Everyone Knows I’m a Good Person

Thank you Apoc for the Ko-fi!

Editor: Sahloknir

Shi Qing lazily leaned back on the sofa as the mousy-looking guy continued to blather on about how he should teach so-and-so a lesson.

He treated it as background music as he checked his memories.

This world was actually quite exciting.

It took place in an alternate reality where everyone was going about their normal modern lives, then hey! Suddenly the apocalypse came.

Some people turned into zombies that bit others on sight and could even evolve. Their victims would be infected with the zombie virus and turn into zombies too.

As soon as the zombies appeared, many unprepared humans were wiped out.

Then came the mutated beasts.

Mice became larger than cats, cats became larger than pigs, and pigs became larger than elephants. In short, all animals were now several times their original size.

Another thing all these mutated beasts had in common was their ferocity. They slaughtered humans on sight.

Humanity was culled once more.

Unfortunately, the plants mutated too. And all of them into powerful variants.

Yep, another round of culling ensued.

The former apex predators suddenly became the lowest of prey. Actually, to be more precise, that was what happened to ordinary humans without powers.

The same could not be said for the ability users.

They were able to fight zombies, kill mutated beasts and exterminate mutated plants. Many ability users were able to establish themselves in a position of power.

After all, laws no longer applied after the apocalypse. If an ability user found someone displeasing, they could slaughter them with a wave of their hand. No one would care as long as the victim and his family were powerless.

Beauties, little brothers, resources…

Everything now belonged to the ability users.

And the original host was one such ability user.

Unfortunately, he was also the main villain in the original novel. The kind that the protagonist hated to his bones.

The protagonist was called Song Xiabing. Before the apocalypse, he was known as a philandering playboy with both looks and charm aplenty. But that was just a front he put on to avoid getting involved in his family’s internal conflicts while secretly carrying out his plans.

But just as he succeeded, the apocalypse arrived.

He didn’t seem to awaken an ability afterwards, but no other ability could affect him.

For example, if a fire ability user hit him with fire, the flame would melt away on contact.

The same went for other abilities.

Everyone thought that this was his ability and a rather useless one at that. After all, how were you supposed to use it offensively? And what good would he be against a gun or even someone’s bare fists?

So Song Xiabing’s life became much more difficult.

Difficult he could deal with. Unfortunately, his nullification ability led to his discovering the secret of a very famous captain of the base at that time.

This captain was a beastial.

Beastials were also a type of ability user, but they were largely considered weak playthings.

The main reason was because of the animal traits on their body.

They usually had features like altered ears or a tail.

For example, a rabbit beastial would have two long rabbit ears on their head.

A cat beastial would have cat ears or a cat tail.

In the case of snake beastials, their eyes might become slits or there might be scales on their body.

In any case, these beastials were basically immediately exposed once they transformed.

All beastials had a common fatal flaw: their animal traits.

No matter how powerful they were, they would instantly lose the ability to fight once the new additions to their body were touched. In severe cases, they might even collapse to the ground.

With such a glaring weakness, how could any beastial be a powerful ability user?

In this post-apocalyptic world, the weak were prey for the strong and ‘might made right’. Who would want to serve under someone with such a weakness?

Additionally, beastials often became more beautiful after their transformation.

A beastial that was only a three in looks before could become an eight afterwards.

Basically every beastial could at least be considered pretty. Their fine and smooth skin even made them look years younger than they were.

This, combined with how their bodies went limp when touched, saw beastials being relegated to playthings mere months after their appearance.

People captured beastials and either sold them or gave them away after outfitting them with various &#k2018;tools’.

Because of their weakness, no one was even hurt by a beastial.

As a result, many beastials chose to seclude themselves from society after their transformation. But unless they avoided all human contact, it was often impossible to hide their animal traits. One would have to leave the base to avoid all human contact, which meant contending with the hordes of zombies outside.

There were very few beastials who were able to escape the fate of being treated like playthings.

