As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
The leader among them wanted to refute, but when they looked up at Hui Gu, they found themselves unable to look away. Their hearts felt as mixed-up as a spilled spice rack.
Hui Gu simply gazed back at them with a face more naturally beautiful than any of theirs, his expression one of innocent confusion. His blue, cat-like eyes held no mockery—only the honest bluntness of a child.
"Who are you?" someone asked, uneasy and suspicious.
"Are you here for the selection too?" another pressed, though the question sounded more like a statement.
Hui Gu lost patience. Ignoring these noisy humans, he turned to leave, glancing back at Tang Qi with a puzzled look.
Tang Qi immediately followed, feeling strangely moved. It was the first time since the apocalypse that anyone had stood up for him, even if the words had accidentally insulted him too.
He glanced at Hui Gu, feeling an involuntary sense of goodwill growing inside, though his face remained as sour as before.
They soon reached the tenth floor. Several people were already waiting outside the conference room, men and women alike, each murmuring rehearsed lines with practiced smiles. No matter how well they disguised their expressions, their tense muscles betrayed their nervousness.
The only one who stood apart was a young man in a white suit, likely in his early twenties. He calmly sipped coffee while reading a foreign-language book, completely at ease amidst the surrounding tension.
The moment Tang Qi laid eyes on Ji Nianwen, a surge of irritation rose within him. He muttered under his breath, barely audible even to himself, "Pretentious ass."
Then he noticed everyone's gaze shifting toward him. His heart clenched, fearing his words had been overheard, only to realize they were all looking just past him.
After a moment of confusion, Tang Qi understood what had captured their attention.
He still hadn't grown accustomed to having someone strikingly handsome by his side.
Hui Gu paid no mind to the stares, casually finding a comfortable spot to sit.
With so many candidates competing for just one position, the air had already been thick with tension. Hui Gu's arrival only poured oil on the fire.
Yet no one dared make the first move until Ji Nianwen stood up, breaking the suffocating atmosphere: "Hello, I don't believe I've seen you at Nightclub before."
He carried himself with the demeanor of a host, as if he were some high-ranking executive here.
Tang Qi felt a twinge of displeasure, inwardly scoffing: Just riding on his close relationship with Nightclub's owner.
His thoughts weren't without reason—Nightclub's mysterious behind-the-scenes boss remained an enigma, with no one having glimpsed the owner's true identity.
Rumors circulated that Ji Nianwen frequently visited Nightclub's top floor to meet the boss, often coming and going together. Though nominally employed at Nightclub, he never had to curry favor with customers like everyone else—because he was the boss's favorite.
This rumor had circulated for a long time, yet the parties involved never clarified it.
Everyone tacitly accepted that Ji Nianwen had an unusual relationship with the boss.
Hui Gu lazily lifted his eyelids to glance at him: "I'm here to look for a job."
His tone carried a hint of implicit doubt, suggesting the other had stated the obvious.
If I already had a job, why would I be here?
Hui Gu suspected this human wasn’t very bright.
Ji Nianwen’s expression remained unchanged, his face amiable as he casually remarked, "You’re not part of Nightclub, so you shouldn’t be up here."
Several people coming up the stairs overheard this and immediately voiced their support for Ji Nianwen.
Tang Qi’s face paled slightly, but he mustered his courage and spoke up, "This recruitment didn’t specify that only formal employees can apply. He’s here to interview, so why can’t he be here?"
Ji Nianwen hadn’t expected anyone foolish enough to openly defy him. His eyes, usually smiling, turned icy as they settled on Tang Qi.
To anyone else, he might have seemed merely good-natured.
But those with sharper instincts would recognize that, in Ji Nianwen’s eyes, Tang Qi was nothing more than a bag of trash on the roadside—utterly insignificant.
Tang Qi didn’t like Ji Nianwen, but he was self-aware. No matter how sharp-tongued he usually was, he knew to rein it in around someone far more powerful. If he’d been relentlessly abrasive, he would’ve been schemed against and killed hundreds of times over.
