Ch 42 – Do you care?
“You can’t lure other people’s children home, and it’s best not to feed them either. Can you manage that?” Kersz asked Yu Xi.
Yu Xi nodded: “I can.”
Kersz breathed a sigh of relief.
Yu Xi held a cookie and poked it at the edge of Kersz’s mouth.
Kersz opened his mouth and ate it.
“I feel like our relationship has gotten closer,” said Yu Xi. “I really feel like the bond between us has grown closer than any I’ve had before.”
“Don’t you still have those hidden memories?” Kersz asked.
“That’s different. I feel like I’ve probably made friends before, but they were definitely nothing like you…..a best friend.” Yu Xi and Kersz were friends, but he felt that describing them as such didn’t quite portray the depth of their relationship.
“I really like you so much,” Yu Xi marveled, bringing more food to Kersz’s lips.
“You’re so good, truly good. You’ve actually made me a little afraid of becoming human.” Yu Xi sighed. “And I feel like if I focused all of my attention on a human child, you would be sad, and I don’t want you to be sad.”
Kersz hadn’t even finished chewing what was in his mouth when Yu Xi offered him more.
Kersz had originally intended to keep his composure, to explain to Yu Xi how to hide his agitation better in public, but Yu Xi’s words threw him off.
Yu Xi was always telling him how much he liked him.
Kersz felt his ears grow a little warm.
“You know, ever since I woke up, I’ve really, really wanted to be human. I feel like humans have a certain path they know to walk, but I don’t have anything like that.” Yu Xi analyzed his thoughts out loud. “But then, I suddenly realized that I have a bond of my own. Can you guess who it is?”
Kersz: ……
Yu Xi: “It’s you.”
Kersz felt the warmth spread from his ears to his face.
“It’s truly remarkable. We haven’t known each other for that long, and I’ve surely made other friends in the past, but did they ever make me feel like this?” Yu Xi fed Kersz with one hand, keeping the other pressed to his chest. “You’ve given me a sense of novelty. Oh! And you’re someone with a strong sense of personal boundaries. Do you feel like we’re a little too close right now?”
Kersz: “No.”
Yu Xi: “That’s great, you must like me a lot too. Then I have a special place in your heart? I feel like I’ve never been special to anyone before.” Yu Xi was a little flattered. “I worry that I won’t be able to live up to it. What about you?”
Kersz: “It’s the same for me.”
“Oh~” Yu Xi cupped Kersz’s face and planted a kiss on his lips, then nuzzled his cheek.
Kersz felt his heartbeat speed up. It was beating so fast that it seemed liable to jump out of his throat: “Yu Xi, you can hear my heartbeat, right?”
Yu Xi: “Of course.”
Kersz: “What do you think?”
“I think you’re shy. Perhaps I spoke too bluntly and made your heart race.” Yu Xi nuzzled him again.
“Then why are you still being so intimate with me?” Kersz had originally assumed that Yu Xi acted so familiarly with him because he didn’t understand the ramifications.
“Isn’t this a good thing?” Yu Xi finally let go of Kersz and drew back from him, somewhat confused. “You being shy around me just makes me want to get even closer to you. Perhaps after today, our relationship can take a step forward.”
Kersz fell silent.
Yu Xi urged him: “Isn’t this a good thing?”
Kersz simply nodded instead of responding.
“You like it too, don’t you?” Yu Xi pressed.
Kersz kept nodding.
Having received that answer, Yu Xi proceeded to nuzzle Kersz again.
“I really hope I can be with you forever.” Yu Xi sighed with emotion. “I never want to be apart from you again.”
Yu Xi couldn’t have imagined that after saying such a thing, he would indeed be forced to part ways with Kersz.
Overcome with shyness, Kersz pulled away and explained that he needed to have a private conversation with Yara that afternoon.
And not long after Kersz left, strangers suddenly burst into the house and absconded with Yu Xi and Tau.
Yu Xi was stunned silly when someone grabbed hold of him and took him away. Something was sprayed into his face, and he didn’t know what it was or how he was meant to react to it.
He saw Tau faint, so he decided to “faint” as well.
After closing his eyes, he heard the kidnappers marvelling at how high this child’s drug tolerance was.
Yu Xi didn’t need his eyes to determine where he was, fully able to map out their movements in his mind.
He was eventually locked in a room. Yu Xi scanned it with his eyes closed and realized that there was no smart technology to be found. Was this place specifically designated for holding prisoners?
Countless possibilities raced through Yu Xi’s mind.
Had Kersz’s mission failed? Where exactly was Kersz? Could something have happened to him?
There were signal-jamming devices here, but they posed no obstacle to Yu Xi.
He quickly located the positions of Kersz and Tau’s optical computers since the ones they currently wore had been created by Yu Xi and were basically an extension of himself.
