?" Jiang Feng bellowed at them.

Sensing Jiang Feng's ire, Su Kouye softened his tone, "Urendir, we should both be mindful of Jiang Feng's concerns. This constant conflict isn't productive. Let's discuss this calmly."

"Discuss? There's nothing good about what you're proposing."

"Come on, Urendir, what's gotten into you these last few days? Let's all give each other some space."

"Su Kouye is up to no good, suggesting we split up," Urendir persisted stubbornly.

"Enough, Urendir! Stop getting worked up. Are we done here?"

Seeing Jiang Feng's distressed and exasperated expression, Urendir reluctantly reined in her fury and cooled off.

Jiang Feng addressed Su Kouye, "Even though the mutated dog is wounded, it's still a four-meter behemoth. I agree that splitting up isn't wise. How could I possibly feel comfortable separating from Jiang Wei?"

"You've got it wrong. I'm not proposing we all go our separate ways. My idea is to operate in teams. You, Chen Ming, and Jiang Wei can search the first floor as a group, I'll take the second floor, and Urendir can handle the third floor. This way, each team is equipped to handle the mutated dog."

"I see, that makes a lot of sense," Jiang Feng acknowledged, appreciating Su Kouye's suggestion.

"No, it's too risky for Jiang Feng and Jiang Wei," Urendir persisted in opposition.

At this, Jiang Feng's irritation grew. Despite all his efforts to become stronger, he still found himself on the receiving end of Urendir's lectures. As the leader of Chen Ming and Su Kouye, it was particularly galling how Urendir repeatedly undercut his authority.