This was the first time he’d openly challenged Ji Nianwen, and it was for someone he’d only met that day.
Someone who’d just been rebuked on the stairs immediately chimed in, "Nianwen has such a special relationship with the boss—if there were any hidden rules, wouldn’t he know?"
This is a terrible deal.
Regret began to gnaw at Tang Qi. He glanced at Hui Gu, who seemed completely out of the loop, like a little lamb that had accidentally wandered into a pack of wolves.
Tang Qi closed his eyes, steeled himself, and pressed on, "Even if he isn’t suitable, that’s for the interviewers inside to decide. Why are you in such a hurry? Afraid you might not make the cut?"
This time, he directed his words at the person who had just spoken, subtly shifting the focus of the conflict.
That person indeed grew flustered. He stammered for a moment before another woman in his group spoke up, "We don’t care that much about the outcome anyway. We’re just here to give it a try. I’m sure Nianwen will be the one selected."
Her words were met with immediate agreement from everyone.
"What’s the use of just being good-looking? Nianwen is an S-Class New Human. The value of a Psychic Ability isn’t something a mere vase can compare to."
A few spoke with clear malice, though most instinctively held back their harsher words when they looked at Hui Gu, merely echoing the previous speaker’s point.
Tang Qi wore a look of seeing right through them.
Those without ambition to climb higher wouldn’t come to a place like Nightclub. These people claimed not to care, but deep down, it mattered immensely to them. They saw everyone as competitors, eager to edge out any strong rivals.
Yet they had no choice but to flatter Ji Nianwen, pretending to be magnanimous, as if they were truly content to play supporting roles.
It was hypocrisy at its finest.
He was about to say more when, as if perfectly timed, the meeting room door swung open.
Aide stood expressionless. "We’re about to begin. Those who haven’t collected their number tags, come get them now."
The others immediately fell silent, not daring to cause any trouble in front of this notoriously stern supervisor.
Ji Nianwen smiled at Aide, only to realize the other wasn't looking at him.
Aide's attention was fixed on Hui Gu, who sat on a single-seater sofa and staring thoughtfully at a fake apple model on the table—the very center of the recent minor storm. He seemed completely undisturbed by the earlier commotion outside.
Aide cleared his throat softly, inwardly praising the young man's remarkably calm disposition. Though he had remained inside the meeting room, he had heard every word of the argument outside. Now that he had come out, it was no wonder those people had been so on edge.
Meanwhile, Hui Gu remained entirely unaware of the varied thoughts weighing on everyone's minds. He simply stared at the fake apple, wondering silently if he could take a bite.
Tang Qi had gone to fetch his number tag but ended up squeezed to the very back of the line, receiving the last number. After sarcastically snapping at a few people, he could only hand the tag to Hui Gu gloomily. "Here. I have to get to work—it's my turn to perform in the hall today. If you get selected, don't forget you owe me."
"Okay," Hui Gu replied, reluctantly tearing his gaze away from the fake apple.
As expected, Ji Nianwen was the first to enter. He emerged fifteen minutes later, beaming with satisfaction. When others pressed him for details, he casually brushed them off, saying the interviewers were very friendly. No one could reconcile Aide's perpetually stern poker face with the word "friendly," and what truly made them anxious was Ji Nianwen's confident demeanor.
After him, every candidate except Ji Nianwen came out within five minutes, each wearing a strained expression, like eggplants frosted over.
Hui Gu gazed out the window, sensing the energy that sustained his human form nearing its lowest point. Even with his limited understanding of human conventions, he knew he couldn't randomly transform in front of others. Just as he considered giving up and leaving, the person ahead of him suddenly tossed away his number tag in defeat, muttering self-mockingly, "Forget it. How can we ever compete with an S-Class New Human?"
The staff calling numbers paid no mind and simply skipped him, instructing Hui Gu to enter instead.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Hui Gu turned and stepped inside with a somewhat lighthearted gait.
