Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Note: These are mini extras that the author has written on her blog. She intermittently updates them, usually on Valentine’s Day and other holidays for her CPs. The translation will be updated when the author updates her blog. You can get updates when translations are updated in my Discord server. Below is a ton of dog food.

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2023/2/14

Couple’s Pajama Party

Valentine’s Day, of course, calls for a grand pajama reveal (?

And favorite intimate acts (???

~Shu Jun~

[Loose shorts] Breathable loose black athletic shorts, made from the same synthetic material as sportswear. Mr. Shu doesn’t like wearing tops to sleep.

※ Sometimes sleeps so soundly that he might slide off the bed, leaving only a pair of shorts.

~Zhu Yanchen~

[Cotton pajama set] A pullover white pajama shirt and white pajama pants, very homely. Marshal Zhu’s first action upon waking is to check for any black on his body to see if his lover had disassembled in sleep.

[Standard boxer briefs] in gray, relatively cheap. He’s accustomed to wearing it.

※ Though it’s a pullover pajama, it can still be put on/taken off in two seconds.

Whether sleeping or taking a walk, interlocking fingers is the best! Both enjoy the sense of security this action brings. As soon as one reaches out, the other quickly appears to grasp firmly.

In fact, Zhu Yanchen’s hand is slightly larger than Shu Jun’s, which Mr. Shu refuses to admit.

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2024/1/1

Magical Summoning Abilities

New Year’s Mysterious Magic☆ Couple Summoning Technique~10 Seconds Guaranteed~ The effect is magical, comparable to spatial teleportation!

Zhu Yanchen’s magic: Frown, the kind of frowning when feeling unwell.

Magic effect: Shu Jun appears in a whoosh, claws pressing on his forehead.

※ Even if it was just a cough from choking on his spit.

Shu Jun’s magic: Send any message to Zhu Yanchen; even just a comma works.

Magic effect: As long as Marshal Zhu isn’t in a meeting at school, he will definitely call for a warm chat.

※ If in a meeting, they’ll text instead.

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2023/10/31

Got A Pumpkin

~Zhu Yanchen’s Pumpkin~

As soon as Shu Jun returned home, he was startled by the various pumpkin lamps all over the house.

Suppressing his shock, he estimated that their small house now had at least twenty grotesquely shaped jack-o’-lanterns. Zhu Yanchen was still in the kitchen, carving yet another pumpkin.

Shu Jun: “Marshal Zhu… our Halloween atmosphere is already more than enough…”

Zhu Yanchen paused. “But I want to create the perfect smile.”

Shu Jun sighed, went over to Zhu Yanchen, and kissed his nose. Zhu Yanchen was momentarily stunned, then smiled unconsciously.

“See? A perfect smile,” Shu Jun said.

※ The extra jack-o’-lanterns were made into pumpkin pies and were frozen on the second shelf of the fridge.

~Shu Jun’s Pumpkin~

Before leaving work, Shu Jun bought a bouquet of cute round pumpkins from a flower shop.

These dried flowers last a long time and were perfect for Zhu Yanchen’s study. Thinking about it, something seemed missing…

After work, he filled a vase with milk candies and then placed the pumpkin bouquet inside. Setting it right under Zhu Yanchen’s nose in the study, he wondered how long it would take for Marshal Zhu to notice the candies.

An hour, two hours? The next day?

He was anticipating his surprised expression!

…A week later, Shu Jun stormed into Zhu Yanchen’s study. In front of his lover, he took a candy from the vase, unwrapped it aggressively, and forced it into the other’s mouth.※ “I’ll definitely look inside the vase next time,” Marshal Zhu repeatedly assured. “You caught my blind spot. Well played.”

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2023/10/04

Late Mid-Autumn Festival? National Day? Short joke~(*/ω＼*)

Everyone’s Belongings

~Zhu Yanchen’s personal items~

◆ Ink-filled fountain pen and notebook: Marshal Zhu always likes to jot down miscellaneous matters and plans, as does Professor Zhu.

※ The fountain pen was a birthday gift specially picked by Shu Jun, and he has never replaced it.

◆ Supermarket shopping receipts: Even though they’re not short on money, household bills still need to be settled to his satisfaction.

※ He has mastered the list of 100 things that Shu Jun likes to eat.

◆ Bellflower tie clip: A custom-made accessory. Made of platinum and diamonds, its design is exquisite yet understated and is quite valuable.

※ This was Shu Jun’s idea, a small memento for their 100^th wedding anniversary.

~Shu Jun’s personal items~

◆ Erosion elimination spray: Specially made by Zhu Yanchen, used to eliminate evidence in certain situations (?)

※ “I’ll try to use it sparingly, I promise!” Shu Jun sincerely said.

◆ Smart bracelet disguised as a mechanical watch: Specially made by Zhu Yanchen, it can monitor Shu Jun’s health condition in all aspects.

※ “As a birthday gift, this item… well, is truly thoughtful.” Shu Jun wore it on the spot.

◆ Bellflower bracelet: A custom-made accessory. Made of platinum and diamonds, strung with a low-key black cord, worn together with the bracelet.

※ This was Zhu Yanchen’s idea, a small commemoration for their 100^th wedding anniversary.

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2023/08/22

Qixi Scheduled! Perfect to rate everyone’s culinary skills~☆

~Shu Jun’s Culinary Skills ~

Overall rating: ★★★☆

Strengths: Pretty good among ordinary people. Don’t have too high expectations for humanoid weapons.

Weaknesses: Just lacks experience, but he’s earnestly learning.

※ Marshal Zhu: “He’s too hard on himself.”

~Zhu Yanchen’s Culinary Skills~

Overall rating: ★★★

Strengths: Given an accurate recipe, he can produce perfect dishes.

Weaknesses: There aren’t many accurate recipes in this world. Descriptions like “moderate” or “a pinch” are too vague and can easily lead to disasters.

※ Shu Jun: “See that shelf? It’s full of recipes written by someone…”

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2023/05/30

Indulging in “Tears of the Kingdom” led to postponement of the mini… A small corner of everyone’s daily life!

“It doesn’t seem like his doing. I’ve seen many young people who vandalize public property, but… his eyes, they’re different,” a police officer remarked.

“It was Monday yesterday. The Zhu Yanchen Memorial Park was locked. He was the only one at the scene. Didn’t he refuse to explain himself?” another countered.

“But the surveillance was tampered with, and there were no witnesses. He could argue he wandered into the park after the damage was done. ‘Strolling by the sea in the morning’ isn’t illegal.”

“We’ll definitely have to release him, as days go by… Oh, here comes his partner.”

On the other side…

“It’s okay, they have no evidence,” Shu Jun explained. “Besides, if someone had the capability to interfere with all the surveillance, there’s no need to target just the statue.”

The subject of the destroyed statue, Zhu Yanchen, rubbed his temples. “Be serious. What you’re saying is dangerous.”

“I’ve always been dangerous,” Shu Jun responded listlessly.

“So, what really happened? If it wasn’t you, we can intervene and investigate…”

“It was me.”

“…?” The former Marshal Zhu was stunned for a moment.

“Let’s say it was technically me.” Shu Jun coughed twice. “Didn’t we talk on the phone for a long time yesterday?”

“Yes.”

Zhu Yanchen had returned home from a trip yesterday. Before arriving home, the two had talked for almost four hours. Zhu Yanchen vaguely remembered that Shu Jun had hung up rather abruptly.

“I was walking Monday at the time,” Shu Jun said, diverting his gaze.

To monitor Monday’s condition, Zhu Yanchen and Shu Jun “walked the dog” periodically. Of course, they had specifically forbidden Monday from approaching any human-inhabited areas.

Unfortunately, the memorial park was closed yesterday, making it a perfect spot.

Zhu Yanchen’s expression gradually went blank.

“I was on the phone with you for a long time, and it got… bored, I guess. It played around a bit too vigorously. I lost focus for a moment…”

“It deviated from its route,” Zhu Yanchen filled in.

“It deviated from its route, trampled through almost half the park. I had to stay and clean up the mess.”

“…”

“In any case, I’ll leave for now. Donate anonymously to cover the damage, and then… Are you mad?”

“No, just thinking.”

“About what?”

“From now on, let’s walk it together.”

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2023/02/15

A belated Valentine’s Day mini: Everyone’s game preference.

~Shu Jun’s Gaming Preferences~

Occupation Choice: Main Tank, Warrior class.

Gaming Tendency: Casual player with exceptional gaming skills. Enjoys the gaming process, likes PVE, and only chooses Zhu Yanchen as an opponent in PVP.

Teaming Tendencies: Quite warm towards in-game teammates. Has an astonishing leadership quality, often inexplicably becoming the team leader.

※Sometimes he and Zhu Yanchen will each join random teams, comparing the time it takes to clear dungeons. The one who loses has to cook.

~Zhu Yanchen’s Gaming Preferences~

Occupation Choice: Main Tank, Knight class.

Gaming Tendency: Casual player who treats games as a normal means of relaxation, but will switch games following Shu Jun.

Teaming Tendencies: Doesn’t talk much in-game, but gives very precise commands, and often becomes the leader without any apparent reason.

※Currently, the win-loss record with Shu Jun is still balanced. When they team up, he voluntarily switches to a DPS role.

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2022/08/05

Tanabata, Tanabata, everyone’s outfit special edition~

~Action~

The two of them will put on night combat uniforms that are completely identical in style.

The tight black material accentuates their figures, and they always take a few minutes to admire each other before they act.

※ Sometimes they even touch each other.

~Daily Life~

Shu Jun:

[White casual jacket with black long-sleeve T-shirt] The white fabric has a slightly dark shade and a slightly stiff texture. Shu Jun likes to wear an additional metal ID tag as a pendant.

[Dark gray jeans] The fabric has a rough texture, but it is resistant to dirt and abrasion, which Shu Jun quite likes.

[Suede Martens boots] Not as sturdy as combat boots, but still gives him a sense of familiarity from his memories.

※ Zhu Yanchen made two sets of ID tags—metal tags with their names closely engraved. “This is a set so they can’t be separated,” Marshal Zhu expressed.

Zhu Yanchen:

[Camel V-neck sweater with white shirt] It covers Mr. Marshal’s sturdy physique very well, giving a refined appearance.

[Deep brown trousers] Neat and without any wrinkles.

[Brown leather shoes] Always polished to a shine. The soft color hides any sharpness.

※ “It’s much softer than the uniforms we used to wear. It looks like caramel.” To verify his idea, Shu Jun kissed his lover’s lips.

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2022/02/13

Valentine’s Day Album, Inexplicable Nightmare Feature ✨

When Zhu Yanchen woke up, he found that the bed next to him was completely cold.

Shu Jun had kept his habit of waking up early as a soldier, but he would always linger in bed a little longer. This morning, however, he got up briskly, which was a bit unusual.

But Zhu Yanchen didn’t rush to find out—even if there was a nuclear explosion, Shu Jun would survive. He turned on the stereo in the living room and started cooking while listening to music. Being in a relationship always required some space, and regardless, Shu Jun would never miss breakfast.

Sure enough, while he was slow-frying canned meat, Shu Jun rushed in from behind in a flurry with the tips of his erosion claws still leaking.

“So fragrant. I can smell it from outside.”

Shu Jun was still wearing his pajamas, and as usual, the buttons were not properly fastened. He leaned in next to Zhu Yanchen and took a strong sniff.

“What are we having for breakfast? Is it served with porridge or pancakes?”

“It’s getting cold, so it’s noodle soup.” Marshal Zhu glanced at him. “Why is your whole body covered in dirt?”

Shu Jun retracted his claws and scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly. “Uh, well, I didn’t sleep well last night, so I got up early to play with Monday.”

Zhu Yanchen paused in his actions, wiped his hands on his apron, and his expression became serious.

When he spoke again, his voice carried a hint of nervousness. “You didn’t sleep well last night? …Are you feeling unwell? Go wash your face, and I’ll give you a thorough examination right away.”

Seeing Zhu Yanchen about to turn off the stove, Shu Jun panicked. He grabbed Zhu Yanchen’s wrist and said, “No need, sir. It’s nothing serious. I just… had a nightmare. It’s not that serious. I was actually looking forward to eating noodles.”

“…Really?”

“I wouldn’t lie to you,” Shu Jun said earnestly. “Embarrassing as it sounds, I dreamed that Monday went completely out of control, and the seawater and coastline were contaminated again. I woke up in the middle of the night, so I went out and gave it some extra training… You see, today is Valentine’s Day. We’re supposed to have a date during the day.”

Zhu Yanchen fell silent.

“It sounds silly, doesn’t it? Let’s not talk about it anymore. Let’s eat first. I want three sunny-side-up eggs.”

“It does sound silly.” Zhu Yanchen smiled and shook his head. “But it’s also quite interesting. Next time, remember to invite me along as well. We can consider it a date activity.”

Still, he felt a little sorry for Monday, so when they come back from their date, they should give it some extra erosion candy.

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2022/02/01

Chinese New Year Extra, Everyone’s Signature Dish♪

Once again, I wish everyone a prosperous Year of the Tiger —! 🎉

~Zhu Yanchen’s Signature Dish~

Roasted lamb leg: The lamb leg is roasted to have crispy skin and tender meat, with a burst of fragrant oil when you take a bite. It can be a bit troublesome to roast and requires some skill to slice. However, in front of the former marshal, none of this is a problem. After all, compared to other dishes, his lover still prefers this straightforward and hearty meat dish.

※ Shu Jun does enjoy it. He can eat quite a lot. But considering the family’s financial situation, he converts some of his appetite into other desires.

Sugar milk wine: A specially crafted blended wine by Marshal Zhu, best enjoyed when heated. The milk wine has a refreshing and smooth taste with a hint of sweetness, and its alcohol content is very low. The two of them will drink it while playing battle games, just like they did on their first sleepover.

※ Unfortunately, the quantity of milk wine is limited. After finishing the drink, they will stick a note on each other’s faces to record the victory or defeat.

~Shu Jun’s Signature Dishes~

Winter melon pork rib soup: It has a light and non-greasy flavor, and the pork ribs are stewed to be incredibly tender. It’s Zhu Yanchen’s favorite soup. After trying it once, Shu Jun also fell in love with the taste. Every time he makes it, he adds plenty of pork ribs. According to Marshal Zhu, at least in this soup, Shu Jun’s culinary skills have surpassed their family’s former chef.

※ The leftover bones can all be given to Monday.

Carrot bread: It’s nutritious, soft, and delicious, which Shu Jun really enjoys. Sometimes he even substitutes it for staple food. However, Zhu Yanchen prefers using it for breakfast, slicing it and filling it with fried eggs and lettuce.

※ “It tastes great like this. You can try adding some meat,” Marshal Zhu sincerely suggested.

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2021/11/06

Halloween Extra. Struggling and Slacking Off at Work 🎃

As the erosion era gradually faded away, it left behind a series of commemorative holidays.

One of these holidays fell in early winter, where people would dress up as various terrifying creatures from legends to ward off potential contamination and disasters. With world order restored, what used to be a lighthearted celebration had turned into a full-fledged carnival, especially in places where young people gathered.

Inside Y City University, a reporter who came to cover the event immediately spotted two targets.

One of them was dressed in an old-fashioned uniform, standing tall with a pale yet handsome face. The other had white hair and silver eyes, exuding a beast-like elegance. Wearing well-fitted combat armor that seemed valuable, they looked nothing like props for the holiday. Amidst the rough and crude costumes worn by others, these two individuals seemed like specks of gold in a gravel field.

The reporter approached them with a cheerful smile. “Hello, you two students. I’m a reporter from Y City TV. It seems like you’ve chosen historical figures to portray. May I ask why you made this choice?”

“Zhu Yanchen” and “Shu Jun” were important figures in modern history and were known to everyone. For some reason, clear photos of the two of them weren’t included in textbooks, so people remembered their outfits instead.

“It’s not ‘you two students’. This is Professor Zhu, my lover. As for me, I’m just accompanying him.”

“Apologies, both of you look quite young.”

“We do have a youthful appearance.” The young man portraying “Shu Jun” laughed heartily.

“We didn’t specifically choose the roles,” “Zhu Yanchen” answered seriously. “Our department organized a costume lottery, and I happened to draw ‘Leader Zhu’.”

“I see. That’s an interesting activity.”

“What do you think? Do we resemble them?” “Shu Jun” asked.

“Your portrayal of ‘Shu Jun’ is quite accurate, but Professor Zhu’s ‘Zhu Yanchen’ seems… His temperament is too gentle. It’s not cold enough.”

“Exactly, A’Yan is not a cold person.” “Shu Jun” embraced his lover’s shoulder with an evident smile in his eyes and lips. The latter sighed and gently kissed “Shu Jun” on the cheek.

The reporter continued professionally, “As accompanying family members, you don’t need to dress up. Why did you choose to do so?”

“Shu Jun” smiled even brighter. “Because ‘Zhu Yanchen’ cannot be without ‘Shu Jun’ by his side.”

“Zhu Yanchen” also smiled.

“That’s indeed the case,” he said.

