Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 117: When Kings Meet

Facing the request for peace talks from the new leader, the synthetic humans agreed quite readily. Considering that Y City was still in the process of recovery, the humans first dispatched a team of medical experts to the synthetic humans as a gesture of goodwill.

Apart from external personnel like Ai Xiaoxiao, the medical team consisted mainly of synthetic human doctors from the border outpost, which didn’t hinder the post-disaster reconstruction of Y City. The United Government didn’t throw obstacles in Zhu Yanchen’s way—in fact, no one dared to obstruct Zhu Yanchen now.

During peacetime, this person had abandoned a comfortable life and personally engaged in highly lethal research on the erosion substance. Now, while the chaos in the city hadn’t yet subsided, this person promptly launched a coup d’état, killing his own father and directly obtaining the leadership of the United Government.

The elders of the three major families also wanted to make a fuss in this murder case, but unfortunately, according to regulations, the leader of the United Government did have special authority for execution during special circumstances. When Zhu Sheng was killed, there was not a single confidant in the room. The conversation between father and son was not facing the camera, making it difficult to discern the content. In the end, with no one making waves, everyone could only listen quietly to Zhu Yanchen’s instructions.

Xia Liang vividly recounted these events, and Ai Xiaoxiao’s ears were almost deafened by her.

“Why did you follow along?” Ai Xiaoxiao rubbed her ears in frustration.

“After all, he’s quite famous.” Xia Liang innocently blinked her eyes. “I have a performance to attend, so this is also the humans’ sincerity, right?”

“…Why do I feel like it’s more like escapism?” Ai Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes.

“You’re being too harsh! Zhu Yanchen will definitely reorganize the Xia family. It’s awkward for me, so it’s better if I’m not present.” Xia Liang shrugged her nose, trying to put on a cute expression, but the girl opposite her wasn’t buying it.

“We’re not here to have fun. Just stay put and don’t cause trouble.”

“At least I’ve made some contributions during the war…”

“Well, your command was good. Truly impressive,” Ai Xiaoxiao sarcastically interrupted, lacking sincerity. “At that time, we were busy saving people and didn’t get to witness your heroic appearance.”

Saying that, she half-leaned on the reclining chair, about to close her eyes for a nap.

“Tsk. I don’t believe it. You must have some gossip you want to hear!” Xia Liang’s voice sharpened, filled with pent-up frustration.

Unable to bear it any longer, Ai Xiaoxiao sat up straight, sighed for a moment, and took out a coffee-flavored lollipop, carefully unwrapping the candy wrapper. “…How is Yi Ning doing?”

Xia Liang’s expression froze for a few seconds. “Ah, him…you know, right? His right eye couldn’t be saved, and his right arm is also crippled. He’ll have to use a prosthetic for the rest of his life.”

“I know about that.”

“I heard that he wanted to go to the synthetic humans’ side but was refused by Zhu Yanchen, who said he hadn’t fully recovered… I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

“…Who knows.” Ai Xiaoxiao looked up at the sky above.

This time, Xia Liang couldn’t help but roll her eyes. This conversation was a disaster. Despite just starting to develop some favorable impressions of Ai Xiaoxiao, her enthusiasm was about to be chilled by the other person. “Fine, tell me. The weather seems to have improved recently? Do you know what’s going on?”

“It has improved a bit.”

These days, the erosion substance around the city was gradually dissipating. The city had suffered heavy losses, and Zhu Yanchen hadn’t had time to clean up the erosion yet. However, the erosion was spontaneously retreating and flowing towards the outskirts.

The new Sigma inherited the information from the previous one, but its mind seemed to be lacking something. Compared to the previous one, Monday was much lazier, and there was a vast difference in logical thinking. It clearly didn’t intend to fully adopt its predecessor’s understanding.

“Monday has a very simple mind. To give an analogy, you can’t make a dog spontaneously understand philosophical works.”

“But the previous Sigma wasn’t intelligent either, right? The information is the same.” Xia Liang sympathized with Monday for a few seconds.

“The previous Sigma was born and grew from the death and hatred of the synthetic humans. It had a natural sensitivity and affinity for ‘hatred’… Well, how should I put it, the original Sigma was like a ‘participant in the events’. Do you understand?”