Inside sat three interviewers: one woman and two men. Aside from Aide, the other two broke into kindly smiles the moment they saw Hui Gu's face.
"He really is quite handsome," one remarked.
All three were New Humans. To become executives at Nightclub, connections and exceptional skills weren't enough—their supernatural abilities had to be formidable as well. They were well aware of what had transpired outside.
Hearing her comment, Aide retorted sternly, "Good looks mean nothing. This mission is different."
Another interviewer chuckled. "Aide, you're too serious. You'll scare our new recruit."
Aide ignored him. "Introduce yourself."
Hui Gu had never given a self-introduction before. After stating his name, he simply blinked at them.
The female interviewer smiled. "This one's interesting. Are you an ordinary human?"
"How have you been surviving until now?"
Hui Gu repeated the same explanation he had given the noodle shop owner. Whatever assumptions they made, their expressions shifted to ones of understanding.
"So you've been a Parasitic Flower all along," the person suddenly shifted their tone, turning harsh and laced with disdain.
It wasn't specifically targeted at Hui Gu; the most crucial part of this interview was to test the candidate's resilience under pressure.
Parasitic Flower... what was that?
Hui Gu didn't understand, his gaze clear as he shook his head: "I'm not."
I'm a Mushroom.
And so, no matter what questions the interviewer asked, Hui Gu's expression—even his posture—remained unchanged. He simply stared straight ahead, because there was a string of fake grapes decorating the wall.
His emotional resilience was so strong that he failed to notice these humans were deliberately trying to provoke him.
In their eyes, Hui Gu's ability to handle pressure was even better than Ji Nianwen's composed demeanor. There was not a trace of impurity in his eyes, no flicker of emotion.
The final question was posed by Aide: "Why did you choose to come to Nightclub?"
This was a question every applicant to Nightclub was asked.
In reality, there was only one standard answer, but in the post-apocalyptic world, there were too many clever people who always came up with all sorts of "polished answers."
Hui Gu was brutally honest: "I want points."
Four words—right in line with the most standard answer their boss had set.
A rare hint of satisfaction flashed across Aide's face before it quickly returned to expressionless: "Come back tomorrow. We'll inform you of the final decision then."
"Aide!?" The person beside him exclaimed in surprise.
In truth, the applicants outside had guessed correctly—this interview was merely a formality. They had already internally decided on Ji Nianwen.
Not because of his "close relationship" with the boss; as executives, they all knew that was just a rumor. The real reason was his unique Psychic Ability, which was of the highest S-class. In the entire base, there were only a few dozen S-Class New Humans.
Moreover, Psychic Ability was the most compatible with their "God-Making Plan." There was no reason to choose anyone else.
The reason they asked Hui Gu more questions than the others was simply because they hoped he could join as an ordinary employee at Nightclub.
They planned to regretfully inform him of his interview failure before extending an olive branch—with Hui Gu's looks, he could easily become a senior employee serving those high-level New Humans.
They had never considered letting an ordinary person without any supernatural ability participate in the "God-Making Plan." This was a plan known only to the executives and the boss.
As the only compliant entertainment venue in the base, they had been continuously expanding, and the purpose of all this was definitely not simply "entertainment above all." The Great Famine had destined humanity to realize their insignificance and powerlessness in the face of nature, which would then breed another, most easily suppressed need—faith."
Especially for New Humans, obtaining powerful abilities had made them overlook their need for faith. But in reality, New Humans had a wolf-pack instinct—the weak were naturally meant to submit to the strong.
But what if the entity they placed their faith in was also Nightclub's puppet?
The proposal of the God-Making Plan seemed tailor-made for Ji Nianwen.
They would make the other factions in the base understand the true terror of faith.
Aide: "I have my own considerations."
"Whatever your considerations, your unilateral decision could ruin the plan we've been preparing for a whole year."
