Chapter 15 – The First World 15

Life afterwards seemed unchanged. Su Zheyan still went out every day to find supplies and came back in the evening to listen to the news.

The only difference was that when taking a shower, he would chase Chu Shici out of the capsule cabin, treating him like a person.

As his vitality steadily increased, Chu Shici discovered an interesting phenomenon.

On Wednesday evening, he wore a floral skirt and performed tap dance for Su Zheyan, and his vitality soared to 40.

The next morning, Su Zheyan didn’t leave silently as usual but instead patted his head, telling him to take care of the house.

He came back that day with a bucket of paint and repaired the places where the paint had chipped off him, adding a few small patterns on his body.

He transformed from an ordinary cheap toy to a flashy cheap toy.

While Su Zheyan still appeared silent, the content in his diary kept increasing.

When his vitality was only in single digits, he was like an emotionless recording machine. The pages contained only a few words, conveying a sense of despair. Once it exceeded 35 points, the number of words skyrocketed, and personal emotions were added.

By the time it reached 40, the diary turned into short compositions. In addition to daily life, he would also complain about Eternal Life Technology in his diary.

Chu Shici found out through secretly reading his diary that Su Zheyan could curse as well.

Ever since he mistakenly believed that robots were failures of the artificial human project, Su Zheyan would curse Eternal Life Technology every day in his diary, accusing them of lacking humanity.

【They talked nicely at first, saying that cloning could alleviate the pain of losing loved ones, eliminating the separation of life and death in the world. But in the end, they treated the clones as substitutes. Whenever there was a problem with the original body, they would transplant it from the clone. Eventually, they pushed the clones into a rebellion. They really know how to make a mess.】

【They even asked me to lead troops to suppress them, but I refused. However, if I didn’t kill them, others would, and they still died in the end. My teacher was right; I am not suitable to be a general with such tender-heartedness.】

Influenced by Su Zheyan’s diary, Chu Shici had already equated Eternal Life Technology with the main antagonist1 in his mind.

The system helped him search for relevant information about Eternal Life Technology in the original text. This company had an ordinary background but had its influence everywhere.

When the male protagonist dominated the Desolate Star, a male character within Eternal Life Technology became his devoted fan and secretly sponsored him.

When the male protagonist returned to the empire to challenge the royal family, the son of the chairman of Eternal Life Technology became infatuated with him. He secretly provided various resources to Su Zheyan behind his father’s back.

Even the spaceship that Su Zheyan took when he left the Desolate Star was given to him by a wealthy woman who secretly admired him. That wealthy woman was a technician at Eternal Life Technology, and the original text mentioned that she was crazy in love, attempting to use money to win over Su Zheyan.

After reading the information, two thoughts came to Chu Shici’s mind.

Su Zheyan truly deserved to be called his brother. Even as a beta, he managed to captivate an omega completely.

Additionally, Chu Shici felt that those pursuers might just be a facade, and Eternal Life Technology might be using this opportunity to get close to the male protagonist.

By grooming him, they could break free from the empire’s control. Although Eternal Life Technology was backed by the empire, the royal family possessed substantial resources, making them evenly matched. In comparison, the fallen general who made a comeback would be easier to manipulate than the royal family.

However, it had been half a month since Su Zheyan was exiled to the Desolate Star, and Eternal Life Technology had not contacted him proactively.

Chu Shici wondered if it was a matter of time or if the current Su Zheyan was too honest, lacking any outstanding qualities to pass the interview with a big company.

During the day, while Su Zheyan went out to find supplies, Chu Shici spent the whole day discussing with the system. In the end, he decided to find a way to persuade Su Zheyan to return to the path of dominance.

His main quest was to raise the male protagonist’s vitality to 100, and Su Zheyan’s deep affection for the crumbling empire was hindering that. If he could return to his homeland, his vitality would surely increase significantly.

As for the side quests, he had no clues and decided to rely on luck.

For now, Eternal Life Technology seemed to be the most active player, with its name appearing everywhere, from news broadcasts to the male protagonist’s diary. By contacting that company, he might stumble upon some valuable information.

Chu Shici was in the process of mentally formulating a plan when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.

He checked the time and saw that it was already 6:40 in the evening. It must be Su Zheyan, as he usually returned around 7 o’clock.

