After they brought up Pei Guangji, Zuo Yongyan began pretending to be deaf and mute. After all, due to his comparatively less prominent family background, he had always held a lower position in this childhood friendship group. No matter how the heirs of the three major conglomerates fought among themselves, it wasn’t something he could get involved in.
He also wouldn’t show any sign of being closer to Pei, Xi, or Qiu. If anyone thought the Zuo family was choosing sides, it wouldn’t be surprising if the other two families ganged up on them and set traps for the Zuo family.
Realizing that the conversation between Xi Zhengqing and Qiu Yuan had reached a pause and neither of them seemed interested in continuing the discussion about the aircraft accident…
Zuo Yongyan lightened the mood and said, “What cat? Pei-ge is keeping a cat now? What breed?”
Xi Zhengqing replied casually, “White. Don’t know. That cat likes raising dogs.”
The collar was still on his aircraft.
Zuo Yongyan: ???
‘A cat likes raising dogs?’
‘Are you speaking Chinese?’
Zuo Yongyan chuckled awkwardly, “That cat’s hobbies are quite unique.”
Remembering something, he asked Xi Zhengqing again, “Didn’t you say before that Pei-ge was raising someone? Xi-ge, did you see the person? Was it at that villa address?”
Xi Zhengqing shook his head. Light golden liquor trickled slowly down the wall of the glass, gradually filling it.
He replied without a change in expression, “I didn’t see him.”
Zuo Yongyan: “That’s really strange… He sent a message to our group chat just to entrust a cat?”
That didn’t seem like something Pei Guangji would do.
Of course, secretly keeping a canary would be even more out of character for Pei Guangji.
Zuo Yongyan couldn’t tell which of the two scenarios was more absurd.
Qiu Yuan: “What the hell? What are you guys even talking about?”
Qiu Yuan: “When I was in District Thirteen, Pei Guangji’s life was this rich and exciting?”
Xi Zhengqing replied coldly, “You crawling around District Thirteen must’ve been quite exciting too.”
Zuo Yongyan was afraid the two would start arguing.
Due to their vastly different personalities and incompatible values, Xi Zhengqing and Qiu Yuan had the most fragile relationship in this so-called childhood friendship circle.
Besides, Qiu Yuan wasn’t someone who had strictly grown up with the three of them.
The three of them had started mingling under the guidance of their elders back when they were still babbling toddlers, but Qiu Yuan…
Was a latecomer who had replaced the original heir of the Qiu family. They only started interacting during middle school.
The original heir of the Qiu family had been Qiu Yuan’s elder brother, Qiu Jing. Though they were the same generation, Qiu Jing was a few years older and not very close to them, though not exactly distant either.
Back then, the Qiu family’s Prometheus Lab suffered a major incident. An experimental subject rebelled and escaped, and Qiu Jing died in the fire.
Only then did Qiu Yuan have the opportunity to inherit the position by succession.
But Qiu Yuan clearly had no interest in inheriting the Qiu family. He had the eccentric madness of an artist, not the aura of a rich young master. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have roamed from the core zone to various places, frequently visited the chaotic District Thirteen and angered Madam Qiu so much she was sent to the hospital.
Zuo Yongyan asked curiously, “Qiu-ge, didn’t you say you were going on a field trip? During these past few months in District Thirteen, did you discover anything special?”
Qiu Yuan glanced at Zuo Yongyan and Xi Zhengqing through his sunglasses.
Behind the pitch-black lenses, his eyes were a deep sea-like expanse of dark blue and black, boundless and profound.
“There wasn’t anything particularly special in District Thirteenth. That place is no different from hell. You can imagine it…crime is as common as eating or drinking. People die on the streets every minute. Both the public security system and the transportation system are paralyzed. Even in the urban area, the traffic lights are wrapped in climbing vines, and the asphalt roads beneath your feet are fractured and broken. Overhead, the atmosphere is densely packed with dust and ashes.”
Although what he said was harsh, Qiu Yuan shrugged indifferently.
“The suburbs have turned into fields of radioactive glass, completely taken over by mutant species. I guess it won’t be long before the urban area of District Thirteenth becomes a mutant paradise.”
Compared to the brutality of District Thirteenth, something else interested him more.
Qiu Yuan asked, “I heard when I came back that Cook was assassinated by a mutant species and was already dead when they found him?”
Cook’s father held an important position in the Federation Security Bureau and had previously proposed mobilizing military forces to carry out a full-scale extermination plan against mutant species.
Zuo Yongyan: “Yeah. The incident made the front page of our “Federal Times”.”
The Zuo family was a media giant. “Federal Times’ had already been acquired by them in the early years.
