Chapter 390: It’s All About Interest
Chapter 390: Chapter 390: It’s All About Interest
Like a hen spoiling for a fight, Xu Yu glared fiercely at Xie Ning. "Xie Ning! Apologize!"
"Xie Ning, the Superpower User who tortured Yan Zhong and the others with spiritual power outside the Pu’an Cotton Workshop at Golden City Base, the one who also tried to kill Lin Yiyi—that wasn’t the little boy on your team. It was you!" Zhuang Lei said in a low voice, as if he’d had a sudden epiphany.
Zhuang Jia wanted to grab her brother and stop him from meddling, but it was too late.
Zhuang Lei had already shouted his accusation, his voice exceptionally loud, drawing the eyes of everyone present.
Zhuang Jia was about to lose her mind.
’Ever since my brother got involved with that Holy Mother, Xu Yu, his IQ has taken a nosedive.’
’Why did he have to meddle in this?’
’Did Yan Zhong’s team have anything to do with their Swift Leopard Team?’
’None!’
’Why did he have to stick his neck out at a time like this? What was he even trying to achieve?’
’Even if he wanted to show off and get ahead, he didn’t need to do it in such a conspicuous way.’
’Besides, they had all seen what kind of people Yan Zhong and his group were.’
’They’d frame other teams for personal gain, which ultimately led to their own team’s implosion. Weren’t they just reaping what they sowed?’
Xie Ning glanced at Zhuang Lei, neither confirming nor denying. Her gaze swept past him, finally landing on the tearful Lin Yiyi.
’What a headache. So young and already such a drama queen. When she grows up, her skills will be unparalleled.’
"You want this stupid parrot?" Xie Ning asked, dangling the bird she held by the scruff of its neck.
The latter struggled in her grasp, its little beak chattering nonstop. "You audacious thief! Release this Empress! Release me!"
The corners of everyone’s mouths twitched.
This was a Mutated Bird that clearly enjoyed watching palace intrigue dramas.
Xie Ning flicked its head. "Convinced yet?"
"Fine, I’m convinced! This young master isn’t above bowing his head and admitting defeat," the little parrot squawked, holding its head high as its crest of yellow and green feathers ruffled in the wind.
Xie Ning tapped its head. "You’re quite articulate. You must do a lot of ’parroting’ in your spare time."
"Do you take this young master for some common parrot? Your ignorance is terrifying! Don’t you know the difference between us Mutated Birds and the common kind?"
"I do," Xie Ning nodded with a smile. "You can squawk a lot more than an ordinary bird."
"You’ve only got one part of it right!" The parrot actually nodded in agreement. Watching this scene unfold, the crowd found it indescribably bizarre and comical.
Lin Yiyi bit her lip and nestled into Xu Yu’s embrace, looking just like a frightened little rabbit. "Ms. Xu Yu, that Mutated Bird really is perfect for me."
’It’s a High-level Spirit System mutated animal. If I can tame it, my power will definitely soar.’
A glint appeared in Lin Yiyi’s eyes as she secretly plotted how to make Xie Ning give her the bird willingly.
"Xie Ning," Xu Yu said, glaring. "Don’t try to change the subject. Why haven’t you answered Captain Zhuang’s earlier question?"
"How can you make such baseless accusations against a minor? Have you no shame?"
"Besides, this all happened over a year ago. Is it really necessary to hold a grudge for so long? How big of a mistake can a child make? She was just misled at the time. We’ve all forgiven her, so why can’t you let her off the hook?"
"’A child?’" Xie Ning laughed. "You’re not the one whose throat was torn out by the Zombie Cats that ’child’ attracted. What right do you have to talk about forgiveness?"
"Did you ask the people who were devoured by those Zombie Cats whether they forgive her? I’m curious, Xu Yu, are you their spokesperson?"
"You..." Xu Yu clenched her fists in anger, finally stammering out a trembling retort after a long pause. "Even if... even if Yiyi was wrong back then, she has since done everything in her power to atone for it."
"Do you have to keep dragging up her past? She’s just a child!"
Xie Ning nodded. "Yes. And it’s precisely because she’s a child that I can’t let her get away with it."
Everyone: "..."
With that one sentence, she left everyone speechless, completely shutting down the conversation.
Xu Yu’s face was so pale she looked as if she was about to faint.
Zhuang Lei stepped forward, shielding his girlfriend. His brow was furrowed deeply. "Captain Xie, can you stop being so unreasonable?"
"You already took care of Yan Zhong, Zhao Jian, and the others. That incident is long past. Isn’t it going too far to dredge up things from a year ago?"
He spoke with the forceful, sonorous tone of a leader. "This Mutated Bird is extremely useful to our team’s Beast Taming Superpower User, Lin Yiyi. I ask that Captain Xie allow Lin Yiyi to attempt to tame it—"
Unable to stand it any longer, Zhai Ruobai cut through his pompous speech. "Hey, buddy, are you nuts? Tamed? Are you blind? Does this stupid bird look like it needs someone else to tame it? Our Ningning already did!"
’These people are insane. Do their eyes just turn green with envy whenever they see something good?’
’This whole jumping out to block our way—how is that any different from being bandits?’
’And what’s this about "allowing Lin Yiyi to attempt to tame it"? Tame, my ass! Didn’t Ningning already beat this parrot into submission?’
’They must suffer from selective, intermittent blindness!’
Xie Ning, however, wasn’t particularly angry.
She was used to such scenes. Whenever there was profit to be made, shameless people would inevitably appear to do something inappropriate.
What’s more, the ones causing a scene were Xu Yu and her boyfriend. She had dealt with their particular "brand" of excellence many times in her past life, so she wasn’t surprised in the least.
Zhuang Lei, the "leader" whose speech had been interrupted, felt a prickle of annoyance.
’Since the apocalypse began, he was used to his word being law on his team. Having some fearless punk suddenly interrupt him was incredibly grating.’
Hearing this, Xu Yu couldn’t help but sneer. "I take it you’ve never encountered beast taming? Just because it looks submissive on the surface doesn’t mean it’s actually tamed, you know."
"You can say you’ve tamed it today, and tomorrow this Mutated Bird will be long gone."
Lin Yiyi gently tugged on Xu Yu’s wrist and spoke in a soft voice, "Ms. Xu Yu, don’t be like that. The gentleman and his friends aren’t Beast Taming Superpower Users, so it’s normal for them not to understand the intricacies."
"The so-called Beast Taming Power is about building a spiritual bridge to achieve a state of mental linkage. It makes the beast belong to its master, body and soul, and obey their every command. That is the true meaning of ’tamed’!"
Xu Yu smirked. "So you see? Just beating it into superficial submission is useless. If you let it go now, it’ll vanish in a flash."
Xie Ning couldn’t be bothered to argue with them. With a wave of her hand, she recalled the finished metal basket into her terrace Space.
Then, she slightly loosened her grip.
Finally able to breathe, the parrot immediately started squawking again. "You brazen handmaiden! Release this Empress at once!"