As a Charming Mushroom, I Fell into the Apocalypse (MUSHROOM)
"..."
A somewhat silent atmosphere spread through the reception room. Finally, Aide broke the stalemate with a stern expression, answering Hui Gu's question: "There are tens of thousands of points in here."
He took a points card from his chest pocket and slid it toward the two men.
"Whoever ultimately delivers satisfactory results for Nightclub will be the one to claim it."
"Until then, I will pay you corresponding points equivalent to the monthly salary of a senior Nightclub employee."
Hui Gu brightened up: "Oh, then I have no more questions."
Ji Nianwen couldn't help but glance at him, a faint confusion surfacing in his eyes.
He never expected this little Parasitic Flower's attention to be entirely focused on points. If one could become Nightclub's trump card and the center of the God-Making Plan, among all the rewards one might receive, points would be the most insignificant.
Hui Gu was gradually becoming an enigma to him, wrapped layer upon layer in suspicion.
His appearance was stunning, yet his behavior displayed a kind of naivety that should be impossible in the apocalypse—like a beautiful spirit creature accidentally straying into the human world, everything he did seemed out of place with his surroundings.
Previously, Ji Nianwen had thought he was merely a well-protected vase, someone who had likely been sheltered in a base since the apocalypse began, kept ignorant of the world's cruel realities.
Such extreme cases were rare, but not unheard of.
People like that usually only met two fates once they lost their protection: certain death or finding a new attachment point.
But Hui Gu was different. He had been able to withstand Ji Nianwen's Mental Power attack, and with a body even weaker than the average person's, had counterattacked his most proud supernatural ability.
The most impossible thing had happened just over ten minutes ago.
When Ji Nianwen silently invaded someone's mental sea, even S-Class New Humans of the same level couldn't detect it.
What exactly was his background...
Though a storm raged in Ji Nianwen's heart, he maintained his usual smiling demeanor on the surface.
Aide acted as if he didn't notice the subtle atmosphere between them: "Let's go, I'll take you to the training room."
Ji Nianwen asked: "Won't we be meeting anyone else?"
Aide paused, understanding what he meant: "The boss hasn't had time recently and hasn't been to Nightclub in a while. He'll meet you when there's an opportunity."
Ji Nianwen didn't press further, nodding as if suddenly remembering something.
When they arrived at the training room, an instructor was already waiting for them.
Strangely, the instructor's hands and feet were shackled with heavy restraints, and his long-untrimmed hair obscured his eyes, making one wonder if he could even see clearly.
Aide said: "This is Mei Jingshi."
Ji Nianwen gasped softly: "The famous cult founder?"
Mei Jingshi lifted his eyelids to reveal a somewhat venomous downward glance: "We are not a cult."
Ji Nianwen: "Shouldn't he have been expelled from the base?"
Expulsion was the polite term—more bluntly, it meant a death sentence, thrown outside the base to fend for oneself, which was certain death.
The cult incident back then shook the entire base. In extreme environments, people's prayers to deities went unanswered, leading to the decline of mainstream religions and the rise of various bizarre sects. Among them, the cult led by Mei Jingshi grew too influential for the worse. When they organized a large-scale suicide ritual, Chief Gu led a team to arrest them, resulting in all those who instigated the suicides being expelled from the base.
It was said that the youngest victim in that ritual was just a month-old infant, and the scene was so blood-soaked it resembled a natural disaster.
Thus, the number of people expelled marked the largest non-contamination criminal mass expulsion since the base's founding.
It was a warning to others.
From then on, cults vanished from the base.
Aide spoke very calmly, "Yes, he was brought back by our boss during the expulsion and has been imprisoned ever since."
Mei Jingshi remained silent. After earlier refuting that his beliefs were not cult-like, he had sunk into a gloomy state, like moss growing on damp, muddy paths.
Aide glanced at him. "Preach."
Mei Jingshi pulled out his manuscripts, distributing them to the group, his tone listless. "Recite, then see who gets the most votes of support."
