Chapter 21 – The First World 21

Su Zheyan didn’t pay much attention to the recent little episode. The fact that the robot liked men had nothing to do with him.

The male O doll he bought last time didn’t seem to appeal to the robot. He would go and buy a male A doll instead. There must be one that would meet the robot’s aesthetic preferences.

As he gathered supplies, he casually asked, “Do you prefer alphas or omegas?”

Chu Shici suddenly snapped out of his reverie and realized this was a scoring opportunity. “I prefer betas.”

Su Zheyan didn’t show much reaction on his face but quietly added a few Vitality points.

His straightforward appearance made Chu Shici sigh softly.

The system joined in the conversation, being particularly nosy, and asked, 【Why are you sighing? Do you like him or something?】

‘Humans and robots have different paths, and he’s an unattached male protagonist. Why would I like him?’

【You were just twisted like a pretzel1 earlier, don’t pretend with me.】

‘When I was alive, I followed a bunch of handsome guys’ accounts on short video apps. Every time they posted high-quality videos, I would get excited and roll around. The human mind is complicated. Blushing doesn’t mean I love him; it might be because he’s so handsome.’

【Oh.】

‘If we’re really counting, I’ve even called a paper-cutout person my husband. He’s a character from a BL game, the Japanese version. He’s incredibly handsome, and all his stats are amazing…’

【Shut up, thank you.】

The system completely lost interest in the gossip, and Chu Shici began to help search the bodies.

Su Zheyan picked up a fallen helmet, and the robot casually passed by him.

He stretched his foot forward, and the robot bumped into his military boot, rubbing its head and looking up at him.

Su Zheyan didn’t react much, and Chu Shici understood. It was a deliberate playfulness.

After learning the process of using the helmet, Su Zheyan picked up a corpse from the ground and quickly fastened the helmet onto its head.

When he removed the helmet, the corpse’s face bore a large mark, a pattern of a snake entwined with an apple.

There was also a small scar on the back of the corpse’s head. Su Zheyan opened the head, digging out a crystal from inside.

Chu Shici gasped in shock. Eternal Life Technology was indeed trying to replace the male protagonist with a clone.

Su Zheyan played with the crystal, a cold smile curling up his lips.

If his subconscious mind hadn’t rejected wearing the helmet, he would have been marked with humiliation and infused with an unknown object while he was in the city.

The smell of blood in the air attracted creatures from the wilderness, and a thin mist began to rise around them.

Su Zheyan was tinkering with the crystal, and Chu Shici climbed up his military boot, trying to make his way into his pocket.

Just as he grabbed the pant leg, his gaze unintentionally swept across the ground, and he suddenly noticed that the layer of soil on the ground was moving slowly.

Chu Shici tugged at the pants and a cold voice came from above, “Tired of crawling?”

A fair hand reached out and lifted him into the air.

Chu Shici leaned by his hand, peering down, “Yan ge, why is the ground moving?”

Su Zheyan stuffed him into his pocket and carried him back to the capsule, saying, “The surface layer of the ground has been shifting southeast.”

As he spoke, the grains of sand in the mist condensed into shadows and began to feed on the corpses on the ground.

The chunks of flesh that had fallen to the ground also rolled along with the flowing soil.

Previously, Chu Shici hadn’t paid much attention to the process of monsters devouring their prey. But with Su Zheyan by his side, he felt particularly brave. Not only did he lean in to watch, but he also pulled the male protagonist to join him.

Su Zheyan leaned against the edge of the capsule, lowering his head as he silently watched the robot.

When they had seen enough excitement, Chu Shici turned to look at him. ” Yan ge, why is the soil moving towards the southeast?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are these really just soil? Why do they look like living beings?”

“I don’t know.”

“Yan ge, what are those shadows?”

“I don’t know.”

The robot looked somewhat disappointed, but each of Su Zheyan’s answers was carefully considered and showed no sign of being perfunctory.

The Imperial spacecraft couldn’t take away the primitive resources on the desolate planet, as it would cause instrument malfunctions and system disruptions.

Without samples, research was impossible. Science couldn’t explain everything about the desolate planet. Besides the creatures that were known to be killers, there were no other living beings. Civilization couldn’t set foot there, and life couldn’t propagate. In the end, it became a natural prison for exiled criminals.

Su Zheyan tapped the robot’s head, contemplating whether or not to explain. Fortunately, the little toy was always energetic and didn’t feel his indifference at all.

Chu Shici leaned forward, looking towards the southeast. “Yan ge, aren’t you curious about what’s over there?”

Su Zheyan wanted to say he wasn’t curious, but the words stuck in his throat and turned into an incomprehensible hum.

The male protagonist rarely showed expressions, but Chu Shici still sensed a subtle change.

He said to the system, “Vitality points are at 51, Yan ge is more accommodating than before. If I reach 100 points, will the plot change from no couple pairing to a BL story?”

[Didn’t you say you don’t like him?]

“But what if I end up liking him later? The human heart is complicated. A powerless, partnerless little zero2 will always have fantasies about love.”

“Don’t mess around, go away.”

…

They had only slept in the capsule for one night. When the mist dissipated, Su Zheyan got up and started packing their belongings.

Unlike before, this time he prepared a lot of things. Judging by his appearance, he was preparing to leave this place for good.

Chu Shici was awakened by him and asked groggily, “Yan ge, aren’t we staying in the capsule anymore?”

Su Zheyan made a sound of agreement.

“Why? Because of what happened yesterday?”

“Zuo Ting didn’t go back, Eternal Life Technology will definitely send people to investigate. The mist was thick last night, so they didn’t dare to venture into the wilderness. They will arrive by 9 o’clock at the latest, so we need to leave immediately.”