Kersz was still in the middle of a discussion with Yara when Yu Xi made his optical computer vibrate twice.
Kersz tapped on it and took a look, but he hadn’t received any messages.
“What is it?” Yara asked him.
“Nothing, I set a vibrating alarm.” Kersz sent her an easy smile, but this situation didn’t seem normal to him at all.
He was being surveilled from every direction right now, so it might not be convenient for Yu Xi to send him a message.
Kersz switched off the screen of his optical computer and chatted with Yara as if nothing was amiss. Soon afterwards, he mentioned that he should be getting home, as his child might have woken up by now and would be upset not to see his father there.
Yara had an attendant escort Kersz out, expressing that she had thoroughly enjoyed their conversation and wished to send a delegation to tour his processing plant when possible.
Kersz readily agreed.
He hurried home, but all that awaited him was an empty house – along with a lonely Xiao Konglong sitting on the table.
“Ah….have your brother and the child gone out?” the attendant asked Kersz.
“No way. They would never leave without telling me first.” Kersz’s breathing grew heavy. He went from room to room in search of Yu Xi, but found nothing.
The attendant’s expression turned grave when he saw that the door to Tau’s room showed signs of having been forced open.
“Please don’t worry, we will definitely locate your child.” The attendant immediately sent a message to Yara.
Kersz stumbled, then slumped down to sit on the floor.
His optical computer vibrated twice more, as if to comfort him.
Kersz’s mind raced.
Yu Xi shouldn’t have been hurt. He was right beside him at this very moment, though not in a way Kersz could see.
Who had done it?
Could Yara have discovered a flaw in his act?
This was unlikely. If Kersz had come up with his fake identity himself, he might be afraid that Yara had uncovered his deception.
But his credentials and identity had been created by Yu Xi.
They could even be called genuine, if only for the fact that the documents could not be proven false.
Kersz looked as if he was falling apart, but when he was out of sight of the attendant, he softly tapped the side of his leg with his fingertips to convey a message to Yu Xi.
He asked Yu Xi if he knew who had kidnapped him, and Yu Xi responded with a light series of vibrations.
Yu Xi expressed that he hadn’t yet opened his eyes, since Tau was still unconscious and a child like him shouldn’t wake up before the grown man.
Kersz’s other hand was trembling.
The attendant noticed that something was amiss: “Are you alright? Please don’t worry.”
Kersz couldn’t quite determine if he was just acting or if his fear was genuine.
[Don’t be afraid!] Yu Xi continued to transmit messages through the vibrations. [I’m not hurt, I’m really not.]
[It is very difficult to hurt me. None of the weapons here are capable of inflicting damage on me at all.] Yu Xi reminded Kersz, [I’m not a human, I’m a robot. A very powerful robot that can survive in the vacuum of space. My body is able to initiate independent space jumps, and I can completely shut off all pain receptors.]
Kersz knew that Yu Xi was very powerful.
He also knew that his worry was unnecessary, but he couldn’t help himself.
[Oh! Tau is awake! I’m waking up too. I’m about to see the kidnappers face-to-face!] Yu Xi was a bit excited.
Once Tau woke up, Yu Xi also opened his eyes.
He waited for the kidnappers to come and speak to him, but none of them approached him. They all went to Tau’s cell.
Yu Xi tugged up his oversized trousers and jumped off the bed.
He had shrunk down to his child form the instant those people broke down the door, but hadn’t had time to change his clothes. The kidnappers were clearly not very considerate people either, and hadn’t bothered to get him something more appropriate to wear.
Yu Xi ran to the door, then raised his hand and knocked.
No one answered him.
But they had gone to speak with Tau.
Those ageist jerks!
Unlike Yu Xi, Tau had actually lost consciousness.
Despite having been trained in combat, he put up no resistance whatsoever, as doing so wouldn’t align with his current persona.
Upon regaining consciousness, Tau adopted a terrified appearance, repeatedly asking what was happening, where his child was, and what these people wanted with him.
“Calm yourself, my friend.” A man walked into the room, accompanied by two combat androids. “I truly did want to invite you and your little nephew over here as guests. This was a measure of last resort.”
Tau dropped his head into his hands with a grimace: “Where is the kid?!”
“The little one is doing just fine. Of course, if your cousin doesn’t cooperate with us, that may not remain the case.” The man pulled over a chair and sat down. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and placed it between his lips to take a drag.
He didn’t seem to be in any hurry.
Tau immediately asked: “What exactly do you want? Do you want money? We can give you money as long as you don’t hurt that child.”
“Do you not suspect that I was sent by your enemies?” the man asked.
“We don’t have any enemies.” Tau was well aware that their backgrounds were clean, since their identities were completely fabricated.
“Wow, it turns out we’ve got a whole family of model citizens here, ah. Does that mean I’m the one in the wrong?” The man wore a look of great surprise.
