Ji Minghuan and Su Zimai reached an agreement and sat motionless on the sofa, pretending to be dead while watching TV.
No one among them expected: On the first day of summer vacation, their father, who had disappeared for two years, suddenly returned home without a word—there's no sentimental reunion here, it's more like accidentally entering the set of a horror movie scene!
Gu Qiye was still in the kitchen, placing the pot of lotus root soup on the table and turning on the rice cooker's keep warm function.
Then he leaned against the sterilization cabinet, crossed his arms, and took out his phone from the pocket of his kitchen apron.
Meanwhile, at the doorway, Gu Zhuo closed the door with his hand and stood still, staring at the shoe cabinet for a while.
He then took off his leather shoes, changed into house slippers, and slowly moved into the living room.
At this moment, the awkward father and son duo stood apart—one with his back to the kitchen and the other absorbed in his phone, neither seemed eager to see the other.
Gu Qiye's expression was a bit strange.
Ever since a fight with his father two years ago, he hadn't seen him again. Even the living expenses were managed using the bank card of his deceased mother—though his father still deposited money to that card every month.
They were tacitly in agreement on this; it was as if the father knew he would use the mother's card, and every month the money was deposited on time, ensuring the living conditions for the three brothers.
Ji Minghuan curiously observed Gu Zhuo. Even within Gu Wenyu's character memories, it had been two years since he'd seen this father. Gu Wenyu himself wasn't familiar with the father now, let alone Ji Minghuan.
The moment he saw Gu Zhuo, a panel appeared in his pupils.
[Main Task 2: Investigate what your "father" Gu Zhuo is hiding.]
Although wearing Gu Wenyu's face, Ji Minghuan—as an outsider—was apparently not as embarrassed as Su Zimai and Gu Qiye.
Thus, shifting his attention away from the task prompt, he spoke to break the silence engulfing the living room:
"Dad, is your work outside going well?"
Gu Zhuo, with his hands on his hips, thought for a moment and asked hoarsely: "I'm doing alright… But Wenyu, you seem… Should be in your second year, right?"
"Yes, starting my third year after summer vacation." Ji Minghuan nodded.
"How's your studies going?"
"Still okay," Ji Minghuan jested with hidden meaning: "Probably… as good as your work."
In reality, both Gu Wenyu and Gu Zhuo were similar—one was busy researching his superpower for future ventures, hardly caring about academics; the other disappeared for two years doing unknown things, certainly not doing legitimate work.
Gu Zhuo nodded, then turned to Su Zimai: "What about you… Xiaomai?"
Su Zimai was silent for two seconds, tilted his head, and the cold ends of his hair brushed his eye corner, "Is ranking fifth in the grade considered good?"
Gu Zhuo froze, stroked his stubble, seemingly unsure what expression to wear, finally cracking a smile on his stiff face.
"…That's good." He said.
Behind him, Gu Qiye leaned on the dishwashing sink, one hand supporting the table, the other playing with his phone.
He listened to the conversation in the living room, hesitated for a moment, and said: "It's time to eat."
Upon hearing this, Ji Minghuan was the first to get up from the sofa, entered the kitchen, and sat by the dining table.
Su Zimai got up soon after, passing by Gu Zhuo and glanced at him: "What are you standing around for?"
Gu Zhuo pondered a while, then slowly turned to look at Gu Qiye standing by the dishwashing sink.
Gu Qiye didn't meet his gaze, just kept his head down, expressionless, playing with his phone.
Gu Zhuo wasn't bothered, stepped into the kitchen, pulled out a chair and sat across from Su Zimai and Gu Wenyu, silently staring at the table full of steaming dishes.
The cicadas' buzz grew faint outside, leaving the dining atmosphere unbearably quiet.
Their faces bathed in orange light, except for Ji Minghuan who seemed relaxed—or perhaps amused—the expressions of the other three were somewhat stiff.
Ji Minghuan spoke again, breaking the silence: "Hey, sis, pass me some tableware."
"Hands not working?" Su Zimai asked, holding chopsticks.
"Brotherly bonds, helping me with tableware isn't much, right?"
"You're mistaken, we're siblings, not brothers."
"Great siblings."
Ji Minghuan rolled his eyes, nonchalantly got up and went to the sterilization cabinet, glancing at Gu Zhuo's side of the table which still lack tableware, he took out an extra set.
Arms holding two sets of tableware, he approached Gu Zhuo's back, and while confirming the other two weren't looking, he thought "It's an opportunity."
Thinking this, Ji Minghuan neared Gu Zhuo, feigned handing him tableware, and stealthily extended the chopstick-holding hand towards Gu Zhuo's shoulder from behind.
At that moment, he used an old trick, letting a tiny restraint belt emerge from his fingertip.
The black belt-like substance unfurled like a black snake's spine, silently touching Gu Zhuo's shoulder.
Unfortunately, Gu Zhuo wasn't Su Zimai. In a fraction of a second, Gu Zhuo's eyes turned cold, reflexively reaching out and grabbing Ji Minghuan's wrist with force, leaving a red mark.
Fortunately, the snake formed by the restraint belt managed to touch his shoulder just in time, avoiding a complete failure.
[Condition met: touch the target's body, passive skill "Restraint Detection" activated.]
Taking advantage of Gu Zhuo's unturned head, Ji Minghuan retrieved the restraint belt between his fingers, then purposely released the tableware. The ceramic tableware fell onto the table, producing a crisp sound in the silent kitchen.
Gu Qiye raised his eyes from his phone, seeing this, frowned instantly.
"What… do you mean?" He asked Gu Zhuo, enunciating each word.
Su Zimai also paused, holding chopsticks, belatedly raised his head to look at Gu Zhuo gripping Ji Minghuan's wrist.
Under their gaze, Gu Zhuo paused noticeably, slowly turned his head only to discover he was holding Ji Minghuan's wrist, then released it abruptly, his stern gaze softening instantly, even showing a hint of panic.
However… at this moment, Ji Minghuan's attention wasn't on Gu Zhuo.
He stared at the text on the ability panel, eyes widening slightly, pupils glowing with a faint light.
[Target Gender: Male]
[Target Attributes: Strength: A++; Speed: A-level; Spirit: A-level]
[Superhuman Species: Superpower User]
[Superpower Introduction: Create a three-meter-high clock tower and lift his own "shadow" from the ground (the shadow inherits the superpower user's three attributes, effectively creating a clone, the difference being the shadow can't stray too far from the body)]
Every 30 seconds, the clock tower's hour hand randomly lands on a specific hour within "one to twelve hours".
At different clock hours, the clock tower imparts "different" ability enhancements to the shadow of the Ghost Bell.]
The abilities described on the panel matched almost identically to a super-criminal's superpower Ji Minghuan had seen on Mutants Association's website earlier…
And that criminal's code name was…
"Ghost… Bell?"
Ji Minghuan raised an eyebrow, slowly reciting this infamous name in his mind.
The next moment, a red and black task panel refreshed before his eyes.
[Main Task 2 Completed: Investigate what your "father" Gu Zhuo is hiding.]
[Rewards for Main Task 2 obtained: 1 Split Point, 1 Skill Point, 1 Attribute Point]
[Main Task 2 Updated: Establish a cooperative relationship with the super-criminal "Ghost Bell", thereby expanding connections among Evil Superpower Users.]