Ji Nianwen looked at the script in his hand, a slight surprise crossing his face.
It was clear the manuscripts had been heavily revised. At first glance, they appeared to be soothing modern poetry, but hidden within were brainwashing suggestions.
Barren, desolate soil… the only blooming rose…
One represented the apocalypse, the other naturally being "faith itself."
Ji Nianwen read the verse several times, his expression growing increasingly pleased.
He glanced at Hui Gu and noticed him staring blankly at the script in his hand, lost in thought.
Ji Nianwen frowned, feeling even more unable to figure this person out.
Hui Gu stared at the neat, blocky characters on the manuscript: "…"
Oh dear, he couldn’t read.
Human culture was so troublesome.
Estimating that they had mostly memorized their parts, Aide led them to the main hall, where many ordinary employees had gathered.
It was still daytime, and their work mostly involved basic preparations.
Just from the name, it wasn’t hard to guess that Nightclub’s business peaked at night.
Although the base didn’t strictly enforce a curfew, once the sun disappeared, most streets lost their light sources. With resources scarce, streetlights were rarely used.
With a lack of security, few were willing to venture out at night, and even fewer shops remained open.
The only exception was Nightclub.
Its services were generally tailored for mercenaries living on the edge or new humans with high pollution levels seeking distraction through "entertainment."
Beauty and youth only became resources at Nightclub.
But Nightclub was merely an exchange; it never forced its employees to do anything they disliked.
Other transactions of the flesh had to be consensual, with parties finding their own places to conduct business.
It was said the owner of Nightclub didn’t want such activities happening on the premises, so Nightclub didn’t offer physical services to guests—they had to arrange privately with the employees they fancied.
Such arrangements were transactions most employees willingly accepted, and having a patron willing to support them long-term was even better news for them.
Among the staff, Hui Gu spotted a familiar figure and waved at Tang Qi: "Hello."
Seeing how effortlessly relaxed Hui Gu appeared, Tang Qi couldn’t help but massage his temples.
Due to his usually sharp tongue, none of the employees had a good relationship with him. Witnessing this, they cast complicated glances in his direction, and a few muttered words like "how dare he" could be heard.
Tang Qi immediately snorted, glared at those who had spoken, and straightened his posture even more.
He could tolerate being looked down upon, but he didn’t want anyone to think Hui Gu was an easy target.
In just two days, he had unconsciously come to regard Hui Gu as a friend.
His only friend since the apocalypse.
Those who had been whispering averted their eyes, somewhat sourly.
Among them were those who had always been currying favor with Ji Nianwen. Others assumed their "how dare he" was directed at Hui Gu—an ordinary person—daring to stand beside an S-class psychic.
Only they themselves knew that those words were a genuine, inward questioning of Tang Qi.
Realizing they were actually jealous of Tang Qi, they fell silent, inwardly tangled and shocked.
Aide explained to them, "Each of you will need to deliver a speech. The people here will cast anonymous votes, and the one with the most votes—"
He paused before revealing the highly tempting reward: "Nightclub will invest a significant number of points to broadcast your speech on the large screen at the central park of the base."
Due to resource shortages, entertainment within the base was extremely limited. Televisions had long become a thing of the past, and high-tech devices like computers and phones were affected by magnetic interference. Unless used in research labs equipped with anti-interference devices, they couldn’t function properly.
The large screen at the central park, however, remained operational. It was typically used for important announcements, with occasional brief reports from upper-level base personnel.
Appearing on that screen was the fastest and most efficient way to gather attention in the early stages.
It wasn’t something that could be achieved with points alone; it undoubtedly involved behind-the-scenes arrangements by their boss.
Ji Nianwen’s face showed little emotion, but the slight tremble in his hand as he held his speech script betrayed his true excitement.
He slowly exhaled, wearing a perfect smile. "Allow me to begin."
Hui Gu naturally had no objections and stepped aside, watching as the man began his speech.
Before the apocalypse, Ji Nianwen had majored in broadcasting. Though he hadn’t graduated before the outbreak, his writing skills remained impeccable.
