Chapter 134
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Chapter 134: Like a Thorn in the Throat
It was not unusual for others to know that the two of them were acquainted; what was strange was the need to conceal it.
Since Wang Xiao had chosen to feign being a stranger, he should have committed fully to the act, rather than teetering on the edge of exposure.
Fresnel either failed to notice Wang Xiao’s unease or simply dismissed it as typical social anxiety. With a congenial smile, he remarked, “Thank you for seeing patients so late; I’ll treat you to dinner tomorrow.”
He then turned to his teammates and asked, “Who wants to go first?”
“I’ll go.”
Wang Xiao raised his hand before any of the other teammates could respond.
He had a feeling that Lin Qingliu might be here for him, and if he didn’t say something, he would feel unsettled.
Seeing no objections from the others, Wang Xiao led the way into the Clinic with Lin Qingliu.
Outside, Fresnel watched Wang Xiao’s figure disappear behind the door and sighed, “Though Wang Xiao rarely speaks, he’s incredibly reliable. It seems he’s been carrying quite a bit of pressure lately…”
Inside the Clinic, Lin Qingliu and Wang Xiao sat across from each other at a small table, their gazes meeting.
Lin Qingliu studied his earliest follower, noticing how the lines on his face had grown more defined.
Despite being on the Blood and Flesh pathway, he had never intended to create a muscle-bound devil in his writings. Like himself, who now possessed Third Level abilities from this pathway, the physical changes were not immediately obvious.
“Have you been working out a lot lately?”
Wang Xiao was taken aback that Lin Qingliu’s first question after so long was about this. He gathered his thoughts and replied, “The training here is intense, and…
“I don’t want anyone else to die because of my mistakes.”
“Hmm, that’s a good change. Do you remember when you first came to my shop…”
Lin Qingliu didn’t finish the thought. Instead, he looked at Wang Xiao and asked the question that had been weighing on him, “I’ve heard about the Exploration Plan, so I have just one question: Do you think humanity deserves to be saved?”
Wang Xiao lifted his head and met Lin Qingliu’s gaze, realizing the question was not a jest but a serious inquiry.
“You might not understand why I’m asking this, but as a victim of that incident, you should know that not all humans are united against external threats.”
Wang Xiao’s mind flashed back to the memories of being strapped to the laboratory bench, his blood drawn and organs removed. His fists clenched involuntarily.
Fresnel’s intuition wasn’t wrong; Wang Xiao indeed carried his own secrets and burdens.
He had never told anyone about the incident where the flesh blob went out of control. That moment had marked a turning point for him, and since then, his trust in humanity had no longer been one hundred percent.
Even this divine envoy before him was not exempt from his doubts.
Lin Qingliu could see the pain and turmoil in Wang Xiao’s eyes. He spoke almost to himself, “Your captain has already shown me the profiles of all the members of Team 25 so I can assist you more effectively.
“Your father was a loyal human soldier; he died during the beast tide in the spring.”
“Since you were young, you have been educated to be loyal to Hope City, eager to contribute to humanity. But after that incident, you fell into confusion.
Two thoughts have been tangled in your mind, right?”
Wang Xiao nodded, “Yes, sometimes I think about that basement, the operating table, and the moments of losing my mind inside the flesh blob.
Every time I dream about that incident, I start to ponder the meaning of life.
I want to save humanity, but it feels like there’s something stuck in my throat.”
Wang Xiao’s tone became increasingly agitated, and his calm expression had completely vanished.
“I crave to save humanity, to reclaim lost ground, but just thinking about how I was backstabbed brings that feeling…”
“Like a thorn in the throat.”
Lin Qingliu wisely interjected.
“Yes, that’s exactly it.”
Lin Qingliu observed the almost uncontrollable expression on Wang Xiao’s face and recognized a very simple emotion:
Injustice.
Like a child who has been bullied and has nowhere to turn.
The incident of losing control did not spread widely, and very few knew the truth.
Due to time constraints, Lin Qingliu only checked Wang Xiao’s physical issues at that time and did not seriously assess his mental state.
As someone who had roamed the edge of suicide, Wang Xiao actually had a certain risk of losing control.
As for the mastermind, Zhao Kai, although his spirit had completely faded, he suffered no damage to his reputation. The majority of researchers still spoke of him with respect and admiration.
Even among some superpowered individuals, when they mentioned certain drug developers linked to Zhao Kai, their tones made Wang Xiao feel utterly nauseated.
At this moment, while Wang Xiao could not say he had one hundred percent trust in Lin Qingliu, the divine envoy was nearly the only one capable of sharing his secrets and mental burdens.
Although he could entrust his back to his teammates, there were some secrets he could not share no matter what.
The Clinic fell silent for a moment before Lin Qingliu suddenly laughed, “You are still too kind.”
Hearing Lin Qingliu’s unexpected evaluation, Wang Xiao was startled.
As a superpowered individual skilled in killing, the word “kind” did not seem to fit him.
“Think about it; if you weren’t kind, how could you subconsciously choose not to kill those Infected when trying to stop them?
“Deep down, you still want to save humanity, but you feel a sense of injustice. So what should you do in this situation?”
Wang Xiao’s face displayed a look of inquiry, “Yes, what should I do?”
“A long, long time ago, during the Middle Ages for humanity, generals were not always able to win battles. Do you know why?”
Lin Qingliu looked at Wang Xiao and suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.
“Why?”
“Because of the power of speech.”
Lin Qingliu said casually, “If a person keeps winning and always determines success, they will gain greater power of speech, and those around them will begin to blindly follow their orders.”
He spread his hands, “Just like now, the reason you sit here obediently listening to me chat is that I am a divine envoy, a preacher, and the god once solved your ailment and granted you abilities with infinite potential, right?
“In other words, my power of speech essentially comes from the great divine being.
“And you, if you want to achieve a win-win situation, must keep winning, just like flesh continues to multiply despite being eliminated over and over.”
Wang Xiao’s face showed a hint of understanding, “Until when?”
Lin Qingliu’s tone gradually became passionate: “Until your judgments are beyond doubt, until your call is met with responses from all, until your words are treated as standards. At that time, it will be time to settle accounts with certain individuals.”