“…I guess.”

“But Monday is different. It was born naturally. And after acquiring consciousness, it was pampered by certain people. The information transmitted by Sigma hasn’t changed, but Monday now has its own thoughts and stance. It’s more like an ‘observer of the events’ and won’t be so stubborn. The land environment was never suitable for the growth of the Erosion Swamp. These substances are spontaneously leaving, probably in response to Monday’s call… The damp, dark, and high-pressure underwater environment is more suitable for them.”

“Sigma…”

“The original Sigma followed its instincts to come to the seaside, and reason told it that hatred is advantageous for survival. It wanted to eliminate humans as a threat and then settle peacefully underwater.”

“Wait, wait. So, if humans hadn’t developed synthetic humans in the first place…”

“In less than two hundred years, the erosion would have dispersed on its own.”

“…”

“The farce of two hundred years is finally over.” Ai Xiaoxiao still looked at the sky. “Be happy. Our generation might be able to see the blue sky.”

The thick clouds gradually thinned, bringing more brightness to the sky and the earth.

…However, it couldn’t make someone’s mood any better.

Yi Ning stood near the central square, with the bandage on his right eye already removed. His pupil had turned into a murky gray, almost blending with the eyeball itself, and there were scars around the eye socket caused by erosion. His right side was more seriously injured, still wrapped in numerous bandages, making him look somewhat bloated. The sleeve on his right arm hung empty, fluttering in the wind.

He stood in silence at the spot where Luo Duan had died. Luo Duan had completely transformed into a shower of erosion, and even if there were witnesses, they could only point out a rough location.

Yi Ning’s right cheek was covered in scars, and he wore a face mask. People coming and going were busy with post-disaster reconstruction, and no one noticed him.

Except for a certain professional slacker.

“Why are you here? Ah, I’m Xia Yufeng, who assisted Zhu Yanchen a while ago.” Xia Yufeng wiped his nose.

He still wore his disguise and calculated how to ask Zhu Yanchen for some cooperation fees. In the end, he had helped in some way, so he deserved some money. After all, he had saved quite a few people from the settlements!

Thinking about it, Xia Yufeng felt particularly satisfied, wishing he could puff his chest even higher. Perhaps he was a genius like Zhu Yanchen, but he excelled at discerning people’s identities and reading their expressions. Yi Ning was still a marshal, so it wouldn’t hurt to build a good relationship.

“I once sheltered him for a while.” Yi Ning glanced at Xia Yufeng and said calmly.

“Him?”

“Luo Duan. For a period of time, I hid him in the command center. To put it bluntly, I believed he was involved in the synthetic humans’ rebellion and had some utilitarian value. But to tell you the truth, he had helped me a lot before, and we were superiors and subordinates for many years. I thought I understood him… I thought we were friends to some extent.”

Xia Yufeng took a controlled breath.

“When the conflict erupted, I believed that it was Shu Jun’s doing. Luo Duan was old enough and had a stable personality, so it was impossible for him to be involved in such things… Even if he knew the truth, his fiancée had died a long time ago. They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, so he wouldn’t have strong emotions. After all, such things are not uncommon among synthetic humans… Was I being self-righteous?”

‘I shouldn’t have talked to him,’ Xia Yufeng thought sorrowfully. This topic was too heavy, and he didn’t know how to respond.

“I became soft-hearted towards him, even fantasizing that we could have a good collaboration.” Yi Ning spoke slowly, touching the empty sleeve. “How should I put it? I bear half the responsibility for this war.”

“You’re being too harsh on yourself. It’s just that Luo Duan was too cunning. No one could have done anything about it.”

“I almost became the leader. ‘Not noticing’ is negligence, ‘misjudgment’ is a sin… I think the reason why Zhu Sheng chose death was also for this reason. We are guilty.”

“Oh, no one would blame you for that. You performed exceptionally well in this war, and everyone was moved…”

“Is that so?” Yi Ning asked quietly.

“Of course! Luo Duan went crazy, and the way he went mad, anyone would…”

“Zhu Yanchen couldn’t perceive it either?”

Xia Yufeng choked for a moment and couldn’t continue. Yi Ning smiled.

