The green light within her body was still dormant, showing no intention of waking up.
Shige Ye raised his head and twirled his pen.
The little girl in the car had her eyes wide open, tears welling up. The scarf that had been tightly wrapped around her suddenly loosened strangely. Her mouth twisted as if she was about to start crying, her lips pressing together: “Daddy…”
Through the car window, her voice was inaudible, and the muffled sound of the explosion was also confined within the car.
The car window was suddenly smeared with red flesh and blood, fogging up.
It was the flesh and blood of two people—the mother in the driver’s seat was too close to her daughter, falling within the circle of death, and both were shattered to pieces.
Only after watching this scene did Shige Ye lower his head and start writing again.
In the remaining blank space at the bottom right corner of the page, he hastily sketched the front of the antique car and wrote a line next to it: 【After the engine cooled down for a while, the car returned to normal】
One page, four-panel comic, and a family of three just disappeared, leaving behind the antique car that Shige Ye desired.
Shige Ye put down his fountain pen and wrote on the virtual screen, instructing the person beside him: 【That car should be drivable now. Clean it up; it’s too dirty】
The subordinate respectfully accepted the order and left.
He then wrote to Scorpion Man: 【Tired. Going back for lunch first. Have them find another car, and then we can set off】
Shige Ye lazily closed the black leather notebook and tapped the control panel on the wheelchair’s armrest, turning the wheelchair around.
Before turning away, he glanced at Pei Ran.
There seemed to be a hint of amusement in his eyes.
It was as if someone had coincidentally obtained a god-like ability, effortlessly controlling the life and death of others. Not content with just showing off to his subordinates every day, he also wanted to see the shocked reaction of a new audience.
At the same time, it was a warning: with just a casual stroke of his pen, the tape on her face would fall off, she would make a sound, and be blown to pieces. He was telling her not to entertain any foolish ideas.
Killing, and watching others kill, were nothing new to Pei Ran. In the bunker world, people fought and died every day, and Pei Ran had long grown accustomed to it.
But in that world, people mostly fought to the death over a bit of survival resources and a chance to live. It was rare to encounter a madman who deliberately toyed with others’ lives.
He had a large group of subordinates. He could have easily ordered them to seize the antique car and leave the family of three by the roadside.
All for just a car.
Pei Ran avoided his gaze and lowered her eyelashes.
Her submissive posture satisfied Shige Ye. He no longer looked at Pei Ran and signaled the person holding her to bring her along. He then drove his wheelchair forward along the path they had come.
Pei Ran clenched the fingers of her mechanical hand.
Her whole body was weak. She still couldn’t clench her fist—her fingers curled slightly, trembling, refusing to obey her will.
Yet, Pei Ran had only one thought in her mind:
I really want to strangle him.
If her strength returned, she would grab his pale neck and twist—crack.
W silently watched everything unfold before finally speaking, “Intentional homicide. Classified as an L16-level or higher extreme threat. If resisting arrest or posing an immediate danger to others, lethal force is authorized to prevent further crimes.”
His voice was colder than ever, carrying an icy chill.
Too bad—even if she were classified as L800, it wouldn’t matter. He no longer had a gun.
His weapon had been confiscated, and his outer casing had been forcibly pried open, exposing his blue-lit, flickering core.
Pei Ran wasn’t doing much better. She felt like she had been cursed—her entire body limp and powerless, her legs barely able to support her weight. If she wasn’t being dragged along by force, she wouldn’t even be able to move forward.
One human, one AI sphere—both in a sorry state.
For the first time, Pei Ran felt a faint sense of shared misery with this artificial intelligence.
W asked, “You still can’t use your special ability?”
It seemed he was also looking forward to watching Shige Ye get torn in half.
Pei Ran: “I’d love to.”
But she couldn’t.
Both she and the AI had no means to resist for now. Not being killed by Shige Ye yet was already lucky enough.
