Chapter 93: “Go lock yourself up.”
Almost in the next second.
Shen Zhuo raised his knee and kicked directly into the Zerg’s chest.
After kicking it away, Shen Zhuo rolled on the ground, flipping to Du Xun’s side to support him.
“Du Xun? Du Xun!”
“Are you okay?”
Overwhelming soothing pheromones surged toward the alpha.
Du Xun’s face wasn’t so pale anymore, but his chest still heaved violently.
The man frowned, watching the Zerg’s movements.
His gaze was sharp, like a leopard eyeing its prey.
“I’m fine…”
Du Xun smiled reassuringly, then his face darkened,
“Everyone, stop shooting.”
Before his voice faded, the air had fallen completely silent.
The arcs of bullets disappeared, leaving only the churning green toxic gas flowing slowly.
In the silence, everyone’s nerves were taut, waiting in full battle array.
Three seconds later, the massive creature suddenly tore through the toxic gas and rushed toward Shen Zhuo.
The Zerg was incredibly fast, arriving in front of them in the blink of an eye.
In that split second, Du Xun pushed the boy away with force.
Shen Zhuo wanted to grab the man’s hand.
His lifted fingertips were still a fist’s distance from his sleeve.
Shen Zhuo was pushed in another direction.
But the Zerg seemed to be looking only for Shen Zhuo.
After a brief pause, not moving a step even as bullets hit its skin.
It sprinted towards Shen Zhuo.
“Mama…”
“Ma… ma…!”
The calls became clearer.
But they weren’t coming from the Zerg’s mouth.
The bug’s lips opened and closed, emitting only “pa pa” sounds mixed with the hiss of air intake.
A gleam of light flashed through Shen Zhuo’s mind.
He suddenly stood still, no longer dodging.
His pitch-black eyes reflected the bug’s slowing movements.
Seeing he wasn’t moving away, the Zerg became happy, crawling on all fours to Shen Zhuo.
Then it bent down, gently lowering its head.
It hung its head in front of Shen Zhuo’s chest.
“Mama… work… done…”
The bug was very obedient, showing none of its previous violent demeanor.
Shen Zhuo narrowed his eyes, quickly processing the meaning of this sentence.
His thoughts moved fast.
Besides the bug’s words, he immediately heard voices from Du Xun and Dr. Chen respectively:
[Be careful, don’t be in danger.]
[What on earth is this bug saying… the language hasn’t been deciphered yet, it’s really delaying things.]
It was [Listening To The Heart].
His [Listening To The Heart] could understand the Zerg’s language.
This conclusion made Shen Zhuo’s eyes brighten slightly.
He tentatively raised his hand, palm down.
The Zerg submissively nudged its head under the boy’s palm.
Allowing him to pet it.
“…Good boy.”
The boy’s action made everyone around stare wide-eyed.
When this word came out of the omega’s mouth.
Dr. Chen even fell onto his butt on the ground.
“You… you actually…”
Shen Zhuo glanced sideways at Dr. Chen, raising the index finger of his other hand to his lips in a “shh” gesture.
The Zerg enjoyed “Mama’s” comfort and laughed shrilly after being praised.
It was a high-frequency vibration of the mouthparts, incredibly piercing.
Dr. Chen sat slumped behind Shen Zhuo, secretly moving closer, reaching out to grab Shen Zhuo’s ankle to use the ability [Shielding].
Instantly, all noise in Shen Zhuo’s ears vanished.
The boy lowered his eyes, his palm resting on its head.
“Go lock yourself up.”
The bug looked up, staring at the omega in confusion.
It didn’t understand, but it knew it must obey Mama’s words.
The bug obediently turned around, walking step by step back to the place covered in glass shards.
The chains had been torn in two.
It spun around in place a few times, then suddenly looked at Dr. Chen.
“Pa pa hiss hiss—”
Dr. Chen opened his mouth, his lips trembling as he looked at Shen Zhuo:
“W-w-what does it mean?”
Shen Zhuo shook his head at the bug: “Stay here.”
Then he answered Dr. Chen: “You can go lock it up, it will listen.”
Dr. Chen nodded repeatedly, waving his hand at the other researchers.
Several of them quietly moved forward.
At this moment, Du Xun walked over from the other side, holding Shen Zhuo’s arms and checking him up and down.
“Are you okay? Injured? Does it hurt anywhere?”
Shen Zhuo patted the man’s hand amusingly.
“Nothing happened. My [Listening To The Heart] seems to be able to hear the Zerg’s voice.”
Du Xun’s eyes widened with joy: “Really?”
“Really.” Shen Zhuo frowned again thinking of the Zerg’s voice just now, “It’s just…”
“It’s calling me Mama.”
“Zergs call the Broodmother, Mama.”
“Mama?” Du Xun repeated softly, “But at least it’s useful information.”
“Yes.” Dr. Chen had re-tied the bug and clapped his hands as he stood up.
“At least it proves that the Broodmother shares similarities with you.”
“You don’t suspect me?” Shen Zhuo asked.
Dr. Chen shook his head.
“I believe in the Commander-in-Chief, and I believe in you.”
Saying this, Dr. Chen saluted Shen Zhuo:
“This is a milestone discovery. I hope you can come to help us decipher the Humanoid Zerg’s language in the future.”
Shen Zhuo nodded: “Naturally.”
Humanoid Zergs were hard to capture; countless were killed on the battlefield, but not even ten could be brought back alive and intact.
Thus, the progress on the Humanoid Zerg language was very slow.
