XG 62 - I killed him at his request

The father and sons were truly alike. But compared to his sons, Mr. Chen had a scholarly air with a grumpy expression under his reading glasses. Most of his hair was turning grey from age and the grueling research work. Wong Xue Guo had not met the late Mrs. Chen, except in pictures, but she could see the brothers got their friendly demeanor from their mother.

Was the saying people using too much brain will experience hair loss true?

Despite seeing his younger son again, there was no smile on the elder Chen's face. That indifference cleared any doubts Wong Xue Guo had on how Mr. Chen and her father could be friends and able to work together well.

"Unfortunately, there is no cure in sight," Mr. Chen broke the bad news.

Charles Wong was not worried about that bad news at all. "We had already expected that. That's why I'm here to talk."

Normally, Mr. Chen would not leave his workstation unless there was a meeting. But now that there was no result from his experiments, he did not rush back to his workstation and choose to listen to what his friend and business partner wanted to say.

Inside a meeting room, only the three members of Chen and three members of Wong were in attendance.

"This may sound unscientific, but please keep an open mind," Suzie Yap started softly. "I will now reveal to you that a person I've brought back to the base is a survivor of the infection through a bite."

"Survivor?" All Mr. Chen's attention was successfully grasped. "We need to examine this person!"

"Calm down, Zhang Bei," Charles injected. "Let my wife finish."

Chen Zhang Bei restrained his excitement and adjusted his seat, but his eyes were full of eagerness. This might be the only moment Wong Xue Guo had ever seen Mr. Chen with such a lively expression. She sneaked a glance at Chen Yibo, but there was no surprise on his face.

The more Suzie Yap spoke about the symptoms of the infected human and the methods to survive it, the more animated Mr. Chen became. Even Chen YiWen could not resist pulling out his notebook and taking notes.

"The survivors will have supernatural abilities. As for the survivor that came with me, his ability is rather hard to define, but everything he touches turned into ashes. Don't worry, he managed to control his ability well enough."

They had also discovered those that awaken their gene naturally tend to have poor control compared to those genes that were awakened using external help. It was unknown why, and they do not have time to find out the reason why.

"Is it the existence of these abilities that you are worried I won't accept because it's not scientific? As long as I can witness it, what is there to worry about whether I can accept it or not?" Chen Zhang Bei asked.

"Oh no, that's not the one I'm worried about." Suzie Yap smiled. "I'm afraid you won't believe me when I say Charles and I have the memories of the future. It is the same meaning that we have come back to the past."

Eyes wide in shock, Wong Xue Guo glanced at her father, only to have her father turned to look at her as well. Flustered, she immediately broke eye contact, even when she was not the guilty one.

But now that she knew it, she was sure that her father knew why his wife was angry with him, and it happened in their future, which their argument was brought back to the past as well.

Unlike Wong Xue Guo, Chen YiWen and his father do not look very surprised hearing the existence of time travel. Instead, they started to examine the couple with the eyes of a researcher.

"Time travel? No." Chen Zhang Bei eyed his two good friends carefully. "No sign of aging, de-aging, perhaps?"

"None of that. Just Yiwen sending our memories back to the past."

Chen Yiwen's hand stopped and he raised his head to look at Suzie Yap. "I suppose… will I have the ability to manipulate time in the future?"

"Yes."

"When did you two come back?" Chen Zhang Bei asked.

"An hour before the first big case of infection in Malaysia started."

Chen Zhang Bei gazed at Wong Xue Guo knowingly. "You two prevented her death."

Suzie Yap gave Chen Zhang Bei a cold look. "We are also here to stop the mastermind from manipulating the gene to do whatever they wish. We only came back because we had no other choice. Do not make a mistake thinking that Yiwen will still be alive after sending our memories back. Yiwen's ability is the strongest, but it was also the most taxing on a person's body."

From Suzie Yap’s words, Chen Zhang Bei could pick out that Wong Xue Guo's death had indeed happened as predicted. She was only alive now because she was saved.