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2021/08/14

How can we miss the Qixi Festival! Let’s write about everyone in the eyes of passersby (?

Time is filled with work, still searching for moments to write ʕ ; ᴥ ; ʔ

@A researcher at a certain technical institute/Female/31 years old

“Officer, I didn’t drink or take any drugs… What I said is all true.”

“Yesterday, I was on the night shift and didn’t leave for home until 4 in the morning. At that time, I wasn’t feeling well and was in a hurry to get home and rest, so I took a shortcut. Yes, it was the edge of the erosion zone… When I was grabbed by the hair, I was completely stunned. That person forcefully dragged me towards the erosion zone… I broke up with him a long time ago and haven’t had any contact for half a year! He’s just a lunatic!”

“After realizing what was happening, I… I panicked. It was 4 in the morning, and there were no residential areas nearby. There was no chance anyone would hear my cries for help. I thought it was over; that I would be killed by that bastard. But then, before I could even call for help, a black thing came rushing over and lifted him up by the waist. Black… I don’t really know how to describe it. Tentacles? Tails? Roughly the thickness of a bowl. The fog was so dense around that I didn’t know where it came from. It tied that scumbag up tightly and knocked him unconscious on the ground.”

“A person? I did see a figure, hidden in the fog. I could only see the silhouette. Hmm, it was probably a man—a young man. I heard him speak, and his voice was very pleasant. No, he didn’t speak to me. He said, ‘Next time we have a date, we need to clean up the nearby trash first’… And then—then he kissed that strange black thing. Although I could only make out the silhouette, I could still see the movements!”

“A voice responded cheerfully, ‘Yes, sir,’ but I didn’t see anyone else. I—I seized the opportunity and escaped. That’s how it all happened. What about that scumbag? Has he been locked up? I hope he has…”

“…Afraid? No, I’m not afraid. I’m actually grateful to them.”

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2021/05/31

A plain and ordinary daily routine. Everyone’s day schedule♪

~Shu Jun’s Day Schedule~

08:00-12:00: Escort Zhu Yanchen to work at the university, then return home to command Monday to clean up the dust and garbage in the house. After watching an action movie, Shu Jun changes into formal attire and heads to the cafeteria at the Environmental Protection Bureau.

12:00-17:00: Monitor for any anomalies at the Environmental Protection Bureau office. There are no sudden erosion incidents today, so there is no need for fieldwork at the moment.

17:00-18:00: Rush to the university to pick up Professor Zhu. They leisurely stroll back home together without hurriedly taking a ride.

18:00-20:00: Enjoyable dinner time. The two of them always cook together and have conversations. Today, they made a delicious and fragrant stew. Zhu Yanchen’s culinary skills have improved quite a bit.

20:00-00:00: Play a strategy command game for two solid hours. Currently, Shu Jun’s record is 18,354 wins and 18,355 losses. Today, he added another loss, so he’ll be responsible for feeding Monday before bed. As a small act of revenge, Mr. Shu almost suffocates his lover with a passionate kiss.

~Zhu Yanchen’s Daily Schedule~

08:00-08:30: Driven to the university by Shu Jun. Shu Jun has a special enthusiasm for driving, and Zhu Yanchen happily goes along with it.

08:00-17:00: Teach history at the university. More than a hundred years have passed since the erosion era, but the two of them still look the same. Only a few people know about their situation, and today Zhu Yanchen received another “secret re-employment request”, but former Leader Zhu clearly stated that he has no intention of returning to politics.

17:00-18:00: Stroll back home with Shu Jun. A smile, forever young, adorns Zhu Yanchen’s face. He spends more time observing the person than admiring the scenery. Strange, even after so many years, he can never get enough.

18:00-20:00: Enjoyable dinner time. Zhu Yanchen cooked a stew he just learned, and Shu Jun ate it all up.

20:00-00:00: Zhu Yanchen wins the game over Shu Jun by a narrow margin. Frustrated by his loss, Shu Jun sulks for a while, then fiercely kisses Zhu Yanchen. Perhaps they can conquer other territories together in a different place; after all, the night is still young.

“Don’t go, Grand Marshal. Let me hold you for a little longer. I can help you read your student papers.”

“It’s not too late to review them tomorrow morning.”

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2021/02/14

Valentine’s Day Chocolate Special🍫

[Slightly deformed chocolate square melted by body heat ×1]

Made by: Zhu Yanchen

Item description:

Despite being a top-notch researcher, this was Zhu Yanchen’s first attempt at making chocolate. He accidentally added too much sugar and was about to make adjustments when he got caught up in a day-long leadership meeting. The young leader kept them close to his chest, and before giving them away, he discreetly broke off a piece to taste.

As expected, it was still too sweet. Mr. Zhu felt anxious for the first time.

[Chocolate lava cake ×1]

Made by: Shu Jun

Item description:

Thinking that this would suit his lover’s taste, Shu Jun gave it a try and unexpectedly succeeded.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t like overly sweet flavors, so Shu Jun didn’t add much sugar. The cake turned out a bit bitter, more than he had anticipated… A bit challenging.

Later, Mr. Shu realized he had been overly worried—when paired with the chocolate his partner had given, the sweetness was just right.

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2020/11/11

There’s no holiday today, but I thought about it and wrote something. Let’s sleep together extra. _(:D”∠)_

Zhu Yanchen remembered it clearly. When they were young, he and Shu Jun would lean on each other to sleep, peaceful and content.

Now that they had been living together for a long time, they still held onto that sense of security, but if you were to talk about being peaceful…

Mr. Zhu let out a silent sigh as he looked down at the empty bed—Shu Jun must have had a nightmare again and turned into erosion in the middle of the night, sticking Zhu Yanchen and the blankets to the ceiling.

Even in an unconscious state, Shu Jun’s actions were gentle. At first, Zhu Yanchen didn’t notice, continuing to sleep soundly. However, when he stretched out his arm, trying to embrace the person by his side, his arm swung empty, and he woke up with a startle.

Shu Jun was leaning next to Zhu Yanchen with his eyes tightly shut and a slight frown on his forehead. The lower part of his body had transformed into erosion vines, spreading across the entire ceiling, assuming a defensive posture. Zhu Yanchen instinctively reached out his hand, gently stroking along Shu Jun’s spine and kneading the back of his neck. Shu Jun’s tense body finally relaxed, and his eyebrows smoothed out. He slowly returned to the bed with Zhu Yanchen.

The dark erosion gradually receded, returning to Shu Jun’s slender legs. A few scattered clusters remained, affectionately winding around Zhu Yanchen’s ankles and calves. One of them even crawled up the pillow, rubbing against Zhu Yanchen’s cheek.

Zhu Yanchen kissed the wriggling erosion. He reached out his hand once again and happily embraced Shu Jun as he had hoped.

It was just another ordinary night.

---

2020/09/26

Belated Qixi Festival Extra, Pet Special☆

Blackbirds Town was a small town with a peaceful atmosphere.

The Erosion Swamps collectively migrated into the sea, causing most people to have a shadow over coastal living. Those who lived here were mostly former members of the Blackbirds and their descendants. The population of the town was sparse, and the environment was fresh and pleasant. Every blade of grass exuded a lazy smell. However, there were too few people willing to come, and the town’s economy had never been able to recover, resulting in various inconveniences in daily life.

On a certain night…

Monday happily floated to the water’s surface and wobbled towards the nearest cliff. It rested its head on the edge of the stone square. “Hungry—”

“Lower your voice.” Shu Jun carried a bucket full of erosion candy and wiped his face. “The children from the nearby houses are back from vacation. Don’t let them find out.”

Monday paid no attention and stared fixedly at the erosion candy, leaning against the cliff and rolling around, saying, “Candy!”

“It seems like the new Sigma is quite energetic.” Zhu Yanchen put on his coat and walked out of the back door.

“Too energetic.” Shu Jun sighed. “You go back first, A’Yan. I’ll finish feeding this thing and then go back to bed.”

Zhu Yanchen smiled meaningfully, and Shu Jun stifled a yawn. “My Marshal, what secret plan have you come up with this time?”

“It’s temporarily classified.” Zhu Yanchen lightly kissed the corner of Shu Jun’s mouth and deftly scooped out a spoonful of erosion candy, accurately flicking it into Monday’s mouth.

Monday made a contented purring sound, rolling along the edge of the cliff, completely unaware that several children with cameras stood tens of meters away, staring in disbelief.

“What that big brother said is true!” They whispered to each other. “So cool!”

Several months later…

Blackbirds Town was still that peaceful little town. It was just that there was a terrifying legend in the town—every full moon night, an erosion monster would appear in the sea, and people must stay away from the coast. But in response, there would always be a mysterious defender who would repel the monster, so there was no need to worry.

Tourists gradually increased, and everyone wanted to see the monster under the moonlight with their own eyes. Unfortunately, the couple on the cliff bought the surrounding land, making it inaccessible for tourists, who could only gaze at the sea from afar.

Those two really lack business acumen, the people thought.

---

<<< || Table of Contents ||

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 121: Explosion Accident

“Activate the hibernation chamber?”

“We have negotiated the terms with X City, and there are no issues with the keys.”

“I object. The hibernation chamber has been in operation for nearly a hundred years, and its risks must be thoroughly evaluated. The difference between the original Erosion Swamp and the current Erosion Jellyfish is significant. There are hardly any Erosion Jellyfish on land, and the general population has little tolerance…”

“That’s why we need to activate the hibernation chamber.”

“What do you mean?”

“The chamber contains the preserved Erosion Swamp from that era, which is highly suitable for use as a biological weapon. With the presence of the suppression rifles, there won’t be a repeat of the leakage incidents from the apocalypse era…”

“Furthermore, by releasing the Erosion Swamp onto unprepared target cities and cleaning up the battlefield with suppression rifles, the land can be immediately reclaimed and reused. ‘Biological contamination’ is easier to handle than actual radiation. The situation near N City has been tense recently, and you know the importance of powerful new weapons.”

“There are no dissenters in X City?”

“No. After several generations of intermarriage, the concept of ‘synthetic humans’ is virtually non-existent. X City is our most steadfast ally.”

“Okay. Tang Kuo, you will be in charge of the hibernation chamber. I have a few more proposals over here…”

After the meeting ended, Tang Kuo felt uneasy. Instead of joining his colleagues for lunch, he silently distanced himself from the crowd while his thoughts spun in his mind.

Nearly a hundred years ago, the synthetic human uprising erupted, and leader Zhu Yanchen turned the tide, saving human civilization from the clutches of Sigma. Guided by various forces, the Erosion Swamp migrated to the deeper sea, where they found a more suitable form of existence and gained a more stable means of survival.

They absorbed more water and gradually transformed into the “Erosion Jellyfish”, which had less impact on the environment. Living a comfortable lifestyle, they no longer desired to gather into Erosive Swamps, and the original Erosion Swamps almost disappeared.

…Except for Shu Jun.

The Erosion Swamp within Shu Jun’s body remained unchanged. It hadn’t received the latest information and still possessed strong erosive properties.

In the past, Shu Jun had slept as a “safeguard” for the coexistence of humans and synthetic humans. However, in the present era of integration between the two, Shu Jun’s existence became awkward. If possible, Tang Kuo wished for this warrior to sleep forever.

But he also understood that he alone couldn’t prevent the higher-ups of the United Government from using his brain.

The era of rapid human development was far from over, and the population was exploding. People’s pockets were bulging, and their thoughts went beyond just having enough to eat and sleep. Subtle conflicts began to arise. Some troublemakers, emboldened by their power and influence, started to disobey the governance of the United Government and attempted to “reign” in their own territories.

Honestly, Tang Kuo had no objections to punishing these individuals. However, as a researcher, he disagreed with bringing back the original Erosion Swamp to the human world.

Erosion substance wasn’t a plaything for humans; humans had been destroyed by it once due to their negligence. Who knew if things would go awry this time?

Sighing, Tang Kuo strolled to the Zhu Rong Memorial Hall. He sat there for the entire afternoon, but his mood wasn’t brightened by the warm lighting. Seeing more and more people at the memorial hall, he drooped the corners of his mouth and drove to the outskirts cemetery.

He needed a quiet environment to sort out his thoughts.

Dark clouds filled the sky, and it wasn’t even six o’clock yet, but the surroundings were as black as the dead of night. The cemetery deep in the distance was cold and silent—buried here were people who had passed away decades ago, and hardly anyone came to mourn.

Tang Kuo found Tang Heyu’s tombstone and sat down in front of it.

“Great-great-great-grandfather… Well, I don’t even know how to address you.” Tang Kuo rubbed the loose soil on the stone pathway with his fingertips while muttering to himself. “Zhu Yanchen, Xia Liang, Ai Zhichun… so many leaders worked hard to restore the city to what it is now. And the result? Haa, I can accept doing medical research, but creating new weapons is a bit…”

“You people of your generation suffered greatly because of the Erosion Swamp. If you knew what we were planning, you’d probably jump out of your graves in anger.”

“What if Shu Jun wakes up…”

Tang Kuo was in the middle of talking to himself when he suddenly stopped. It was already late in the day, and this was an old cemetery of nearly a hundred years. Yet, footsteps could be heard not far away—judging by the sound, there wasn’t just one person approaching.

What in the world?

Driven by the inherent curiosity of a researcher, Tang Kuo stood up and quietly moved towards the direction of the sound. Two men stood in front of another tombstone, engaged in a hushed conversation.

The two men appeared to be in their thirties, dressed casually yet tastefully, with fabrics that were clearly not cheap. However, if one were to say that they were descendants of a prominent family paying respects to their elders, something felt off—the two visitors were carrying fresh vegetables and meat in their hands, giving off the impression that they had just purchased them. The slightly taller man held a bouquet of white flowers, adding a touch of condolence to the atmosphere.

If it weren’t for being in the depths of a century-old cemetery, the scene before Tang Kuo would resemble children from an ordinary family mourning their parents.

After their conversation concluded, the taller man placed the bouquet of flowers in front of the tombstone and said a few more words. From his angle, Tang Kuo could see the man’s face clearly.

He hitched his breath.

That person was quite handsome, with features that were quite similar to Zhu Yanchen. Unlike the iron-fist leader, this person gave off a rather gentle vibe, lacking the cold hardness that kept people at a distance like Zhu Yanchen did.

A member of the Zhu family?

Tang Kuo mentally went through the names of the Zhu family members he knew, and he was certain he hadn’t seen this person before. Just based on the face that resembled Zhu Yanchen’s so much, if he had seen them before, he wouldn’t have forgotten.

Most likely, he was a distant relative of the Zhu family who didn’t touch on political affairs.

With that thought, Tang Kuo lost interest again. He only wanted to focus on his research and had no desire to cozy up to people just because they happened to cross paths. However, as he was about to leave, dark clouds rumbled overhead, and heavy rain poured down.

Tang Kuo cursed under his breath and hurried back to his car. After struggling for a while, he was soaked through, but the car showed no signs of starting.

Researcher Tang was on the verge of rolling his eyes. When a person’s luck turned sour, even drinking cold water became a challenge*—first, he received the task of activating the hibernation chamber, then he came to the cemetery to clear his mind, and in the middle of it all, he was interrupted. Now, as he was about to leave, he encountered heavy rain and a vehicle malfunction.

*Expression referring to when things are going wrong or someone is experiencing a streak of bad luck, even simple and ordinary actions can become problematic or result in additional inconveniences. It basically describes a situation where everything seems to go wrong for someone.

Today was definitely his unlucky day.

Even if he called for help, he would have to wait for an hour or two. Tang Kuo had been preoccupied with the hibernation chamber since noon, unable to focus on anything else. Now he had a rumbling stomach, was shivering in his wet clothes, and wished he could shed a few tears.

Sniffing, Tang Kuo bent down, searching in his car, hoping to find some forgotten food in a corner. However, he couldn’t find any food, but he did hear a series of knocks on the car window.

Realizing he was in an empty cemetery, Tang Kuo’s scalp tingled. He abruptly straightened up, hitting the back of his head on the steering wheel, and his eyes welled up with tears.

Through the wet car window, he could just barely make out the person knocking on the window—it was the same person he had encountered in the cemetery, holding an umbrella and carrying groceries.

That person had gray-white hair, slightly darker skin, and warm brown eyes. They wore a friendly smile, motioning for Tang Kuo to roll down the window.

Rubbing his painful head, Tang Kuo hesitated for a moment. Considering he had no money on him, and the car wouldn’t budge, he ultimately obediently rolled down the car window.

“You seemed quite anxious just now. I took the liberty to check on your car. Sorry about that.” The person’s smile was quite cheerful. “To be honest, your car won’t be fixed anytime soon. Even if you call for a mechanic, they will have to tow it back to the city for repairs.”

Tang Kuo’s face showed a pained numbness.

“You don’t seem to be in good shape either,” the person continued sincerely. “We were just about to leave here. How about you come with us for now? It’s getting late, and you can figure out what to do with this matter tomorrow.”

“Thank you.” Tang Kuo grinned and forced out a smile. “It’s not a big problem. Even if I can’t make it in time, I can spend the night in the car. I—”

Before he could finish his sentence, his stomach let out a thunderous rumble. Tang Kuo awkwardly stopped talking and let out an awkward laugh.