After coming out of the research institute, Shen Zhuo had only one sentence.
“It treated me as its mother.”
He knew his biggest characteristic.
It wasn’t the scent of pheromones, nor his appearance.
It was rank—Zergs used rank as the most important proof of identity.
Low ranks automatically obeyed high-ranking Zergs.
Shen Zhuo: “Does it prove… the Broodmother is a high rank similar to S5? Or more precisely, an S5 Omega.”
Du Xun held Shen Zhuo’s hand and opened the passenger door for him.
Hidden under the brim of his hat, his expression flashed by the lights was obscure and hard to read.
This was the first time Shen Zhuo had seen Du Xun like this.
[Listening To The Heart] couldn’t hear any difference.
Only when the car started did Du Xun answer Shen Zhuo’s question.
“In the current Empire, you are the only S5 Omega.”
There were many meanings behind this sentence. Shen Zhuo thought briefly and found something wrong.
“Current?”
“Meaning there was an S5 Omega before?”
Du Xun held the steering wheel. The wind rushing through the window gap blew the hair under his hat brim into an arc.
“Yes, there was.”
Shen Zhuo: “But…”
Du Xun: “But no one knew.”
Du Xun looked straight ahead.
Seeming to think of something too distant.
So distant that there were no emotional fluctuations that should have been there.
Calm as a pool of stagnant water.
“Because that S5 Omega died long ago.”
“The day before the test report came out.”
Perhaps Du Xun’s familiar attitude made Shen Zhuo sense something wrong.
Shen Zhuo looked at the alpha.
Ten seconds later, the boy’s tentative words used the most certain tone:
“It was her, wasn’t it?”
Du Xun fell into a rare silence. He understood who Shen Zhuo meant by “her”.
The person who had already died when he was a few years old.
Until they parked in the manor’s underground garage.
The alpha reached out to Shen Zhuo.
As soon as Shen Zhuo placed his hand on it, his face was cupped and kissed.
“If only you were a bit dumber, Madam.”
Those gray-blue eyes remained bright and tender in the dim basement:
“If you were dumber, you wouldn’t have been dragged into this.”
“Bastard Du Xun.” Shen Zhuo laughed and scolded him, “Still want to push me away?”
Du Xun hugged the boy in his arms, very tight, very hard.
“No.”
“I never want to push you away again.”
.
After the Humanoid Zerg issue in the lab was concluded.
Du Xun’s recent busy work finally came to an end.
The subsequent Humanoid Zerg matters had long been handed over to the professional department.
Du Xun thus welcomed his first vacation.
It just so happened that the week after next, following the military academy’s monthly assessment, was a seven-day long holiday for the whole Empire.
The lab would often call Shen Zhuo over to translate Zerg language.
So Ai Li’s plan to “travel to the other side of the Empire” fell through.
The best choice for a relaxing trip changed from crossing the Empire.
To crossing the entire district.
Ji Weishen booked a seaside hot spring hotel, saying there was a beach for surfing and deep diving.
At the time, Shen Zhuo and Du Xun looked at each other, not cruelly revealing the fact that there was a private sea behind their manor.
This time it was indeed a four-person trip.
Or rather… more than four people.
Ji Weishen dragged Ai Li’s suitcase, holding a water bottle in the other hand, quickly following behind Ai Li.
Ai Li wore white shorts and a translucent beach-style shirt, glowing white in the sun.
Shen Zhuo chose to use an umbrella, and Du Xun held the few clothes they brought, chatting leisurely.
Further back were Liang Yeta, invited by Shen Zhuo.
And Fu Qishang, whom Liang Yeta thought he could avoid but was still persistently pursuing him.
The team of six included friends, subordinates and superiors, arch-enemies, partners, secret crushes, open crushes, etc.
It seemed somewhat weird.
“The hotel is just ahead. I booked two standard rooms and one king-size room. The king-size room is for the Boss and Sister-in-law, I’ll share with Li…”
Before Ji Weishen finished, Ai Li’s sunglasses almost fell off in front.
“Standard room?” Ai Li gritted his teeth and interrupted him, “Why didn’t you book bunk beds?”
Ji Weishen checked his phone: “There are no bunk beds.”
Ai Li: “…”
Not talking to the dumb straight guy anymore.
Ji Weishen didn’t understand why Ai Li was angry.
He wanted to ask Du Xun for help but didn’t dare.
So he kept glancing at Shen Zhuo.
Shen Zhuo returned a “chase him” look.
Du Xun: “Look at your wife, don’t look at mine.”
Yes, ever since Ji Weishen rushed to Ai Li’s house to save people last time.
Ai Yuesheng and Fu Qiuhe immediately settled the marriage for the two.
In just a few days, both parents had met.
They said they would get the certificate early next year.
Ai Li couldn’t believe it himself when he talked about it before.
Ji Weishen then hurriedly chased after him: “Li Zi, Li Zi, I’ll change to a king-size room right now!”
“The owner of this hotel is a client of mine; I’ll cover all expenses.” Liang Yeta caught up from behind.
He really couldn’t stand Fu Qishang anymore.
He would rather face Du Xun than stay with that omega.
Du Xun blocked him with a bag: “You stay away from my wife too.”
Liang Yeta: “…”
Fu Qishang directly grabbed the handle of Liang Yeta’s wheelchair:
“You can’t run away.”
Young Master Liang, being pushed away directly: “…”
With the shadow of the umbrella falling over his head, Shen Zhuo looked at these people and had a premonition.
This short trip over the next few days…
Should be interesting.
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