Chapter 96: The Extraordinary Brothers

"Facing Zhu Zhengyu's inquiry, Li Nanke paused to think before saying, 'I have ALS.'"

Bai Yuefeng looked stunned. "What’s ALS?"

He thought for a moment, and as if something clicked, he jumped up from his seat in shock. "Holy crap, Old Li! No wonder you’ve been ignoring us every time we asked you out lately. I can’t believe you’ve got AIDS!"

Zhu Zhengyu almost lost his composure, nearly spitting out his drink. He swallowed the alcohol, and seeing that Li Nanke didn't seem to be joking, he said with a grave expression, "ALS. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. It’s a neurological disease. In the later stages, it leads to full-body paralysis and death from respiratory failure."

Bai Yuefeng was completely frozen, his voice full of disbelief. "A terminal illness? Old Li, you’re not kidding, are you? When were you diagnosed?"

Zhu Zhengyu glanced at him and continued, "The disease is treatable, but it costs nearly ten million. Though, for him, ten million might as well be a death sentence."

Bai Yuefeng fell silent. Old Li was such a healthy guy; how could he have suddenly come down with such a serious illness? He didn't speak, but pulled out his communicator to check some things. After a long silence, he said, "Old Li, I still have some savings—about four hundred thousand in total. I'll transfer it to you..."

He slammed his fist against the table. "Damn it, I can’t help much. Even if I borrow from the gang, I won’t get much."

Bai Yuefeng picked up his glass, toasted Zhu Zhengyu, and downed the drink in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and said, "Old Zhu, you’ve got connections. Can you help Old Li out?"

Zhu Zhengyu pulled out a pack of cigarettes and tossed one to Bai Yuefeng. He went to throw one to Li Nanke as well, but hesitated and stopped. With a click, he lit his own cigarette. In the flickering light of the ember, thin blue smoke curled upward.

Zhu Zhengyu smoked for a few moments, deep in thought, before speaking slowly: "The company offers medical discounts for employees, though at my level, I can't secure a massive reduction. But if I ask around and pull some strings, it’s possible to save Old Li two or three million. As for the rest, he’ll have to take out a mortgage loan to cover the initial treatment and stabilize his condition."

Bai Yuefeng was taken aback. "A mortgage loan? Old Li and I are both broke. What could we possibly mortgage? Our kidneys?"

"Who’d want your two useless kidneys?" Zhu Zhengyu exhaled a cloud of smoke. "I just bought an apartment in Development Zone A. It can be mortgaged for about two million..."

Bai Yuefeng caught the drift. "Old Zhu, why the sudden house purchase? Are you getting married to your girlfriend?"

"None of your business!"

Li Nanke let out a long breath. Ever since he had fallen ill, he had intentionally distanced himself from his old friends. He had considered himself unattached and alone, but he realized now that the true bond between men, usually hidden beneath the surface, was there all along. Perhaps... he could find an anchor after all.

Li Nanke raised his glass to them both. "My illness isn't a curse; it’s actually a blessing in disguise." As he spoke, he took out his identification card.

Bai Yuefeng took the ID, stunned, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Holy crap!"

On the card holder was a striking black-and-white logo: a circle with three arrows pointing toward its center from different directions. The logo was extremely minimalist yet highly recognizable, representing the control of unknown forces or objects.

An ID from the Crisis Management Bureau?!

Bai Yuefeng worked in the business of forged documents; he naturally knew how to tell the real from the fake. This Management Bureau ID was absolutely genuine! But the Crisis Management Bureau... was that something an ordinary person could even touch? Whenever common people heard the name, they associated it only with taboos, disasters, death, and loss of control.

The Crisis Management Bureau was the true authority, a genuine behemoth—far more terrifying than the Tax Inspection Bureau, the Riot Response Task Force, or the Intelligence Investigation Bureau. Major corporations and wealthy family conglomerates all maintained close cooperation with the Bureau, whose reach extended to every corner of the world. As a "low-caste" citizen who had escaped from a disaster-stricken safety zone, he knew better than anyone how incredibly powerful this giant was.

Zhu Zhengyu snatched the ID from Bai Yuefeng's hand. Seeing the unique emblem of the Bureau, he was also stunned into silence.

"Do you remember the taboo disaster in Safety Zone A69?"

"You two weren't at the epicenter, but I was caught in the direct wake of the disaster. That’s how I contracted this malignant illness, though it remained dormant and didn't flare up until recently..."

Li Nanke gave a brief account of what had happened, explaining that his illness had led to his awakening of superhuman powers, which in turn led to his recruitment by the Bureau, officially making him a government agent.

Zhu Zhengyu remained silent. He had already steeled himself to help his old friend out of the mire; otherwise, he wouldn't have come today. Men are at their coolest when they stay silent, express their resolve through action, and finally carry everything on their own shoulders, leaving their brothers with a dashing, solitary, and profound silhouette. He hadn't expected his brother to suddenly become wealthy and powerful—and a superhuman at that. How was he supposed to wrap his head around this?

Zhu Zhengyu opened the leather case. On the ID was Li Nanke's photo and the title: "Research Department Intern." He was speechless. He remembered that Li Nanke hadn't even finished middle school, yet now he held a title at the Bureau's Research Department.

It all felt too surreal.

Bai Yuefeng also felt the world had become a fantasy. The friend he had grown up with had become a legendary superhuman. While amazed, he felt a twinge of loss. Among the three of them, Old Zhu had become a corporate employee, and Old Li was even more incredible—an official agent of the Bureau. It seemed he was the only one lagging behind; comparing oneself to others was truly frustrating.

Bai Yuefeng forced a smile. "Old Li, I've never seen a superhuman in action. Could you show us a trick to open my eyes? If it violates protocol, though, just pretend I didn't ask."

Zhu Zhengyu didn't say anything, but his eyes betrayed his curiosity. After all, everyone had dreamed of having superpowers as a child.

Li Nanke pointed at an old-fashioned speaker in the corner, activating his "Magnetic Storm" trait. A directional electromagnetic pulse erupted.

*Crackle.*

The speaker sparked, the music cut off abruptly, and a wisp of acrid black smoke rose from it.

"Holy crap! That’s awesome!"

The eyes of both men lit up, and the way they looked at him had completely changed. Li Nanke had satisfied their curiosity with a small display of his power, then raised his glass again. "Anything more I say would just be hypocritical. The bond is all in the wine."

Only then did Bai Yuefeng break into a genuine, hearty smile. Even if Li Nanke had become a superhuman, he was still the same Li Nanke. He knew that if he ever ran into trouble and asked for help, Old Li wouldn't even bat an eye.

Zhu Zhengyu raised his glass. "We’re not stopping until we’re wasted tonight."

After three rounds of drinks, both were slumped over. A vibration from his communicator signaled a message from Jiang Lei, notifying him to report to the Bureau tomorrow morning—Li Nanke had been promoted. He looked at the two drunken men in front of him and smiled faintly.

Now that he had laid everything out, whether he had an "anchor" or not no longer mattered.