This relatively famous captain was one of them.

Yet despite his powerful ability, he was lacking as a person. Capitalizing on the lawless state of things after the apocalypse and the lack of punishment now, he commited all sorts of crimes.

One of which was sending people to kidnap Song Xiabing.

The Song family had gained a foothold in the base. Since Song Xiabing happened to be in City A when the apocalypse came, he stayed in Base A.

When that captain heard that Song Xiabing was the heir of the Song family, he kidnapped him and sent a ransom note.

Initially, Song Xiabing’s life with the Blazing Thunder Company wasn’t bad. Although he was a hostage, no one bothered to guard him because he was just a ‘useless ability user’. They dismissed him as trash and treated him as a servant and cook.

However, everything changed when Song Xiabing discovered that secret.

The captain of the Blazing Thunder Company, a powerful fire ability user with countless little brothers under his command, was actually a beastial.

It was just that his beastial ability was related to concealment. Apart from Song Xiabing, no one could see that big furry tail peeking out behind the captain.

Song Xiabing was a calculating person. He knew that he didn’t have the strength to defend himself at the moment, so he laid low and pretended to see nothing.

Unfortunately, he didn’t expect that the captain’s tail was not only invisible to others, it was also intangible.

The beastial captain didn’t even need to wear pants with an opening in the back.

However, the captain’s ability was still ineffective against Song Xiabing.

Eventually, there came a time when Song Xiabing inadvertently touched the captain’s tail.

The legs of the fierce captain, who was in the middle of a heated speech with a stalk of grass in his mouth, softened. He fell to one knee before everyone.

When the captain got up, he was ready to kill Song Xiabing right then and there.

The other Blazing Thunder Company members thought the captain was acting this way simply out of humiliation. They tried to dissuade him due to the ransom. But seeing the deadly glare being directed at him, Song Xiabing knew the captain found he could see that tail.

Since the secret of him being a beastial could not be known, Song Xiabing had to die.

Since the captain still wanted to kill him even after the others tried to intervene, Song Xiabing could only speak up himself.

He mentioned how the Song family was large enough that paying a bit of food as ransom didn’t matter to them.

However, killing the Song family heir would complicate things. Even if he had to die, it couldn’t be at their hands.

So be it if he died, but the entire Blazing Thunder Company would die with him.

If the captain insisted on acting after Song Xiabing’s words, he would be forsaking his men.

Unrest and mutiny would soon follow.

Thus, the captain was forced to stay his hand.

Song Xiabing was able to keep his life for now. But his life became many times more difficult than before. Although they couldn’t kill him, kicking him or taunting him was fine.

It was during this period of time that Song Xiabing’s bottom line was crossed. Namely his deceased mother.

When Song Xiabing’s mother met his father, the man wasn’t married yet. He persuaded Mother Song into giving birth to Song Xiabing by using the excuse that his family didn’t approve of their relationship. But afterwards, Father Song ran off and got married. He even had the face to say that they could still carry on as before since his wife knew about Mother Song and didn’t care.

When Mother Song found out the truth, she took Song Xiabing and left, intending to raise her child alone. Alas, she fell ill and passed away. Afterwards, Song Xiabing was brought back to the Song family, where he was known by everyone as the illegitimate son.

Since he was a child, Song Xiabing has heard the rest of the Song family insult and degrade his mother.

They said that his mother was a mistress, that she was in it for the money, and worse still, that she was a prostitute.

As a child, Song Xiabing would cry and defend his mother, only to be ridiculed or beaten up.

As an adult, he would smile like an angel while gradually condemning those who slandered his mother to the abyss.

But who would’ve thought? The apocalypse arrived just as he worked his way to the top.

And in this post-apocalyptic world, there were once again people who dared

to say such things about his mother.

Those little brothers might be taunting him just to please their boss, but the various ways the captain humiliated and tormented him were his doing alone.

Song Xiabing didn’t know why the captain hated him so much.

