Chapter 33
“The garbage dump is full of Blue Bugs. Those Blue Bugs are viruses bred from the garbage.”
The little merman’s expression was very serious. The smudges on his face hadn’t even been wiped off yet. It was Ouyang Xiaoli who saw them and helped wipe him clean.
“This is the garbage from all four cities, piled up here. No one recycles, and no one cleans it up. It accumulates day by day, month by month, forming mountains.”
“No wonder Blue Bugs are produced. It’s because humans are constantly producing garbage, so the Blue Bugs can never be eliminated!”
The little merman’s expression was extremely grave.
“Even the ocean where I lived occasionally had garbage floating in it. My brother said we might have to swim to another sea area to live in the future.”
“You humans don’t love the ball at all!”
Keda was covered in dirt. He had subconsciously wanted to wipe his nose with his hand, but fortunately stopped at the last second, stiffly lowering his hand.
He felt extremely uncomfortable all over.
Hearing what Xia Yi said, he was dumbfounded for two seconds and asked blankly, “Ball?”
“It’s this planet.” Xia Yi was dissatisfied and turned to glare at Keda. “I saw it in a book. It said the place where humans lived was called Earth, and the reason it was destroyed was because they produced garbage.”
Keda was stunned. “What book?”
Ouyang Xiaoli keenly caught something. He softened his voice and also asked, “Was it a book you saw in the ocean before?”
Xia Yi hesitated.
He nodded.
Actually, natural mermen inherit a small amount of memories from ancient Earth. There was also a shipwreck at the bottom of the sea, which contained many items from ancient Earth.
Presumably, at some distant moment, a ship unfortunately met with disaster at sea, and those supplies were left from that time. Those easily damaged by water naturally disappeared with the passage of time, but there were some books that were waterproof, and the ink was also waterproof. It was hard to imagine that they were still legible after tens of thousands of years.
It was hard to imagine what kind of civilization ancient Earth had developed into at that time.
But it was definitely more advanced than now.
The reason he could recognize those words was also because they were innately in his mind. Later, his brother told him that it was inheritance.
Keda was somewhat at a loss. He looked at the Boss, then sheepishly looked at the little merman. “Is, is it because of producing garbage? But we didn’t know that producing garbage would affect the entire planet. No one ever said that.”
Tens of thousands of years have passed. Few people mention that big explosion anymore. The lost civilization has been covered up.
A lot of common sense is disappearing.
As time goes by.
Civilization is retreating step by step.
Ouyang Xiaoli said in a deep voice, “Let’s go back first. We’ll talk about this later.”
It seemed that the little merman knew much more than he imagined about the civilization of ancient Earth and the admonitions of those forgotten ancestors.
Of course, the Underground City wasn’t the only one producing garbage. Similarly, the Silver Sea Empire also produced garbage, and they didn’t take garbage seriously either.
Nor did they connect garbage with the Blue Bugs.
The little merman came out of the bathroom, his fluffy hair wet. Before he could take two steps, a towel covered his head and started rubbing.
“Ouyang…”
Xia Yi’s voice was soft.
“Mm.”
“I walked for a long time today. My feet are so sore; I can’t walk anymore.” Xia Yi acted coquettishly, actually wanting the man to hug him and lift him high.
The man was very perceptive. He chuckled low, supported the little merman’s lower back, and picked him up.
Using only one arm.
“You knew, yet you still ran around?”
Afraid of falling, Xia Yi exclaimed and quickly hugged the man’s head.
Ouyang Xiaoli’s head rested against the little merman’s chest. The tip of his nose was surrounded by a faint scent of orange; there was only orange-scented shower gel at home. Clearly it was the same scent, but on himself, it seemed domineering and sexy, while on the little merman, it exuded a milky scent.
It turned out that scent also varied from person to person.
Ouyang Xiaoli placed the person on the sofa, bent down to settle him carefully, knelt on the sofa with one leg, and carefully dried the little merman’s hair.
“Completely eliminating the Blue Bugs is a long process. As long as garbage doesn’t disappear, the Blue Bugs will never disappear.”
Xia Yi said sullenly, “I know.”
Soft hair passed through his fingertips, carrying moisture and a damp breath, stirring Ouyang Xiaoli’s heart. The movements of his hands became gentler.
“Whether it’s the Underground City or the Silver Sea Empire, producing garbage is already a common thing. No one has ever thought about how to dispose of this garbage. This isn’t something one or two people can do; it’s something everyone should work together on. So it will take a long time. But if someone can find a way to degrade the garbage, the Blue Bugs can also be eliminated.”
Ouyang Xiaoli’s fingers playing with Xia Yi’s hair suddenly paused, thinking of something.
“Actually, it’s not impossible.”
Xia Yi looked up at him in confusion.
Ouyang Xiaoli slowly put down the hair dryer, lowered his eyes, and stated a method: “The Silver Sea Empire’s laboratory might be able to develop a degradation potion.” After saying it, even he felt it was impossible.
How could the Silver Sea Empire listen to the Underground City’s suggestion? They might even think the Underground City was up to some trick to set them up.
Ouyang Xiaoli lowered his head in self-mockery.
But if a degradation potion could really be developed, then the produced garbage could be perfectly eliminated without polluting the environment.
As long as the Blue Bugs disappeared.
The soil would return to health.
At that time, both the Silver Sea Empire and the Underground City could plant crops and fruits, and the plants of this planet would be saved.
Ouyang Xiaoli closed his eyes, his hand covering his left chest, hearing his accelerated heartbeat.
Xia Yi didn’t think this was a very difficult thing; on the contrary, he thought it was feasible. His thumb and index finger gently pulled the man’s sleeve.
