Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: 28. The Trump Card Is Right Here (4)
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In the dim interior of the military tent.
Wei Lian's face appeared on the screen. Red energy flickered around his eyes.
"W-What the...?"
"No way..."
Murmurs rippled through the protesters.
The next moment, as Wei Lian's mouth opened, the murmurs grew louder.
―Youfuckingbastardwhothehellyouthinkyouretalkingcrappytorightnowarrogantscumhumans.
The telltale signs of a demon on the verge of shedding its disguise. Speech accelerating, words slurring together. The experts called it the "Coming Up" phenomenon.
―Fuckyouwhocantkillanyoneyoudumbshit?ThinkIcanteven curse? Even when I try to talk nice and smile they don't get it...
Right now, the Coming Up was manifesting continuously in Wei Lian on the screen. His gaze was low. Veins bulged around his reddened eyes.
The public already had a decent understanding of demons from media coverage. The image of the "demon" they knew matched Wei Lian's perfectly.
The protesters' faces twisted. Some clamped their hands over their mouths.
"This can't be real! No way...!"
Someone shouted reflexively.
―Ahh, stop right there. Anyone who moves now? Your head goes boom.
On screen, Wei Lian said it with a bright smile.
―Fuck!
A voice from off-screen. Chairs toppled, objects crashed with a clang-bang-thud.
At the same time, the red glow in Wei Lian's eyes intensified.
―I.
Wei Lian pulled the trigger.
―Said.
Something shot out. Something exploded.
―DON'T MOVE!
A body hit the floor. Probably.
Screams erupted from the protesters.
"Kyaaah!"
"Gasp—!"
"N-No! Uwaaaah!"
Our Wei Lian professor? Our captain did that? You're serious?
It was an unbelievable video.
Something that shouldn't have changed had changed.
The pillar they'd leaned on and trusted was crumbling.
For some fans, it negated over a decade of love for Wei Lian—the letters they'd sent internationally every birthday, the moment in a dream where he'd confessed his love to them. All of it, gone.
Someone raised their voice.
"You fucking assholes! Turn off the video—! This, this is manipulated! It's fake!!"
The shout rang hollow.
Everyone wanted to believe it. A strange relief washed over them at those words. But no one dared move or raise their voice.
They were all too shocked to recover.
Before the shouter could even budge, the video continued.
―Do humans only listen when they're scared? You lowly things... Actually, you're always like that, so I'm used to it.
―...Aren't you human?
―Surprise. I'm a demon.
Wei Lian's smooth voice matched perfectly the tone from his "surprise" video letters to fans.
Someone burst into tears.
"St-Stop... Please, turn it off."
A woman at the front of the protesters pleaded tearfully with the deputy bureau chief. But Jang Hao-wi ignored her.
"Turn it off, please...!"
Meanwhile, Wei Lian's voice went on.
―Your sons and daughters. Your friends. The demon who ate them. Oh. Not a joke.
"St-Stop it...! We're telling you!"
"Y-Yeah! You think we can't tell it's fake?"
"Right!"
The protesters' murmurs gained momentum from each other's shouts.
Their voices grew louder.
―Virang. Your wife tasted like pork belly. She must've eaten well? So fatty.
―Now. Everyone snap out of it. I got a gun as a gift. Packs a punch. So just obey me nicely...
But the video didn't stop. Finally, a burly man in the back pulled a dagger.
"Stop it! Hey—! Can't you hear me, you fucking bastards!!"
He was the manager of the Wei Protection Squad community. "Whoa!", "Gah!" Shocked voices rose from protesters and police alike—they hadn't expected an open weapon.
The man charged with the blade. A superhuman, he leaped high over the crowd toward the screen, aiming to smash the display. Amid the chaos, a cop yelled, "Hey! Stop him!"
A translucent barrier appeared in midair.
Boom!
Deputy Bureau Chief Jang Hao-wi's skill.
The man slammed into the mana barrier and sprawled. His dagger hand twisted backward with a snap, red spraying across the road.
A sharp scream pierced the air.
The watching protesters felt their blood boil. Tension ready to snap at the slightest trigger.
On screen, Wei Lian stared straight at them.
―...What do you think you're doing?
"Ah...!"
"Guh..."
Wei Lian's gaze carried killing intent. An expression, a cruel glint in his eyes never seen in thousands of photos or hundreds of videos.
―What are you doing I asked. ****!
His censored roar plunged the protesters into shock once more.
The video ended there.
"Fuck...!"
Someone turned away.
"Kyaaah!"
Someone else screamed in denial of reality.
Chaos erupted in an instant. Some fled the unbelievable truth; others grabbed smuggled weapons and charged Deputy Chief Jang Hao-wi, seeking revenge on the "manipulators."
"Ah, ah. Where do you think you're going?"
A clear voice cut through the noisy pandemonium.
"Property damage and arson... You were just protesting. Why flip cars? Why roast innocent pigs?"
"And obstructing public officials. Inciting social unrest. Etc., etc. Warrants are out for you."
"And now we'll investigate if any of you colluded with the demon Wei Lian. Surprised? They sent me here for this."
Jang Hao-wi gave a wry smile.
"Arrest them."
At his word, combat police from Lair and Hate Ling surged out, cuffing protesters.
"H-Hey! Don't touch me!"
"Agh! I-I didn't do anything!"
There were hundreds of protesters. Some tried to flee. Translucent barriers sprang up, boxing them in. Fugitives crashed into them and were nabbed.