“I don’t care about people’s evaluations. I just regret… Why couldn’t I have discovered it earlier? As Luo Duan’s superior, if I had understood him as an individual or joined forces with Zhu Yanchen earlier, could this war have been avoided? If I had played a bigger role, would the number of casualties have been lower?”

“Just being pushed into this position as a figurehead for the Tang family, I thought my behavior was already correct. Isn’t it ironic?”

Xia Yufeng searched his mind but couldn’t find comforting words. Yi Ning was stating facts, and he could tell.

But what could he say? No one can condemn you?

Seeing Xia Yufeng fall into silence, Yi Ning didn’t continue speaking. He just stared deeply at the square after the erosion rain, his gaze sweeping over the mottled marks on the cobblestones, as if he wanted to engrave them in his mind.

Finally, he lifted his head and looked at the cloud-filled sky.

“The clouds are dispersing,” he said. “It’s nice.”

“Yeah, you…” Xia Yufeng hurriedly seized onto this relatively positive statement, but before he could finish, Yi Ning took something out of his pocket—

It was a small bottle filled with dark, viscous liquid, with a sample label from the command center. Yi Ning swiftly opened the cap and poured it onto his remaining left eye. Xia Yufeng was so frightened that he froze in place, unable to even extend his hand.

The erosion substance made a hissing sound as it made contact with the eyeball. Yi Ning covered his eye, bending over in pain, his face turning red—yet he didn’t utter a word.

Yi Ning silently crouched there for more than ten minutes. When he raised his head again, his left eye was in a similar condition to his right eye. The pupil became opaque, turning into a murky grayish-blue color.

“I’m going to trouble you next, Mr. Xia,” Yi Ning said softly, extending a hand. “Can you take me to the command center?”

“Please, please, please don’t do something reckless!”

“No, I still have a lot to learn and a lot of work to do.” Yi Ning wiped off the erosion from his face, unconcerned. “I just want to remember these few days forever. Memories will fade when I see too many clear skies in the future.”

Xia Yufeng stared blankly at the person in front of him, suddenly losing his enthusiasm for self-promotion.

“I understand,” he said softly. “I’ll take you back.”

The reconstruction of Y City took a full month.

As the new leader, Zhu Yanchen nearly drained the resources of the three major families. Fortunately, after a month, the square regained its tidy appearance. The houses weren’t yet fully built, but the outskirts of the city were filled with sturdy temporary structures. About half of the war wounded had recovered, and many people returned to their homes.

In terms of food, the military hunted a large number of mutant beasts in the surrounding areas, processing them with suppression and purification devices to produce protein bars for the population. Vitamins were supplied through medication, and combined with the government’s food reserves, there was no famine.

Most importantly, the clouds that had lingered for two hundred years finally dispersed by more than half. The translucent blue sky appeared, and the sunlight painted the gray ruins with a warm golden hue. As the erosion receded, verdant shoots emerged from the wreckage. With hope in sight, few people complained about the post-disaster living conditions; they were even more motivated than before the disaster.

Hope was more effective than anything else.

However, when the synthetic humans entered the city, the atmosphere became noticeably tense. The wounds of war weren’t as painful anymore, but they were still glaringly open. Whether it was Zhang Duan or Luo Duan causing the trouble, it was the synthetic humans who were seen as the culprits, and that was undeniably true to the public.

Shu Jun spent a month in the synthetic humans’ territory and his complexion improved significantly. He still wore the uniform made of erosion, with his gray-white hair and eyes exposed without any concern for the whispers of the residents of Y City.

The reconciliation negotiations were broadcast live in their entirety.

“Oh, is that who I think it is?” Uncle Pan almost dropped the cup in his hand, muttering to himself. “Gray Claw is so impressive? What about Smoke? Oh no, could it be…”

With lingering fear, he glanced at Zhu Yanchen’s figure, then at the nameplate of the current leader, and decisively decided to play dumb.

“Gray Claw? He’s quite formidable.” Uncle Xiong was sitting at the counter, drinking, completely unaware of his brother’s mental activity. “But, to say… the new leader’s explanation of the war is too straightforward, isn’t it? Even if it’s humanity’s fault, we still need some face, right?”

