Without a job, Silas began living like a parasite.

The contribution points and crystals he had accumulated could sustain his decadence for a long time.

Life without a wife, a son, or a goal was unbearably dull.

In a safe zone tavern filled with song and dance.

The man’s handsome features and indifferent aura drew frequent glances from those around him, especially the expensive energy-infused liquor he bought and stacked randomly, which attracted many women to approach him.

Silas expressionlessly downed a glass of red wine brewed from mutated fruits. A strange woman beside him pressed her swelling chest against him, her red lips and black hair carrying an enchanting scent.

"Sir, we seem to have met somewhere. How about we exchange communicator numbers?"

A trace of jealousy flashed in the eyes of the man beside them. He gulped down the wine Silas had ordered and joked inadvertently, "Beauty, he’s taken. You look familiar to me, too—how about we play together later?"

The strange woman laughed upon hearing this.

"So what if he’s taken? Isn't that even more exciting?"

Silas frowned and pulled away from the arm she stretched out, his raspy voice making no effort to mask his disgust.

"Get lost."

The woman’s expression changed. She sneered and got up to leave, rolling her eyes at the man with utter disdain as she walked away.

The man seemed to have his sensitive spot poked and cursed the woman loudly.

"Just a slut, what are you acting all high and mighty for here?!"

Silas ignored him completely, lifting his glass to drink until his collar was soaked. His sturdy physique was visible beneath his damp clothing, which only made the women secretly watching him even more interested.

The man was Cheng Tian, who had chatted with Silas at the medical station earlier. He clicked his tongue while watching his "good friend," whose charm was hard to mask even in his decadence, his eyes full of satisfaction.

Since childhood, he had been neighbors with Silas. Every day, his family would compare him to Silas, comparing everything, and whenever he couldn't measure up, he was beaten, scolded, and belittled. He hated the man before him.

Now, seeing him reduced to a pile of mud, so decadent, gave him immense comfort. He felt as if life were full of brilliance again and suddenly had the motivation to forge ahead.

But seeing him in such a state, yet still having beautiful women trying to lick his boots, made him start to feel jealous again.

Cheng Tian’s eyes darted around, and he asked with feigned concern.

"Doctor Silas, how did you end up like this? You’ve lost your job and you’re here drinking every day?"

Silas downed another glass of wine, his expression unchanged.

Cheng Tian poked him with a bottle, somewhat surprised.

"Hey, don't tell me you’re drinking your sorrows away here because of Selene Rivers?"

Chapter 20

The man paused, suddenly erupting into a violent cough, looking completely wretched. The fact that he had hit the nail on the head made Cheng Tian smile with pleasure, his heart full of disdain.

"No way? A renowned healing genius, heartbroken and jobless, drowning in booze every night over a dirty woman? Do you have no taste?!"

Cheng Tian’s loud mockery made Silas stop wiping his face. He slowly raised his gloomy eyes to look at him.

Cheng Tian met his icy gaze. His heart skipped a beat, but not wanting to show weakness, he stood up and pointed at him with a wine bottle.

"What? Is there something wrong with what I said?"

The tension between the two attracted the gaze of onlookers, who began to gather to watch the show.

Cheng Tian had never been watched by so many people before; he couldn't help but feel giddy as he pointed at Silas.

"Look, what’s the use of being a good man? You couldn't even protect your own wife. You didn't even know she’d been slept with for hours, and your own son didn't even..."

Silas stepped onto the stage, rushed forward, and landed a heavy punch on Cheng Tian’s face. Ignoring his struggle, he pinned his head down and beat him savagely.

Cheng Tian, refusing to lose, grabbed a bottle and smashed it over his head. Even as he grew dizzy, he didn't let go.

The two looked nothing like friends who had grown up together; they looked more like mortal enemies.

It took a great deal of effort from the tavern management to pull them apart, and law enforcement officers arrived at the scene to take them away.

After the matter was resolved, he was locked in the detention center for three days before coming out.

Silas came out first; his injuries were heavier. Cheng Tian had sliced the corner of his eye with a bottle, nearly blinding him. Compared to the violence of the struggle, Cheng Tian’s provocations and malice were severe, so he was detained longer.

The two were no longer 'friends,' but from this day on, merely enemies.

Silas, face full of stubble and looking haggard, passed through an alley when he suddenly froze, unable to move.

"Silas..."

He spun around to look into the alley, but couldn't see her figure.

The man stood in place, panting heavily for a long time, before finally managing to move his feet, turning his head back every few steps on his way home.

Opening the door, the stench filling the house brought him back to reality.

The accumulated food waste and rotting scraps of the past few days had attracted many mutated cockroaches. Silas stared blankly at how his once clean and tidy home had become such a filthy mess.

"It’s so disgusting. How can you be so unhygienic, Silas?"

In a daze, he heard Selene’s murmur in his ear.

Silas stood in place, searching frantically, shouting in a panic.

"Wife? Don't go! I’ll clean it up right now!"

The man awkwardly picked up a mop and rag, dumped the trash into the chute downstairs, and, without changing his expression, dragged the solidified grease off the floor, stomped to death the mutated cockroaches hiding in corners, and bent over to scrub every single thing clean.

This went on for hours.

Silas looked numbly at the clean and tidy house, took out Selene’s usual disinfectant cleaner, and sprayed it everywhere, but the disgusting stench continued to waft into his nasal cavity.

He looked around twice before realizing it was himself—he hadn't cleaned himself, and he smelled of disheveled booze.

The man dove into the bathroom, shredded all his clothes, stuffed them into a plastic bag, and murmured incoherent words to himself.

"These are all dirty; they shouldn't be on me. You need to be clean, and so do I..."

He scrubbed every corner of his body forcefully. His scabbed wounds were rubbed open, and fresh, bright red blood mixed with water flowed onto the floor. He washed until his lips turned white, only then wrapping himself in a bath towel to leave.

Wounds continued to leak tiny droplets of fluid onto the floor. Silas, regardless of the pain, called out her name as he walked into the tidy hall, smelling the familiar fragrance, his face full of tenderness.

"It’s my fault. Come out, Selene. Don't hide and play hide-and-seek with Andy anymore..."

Deep in the night, his legs aching, he sat on the sofa, murmuring expressionlessly.

"You’re such an adult, why are you still so mischievous? Come out and see me, will you?"

His raspy voice was incredibly gloomy, speaking words that normal people couldn't understand. The mental stability medicine placed in the corner was ignored.

Silas was simply waiting for the voice in his ears to come again.

Chapter 21

Autumn drew near, and the acid rain fell incessantly.

Silas Thorne carried an exquisite cake out of the kitchen—a perfect creation he had spent four hours crafting from limited ingredients.

"Daddy’s finished, come and eat cake!"

He placed it on the table with a smile, set out three sets of bowls and chopsticks, pulled the stool out to a suitable space, and pantomimed lifting an object and placing it on the chair.

Silas’s face changed. He pivoted toward the room, picked up a napkin, placed it on the seat, and let go. He watched with hollow eyes as it fell to the floor, yet the corners of his mouth remained curled in a smile.

"Andy is so naughty. It’s okay, just let it stay on the ground. Daddy will clean it up later."

The man meticulously cut three slices of cake, placing them one by one into the bowls before him, even helping to set the forks down.

He then sat in his place, smiling in silence, as if waiting for something.

No one responded to him, yet he maintained his smile, as if listening and observing, his eyes filled with tenderness.

He didn't know how much time had passed when a clap of thunder streaked across the window, causing the base’s backup power lights to flicker. Silas snapped back to reality, sitting blankly where he was.