“Our house is by the seaside, in Blackbirds Town.” The man clearly saw through Tang Kuo’s vigilance and lowered his voice. “You look like a researcher from the command center, so you probably have a tracking chip implanted, right? If you’re still worried, you can report our vehicle code to your family.”

At this point, Tang Kuo felt too embarrassed to refuse. He locked his own car and briefly informed his roommate of the situation before getting into the other person’s car.

“I brought him back, A’Yan.” The man left Tang Kuo in the backseat. “Prepare dinner for one more person. Do we have enough ingredients at home?”

The man, who resembled Zhu Yanchen, turned his head and assessed the drenched Tang Kuo. “It’s enough, and we can also add some hot soup.”

“Then I’ll make winter melon and pork rib soup.” The white-haired man happily started naming dishes. “I’ll take care of dessert. What do you want? Carrot bread or chocolate cookies?”

“I want both.”

“Tsk, tsk.”

“By the way, who are you two…?” Tang Kuo coughed awkwardly.

“You can call me Gray Claw.” The white-haired man smiled. “The one driving is my partner, Smoke. Oh, we still have some cookies in the car. Are you hungry? Have some to fill your stomach.”

After saying that, as if afraid that Tang Kuo wouldn’t trust him, he casually broke off half a piece and chewed on it.

Tang Kuo’s nose tingled, and he tried to elegantly nibble on the cookie. The place wasn’t far from Blackbirds Town, and Smoke drove the car swiftly. In less than half an hour, they arrived at their destination.

The two men’s house was close to the sea, and the stormy ocean felt quite oppressive. Tang Kuo cautiously stepped inside while using a towel to dry off his hair. He glanced at the backyard of the house and saw… a small square?

Who would build an empty small square behind their own house? Tang Kuo’s relaxed nerves tensed up again.

“It’s quite strange, isn’t it? It’s for walking the dog,” Gray Claw explained considerately as he noticed Tang Kuo’s gaze. “Our dog is… quite big, so it’s not suitable for walking it outside. We’re afraid it might hurt someone.”

“Oh, I see. Where is it? Can I see it? I quite like dogs.” Tang Kuo swiftly changed into dry clothes and handed back the towel.

“Because you were coming, we had a friend take it away first.” Gray Claw scratched his hair. “Don’t mind it. To be honest, it’s not really cute.”

Tang Kuo: “…” The disdain on Gray Claw’s face was genuine, and Tang Kuo silently sympathized with the dog for a few seconds.

Apart from the peculiar small square in the backyard, the room was filled with a warm and cozy atmosphere. The two men prepared dinner in the kitchen, and the atmosphere was naturally comfortable. Such affection couldn’t be faked. Tang Kuo’s nerves finally relaxed bit by bit, leaving only gratitude.

Today, something good finally happened.

Both of them were skilled cooks, and Tang Kuo mustered up the courage to ask for three more bowls of rice. With his guard down, he began to speak more freely.

“Is it true that they’re opening the hibernation chamber in Y City?” Gray Claw raised an eyebrow. “I heard some rumors about it recently, but I didn’t take them seriously.”

“Seems like they released the news early. They want everyone to know.” Tang Kuo chewed on the carrot bread.

“Yeah, we thought they were just creating hype to intimidate those people around N City,” Smoke said quietly while his expression turned colder. “The current leader is quite audacious.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying!” Tang Kuo finally had an outlet for his grievances. “That’s the original native Erosion Swamp. Who knows what might happen? And not to mention that Shu Jun has been sleeping for so long for the sake of peace, only to be weaponized by the United Government without any consideration for his life? Even if he’s not classified as human, it’s still inappropriate, right?”

Gray Claw’s smile had a hint of significance. “I’m not surprised. It’s not the first time they’ve done something like this.”

Tang Kuo’s expression became bitter. “I hope they can really control it… Since you’ve figured out that I’m a researcher, I won’t lie to you. Although the survival form of the Erosion Swamp has changed, the original Sigma from back then is likely still alive. If something happens on the surface and it develops hostile intentions, there’s a possibility of another catastrophe for humanity.”

Smoke swiftly took the last piece of bread from the plate and broke it in half, giving one half to Gray Claw. “It won’t happen.”

There was a strange sense of certainty in his tone, and Tang Kuo couldn’t help but glance at him again. “How do you know?”

“When Zhu Yanchen proposed this plan, he must have considered the follow-up issues.” Smoke smiled.

“Is it an internal saying within the Zhu family?” Tang Kuo blinked.

Smoke’s smile also became meaningful. “You could say that.”

“Don’t worry.” Gray Claw patted Tang Kuo’s back forcefully. “That generation suffered enough from the Erosion Swamp. Who knows what trump card they’ve hidden in the hibernation chamber?”

After having their fill, Tang Kuo’s body felt comfortable and warm. After pondering for a while, he believed that the words of these two people made a lot of sense. That night, he slept especially relaxed.

The next afternoon, in the presence of all the researchers, the keys of X City and Y City were merged, and the hibernation chamber that had been sealed for a hundred years slowly opened—

And then it exploded.

The explosion wasn’t severe and didn’t harm anyone. After the explosion, people tried to find fragments of the Erosion Swamp but found nothing. Under Tang Kuo’s leadership, the source of the explosion was quickly located and recovered. It was a sophisticated bomb, more like a smoke bomb than a lethal weapon. On the thick metal casing was a short sentence:

[For short-term and high-efficiency suppression. If the situation becomes critical, please escape.]

The age of that bomb was close to a hundred years, indicating that it was placed there before the hibernation chamber was sealed. But Tang Kuo was well aware that the researchers thoroughly inspected the hibernation chamber inside and out countless times back then, and there was absolutely no such dangerous item present, unless…

Unless that thing had been sealed within Shu Jun all along, making it possible to be brought inside.

Frowning at the layered screens, Tang Kuo thought to himself—setting aside the fact that the bomb couldn’t possibly kill a high-level Erosion Swamp like Shu Jun, even if it could, the remaining erosion substance at the scene was too low to be scientifically feasible.

Not to mention designing new weapons, that small amount couldn’t even support the most basic research. Based on the quantity of erosion substance left, the slumbering Shu Jun would only be a mere husk…

Wait, just a husk?

Tang Kuo pulled up all the relevant Erosion Swamp information from back then, and the more he looked, the more shocked he became.

If the Shu Jun sent into the hibernation chamber back then was just a “dummy”, there was no way Zhu Yanchen could have been unaware. They must have planned all this from the beginning. Who could have anticipated that the iron-fist leader would play such a massive joke on the world?

No, without the cooperation of insiders, Zhu Yanchen wouldn’t have been able to accomplish all of this on his own. The subordinates of the two of them back then must have also been aware…

Standing dumbfounded in place, amidst the shock, Tang Kuo felt a profound sense of relief.

Regardless of where Shu Jun was now, dead or alive, he had never harmed humanity. And as a legendary leader, since Zhu Yanchen was capable of considering humanity’s current mindset, he would definitely not allow Shu Jun to act recklessly and jeopardize human development.

With this in mind, it wasn’t so difficult to understand why Zhu Yanchen completely retired and disappeared after his term ended.

Could those two people really…

“Mr. Tang, there’s someone outside who wants to see you. He said he met you yesterday and you left something with him.”

“Oh? Oh, please invite him in quickly.” Tang Kuo shook his head.

“I just saw you on the news.” Gray Claw held up a paper bag, and his face wore a refreshing smile. “The hibernation chamber exploded? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine. Thank you for your concern. But I don’t think I forgot anything last night…”

“Carrot bread. You seem to like it.” Gray Claw shook the bag. “We were worried, so we used an excuse to check up on you. As long as you’re fine, that’s good.”

“It’s really unnecessary…” The level of kindness displayed by these two strangers far exceeded Tang Kuo’s imagination, leaving him momentarily caught off guard.

“Take it. It’s not valuable. We’ve also received a lot of help from the Tang family.” Gray Claw stuffed the paper bag into Tang Kuo’s arms. “Now you have nothing to worry about. Rest well.”

Feeling rather embarrassed, Tang Kuo accepted the bag and suddenly realized, “Wait, how did you know that we couldn’t continue our research?”

Gray Claw didn’t say a word; he just slightly turned his head and winked at Tang Kuo.

Those warm brown eyes instantly turned grayish-white, and the pupils narrowed into slits like a wild beast. Tang Kuo broke out in a cold sweat, but when he looked again, those eyes had returned to their normal warm brown color.

“You… Something’s not right. Are you two…”

“Teacher Tang will be very pleased to have a descendant like you.” Gray Claw smiled. “You’re welcome to visit our home more often, Mr. Tang.”

Tang Kuo opened his mouth as countless thoughts threatened to overload his brain. He tightly held onto the bag in his arms, almost squishing the small cake into a pancake.

He had many questions he wanted to ask, many feelings he wanted to express, but the hair-raising sensation left him breathless. After a few minutes of composure, Tang Kuo’s flushed face finally returned to normal.

“I will.” He didn’t ask anything in the end, nor did he say anything.

“I will.” A few seconds later, Tang Kuo repeated it again with a much more sincere tone. “…Thank you.”

The Erosion Swamp weapons had already become nothing but an illusion. Tomorrow, the sun would rise as usual, and everyone’s lives would continue unchanged. As for himself… he only needed to write down the accident-related issues clearly, without adding any useless speculation.

The world today may not be perfect, but it could be considered peaceful and secure.

‘That’s enough,’ he thought. ‘It’s enough.’

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The author has something to say:

As usual, a small reminder: I don’t welcome comments from pirated readers who only buy the “Extras” or “Specific Chapters.” Otherwise, I will give random warnings depending on the situation. Writing a long novel in a niche genre is not easy, so if you like it, please support the official version.

——

Thank you all for your support! This story has come to an end.

It’s my first time writing something this short (?), and to be honest, it feels a bit unfamiliar. I tried a new rhythm and learned a lot of new things! However, I’m not entirely satisfied with the specific effect… In the end, I feel like I wrote too little, so I will continue to explore the rhythm and style that suit me best.

During the writing process, I also realized a lot of issues, and I appreciate your understanding. I will definitely strive to improve XD

The next book, “Sendoff” is already available in the author’s column, a micro-fantasy wuxia~ I’ll start posting within this year!

I’ve also decided on the theme for the fifth book, a crime investigation with a touch of supernatural elements, called “Evil As Humans”. Pre-orders are now available. I’ll probably keep the word count between 500,000 to 1,000,000, releasing two books like this per year (*/ω＼*)

Finally, thank you again for supporting the official version! See you in the next book~

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Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of this novel.

If you enjoyed it, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. I used Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

Really, it’s very cheap to support the author with just a couple cents for a chapter.

Once again, thank you everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations. It in part fuels my motivation to release so frequently and try to finish this novel as soon as possible.

Seeing as how Nian Zhong has become my favorite author, I have picked up both projects in the author note. You can check out Sendoff and Evil As Humans by clicking the links or visiting my project page.

With that, I do have one last treat. This is an extra extra from the author’s blog where she writes mini updates for her characters (usually on special holidays). It’s not officially on jjwxc, but I’ve decided to translate it. She usually updates this yearly, so check back each year on those special days for a new update.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 120: A Bouquet of Roses

Xia Liang and Zhu Yanchen officially “separated”.

This statement wasn’t entirely accurate. The news of their breakup was already made public before Zhu Yanchen disappeared. And since Zhu Yanchen’s resurrection, they hadn’t made any comments regarding their past.

Later, when Miss Xia’s identity as “Dong Lao” was exposed, she officially became a Marshal of the United Government. The distance between them became more apparent. They never acted together in non-public occasions, and their words and actions showed no hint of familiarity, clearly exhibiting a normal superior-subordinate relationship.

Some people were quite dissatisfied with this development.

Knowing that Xia Liang had been Zhu Yanchen’s subordinate for many years, tabloid journalists started speculating and fantasizing about numerous ambiguous stories. Initially, the writers could only imply, and the United Government didn’t pay attention. But gradually, some people became bolder—one of the most legendary leaders of the United Government, and a marshal who transitioned from being a star became the subject of openly discussed interests.

The catalyst was a press conference related to medical issues.

Zhu Yanchen himself didn’t attend, but Xia Liang was present as one of the marshals. After repelling the Erosion Swamp, humanity entered a period of rapid development, and the atmosphere of the press conference was quite relaxed. That was until a daring reporter asked Xia Liang a question.

“Do you and Mr. Zhu have any plans to get married within the year?”

A smile froze on Xia Liang’s face. Before she could respond, another question was thrown at her.

“You’ve been secretly accompanying Mr. Zhu for so long. Is this marshal position some kind of transaction promised to you by Mr. Zhu? The current status of the Xia family…”

The journalist who asked the follow-up question didn’t even have the courage to finish his own question—Xia Liang’s smile faded, and her expression turned terrifyingly unpleasant.

She was still beautiful. Stripping away the layer of gentle charm, her beauty carried a hint of aggression, transforming from rose petals into thorns. However, Xia Liang had always been skilled in dealing with the media, and she wouldn’t lose her temper in public. At most, she would no longer hide her true character.

Fortunately, she didn’t become arrogant, and she was easier to deal with than Yi Ning back then. Even if someone asked impolite questions, Xia Liang would cleverly defuse the situation and keep the conversation under her control.

…This was the first time she revealed this expression.

“The woman behind a successful man? You certainly know how to choose a topic.” Her face twisted, revealing an uncomfortable, cold smile. “The word ‘accompanying’ is quite interesting. Did I disguise myself as an old man just to keep Mr. Zhu from feeling lonely? What do you think the battlefield is?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s admirable that you’re willing to go through thick and thin with Mr. Zhu. We are…”

“Go through thick and thin?” Xia Liang continued with a cold smile. “The reason Zhu Yanchen initially hid and concealed things is simple; he had no choice. It’s the same for me. I could only find a collaborator to exploit.”

With that, the smile at the corner of her lips grew even more pronounced.

“As for why I didn’t have a choice, it’s because certain people firmly believed that I was destined to be nothing more than a pastime—either a pastime for the public or a pastime for Zhu Yanchen.”

“It’s unnecessary to be so negative. This is too harsh,” someone murmured quietly below. “Who doesn’t know that Zhu Yanchen is responsible for the majority of the achievements on the synthetics’ side? She merely stabilized the situation within the city.”

“Yes, now she’s pretending to have contributed so much. The Xia family has so many members, and Xia Yufeng’s contribution isn’t insignificant. But in the end, Xia Yufeng only received some money, while she climbed to the position of Marshal after the war… Who believes that she has no connection with Zhu Yanchen?”

“At least Marshal Yi fought on the frontlines and made so many sacrifices. She stayed safe and sound in the headquarters without any trouble…”

Xia Liang seemed to have heard their words, and her disdainful smile carried a hint of contempt. She didn’t explain, argue, or even show anger.

“The theme of this press conference is the improvement of medical policies, not a lesson on the basics of tactics, and certainly not a personal life exhibition.” Her voice grew slightly louder. “Everyone, please restrain yourselves. I have only one thing to say to all of you—remember how you used to evaluate Zhu Yanchen many years ago. I hope you keep it in mind.”

Her words were light yet cold, carrying a kind of oppression that had never been felt before. The crowd involuntarily fell silent, allowing her to steer the topic back.

Many years later, when the United Government welcomed its youngest female leader, some people did recall this chilling moment. However, that was a story for another time.

After the meeting, Xia Liang took decisive action, directly pressuring several major organizations that spread rumors and publicly announcing her sexual orientation. Since then, discussions about romantic relationships involving the leader and marshal could only be found in unofficial tabloids.

“Now the magazines are full of rumors about Marshal Xia and Doctor Ai,” Uncle Pan said while wiping the wine bottles. “After Marshal Xia stirred things up like that, your partner finally got liberated.”

“No one dares cause trouble in front of A’Yan. The articles are backed by big conglomerates seeking profit, and they’re skillfully toeing the line. A’Yan can’t just step forward without a valid reason, so it’s infuriating. But it’s their own fault, running into Xia Liang’s crosshairs.”

Shu Jun casually flipped through the newspaper. “I’ve said before that I don’t care about those messy gossip stories, but he has always been bothered by this.”

“Tsk tsk, young people.” Uncle Pan gave Shu Jun a sideways glance. “They like to be possessive; that’s why they mind.”

“But it’s Xia Liang. She would always stay at the Ai’s Clinic whenever she has time. Ai Xiaoxiao would complain to Mr. Tang three or four times a week… Oh, recently Dr. Ai has been complaining less.”

Shu Jun put down the newspaper as he responded in a heavy tone.

“Anyway, Xia Liang is completely out of the question. It’s more appropriate to say that A’Yan and his office desk are more ambiguous. I’ve said it a billion times, but he just doesn’t listen—despite being extremely tactical, he’s more stubborn than anyone in this regard.”

Uncle Pan raised an eyebrow. “Why? Worried that without Marshal Xia, more people will have their eyes on your significant other?”