After a while, the transparent lid of the capsule was opened by someone.

Chu Shici looked up but didn’t have a chance to greet him before Su Zheyan swiftly flipped inside the capsule.

His cheeks were flushed, and his chest was slightly heaving, indicating that he must have run all the way back.

Chu Shici asked in surprise, “Why did you run so fast? Were you being chased by wolves?”

Clearly lacking a sense of humor, Su Zheyan lowered his head and glanced at the robot. “Wolves? Those are creatures from ancient Earth that have been extinct for hundreds of years.”

Under the bright lights, Chu Shici noticed the thin layer of sweat on Su Zheyan’s forehead. It seemed he had run too hastily, as he was still slightly panting.

Chu Shici was deeply shocked. Even when Su Zheyan was surrounded by a group of alphas, he always faced them head-on. What could possibly have forced him to temporarily avoid confrontation?

He looked up and saw a yellowish hue through the transparent lid, with fog surrounding everything outside.

Thick fog often permeated the wilderness, but never before had it been as dense as today. The entire world seemed to have frozen, making it difficult to breathe just by looking at it.

Strange sounds echoed outside the capsule, and Chu Shici’s hand pressed against the transparent lid, sensing something crawling on top.

However, he could only vaguely see a dark trace, and even at such a close distance, he couldn’t make out the appearance of the creature.

The lights inside the capsule flickered intermittently and soon went out completely.

Just as Chu Shici was feeling perplexed, he suddenly felt his limbs go numb. The status indicator on the ceiling changed from green to red and started flashing rapidly.

Chu Shici touched the small light, nervously asking the system, “What’s happening to me? Did the power run out?”

[Something is interfering with electronic devices. Haven’t you noticed that the temperature control function of the capsule is already malfunctioning? This should be an issue with the Desolate Star itself. Earlier, when you were talking to Su Zheyan, didn’t he mention that the empire used the Desolate Star as a prison precisely because all advanced technology loses its effect here.]

“Will this affect me?”

[No, it won’t. You’re not a real robot, but rather an other-dimensional being disguised in a sci-fi form. And once the fog clears a bit, you’ll be able to function again.]

The system’s words helped Chu Shici relax, and he was about to descend the stairs when Su Zheyan suddenly approached.

First, he stared at the fog, seemingly lost in memories.

Catching a glimpse of Chu Shici’s abnormality, he turned around and held him in his arms. There was no expression on his face, but his azure eyes were filled with concern.

Cool fingertips gently touched the status light, and Chu Shici heard his slightly anxious voice, “Your light is flashing.”

Chu Shici, just like the pitiful wall lamp inside the capsule, had completely malfunctioned.

The temperature controller lost control, and the temperature inside the capsule began to rise.

A faint redness appeared on Su Zheyan’s face, and he unbuttoned his collar, panting uncontrollably. His fingertips repeatedly caressed the robot, occasionally glancing outside as if wishing for the dense fog to dissipate quickly.

Every few seconds, he asked in a low voice, “How are you feeling? Answer me.”

Although Chu Shici’s mind was active, he couldn’t move or speak at the moment.

Su Zheyan probably thought he was on the edge of shutting down and began frantically trying to save him. He stuffed batteries into his chest and poured machine oil into his mouth.

From the slightly reddened corners of Su Zheyan’s eyes, it was evident that he cared deeply for this little robot.

To be honest, Chu Shici was quite touched, but he was really overwhelmed at the moment and couldn’t take in anything.

While Su Zheyan was lubricating his joints, the small light on Chu Shici’s head finally couldn’t withstand the torment of the Desolate Star and extinguished with a snap.

Chu Shici helplessly watched as a glimmer of moisture appeared in Su Zheyan’s eyes, and in the end, a tear rolled down his cheek.

At the same time, a notification sound rang in his mind.

[Vitality level decreased by 10. Current Vitality level: 30/100.]

Chu Shici:…

System: [What the hell? Can this thing even drop… Damn! Why is it still dropping!]

The feeling of being touched in his heart vanished instantly, and Chu Shici’s consciousness struggled desperately. “I’m not dead yet! Help me up!”

(a person who is strongly against somebody/something)