Shige Ye led his group through the streets, weaving through the alleys.
Pei Ran was being dragged along, one thug gripping each of her arms.
One of them wore a black leather jacket, its high collar pulled up to cover half his face. His right arm was entirely mechanical, deliberately exposed for display—his jacket sleeve had been cut off at the shoulder, revealing the full length of his silver metal arm.
It had no synthetic skin, its metal framework laid bare. But the most exaggerated part was his hand, which wasn’t even shaped like a human’s.
Instead, it had been crafted into an eagle’s claw.
The surface was meticulously engraved with scale-like patterns, and each razor-sharp talon curved over an inch long, glinting coldly in the dim light.
Pei Ran glanced at it, thinking:
With a hand like that, forget holding a pen—can he even eat properly? And when he goes to the bathroom, doesn’t he worry about slicing his own ass open?
She had read through the Federation’s Bionic Prosthetics Safety Regulations two days ago.
One of the clauses clearly stated:
“No mechanical prosthetic may possess functions beyond the natural abilities of a human limb.”
No normal human limb grows an eagle’s claw. This arm was clearly illegal.
Not far from her, the floating metal sphere—W—was being carried by another thug, along with its launch module and Pei Ran’s backpack. The one carrying them was a scorpion-tattooed thug.
W followed Pei Ran’s gaze and noticed her staring at the illegal mechanical arm.
He commented, “There are a lot of gangs and underground groups in this district. These kinds of privately modified illegal prosthetics are everywhere. Some people even replace their forearms with built-in guns.”
Now, Pei Ran understood why Shige Ye and his men hadn’t paid much attention to her mechanical hand—
They had already seen far more grotesque and dangerous modifications.
The thug with the eagle-clawed mechanical arm was also curious about Pei Ran’s mechanical hand.
Since he was gripping her arm, her sleeve had been pulled up slightly, revealing a small portion of her wrist. He kept glancing at it from time to time, flexing his own eagle talons as if comparing.
Clack. Clack.
The joints in his mechanical claws made a sharp cracking sound—like the sound of someone’s fingers being forcibly bent backward.
They turned a street corner. Suddenly, the eagle-clawed thug lunged forward, raking his metal talons against the wall of a nearby temporary building.
His sharp hooks pierced straight into the wooden planks, sinking in effortlessly.
When he withdrew his hand, he first admired the four puncture holes left behind on the wall. Then, he turned his head—clearly expecting to see Pei Ran’s reaction.
Pei Ran wasn’t in the mood to watch his little display.
Her mind was occupied with deeper thoughts.
According to W, Shige Ye’s ability to control reality through his drawings was categorized as “Order.” Since Pei Ran’s power was similar to his, hers should also belong to the rarest category—”Order.”
The difference was, he painted, while she wrote.
Shige Ye was far more skilled in using his ability—he had just demonstrated it repeatedly, as if he didn’t even need cooldown intervals.
But his so-called mastery wasn’t as refined as it seemed.
If Pei Ran’s power allowed her to manifest objects through written words, bringing something into existence from nothing—then theoretically, Shige Ye should also be able to create solid entities through his drawings.
For example, a vintage car.
Yet he was still running around stealing other people’s cars.
This meant that despite his abilities, he still had limitations.
If he could truly create reality out of drawings, he wouldn’t have to struggle with unlocking W’s internal weapon codes, nor would he be stuck in a wheelchair, unable to repair his own legs.
Most importantly, if his power had no limits, he wouldn’t need to force that mother and daughter out of the car—he could have simply drawn a new one.
His power was still crude. His control wasn’t much better than hers.
The tiny scrap of “created” medicine box Pei Ran had made last night was still tucked inside her pocket.
In myths, gods created all things, which is why they were called Creators.
To create something from nothing—this was the highest, most absolute power.
Pei Ran could feel the faint, slumbering green glow inside her.
Perhaps because of the comparison with Shige Ye, for the first time, she felt a true sense of ambition toward her own ability.