Shu Jun burst into laughter. “Let them look. If he wanted to betray me, he wouldn’t wait until now. Xia Liang has her own thoughts and is not obliged to be a shield for the two of us, but…”

“But?”

“But I feel a bit regretful if I don’t take the opportunity to tease A’Yan a bit. Uncle Pan, do you know anyone at the flower shop? Help me order a bouquet of roses—the biggest one they have—and have it delivered to the command center.”

“No problem, I’ll take care of it.”

“Oh, by the way, also…”

One day later.

Zhu Yanchen saw the message sent by the gatekeeper, and his face turned slightly pale. The assistant thought something major had happened and approached with trepidation. When he took a look, he almost couldn’t control his expression—

There were countless invitations outside the meeting, and many bold pursuers even sent gifts to the command center. Since Marshal Xia came out openly about her sexual orientation, people from other factions no longer held back. The young and handsome leader was the best target for a political alliance. The Xia family didn’t want that piece of fat, but there were plenty of people eager to make a move.

During the period of the fastest development for humanity since the apocalypse, Zhu Yanchen was just over thirty, in the prime of his life. With his resolute and efficient style, he would undoubtedly choose a partner that maximized his own interests.

As for the confession from the leader of the synthetic humans at the beginning, it had long been forgotten by everyone.

The assistant flipped through a long list of items. “Wow, this name. Isn’t he the leader of the Southern New Trade Association? It’s fine if a lady sends a gift, but why would he, a single man, send this kind of gift?! Marshal Xia’s coming out really gave them quite a lot of inspiration…”

Zhu Yanchen glanced at his assistant with a complicated expression.

“Sir, the number of gifts being sent recently is increasing. I promise to return them all, but they just won’t give up. If we don’t handle it soon, the situation will only get worse.” The assistant earnestly changed the topic. “I know you’re not interested in romance, but honestly, it would be best for you to find a partner, even if it’s fake, to put an end to their hopes—”

“Help me order a new set of uniforms for my meetings,” Zhu Yanchen firmly stated. “Completely redesigned, without gloves.”

“But, but…”

“Traditional systems can be reformed, and traditional uniforms can naturally be changed,” Zhu Yanchen said each word with determination as he slowly took off his gloves. “Isn’t there a fairly significant meeting next Wednesday? Get it done before then.”

“You…?!”

The assistant’s gaze immediately fell upon the young leader’s ring finger. On his fair skin, the ring exuded a warm blackness. Judging by the mark, it was undoubtedly a ring that had been worn for a long time.

“I’m married. My spouse doesn’t want to get involved in politics, so I don’t intend to disclose their identity.”

In public, Zhu Yanchen’s attire was always impeccably neat, and even the assistant had never seen him take off his gloves. Shaken by this earth-shattering news, the assistant stumbled over his words. “B-B-B-But, in that case, surely many people will want to ascertain your wife’s identity. Even if we can suppress it, it will still be quite troublesome. Your wife is a lady, and she might not be able to withstand those scheming individuals. Maybe, maybe you should consider asking her to endure it and hire another lady to pretend in public…”

“No.”

“Sir…”

“In the past, I was able to make myself untraceable, so naturally, I can make my partner untraceable as well. I won’t have someone else impersonate my spouse; absolutely not. As for those gifts, same as usual. Return them as they are.”

After speaking, Zhu Yanchen breathed a sigh of relief, his tone becoming lighter.

“By the way, I need to correct something. My ‘wife’ is a man.”

“…”

The assistant stood frozen in place for a few minutes, trying to confirm whether his boss was joking or not. Seeing that black ring and recalling the confession of the leader of the synthetic humans earlier, he suddenly had a bad premonition.

Forget it, forget it. He must be overthinking things. How could it be “that person”? The leader of the synthetic humans had been placed in an underground secret chamber, dormant for a long time. He had seen the images inside the chamber himself—Shu Jun didn’t have any rings on his hand.

Who could it be then?

It was one thing if it were a woman, but he remembered every man Zhu Yanchen had come into contact with, and he hadn’t seen him show any special attitude toward anyone. On the other hand, considering Mr. Zhu’s current work intensity and scope of activities, if he wanted to have a normal family life, that gentleman would have to be able to fly.

When it came down to it, the two of them couldn’t even meet face-to-face.

Thinking of this, the assistant’s shock began to turn into sympathy. In his mind, the image of a gentle, slim, and restrained young man emerged.

Forget it. If they were willing to make sacrifices for love, he shouldn’t speculate further. The assistant regained his composure and looked at the list of gifts.

“Um, sir. There’s a bouquet of roses here, but it has no signature or message, and it can’t be returned. Do you want to dispose of it or…?”

“No information at all?” Zhu Yanchen furrowed his brow.

“No information at all. The gatekeeper scanned it. It’s just a large bouquet of roses, and they’ve been treated to prevent wilting. Oh, and there’s a hidden bellflower inside, probably a mistake by the florist—”

Zhu Yanchen smiled.

The second half of the assistant’s sentence got stuck in his mouth. He had never seen Zhu Yanchen make such an expression. This new leader had a strong grip and was particularly strict with his trusted subordinates—a genuine iron-fist leader. Zhu Yanchen had never bothered to put on a fake smile.

…Let alone such a gentle smile.

“Get me two vases. Put the roses in the lounge and take out the bellflower separately, placing it on my desk.” Zhu Yanchen’s tone softened slightly. “And don’t forget about the uniform redesign.”

“Yes, sir.” The assistant responded quite decisively this time.

A week later, the news of the married leader caused a huge uproar. Zhu Yanchen had kept that person well hidden, and countless people tried to dig out the identity of that mysterious lover, but in the end, they all came back empty-handed.

The closest thing to the truth that the investigators found were two things:

First, the bellflower on the leader’s desk seemed to have been a gift from that person.

Second, they were deeply in love.

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The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: Thank you for the invitation. I really can fly, so we see each other every day.

Marshal: ? Finally, it’s my turn to call someone “my spouse”.

Shu Ge: ?

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 119: Moonlit Black Wolf

Several years after the chaos, the relationship between X City and Y City remained strained.

With the retreat of the Erosion Swamps, the continent was left in ruins. Humans were eager to grow three heads and six arms to work tirelessly to make money, fearing that they would miss the golden age. At this critical juncture, the United Government had to allocate a huge amount of expenditure to support the thirty thousand outsiders. Influenced by instigators, the opinions of the citizens weren’t insignificant—

With such a large investment, why not use it for development? Why not use it to build public infrastructure? The thirty thousand “sick seedlings” had grievances among themselves, like wolves that weren’t domesticated. Who knew when they would turn around and bite back?

If it weren’t for the firm methods of Zhu Yanchen, some human factions in Y City would have almost turned hostile.

Fortunately, the influence of the three major families still held sway—Zhu Yanchen, as the new leader of the Zhu family, commanded with no less authority than his father.

Representing the Xia family, Xia Liang, and representing the Tang family, Tang Heyu, both pledged allegiance to Zhu Yanchen. Most of the other major factions had formed rapidly in recent years, with unstable foundations and no means to compete. They could only watch as the benefits flowed to outsiders.

The humans harbored hidden discontent, and the situation was no better for the synthetic humans.

After the Synths Revolution ended, all synthetic humans migrated to X City, and the player system was abolished. The equipment and data that allowed access to the “other world” were transferred to X City.

The information left behind by Zhu Rong had long been made public, and the situation faced by synthetic humans wasn’t simple—while the erosion symptoms were easily treatable, stabilizing the artificially synthesized bodies was a difficult task. Even with the compensatory medical support from Y City, synthetic humans still had to undergo years of long-term treatment to achieve a basic normal life and lifespan.

To make matters worse, as the erosion symptoms improved, all the abilities of synthetic humans were greatly weakened, almost disappearing. The synthetic humans were in their prime, the age when they desired freedom the most. Spending years trapped by medication, feelings of dissatisfaction quietly grew—

“They must have softened up at the top. It’s been so long, and we can’t even find a team for revenge.”

Every week on the designated treatment day, to pass the long two days, the synthetic humans would enter the “other side” during the treatment process, experiencing a special weekend. But just the thought of lying in the real world with tubes inserted all over their bodies, unable to enjoy a good drink, made people feel frustrated.

“Revenge? Not everyone has enemies. Take those top-tier teams; half of them lost their loved ones, only thinking about the losses they suffered at the hands of humans—Zhu Yanchen has a good attitude. He did the necessary publicity, and the compensation he provided isn’t lacking. Even if we were to seek justice from the humans, we wouldn’t get better treatment. Think about it. How could those people risk their lives?”

“That’s easy for you to say. Isn’t it just a matter of showing some courage?” The young man clenched his teeth and slammed his glass onto the table.

On the other side of the bar, the bartender dressed as a one-eyed pirate glanced at him, making the young man’s expression even uglier.

“Opening up the data is definitely a way to corrupt us. Shu Jun’s head is spinning. He was deceived by such a cunning and treacherous person. You’ll see, once humans develop, X City won’t be able to hold on. With over a billion humans in the equation, even the newborn babies on our side need genetic stabilization. Being swallowed up is just a matter of time.”

“You’re just too used to living a comfortable life. I know plenty of people who have settled down and have no intention of fighting. This is how reality is, you either accept it or you don’t.”

“It’s truly humiliating,” the young man scoffed. “Someone needs to wake them up. How about this, once we’re out of here, we gather a few comrades and discuss… “

As he spoke, he glanced at the NPC bartender next to him—X City was currently led by Hu Yan, and the danger detection system from the “other side” program was still in place. If they were to discuss a plan to sabotage here, it wouldn’t take half a day before the Synthetic Human Government would come knocking on their door.

The NPC didn’t issue a warning. He just turned his face away and calmly wiped the glasses.

Only then did the young man breathe a sigh of relief.

In reality, this plan was neither too big nor too small. The next day, he gathered three to five people and reluctantly formed a combat unit to head to the border of Y City. If they caused some commotion, it would undoubtedly prove the malicious intentions of the United Government.

Y City had expanded significantly, and the border had reached the original settlement area. The current settlement area was different from before; clean and tidy, resembling a city.

The group found an inconspicuous inn. Compared to the flashy shops around it, this inn was modest, with barely any customers inside. It was a good place to take a rest. The innkeeper was tall and burly, wearing a hat adorned with two black pompoms, making him hard to miss.

When the guests entered, the innkeeper immediately grinned, revealing a bright smile. “Welcome, newcomers. Would you like to have dinner? Here’s our menu, and we also offer specialty snacks for delivery.”

The young man maintained a cold expression and responded icily.

“Just call me Uncle Pan.” The innkeeper ignored the group’s coldness and continued to smile. “If you need a place to stay, my inn is…”

“I’ll let you know if I need anything. No need for introductions,” the young man interrupted coldly. “…Start with five bottles of sparkling water, chilled.”

“Alright!” The innkeeper filtered out any unfriendliness automatically and happily rubbed his hands.

“The pastries from the delivery service here are pretty good.” The only other customer in the inn turned his head and casually started a conversation. “Eat them with hot soybean paste. They taste amazing.”

The young man furrowed his brow. Not only was the innkeeper troublesome, but even the customers were causing trouble. The signs weren’t good.

He couldn’t help but glance at the person—wearing bulging equipment that obscured most of their face and a peculiar hat on their head, giving them the appearance of a scavenger in the ruins. Their voice was young and cheerful, their complexion difficult to discern under the dim yellow light, with a few strands of gray hair peeking out from under the brim of their hat.

It was unclear whether the gray hair was dyed or a remnant of the sequelae of erosion.

“Gray Claw, helping me attract customers again?” Uncle Pan returned with the sparkling water; the bottle was covered in condensation droplets.

“It’s really delicious.” Gray Claw’s voice was also filled with joy. “That’s why I’m getting it to go. My partner is busy with work and can’t get away, but we both wanted to have a taste, so there’s no other choice.”

Uncle Pan’s smile took on a deeper meaning. “Please give my regards and thank him for taking care of us brothers’ business.”

“Of course, of course.”

The young man wasn’t in the mood to listen to these two humans chatting. He was still calculating tonight’s operation. The instructions for negotiating with the Synthetic Human Liaison Department in Y City should be clear, but he didn’t know if they would be able to gather information from the other side tonight…

The peculiar customer had only spoken that much and didn’t continue to bother them.

But that night, as the group got closer to the Synthetic Human Liaison Department, the surroundings grew increasingly deserted. The young man, leading the way, gradually became restless—his sense of direction had always been good, and as they approached their target, he felt the sensation drifting off course.

“Hey.” Just as the young man’s nerves reached their limit and he came to a halt, a greeting came from behind him.

A disproportionately large black wolf hid in the shadows of a high-rise building; its two gray eyes gleaming with a cold light. Against the backdrop of the sharply angular architecture, the scene before them seemed almost surreal. The young man’s hand trembled as he fired a shot.

“Don’t be so tense.” The bullet grazed the black wolf’s body, but it remained unfazed, speaking in a human voice. “I’m just here to confirm a few things.”

With that, the massive black beast stood motionless, silently giving them time to react.

The air froze for several minutes.

“Shu Jun?” Although the black wolf was smaller than he remembered, the young man still recognized the figure—there was only one person in the world who could transform into this form. He took a moment to adjust his breathing and tentatively spoke. “Aren’t you supposed to be held captive by humans?”

“Just a little trick.” The black wolf’s voice carried a hint of laughter. “It gets boring sleeping all alone. How about it? By appearing like this, I don’t need to prove my identity, right?”

“So, you’ve been lurking here all this time…”

“I don’t answer questions. I’m here to ask questions.” The black wolf tilted its head slightly, skillfully shifting the topic. “Did you come here for revenge or…?”

“It has nothing to do with personal grudges. Some of our fellow beings need to wake up and see the true face of humans. We’ve heard recent talk about ‘burdensome synthetic humans’.” The young man gritted his teeth. “Zhu Yanchen has malicious intentions. He’s boiling us frogs in warm water. He may appear innocent now, but once his term is over and the next leader takes office, the policies will change. We won’t have any good days!”

Under the bright moonlight, the giant black wolf appeared as dark as ink. Its ears twitched, listening attentively.

“…Reasonable concerns.” Shu Jun paused for a moment. “If you came here for this matter, I can promise that as long as I’m here, humans won’t lay a hand on synthetic humans for the next hundred years.”

Dozens of tendrils of erosion extended from the black wolf’s shadow, sliding along the surrounding walls.

“If humans do act, I will be the first one to stand up.”

By now, Shu Jun’s abilities had been exposed to a considerable extent. The young man looked at the tendrils of erosion with some trepidation, muttering softly, “How can we trust you? What if you side with humans… Weren’t you here today to protect this place as well?”

It was true that Shu Jun was originally a synthetic human, but he—or it—was no longer considered human. Moreover, Shu Jun’s relationship with Zhu Yanchen had always been ambiguous. Over the years, he had never appeared in X City, and it was possible that he had turned to protect the United Government…

Countless thoughts raced through the young man’s mind. Looking at the black beast before him, he even felt a hint of instinctual fear.

As if sensing that fear, the black wolf lowered its head. Its movements were extremely gentle, so as not to startle the group. “I am indeed here to protect this place.”

The faces of the young people instantly turned pale.

“…If you are seeking personal revenge, and the target is reasonable, and you have no intention of harming the innocent, then I won’t assist or interfere in the slightest.” Shu Jun maintained his wolf form and spoke with a calm tone. “However, since you desire a sense of security, I will ensure the safety of X City. Please go back.”

“We can’t trust you.”

The black wolf emitted a low chuckle. “You don’t have a choice.”

“You…!”

“There are even more human factions trying to incite conflict. Just as I am here, there are humans on the outskirts of X City working hard to maintain peace. The stability of these years cannot be upheld by a mere contract. Everyone, think carefully.”

“Don’t talk about not obstructing personal revenge.” Someone murmured quietly within the group. “If we randomly point out a person to kill, can you tell?”

“I know the names of each and every one of you, as well as the names of every deceased loved one, and even the date of their death. There is one human who remembers—remembers very well. So, how about it? Do you want to test me?”

Silence once again spread through the night.

“Go back,” Shu Jun said sincerely. “Even if you seek personal revenge, I suggest you take care of your health before coming.”

“…I don’t believe…” After a long time, the young man at the front murmured. “I don’t believe in Zhu Yanchen, and I don’t believe in you. There is no guarantee for the future of synthetic humans…”

“So far, 17 cases of marriage between humans and synthetic humans have been recognized. After the descendants of synthetic humans receive gene therapy, the differences between them and humans will become increasingly minimal. In a few decades, the concept of ‘synthetic humans’ will indeed disappear—not eradicated, but rather you will live your lives well and your descendants will integrate smoothly into the normal human population.”

Then, the voice of the black wolf lowered.

“But if it had been before, the flames of war would have been ignited. The new human factions would try their best to wipe you out, seeking more resources and tranquility.”

“How could I not know that? But we simply can’t trust humans! If we don’t take the initiative and remain vigilant, what’s the difference between that and waiting to be slaughtered? As the former captain of the Blackbirds, do you truly believe the nonsense from humans?” The young man questioned with a tone of disbelief.

