Ch 5 – Are conflicts a test of character?

“I’m glad to have met you, but I think we should keep a little distance between us sometimes,” Kersz said. “No one has ever treated me this well before. You need to give me some time to adjust.”

Yu Xi gave an “oh,” then set Kersz down.

Kersz laughed brightly: “Anyway, thank you for helping over that…..uh, puddle.”

He gestured toward the small puddle behind him. The water level barely reached the soles of his shoes, and it was only slightly larger than his palm.

“Are you angry?” Yu Xi asked him.

“No, I’m just curious as to why you’re following me around all the time. These surveillance cameras are your eyes and ears. Are you afraid I’ll run away?” Kersz smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes.

“I just want to see what you’re planning to do,” said Yu Xi.

“I’m planning to go for a walk and enjoy the scenery,” Kersz said.

“Okay.” Yu Xi nodded, then waited for Kersz to step forward again.

Kersz: “…..And you? What are you planning to do?”

“Watch you,” Yu Xi said.

Yu Xi really didn’t have anything to entertain himself with. He had already watched those movies and TV shows countless times, and was familiar with every brick and tile across this planet. The only novelty around was Kersz.

“I want to know what’s on your mind. Why do you not express your anger when you’re angry? Keeping it all bottled up can cause problems.” Yu Xi had noticed Kersz’s emotions change several times by listening to his heartbeat, but the human never expressed them.

Yu Xi was analyzing Kersz’s mental journey, which was both interesting and a good way to kill time.

“Isn’t it a good thing that I don’t lose my temper?” Kersz asked.

“It’s not a good thing. I want you to lose your temper with me,” Yu Xi said earnestly. “Human emotions are always like this. They need to be tempered through conflict.”

Kersz: “Then why don’t you get angry with me?”

“How does one get angry?” Yu Xi felt that he had never been angry before.

Kersz: “…..Ai.”

Yu Xi imitated him: “Ai.”

Kersz stopped and turned to look at Yu Xi.

Yu Xi waited.

“If I bare my teeth at you, will you accept it as me getting angry?” Kersz asked.

Instead of answering the question, Yu Xi asked: “Why don’t you run away?”

“For what purpose?” Kersz asked in puzzlement.

“You could steal a starship and head into space,” Yu Xi said. “Then, when you encounter aliens you’re too weak to handle and get yourself seriously injured again, I can come and rescue you.”

Kersz remained silent.

“Why don’t you run?”

Kersz: “Are you interested in playing a domestication game?”

Yu Xi slowly shifted his gaze away.

“I’m a space pirate, not a lunatic. I can clearly see the difference in strength between us,” Kersz said.

Kersz had a plan. He was also testing what sort of “person” Yu Xi was.

He wanted to use Yu Xi for his own benefit to the greatest extent possible, and he couldn’t win him over by losing his temper with him.

“Perhaps we can have a deeper discussion.” Kersz extended a hand to Yu Xi.

“Are we going to discuss the history of ancient humans again?” Yu Xi frowned.

“People have a habit of seeking solace in history,” Kersz said, all smiles.

“But it’s not your history. With all due respect, although you’re human as well, I’m not sure that you’ll ever develop to that level.” Yu Xi said, “Perhaps in the future, you will be targeted by a more advanced warlike civilization and become extinct.”

Kersz: “That’s really disheartening.”

“I thought it might make you happy.” Yu Xi recalled that Kersz’s life had not been very pleasant.

“I’m not interested in the complete destruction of my own kind.”

Kersz said as Yu Xi grasped his hand: “These past years, I’ve been living a life of licking blood from a knife’s edge.”

“I do not recommend licking blood. Blood is a source of biological contamination.”

Kersz, who was about to share some half-truths about his personal journey: ……

“Is it because you’ve never eaten meat that you lick blood?” Yu Xi was a little worried. “Blood is a very common transmission medium. If you lick blood…..wait, do you eat human flesh because you don’t have access to other kinds of meat?”

Kersz: “I told you I’m not a lunatic.”

Yu Xi solemnly shook his head: “I do not recommend eating human flesh, especially raw.”

“I wouldn’t eat it even if you recommended it,” said Kersz.