The street was eerily silent, except for the sound of their footsteps, the slow whirr of wheelchair wheels, and the steady hum of small forklifts rolling across the pavement.
Pei Ran spoke to W in her mind.
“I wonder when this psycho plans to let me recover.”
W was quiet for a moment before responding.
“Pei Ran, I don’t think he intends to kill you. In fact, he deliberately made you like this. He might have ulterior motives. Be careful. I’ll do my best to help you.”
This time, his voice lacked the usual detached, robotic tone.
There was actually a trace of concern.
Pei Ran understood exactly what he meant.
She smirked. “You’re an AI, and you actually understand what ‘ulterior motives’ means?”
“Of course.” W’s voice was indifferent. “The number of criminal case files I’ve reviewed exceeds that of any human security officer in the Federation. I am well aware of how little restraint human males can have when driven by reproductive urges.”
Pei Ran pondered for a moment.
“I actually don’t think Shige Ye is after that. He seems to have another goal in mind. Want to bet on it?”
“Alright. I’ll bet.” W agreed readily. “If you lose, you have to fix my folding arm—I’m guessing you actually can, right? If I lose, I’ll use my bubble voice to sing for you.”
W explained, “If my folding arm gets repaired, I might be able to help you more next time we’re in a situation like this.”
Trying to trade a song for a fully functional mechanical limb—his calculations were practically slapping Pei Ran in the face.
Pei Ran smirked. “We’ll see how you perform first.”
The group weaved through the streets and finally stopped in front of a pair of heavy black double doors.
Someone inside pulled them open, allowing Shige Ye and his men to enter.
Inside was a small courtyard, with a row of vintage cars lined up.
The vehicles varied in age, color, and model. Several people were checking each one—probably sorting through their latest stolen loot.
Pei Ran’s gaze swept over the cars.
W also took a quick look. “What are you looking at?”
Pei Ran replied, “Deciding which one I want.”
W went silent for a moment.
She really looked like she was shopping at a dealership, overwhelmed by choices. Too many options—almost paralyzed by indecision.
W decided to play along with their misery. “If you don’t have a strong color preference, I’d recommend that red Volettete Shadow. It’s a sixty-year-old model, fully electric, manual drive.”
Pei Ran: “Why? That white one next to it looks newer.”
W’s tone suddenly became like a secondhand car salesman, his customer service exceptional, patiently explaining:
“Because I ran the plates on the red Volette Shadow and found out it belonged to a wealthy businessman from White Harbor named Chen Xiaohan. His hobby was collecting expensive vintage cars. He even had an entire underground garage dedicated to them. His collection was always professionally maintained, so the car’s condition should be excellent. And considering the current situation, any car that made it onto the streets is likely one of the best in his collection.”
For this car to end up here, that meant Chen Xiaohan was probably dead.
W continued, “Also, I just zoomed in on the dashboard—the battery is nearly full, it starts with a key, and the key is still in the ignition.”
Perfect.
Pei Ran made her decision. “Alright. That’s the one.”
Her tone sounded as if she had just placed a deposit on the spot.
The group moved past the row of vintage cars, heading deeper into the courtyard.
Further inside, a row of makeshift buildings had been haphazardly constructed. Like the buildings outside, they were stacked cargo containers, painted black and arranged in two layers, connected by simple metal staircases.
The eagle-clawed thug kept a tight grip on Pei Ran’s arm, dragging her along until they reached a room on the first floor. He kicked the door open.
Inside, the room looked more like a storage space.
Stacks of random crates were piled up haphazardly. Dust covered everything— the floor, the boxes, even the walls.
The originally black-painted walls had been carelessly brushed over with white paint, but the rough strokes left gaps where the black base still showed through.
Two windows faced the courtyard, offering a clear view outside.
After dragging Pei Ran all the way here, the eagle-clawed thug was clearly fed up.