"This can't happen! Professor Wei Lian, our captain—he's the one who saved me!"
A particularly skinny woman shrieked defiance. Her clothes tore unnoticed. Jang Hao-wi approached and knelt before her.
"Hello. Chinese, right? I know your face. Ex-Chinese Public Security Investigation Bureau."
"...!"
"W-Why. You're that fan who snuck into his dungeon raid. Right? Pitched a tent, stole Wei Lian's undies while he slept, then nearly died to a monster?"
"N-No...! And Professor Wei Lian saved me!"
"Weird. Saving a panty thief... Maybe you had no belly fat. So snap out of it, you crazy bitch."
"...!"
"Hey, take this girl too."
"Yes, sir!"
The mayhem was quelled swiftly.
―The hardcore protesters from the Wei Protection Squad have all been handed over to Hate Ling Central Police Station. As of 11 a.m. today, they've been deported to their respective countries...
Bom checked the live news and let out a deep sigh.
"Looks like the fire's out."
"Yeah."
Gaeul and Winter were still grunting over the puzzle the next day.
"This doesn't fit, Mister!"
"Doesn't it?"
"No matter how I look, one's missing!"
Gaeul whined.
Of course it was—Yoo Ji-tae's pocket had it.
"Try harder."
"Hiiing. It doesn't fit..."
Winter pouted unhappily too.
"Ah...!"
Then Gaeul's eyes widened as realization dawned. Her brow furrowed.
"I-I knew it...!"
"What's wrong, Gaeul?"
"Bom unni, listen!"
Gaeul glared at Summer's room.
"She came home this morning, poked around asking 'Whatcha doing?' I told her to beat it 'cause I was nervous?"
"Yeah. Summer knocked it over?"
"No? She left nicely, so I was surprised. But get this—she stole a piece!"
Gaeul looked so serious that Bom laughed.
"That's it...! That's what happened!"
Furious, Gaeul bolted to Summer's room. "Unni! Busted! Where's my puzzle piece?!" She woke Summer, collapsed from all-night training. "Fuck, why...? Puzzle, what...?" Sleepy Summer grumbled irritably. Gaeul complained back.
"Waaah!"
Gaeul's scream echoed through 301.
"T-Tap! Tap tap tab tap...!"
Joint-locked, Gaeul cried out. Suddenly Winter plopped on the floor, pounding it with tiny fists. "Unni's a demon! Red demon!" "This monkey's lost it..." Summer and Gaeul bickered on.
"Girls. Enough."
Bom went to Summer's room to calm them.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-tae stared blankly, lost in thought.
The media had yammered about Wei Lian and the Wei Protection Squad all day yesterday. Almost no mention of Gaeul. As usual, eyes on the big scandal.
So far, as he'd planned.
But one nagging doubt remained.
Unless they cloistered in Lair or shipped off to a deserted island, Gaeul would learn of the incident. From friends or whoever. Better if he told her first.
But...
Some of the Wei Protection Squad would vanish, but their traces wouldn't. Malicious posts still littered the internet. If Gaeul ever searched her name later, she'd see undiluted hate.
The regressor hated that.
He wanted Gaeul to live blissfully, facing minimal malice, maximum positivity.
Was there a way...?
To flood with joyful, happy, kind, positive posts.
...Nothing came to mind. Even after seven lives, this was new.
So he asked Bom on a whim.
"Hmm... Tricky."
"..."
"Unless you commandeer a national intel agency privately... But that's a hassle. Covering malicious comments for Gaeul alone..."
Bom fiddled with her bangs, pondering. '...Huh?' Something clicked; her hand froze.
"What? Got something?"
"Yeah... Kinda ridiculous, though."
"Spill."
"That place you took me recently."
"Underground labyrinth?"
"Yeah. Had washers running. Internet too."
True. BM pulled everything from the surface.
"Those big guys there? Don't tire easily. Always happy. No sleep needed day or night..."
Then Yoo Ji-tae got it—her "ridiculous" idea.
Thirty happy superhuman NEETs. And Morning Star too.
His trump card.
"...Think it'll work?"
Bom scratched her cheek, amused at her own thought.
Then she met his eyes, smiled softly. Nodded slowly.
The Green Dragon was certain.
What that meant.
"Let's go now."
"Okay."
"Goddamn... Fucking pricks."
Around then, the Wei Protection Squad community was in pandemonium.
―Ugh trash lol gotcha gotcha lmao
―400 arrested grats LoL :)
―Embarrassing. (lol) I'd follow Wei Lian. wwww
Netizens from every country swarmed the Wei Protection Squad community, posting mockery and hate.
"What the hell's their problem!?"
A young man who'd cheered protesters from his room yelled. Overnight, the squad became a global laughingstock.
"Obviously fake video, duh!!"
He couldn't accept reality. Nor muster courage to protest outside. Those who did were all jailed.
"Fuck... You clueless idiots..."
The youth hammered his keyboard. Fighting them, then terrorizing Gaeul's fan communities—the incident's root.
Many in the squad were like him.
In the chaos. Truth unknown. YOLO, shitpost time.
―Don't fight each other^^
Then.
Weirdos started appearing on communities and portals.
―This is pretty Gaeul-nim's community ^^... Be polite plz.
―Let's say nice things ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ
―Happy day gazing at Gaeul-nim's pics...~~ ^3^
―Gaeul-nim's pics make 5000 triple possible ^^! Whoa power surging today!! (lol)
....
In droves.