Even if he played dumb and said he hadn’t seen anything at all, this person refused to let him go.

The captain looked at him like he was an ant in the ground, like he wanted nothing more than to crush him to death with one foot.

Eventually, he acted on his desires.

After the Song family sent word that they wouldn’t be paying the ransom, the captain immediately had Song Xiabing tied up and thrown into the water prison.

He was tortured for three days straight.

The sheer agony of the water prison was hard for those who hadn’t experienced it to imagine. A person would be tied up in the middle of a room that was gradually being filled with water. They were perfectly aware that their mouth and nose would eventually fill with water. There was no escape. They could only wait for the final, painful struggle.

The captain deliberately arranged for Song Xiabing to die in this terrible way.

But on the third day, when the water reached the top of his head and he was suffocating, Song Xiabing realized how to use his seemingly useless ability.

Now he knew that his true ability wasn’t nullification.

Rather, it was to devour all things.

There was nothing in the world he couldn’t dissolve, whether it be abilities, mutated beasts, mutated plants, zombies, and even humans.

Song Xiabing dissolved the water and the chains binding him. He escaped from the Blazing Thunder Company.

After that, he got his revenge against the Song family while growing more powerful. After going through various plot points, he became a bonafide badass.

The first thing Song Xiabing did afterwards was to capture the captain of the Blazing Thunder Company and torture him for ten days straight. Then he chopped off the man’s tail and let him die of a shock-induced heart attack.

A beautiful, refreshing tale of leveling up and counter attacking.

Unfortunately, Song Xiabing’s luck ran out after the novel became real.

He awakened his devouring ability, but it was too late. He drowned before he could devour the surrounding water.

With the protagonist dead, the world naturally collapsed.

Then came Shi Qing.

It didn’t surprise Shi Qing in the slightest that he was the captain with the tail.

The original host’s memories were brief and to the point.

He’s been seething with rage even since he found out that he was actually a beastial, but he couldn’t vent his frustrations because it had to remain a secret.

And then he discovered that Song Xiabing knew.

That’s why the original host took out all his anger on him. Not only did he want Song Xiabing to die, the captain wanted him to die in the most cruel way possible.

By this time, Song Xiabing had already been locked up in the water prison for three days straight. He was about to croak.

Three days straight, ah…

Shi Qing clicked his tongue.

Thank goodness Song Xiabing’s second awakening enhanced his body quite a bit. Anyone else would be a prune after soaking for so long.

[System, what’s Song Xiabing’s animosity value?]

The System thought that nothing could faze it anymore.

But it was still left gobsmacked by what it saw.

[Song, Song Xiabing’s animosity value: 600/100]

Shi Qing wasn’t surprised at all.

It was understandable for it to be on the high side. After all, he was on the verge of death after being tortured and having his mother insulted for so long.

Faced with a record high animosity value, the System had no tears left to cry: [Host, I think this world is very difficult, ah.]

Shi Qing: [It’s not bad.]

The System: [Um…Host, you’re a straight guy right now. Wuwuwuwu and a straight guy boss at that. You also almost tortured him to death. How can you possibly reduce the animosity value without going OOC?]

Shi Qing smacked his lips: [A beauty has his ways.]

The ‘background music’ little brother in front of him was still babbling on about how the poor bastard they relieved of his food—just because he actually brought up terms like ‘laws and society’ like they still held meaning.

Suddenly, his boss put down his crossed leg and stood up.

“What time is it?”

The little brother hastily shut up and looked at his watch. “Boss, it’s past eleven.”

“Fine. You’re dismissed. I’m going to the water prison to see Song Xiabing.”

The little brother didn’t understand. “But why? Boss, didn’t you say you wanted him dead?”

Shi Qing irritably stomped one foot down on the table. “Fuck you. Laozi doesn’t need to explain myself.”

The little brother jolted in fear. He quickly squeezed out an ingratiating smile.

“Don’t be angry Boss. I should’ve known my place. I-I’ll leave right now.”