He chuckled wryly, then asked: “But aren’t you a little too self-assured? Just because you haven’t made any enemies doesn’t mean there aren’t people out there who want you dead.”
“You really are naive, ah. Can someone like you truly succeed in the business world? The power and influence your family possesses is more than enough to make you the target of ill will.” The man chuckled, then got to his feet. “If you must assign blame, then blame yourselves for trying to collaborate with Yara. I have a favor to ask of her as well, but she keeps avoiding me, so I had no choice but to resort to extreme measures.”
“If this collaboration doesn’t work out, your future as a small business owner is likely doomed.” The man inspected Tau’s arms. “Going by your build, you’d make a decent miner, but maybe you’d prefer something less labor-intensive. I know some people who enjoy buying slaves…..real, living slaves. And you’re not bad-looking either.”
Tau was trembling slightly, as if he was terrified.
“That little nephew of yours will be even more in demand than you. After all, there are so many more possibilities when it comes to the young.” The man stepped away.
“What did you say?!” Tau asked in shocked disbelief. “You’re a bunch of animals!”
The man paused in his steps. Then he strode toward Tau and, without warning, struck him in the face.
Tau clutched his cheek with a whimper.
“I invited you here as a guest, and you insulted me.” The man shook out his hand. “You really hurt my feelings, ah~”
Hiding inside the optical computer, Yu Xi was startled by this act of violence and gave it a light buzz.
The chips for their terminals were embedded beneath the skin. There were signal jammers around, but that man must not intend to send them directly off to the mines if he hadn’t extracted their communication devices and embedded IDs yet.
“I really do admire a person with a backbone, but I’m very sensitive deep down. Verbal attacks upset me,” the man continued.
Tau covered his face. He was shaking.
A sense of relief washed over him when he felt the vibrations from Yu Xi.
And in the wake of that relief came puzzlement.
The previous scene had been entirely an act. He had known that the man might lash out in anger, but Tau needed to carry out his role.
He didn’t fear violence from this person, nor did he fear death.
So why did he feel relieved?
Was he worried about Yu Xi?
That was highly unlikely. Yu Xi was far too formidable to be harmed by ordinary people.
But the instant he received the message from Yu Xi, Tau realized that he didn’t have to die.
The situation was under control. This was merely an unforeseen complication that would be resolved.
Tau considered this for a long while, and a sense of security settled inside of him.
So did this mean that he was actually afraid to die?
How was that possible?
Even if he were to die right at this moment…..no, he couldn’t die. If he died, what would become of Xiao Konglong?!
His Xiao Konglong was waiting for him to come home!
Tau finally found a reason for his sense of security – he didn’t fear death, but he needed to return and continue looking after his Xiao Konglong.
Speaking of which, how long was he going to be kept locked up here? What had his Xiao Konglong been eating for these past few days?
Would Kersz have the time to prepare food for him?
That comforting sense of security was gradually replaced by anxiety.
Tau began to worry.
Yu Xi was still knocking on the door, and a short while later, it finally opened.
The man who had just gone to see Tau was now standing before him, smiling a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. This was a very unfeeling human.
Despite that coldness, Yu Xi wanted to punch him in the face.
But now wasn’t the time.
“Who are you?” Yu Xi asked somewhat angrily.
“I’m an uncle your father knows. He wants you to stay at my place for the time being.” The man crouched down so that he was face to face with Yu Xi.
“I don’t know an uncle like you,” said Yu Xi. “You kidnapped me.”
“Why do you say that?” The man’s brow furrowed, and he seemed a little saddened.
“That’s how all the stories go. You kidnapped me in order to extort my dad.” Yu Xi’s expression was severe. “When it comes down to the final act, you’re going to tie up me and my uncle and force my dad to choose between us.”
The man: ?
Yu Xi continued: “If my dad chooses me, you’ll shoot me dead instead. And then, when you turn and point the gun at my uncle, that’s when my dad will shoot you dead.”
The man: “I would rather not be shot dead.”
Yu Xi: “Me either, ah! But you’ll do it anyway!”
The man quickly raised his hands: “Look, I don’t have a gun in my hands right now!”
Yu Xi shook his head: “You’re a violent bad guy.”
“Why do you think I’m a bad guy?” the man asked in puzzlement.
Naturally, it was because his asshole struck Tau.
“You’re just a bad guy.” Yu Xi tilted his head back, waiting to see if this man would get violent with him.
Yu Xi didn’t fear violence…..
Okay, while human violence did send Yu Xi into a helpless panic, Yu Xi needed to be tougher right now.
He couldn’t bow his head to the asshole who had beaten Tau.
“Uncle just wants to survive.” The man smiled at him again. “Don’t you want to live?”
Yu Xi nodded.