Not only did he deliver his speech vividly, but he maintained a flawless smile throughout.
His intangible, odorless S-class Mental Power seeped through his words, using sound as a medium to influence the audience below. His supernatural ability activated, implanting subtle suggestions to vote for him.
The speech wasn’t long. After finishing, Ji Nianwen turned around, a look of certain victory on his face.
Using his mental suggestion in a place like this for a mere vote was almost overkill.
Still, the outcome of this vote was crucial, so it was better to be cautious.
With that thought, Ji Nianwen expanded his Mental Power a little further.
Aide glanced at him out of the corner of his eye—he had certainly noticed.
However, he had no intention of reminding anyone and could even be said to tacitly approve of Ji Nianwen's overwhelming cheating methods.
After all, making good use of his S-class Mental Power was also part of the God-Making Plan.
As for Hui Gu, he was ultimately just an ordinary person—it was inevitable that he couldn't compete with an S-Class New Human.
He coughed lightly: "Next."
Although Hui Gu was an illiterate little mushroom, the characteristic of mushroom evolution was possessing extremely strong environmental adaptability—his linguistic talent was exceptionally powerful.
After listening to Ji Nianwen's complete speech just now, he had memorized every word in the script and could match them with the corresponding text.
Hui Gu stepped onto the stage, unfazed by the numerous gazes fixed on him. His beautiful, doll-like face showed no extra expression as he blinked his sapphire-blue eyes, reminiscent of a Persian cat's: "We walk upon this withered and barren soil..."
Unlike Ji Nianwen's smooth reading of the script, Hui Gu's delivery clearly revealed unprofessional immaturity. He even showed slight signs of distress on his face as he thought about the next sentences.
To deliver the speech smoothly, he slightly relaxed his control over his aura, allowing a tiny portion to leak out.
The atmosphere grew so quiet that even breathing became faint. Everyone in the audience stared intently at Hui Gu, and as he spoke, an Eden seemed to appear in their minds.
Everyone's eyes grew somewhat dazed, carrying an unconscious intoxication.
Unlike Mental Power, which required hints and coercion and only targeted specific behaviors for brainwashing, Hui Gu's pheromones represented complete control—over both body and mind.
Just by standing there, he naturally drew everyone's attention.
True top-tier Enchantment made people submit to the very existence itself.
Two minutes after Hui Gu finished his speech, seeing everyone still completely silent, he couldn't help tilting his head: "Shall we vote?"
Only then did Aide snap out of it. As an A-class new human, he hadn't even realized he'd been in a state of fascination moments earlier.
Collecting himself, he brought over the anonymous voting tool: "Let's begin voting. You have five minutes. The voting is completely anonymous—please choose where your heart truly lies."
He emphasized the last four words.
The voting results were quickly tallied. When Aide saw the outcome, his typically expressionless face showed a strange look.
It seemed puzzled, with even more complex emotions floating beneath the surface.
Ji Nianwen wasn't surprised at all by the results—these people simply couldn't resist his mental suggestions. But he still had to pretend to be somewhat nervous as he asked: "Who won?"
"Hui Gu," Aide said without beating around the bush. "He beat you by twenty full votes."
There were only about fifty people voting in total.
The perfect mask Ji Nianwen had maintained finally cracked, revealing deeply hidden venomous energy in his eyes as he glared at the audience.
The others' shocked expressions upon hearing the voting results appeared genuine.
"Who won?! That ordinary person?"
"So many people voted for him?"
"He's just a bit good-looking, how could you vote randomly!" stomped one of Ji Nianwen's supporters. She looked at the person beside her: "Did you vote for him?"
That person looked guilty for a moment: "How could I? What about you, who did you vote for?"
The girl paused. "Of course I voted for Nianwen."
She felt guilty, speaking loudly only to cover up the fact that she hadn't actually voted for Ji Nianwen.
Who could have predicted this outcome? She had simply assumed that aside from that Tang Qi fellow, everyone else would vote for Ji Nianwen. Thinking Ji Nianwen wouldn't miss her one vote, she...
