stonecrandall Chapter 89 Controlling Metals
Chapter 89 Controlling Metals
Let's go back to two days ago, in the evening.
The setting sun bathed Shuguang City in a warm golden hue, and the bonfire in the square was already lit, the aroma of roasted meat wafting in the wind.
People sat around the fire, their faces beaming with rare smiles.
Zhou Jianming sat at the edge of the crowd, holding a piece of roasted bird meat in his hands, with a warm smile on his face.
"Old Zhou, come sit over here!" someone waved to him.
"No, no, it's cool here." He waved his hand with a smile, took a bite of meat, and chewed slowly.
No one noticed that his gaze wandered through the crowd, like a snake lurking in the grass.
On the left, several young girls sat together, chatting away.
One of the girls, wearing a white coat, smiled particularly brightly, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.
A striking white patch on her chest.
Zhou Jianming's gaze lingered on her face for two seconds before casually looking away.
On the right, Liu Xueqin was leaning on Wang Yi's shoulder, feeding him meat in small bites.
Her wings were folded behind her back, shimmering softly in the firelight.
Zhou Jianming's Adam's apple bobbed.
But he quickly looked away, continued eating his own meat, and kept wearing that harmless smile.
No one knows what kind of beast is hidden in the heart of this middle-aged man who sits in the corner, with an ordinary appearance and few words.
Zhou Jianming, 42 years old, used to work as a plumber and electrician in the community property management office.
Divorced, living alone, no children.
Not long after arriving in this world, he awakened the ability to control metal.
At first, it was just some simple tricks, like making the keys fly over by themselves and making the nails float in the air.
He didn't make a fuss, but when registering the evolved abilities, he casually remarked, "It can control a few small things, but it's not very useful."
No one doubted it.
Who would doubt a middle-aged man who is taciturn, never causes trouble, and always greets people with a smile?
But Zhou Jianming knew that his abilities went far beyond "small things".
Since awakening his abilities, he has been secretly practicing in his room every night.
From controlling one screwdriver to controlling ten at the same time.
From being able to move metal within one meter to being able to manipulate iron objects twenty meters away.
From simple translation to deforming, stretching, winding, and transporting metal...
His strength is no longer at the level of being "not very useful" as it once was.
But he didn't say.
Why should I say it?
If you speak out, you'll be assigned to patrol, to fight, to die.
If you speak out, you lose the opportunity to observe and plot in secret.
He has to wait.
Wait until you are strong enough, strong enough to control everything!
Every time Zhou Jianming saw Wang Hao sitting on top giving orders, and saw Li Hao being worshipped by the slaves and looked up to by everyone, he felt like ants were crawling inside him.
On what grounds?
Why can they be high and mighty while he can only sit in the corner, smiling and bowing?
He wanted to sit in that position too!
He also wanted to be admired by everyone!
He also wanted those beautiful women to look at him with awe.
No, it's not just about awe.
It is submission.
Once this idea took root, it grew wildly, ensnaring all his reason.
But Zhou Jianming knew that now was not the time.
Li Hao is too strong.
That man could kill a lord-level monster with a single punch; he was faster than sound.
In a head-on collision, even ten of myself wouldn't be a match.
We'll have to wait.
When Li Hao went out to kill monsters, he was exhausted. Once he relaxed his guard, and once he became stronger...
Before that, he needed some... small satisfactions.
Late at night one day ago.
Zhou Jianming lay on the bed with his eyes open, listening to the wind outside the window.
The images I saw during the day kept replaying in my mind.
The smiling face of the girl in the white coat, the snow-white fabric on her chest, and the little girl running past carrying meat, her skirt fluttering in the wind...
His breathing became heavy.
No.
Can't help it.
He sat up, closed his eyes, and felt the invisible power within his body.
Metal perception unfolds.
How much metal is in this building?
Door locks, window frames, water pipes, steel bars...
Each one appeared clearly in his mind.
Including that door not far away.
That door where the girl who lives alone lives.
The girl's name was Lin Xiaomei. She was in her early twenties, with a pretty and quiet appearance. After transmigrating, she lost all her family members and lived alone on the third floor.
Zhou Jianming had met her a few times.
She always walked by with her head down, never saying a word to anyone.
Isolated, weak, and without protection.
The perfect prey.
Zhou Jianming took a deep breath, stood up, and pushed open the door.
The corridor was dark, with only a sliver of moonlight filtering through the window at the end.
His footsteps were as light as a cat's, landing without a sound.
Lin Xiaomei's door was a wooden door covered with sheet metal.
Zhou Jianming raised his hand, his five fingers slightly spread.
Inside the door lock, the small latch began to move slowly.
Click.
A sound so soft it was almost inaudible.
The door opened.
Zhou Jianming pushed open the door, slipped inside, and closed the door behind him.
The room was dark, but moonlight shone through the gaps in the curtains, enough for him to see the curled-up figure on the bed.