“Of course, I don’t believe it,” the black wolf flicked its tail and responded in a cunning tone. “That’s why I’ll protect everyone.”

“…But we don’t trust you either!”

The black wolf twitched its ears again and narrowed its eyes in amusement.

As the conversation went back and forth, the team fell into a stalemate. They were infuriated by the situation—a former captain of the Blackbirds stood before them, smiling and spouting nonsense, exuding a ruffian-like touch.

However, the difference in strength was too great; they couldn’t defeat Shu Jun, and they couldn’t stay stuck in the same dialogue either. After a few hours, the team returned to the inn in frustration and ordered five servings of pancakes with sauce, looking exhausted.

Command center, rooftop restaurant, the leader’s private room.

“Someone came again tonight?” Zhu Yanchen rubbed the tendrils of erosion on Shu Jun’s back—Shu Jun had arrived in a hurry and didn’t have time to retract all his tendrils, so they were still trembling in the air.

“Sorry for being late. Those young ones are too quick.” Shu Jun scratched his head with his claw. “Yesterday, Yu Jin overheard them discussing it on ‘the other side’, and today they came running here—they’re still staying at Uncle Pan’s inn. It’s fortunate that you placed the Synthetic Humans Liaison Department there; I caught them one by one.”

“You’ve worked hard.” Zhu Yanchen lightly kissed the corner of Shu Jun’s mouth. “Recently, Yu Jin also intercepted a few saboteurs near X City… Those emerging factions haven’t been very honest.”

“They need to be dealt with.”

“We can take this opportunity to compare tactics,” Zhu Yanchen stated earnestly.

“Alright, this time, I will definitely win against you.” Shu Jun lightly bit Zhu Yanchen’s lower lip with his sharp teeth as his eyes curved with a smile. “On another note, my esteemed Chief Advisor, since we made plans to have a meal, let’s discuss official matters later.”

With that said, he took out a bag of pancakes from his pocket. “While they’re still warm, let’s eat quickly. Uncle Pan specially prepared them, and the crust is still crispy.”

“Mm.”

“Wait, wait, A’Yan, hold on, don’t kiss… Since we’re going to compare tactics, do I have to come over again tomorrow?”

“Yes, I’ve already arranged the schedule in advance.”

“So, you planned this in advance? I suspect you just wanted to see me more.”

Zhu Yanchen curled his lips. “Of course.”

Shu Jun took a big bite of the pancake, feigning a look of hesitation. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep up the act for even five seconds before completely breaking character—Captain Shu swallowed the bite in his mouth, and his eyes sparkled with delight.

“Alright, A’Yan, see you tomorrow.”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 118: Birthday Gifts

Xu Kan sat in his favorite café for a long time.

As one grew older, the mind became less sharp than it was in youth. He had forgotten many things—he couldn’t remember when his wife had left, whether the accident had happened before or after his retirement. All he remembered was waking up and not seeing his wife anymore.

A blurry-faced doctor informed him that they had been in a car accident abroad and his wife had tragically passed away.

And his daughter… She was studying in another city. Unable to bear the pain of losing her mother, she had made up her mind to wander elsewhere. It had been a long time since she last came to see him, only occasional voice calls and brief videos.

Xu Kan touched his own hair—for someone approaching fifty, he still looked relatively young, with not many gray hairs and a sturdy physique. But when he calculated the time, his daughter was about to turn twenty-five.

Time passed so quickly.

From retiring from the Blackbirds to the occurrence of the accident, Xu Kan’s memories had become jumbled. However, over time, he gradually became accustomed to a life affected by the aftermath. His life wasn’t complicated—reading books, keeping up with the news, occasionally going to his favorite café to enjoy tea and coffee, exchanging a few words with strangers—and he was content.

Time had passed for too long, and his former comrades were scattered across the world, with only short greetings exchanged in writing.

The café was adorned with glass windows that were almost transparent to the point of nonexistence. The afternoon sunlight was warm and gentle. Xu Kan suddenly felt an inexplicable sadness. Everything in front of him seemed too unreal, and he felt disconnected from this scene.

He had thought about leaving this place, but every time he had that thought, his daughter’s messages would conveniently arrive, delicately expressing her hope that he would wait for her in their hometown. When he considered going to be with his daughter, she would always use the excuse of being busy with “studying and life.”

This year’s Reunion Festival, he couldn’t be sure if he would have to spend it through a video call. Xu Kan flipped through the book in his hand, unable to focus on a single word.

He had struggled for so many years in <Erosion>, but he had no one by his side. Today was his daughter’s birthday, and Xu Kan had deliberately chosen the best corner of the café, dressing up before leaving—just in case she had time for a video call, he wanted to be a cool father.

The café door opened, and the sound of high heels tapped on the floor. Xu Kan didn’t lift his head until those red high heels stopped in front of him.

“Dad,” the young woman said.

Xu Kan straightened up as if electrified and raised his head in disbelief.

After years of separation, his daughter’s appearance had become somewhat unfamiliar. She had exquisite makeup, a cold and sharp demeanor, and every movement she made was decisive. Xu Kan felt a bit dazed—his daughter seemed like a seasoned warrior.

“Dad, long time no see.” The woman sat across from him. “Do you like this surprise?”

A sour feeling surged in Xu Kan’s throat. “You little brat, you finally know to come back and visit your old man.”

Whether it was tears blurring his eyes or not, the woman’s expression instantly became complex—a mix of sadness and relief. She seemed sadder than him.

“…I found a job nearby, so it’s very convenient to see you from now on.” The woman sniffled. “You’ll probably find me annoying by then.”

Xu Kan wiped his face and let out a long breath. “My girl has grown up. Sijing, what kind of job did you find?”

The woman fell silent for a while. “Before we talk about that, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I changed my name, Dad. I don’t want to be… constantly bound by the past anymore, and you should let go too.”

Xu Kan was taken aback. “A perfectly good name, and you changed it just like that? Your mom—”

“‘Xia Jing’ definitely loved you. Now I can be sure that until she passed away, she never truly let go of you.” The woman took a deep breath. “But that’s all in the past, Dad. <Erosion> is closing down, and everything should come to an end.”

“Silly child, what are you saying? ‘Xia Jing’ was just the NPC name your mom was in charge of in <Erosion>. But since you don’t like it, well, that’s fine too. You’re grown up now and have your own thoughts… What name did you change to?”

“Xiaoxiao.” The woman curled her lips, her smile still tinged with a hint of sadness. “Dad, I became a doctor.”

This time, Xu Kan was even more stunned. He pondered for a while and then burst into laughter. “Indeed, you’re my daughter.”

“….?”

“I really like the name ‘Xiaoxiao’. Ah, it was back when I named you, wanting to commemorate my meeting with your mom… Maybe I should have called you ‘Xiaoxiao’ a long time ago. Don’t doubt it. Back when I was in <Erosion>, I met a very obedient little girl, and I gave her that name—”

Ai Xiaoxiao managed to maintain a smile, holding back her tears.

“I believe you,” she said. “…Dad.”

“Hm?”

“It’s nothing, I just wanted to call you that.”

“Oh, look at me, too caught up in talking. Now that you’re back, later I’ll take you to pick a gift. Whatever my girl wants, Dad will buy it for you, as a celebration for finding a good job.”

“I have something I want,” Ai Xiaoxiao said with reddened eyes. “Dad, can I take a photo with you? It’s been a long time since we… our family took a picture.”

Xu Kan was delighted, almost losing his bearings. He immediately stood up and shifted in his seat, making room in the best spot with sunlight. “Come, come, come. Dad couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The two of them squeezed into the corner of the café where the light was the strongest, closely huddled together, making the photo overflow with warmth.

“Dad.” Ai Xiaoxiao looked at Xu Kan frantically setting the screensaver and spoke with a hint of tears. “Thank you for the gift.”

“…I will accompany you for a lifetime.”

Two hours later, Ai Xiaoxiao stepped out of the hibernation pod. The photo remained in her database, and she projected it in the most prominent position in the medical hall.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you cry like this.” Seeing the other person shed tears, Xia Liang didn’t dare joke anymore. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.”

“That photo… um, the face on it is a bit different from yours. Are you sure you want to display it outside?”

“It’s just a virtual image. I’ll adjust the data gradually. His daughter never existed from the beginning, so there won’t be a problem.” Ai Xiaoxiao took a tissue and wiped her nose. After drying her tears, she looked at the hibernation pod beside her.

The real Xu Kan in the real world—a quiet, liquid-like organism—was sleeping peacefully. Its body had a bit more color, but its form remained largely unchanged.

After the war, she tried countless methods. With the assistance of the command center, she could cure humans severely affected by erosion, stabilize the synthesis of human DNA, and let them live healthy lives. However, she couldn’t save the synths who had completely lost their forms.

She could only let them live a normal human lifespan, nothing more.

Ai Xiaoxiao raised her head, observing the modified “Bellflower” working quietly. Once today passed, the machinery in the command center would officially stop running. Starting from today, more than a hundred people, including Xu Kan, would officially return to synth society.

Handling intelligence might be a bit troublesome, but fortunately, the current leader had an efficient assistant—Tang Heyu had become the head of the research institute in the command center, and the old man loved tinkering with these things.

“After all this effort, synths still prefer this setup.” Xia Liang took a sip of her drink. “With the improved environment, I thought they wouldn’t immerse themselves in the virtual world anymore.”

“These hundred-plus people can only live on ‘the other side’. For the remaining thirty thousand, this can be considered a kind of farewell.” Ai Xiaoxiao caressed the lid of the hibernation pod. “The construction of X City will take time, and returning to ‘that side’ can also be seen as a form of decompression activity.”

“True. At least this time, the game is a true game.” Xia Liang finished her drink and smacked her lips.

“…I was just about to ask, are you so free? I don’t have time to fool around with you. Go back quickly.”

“Don’t be mean. I don’t have to perform now.” Xia Liang feigned tears. “You’re my only friend for life. Can’t I come and visit you?”

“I know you don’t need to pretend, but now the Xia family is under your control, right?” Ai Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue. “Marshal Xia, if you continue to loaf around, Zhu Yanchen will definitely take you down.”

“Tsk. I’ve checked his schedule. Mr. Zhu is having a sweet date outside, so why can’t I come out to hang out—”

“Hang out?” Ai Xiaoxiao’s gaze instantly sharpened.

“Just come out for a stroll—a stroll.” Xia Liang smiled brighter than flowers. “Oh, it’s been over half a year. Why are they still so clingy! It’s outrageous, let me tell you—”

Xia Liang’s gossip didn’t reach the ears of the people involved.

Zhu Yanchen had his eyes blindfolded, sitting in the back seat with a bewildered expression. Shu Jun happily hummed a tune, almost causing the car to take off in place.

Most of the erosion had retreated underwater, and the eroded land gradually recovered. Wild grass gradually covered the ground, mice scurried around in the bushes, and colorful birds perched on branches. The sky was a brilliant blue without a trace of clouds, and all the colors seemed more vibrant.

But there was a cost—the ground beneath the tires was no longer soft muddy soil but uneven terrain. The car sped like a crazy dog, and Zhu Yanchen, despite his extensive battle experience, almost vomited from the dizziness.

Leader Zhu clutched his pocket in pain, struggling to maintain an upright posture. He missed the time when the two of them could freely fly, but unfortunately, Shu Jun was technically in hibernation, and the surrounding surveillance stations were dense. They had to travel in a conventional manner.

“We’re almost there,” Shu Jun comforted him. “I, uh, I drove a bit fast. A’Yan, bear with it for a few more minutes.”

“Mmgh…”

Finally, the car came to a stop. Zhu Yanchen lay in the back seat for a while in a position reminiscent of a coffin, then got up.

Shu Jun didn’t remove the blindfold, instead gripping Zhu Yanchen’s hand tightly and leading him forward. “A’Yan, on your last birthday, resources were limited, so I didn’t give you a gift… Do you remember?”

“I remember.” Zhu Yanchen’s voice was serious. “I remember very clearly.”

Shu Jun took a sharp breath. “Don’t make it sound like you’re holding a grudge, okay? Come, come, come, let me make up for the gift.”

He happily removed Zhu Yanchen’s blindfold, spreading his arms to showcase—

…A muddy field.

Zhu Yanchen’s gaze shifted from the left to the right of the field, then from the right to the left. He carefully examined it for a while, but only saw a large expanse of bare mud.

Shu Jun’s face twitched. He turned around in place, then carefully moved his body aside.

Just as Shu Jun moved, Zhu Yanchen’s gaze locked onto it—the center of the brown-black mud, two bellflowers bloomed. Whether it was the variety or the color, they resembled the ones they had raised in their childhood.

“I originally wanted to show you a field of flowers.” Shu Jun scratched his head in embarrassment. “Ai Xiaoxiao improved the seeds and shortened the growth period. I cleaned up the erosion from this area, but I failed because I lacked experience in planting… This thing isn’t as reliable as data in the virtual world, and in the end, only two plants survived.”

He stole a glance at Zhu Yanchen’s expression and cleared his throat on purpose. “If we replant another batch, your next birthday will have already passed! Then you’ll miss out on a gift for no reason. So, I…”

Shu Jun didn’t manage to finish his sentence.

Zhu Yanchen embraced his waist and kissed him earnestly. The kiss lasted long enough for Shu Jun to start making muffled sounds from his throat, and his hands became restless.

However, Zhu Yanchen firmly gripped his wrist.

“A’Yan?”

“I happen to have a gift too.” Zhu Yanchen released Shu Jun’s waist and took out a prepared small box from his pocket, handing it to Shu Jun with solemnity.

Shu Jun raised an eyebrow and opened the unremarkable box, then gasped—

Inside the box lay two rings in silence. The two rings were exactly the same in style, without any gemstone embellishments. One of the rings was entirely black, with a warm hue, while the other had been carefully polished and emitted a radiant white light.

Zhu Yanchen reached out and took the black one, wearing it on his left ring finger.

Shu Jun: “…”

Shu Jun: “Wait, what does this mean?”

“It’s a formal response,” Zhu Yanchen replied seriously. “Didn’t you confess to me in front of all the humans back then?”

“No, this…”

“You’re not agreeing?”

“It’s not a matter of agreeing or not!” Shu Jun picked up the ring, his expression somewhat dazed. “Is this it? Is it over? A’Yan, not to say anything, but when I confessed, I made a big scene—”

“Mm.” Zhu Yanchen carefully dug out the two bellflowers and headed towards the car.

“Hey, hey, why are you leaving? How could I possibly not agree? Even if we become an old married couple, we still need some sense of ceremony—”

“Come with me.” This time, Zhu Yanchen got into the driver’s seat and glanced at Shu Jun. “I won’t blindfold you.”

The car started, and it was a long journey once again. Zhu Yanchen drove the car extremely steadily, while Shu Jun gazed at the ring on his ring finger throughout the entire journey, occasionally murmuring to himself. Eventually, he fell asleep.

When the car stopped silently, Shu Jun woke up in a daze, with the sound of waves rolling into his ears.

On the cliff by the seaside stood a beautiful small house. Judging from its style and paint, the house was probably recently built. Monday proudly stood by the seaside, its size having grown significantly, almost matching the size of the house.

Shu Jun guessed most of it in his heart and quietly followed behind Zhu Yanchen. He mentally prepared himself, but when the door opened, he still almost exclaimed in surprise—

The interior decoration and items in the house were almost identical to their home on “the other side”.

“When the reconstruction of Y City was nearing completion, I secretly modified a few construction machines,” Zhu Yanchen said softly as he placed the two bellflowers into an empty flowerpot and put it on a sunny windowsill. “I restored the furniture and electrical appliances one by one… with the help of Mr. Tang and the others. In short…”

His voice grew smaller, and he spun the black ring on his finger round and round.

“I had Ai Xiaoxiao examine my body. Part of my body is sustained by erosion, and it will age, but the process will become very slow.” It seemed like he had made a decision, and his voice became clear again. “Shu Jun, we can still be with each other for a long time. In another ten years, when I step down from my position as the leader, this place will be our…”

His ears turned red, and his voice took another roller coaster-like dip.

“…Our home.”

Shu Jun covered his eyes with his hand and suddenly laughed. “I was wondering what it was… A’Yan, with your proposal turning out like this, could it be that you’re shy?”

“It’s true that I’m a bit nervous,” Zhu Yanchen admitted with a serious expression.

“This isn’t just nervousness; we call it being shy.” Shu Jun decisively took off the ring and removed the one from Zhu Yanchen’s finger. “Come on, let me demonstrate—A’Yan, marry me. Next year, I will definitely make the flower field happen.”

Zhu Yanchen’s expression became somewhat subtle. Before he could speak, Shu Jun continued in rapid succession, “If you don’t want to marry, it’s okay. Just marry me.”

“Ten years, right? By then, I’ll retire with you. As for during work, this place is a great vacation spot. Mm, it would also be suitable for holding a wedding. We can have a belated celebration then.”