Wong Xue Guo eyed Mr. Chen that does not look sad at all from her mother’s admittance that his eldest son had died in the future. This man either has a very good poker face, or he was rather unfeeling towards his sons. Once again, she sneaked a glance at Chen Yibo, and perhaps he sensed her gaze because he looked over.

As if understood her worry, he gave her a small smile. Strangely, her heart moved the tiniest bit from his smile. Maybe she was relieved that he did not look depressed. On the other hand, Chen Yiwen does not look alarmed upon hearing of his death.

"Do you two have abilities? How about me and Yibo?" Mr. Chen asked.

Suzie Yap's expression subtly changed, and not for the better. Charles Wong took over the explanation.

"Unfortunately for you, you do not have that gene. As for Yibo… he became the first failure that we ever know to have regained his appearance of a human and sane mind."

Wong Xue Guo's eyes widened again and this time was for Chen Yibo. Sure, she understood that not everyone would be safe from zombies and Chen Yibo in the future will definitely face a lot of life and death situations.

However, hearing it still displeased her, including her short itch to comfort him by clasping his hand.

The only sign that Chen YiWen was affected by the news was his little notebook slipped from his hand. He asked with strong insistence. "There's a cure? We found the cure?"

But his father does not share his son's happiness and frowned. Knowing his friend for many years, how could he not know there was something wrong with his sentence.

"The virus mutated? Or did Yibo have a different condition that changed it?"

Chen Yibo felt uncomfortable when he noticed Suzie Yap glanced at him with expressions of guilt and pity. He had the inkling that the future him’s demise had something to do with Suzie Yap, but was clear that she was not the perpetrator.

The highest possibility was her inability to save him which drove her into feeling guilty.

Charles Wong indifferently said, "He had devoured a lot of humans and failures alike. We are unsure how many but from his word, 'a lot' must be a staggering amount needed to regain his sanity and appearance."

Not only Chen Yibo, even his brother and father’s face also went pale and green from hearing it.

This time, Wong Xue Guo did not stop herself from clasping Chen Yibo's hand even though her father's words caused the sensation of something crawling up her back. He did not move away from her grip and clenched her hand as well, seeking some comfort from the warmth emitting from her hand.

"What happened to him after that?" Chen Zhang Bei asked.

Suzie Yap closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could still remember that time clearly, despite it having been more than three years ago. Chen Yibo's fear, hunger, with a tinge of determination was expressed vividly in his gaze as he begged her to free him from being a monster. He could not control his hunger for energy, yet also afraid of committing suicide.

She did not blame him for finding her to grant him freedom. No matter how mature he looked or how well behaved the twenty-four-year-old young man was, he was still a child forced to grow up under the influence of the environment. He was afraid of death, yet also aware that his existence was a danger to humankind.

She had delayed in killing him, trying to find ways to help him. But none worked. Chen Yibo needed a lot of energy to remain 'human', and they could never sacrifice innocent people for their selfish purpose.

This time, she did not allow her husband to speak on her behalf. "I killed him on his request."

Suzie Yap mourned Chen Yibo's death twice, each more painful than the other.

"... Thank you."

Through her misted eyes, she stared at the much younger, black-haired, and living boy that spoke the same word as he did before she destroyed his beating heart.

Unable to contain her grief, she stood up and left the room with a whisper that she wanted some time alone.

Wong Xue Guo could sense Chen Yibo wanted to go to her mother, but Charles Wong’s cold gaze stopped him. Surprisingly, she no longer feels jealousy at her mother’s care towards Chen Yibo, unlike how she used to feel when her mother showed care towards other people’s children.

Not only that, but she was also willing to share her mother’s love with Chen Yibo. But only for him.

“This time, let’s stay alive for a long time,” Wong Xue Guo whispered where only both of them could hear.

Under the table, Chen Yibo tightened his grip on their still entwined hands.