The bickering and friction among the interviewers meant little to Hui Gu. All he knew was that his transformation time was approaching, and he had to return before dark—otherwise, Gu Wang would be back.
The other had promised to bring food home by dinnertime.
When it came to promises, Hui Gu unconditionally believed the Incubator would not lie.
Ignoring whatever the three interviewers were still entangled over, he announced that he was leaving, turned, and hurried out of the conference room, his steps swift and urgent.
The other candidates, except for Ji Nianwen, were still waiting outside. Since Hui Gu had entered, they had been chatting idly but with their eyes fixed anxiously on the conference room door, burning with impatience.
Now, finally seeing him emerge, before they could even try to subtly probe, they watched as he sped off as if on wheels, moving so fast that no one had time to react, leaving behind only a faint, pleasant scent.
The group looked somewhat unsettled, instinctively taking a deep breath. The girl who had earlier clashed with Tang Qi blinked unnaturally and said, "...What kind of perfume does he use? How is it so nice?"
"Hmph," someone snapped back to reality and shook their head quickly. "He must have been rejected on the spot too, otherwise why would he leave in such a hurry?"
The others murmured a few words of agreement before finally dispersing.
Racing against the deadline, Hui Gu barely made it home. The moment his room door closed, he transformed back into a mushroom with a soft pfft sound, tumbling onto the floor.
Fortunately, his clothes cushioned the fall, preventing him from getting too dazed.
He hadn’t expected the final interview to last over twenty minutes—he’d assumed it would be a quick five minutes like the others.
Earning points is so hard.
Just as Hui Gu sighed with this thought, the sound of the door lock turning came from the entrance.
He hopped eagerly to the doorway, lifting his head with an expectant look as he watched Gu Wang.
The moment the man opened the door, he saw the little gray mushroom obediently waiting for him.
Soft and small, it crouched there with utmost docility, welcoming him home.
For a moment, Gu Wang’s heart softened, a sensation like a cat’s paw gently stepping on it surfacing. This unprecedented emotion surged once again at the sight of the little gray mushroom.
Suddenly, Gu Wang understood why his childhood neighbor had kept that silly dog.
That foolish dog was both dumb and destructive—trampling the lawn and flowers by the doorstep, making a mess everywhere, and occasionally hopping into strangers’ cars. If not for the tracking function on its collar, it would have been lost long ago.
But it would also wait eagerly every time its owner returned home.
Growing up, Gu Wang had never understood such emotional bonds. Raised as an heir, he rarely even saw his parents. With such weak familial ties, he couldn’t comprehend other pure relationships untainted by interests.
But now, a different hue had invaded his world.
At first, it occupied only a tiny corner, but now it was steadily expanding, painting his originally gray and monotonous world in vibrant colors.
He began to care about many things, finally pausing to savor these delicate emotions.
Unconsciously, even he himself didn’t realize how completely he had transformed when facing the mushroom.
Gu Wang gently picked up Xiao Hui Gu in his palm, lowering his head to whisper, “I’m back.”
Hui Gu gave a soft bounce, his pliable mushroom cap lightly brushing against the man’s straight nose: “Ji!”
He greeted by nuzzling.
Gu Wang froze for a moment, then a smile flickered in his eyes as he lowered his head again.
One thing was clear—his mushroom was nothing like that foolish dog.
His mushroom was well-behaved: it didn’t wreck the house, didn’t run off with others, and even initiated affectionate touches, sticking to him closely.
As Gu Wang carried Hui Gu inside, his eyes immediately fell upon the room in disarray.
Most items from the table had been pushed onto the floor, the wardrobe had been rummaged through, and traces of excessive mischief were everywhere.
Gu Wang patted Hui Gu: “Go play, I’ll tidy up.”
He scanned the room, raising an eyebrow slightly.
None of the items were actually damaged. Though clothes were scattered everywhere, not a single piece was chewed up—just slightly messy. The same went for the things on the floor, confirming one thing once again.
Hmm, indeed, his mushroom didn’t wreck the house.
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