“Hey, believe it or not, there are still people who refuse to believe it, even when it’s put in front of them like this.” Uncle Xiong started wiping the glasses again, making a squeaking sound against the glass. “But at least the situation has improved a bit. Smoke… Young Master Zhu is quite impressive, with the elite of Y City supporting him. They shouldn’t cause too much trouble.”

“They’re still considered elites.” Uncle Xiong snorted. “We have medicine now, and the erosion has receded. The erosion zone is buried with a lot of treasures that won’t be fully excavated for ten or twenty years. In a few more months, we’ll be able to dig all the way to the seaside. Brother, you need to expand the inn. The number of guests will surely increase. If we act early, we might even become richer than those people in Y City—now they’re begging me to go to Y City, but I won’t!”

“Why are you so smug? Tone it down.”

“Boss, give me some pancakes with a side of sauce!” The person on the other side of the counter hiccupped. “And also, cut me another plate of meat. I just finished running the goods. Money is not an issue!”

“Alright!” Uncle Pan put down the cup and had a big smile on his face.

“Oh my goodness.”

The customer who ordered the pancake was also watching the live broadcast of the reconciliation meeting. When he saw the compensation agreement part, he suddenly became sober.

“This is too exaggerated, right? We didn’t benefit much from it, so why should we compensate so much? Compensation for goods and people, and lifetime guarantees?! No, this Zhu guy is just a bully, acting tough on the inside but too soft on the outside, isn’t he?”

“Well, it’s the United Government who’s paying.”

Uncle Xiong was still considering his money-making plans, not concerned at all.

“Taking care of thirty thousand people until they die of old age isn’t that exaggerated. The synthetic humans already said it, right? They won’t live with humans anymore. They want to claim a piece of land in the ruins of X City. How we lived before is how we’ll live in the future; no impact.”

“That’s what they say… Tss, they even got the hibernation pods?”

“Why do you care? Have you used them?”

“They look valuable, so I can’t care about them? How much could one of them be sold for? If you ever come across one, don’t dig it up. Leave it for me—”

“You wish.”

“I’m just not comfortable with it! Even if it was humanity’s fault for the situation with the synthetic humans, looking at this war alone, they didn’t suffer much damage, did they? So many ordinary people died in Y City. Even Zhu Lao himself died. It seems like humanity is the one who suffered more. The synthetic humans are taking advantage of the situation…”

“Shh, shh! It’s better to be polite before resorting to force. Humanity is raising objections! Be quiet and listen!”

On the screen, Zhu Yanchen intertwined his fingers with an expressionless face. “…The above is the compensation proposal we put forward, but this proposal comes with a condition.”

“Please.” Shu Jun sat with a somewhat slouched posture, looking a bit like a troublemaker.

“There is currently a large amount of erosion seeping into the seabed, and we have discovered traces of the new Sigma. Based on its actions, it still intends to return inland. It used to obey the synthetic humans, and we must consider the risks involved.”

“I raised Monday, that’s right.” Shu Jun smiled like a sated fox. “So?”

“As a precondition for compensation, both sides need to maintain a balance of power. With you and Sigma, humans are at a clear disadvantage.” Zhu Yanchen’s blank expression fluctuated slightly, revealing a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Beside Zhu Yanchen, representatives from the three major families let out a collective sigh of relief, showing expressions of approval and reassurance.

“Speak your mind, Mr. Zhu.” Shu Jun spoke slowly, his smile deepening.

Zhu Yanchen made a gesture, and a glass container resembling a coffin appeared on the screen in the conference room.

“Our proposal is to construct a ‘hibernation chamber’. We have developed devices that can keep the erosion in a prolonged state of dormancy. We hope that you will enter it and go into a state of deep sleep. The entrance keys to the hibernation chambers will be divided into two, with one held by humans and the other by synthetic humans.”

“Surname Zhu, you fucking—!” Hu Yan stood up abruptly, his neck veins bulging with anger. He seemed eager to rush out and beat Zhu Yanchen, but he was reluctantly held back by two synthetic humans beside him.

“If you are willing to do this, we agree to allow you to retain control over Sigma and faithfully fulfill the previous compensation agreement.”