With that said, Shu Jun narrowed his eyes and kissed the back of Zhu Yanchen’s hand. “So, what do you say? Will you spend the rest of your life with me?”

Zhu Yanchen pursed his lips, gently prying Shu Jun’s hand open. He reclaimed his own ring, swiftly slipped it back onto his finger, and carefully put the white wedding ring on Shu Jun’s finger.

“Of course,” Zhu Yanchen said with utmost solemnity.

“It’s a pity we don’t have any food; otherwise, we could have cooked a meal. Ah, right, there’s food in the car. Let’s go and get it.” Shu Jun waved his hand with the ring, lowering his voice. “After we finish eating… we need to test the bedding here. The backseat of the car is too narrow.”

Zhu Yanchen’s gaze remained fixated on the ring, and he lifted his head, revealing an incredibly satisfied smile.

However, they weren’t the only ones hungry.

Seeing its two guardians at the door, Monday couldn’t contain its excitement, opening its mouth, eagerly waiting for some erosion candies. But those two scoundrels entered the house and started talking to themselves, completely ignoring it.

Monday’s anticipation gradually turned into anger.

It extended one of its erosion tendrils, sneaked onto the balcony, and began chewing the leaves of the two bellflowers one by one. Chewing here, biting there, it was quite satisfied.

On that day, the observers at the coastal monitoring station reported that the newborn Sigma emitted a loud scream for unknown reasons. Shortly after, the scream turned into a whimper of grievance. After a wave of chewing sound waves passed, the whimper transformed into contented murmurs.

What happened to the newborn Sigma that day remains a mystery to this day.

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The author has something to say:

The main story has come to an end (:D 」∠)

This is my first attempt at writing a story of this length, and the pacing was faster than before. I learned a lot from this experience and also stumbled into some pitfalls (?) I will take the lessons and continue to work hard! XD

Lastly, I apologize for the significant delay in updates due to my recent health issues. (:з」∠)

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Kinky Thoughts:

This marks the end of the main story. If you like the author, I have done other works by her (Stray, Happy Doomsday, and Evil As Humans) that you should check out. I highly recommend Stray, as that is the work I discovered her from.

It seems that Nian Zhong tried a new writing style with Access Denied. I can’t say if I like it or not. Compared to her other work, this one I felt was too rushed, and many things were glossed over and smoothly resolved within a few paragraphs (very unlike her other work where plotlines are slowly developed).

I also think due to this, character development (especially for the side characters) wasn’t very fleshed out. Having read her other works, this certainly had a different style that I can’t say I like.

Overall, I did like the story, though not as much as her other works. The story was quite action-packed and definitely a page-turner. I just wish things were more detailed and developed more slowly. I could’ve read over 50 chapters just about their childhood past. I’m a sucker for childhood sweethearts.

Nevertheless, if you enjoyed it, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. I used Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

I would also like to thank everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations. It in part fuels my motivation to release so frequently and try to finish this novel as soon as possible.

With that, there are still a few extras left.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

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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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 116: Leader

Zhu Sheng gazed at the flooded square, remaining silent for a long time.

“Xia Liang, Ai Xiaoxiao… The Old Fourth, and your subordinates have performed quite well.” The old man diverted the topic. “Looking at this war, they are all your people, right? The Old Fourth, a non-governmental organization, has achieved such influence. I thought it was the work of the Tang family.”

“I intend to reconcile with the synthetic humans.” Zhu Yanchen didn’t let Zhu Sheng steer the conversation. “I hope you are prepared for that.”

“For the sake of Shu Jun? You should know the cost of reconciliation. Y City has just suffered a disaster, the city is destroyed, and people are in panic. In the coming years, the economic situation will only get worse. Reconciliation with the synthetics will inevitably require substantial compensation—manpower for their ongoing treatment, money and resources for their livelihood. Every aspect is difficult to handle.”

Yu Jin felt a surge of anger and was about to speak, but Zhu Sheng’s gaze pierced through him like a knife.

“That is the price humans should pay—is that what you’re saying? Let me tell you with certainty, the main force of the synthetics remains intact. Not to mention them taking advantage of the situation, even if they make reasonable demands, it is enough to cause famine, poverty, and years of suffering for the human side.”

Yu Jin was stunned. Having lived in the settlement for so long, he knew more than anyone the taste of poverty and chaos. Even though he stood on the side of the synthetics, his throat suddenly felt stuffed, rendering him unable to utter a word.

“We failed to control the player system, and that is indeed a cost. When it comes to morality and interests, if it were so easy to choose, Y City wouldn’t have ended up like this.” Zhu Sheng looked back at Zhu Yanchen. “Zhu Yanchen, have you truly thought this through?”

“If something is built on deceit and exploitation, there will inevitably be hidden dangers behind it.” Zhu Yanchen suddenly uttered a phrase that wasn’t quite colloquial, causing Zhu Sheng to be slightly startled.

“You never taught me these things while Big Brother was still alive. If I remember correctly, we rarely spoke.” Despite Zhu Sheng pressing him relentlessly, Zhu Yanchen didn’t show any signs of anger. He was terrifyingly calm. “This is the first thing you’ve taught me since I entered politics.”

“The suppression weapons can quickly disperse the Erosion Swamp. Judging from the current situation, the newly born Sigma doesn’t harbor much hostility towards humans and can also help us evacuate the erosion zones. With proper arrangements, we can quickly regain control of the city’s surrounding lands… After eliminating the erosion zone, most of the work can be handled by machinery. That is the first point.”

“Ai Xiaoxiao has achieved good results in erosion treatment. If Shu Jun, who possesses the ‘Suppression’ ability, is willing to continue cooperating, the cost of healing the synthetics won’t be too high. In a way, synthetics are severely eroded humans. The methods used to treat them can also be applied to treat the settlement residents. That is the second point.”

“Lastly, once the synthetics are rid of the erosion substance within their bodies, their anomalous abilities will also disappear. Even if their DNA has been modified, as long as they can successfully conceive offspring, merging with humans is only a matter of time. Temporary conflict cannot be avoided, but long-term risks will cease to exist.”

Yu Jin listened intently, feeling a sense of being deceived and dissatisfied. When he initially volunteered for the war, it was truly out of righteousness. Who would have thought that Marshal Zhu, as a leader, would have such calculated schemes.

‘Shu Jun couldn’t really be deceived. No wonder Zhu Yanchen wanted Hu Yan to take him away first,’ Yu Jin thought with a wooden expression.

At this moment, Zhu Yanchen had no time to pay attention to Yu Jin’s thoughts. He continued calmly, “Your judgment is correct. In the next few years, even a decade, life for humans will not be easy. But we must break before we can rebuild. We have the power and resources to start anew, and the road ahead is clear… Reconciliation is a more reasonable choice than a desperate attempt to find a temporary solution.”

“You’re quite clear-headed,” Zhu Sheng said indifferently, “but you missed a crucial point—Shu Jun is no longer a synthetic human, is he?”

Zhu Yanchen’s expression briefly faltered.

“Being able to resist monsters like Sigma and command the erosion substance, he appears more like an Erosion Swamp. Even if the synthetic humans lose their abilities, having such a monster standing against us, can humans truly develop peacefully? …After learning the truth, he can set aside his hatred and cooperate with you, showing no mercy toward Luo Duan. This kind of person understands priorities, can endure, and can be said to be the most dangerous opponent.”

With that, he stared intently at Zhu Yanchen. “As his collaborator, you should be more aware—”

“I will watch over him,” Zhu Yanchen said in a low voice. “The suppression weapons also work on him… I will watch over him and ensure that a new war will not break out.”

The old man raised his eyebrows slowly.

“I will continue to act as the new leader until the situation stabilizes.”

“You will step down one day.”

“I trust him.”

“Trust? As a leader, trust is the most—”

“I love him,” Zhu Yanchen interrupted Zhu Sheng.

Zhu Sheng’s expression momentarily froze. In those short seconds, he was no longer the intimidating old man but more like a bewildered father. His hand trembled slightly, almost dropping the cane he held. The guards inside the room had remained silent all along and couldn’t help but shudder at this moment.

“He is my lover, and we have been together for a long time. Shu Jun dares to fight against Sigma with all his might, not because of his profound power, but because he believes in me—believes that I won’t take advantage of the situation or betray his expectations.”

“You… him…”

“Father, you have chosen the path of purely calculating interests, while I want to add something else to the equation. Whether you think it is naive or foolish…”

Zhu Yanchen took a step forward, his expression turning colder.

“According to your rules, I have won. My approach is the most ‘correct’, nothing more.”

“Mm.”

Zhu Sheng remained stunned for a long time, and a profound smile gradually appeared on his face. “I see, I see… I understand your meaning. If I were to lead the three families and persist in not reconciling, you would never compromise, both publicly and privately.”

“Yes.”

Yu Jin finally understood. Ai Xiaoxiao’s research, the Old Fourth’s control over the settlement, the cooperation of the new Sigma, and Shu Jun’s goodwill… Without Zhu Yanchen, all these bargaining chips would disappear. For Y City, the future would only be a mutually destructive war.

And as excellent commanders, Zhu Yanchen and Xia Liang were bound not to participate in the war.

For someone else who only cared about seizing power, regardless of the life and death of the people, such a battle might still be possible.

But that person was Zhu Sheng.

“You’re still too young, my son.” Zhu Sheng chuckled and shook his head, his expression still complex. “After persuading me, you plan to… imprison me and give an account to the people and synthetic humans, right?”

Zhu Yanchen sighed softly.

“At this stage of the player system’s development, I am the person with the greatest responsibility who is still alive, and I am also the culprit behind this situation. This idea is reasonable. As the leader, I failed to control the system and didn’t discover Sigma’s existence in time; indeed, this was a dereliction of duty, but…”

“But?”

Zhu Sheng tightened his grip on the cane in his hand and turned his gaze towards the flooded square. He didn’t directly answer Zhu Yanchen’s question; instead, he waved his hand to the trusted aides and guards in the room. “All of you, leave.”

“Zhu Lao, this…”

“Leave.” Zhu Sheng tapped the floor with the tip of his cane. “That person from the settlement can stay.”

Yu Jin hesitated for a moment but remained in place, feeling at a loss.

“The hatred of synthetic humans is not so easily resolved.” In the spacious room, now with only three people, Zhu Sheng’s voice echoed. “Shu Jun’s people didn’t participate in this war, didn’t personally kill anyone to vent their anger, and Luo Duan’s destruction cannot appease their fury… With Shu Jun’s methods, he might be able to suppress it. But for ordinary people, that hatred is still too dangerous.”

Zhu Yanchen furrowed his brow slowly.

“Imprisoning the person with the greatest responsibility? Letting humans judge themselves? Do you really think they will accept such a thing from the bottom of their hearts? Since you’ve decided to watch over that monster Shu Jun, don’t put too much pressure on him. Choose the best path for humans and choose it beautifully.”

Zhu Sheng walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a pistol.

“The ringleader must pay the price in blood.” His tone remained calm. “If I die, the hatred of the synthetic humans will find another outlet, and the old folks of the three families will give up their illusions. With your abilities, reshuffling the power structure wouldn’t be difficult. Exchanging an old man’s life for this situation is quite a deal.”

However, just as Zhu Sheng pressed the gun against his temple, Zhu Yanchen took a step forward, approaching quickly.

“What’s the matter? Do you still have something to say?”

Zhu Yanchen placed his hand on the gun and slowly pried open Zhu Sheng’s fingers. He snatched the gun away and threw it aside.

Then Zhu Yanchen returned to his original position and drew his own sidearm.

“…You didn’t want your subordinates to see you commit suicide, so you sent them away, right?” Zhu Yanchen’s face remained expressionless.

He raised his arm, aiming the gun steadily at Zhu Sheng.

“Marshal Zhu, hold on! Hold on, hold on! That’s your own father!” Yu Jin became anxious. “What do you mean by this?”

Zhu Sheng remained silent, making no resistance, and even closed his eyes.

“I don’t hate you,” Zhu Yanchen suddenly said. “You were not a qualified father, nor could you become an excellent leader. Even so, you shouldn’t have chosen ‘suicide out of fear’ as your ending.”

The old man opened his eyes, his expression somewhat surprised.

“I respect your judgment. But even though I am young, I am not so young as to refuse to bear any consequences. I ignited this war, and I initiated the revolution. I haven’t become so fragile as to let you shoulder all the weight alone.”

Yu Jin slowly withdrew his hand from Zhu Yanchen’s arm, his eyes slightly reddened. Zhu Yanchen, pale as a statue, held his hand steady.

“With the people from the command center by your side, you should have heard about the source of the Erosion Swamp’s abilities.” Zhu Yanchen took a few deep breaths.  His voice and hand were equally steady, and his tone resembled casual conversation. “Do you know why Shu Jun possesses the ‘Suppression’ ability? I couldn’t sleep at the time, and he just wanted me to sleep better. He is that kind of person. I have never regretted falling in love with him, not even for a second… I’m doing well, father.”

The muscles on Zhu Sheng’s face twitched a few times, showing a rare expression of vulnerability, and a barely noticeable sense of relief appeared in his gaze. He gazed at Zhu Yanchen like that for a while, then closed his eyes again with an expression more relaxed than ever before.

“I will take care of this city. Please rest assured.”

“I will explain everything to Tang Lao.”

“…Goodnight.”

The sound of a gunshot echoed.

During the war, the media didn’t perish, and news spread faster than the wind.

On the day the chaos ended, Zhu Yanchen stormed into Zhu Sheng’s office in the command center and shot his own biological father, who insisted on implementing the player system and finding a substitute for him.

With the former leader dead, this new leader bypassed the handover procedure and took control of the United Government with an extremely firm stance. The three families condemned this crime that occurred in broad daylight, but without Zhu Sheng as the backbone, public sentiment descended into chaos, and the protests failed to gain momentum.

Zhu Yanchen and his subordinates had just saved the entire city, and the dissatisfaction of the people towards the three families was at its peak, making it easy to suppress public opinion. Less than three days after the war ended, Zhu Yanchen announced the post-war development policy.

“To prevent the tragedy from recurring and restore social order as soon as possible, the United Government will engage in negotiations with the synthetic humans.”

The people on the square had just been resettled. This war was nothing short of a natural disaster, and their gazes still held confusion.

“Regarding the beginning and end of this war, I will provide a public explanation in due course.”

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The author has something to say:

Synthetic humans cannot simply coexist peacefully with humans. This story cannot have a fairytale ending. The fact that there was no mutual destruction is the result of a compromise between Shu Jun and Marshal Zhu.

Some friends speculated whether they would retire… It’s true that they can’t retire. The mess on the human side is too big, and others can’t take over. And as the synopsis already mentioned, Marshal Zhu is the highest commander, so how can he retire? XD

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Kinky Thoughts:

It’s easy to hate Zhu Sheng, but in terms of the decisions he had to make, it’s not really black and white. He doesn’t have the almighty Shu Jun by his side. Without Shu Jun, I doubt Zhu Yanchen could make a lesser sacrificial decision. Besides, he wasn’t motivated by power but to maximize humanity’s survival (no matter what the sacrifice or cost is).

If they had made synthetic humans not resemble humans, I think the moral burden behind it would be significantly less. After all, these are considered weapons. But to give weapons sentience and feelings and emotions, well, that comes with a bunch of ethical issues.

In the end he offered himself as a scapegoat to take most of the blame and hate from both humans and synthetics which would allow Zhu Yanchen firmer control of the government, though Zhu Yanchen refused to let him shoulder it all, choosing to kill him himself rather than letting him commit suicide.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 115: When the Rain Stops

At the moment when Monday started spewing water, Luo Duan left Sigma’s body.

It was an extremely painful process. For all these days, Luo Duan hadn’t eaten, relying solely on the energy provided by Sigma to survive. Completely detaching from its body was like a plant uprooting itself from the ground.

His feet didn’t revert to their original state; they directly transformed into two pools of erosion. With the support of the water flow, Luo Duan managed to stay upright without falling.

He saw Shu Jun detach from inside Sigma and crash into the water with a relaxed expression. At that moment, Luo Duan realized one thing clearly—Sigma had lost, and he had lost his most powerful weapon.

He felt neither anger nor despair, or rather, he couldn’t even find the initial fiery anger within him. Both pain and hatred carried a heavy dullness, as if covered in thick moss.

‘How strange,’ Luo Duan thought. He had expected his emotions to be more complex when witnessing such a scene.

Luo Duan raised one hand as the torrential downpour of erosion intensified. Murky water surged, forming enormous waves that knocked down one person after another who couldn’t maintain their balance. The rushing water continued to impact the mounds of soil and rocks at the edge of the deep pit, intending to submerge everyone hiding in the fortifications within.

Several wind blades flew past as Luo Duan controlled the water column, lifting himself higher.

“Being in Sigma for so long, you still have strength remaining. Impressive.” Luo Duan’s voice was steady, as if engaged in casual conversation.

Shu Jun used wind to lift himself up and barely stayed face-to-face with Luo Duan. Luo Duan wasn’t wrong—suppressing Sigma had drained Shu Jun of his physical and mental strength. He had very little energy left, even to conceal it.