“Then let’s ask them for help, okay?”
He didn’t think too deeply about this matter. This was something good for everyone; the Silver Sea Empire also faced the risk of being harmed by the Blue Bugs.
Agreeing would be a very normal thing.
“Impossible.”
“They won’t believe us.”
Ouyang Xiaoli sat on the sofa, holding the little merman on his lap with one arm. His chin rested on the little merman’s round, fragrant shoulder. The little merman’s scent lingered in his breath, and his mood relaxed.
His voice was very light. “Xia Yi, you don’t understand how big the prejudice the Silver Sea Empire has against the Underground City. Let alone asking them to manufacture degradation fluid, even making them believe that Blue Bugs are produced from garbage is very difficult.”
“It seems we still have to plan for the long term.”
Given the Underground City’s currently backward level of science and civilization development, manufacturing degradation fluid was very difficult.
The kind that might take a hundred years.
Clearly having found the source and the method, yet powerless to do anything.
This feeling was depressing.
Xia Yi felt the low emotions emanating from the man. He touched the man’s head, clumsy with words, somewhat at a loss for a moment.
“Ouyang, don’t be sad.”
“I’m not sad.”
Ouyang Xiaoli hugged the person in his arms tightly.
He was just unwilling. Is the Silver Sea Empire’s development to this day not the result of stealing and depriving others of their civilization? He was unwilling.
The little merman didn’t know how to comfort Ouyang, so he carefully leaned over and touched Ouyang’s lips.
But he never expected that this kiss would be like a spark starting a prairie fire, completely igniting the desire in the bottom of the man’s heart.
The battlefield moved from the sofa to the room.
Ouyang Xiaoli no longer held back, especially when the little merman hugged his neck. Half restrained and half gentle, he responded to the merman in his arms.
“Ou, Ouyang…” Xia Yi’s face was crimson as he held onto the man’s shoulders.
It was the first time he had such a feeling. It was unfamiliar, but Ouyang brought it to him. He didn’t dislike it, just felt afraid.
He looked at the man nervously.
“I, I’m a little scared.” Xia Yi hugged the man’s head tightly.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from Ouyang Xiaoli’s forehead. He soothed the little merman’s emotions, coaxing him, “Good boy, don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
Xia Yi closed his eyes, his face red.
Everything that followed was like giant waves rising on a calm ocean. A small boat floated on the sea surface, fiercely battered by the waves. Even though the boat instinctively feared and retreated to dodge, it was rocked precariously by the waves, which continued to pounce on it ferociously.
Everything finally returned to calm.
Ouyang Xiaoli gently fished the merman out of the bathtub and turned on the warm water tap.
He carefully washed the little merman clean, then patiently dried him off, carried him back to the bed, and covered him with a thick quilt.
Halfway through, he thought of something.
He lifted the quilt gently.
Xia Yi was extremely tired, the corners of his eyes still red. He was pretending to sleep when he was startled by Ouyang’s movement, not knowing what Ouyang wanted to do.
Ouyang Xiaoli pondered, “I wonder if the small hole under the scales has closed. That part of a merman doesn’t seem to close automatically…”
Xia Yi woke with a start and quickly retreated.
His face was as red as a cooked shrimp.
He scolded with a blushing face, “Are, are all you humans such hooligans?!”
The body structure of a merman was indeed different from humans, but Ouyang couldn’t just, just do that without his consent…
Xia Yi’s cheeks puffed up in anger.
Ouyang Xiaoli: “???”
His expression was helpless. “I just wanted to see if you were injured, no other meaning.”
Xia Yi turned his head away, ignoring him. His neck was red, and he stammered, “I’m fine.”
“Mm.”
“Rest quickly.”
Seeing the little merman was too shy, Ouyang Xiaoli didn’t make things difficult for him, thinking he had been too immoderate last night and must have tired the little merman out.
“Good boy, close your eyes and sleep.”
Xia Yi wanted to say something more, but his eyelids were indeed heavy, and he fell asleep.
After a long time, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, only to see Ouyang Xiaoli gently lifting his scales…
Xia Yi: “…”
No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn’t take this.
The little merman couldn’t help but tremble.
Ouyang Xiaoli then realized he had accidentally woken the little merman.
He asked with concern, “Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”
Xia Yi buried his head deep into the pillow, shook his head gently, bit his lip, and didn’t speak.
Ouyang Xiaoli helped him cover up with the quilt.
Ouyang Xiaoli went to the bathroom for a quick shower. Returning to lie beside Xia Yi, he recalled the pleasant humming sounds the little merman made.
Ouyang Xiaoli felt the shower just now was in vain. He secretly cursed himself as a beast, but his mind couldn’t help automatically replaying frames of beautiful scenes. He had to get up and dash into the bathroom again!
It felt good.
He had taken enough cold showers.
By the time he finally calmed down, it was already three or four in the morning. Ouyang Xiaoli had overestimated his self-control. He sighed silently.
It was all because the little merman was too tempting.
When Xia Yi woke up in the morning, he found his tail had turned into legs, curled up naked in the quilt, surrounded by warmth.
He couldn’t help but rub against the quilt. It was too warm inside; he didn’t want to get up. As he rubbed, something hard poked him from behind.
Xia Yi immediately froze.
having experienced last night, Xia Yi already knew what that monster-like thing was. He blushed first, then gently bit his lip.
Ouyang Xiaoli naturally wrapped his arm around the little merman’s slender waist, his breath spraying on the little merman’s neck, his voice lazy and magnetic.
“Awake?”
Xia Yi gave a soft hum.
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