Chapter 72 - Fifty-Three: The New Anchor

A string of messages left Wen Xishu a bit confused. Was the task really completed just like that?

He didn’t even need to kill the two of them.

At the same time, Wen Xishu realized for the first time that a happiness score of zero could actually mean a task completion.

But upon further reflection, he found the principle actually not difficult to understand. Releasing hatred was also a part of Desire Tower. Tang Rui needed hatred and a reason to continue hating.

If he had directly killed the couple, Tang Rui might still harbor some fantasies, preventing her from truly hating them.

It echoed the saying "Love is blind, hate is twisted."

By interpreting the task, Wen Xishu understood Tang Rui’s internal struggle ahead of time. Therefore, he orchestrated this bizarre game.

In fact, Wen Xishu had no interest in torturing Tang Rui’s parents. This game actually gave Father Tang and Mother Tang many chances to survive.

If Tang Rui’s parents had shown even a tiny bit of compromise or concession, shown any small amount of affection, or if even one percent of their final choices had been out of genuine parental concern for their child...

Maybe this task wouldn’t have been completed.

But again, if that had been the result, Tang Rui wouldn’t have become a target for Desire Tower’s task.

Everything was inevitable; there were no lucky escapes.

The result of this game also allowed Tang Rui to see a truth she didn’t want to acknowledge—

They really don’t love me, they don’t even care about me.

Without realizing this, Tang Rui would soon fall into great trouble when the apocalypse hits.

Few can distinguish clearly between being loved and being needed when they crave love intensely.

The value of Deceit Tang Rui’s abilities leads many to need her, but she mistakenly thought she was loved, and that it was an opportunity to reconcile with her parents.

However, as monsters with the prefix "Destruction" gathered more in Jiangcheng and the despair of the apocalypse deepened, she experienced betrayal and abandonment once again.

This also led to her losing the position she should have had.

Fortunately, with Wen Xishu’s arrival, a new trajectory of fate would be anchored.

...

...

Thunder roared, and rain poured. The thunderstorm tonight seemed like a grand ceremony.

This was a residential building in a community. The commotion caused by Wen Xishu and Tang Rui had already made the building’s residents suspicious, but ultimately no one called the police.

Everything went smoothly, as if it was meant to be.

The knife in Tang Rui’s hand was stained with blood. The initial cries inside the house turned into dead silence. As she walked out the door, she suddenly craved a cigarette.

Wen Xishu stood beside her:

"Actually, if you need someone to do the dirty work, you can let me handle it. If you regret it later, you can place the blame on me. I wouldn’t mind if you sought revenge on me."

Tang Rui shook her head:

"It’s okay, thank you. Rainy Night Butcher."

Wen Xishu shrugged:

"I’m more like a lookout for the butcher; you’re the real butcher. I’ll give you this nickname—I’m always generous with friends."

Wen Xishu also participated, but in the end, it was Tang Rui who did the deed.

He initially thought Tang Rui wouldn’t actually do it, at most being a silent witness.

But the result surprised Wen Xishu quite a bit. This girl had ruthlessness in her bones.

After completing the hidden task, when Tang Rui walked out of her parents’ room, her entire aura changed.

For the first and second tasks, Wen Xishu had initiated them, but this time, Tang Rui said:

"Alright, Mr. Sentry, let’s not waste time. I still have one last knot in my heart; let’s go resolve it!"

She charged into the rainy night with the knife, like an avenging star.

Overwhelmed with mixed emotions, Wen Xishu felt a sense of... an even wilder killing intent than his own.

...

...

Jiangcheng, Jiangcheng Youth Talent Apartments.

In the commercial district of Jiangcheng, there are several huge office buildings, gathering people from various industries. But most of them are insurance companies, banks, telecom, outsourced business personnel, and some real estate salespeople.

Actually, Lin Huiru’s life wasn’t going well. After slandering Tang Rui out of jealousy, her boss soon fired Lin Huiru.

The boss truly believed that a hardworking girl like Tang Rui shouldn’t be treated like this.

In fact, the boss himself was also a victim of the rumors.

When Lin Huiru’s words, "Doing these things is just to sell myself at a good price to the boss," spread, the boss’s reputation was also tarnished.

Lin Huiru was fired. Without her slander, maybe Tang Rui would have been appreciated, and her life would have been different; she might not have always met the wrong people.

Of course, there’s no "if" in this world. To Lin Huiru, she hated Tang Rui for life, believing that being fired was all Tang Rui’s fault.

She cursed Tang Rui many times, blaming her for losing her good job.

Nowadays, she worked as an after-sales customer service for health products, leveraging her only advantage—a sweet voice.

On this stormy night, the youth talent apartment was significantly affected.

The power was out.

Thinking about living in such a rundown talent apartment, thinking she could have lived in a better place... she started cursing Tang Rui again.

"Damn bitch, damn bitch! It’s all your fault! I blame you!"

She often cursed like this, and at every meal, she would recount how she pitied Tang Rui back then and ended up harmed by an ingrate.