Lin Xiaomei was sleeping soundly, her breathing even.
Zhou Jianming stood by the bed, looking down at that young, unguarded face.
Heartbeat.
Blood boils.
A twisted sense of satisfaction swelled in my chest.
He reached out, his fingertips almost touching her cheek.
Just then, Lin Xiaomei turned over and mumbled something.
Zhou Jianming's hand froze for a moment, then he covered her mouth tightly!
After half an hour.
He quietly left the room and gently closed the door.
In the corridor, he leaned against the wall, panting heavily, a twisted smile on his face.
interesting.
That's so interesting.
He didn't sleep all night.
I was worried about being discovered the next day.
Unfortunately, the community is currently without power and there are no security cameras, so nothing can be found.
This caused his previously suppressed emotions to erupt once again.
Once you steal food, you'll do it again.
This feeling was addictive to him.
last night.
Zhou Jianming was mobilized again.
This time, he chose a different target—Chen Yutong, the girl from the Chen family.
That girl was only eighteen years old, as tender as a freshly sprouted scallion.
Yesterday evening in the square, she even took a skewer of grilled meat from his hand and said with a smile, "Thank you, Uncle."
That one word, "Uncle," made his heart itch with longing.
Moreover, she's staying alone tonight.
Aunt Chen has recently started seeing another man and occasionally goes to his place to sleep at night.
Aunt Chen is not home tonight, and Chen Yutong lives alone, which is a perfect opportunity to make a move!
It's 1 a.m.
Zhou Jianming stood outside the door.
No hesitation.
The metal ability is activated, and the door lock opens silently.
He pushed the door open and entered.
Chen Yutong was sleeping soundly.
The girl lay on her side, her long, black hair spread out on the pillow, her breathing shallow.
Zhou Jianming stood by the bed, inhaling the faint fragrance of the young girl, and gazed at her for a long time.
He slowly sat on the bed, leaned down, reached out, and covered her mouth with his hand.
Chen Yutong suddenly woke up with a start, her eyes wide open, staring in horror at the blurry face in the darkness.
She struggled and kicked, but Zhou Jianming was much stronger than her.
"Don't move," he whispered in her ear. "Move or I'll kill you."
Chen Yutong's body stiffened, and tears welled up silently.
Zhou Jianming's other hand began to roam over her body.
At that moment, he felt like a king.
A monarch who can do whatever he wants.
Chen Yutong struggled more and more violently. She tried desperately to scream, and although her mouth was covered, her muffled sounds were particularly clear in the quiet night.
"Don't move!"
Zhou Jianming applied even more force to his hands.
Unlike Lin Xiaomei's quiet compromise.
The harder he tried, the more fiercely Chen Yutong resisted.
Zhou Jianming was scared.
What if someone overhears...
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.
With a flick of his right hand, a metal hair clip flew over from the table next to him.
Under his control, the hairpin quickly deformed and lengthened, turning into a thin metal wire.
The metal wire wrapped around Chen Yutong's neck.
One lap, two laps.
Tighten.
Chen Yutong's eyes were wide open, almost bursting, and she struggled desperately, but Zhou Jianming held her down tightly.
ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
Thirty seconds.
Finally, she stopped moving.
Zhou Jianming gasped for breath, let go of his grip, and slumped down on the edge of the bed.
died.
He killed someone.
But strangely, he felt no fear.
There was only one kind of... strange excitement.
He looked down at the young face that would never smile again, and a slow grin spread across his lips.
So, killing is that simple.
So, killing a person is nothing more than this.
He stayed in the room for a long time until he was sure that Chen Yutong's body was completely cold before he stood up.
Before leaving, he carefully checked every corner to make sure he hadn't left any traces.
Then, he moved Chen Yutong's body to the open space downstairs.
Why move?
Because it's a conspicuous place, easy to spot.
He wanted people to see it.
It's meant to instill fear.
They wanted to let those high-ranking figures experience the feeling of being helpless.
This morning.
Zhou Jianming mingled in the crowd, looking at the body covered with a coat on the open ground.
He heard Aunt Chen's heart-wrenching cries, saw Wang Hao's ashen face, and witnessed Li Hao's silence as he knelt down to close the girl's eyes.
He also heard horrified whispers from those around him and saw women supporting each other, trembling with fear.
An indescribable pleasure surged within me.
look.
Aren't you guys very capable?
Aren't you capable of killing lord-level monsters?
Aren't you worshipped as gods?
Then you should try to find me.
He lowered his head in the crowd, trying to suppress the smile on his lips.
"Old Zhou, who do you think the killer is?" someone asked him from the side.
Zhou Jianming raised his head, his face filled with just the right amount of grief and confusion: "Who knows... It's too tragic, that girl was such a good child..."
"Alas, the human heart is unpredictable."
"Yes, people's hearts are unpredictable."
He silently added in his mind:
You will never be able to measure it.