Sssshk—
The blade of a utility knife slid across the cardboard with a soft scrape, cutting it open with practiced ease.
Li Chengyi eagerly peeled back the flaps to reveal a red ceramic flowerpot nestled in protective foam. The soil inside was loose, with scattered white wisteria petals and stems.
At the center stood a thin brown branch, no wider than half a palm, bearing small white blossoms—white wisteria, distinct from the typical purple ones.
Unlike the usual purple-tinted petals, these were pure white with a hint of lavender, elegant and delicate.
"It's finally here…"
He inhaled deeply, catching the faint floral aroma that wafted from the flowers.
Suppressing his excitement, he gently reached out to touch one of the wilting blossoms.
White Wisteria: A rare deciduous vine, variant of common wisteria. Strong fragrance. Blooming period: May to June.Flower Language: Enchantment of the Hand.Flower Scale Armor: Begin evolution?
The moment that final prompt appeared, a heavy weight lifted from Li Chengyi's heart.
This was it.
White wisteria was rare, seldom mass-grown by commercial florists. That made it the perfect candidate—easy to keep secret, and perfect for repeated harvesting.
Without hesitation, he confirmed:
"Yes."
A cool, silken thread of energy flowed from the flower into his fingertip.
Unlike before, it didn't surge toward the flower-ring tattoo on his hand. Instead, it spread through his palm, then up his arm and into his chest—where it dispersed throughout his body.
A minty chill enveloped him, like bathing in liquid menthol.
He shivered.
Luckily, no one else was home.
His parents were at work. His sister was away training for her upcoming exams.
He looked down at his right hand. The Flower of Evil ring glowed faintly with soft purple light.
Flower Scale Armor evolving...Evolution influenced by: personality, worldview, physical condition, and goals.Additional "nutrients" may be applied to enhance strength and alter form.Nutrients will directly affect final armor type and flower abilities.
"Nutrients?" Li's eyes narrowed.
So the armor wasn't just evolving—it was customizing itself based on its user?
He thought for a moment. It wasn't too different from ancient warriors having tailor-made armor. But this… this was deeper. More intimate.
What were these "nutrients"?
Nutrient Types:
During initial evolution: floral essence required.
Post-evolution: floral essence is no longer needed. Armor will require absorption of malice (negative intent).
Absorbing Malice: Overwhelm individuals harboring evil thoughts and convert them.
Current evolution: 1%Malice absorbed: 0
Malice...
The truth clicked into place.
No wonder it was called the Flower of Evil. A flower grown from malice—it fit the name perfectly.
Every wearer's armor could be different—a direct reflection of the emotions and intentions used to fuel its evolution.
Li carefully lifted the flowerpot out of its packaging, wiped it down with a damp cloth, and placed it beside his desk.
Too small.Just this one pot made the room feel cramped.
"I need a real garden," he muttered.
He sat down and immediately searched for the shop that shipped the white wisteria. He wanted to visit in person—buy everything they had, and speed up his evolution.
Once complete, he wouldn't need to return often. Just come back for maintenance.
He disguised his online activity, appearing like a passionate horticulture enthusiast. Nothing sensitive in his search terms.
Soon, he found the supplier and called.
"Hello, is this Baojuyuan Florist?"
"Yes, how can I help you?"
He quickly arranged an in-person visit, using the excuse of wanting to purchase in bulk.
Satisfied, he looked at the flowerpot again. His mood had improved dramatically.
Next step: test the armor's actual strength.
These past few days, he'd discovered how to partially equip the armor—limiting it to just hands, legs, or torso—by repeating internal commands to "slow down" during the transformation.
That would make testing much safer once firearm training began.
Elsewhere – Suiyang City, West District
In an old neighborhood lined with five-story buildings, ground-floor shops lined the street. Yellowed walls, rusting AC units humming on the sides.
In front of one such store, its blue shutter rolled down, a chubby man in a silver jacket smoked a cigarette, glancing around like he was waiting for someone.
"Yo, Xiao Ding."
A bald man carrying a plastic bag approached from the sidewalk.
"Brother Zeng, you made it!" Ding stood up with a smile and handed over a cigarette.
"My boss needs two people found. Your sister's good with tech, right? This job'll pay well."
"What kind of people?" Ding asked cautiously. "If it's too sensitive…"
"Nothing illegal. Just find them, screenshot or retype their data. No risks. Same deal—50,000 per person."
Ding hesitated… then nodded.
"Alright. I'll ask."
Zeng handed over two composite sketches.
One looked just like Li Chengyi. The other was the gunman from the Dead Zone.
Ding snapped photos, stepped away to call his sister, then returned smiling.
"It's done. We'll send the files shortly."
"Perfect. Try to get family info too," Zeng said.
If they could pressure a target's family into cooperating in the Dead Zone, they wouldn't need to resort to violence.
"She can even ping their phone location," Ding added.
"Great. The usual spot—half up front," Zeng nodded.
"You're the best, boss!"
Meanwhile – New Century Tower, Hongjin Company
Sindra stood at the window, gazing at the sunlit city.
His expression was unreadable. One hand unconsciously rubbed his forearm.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Sir, we found them."
"Come in, Aran."
A tall, buzz-cut man entered—face pale, eyes cloudy, but towering over two meters like a living wall.
He handed over a folder.
"According to the sketch, the remaining survivor has been identified. Here's the file."
Sindra skimmed it.
"Only one premonition?"
"Yes. Her mental strength is weak. Based on Li Chengyi's description, she survived by luck."
"She's low-potential," Sindra muttered. "Li Chengyi had three premonitions—the most of any contractor we've seen. The more premonitions, the higher the survival rate."
"Also, she comes from a wealthy family. Cooperation seems unlikely."
"Then we drop her. Focus on Li Chengyi."
Just then, another agent rushed up.
"Boss! Someone's hacking telecom records—trying to access Chengyi and his family's data!"
"Shut it down. Send a warning."
"And the girl?"
"She's no use. Remove her from the candidate list."
"Should we…" Aran made a slicing gesture across his throat.
To protect their top contractors and extend survival, drastic measures were sometimes necessary.
[📘 Interactive Ending – Dark Suspense Style]The armor grows. The web tightens.Would you wear something born of malice?Tap Add to Library to keep following Li's descent into danger.