Zuo Yongyan recalled, “Cook went to District Six before that, but his body was found in District One. He was probably targeted by the mutant species a long time ago.”
Qiu Yuan raised his brows. “What about that mutant? Did they catch it?”
Zuo Yongyan: They caught one, but the forensic doctor said the wounds didn’t match the fatal injuries. Still, to reassure the public, the official statement claimed the real culprit had been apprehended.”
Qiu Yuan leaned back against the chair, leisurely saying, “In any case, mutant species can’t enter the Core Zone. We don’t really have to worry, right?”
Human physiology was drastically different from that of mutant species. They couldn’t pass through the layers upon layers of verification systems in the Core Zone.
Zuo Yongyan thought of how all the military factories under the Qiu family were now mass-producing high-lethality weapons against the mutant species, so he nodded in agreement. “That’s right, we can rest easy.”
Qiu Yuan’s gaze drifted to the other side. Xi Zhengqing was smiling at his communicator again for some reason.
‘A white cat?’
Qiu Yuan looked thoughtful. He forwarded the address from Nancheng to a contact in his list who still had the default profile picture.
[Go check it out.]
………
When the sun rose, it was a new day again.
No matter how deep District Thirteen sank into chaos and mire, the huge tower in the Core Zone still stood tall, like a magic needle to stabilize the sea.
The hospital corridor was filled with the smell of disinfectant, and the environment spotless.
The cleanliness of the place brought Xi Zhengqing immense pleasure.
However, in comparison, he still seemed to prefer Pei Guangji’s study from the night before.
Xi Zhengqing thought of that young man again.
Looking down from above, those hands were pale and slender. While pulling the collar, he was also tugging at the nerve endings in his body, sending jolts of electricity up his spine.
Just recalling the image of Xin Hexue lying back on the desk made Xi Zhengqing feel a subtle reaction almost immediately.
After yesterday’s gathering, Xi Zhengqing had arranged a physical examination for himself.
After the inspection, there was no abnormality found, whether in the mechanical parts or the natural human body.
But he kept sinking into the memories of that night.
Like someone drowning in the sea, floating and sinking, trying to grasp anything that surfaced, but ultimately it was all in vain. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Whether his eyes were open or closed, all he saw were waves and shimmering light.
The intensive care unit had visitation restrictions.
But Xi Zhengqing hadn’t planned on going in anyway.
He just glanced at the unconscious patient inside. The ECG machine worked silently.
Xi Zhengqing smiled, mouthing something through the glass, “Good morning, Pei Guangji.”
His gray artificial eye turned pitch black after he turned around.
………
Ever since that time when the sole of his foot stung painfully when walking, Xin Hexue hadn’t been willing to let Xi Zhengqing off so easily in the following instances.
He crushed the Alpha’s thing underfoot.
Then he sat calmly on the sofa, raised his right leg leisurely and placed it on his left knee, looking at Xi Zhengqing expressionlessly. The Alpha had already reacted like a conditioned reflex.
Xin Hexue issued a command: “Handle it yourself.”
A silver chain was connected to the black leather collar, with the other in Xin Hexue’s hand.
The villa was spacious and quiet. As the Alpha moved, he couldn’t suppress his breathing and it gradually grew heavier.
Xi Zhengqing stared fixedly at Xin Hexue like a venomous snake locking onto its prey, his artificial eye filled with shadowy and chaotic lust.
The young man was locked in by the other party’s gaze, but he seemed completely unaware.
He held one end of the silver chain, while knitting a sweater for the mechanical cat “Little Dog”. As his hands moved, the knitting needles moved the yarn back and forth, pulling the chain and tightening the collar, bringing the Alpha a continuous spasm of tension.
Xin Hexue usually didn’t have much to do. During this time, he had learned how to knit sweaters from tutorials online. When it snowed, he listened to the radio and passed time with it effortlessly.
When he lowered his lashes and didn’t speak, his temperament was gentle.
Especially now, dressed in warm loungewear, quietly knitting a sweater for his pet.
No one would have thought he’d put a collar on an Alpha’s neck and casually tug the leash with varying tightness.
A shiver ran down Xi Zhengqing’s back.
Xin Hexue gave him a fleeting glance, which only made Xi Zhengqing breathe faster.
The next second, he was pounced on and thrown on the sofa by Xi Zhengqing.
Even though he was prepared, with Xin Hexue’s physical condition, there was no way he could resist the attack of an adult Alpha.
The damp breath sprayed onto Xin Hexue’s earlobe, quickly turning the fair lobe a shade of pink.
Xin Hexue turned his gaze aside. The half-finished sweater slipped to the floor, and the mechanical cat crouched beside it.