After watching him leave, Shi Qing found a cigarette to hold in his mouth.

The original host didn’t smoke. However, cigarettes had become scarce after the apocalypse. He developed the habit of holding on in his mouth in order to look cool.

It was almost like the people in Chinese history who liked to posture with cigars.

With one foot on the table, Boss Shi frowned slightly with a cigarette in his mouth.

He really did feel badass right now.

After getting that out of his system, he took a look at the time and headed for the water prison.

As expected, the water level was just above Song Xiabing’s head.

The water rose very slowly before in order to prolong his torment. But the original host said that he wanted Song Xiabing dead today, so the flow rate was turned way up.

Shi Qing looked down and didn’t see any signs of movement in the water. However, the water level was slowly dropping.

With this, he knew that Song Xiabing had already awakened his ability.

Shi Qing pressed the drain button and watched as the water level dropped rapidly, revealing the youth inside.

He still had the same impatient look on his face and a cigarette in his mouth, but his eyes lit up slightly.

Song Xiabing’s skin was very good. He had peach blossom eyes, a high nose bridge, a fair face the colour of jade, and a nice body too. As the water drained away, his hidden abs were highlighted.

Song Xiabing cut a sorry figure, choking and coughing there. He made people want to ravish take pity on him.

[Peipeipeipei. Me likey.]

Shi Qing looked down from above at the gasping youth who had one shoulder exposed. He snorted and wickedly said, “Where’s that silver tongue of yours now?”

Song Xiabing coughed while looking down to hide the hatred in his eyes. His fists clenched slightly.

He didn’t have enough strength to shake off the chain, much less use his ability. So he closed his eyes and endured Shi Qing’s taunts raining down on him.

“Snort.”

That high and mighty captain seemed pleased by this. “And here I thought you were the type to stay stubborn to the end. Is this all you can muster?”

Song Xiabing took a deep breath.

He was the weaker party here, so all he could do was endure.

The man above him, who he hated to the core, spoke again.

“Song Xiabing, I’m going to give you two choices.”

“One: die where you stand.”

“Two: become Laozi’s little brother and obey my every command.”

Shi Qing shifted the cigarette in his mouth impatiently. “Now choose.”

Song Xiabing moved a bit, causing the chains binding his hand to rattle.

The youth slowly looked up, revealing a smile like the one from Shi Qing’s memories.

He opened his mouth and spoke in a silky smooth, naturally compelling voice, “I’ll choose to be your little brother, Boss. Actually, I’ve wanted to follow you for a long time. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. It’s truly my honour.”

“Hmph. It’s good you know that.”

Song Xiabing was not surprised by Shi Qing’s arrogance. He watched with a smile as Shi Qing removed the chain binding him.

Inside, however, he was on guard.

He was sure that Shi Qing wanted to kill him before.

What could’ve caused him to change his mind so suddenly?

It was a pity that his body was so drained right now. Otherwise killing Shi Qing and quickly escaping would be the best option.

“Hey kid!”

Shi Qing coldly called out to him, “You can see the thing Laozi has hanging back there, right?”

Song Xiabing’s pupils shrank slightly.

Shi Qing knew already that Song Xiabing knew. That was why he wanted to kill him. At this point, there was no point in feigning ignorance.

After hesitating for a second, he nodded. “Boss, I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

The handsome man in front of him sneered. “You wouldn’t dare to anyway.”

He turned slightly to the side, exposing that large, fluffy, fiery red tail directly to Song Xiabing’s eyes.

Literally.

As in it was about to poke him in the eye.

Shi Qing spat out the cigarette in his mouth and ordered in a vicious voice, “Touch Laozi’s tail.”

Even someone as calculating as Song Xiabing was caught off guard by this request.

“What?”

“Do your ears not work?!”

Shi Qing clicked his tongue as he grabbed Song Xiabing’s hand. He harshly barked:

“Laozi! Told you!”

“To touch the tail!!”