Chu Shici instinctively asked, “Didn’t the researcher return to the Empire? Eternal Life Technology should be busy dealing with the Empire’s interrogation now.”

Su Zheyan paused in his movements. “I didn’t think it through yesterday, but I realized it today. Among Eternal Life Technology’s products, only your signal can transmit from the desolate planet. The central processor will send someone to take you back for research. I don’t want to take any risks.”

He didn’t say anything sentimental, but Chu Shici was slightly moved. He held onto the finger in front of him and said, ” Yan ge, do you really like me a lot?”

Su Zheyan finally realized that something was off. He looked at Chu Shici with a hint of surprise and spoke after a long silence, “Don’t misunderstand, I only have a… human-machine relationship with you. And with your current appearance, it’s difficult for anyone to develop inappropriate thoughts.”

Chu Shici waved his hand. “Don’t worry, I don’t have such thoughts about you either. Although there is human-machine love, I’m just palm-sized. At least when I become humanoid, then I can consider those romantic feelings.”

Su Zheyan withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, while Chu Shici briskly ran over to pack their belongings.

The atmosphere inside the capsule was harmonious, and the interaction between the man and the machine was pleasant, except for the discontented system.

Chu Shici would often flirt with it in his mind, calling it “Yan ge” affectionately. The system actually thought it could get some benefits from it.

But now, it woke up early in the morning only to witness this? From now on, it wouldn’t believe a word this man said.

Before leaving, Chu Shici asked if they could take the capsule with them.

Reluctantly, he touched their former house, saying, “How about capturing a few alphas and having them help you move? Let them serve as strong men.”

Su Zheyan dragged a homemade cart and said, “The capsule is not capsule-shaped. The bottom has a protrusion that goes straight into the ground.”

He paused and calmly said, “We can’t take it with us. Don’t indulge in wild thoughts.”

Chu Shici leaned on Su Zheyan’s shoulder, watching the capsule grow smaller and eventually disappear from view.

Their time in this world wasn’t long, and the capsule was cramped, but it gave him a sense of home.

Su Zheyan didn’t seem enthusiastic, but Chu Shici felt that the capsule must have found its place in his heart as well.

Not long after they left, a team of a hundred people entered the wilderness and arrived at the capsule.

The leading man raised his hand, and the armed guards stepped forward to inspect. “Mr. Zuo, the target has left.”

The man removed his protective mask, revealing the face of Zuo Ting. However, his face bore a large symbol—a snake coiled around an apple.

He looked at his subordinates. “This morning, my mother informed me that Cloned Unit 3, who was captured, revealed the secret of our branch. The research institute discovered all the clone infiltrators in the Empire’s high ranks overnight, and after interrogation, they were all eliminated and incinerated. The Empire’s army is still regrouping, but within five days at the latest, they will descend upon this desolate planet.”

There were too many living people here, and the surrounding area was gradually covered in mist. The monsters hidden in the wilderness were becoming restless, and a few shadows silently approached the crowd.

Zuo Ting put on his mask and said irritably, “Mother wants us to retrieve General Su’s original body and the robot with him. It is said that it can establish a connection with the outside world’s signal.”

His subordinates exchanged glances, and Zuo Ting sighed. “I don’t understand my mother’s decision either, but she’s always right. Time is running out, and this wretched place even has an intermittent positioning system.”

As he spoke, the fog grew thicker. The wind intensified, and the dust on the ground moved rapidly towards the southeast at a visible speed.

In the current wilderness, it looked more like a rushing dark yellow river from a distance.

The fierce wind carried grains of sand, making a loud thudding sound as they hit people.

As they walked, a long strip of black stone hit Zuo Ting’s arm and rolled to the ground. He casually kicked it aside, and suddenly, a cry of pain came from behind.

Zuo Ting turned to look and saw one of his subordinates shaking violently. Blood continuously gushed out from his body, slowly melting away until he turned into a shadow, merging with the earth.

Only the gun and suit that fell to the ground remained, proving that someone had stood there.

The group of people reacted calmly, as if it was a common occurrence.

Zuo Ting waved his hand, signaling the team to continue forward. “Surround the clones in the middle and prevent the black stones from hitting them. Except for those who obediently came into existence, eliminate all the others. To hell with the laws of nature, what kind of damn place is this desolate planet.”

The voice of an omega cursing and complaining was drowned out by the increasingly strong winds.

Inside the abandoned capsule, the lights flickered a few times before plunging into darkness. Its owner was forced to leave, and no one would ever repair its old circuits or clean the dust on it again.

It became a visible piece of debris in the wilderness, eventually covered by sand and dust, losing its former splendor.

While the search team from Eternal Life Technology was still struggling against the storm, Su Zheyan killed the innkeeper who tried to force him and his family, allowing them to stay for free in a deluxe room.

As Zuo Ting desperately struggled in the sand, Su Zheyan was taking a hot bath, while his robot was sailing a small boat on a wooden box.

In the middle of the night, the battered team from Eternal Life Technology entered the city and came face to face with alphas strolling through the night market. The sound of gunfire echoed through the sky.

Su Zheyan sat expressionless by the window, while Chu Shici sat on top of his head, enjoying the spectacle.

He wanted to share his joy with the protagonist, but when he looked down, he saw Su Zheyan meticulously writing in his diary: “Well done.”

Translator’s Note-Guys don’t forget to support and comment your views(^-^)

I will meet you all in next chapter.Hope you all are safe.

a crisp biscuit baked in the form of a knot

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