“We are only thirty thousand people, and Monday is just something that eats without doing anything. Zhu Yanchen, you’ve gone too far in bullying us!” Hu Yan gritted his teeth.

Meanwhile, at Uncle Pan’s inn.

“…I’m starting to sympathize with the synthetic humans.” The customer who ordered the pancake took a sharp breath and took a bite of it. “The Zhu family is still the Zhu family, but this is too ruthless. Going directly for their leader?”

“It’s a situation that couldn’t be helped. Did you see that black wolf that day? It was incredibly strong. If he hadn’t gone after Shu Jun, the three major families would have found an opportunity to overthrow him sooner or later. Not to mention the three major families, wouldn’t you be afraid if you were in his shoes?”

“That’s true… Haa, the synthetic humans have no choice but to agree. But, no matter how you look at it, it’s too much, you know? It’s clearly a feeling of being bullied. They did save us, after all…”

“Haa…”

The smile on Shu Jun’s face froze for a few seconds as he stared deeply at Zhu Yanchen, not saying a word for a while.

“A’Yan.” When Shu Jun spoke again, he changed the topic while maintaining his casual posture. “When Blackbirds and Groundwater had their final match, do you know what I was thinking the moment I jumped into the Erosion Swamp?”

Zhu Yanchen remained silent.

“At that moment, I thought, we’ve known each other for so long, and I haven’t even seen your face… After the competition, I wanted to meet you, and have a nice meal together. If you were similar to what I imagined, and if you didn’t have a partner, I wanted to confess my feelings to you.”

The customer who ordered the pancake almost choked on it, coughing violently and nearly falling off his chair.

“What the fuck is going on here?” After catching his breath, he almost shouted. “What’s the relationship between those two? Our leader and the other side…are they in that kind of relationship?”

This time, Uncle Xiong didn’t have time to pay attention to him. With one hand holding the wine bottle at an angle, he stared at the screen without blinking, unaware that the alcohol was overflowing from his glass.

“Before I knew who you were, I already liked you a bit.” Shu Jun stood up, leaning on the edge of the table, still wearing a smile on his face. “Although this isn’t a restaurant and the environment is relatively formal…listen carefully, I still like you.”

Zhu Yanchen’s expression became extremely complex for a moment.

“I feel the same way,” he softly responded after a while.

“That’s all I wanted to say.” Shu Jun sat back in his chair. “Your conditions are good, and I agree. Also, I will make sure Hu Yan and the others train Monday well, so you don’t have to worry.”

“Captain—!”

“Lao Hu, humans won’t be at a disadvantage. Didn’t you already know that?”

With Shu Jun suddenly making this move, no one had the mood for further discussion. Not only the attendees on the human side, but even the representatives from the synthetic humans were all in a daze. Only Shu Jun, the directly involved party, remained composed, wearing a smile as if nothing had happened.

The humans fulfilled their promise. Under close supervision, Shu Jun stayed for three days, watching the representatives of the synthetic humans depart. Afterwards, he was carefully escorted into the hibernation chamber and laid down in the glass container without uttering a word.

Only when he closed his eyes did a faint smile remain on his face. The footage from the hibernation chamber was also being played in real-time for the high-level officials of both sides to observe.

In the partially reconstructed X City.

“Damn it!” Hu Yan looked at Shu Jun sleeping in the glass container and pounded the table with force. “Zhu Yanchen is really a bastard, so this is where he set the trap…couldn’t he just keep Monday as a hostage? Can’t he show a bit of gratitude? Our captain, he—”

“So what?” a cheerful voice interrupted.

“So what?!” Hu Yan angrily exclaimed, then realized that something was off—the voice that asked the question seemed somewhat familiar.

“Oh, A’Yan almost drove me crazy,” Shu Jun said, holding a large bag of egg cakes with half of one stuffed in his mouth. “Those lines we discussed before didn’t have all that. The atmosphere was too good, and I couldn’t resist.”

Hu Yan: “…………”

Hu Yan glanced at the screen showing the hibernation chamber, then looked at Shu Jun, and then looked back at the screen.

