Chapter 6: Oops, It Seems That I Fell in Love With the BOSS at 

                            First Sight      

Fang Hao was lying on the ground, convulsing uncontrollably, and blood choked into his throat, making him feel like a fish frying in scalding oil, struggling in its final moments.

 

But Zhuo Yu didn’t spare him another glance. Instead, he shifted his gaze towards the main entrance, where the towering crocodile-headed monster stood like a small mountain.

 

The monster moved.

 

With its axe in hand, the creature took slow steps towards Zhuo Yu. Its towering and almost inhuman stature brought an immense sense of oppression. Zhuo Yu could already smell the faint stench of the crocodile head and the peculiar odor of tanned leather.

 

Zhuo Yu wanted to stand up, but his legs refused to obey.

 

The boss crouched down, quietly staying by Zhuo Yu’s side, resembling a silent marble statue. Then, he extended his powerful right hand, firmly gripping Zhuo Yu’s neck.

 

Zhuo Yu didn’t make any sudden movements; he knew the boss was observing him. Killing an immobile disabled person would be as easy as snapping one’s fingers. His life was now in the hands of the Grim Reaper, an exhilarating experience he had never encountered before. This trembling sensation of living on the edge of danger almost made him feel addicted to it.

 

Like a gazelle caught in a lion’s grip, like a doe tightly bound by a giant python, the course of fate was firmly controlled by the predator.

 

Zhuo Yu didn’t hide or try to distance himself from the monster like Fang Hao did and exhausting himself. He was gambling, betting that his identity was somehow related to the boss and that he wouldn’t be killed.

 

Excitement surged in his blood, and taking advantage of this rare moment of silence, Zhuo Yu bravely turned around to observe the creature.

 

He believed that Zhou Wu and the others must have mistaken the boss for a creature with a crocodile head and human body. But at such a close distance, Zhuo Yu could see that the massive crocodile head was just a mask worn by the boss.

 

The mask had seen better days, with patches of scales appearing dry and cracked. Near the jaw, some parts of the leather had torn, revealing the strong jawline of a man. Those blue eyes also belonged to a human, but they were eerily calm, devoid of any normal human emotions. Staring at them for too long sent shivers down one’s spine, as if being drawn into the depths of an unfathomable, dark lake.

 

The overalls he was wearing didn’t fit well; they were tightly wrapped around his athletic body. There were faint traces of old bloodstains scattered across the clothing, possibly taken from some unfortunate victim.

 

The man’s heavy breathing behind the mask became more pronounced in the still air. Zhuo Yu followed the contours of his protruding Adam’s apple and saw the slightly undulating, heat-emitting chest. He could hear the boss’s deep heartbeat like a drumbeat.

 

This overwhelming surge of primal hormones made Zhuo Yu unconsciously swallow.

 

The instinct of a creature on the verge of death is a primitive impulse. Even a moth drawn to a flame will try to expose its organs as much as possible, emitting alluring pheromones to attract a mate in its final moments of life.

 

Thus, Zhuo Yu took the initiative to break the silence.

 

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re incredibly sexy?”

 

The boss’s hand froze.

 

“Darling, your physique is even better than Magic Mike’s male strippers. Even if you weren’t a killer, you could make everyone scream for you.” Zhuo Yu smiled, revealing his deeply hidden canines. “Right now, I feel like screaming for you.”

 

The crocodile-headed monster remained motionless, but his pupils contracted and dilated as if finding it difficult to comprehend the scene before him.

 

Zhuo Yu boldly placed his own hand on the boss’s, and this daring move caused the boss to stiffen again. Just like being shocked, he loosened the tight grip of his right hand and stared at Zhuo Yu with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.

 

This scene was thoroughly eerie. The terrifying character who should have been wielding an axe, chopping people in half, and causing blood to flow on the floor, now seemed as if someone had pressed the “pause” button. Under his massive body, there was a young and beautiful but fragile youth lying there.

 

The young man’s eyes were moist, filled with various emotions, but fear was notably absent.

 

The man’s silence was soon interrupted by the commotion upstairs; the sound of furniture being moved was very clear. It seemed like a certain nerve had been triggered within him, and he raised his axe, seemingly ready to go upstairs for a second round of killing.

 

The boss left. The space in the hall suddenly felt much more spacious.

 

Zhuo Yu had made the right bet.

 

Only then did Zhuo Yu realize that he had been holding his breath for a long time.

 

But it wasn’t because of fear or feeling too oppressed to move. It was… simply the shock of pure beauty.

 

He hadn’t lied to the boss.

 

Zhuo Yu had created numerous terrifying characters in his writing, each with unique personalities, but they all emitted a common trait: the pheromones of a predator. This led many fans to question his sexual orientation.

 

Their thoughts were not entirely wrong. Zhuo Yu was indeed attracted to that type of male. The crocodile-headed man from earlier perfectly embodied his preference. Just like when he watched “Friday the 13th” or “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” he didn’t admire the bloodshed and violence; instead, he appreciated the killers themselves.

 

Violent, imposing physiques, and utterly unscrupulous, these characteristics could instantly transport a person back to a time before civilization, evoking associations with sex, hunting, and emotionless dominance and possession.

 

Zhuo Yu snapped back to reality, pulling the dinner fork from Fang Hao’s hand and using it to prop himself up against the floor, managing to support his upper body.

 

Zhuo Yu looked at the floor covered in shattered glass, reflecting numerous faces with slightly flushed complexions and moist eyes, clearly showing signs of excessive excitement.

 

He calmed his equally restless heart and then patted his “teammate’s” cheek gently.

 

Fang Hao’s breathing was weak, but he was still conscious. After the adrenaline had subsided, immense pain swept over his body, but he had lost the strength to even writhe.

