A Novelist’s Guide for Side Characters to Survive

Chapter 8 "But that gentleman doesn't believe, that gentleman doesn't believe anyone."

A metal bullet whizzed through Chu Zu’s black hair, the heat from the gun barrel grazing his cheek.

Hanko collapsed with a thud, blood spurting from his shattered skull, accompanied by the sizzling sound of severed circuits in his brain.

Chu Zu’s white shirt was speckled with fine red dots.

In this era, firearm silencers were perfected to the extreme; everything happened soundlessly, and a pool of blood gradually formed around the man on the ground.

Dai Xi’an was forced to stand in it.

She thought Chu Zu was doomed, and she would be next, but she underestimated Luciano Esposito’s knack for tormenting minds.

The corpse rotted beside her, and she nearly broke down, finally letting out a scream.

A subordinate nearby reacted, suppressing his horror, and immediately stepped forward to cover her mouth.

“Jeeves.”

“Yes. Hanko handed your schedule for this week to the Mitoli remnants. I investigated his file; there were signs of tampering. Based on three years of behavioral analysis, he was confirmed as a traitor.”

“And Chu Zu?”

“Chu Zu’s file was modified by you three times. Based on thirteen years of behavioral analysis, there was one instance of abnormal behavior. Chu Zu met with Tang Qi today. The meeting facility was surrounded by a wide-range jammer, making it impossible to discern the content of their interaction. It’s impossible to determine if there was any betrayal.”

“Would you lie to me?” Luciano Esposito still held the gun.

“No.”

Chu Zu answered crisply.

“What did you go to Tang Qi for?”

“I didn’t go to him. He came to me.”

Luciano Esposito let out a scoff: “What did he want with you?”

Chu Zu’s emotions were terrifyingly stable, his voice even steadier than Jeeves’, carrying an inhuman indifference: “He said I was like him. Said I was forced to become your blade, while he chose to be their weapon.”

Luciano Esposito’s expression vanished entirely, his whole demeanor so cold it repelled anyone near.

For the first time, his usually inscrutable temperament was laid bare unmistakably before ordinary eyes.

“What did you say?”

“I said, it wasn’t forced.”

Luciano Esposito’s gaze locked tightly onto Chu Zu’s face.

He had his suspicions.

Tang Qi’s character was well-known throughout the Upper District.

A fool who, despite holding the power of life and death, still sanctimoniously “urged others toward goodness.”

Plenty of Upper District people died by his hand, yet he was the type to act pained after killing, playing the saint.

According to Dai Xi’an’s “rumors,” Chu Zu had spared Tang Qi, and Luciano Esposito would deal harshly with Chu Zu for it.

It wasn’t surprising that Tang Qi would try to persuade Chu Zu, nor would Luciano Esposito be angered by it.

But he shouldn’t have used such nauseating rhetoric.

Who was the same as whom?

“You knew I wanted the code, but you didn’t bring him back.”

“I could have killed him, but I couldn’t take him. The area had heavy interference, and I couldn’t tell if it was a trap. After weighing it, I left.”

“So you let him go again.”

“The first time.”

“Then there’ll be a second.”

Luciano Esposito gave a bitter laugh.

“Chu Zu, don’t you think this counts as betrayal?”

Chu Zu fell silent for a moment, his eyes shrouded in mist, as still as a dead pond, without a ripple.

Luciano Esposito guessed he was thinking—not about phrasing, but genuinely considering whether this was betrayal.

And when he couldn’t reach a conclusion.

“I’ll give you more until you think it’s worth it. That’s what we agreed on.”

He offered a promise.

In that gaze tinged with red mist, Luciano Esposito’s mood gradually settled.

He tossed the gun to Chu Zu casually.

“It’s all harmless.”

He suddenly became gentlemanly, warm and courteous.

“We’ve known each other since we were kids, had our fights, but in the end, we always reached an understanding. Remember? Back when we were students, I told you to kill that Mitoli kid, and at first, you refused.”

