Volume One, Chapter Seventeen: Collecting Some Interest

The sharp clicking of high heels echoed crisply through the silent hallway, each step striking like a chord upon the heartstrings.

When Xiao Han caught sight of the fourth-floor door, a delicate pout of grievance immediately spread across her face, and she tugged fiercely at her blouse. This movement revealed even more of her fair, bare chest, which was already scantily covered.

“Knock, knock, knock!”

“Brother, are you home? Could you open the door and spare me some food?”

Xiao Han’s voice was soft and pitiful, like that of a helpless little girl seeking aid. In that moment, she portrayed fragility with exquisite perfection.

Zhang Wei overheard everything. Peering into the room from the balcony on the fourth floor, he did not see the chubby man Han Xu had mentioned, but instead caught sight of a mechanical cat standing about one and a half meters tall.

Clearly, the mechanical cat had heard Xiao Han’s knocking. Initially startled by the sound, it then revealed a mouthful of gleaming, razor-sharp teeth as it heard her voice.

Suddenly, the mechanical cat leapt, lunging at the sturdy security door.

Tumbling through the air, its claws extended razor-sharp nails that shimmered with a cold gleam, as if capable of slicing through any obstacle.

The moment those deadly claws struck the door, a piercing screech of metal scraping filled the room, sharp as blades cutting into one’s nerves, forcing clenched teeth.

Fully immersed in her act, Xiao Han was startled by the sudden noise; her face drained of color as her heart raced and she collapsed to the floor.

Looking up frantically, she saw four shocking cracks splintering the door. Through these fissures glowed the mechanical cat’s red eyes.

“Ahhh!”

Xiao Han cried out in fear, abandoning all pretense. Driven by terror, she scrambled and rolled, fleeing down the stairs.

But the mechanical cat was far from done.

Its claws continued to tear mercilessly at the door, each rip widening the cracks.

The door swayed under the assault, seeming ready to shatter at any moment.

Fortunately, it was sturdy enough to withstand the fierce onslaught for now.

Xiao Han dashed back into Han Xu’s apartment in mere seconds, panting heavily, her face etched with panic and anxiety.

Han Xu, huddled on the sofa, bore the same frightened expression, having heard the commotion upstairs. “What’s going on?”

Xiao Han slammed the security door shut, quickly stepping away and signaling Han Xu to be silent.

“Shh, don’t speak. There’s a monster upstairs,” she whispered, each word strained from between clenched teeth.

Hearing the word “monster,” Han Xu immediately fell silent.

Zhang Wei watched their state with a sense of relief; since they were already suffering miserably, it was fine to let things continue as they were.

Yet just as Zhang Wei was about to leave, Xiao Han surprisingly called him on the phone.

“She knows I’m here?” Zhang Wei was taken aback.

He hadn’t sensed any slip-ups; with their skills, there was no way they could have discovered him.

With this thought, Zhang Wei answered the call.

“Hello.” His voice was cold and distant, discouraging intimacy.

But Xiao Han paid no mind to his tone. Her voice trembled with a sobbing plea, careful and fragile as she spoke, “Zhang Wei, where are you? Please, come save me. I’m so hungry, and there’s a terrible monster upstairs. I’m really scared. Can you come quickly?”

Her helplessness was genuine, not an act.

Though Han Xu possessed a mech, defending against the mechanical cat had already left him gravely injured, unable to continue fighting.

If that mechanical cat came down, the two of them would surely perish.

“Oh? Where exactly are you?” Zhang Wei asked, feigning ignorance.

“We’re at Han Xu’s place. Can you come save me?” Xiao Han’s voice brimmed with hope.

She had no friends in Chuancheng aside from Han Xu and Zhang Wei. After being terrified by the mechanical cat, she couldn’t rely on Han Xu and had no choice but to call Zhang Wei.

Food was no longer important—only survival mattered.

“By chance, I’m nearby. Are you sure the monster is upstairs at Han Xu’s?”

Xiao Han’s delight was palpable. Though Zhang Wei was not before her, she nodded quickly like a chick pecking grain. “Yes, right upstairs.”

“Got it.”

With that, Zhang Wei ended the call.

“I was going to leave quietly, but since you think your current situation isn’t thrilling enough, I’ll give you a little excitement,” he muttered.

Then, with a swift motion, Zhang Wei thrust his battle scythe through the balcony railing into the room.

The mechanical cat, furiously clawing at the door, was suddenly pinned by the scythe, smashing through the door and forced back against the hallway wall.

Yet the mechanical cat was not defeated. Its eyes still glinted coldly as it struggled fiercely, trying to break free.

Zhang Wei curled his lips into a cold sneer. “Not dead yet?”

Before finishing, he raised the scythe and brought it crashing down.

The sharp tip pierced the mechanical cat’s body with a metallic clang.

Then, with a powerful yank, Zhang Wei pulled the scythe free, the blade carving a deep gash from the floor to the balcony.

Through this cut, the terrified faces of Xiao Han and Han Xu were clearly visible.

Xiao Han had never imagined Zhang Wei would appear the instant she hung up.

“Alright, the monster’s dealt with. I’m leaving.”

Zhang Wei’s head appeared outside the balcony, and with those words, he turned and walked away.

Not because he didn’t want to stay longer, but because he feared he might not be able to contain his laughter.

Seeing their horrified expressions, suppressing the pleasure welling up inside was indeed a torment for him.

From a distance, Zhang Wei glanced back at Han Xu’s battered home. Thanks to his scythe, the apartment was now almost open to the elements.

Soon, mechanical birds would arrive tonight. Zhang Wei could already imagine the terror these two would feel then.

“This is merely interest collection. Compared to what you did to me in your past lives, this is nothing.”

With that, Zhang Wei strode away briskly.

Just as Zhang Wei was leaving the complex, Xiao Han called him again. Not because she hadn’t tried to stop him earlier, but because she had only just recovered from the overwhelming fear.

“Anything else?” Zhang Wei answered, his voice growing even colder.

“Zhang Wei, was that you just now? You’re amazing! Have you not eaten all day? Please come back, I’ll cook something delicious for you,” Xiao Han said excitedly, her voice trembling.

There was no helping it—Zhang Wei’s display of strength had completely captured her heart.

Compared to Han Xu slumped on the sofa, Xiao Han knew only with Zhang Wei by her side would she truly feel safe.

“Food? No thanks,” Zhang Wei rejected her without a hint of mercy.