 

Using a clicking sound with his tongue, Zhuo Yu caught Fang Hao’s attention. Fang Hao’s dilated pupils were unfocused, and he gazed at the newcomer’s face in a daze.

 

How come he hadn’t died? How was he still alive?

 

On the verge of death, Fang Hao’s twisted malevolence became even more uncontrollable. Why did he have to die instead of that disabled man? This hatred had almost become the only mental support keeping him going.

 

“I remember your character, it’s trait is tenacious vitality. Now, it seems like that trait isn’t such a good thing after all.” Zhuo Yu toyed with the blood-stained silver fork, his young face showing a hint of gloom. “Why not just die painlessly and spare yourself the torment?”

 

“G-giggle… heh heh…”

 

Fang Hao struggled to focus his vision. He wanted to shout, but no sound came out. Something was off about Zhuo Yu; he seemed to be smiling with his mouth, but his eyes looked sinister as if he already considered Fang Hao a dead man.

 

Was this still the same disabled newcomer who used to be submissive?

 

“Hush, I know what you want to say.” Zhuo Yu lay on top of Fang Hao’s chest, softly whispering, “Look into my eyes.”

 

“Heh…”

 

As Fang Hao followed Zhuo Yu’s gaze, he felt his consciousness gradually disintegrating. The pain lessened, and he even experienced a surreal sense of euphoria, as if he had returned to the warmth and comfort of the womb.

 

Zhuo Yu’s eyes were deep and profound, and at that moment, Fang Hao felt as if he was being watched by a superior being, giving him an infinite sense of security. It was like a small boat adrift in the sea for thousands of years finally returning to its harbour.

 

Helplessly, Fang Hao watched as Zhuo Yu used a shard of glass to cut off the flame tattoo on his own wrist. However, he couldn’t feel any pain; there was only a numb sensation, and he felt no resistance in his heart. It was as if he had disconnected from his own consciousness.

 

Yet, Fang Hao’s hand trembled involuntarily.

 

Because after the illusion faded, Zhuo Yu now appeared more like a demon wearing a beautiful disguise. He stared at the chunks of flesh that had fallen off Fang Hao’s wrist with a burning gaze, and the mix of blood and yellowish fat made Fang Hao’s stomach churn. He had lost the ability to feel fear on a cognitive level, but his body’s responses were genuine.

 

Fang Hao couldn’t control the urge to vomit, and he choked, causing his eyes to roll back.

 

Zhuo Yu moved away from him with disdain and then picked up the piece of flesh to examine it closely. The flame tattoo disappeared from the chunk of flesh but reappeared on Fang Hao’s forearm.

 

Zhuo Yu sighed in relief.

 

As he suspected, the flame system wouldn’t disappear just because the wrist was gone; it was bound to the actor’s soul, and the tattoo was merely a physical symbol. He had wanted to study this aspect from the beginning and now finally found the opportunity.

 

Regarding Fang Hao’s illusions, Zhuo Yu could only thank his own talents.

 

After the experiment, Zhuo Yu ignored Fang Hao and dragged his legs slowly toward the sofa. Thinking about the boss, he suddenly felt that he had made a great deal. Entering this game, even if he couldn’t cure his legs, it was still well worth it.

 

From upstairs, there were sounds of fighting, followed by the noise of glass breaking and things falling on the grass. Zhuo Yu concluded that the other “teammates” must have escaped.

 

As he watched the frantic escape of Zhou Wu and the others from the window, Zhuo Yu wondered if the boss intentionally let them go. Without his intervention, those people wouldn’t survive for long. Could it be that the boss enjoyed playing a hunting game?

 

Seeing that he had been completely abandoned, Zhuo Yu understood human nature well. He didn’t expect them to support their teammate, and he had no qualms about taking ruthless actions when necessary.

 

He couldn’t help but wonder about the boss’s attitude toward him. Being a secondary antagonist and a traitor, his fate was uncertain. Either the boss would use him up and then kill him, or he would be killed by the righteous protagonist, or maybe he would face the consequences of his own actions.

 

Considering the characterizations of Zhou Wu and the others, they were not shining examples of virtuous heroes either, so the most likely outcome of this movie was a total wipeout.

 

Feeling smug about his hidden identity was indeed a path to self-destruction. Now, he couldn’t rely on anyone else; he had to rely on his own strength to survive.

 

On the other side of the screen, the audience watching the movie erupted once again.

 

【What the heck… This newcomer… What is he doing? Did he just flirt with the boss?】

 

【Thrilling! 】

 

【The key is, he smiled while nailing his teammate to the floor with just a fork…】

 

【Why didn’t the boss kill him? 】

 

【I get it now; this kid is wicked to the core. He must be lying and intentionally not sharing character information to gain the trust of other players, and then he’ll kill them! 】

 

【Isn’t the speculation going too far? From the beginning to the end, there hasn’t been any character that could play the antagonist, so I’m more inclined to believe that Zuo Yu himself is a pervert. 】

 

【Seconded. I’ve read his books, and they’re really… how do I put it? Distorted. 】

 

【Is it still possible to bet on Zuo Yu now?】

 

【What’s the use of being wicked? He’s still a disabled person in the end, just struggling to survive! I firmly support Zhou Wu】

 

【Exactly! He just got lucky, and he dared to mock the boss. He’s a dead man walking! Once the boss deals with the others, it’ll be his turn, and he won’t be able to escape anyway. 】

 

Despite being the center of discussion, Zuo Yu was not at all anxious. He looked at the dim kerosene lamp, his mind still filled with the image of the alligator-headed monster.

 

The way he squeezed the life out of humans, kicked away two sofas effortlessly, and looked down on his prey with confidence… not to mention those beautiful blue eyes and that remarkably attractive physique…

 

Oh no, it seems like he’s fallen in love at first sight with a terrifying boss.