Chu Zu deftly disassembled the short-barreled gun entirely; it wasn’t his usual weapon, so keeping it was pointless.

He didn’t comment on Luciano Esposito’s reminiscing, listening quietly.

“When I smashed that kid’s head with the instructor’s data box in the training room, his brother accidentally saw it. Look, because you threw a tantrum, that cute little boy who’d sweetly call you ‘big brother’ at banquets died too.”

Luciano Esposito sighed.

“I’m really not good at killing. Kids are so fidgety, it’s annoying as hell. I gouged out his eyes, broke his limbs, and he still tried crawling toward you. I thought, if he was lucky enough to actually reach you, I’d cut out his vocal cords and let him live. Do you remember what happened?”

“I forgot.”

“He mistook me for you, crawled to me, grabbed my pant leg, looked up, and called me ‘big brother.’ That was creepy as hell, so I had you finish him off. That time, you didn’t refuse. You’re good at killing—gifted, even.”

Luciano Esposito looked at Chu Zu, as if seeing the silent, surging coldness of the teenage boy from back then.

After a moment, another sigh.

“When you were unconscious, I reflected too. You’re an unmodified pure human, and pure humans need real experiences to grow. It was only after those two Mitoli kids died that you learned something.”

“You can’t be blamed for Tang Qi. I didn’t think it through.”

He said, “Go get adjusted. Mitoli’s tech is safe enough, reliable enough.”

There was a clear temptation in Luciano Esposito’s voice, like the serpent in Eden hissing to Adam and Eve.

“I always give you the best, don’t I?”

Chu Zu: “Good.”

Luciano Esposito smiled: “Finish the surgery, then complete the mission. I’ve got a headache from all these matters.”

Chu Zu still said: “Good.”

Luciano Esposito waved a hand, signaling he could leave.

“Lucio.”

He called out to Luciano Esposito, who’d sat back down.

“I want to take Dai Xi’an with me.”

Luciano Esposito raised an eyebrow: “You like that type?”

“She reminded me that Tang Qi was investigating me.”

Luciano Esposito tapped the commemorative coin on the desk: “So that’s why you gave her the thing I gave you.”

Chu Zu nodded.

“Up to you.”

Luciano Esposito’s leniency seemed boundless, teasing with a grin, “Actually, it’s not bad if you like that type. Dai Xi’an is a beautiful and capable lady. As long as you get her consent, I’d be happy to see a happy ending.”

Chu Zu bent down, gently lifting the blood-soaked woman.

At the door, Chu Zu turned back: “Thanks for your generosity, Lucio.”

Luciano Esposito gave a noncommittal response, ordering the remaining people to clean the room, ignoring him further.

“Is it confirmed that Mr. Esposito sent him for surgery?”

The specialist operating the equipment asked quietly.

“Direct order from Jeeves.”

The person beside him said, “Mr. Chu Zu messed up, and not being dealt with outright is already Mr. Esposito’s leniency.”

The specialist frowned, lips pursed as if wanting to speak but holding back.

Chu Zu lay in the circular chamber, limbs securely fastened.

A dose of anesthetic far exceeding human tolerance had been injected ten minutes ago, and now the man’s eyes were fully closed, looking more like a corpse than a corpse.

After Luciano Esposito took control of the Mitoli Family, he also seized all their assets.

Virtual reality interaction was Mitoli’s biggest industry, using implanted devices to fully immerse targets in virtual reality, replacing their real-world perception.

On the surface, it provided Upper District people with diverse entertainment.

In reality, it was precise brain research.

All users with neural implants were in their experimental database.

When users wanted fun, unrestricted virtual reality met their every desire.

And when Luciano Esposito wanted fun, users unable to distinguish virtual from real met his every desire.

The only reason Luciano Esposito pushed the project forward was one thing.

The product, developed by generations of Mitoli, had functions far beyond that.

The human body is controlled by nerves; the purer the human, the more they rely on neural commands.

Neural instructions manifest as hormones, ultimately expressed as human emotions—excitement, despair, agitation.