It certainly wasn't out of any favor toward this Hui Gu—she just didn't want to see him lose too embarrassingly.
If he ended up with only one vote in the entire room, he might actually cry.
He looked so fragile.
The girl held her breath, unaware that her inner thoughts echoed almost everyone else's in the room.
The venue had descended into chaos, so no one noticed.
Mei Jingshi emerged from the corner, his previously obscure expression finally shifting after hearing the speech. His eyes shone with an unusual intensity as he fixed his gaze on where Hui Gu stood.
His chest rose and fell rapidly, his fingers trembled uncontrollably, yet his eyes became filled with reverence, as if beholding a deity he had long sought.
Mei Jingshi murmured under his breath, his whispers sending chills down one's spine upon closer listen: "My lord, I have finally found you."
……
Looking at the crowd that had come to comfort him, Ji Nianwen forced a weak smile.
He gazed at these people who usually flattered and curried favor with him, a faint chill appearing in his eyes.
Among them were those who had voted for Hui Gu.
Of course, he wasn’t upset by their two-faced behavior—after all, he had never been sincere with them either, usually interacting with them as if bestowing charity.
What truly baffled him was that the voting results had somehow remained unaffected by his Mental Power.
Even if his Mental Power had failed, Hui Gu should never have received the most votes.
These people were no pushovers; they usually enjoyed excluding newcomers.
What was so special about Hui Gu that he kept making the impossible happen?
Ji Nianwen slowly exhaled a turbid breath, then put on a gentle smile: "It’s alright, everyone should vote for whoever they prefer."
The others exchanged uneasy glances. Working at Nightclub had made them experts at reading people, yet they couldn’t see through Ji Nianwen’s facade.
His acting was too convincing—he seemed completely unbothered by the voting outcome.
After saying this, Ji Nianwen made up an excuse and left.
Away from prying eyes, he took out his communicator, finally dropping the pretense, his expression turning grim: "Come here."
A muffled male voice came through the communicator.
"Yes."
Within minutes, a tall man dressed entirely in jet black, with a silver muzzle covering the lower half of his face, appeared before him.
The man lowered his head and asked what was needed. Though the muzzle was exquisitely crafted and visually striking, it couldn’t conceal its true purpose—nor did it mask the faint scent of blood around him, instead accentuating his non-human, beast-like aura.
Ji Nianwen’s gaze was cold and detached, looking at him as though he were a well-trained dog: "Your pollution level has risen again?"
Lin Duqiu simply stared back, silent.
He knew that showing any vulnerability in front of this man was pointless. Only when he successfully completed a task would Ji Nianwen use his Mental Power to grant him a temporary reprieve.
"Reprieve" sounded pleasant, but it was merely a brief numbing—a momentary loss of the constant, agonizing pain in his mind caused by the contamination.
Still, it was enough. He wouldn’t live much longer anyway. Even just a moment of feeling like a normal person was worth it.
Lin Duqiu’s numb, indifferent eyes seemed to amuse Ji Nianwen, a damp, sinister smile curling on his lips—a stark contrast to the persona he showed others.
"I want you to follow someone." Ji Nianwen produced a photo of Hui Gu he had taken secretly.
Lin Duqiu glanced at it but didn’t take the photo, like a hound that only needed to catch the scent of its prey to begin the hunt.
His tone was flat, perfectly embodying an emotionless killing weapon: "Should I kill him?"
Looking at Hui Gu’s slightly curved eyes in the photo, Ji Nianwen’s gaze flickered: "No. Don’t do anything unnecessary. Just report back his address and anything unusual about him."
"Yes." After saying this, Lin Duqiu turned and disappeared from sight within a few steps.
Ji Nianwen gazed in the direction where he had disappeared, his tone ambiguous. "A useful dog, but what a pity he's a failure."
It wouldn't be long before the pollution level eroded his sanity and soul, stripping him of his humanity.
