Chapter 44: Who in the World Doesn’t Know You? Part 1
“What’s wrong?” Zheng Xiao asked, steadying her.
Zheng Miaoran rubbed her aching temples. Her expression was a daze, as if she had forgotten something important.
For a brief moment, her mind had gone blank. She couldn’t remember what she had just done; she felt only a splitting headache and a slight sense of physical exhaustion.
Zheng Xiao lowered his voice, reminding her, “Get inside. The Major wants to see you.”
She snapped out of it and walked through the door, her face still clouded with confusion.
Inside, Yu Shi tried to wake 9527. However, the AI had completely crashed. A burnt smell emanated from its internal components—reminiscent of overcooked popcorn—and even the sound of the electric current had vanished.
This was trouble.
He had no idea if Zheng Xiao had noticed anything unusual, nor did he know exactly what 9527 had seen before it died.
Fortunately, the night passed without Zheng Xiao coming to seek him out.
By the next morning, his suspicions were confirmed.
Desai had intercepted the starship.
Because the military vessel’s markings were too conspicuous, Desai demanded they make a temporary landing in the Fourth Zone so that the entire crew could undergo inspection.
Qin Yin had been preoccupied with the negotiations for the past few days, which was the only reason he hadn’t come to cause Yu Shi any trouble.
Yu Shi didn’t actually see him, however, because he had been drugged into unconsciousness.
It was half the effect of the chemicals and half the sight of the needle itself—it had been as long as his pinky finger.
He had blacked out instantly. When he finally woke, his environment had changed. He was now in a luxurious bedroom within an embassy.
An unbearable, stinging pain radiated from his gland. It felt hot and agonizing, as if ten thousand ants were tearing at his skin.
As he realized he was awake, a hand reached out to touch his face.
The hand was so cold it made him shiver. Yu Shi immediately frowned and pulled away.
Qin Yin glanced at Yu Shi’s complexion before snarling at the doctor, “You idiot! You can’t even handle a simple task like this?”
The doctor bowed repeatedly in apology. “Forgive me, Major. I didn’t realize he had been administered long-acting anesthesia within the last week. It was my oversight… but he should be fine. He just needs rest.”
Yu Shi looked up and realized he was on an IV drip. The needle inserted into the back of his hand was covered by gauze.
“Get out,” Qin Yin snapped impatiently. The doctor scrambled to leave.
Yu Shi coughed several times, his voice strained. “Why don’t you get out with him?”
Perhaps because his disgust was so palpable, the worry on Qin Yin’s face diminished slightly.
His gaze cooled. “Don’t start. I’ve been busy these last few days and haven’t had time to see you. We ran into some trouble, but don’t worry—we’ll be back on our way soon.”
“That is truly anything but reassuring,” Yu Shi said icily.
Qin Yin studied him. “I never noticed before that you could be so dryly sarcastic.”
Yu Shi remained silent. He chose not to provoke the man while he was at a disadvantage; after all, he was dealing with a temperamental psychopath.
Qin Yin gripped Yu Shi’s chin, inspecting him closely. “Didn’t sleep well on the ship? You look haggard.”
In truth, aside from the two times he had been drugged, Yu Shi hadn’t really slept at all. Even while lying in bed with his eyes closed, he had been mentally mapping out the system’s circuitry. Three days of this had been more exhausting than three years of graduate school. His eyes were bloodshot from mental overexertion, and his lips were pale from blood loss.
Before Qin Yin could say another word, Yu Shi swiped his hand away.
He looked at the red mark on the back of his hand, his expression darkening. “What are you resisting for? It’s been days; have you still not understood your situation?”
“Or,” he leaned down, staring directly into Yu Shi’s eyes, “do you still think we are enemies?”
He had stripped away his disguise. His eye color was the distinctive gray of the Olo people—slightly darker than Yu Shi’s—clearly proclaiming their shared bloodline.
Unlike his previous playboy persona, his gaze had become shrewd and cold.