He felt that he should be more direct and avoid using metaphors: “What I mean is that my life is full of crises.”

“I do not recommend living in a crisis-ridden environment, as it is detrimental to your physical and mental health. Would you like me to help you make an appointment with a psychiatrist?” Yu Xi looked anxious.

“Is there anyone here besides you for me to talk to?” Kersz asked with some surprise.

With a smile, Yu Xi took out a pair of glasses and put them on: “Hello, I am your psychiatrist, Yu Xi.”

Kersz went silent.

Yu Xi noticed Kersz’s heart beginning to race as he stopped walking.

Was it racing out of gratitude or anger this time?

“I don’t need a therapist, I just wanted to express that my past is very complicated! Please take note! I can’t change the parts of my life that have already happened!” Kersz unconsciously raised his voice.

Yu Xi shrank back slightly: “Okay.”

“But I haven’t become what I am because I hate other humans. I’m just unresigned, and protesting my fate. Some humans deserve to die, but not all of them,” Kersz continued.

As he spoke, his defenses abruptly broke down: “How did you manage to steer all of this toward cannibalism and mental illness?!”

“You said it yourself.” Yu Xi didn’t understand what was going on with Kersz. “You drink blood and live under a constant sense of crisis.”

“I don’t drink blood! And the focus of our discussion should be on ‘finding solace in history!” Kersz’s face reddened slightly. “How did even this simple topic get so turned around?!”

Having said this, he pressed a hand to his forehead.

Yu Xi took a step back.

“Apologies.” Kersz hadn’t expected to break down like this.

Yu Xi let out an “ah.”

His voice carried an electric buzz. Kersz looked up at him in surprise, but Yu Xi immediately looked away and refused to meet his gaze.

In human emotional exchanges, conflicts were a series of tests, and relationships that withstood these tests always became more resilient.

But Yu Xi realized that he had overlooked one thing – it seemed that humans had almost never lost their temper with him.

Especially in the later stages of human development, those people had been mild-mannered to the point of indifference.

Yu Xi’s database contained references on methods to handle conflict.

He could say that his understanding of Kersz’s language was not comprehensive enough, which caused an unnecessary misunderstanding. He could apologize and explain the situation.

Yu Xi opened his mouth, but found himself unable to speak.

What if he extended a gesture of goodwill but the other person didn’t respond? What if he found fault with Yu Xi’s words again and got even angrier? Would their conflict escalate?

“Are you alright?” Kersz noticed that Yu Xi was in an abnormal state, and was picking at his own hands.

Yu Xi startled at the sound of Kersz’s voice. He quickly ran a couple of steps to the side, but then realized something and sent Kersz a cautious glance, taking a step back toward him.

The two of them stared at each other.

Kersz raised his arms: “Um…..”

Before he could move, Yu Xi turned and ran.

Yu Xi couldn’t think of how to begin a conversation. He didn’t understand why his mouth felt as if it was glued shut, rendering him unable to speak.

His database informed him that humans exhibited this sort of “flight” behavior, but he was not human. He was a perfectly rational robot.

He shouldn’t have such extraneous emotions.

“Yu Xi!” Kersz had perfectly mastered Yu Xi’s name, and ran after him.

Why was Kersz chasing him? Was it because he wanted to continue their conflict?

Yu Xi increased his speed, and so did Kersz.

Three hours later, Kersz lay dizzily in a hospital bed, his ears ringing.

“I’m really sorry.” Yu Xi sat on the edge of his bed.

“No need to apologize. Just be mindful of the physical limitations of humans the next time you take me for a walk.” Kersz had given up on figuring out Yu Xi’s thoughts.

“No, I’m not apologizing for that. I’m apologizing for not being good at handling conflict,” Yu Xi corrected.

Kersz: “Ah?”

“Your state of health stems from your insistence on chasing me. You are human, and your behavior was no different from attempting to chase after a starship.” Yu Xi felt no need to apologize for this.

Kersz: “Oh.”

“Generally speaking, humans don’t use their legs to keep up with starships. This is common sense. Of course, not every human is…..why is your heart beating faster again? Are you always this angry?”

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T/N: I’m updating frequently due to the really short chapters, but that might change as the story goes on and they get longer!

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Chapter 4 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 6