As an S-class new human with Mental Power, his combat ability was the weakest among all S-class individuals, so he naturally needed high-combat new humans to serve as his tools—capable of protecting him while swiftly eliminating any threats.
Lin Duqiu was currently the most efficient one he had used: a failed evolution from Super A-class to S-class, a cripple whose pollution level was stuck at the maximum value.
Ji Nianwen gently stroked the photo, his face once again adorned with the same gentle smile as usual, though it inexplicably carried a chilling undertone.
...
Not long after Ji Nianwen left, Hui Gu lingered for a while before growing bored and suggesting going home.
Aide, preoccupied with other matters, only realized later that Hui Gu was no longer at the scene.
Hui Gu couldn't care less about the chaos unfolding around him. He was a free mushroom, going wherever he pleased.
With light footsteps, he headed home, a small smile unconsciously gracing his face at the thought of soon having plenty of points so Gu Wang would never have to wake up early for work again. A faint dimple appeared on his right cheek.
Halfway home, his pace slowed, and the smile in his blue eyes subtly shifted.
He sighed quietly, a trace of vexation appearing on his youthful face.
Being followed was something he had almost grown accustomed to, to the point where his counter-surveillance skills were being honed.
Hui Gu glanced at the reflection in a nearby shop window.
The person tailing him was also sharp—a corner of their clothing flickered past, never fully revealing itself.
The scent of something like apple pie wafted from the roadside, accompanied by the enthusiastic calls of a street vendor.
As if drawn, Hui Gu walked over.
Seeing Hui Gu suddenly change direction, Lin Duqiu's eyes narrowed, and he quickened his pace to follow.
At a corner, the young man who should have continued forward stood directly ahead, staring straight at him.
Lin Duqiu paused, lowering his head as if pretending to pass by.
"Who sent you?"
Lin Duqiu halted, surprise flashing in his cold eyes.
He had been discovered by an ordinary person?
Kill him?
No, he couldn't—he hadn't received such an order.
The surge of killing intent sent a sharper, screaming pain through Lin Duqiu's mind, an agony so intense it threatened to consume him, forcing him to stand still and suppress the urge to bare his fangs.
Just as he thought he was about to lose control, that pleasant voice reached his ears again, this time accompanied by a strangely delightful fragrance.
"Come here and pay for me."
Hui Gu commanded him, his pheromones leaking slightly into the breeze.
The pain in his mind inexplicably vanished. Before Lin Duqiu could process what had happened, he was already stepping forward and pulling out his points card to hand to the vendor.
The vendor cheerfully handed an apple pie to Hui Gu.
Though the vendor guaranteed it was delicious, the first bite filled Hui Gu's mouth with an overwhelmingly artificial flavor.
Not very tasty.
No wonder this food stall had so little business.
Hui Gu shook his head and tossed the apple pie he had only taken one bite of to him, his tone carrying a hint of threat: "No matter the reason, don’t follow me anymore."
After catching the pie, Lin Duqiu stared at him blankly. His heart, which had long lost its capacity for emotion, began to stir faintly, beating once more. For the first time since becoming a new human, he heard the rhythm of his own heart—growing clearer, growing fiercer.
A storm of emotions raged within him, yet his face, long devoid of expression, remained as stiff as ever.
Seeing the man frozen in place, Hui Gu frowned: An idiot?
He didn’t dwell on it. After issuing his command, he turned and left the alley.
This time, no annoying presence trailed him, and he made it home without any trouble.
A satisfied smile graced Hui Gu’s face, but it lasted only a few seconds before everything changed.
As he stepped into the hallway, he noticed the door to his home slightly ajar.
A loud crash echoed from inside.
Hui Gu halted abruptly, his cat-like eyes widening in shock.
A sense of foreboding washed over him.
Reluctantly, he closed his eyes and focused on the scents in the air.
The distinct, captivating fragrance unique to Gu Wang dominated the area.
It was a blatant sign—he had returned home first.
Oh no.
Hui Gu silently took two steps back. If he had a tail, it would have drooped from its perky height all the way down to the ground.
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