“I know you’ve forgotten many things. The Yu family sent people to brainwash you, trying to erase your memories and your predatory nature. But you must always remember that we are the same kind. I am taking you home, not kidnapping you. Both you and I are Olo.”
Qin Yin’s voice was uncharacteristically serious, every word dripping with apparent sincerity.
It was as if he were some great philanthropist who had lurked within Tiangui for years just to save a “wayward youth” like Yu Shi. If one ignored the atrocities he had committed, his words might have actually carried some weight.
Yu Shi said calmly, “Qin Yin, that trick won’t work on me. I may have forgotten some things, but I know whose descendant I am. I know whom I should repay and whom I should stay away from. I will never be one of your kind.”
That last sentence seemed to sting Qin Yin.
He let out a cold laugh. “Shao Yinghai was a fool with more guts than brains. How did he produce a son as tactful and silver-tongued as you? If he had possessed half your eloquence and sucked up to your Sovereign a bit more, he wouldn’t have ended up as a sacrificial lamb in an internal power struggle. What a moron.”
Yu Shi’s eyes snapped wide. His breathing became rapid and shallow as he suddenly threw a punch at the man.
His gland was heavily suppressed, making his movements much slower than usual. Qin Yin easily caught his wrist. The indwelling needle shifted, stabbing into the flesh. Yu Shi let out a muffled groan of pain.
Qin Yin slowly tightened his fingers, pressing down directly on the needle. Blood began to flow back into the IV tube, and small crimson spots seeped through the gauze.
He nearly crushed the wrist bone, saying softly, “I helped you hide your identity, provided you with clues, and risked everything to take you with me out of the goodness of my heart. And yet, this is how you treat me? It’s truly heartbreaking.”
“I’m starting to get a little angry, Yu Shi.” He smirked and dislocated Yu Shi’s arm.
Cold sweat drenched Yu Shi instantly. He convulsed violently, his entire body tensing in agony. His face turned a deep, flushed red. He couldn’t even manage a scream before he blacked out entirely.
Qin Yin brushed a bead of sweat from Yu Shi’s face, his voice tender. “Since you don’t like gentle persuasion, you’ll just have to accept my wrath.”
He walked out composedly and spoke to the anxious doctor waiting outside. “Go and fix him up.”
Zheng Miaoran stood outside, a trace of complexity flickering in her eyes.
Yu Shi remained unconscious for three hours. It wasn’t a long time, but he had a very long dream.
In the dream, he saw an old acquaintance he hadn’t seen in forever.
It was a high-level Alpha in his thirties with a resolute face. He was dressed in dark gray camouflage that was filthy and torn, and his face was covered in grime.
Yu Shi had turned back into a little toddler, carrying a small backpack as he finished his day at kindergarten.
That day, the person waiting to pick him up wasn’t a familiar bodyguard, but this strange, fierce-looking Alpha.
Yu Shi was quite popular at the kindergarten, and a group of little followers crowded around him as they walked out the gate, chattering noisily.
The children cried out when they saw the dirty, smelly Alpha.
“Who is he? He’s covered in mud! He’s so gross!”
“Bad man! Stay away from Xiao Shi! Don’t come any closer!”
“He looks like a human trafficker! Waaah, I’m going to tell the teacher!”
Yu Shi pushed through the crowd and said in his milky voice, “Stop it! You’re all being very rude.”
He wasn’t particularly tall, but his words carried weight. The other toddlers stopped and stared at him.
Little Yu Shi said seriously, “The teacher said in class that the soldiers of the Republic are the most respectable people. He isn’t a bad man, and he isn’t a trafficker. You can’t yell at him like that.”
The Alpha’s dark face split into a grin, revealing a row of white teeth. He stood straight and gave a salute. “It seems this little friend pays very close attention in class. A soldier of the Republic only salutes his country and his superiors—but of course, he also salutes a polite little friend.”
Yu Shi recognized him and cried out in delight, “Uncle Wang! It’s Uncle Wang!”
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