The water catastrophe on the ground showed no signs of stopping. The turbid water surged faster and faster, and a massive whirlpool took shape. The downpour was so relentless that everyone’s heads remained lowered. Within Luo Duan’s sight, hundreds of pale bodies floated up to the surface, bobbing up and down with the water current.

“Let me tell you what will happen next. Even if you can reveal all the suffering of the synthetics publicly, these people won’t understand. They will only remember me and everything I brought. These people don’t even empathize with their fellow beings outside the city, so why would they care about us?”

Luo Duan took a step back, turned his head, and evaded several wind blades.

“What’s this? Planning to lecture me about morality?” Shu Jun forced a smile. “That’s unlike you.”

“I’m on the verge of death, that’s all. My body has become like this, and without Sigma, I won’t survive for long. I just wanted to warn you, if you’re hoping for reconciliation and coexistence… I’m telling you clearly, it’s impossible, at least not in this generation.”

“It seems like you don’t have any standing to care about the remaining people,” Shu Jun said without mincing words. “I’ve said before, I only intend to do whatever it takes to keep them alive, without thinking too much about it. By the way, if you stop now, maybe I can still find a way to save you.”

Luo Duan chuckled briefly. “Compassion for your compatriot?”

“You always like to bring things to the emotional side, but romance won’t win wars.” Shu Jun sighed. “Lao Luo, if you stop right now, I will take you back and discuss the punishment for ‘killing team members and plotting against your compatriots’. As for the humans… Having you in my grasp would serve as a certain kind of deterrence.”

“…Actually, I’ve been thinking all along, you’re crazier than me. Look at our positions. The heavens really know how to play tricks on people.”

Luo Duan shook his head. This time, he created a water shield to counter the frontal assault and neutralize the weakening force of Shu Jun’s wind. If things continued like this, he wouldn’t need to dodge anymore.

“Shu Jun, I won’t stop. How many of them have died? Tens of thousands out of millions, that’s not enough, far from enough.”

Shu Jun remained silent, his expression complex.

“But in this way, I can be at ease.” Luo Duan’s tone suddenly changed. “You really didn’t involve others in this war. That’s good. You haven’t reached the point of obeying humans to the extent of losing your sanity.”

Shu Jun stared intently into his eyes without responding.

Luo Duan’s killings were silent. More accurately, leveraging his advantage in abilities, his destructive power was on par with Sigma. Under their feet, cries for help and wails of despair echoed, and Shu Jun pursed his lips.

The air was cold and thick, permeated with the unique bitterness and stench of the battlefield. The whirlpool beneath them grew larger and larger, threatening to engulf the entire square. Another moment of silence passed, and Shu Jun launched another sudden attack. However, his power was running low, and Luo Duan easily dissipated the onslaught by shifting his position.

“Everything is different from what I imagined.” Amidst the towering water vapor, Luo Duan’s pale skin gradually peeled off, and black erosion seeped from his wounds. “I thought the scene would be more tragic, the revenge more satisfying… I thought you would maintain your previous leadership posture and say a few more words to me.”

“Should we slow things down a bit, maybe even shout ourselves hoarse?” Shu Jun tugged at the corners of his mouth but couldn’t manage to smile. “You made a good point—our positions really don’t align. In simple terms, I’m even more pessimistic than you.”

“Your body has limited endurance, and Sigma didn’t fill you with too much negative information. But I’ve been fed the whole package, seen things I should and shouldn’t have, and I can’t forget… I understand better than anyone else that humans won’t understand, won’t care, and won’t play the game of equal coexistence. Even if there are conscious humans, they definitely don’t make up the majority. At this stage of collective confrontation, deterrence is more effective than empathy.”

“I don’t believe in humans. I only believe in one specific person. Because of that person, I can let go of some defenses and consider an outcome other than mutual destruction.”

“I seek revenge for one person, and you forgive for one person. After all this talk, we are somewhat similar.”

Shu Jun didn’t answer directly. He just sighed heavily and reached out his hand again. “Stop now. I can still take you away.”

Luo Duan didn’t move.

Shu Jun looked at him sorrowfully—his former formidable opponent was now almost unrecognizable. Luo Duan was covered in wounds, with countless erosion oozing from his injuries, as if his entire body was melting. He fought desperately, driven by the water, but the exertion of his power only accelerated the collapse of his body.

Seeing no sign of a response, Shu Jun withdrew his hand, and this time the silence lasted longer than ever before.

“I haven’t forgiven them.” After an unknown time, Shu Jun spoke again. “I’m just very fortunate—that person I believe in happens to have the power to change the situation.”

Having said that, Shu Jun repeated slowly.

“I’m just luckier than you.”

Luo Duan couldn’t reply.

The sadness in Shu Jun’s eyes was too heavy, and he quickly realized the source of that sadness—his chest had been blasted open, and his body was rapidly dissolving into erosion, like ice melting in boiling water.

…Right, there seemed to be one missile left.

How straightforward, he thought. This war was truly nothing like what he imagined, devoid of any sense of heroism from beginning to end.

He mechanically killed, and humans died carelessly, without the sublimation of pain or the satisfaction he envisioned. Even in his death, he was simply shot down like a bird.

The world went from clear to blurry, then to darkness, all in an instant.

The wind held up Luo Duan’s body, preventing him from falling. It grew colder around him, and his ears felt as if submerged in water, with all sounds fading away.

No wonder Shu Jun, barely able to move, still came specially to launch some useless attacks—it was to adjust his position, to make himself more easily targeted. That hand that reached out just now was likely his last chance.

His last chance?

Since the moment he descended upon his compatriots, ready to strike, he no longer had the right to any chances.

Luo Duan summoned his final strength and struggled twice, shifting his body to free himself from the wind’s support. Falling, his body completely shattered into erosion, raining down along with the raindrops.

On the other side of the square.

Zhu Yanchen left the smoking mech cannon; his clothes were soaked in sweat. He let out a long breath and turned his gaze to the stunned Hu Yan and Yu Jin.

Hu Yan had originally intended to come and demand answers, but now Shu Jun was alive, and chaos seemed to be ending. It didn’t seem appropriate for him, a synthetic human general, to be standing on the rooftop of the human command center at this moment.

“Take Shu Jun away from here.” Hu Yan was still pondering his opening words when Zhu Yanchen, exhausted, spoke up. “Don’t go to the settlement area, don’t let any humans come into contact with him, not even the people from the Old Fourth. He needs rest now, and the environment must be safe.”

“Oh, okay,” Hu Yan responded dazedly.

“Hurry. Someone will come up here soon, and Shu Jun won’t last much longer either,” Zhu Yanchen said with a rare sense of urgency in his voice. “Quickly!”

Startled by his shout, Hu Yan extended the stone platform immediately. The military on the square was still busy rescuing people from the flooded areas and had no time to pay attention to this audacious synthetic human. Zhu Yanchen’s judgment was quite accurate. Just as Hu Yan reached Shu Jun’s side, Shu Jun dispersed the wind, causing his entire body to collapse.

“What about A’Yan?” Shu Jun mumbled in a dazed state after he steadied himself on the stone platform, clearly having exhausted a considerable amount of energy.

“He’s fine.” Hu Yan quickly picked up rubble from the ruins and swiftly headed towards the outskirts of the city. “He told me to take you away quickly.”

Shu Jun didn’t say anything. He let out a heavy sigh, and the sadness on his face not only didn’t dissipate but deepened.

“Since this is what he wants,” he muttered, “…Let’s go.”

“W-Why, shouldn’t we stay?” Hearing the strange tone in Shu Jun’s voice, Hu Yan almost hit the brakes on the spot.

However, Shu Jun had already fallen asleep.

Hu Yan spun in place for a few rounds, let out a sigh, and ultimately started walking towards the hiding place in the dense fog.

After sending away Hu Yan, Zhu Yanchen didn’t bother to dismiss Yu Jin. He simply gestured for Yu Jin to follow. Yu Jin stood dumbfounded on the square for a long time before he finally snapped out of it.

“Aren’t you… Aren’t you going to help with the disaster? Is it okay?” Yu Jin stuttered, his tongue twisting.

“With the current situation, my subordinates can handle it.” Zhu Yanchen’s mood wasn’t particularly high. “Let’s go. I have more urgent matters to attend to.”

“But… But can’t it wait until we finish cleaning up? Maybe you should take a break first. Your complexion—”

“We must strike while the iron is hot. If we wait for the situation to stabilize, it’ll be too late.”

Yu Jin reluctantly entered the command center. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that he would set foot in this building one day. And not only did he come here, but he was also brought along by a synthetic human. As he caught the gaze of the heavily armed soldiers in the hallway, his heart palpitated with guilt.

The command center was in no better shape than the square. The development of the war was too bizarre, and even though the command center was filled with experts, their mental state was no better than that of the civilians.

Zhu Yanchen’s destination wasn’t far. He swiftly pushed open the door and walked straight into the room. When Yu Jin saw the person by the window clearly, he almost sat down on the ground.

Zhu Sheng stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the scene on the square. When he heard the noise, he slowly turned around.

“So, you’ve come to find me. Your reaction speed is quite good, worthy of being my son.” The old man’s tone was quite plain. “It was you who told Shu Jun to leave immediately… Truly leak-proof, not giving us old folks any time at all.”

“Leave you time to prepare for the war? With such a huge loophole in the player system, the three major families will be scrambling to clean up the mess—there’s no more effective way to shift the blame.”

Yu Jin was confused for a while but gradually began to understand—this time, one of the main reasons why Luo Duan rushed to attack was because the humans were ill-prepared. Now that the humans had the suppression weapons, the command center could easily reinforce them with a little time.

The situation in Y City was already dire, and it was easy to add fuel to the fire. Incite the citizens with a wave of hatred and make them hate the synths. Once people’s attention was diverted, the management oversights of the three major families could be swept under the rug, big or small.

With the suppression weapons, the United Government could even keep the player system and shift their focus to high-pressure management of the new-generation synthetic humans.

Yu Jin suddenly felt a chill, and shortly after, he almost immediately realized.

Before things spiraled out of control, Zhu Yanchen was preparing to take the initiative.

…He seemed to have stumbled into a genuine power struggle, the kind that would be written into history.

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The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: Heavy-hearted.

Marshal: Heavy-hearted.

Only Monday is happily running around in the wilderness (…

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 114: Cloudy Water

Monday was feeling confused.

To be fair, it had been doing quite well lately. Ai Xiaoxiao had been focused on studying medicine and no longer bothered it; she even gave it delicious erosion candies. Monday loved the taste so much that with just one bite, its soul trembled—if it had a soul, that is.

Since following Shu Jun, it had cut through various Erosion Swamps, absorbing a lot of information, and its mind had become clearer. Monday was shocked to discover that, if it set aside the initial unpleasantness with Shu Jun and Ai Xiaoxiao, it was living an ideal life in the animal world—plenty of food, minimal responsibilities, and the freedom to sleep without worrying about being eaten by enemies.

Monday didn’t possess the concept of “self-esteem” or “racial honor”. Other creatures in the Erosion Marsh may be stronger, but they carried the scent of this “other species” called humans. Their thoughts were fragmented, their habits peculiar, and everywhere they exuded a sense of disharmony. In the vastness of the world, Monday had yet to encounter another Erosion Swamp creature like itself, let alone seek revenge on these individuals who weren’t even considered its own kind.

It also didn’t understand why Sigma insisted on pursuing humans when life by the seaside was so carefree. It particularly enjoyed Ai Xiaoxiao’s imitation seawater, turning its entire body into a floating paradise.

However, thinking was a tiring task, and Monday was too lazy to delve deeper into Sigma’s thoughts. After weighing the pros and cons for itself, it decisively decided to put the unpleasantness aside and enjoy this hard-earned, wonderful swamp life.

How great it was to eat mutant beast meat in the morning, sample some regular Erosion Swamp at noon, and have a couple of erosion candies in the evening. It wasn’t greedy at all, and Shu Jun didn’t give it a hard time. He even stroked its back.

Enough information, no more learning. Wasn’t its lack of interest obvious enough? Why should it suffer now?

As it thought and thought, Monday let out a fake cry a couple of times, but the culprit beside it remained unmoved.

“No!” Monday continued to scream.

“What’s wrong? Don’t want this information?”

Shu Jun’s suppression ability hadn’t stopped. Monday only knew how to mumble and pretend to be upset. The fire in its heart ignited a bit—while it and Shu Jun argued a bit, outside was a state of war. Shu Jun didn’t care much about the life and death of humans, but if there were too many unnecessary sacrifices, it would be difficult for him and Zhu Yanchen once the war was over.

“Huge, change. Troublesome.” Monday still refused to listen, struggling to utter the words. “Too, difficult. Not, hungry. Not, worth, it.”

“…” Rarely did this creature speak such a long sentence, and its content was truly disappointing. Shu Jun was momentarily speechless. Monday was even more realistic than he had imagined, without even a hint of ambition.

“No, want, be, influenced, by, information,” it continued bravely. “Humans, none, of, my, business.”

“Oh…” Shu Jun gritted his teeth. “Too lazy to care.”

Monday made several agreeing sounds, expressing its approval.

“That’s simple.” Shu Jun, almost exhausted from the suppression, had to negotiate with this stubborn creature, and it took great effort to maintain a friendly tone. “You first control it, go to the seaside, and disperse the remaining brains.”

“Tsk.” Monday was clearly dissatisfied.

“Indeed, once you merge with it, you will inevitably become a large Erosion Swamp and cannot revert back.” Shu Jun’s mind raced. “But once you gain control, you can give direct orders to the Erosion Swamps, just like me. Individual brains have low intelligence. As long as you divide them finely enough and squeeze out enough water, they won’t gather again… This way, by dispersing the brains, you won’t retain Sigma’s size either.”

If he personally controlled Sigma, he could only live as a huge Erosion Swamp. But Monday was different. That seemingly useless spitting ability had now become a guarantee for normal life.

“When I used you as a sword, I estimated it.” Considering Monday’s infuriating way of speaking, Shu Jun didn’t plan to give it too many opportunities to speak. “If Sigma compressed like you did before, it would probably only be as tall as a three-story building. If you discard the brains and separate out some erosion, you can control your body to the size of a bungalow. In that case, we can afford to keep you.”

Monday had already taken control of the erosion in the surrounding area. It made a long humming sound, lost in thought.

“If you’re willing, based on pure strength, you will become second only to me. Even if you want to run away on your own, there won’t be anything that can threaten you.”

“Candy…”

Shu Jun nearly rolled his eyes.

“Since I made this trip, I will get the recipe from Ai Xiaoxiao and have Zhu Yanchen make erosion candies for you.”

Monday pondered for a few more minutes, then with a solemn “okay”, it displayed a serious attitude.

With its innate wildness and Shu Jun’s assistance, Monday’s dominance in battle began to overwhelm. As a natural Erosion Swamp, whether in terms of invasion speed, categorizing, or controlling erosion, excluding the tricks, Monday’s techniques were several times more adept than Shu Jun himself.

How many hours had passed? How many days?

Shu Jun exhausted all his strength, tirelessly supporting Monday. Finally, the flow of erosion within Sigma gradually calmed down. The neural strands were threaded together by Monday, sticking close to its body. Shu Jun retracted his power and didn’t notice any signs of rejection.

Success.

While Shu Jun was savoring this heavy victory, the erosion around him suddenly condensed tightly—just as Monday gained control over Sigma, it eagerly twisted its body and started to discharge water on the spot.

Taking advantage of the erosion not yet solidifying, Shu Jun quickly climbed out of Sigma’s body. With Monday’s twist, the expelled water nearly formed a flood, scattering the human troops in disarray. The water mixed with erosion was particularly thick, akin to the Dead Sea, causing the injured lying flat to float on its surface.

Shu Jun: “…”

He was about to advise Monday, but he didn’t expect it to have any intention of staying a moment longer. It relentlessly squeezed out water while adjusting its form. Influenced by Sigma’s own information, the things it transformed into made people feel uncomfortable no matter how they looked—

Monday didn’t have many images in its mind. It transformed itself into an unusually large sword, with a dozen skinny human arms protruding from either side of the blade. Compared to Sigma, this Erosion Swamp looked barren, and the texture of its surface increasingly resembled the hard shell of an insect.

Shu Jun suddenly had an exceptionally ominous premonition.

Sure enough, once Monday adjusted its form, it immediately clumsily propped up its body and dashed towards the sea, its movements resembling a certain type of insect. Just as Shu Jun jumped off the sword, that thing disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a square that had almost turned into a pond.

After blowing bubbles for a while, Shu Jun silently floated up from the water and let himself drift on the water’s surface.

Although most people hadn’t realized it yet, the war could be considered over. Given the situation that unfolded in the end, Shu Jun decided to take half a minute to calm down and then go meet Zhu Yanchen. Everywhere was filled with water now, and it would probably take quite a while just to clean up the battlefield…

Wait, water?

Shu Jun’s nearly exhausted heart skipped a beat.

Water, a large amount of water mixed with abundant erosion.

…It seemed that even if the greatest threat was eliminated, the war was far from over.