Xi Zhengqing was about to repeat his usual move. He knew exactly where Xin Hexue’s weaknesses were, and where to start to make the young man cry from pleasure.
The photos from last time had already been developed by Xi Zhengqing. And a whole wall in the darkroom was emptied, waiting to be filled.
His large hand reached for the buttons of the loungewear.
His hair was stroked and Xi Zhengqing met Xin Hexue’s eyes.
“Don’t be like this, Guangji.” Xin Hexue tried to persuade him gently.
He covered his mouth and coughed. “I’m not feeling very well.”
‘Beast!’
‘Don’t force me to let K electrocute you.’
Xin Hexue thought coldly.
Xi Zhengqing looked at him for a moment, then sat up.
He showed Xin Hexue the text he typed out, [Do you have a cold?]
Xin Hexue’s voice was softer than usual. “A little.”
He felt it was from catching a chill that night in the study when he let Xi Zhengqing mess around.
Although Xi Zhengqing was a bastard, at least he was good at that kind of thing, making him suspect the other party had secretly practiced tying knots in cherry stems with his tongue.
Xin Hexue asked K, [What’s his love value now?]
K: [Forty-five.]
It’s almost time to move on to the next step.
Lately, the dog-taming sessions were too frequent, and Xin Hexue was getting tired of this desire-driven game.
He let go of the silver chain and gently placed his hand on Xi Zhengqing’s shoulder.
His warm lips brushed against the other party’s lips.
Before today, Xin Hexue had never kissed Xi Zhengqing.
Even if it was just a fleeting touch.
Xi Zhengqing’s pupils constricted.
It was as if his dopamine secretion went out of control, instantly breaching and flooding out. The overwhelming sense of pleasure crashed into his brain so densely that he was completely unable to control his emotions and his consciousness drowned in this ocean of bliss.
Facing such an abnormal and unprecedented loss of control, Xi Zhengqing panicked.
He even wanted to speak, but remembered in time that he was still “Pei Guangji.”
Realizing this, he suddenly didn’t feel so happy anymore.
He frowned and stepped back, his tall figure standing in front of Xin Hexue.
Xin Hexue asked in concern, “Guangji, what’s wrong?”
Xi Zhengqing: [I just remembered there’s some difficult work to handle, so I need to leave first.]
He felt he needed to sort out his relationship with Xin Hexue first.
Xin Hexue walked him to the door and waved like a lucky cat. “Goodbye.”
On the way out, Xi Zhengqing received a delivery confirmation message. He explained to Xin Hexue, [That package is the latest model of bionic humanoid, replacing the previous smart butler. You can have it do anything. It has the most comprehensive functions.]
Xin Hexue: [Okay.]
Xi Zhengqing had overhauled all the robots in the villa. The one selected to be the butler was the latest product from a bionic manufacturing company, not yet released to the market.
Xin Hexue looked at the huge package placed at the door in distress and asked the delivery man, “Could you help me carry it to the living room?”
From the gate to the main part of the villa, one had to pass through the garden.
Xin Hexue clearly didn’t have the strength for that.
But for the delivery man, it wasn’t a big deal. His body had been modified, equipped with mechanical arms, and the courier company had also uniformly outfitted them with exoskeletons.
Xin Hexue handed him a cup of hot tea. “Thank you.”
While neither of them noticed, a black shadow slithered out from under the delivery man’s feet and slipped into the package.
After the delivery man left, Xin Hexue found a pair of scissors and opened the huge package.
The parameters of the bionic humanoid seemed to be based on the data of an adult Alpha. Judging from its build, this model seemed more suitable as a bodyguard than a butler.
Maybe it was intentional on Xi Zhengqing’s part…the bionic humanoid he chose had silver hair, a rare color that Xin Hexue wouldn’t mistake.
Xin Hexue looked over the bionic humanoid butler dressed in black and white formal wear.
After the initial activation, he issued the first command, “Take off your clothes.”
The butler responded without a hesitation, took off the formal wear, and stood naked in front of Xin Hexue.
Xin Hexue had never come into contact with a bionic humanoid before. In his native world, the technology tree leaned toward laser weapons and combat mechas.
He raised his hand curiously, the soft pad of his finger sliding from the shoulder down to the chest.
There was a sensation of a heartbeat.
The texture of the skin also felt very realistic.
Except at the joints. There were blue-purple lines marking the connection points, subtly indicating where parts could be swapped out so that it was easy for even beginners to replace malfunctioning limbs.
Aside from these blue-purple lines, everything else about the butler made him indistinguishable from a real person.
Xin Hexue looked down and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He told K: [It’s detachable!]
K: [……Don’t be curious.]