“Uncle wants to live too, ah.” The man didn’t take the harsh words of a child to heart. “This is Uncle’s method of survival.”
The man reached out to pat the child on the head, but Yu Xi ducked out of reach.
The man continued: “When Uncle was a child, he wasn’t nearly as lucky as you.”
Yu Xi: “I’m not lucky at all.”
The man paused for a moment before bursting into loud, amused laughter.
“Indeed, your luck has run out.” The man stood up. “Perhaps from today onward, you’ll look back every day with nostalgia, regretting that you never truly appreciated those years of your life.”
“What a pity~ Now it’s all come to a sudden end.” The man sounded as if he was gloating.
Gloating over a child.
Yu Xi was dumbfounded, but the man had already stood up and left.
He sensed that Kersz was currently sitting alone in that house, while beside him, Xiao Konglong was calling out Tau’s name. He had learned another word.
Yu Xi immediately compiled everything he had just witnessed into a video and sent it to Kersz.
And Kersz very quickly recognized who that man was.
It was Kersz’s current target – that deranged space pirate ringleader.
But it puzzled Kersz that the man hadn’t bothered to conceal his identity.
[He was wearing a disguise, but I detected it and restored the image to his original appearance.] Such measures were useless against Yu Xi.
[Are you and him very familiar with each other? I find him to be very bad-tempered.] Yu Xi asked Kersz.
[He tried to recruit me once.He’s a very good actor, but in reality, he’s an absolute lunatic.] Kersz was worried that Yu Xi would be deceived by the man’s smile.
Kersz had always claimed to be a lunatic himself, and was concerned that Yu Xi wouldn’t truly grasp the depths of that man’s depravity: [His upbringing was dysfunctional. He was singled out by the previous leader and groomed to become a loyal subordinate.]
After reading through that paragraph, Yu Xi noticed that Kersz was taking an abnormally long time to send his next message and waited for a while.
Perhaps the content of the message was quite long.
But when his waiting finally came to an end, all he received were a few brief words: [He killed his own parents.]
Immediately afterward, Kersz sent a lengthy message detailing the man’s life experience.
That man was once the young master of a wealthy family. His parents were also businesspeople, but tragically, space pirates raided their enterprise while the entire family was present on that planet.
The man was very young back then. Too young to have started forming many memories.
The entire family was taken aboard the pirates’ starship as hostages.
They spent several years aboard the starship as the space pirates negotiated with their relatives, each of them receiving only one bottle of nutrient solution per day to keep them alive.
Driven to desperation, the man began to fawn and flatter the pirates in order to get into their good graces, envious of the food the high-ranking officers enjoyed.
He was a sweet-talker, and did whatever the pirates told him to do. It was said that the pirates enjoyed playing around with him like he was a pet, and his embarrassment never failed to make the pirates burst into laughter.
His own parents were the “pledge of allegiance” he offered to the space pirates.
They had been squeezed dry of usefulness, and there was no longer any point in keeping them around.
The former pirate captain asked him what should be done with his parents, specifically whether or not they should be set free.
The man said they should not be set free.
The pirate captain then asked what should be done with them instead.
The man expressed that they should be disposed of.
And then, he did the deed himself. It was said that once the other pirates caught wind of his actions, they laughed uproariously again and patted him on the head, declaring him to be a very fine son of a bitch.
The man had laughed along, appearing to take their words as a compliment.
[Not long after he came of age, he eliminated the previous pirate leader. And after that, the actions of his pirate crew sank to new depths of depravity.]
Yu Xi was astonished: [Compared to him, you’re practically a novice.]
Kersz: [You’re not wrong.]
There was one thing that Yu Xi didn’t quite understand: [But why does the government like to pick on you so much? You’re clearly not crazy like them.]
[Yeah, I don’t have even a fraction of his kill count.] Kersz was in wholehearted agreement. [Maybe it’s because all of my kills have been people of power?]
Yu Xi felt that Kersz had terrible luck.
But before he could reflect on the matter further, the man appeared again.
He had brought a bottle of nutrient solution with him: “This is all you get to eat for today.”
Yu Xi didn’t understand.
Did this space pirate captain not have any subordinates? Why was he delivering his food personally?
It didn’t make sense, ah. It was clearly this space pirate’s subordinates who had kidnapped him back then.
“You have an opportunity to obtain more food,” the man said to him.
Yu Xi: “What opportunity?”
“I won’t tell you for now.” The man set down the nutrient solution and went to the door.
In the middle of opening it, he suddenly paused and looked back toward Yu Xi: “You care a great deal about your dad and uncle, don’t you?”
Yu Xi had started to get up and take a look at the bottle of nutrient solution, but when he heard these words, a shiver ran down his spine.
He stared at the man.
But the man simply smiled, closed the door, and left.
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Chapter 41 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 43