Now that they had arrived, he finally had the chance to get rid of her.
With zero hesitation, he shoved her forward and let go.
Pei Ran’s legs were still weak—she had no strength to support herself. The sudden shove sent her crashing face-first onto the dust-covered floor.
The eagle-clawed thug didn’t care about her. He simply slammed the door shut, and outside, there was a rattling sound—he was locking it.
Pei Ran waited until his footsteps faded before attempting to get up.
Her arms felt slightly better—there was at least some strength returning. But her legs were still uselessly weak—she couldn’t stand at all.
Shige Ye’s manga had written her state into reality:
“The stiffness finally faded, but having just suffered an attack, the body remained weak and powerless.”
Just like he had written “After cooling down for a while, the engine returned to normal” in the case of the forklift, his words always followed a logical sequence, as if they were real-world effects, not magic tricks.
Since her “body had just recovered from an episode,” she lacked strength.
Which meant, given enough time, her limbs should naturally regain their normal function.
But how long would that take?
The fastest way to recover would be for Shige Ye to draw another correction, but of course, he wouldn’t do that.
In fact, he might not even wait for her to recover before writing another new effect to keep her weak.
Since she couldn’t stand, Pei Ran crawled slowly across the floor, dragging herself toward the wall.
It took an exhausting effort to move less than two meters. When she finally leaned against the wall, she gasped for breath.
Just this short distance had left her dizzy, vision swimming, and heart pounding rapidly.
The green light inside her body remained completely silent—no matter how much she called for it, it refused to respond.
She clenched her fist, released it, then clenched again—over and over, trying to speed up the recovery process.
At the same time, she listened carefully to the sounds outside the courtyard.
There were footsteps on the metal staircase.
More than one person.
Likely, the ones checking the stolen cars had finished and were now heading upstairs.
Pei Ran called out in her mind:
“W, where did they take you?”
W had mentioned before that his communication range was far beyond what she could imagine.
Sure enough, even though his physical body wasn’t here, his voice still sounded right next to her ear:
“They brought me to the second floor. Third room from the left, facing the courtyard. I’m on a table. My launch module and your backpack are also here.”
He knew exactly what she cared about most—the medicine.
W continued:
“I just saw someone carrying food. Looks like they’re having lunch.”
Shige Ye had mentioned earlier that they’d set out after lunch.
Who knew how long that meal would last?
Not long after, footsteps sounded again outside.
The door suddenly swung open.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure filled the doorway—the scorpion-tattooed thug.
He wasn’t here to bring food.
His hands were empty, and he stood partially turned, using his body to block the entrance.
Then, from behind him—
Shige Ye rolled in.
Seated in his wheelchair.
Shige Ye’s face was pale, as if he were truly exhausted. He leaned back against his wheelchair, his shoulder-length hair falling loosely over one side. However, his posture remained as elegant and composed as ever.
Resting on his lap was his open black leather sketchbook, and his mechanical pen was still in his hand. This was his weapon. He probably never let it out of his sight.
He cast a glance at Pei Ran, who was sitting on the floor, then typed a message on his wristband’s virtual screen and showed it to Scorpion-Tattooed Man:
【Go eat first. Come back later.】
The Scorpion-Tattooed Man bowed respectfully, then stepped out, closing the door behind him.
Now, the room contained only two people.
Shige Ye.
And Pei Ran.
Pei Ran stared at him in silence.
Her wary gaze amused Shige Ye. The corner of his lips curved slightly as he maneuvered his wheelchair closer, stopping right in front of her.
He enlarged the virtual screen and typed:
【Scared? Guess why I brought you along?】
Pei Ran: Because you’re a fucking psychopath?
The complete English translation of [Level One Silence] is now available on my Ko-fi!
If you’ve been following the updates or waiting to binge-read it all in one go—now’s your chance 🥰
Thank you so much for all your support along the way 💖 Happy reading! 🫶📖
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