Controlling the brain and nerves meant controlling the entire person from the inside out.

But this technology wasn’t foolproof yet.

Mitoli hadn’t conducted large-scale human trials; all clinical work remained focused on blurring reality and virtuality.

In other words, stimulating nerves to control the brain was highly dangerous.

The specialist was an old hand with the Esposito Family, not too familiar with Luciano Esposito but closer to Chu Zu, who was always on the move.

The first time he saw him, Chu Zu was such a scrawny kid, working nonstop, doing all the dirty and exhausting jobs.

Just one mistake, and he was called in for surgery.

Looking at the grown man, still puppet-like in quiet slumber, he felt some pity.

“Mr. Chu Zu grew up with that gentleman. I thought about their relationship…”

“For the sake of our thirty years of acquaintance, I’ll say this only to you.”

The person beside him whispered covertly, “The Tang Family heir also wants to pull Chu Zu in. Many guess Chu Zu spared Tang Qi because he was swayed.”

The specialist was stunned: “If he was really swayed, he wouldn’t be lying here now. He’s the one who handed Mitoli to that gentleman. He knows exactly what this surgery means.”

“Yeah.” The person said, “But that gentleman doesn’t believe, that gentleman doesn’t believe anyone.”

Chu Zu was too loyal, stubbornly choosing a hard and thankless path.

Though neither dared say it aloud, they both thought the same thing.

He’d be better off going with Tang Qi; at least he could live like a real person.

“Do I still look human to you?”

Chu Zu wasn’t sure.

The anesthetic dose was over three times a normal person’s, yet he only felt weak, his consciousness somehow still clear, even hearing the voices nearby.

It was kind of nice, letting him know how those around him felt.

Such normal people, so normal they barely seemed human.

The system was still reeling from the aftermath, taking a while to respond: “You mean after the virtual reality system implant?”

“Yeah.”

“It counts.”

The system answered instantly, “The tech’s functions aren’t perfect yet. At most, it’ll make you jittery and crazy, or just turn you into Luciano Esposito’s fool. Lunatics and fools are still human!”

Chu Zu: “…”

“But… I thought you’d use the ‘Physics Beast.’”

“When Luciano Esposito aimed at my head?”

“So dangerous!”

The system grew anxious again at the mention.

“You even handed him the weapon. What if he took it as a provocation?!”

It was a provocation.

Chu Zu didn’t say it in his mind, afraid the system would lose it.

After the meeting, he understood what kind of person Luciano Esposito was.

Luciano Esposito had some attachment to “Chu Zu,” but not much.

Even if he confirmed “Chu Zu’s” betrayal, he’d likely just be annoyed for a bit, then start calculating how to maximize his gains.

This was good; it meant Luciano Esposito wouldn’t be overly emotional.

If Luciano Esposito felt even a bit more for him, it’d be trouble.

Anger and deeper, hidden shame could easily push a proud schemer to irrational actions.

The current balance was just right.

“Chu Zu” would get angry at Luciano Esposito’s doubts, provoking in his own way.

Doubt me?

Then kill me.

Here’s the gun, you do it, I won’t dodge.

And he was honest enough, speaking only the truth, staying silent on what he couldn’t say, which wasn’t lying either.

Given their faint past bond, Luciano Esposito gave him a chance.

“He now believes he’s important to ‘Chu Zu.’”

Chu Zu concluded, “After the surgery, these kinds of troubles won’t happen again. Pretty worth it.”

The system expressed deep concern for its host’s mind: “What if he really turns you into a lunatic or a fool?”

“You’re my external brain, aren’t you?” Chu Zu smiled. “‘Chu Zu’ wouldn’t care if he went crazy or foolish; he’s not normal anyway.”

The system instantly lit up like it was pumped full of energy: “I’ll defend your brain to the death!!!”

“It’s not that serious.”

Chu Zu said, “Help me look up info on Mitoli. Luciano Esposito’s a purposeful lunatic. I need to know why those two kids died.”