“Don’t keep looking, Lao Hu. I’m afraid you’ll twist your neck off. Here, take this. It’s a specialty I brought from Y City. It’s delicious.” Shu Jun placed the bag of egg cakes on the table and stretched lazily. “There’s no way I would leave you guys unattended. Look, the captain of the Blackbirds is still trembling. How can you take over so many people all at once? I haven’t had enough of being captain, so how could I let you take advantage of me first?”

“Captain…”

“Considering that I’m officially in ‘hibernation’, I’ll have to hang it over your head for now. Don’t worry about it.”

“Captain!”

“Yes?”

“…Did you even deceive your own people?!”

“The people of the three major families are all smart. I can still pretend to be mysterious when I’m alone, but if all of you knew, it would be too easy to slip up. Forget about it, just to keep it from them, A’Yan practiced with me for three days and nights.” Shu Jun touched his face, still feeling a lingering fear. “My face hurt from all the smiling, haa.”

Hu Yan’s eyes were red. He sniffled, stood there feeling helpless for a while, and tremblingly took a small cake.

“I’m sorry.” Seeing that Hu Yan was about to cry, Shu Jun stopped joking around and honestly lowered his head. “Considering the pressure from the three major families and the attitudes of the human population, we believe this is the best course of action. Also, don’t spread the fact that I’m still active outside… I imagine many people here wouldn’t be able to accept the fact that I’m a large-scale Erosion Swamp.”

“Never mind, later you have to let me beat you up properly.” Hu Yan took a bite of the cake, trying his best to hide the choked-up sound in his voice. “What about the one inside the hibernation chamber?”

“It’s a shell made of erosion using the ability of the Mirror Erosion Swamp,” Shu Jun quickly explained. “Stop sobbing, ah.”

“Captain.”

“Hmm?”

“Your public confession wasn’t just for the sake of confessing, right?”

“Huh?”

“Are you afraid that Zhu Yanchen’s age will cause humans to have doubts? You’re urging him to make you the First Lady or something.” Hu Yan chewed the cake and glanced sideways at Shu Jun. “By making such a scene, I bet no one dares to bring up that topic. You wish to have Smoke remain single his whole life, and ensure the humans understand it—being overshadowed by the head of the Erosion Swamp, if someone wants to pursue him, they’d better think twice.”

“Oh, why are you being so blunt?” Shu Jun stuffed the cake into Hu Yan’s mouth, pretending to be coy and shy. “After all, he’s mine, so of course, no one else is allowed to have thoughts about him.”

Hu Yan couldn’t bear to look at him and turned his head away.

“Don’t we have a reunion hug?”

“Get lost!”

“Alright, alright, I’m leaving.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Hu Yan wiped his eyes and quickly swallowed the cake in his mouth.

“A date!” Shu Jun crouched on the windowsill. “I just came back to explain it to you so you wouldn’t be heartbroken. Remember to tell the Blackbirds few cadres not to get emotional.”

“…Didn’t you just come back from Y City?”

“I’m going to pick up Monday! That troublesome thing is still craving for erosion candy and crawled back on its own. If it runs to Y City, it will cause chaos again. A’Yan has been busy lately, and he finally found an excuse to slip out. It’s not easy for us either.”

Shu Jun smiled brightly.

“I’m not very good at managing a city. I have to learn more from him in this aspect, and also…”

“Go, go, go. Get out of here quickly.” Hu Yan waved his hand in despair. “Don’t show off here. It’s infuriating.”

Shu Jun adjusted his uniform hat made of erosion and waved to Hu Yan. He leaped off the windowsill and quickly disappeared into the night sky.

Hu Yan walked to the window, intending to close it. However, when his hand reached halfway, he slowed down.

The dark clouds hadn’t completely dispersed, covering most of the sky. But above the dispersed portion of the sky, the stars twinkled, and the moonlight was exceptionally gentle.

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The author has something to say:

One is in the light, and the other is in the dark XD

Marshal: Why do you like improvising so much, why?

Shu Ge: Just coming out of the closet.jpg

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Kinky Thoughts:

The title of this chapter (王见王) is an idiom referring to a situation where two highly skilled or powerful individuals encounter each other, often resulting in a confrontation or competition to determine the superior one.

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