In the square.

People truly hadn’t reacted. While Shu Jun and Monday were arguing within Sigma, the external struggle never ceased.

Even on the side of the synthetics.

After the war began, Hu Yan didn’t lead the synthetic army too far nor join forces with Yu Jin. Following Shu Jun’s instructions, they stationed themselves east of the city, where the attacking pressure was lower. With Y City as the tempting prize in front of them, there weren’t many Erosion Swamps and mutant beasts chasing after this tough nut to crack.

With their strong mobility and extensive combat experience, they stopped at the high ground chosen by Zhu Yanchen and even had time to prepare some hot meals for themselves.

Hu Yan couldn’t stomach it.

The fog around them was too thick, and they couldn’t see the situation inside the city. This battle seemed to have lasted for a hundred million years, and his skin felt as if it would turn gray from the saturated fog.

Can Shu Jun really defeat Sigma? Will humans make some unexpected moves? Are they already trapped with nowhere to go? It wasn’t until someone reminded him that he snapped back to reality.

“You should go to Y City,” Chai Xuyang dryly suggested. “Didn’t Shu Jun tell you to go there at a certain time?”

Hu Yan shook his head, almost forgetting about it. Shu Jun had told him to go to Y City and check on the situation at a certain time. Hu Yan, after all, was the strongest in terms of strength and defense within the team. Even if Sigma was still causing trouble, he could retreat unscathed.

…The time had come, which meant Shu Jun hadn’t defeated Sigma within the designated time. Hu Yan’s heart sank.

“Alright, you keep an eye on the team.” He nodded at Chai Xuyang, suppressing the uneasiness within him. “I’ll go and be right back.”

The surroundings of Y City had become a mess. The outer protective walls were destroyed by the swarm of Erosion Swamps, and human and animal corpses were mixed within the ruins of buildings. Mutant beasts still roamed above the debris, gnawing on pale gray flesh and entrails. Ordinary Erosion Swamps completely submerged the road surface, and Hu Yan gathered stones beneath his feet to create a path through the erosion.

Hu Yan had initially thought that there would be constant gunfire and cries of agony in the city. However, shrouded in the dense fog, there was a strange sense of desolation and barrenness around Y City. The pitch-black erosion surged within the ruins, and for a moment, he felt as if he were on another planet.

The sound of approaching footsteps behind him suddenly became especially loud.

Hu Yan’s hair stood on end. He gripped his suppression gun with his right hand and a stone spike with his left, almost attacking without even looking—fortunately, after getting a clear look at the figure, he stopped just in time.

“Yu Jin?”

Yu Jin was wearing a disgustingly thick protective suit, clumsily waving his hand to reveal half of his face. Fortunately, he was missing an eye, which gave him a distinctive appearance and made him easy to recognize.

“We encountered some trouble on our end. We fought off the onslaught of the Erosion Swamps, but many people died. Until now, the attacks of the swamps suddenly became chaotic… It’s as if they lost their orders and started mindlessly charging.”

“Has Sigma been defeated?”

“Probably, who knows. We waited for a while, but no one came from outside, and there was no news. So here I am, checking the situation. What about you? Are you here for the same reason?”

“We didn’t have many Erosion Swamps on our end. We came because of the captain’s orders.” Hu Yan waved his hand, causing more rubble to float out of the erosion, widening the stone path beneath his feet.

“Ah,” Yu Jin didn’t sound surprised. “At this stage, there’s no reason to involve you guys.”

Yu Jin was covered in black and gray bloodstains, but his clothes were intact. They were probably all his comrades’ blood. Hu Yan didn’t know what to say for a moment, and the two of them silently progressed through the mist.

Soon, a sound emerged from the fog.

Accompanied by the squelching sound of the compressing erosion, the ground trembled. The closer they got to the city center, the faster the fog dispersed. A massive black shadow emerged from the thin fog, along with countless bent and elongated emaciated arms. It didn’t quite look like destruction but more like irrational madness.

Hu Yan reacted quickly, grabbing the burly Yu Jin and using the stone platform to lift both of them onto the nearest high-rise debris. They moved between rooftops, making their way towards the vicinity of the central square—

The war was still ongoing. Sigma’s struggles weren’t particularly intense, but its size was truly massive. People on the square were exerting all their strength just to defend against its possible charges.

Its struggles created a small opening on the square, and people exposed to the outside were retreating from the exit. On the other side, in order to prevent Sigma’s struggling body from crushing them, the human army used their own flesh and blood to create a safe distance—almost sticking to Sigma’s body to maximize the effectiveness of their suppression weapons, with some individuals occasionally being swallowed by the Erosion Swamp.

Hu Yan had never seen humans so proactive. They were truly fighting with everything they had, as if they held onto hope.

“What’s going on?” The communication at this location was barely functioning, and Yu Jin didn’t hesitate to contact the people from Old Fourth inside the city.

“The Black Wolf jumped into Sigma, and after that, Sigma stopped attacking and started struggling. As for the specifics, I’m not sure.”

“Jumped into Sigma?!” Hu Yan’s nerves immediately tensed.

Yu Jin glanced at Hu Yan with some concern. After taking a moment to catch his breath, a stone platform appeared again, and this time Hu Yan propped it up towards the roof of the command center.

At that moment, Sigma in the center of the square, suddenly spewed out a large amount of clear water. It was as if a dam had burst, and the water swept away the Erosion Swamps on the ground, forming a grayish pond. Only the soil and rocks piled up around the giant pit managed to avoid being submerged by the water flow.

As an experienced warrior, Hu Yan had a clear view and almost immediately grasped the situation.

“It’s over, it’s over.” He gritted his teeth. “Yu Jin, quickly contact the people—if Luo Duan is still alive, things will be troublesome.”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 113: Wild Animal

Time reversed back ten minutes ago.

“Missed. Neither I nor Monday felt any change.” Shu Jun stood intact on the roof of the command center, carrying Monday on his back. “A’Yan, your aim isn’t good enough.”

“Its size is too large, making it difficult to estimate the position of the brain.” Zhu Yanchen also stood on the rooftop. Only the two of them were present on the vast rooftop. Sigma was particularly sensitive to the presence of humans gathered together, so they intentionally reduced the number of people around.

“How many shots do you have left? Five? Four?”

“Three.”

“…Isn’t that more than half gone already?” Shu Jun sighed heavily.

“I know.”

Shu Jun took a deep breath and stood behind Zhu Yanchen. They leaned against each other intimately, their body temperatures almost blending together. Zhu Yanchen placed his hand on the console, while Shu Jun rested his head on Zhu Yanchen’s shoulder. The observation equipment was small, so they had to stick close together to observe the situation across from them.

If the situation weren’t so tense, it wouldn’t have been bad to be this close.

Unlike Zhu Yanchen, who was observing Sigma’s reaction, Shu Jun couldn’t discern the subtle changes in the Erosion Swamp. He focused all his attention on Luo Duan—he didn’t understand the Erosion Swamp, but he understood his longtime opponent.

“Luo Duan is commanding the group of Erosion Swamp with brains to move east. Based on his habits, Sigma’s brain must be on the west side. Hmm, this layout… It could be in the northwest. He always likes to hide weaknesses in the safest places.”

“Mm,” Zhu Yanchen softly responded. “…Are you okay to go down again later?”

“What’s the problem?”

“Just now…”

“I’m fine. I didn’t suffer any injuries at all. I ran away before Sigma caught the wolf, and it didn’t even touch me.”

Zhu Yanchen had fired a missile with a rare melancholy look on his face. Shu Jun tilted his head, and his gray-white hair brushed against the other’s cheek.

“What about Zhu Sheng?” Seeing that Zhu Yanchen’s mood was subtly off, Shu Jun casually brought up a topic.

“He’s still remotely commanding the situation on the square, with Xia Liang’s assistance. There shouldn’t be any problems there for now.” Zhu Yanchen’s entire body tensed, his eyes staring without blinking through the scope. His tone was steady, but his body was soaked with sweat.

Shu Jun pursed his lips and extended a claw to stroke Zhu Yanchen’s back. Monday, unhappy that its exclusive privilege was taken by Zhu Yanchen, twisted around, but Shu Jun simply ignored it.

“I’ve never seen you so nervous before. Didn’t we plan everything in advance?” Shu Jun tried to make his tone more relaxed. “Everything has been going smoothly so far, as long as we eliminate it in time.”

“…Luo Duan is an extremely cautious person. Sigma, on the other hand, is more animalistic and has a weaker understanding of ‘death’. They want to steadily wear us down, and Luo Duan is probably the one playing the role of ‘pulling the reins’. But ever since we entered the city, Luo Duan’s behavior patterns have become too aggressive.”

Shu Jun nodded in agreement. Zhu Yanchen wasn’t wrong; they had even speculated on similar scenarios, and the answer was “do their best”. The humans had limited preparation time: lure Sigma, feign weakness, and then strike when it least expected. This plan took various factors into consideration, minimizing sacrifices.

However, it wasn’t perfect. In the confrontation with Sigma, it was entirely possible for it to engage in large-scale destructive behavior.

Unlike the situation with Sweet Edge, humans had suppression weapons, so the strategy of targeting individual weaknesses wasn’t viable. Sigma’s possible approach would undoubtedly involve explosive erosion. To counter this, they had created a massive pit in the city center square for the purpose of holding “hostages”.

After the synthetic humans had left, Zhu Yanchen had set up numerous suppression mechanisms in the pit. They could at least help save over half of the population.

Unfortunately, the pit had limited capacity, and making it too large would raise suspicions. Shu Jun had to design it to appear as natural as possible. Still, millions of people remained outside the pit, and if Sigma were to unleash a similar ability, those people would likely face death.

Everyone knew that, in theory, this was an “inevitable” situation. However, understanding this didn’t necessarily mean accepting it.

With each missile Zhu Yanchen launched, it exploded near the edge of the abyss.

The missiles were limited, and the task of severely injuring Sigma within six shots was already an immensely pressurizing mission. Not to mention that if the injuries weren’t precise, Sigma could unleash its explosive abilities and initiate a massacre at any moment.

The hand that Shu Jun placed on Zhu Yanchen’s back became heavier.

Grand Marshal Zhu’s heartbeat raced, and Shu Jun could almost sense the blood pumping from his heart, carrying the intense heat throughout his body. And with just a swipe of his hooked claw, Shu Jun could pierce Zhu Yanchen’s heart.

This person.

“Sorry, I can’t give you encouragement.”

Shu Jun ruffled his partner’s back again and finally spoke up. “I don’t care about your people. No matter what they say, it’s all just empty words. We’ve reached this point, so let’s skip the formalities… I have one question.”

“Okay.” Zhu Yanchen’s black hair was damp with sweat, and his lips were tightly pursed.

“Sigma is essentially an aggregation of multiple brains, not a singular organism. Now that it has divided so many brains that it doesn’t need for combat, its control over the body should have weakened significantly, right?”

“That’s true.”

“So, if a completely new and sufficiently mature brain were to intervene, could it seize control of its body?”

Zhu Yanchen’s movement froze for a moment.

“You know about this.” Shu Jun smiled. “You kept it from me, didn’t you?”

“Because this is a war for humanity.” Zhu Yanchen closed his eyes. “If you were a member of humanity, even if I had to kneel down and beg you, I would do it… but this is a war for humanity.”

“Judging by your attitude, once my brain enters, I won’t be able to return to my original state?” Shu Jun’s expression remained unchanged.

“That’s correct. The black wolf that you control externally is your limit; it’s essentially a temporary puppet. But Sigma is an Erosion Swamp that has been growing for over a hundred years. To compete for dominance with it, you must directly connect your brain to its body.”

“It seems that there’s no chance of success when there’s a barrier in between. That’s troublesome.”

Finally, Zhu Yanchen turned his head to look at Shu Jun. “The plan continues. You go and help locate the position of Sigma’s brain.”

“Oh, my Chief Strategist, perhaps you should try begging me. Maybe I can fundamentally solve the problem for you. Luo Duan understands me, and given his nature, he’s probably certain that I won’t go this far for humanity.”

“I share his view.”

Zhu Yanchen’s voice lowered slightly. “The person I love is an outstanding leader who deeply cares for his compatriots. He wouldn’t make impulsive sacrifices due to personal feelings. If you were to become the new Sigma, it would be even more impossible for humans to accept a synthetic being—Shu Jun, you should understand this better than anyone.”

“The person I love? It’s rare to see you being so direct.” Shu Jun didn’t give a direct answer. He smiled and changed the subject. “Don’t worry, I know my limits.”

His A’Yan’s stance was too apparent. In fact, they both understood another fact—

Shu Jun had already revealed his true strength. Even if Sigma didn’t self-destruct, they would emerge victorious in this battle. The citizens of Y City wouldn’t let their guard down against synthetic humans. While Zhu Yanchen, as the new leader, could hold them back for a time, he couldn’t do so indefinitely.

Not to mention the general public, the three major families would never compromise.

‘…War is truly troublesome,’ Shu Jun thought.

Before transforming into his wolf form, Shu Jun approached Zhu Yanchen, who was still aiming and calculating, and gently kissed his earlobe.

“A’Yan, you’re still the same,” Shu Jun whispered softly. “There’s nothing wrong with seeking a stable approach, but…”

Shu Jun didn’t finish the second half of his sentence. He leaped off the high building. Vines extended to cushion his fall as he gracefully pierced into an Erosion Swamp. Several minutes later, the black wolf leaped away from Sigma’s side, biting down.

Zhu Yanchen was left alone on the rooftop, completely focused on calculating the movement of Sigma’s brain.

The word “but” that Shu Jun had said was spoken lightly, but his ears were filled with the pounding of his blood. Zhu Yanchen wasn’t sure if Shu Jun had truly said those words or if he was simply too anxious and experiencing an illusion.

Regardless of whether it was an illusion or not, at that moment, Zhu Yanchen could only aim as precisely as possible and then pull the trigger.

The missile flew out from the mechanical cannon and landed solidly on the edge of Sigma’s brain. Sigma’s body suddenly contracted, and its instinctive reaction couldn’t fool anyone. On the other side, Luo Duan appeared and began speaking to the black wolf. The distance between them was too great, and Zhu Yanchen had to observe Sigma’s condition, making it impossible to deduce the content from their lip movements.

Regardless, there was only one missile left, and the next shot absolutely couldn’t go wrong.

His hand gripped the trigger as he held his breath. However, just before he pressed the trigger, Sigma’s body swelled, and its physiological response became completely chaotic, with erosion flowing everywhere.

Zhu Yanchen immediately broke out in a cold sweat. The worst-case scenario had happened. Sigma’s external reactions were in disarray, and he couldn’t guess where its brain had gone. If he launched this missile now, it would be at most a matter of luck.

…He was just half a step too slow. Zhu Yanchen gritted his teeth and quickly thought of possible countermeasures.

Just at that moment, the black wolf leaped again, decisively diving into Sigma’s body.

The scene before him had a subtly familiar feel. It was like a long time ago, during the final match, when Shu Jun had descended into the Erosive Swamp.

Zhu Yanchen didn’t feel relaxed, grateful, or relieved at the sight before him. In that instant, disappointment and bitterness tightened around his heart. He stared fixedly at the struggling Sigma; his whole body frozen like a statue.

And then, something seemed off.

With Shu Jun’s power, as long as he wanted, he could quickly gain control over the real Sigma. But now, Sigma was convulsing unnaturally, expanding and shrinking, like a poisoned caterpillar. The two wills within its body were in conflict, and the intruder clearly didn’t benefit much.

Zhu Yanchen frowned, suppressing the jumble of emotions, and focused his attention on observing Sigma, determined not to give up any details.

Time passed second by second, and Zhu Yanchen’s expression twitched a few times. Surprise and confusion mixed on his face, and his finger slowly moved away from the trigger.

“Shu Jun, you really…”

Zhu Yanchen’s complex emotions couldn’t be felt by his boyfriend. If he wanted to, he could probably guess a part of it, but at this moment, Shu Jun had more important things to consider—

“I’ll keep them occupied over there. Can you give it more effort? Are you not full or something?” Shu Jun grumbled with frustration, swallowing a mouthful of erosion. “Can’t you see it’s two against one!”

There was no response from the other side.

“I’ve supported you for a thousand days, and you still can’t make an effort for a moment.” Shu Jun continued breathlessly, muttering to himself, using “Suppression” without holding back. “Can’t you show some progress? Weren’t you so eager for information back then? Well, here it is, served to you on a platter.”

Finally, his “collaborator” spoke up.

Monday had lost its sword-like form long ago, and only its milky-white brain floated within the erosion substance. It struggled to find the brain, attempting to entangle with it. Even with Shu Jun’s assistance and Sigma’s brain still in a dormant state before the explosion, this battle was far from easy.

“Wuwu…” Upon hearing Shu Jun’s scolding, it let out a pitiful whimper.

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The author has something to say:

Shu Ge: A strong person won’t stumble twice in the same pit. I’ll never jump into the Erosion Swamp to sacrifice myself again! (plop)

Marshal: .

Monday: …I never expected that I would always be the one getting hurt. jpg

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