Chapter 74: 45.1

Chapter 45.1

War

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

 

“Woah,” Cheng Zhaoci is enjoying the video Zhou Luoluo sent him. Dark blue background with bright yellow characters. It’s like what a disgruntled employee trying to fight for their rightful wages against a greedy boss might print out in their cause.

When he wrote such ‘sizzling’ plot developments in his past life, the worst backlash he’s seen has only been readers protesting in the comments, threatening to stop following them. Renting out the biggest screen in the middle of the busiest commercial CBD wasn’t what he was expecting at all. Honestly, he’s flattered.

This prompts Cheng Zhaoci to go dive on the Internet, and he discovers many such similar occurrences all over short-form video sites, all of them reading like newspaper columns – as eye-catching as possible. Getting called ‘dog’ isn’t even the worst of it, as there are actually quite a number of angry readers that have devolved to heartfelt ad hominems, even dragging his late father into this.

Perhaps it is always the case that anonymity breeds brash and unthinking conduct, like these insectoids. Though instead of ‘mothers’ taking the brunt of the fire like in his past life, male fathers seem to have far more backlash than the shemale and demi dads. This says quite a bit about the unspoken weight each family member in a male-led family carries in insectoid society, actually.

Not that Cheng Zhaoci has a father anymore, nor does he care for his reputation. Most importantly, there are definitely more angry keyboard warriors in the world than he can bother to count. He can waste his energy in futile arguments all day, only for them to both conclude the other person is a dumbass.

So Cheng Zhaoci merely, quietly hits the ‘report’ button. You see, he is currently browsing the Internet with his main account, the one verified as male in the ‘gender’ tab. How convenient for reporting others, no?

And they probably wouldn’t stay angry for long. His plot isn’t going anywhere but Sweetville.

Conflict is essential to a good story. It might not make it a straightforward children’s fantasy, but it makes for better storytelling, and it’s not a complete tragedy to boot.

Wei Zhuo, of course, only has his one day off. Every other day afterwards, he wakes up earlier than Cheng Zhaoci to prepare breakfast before leaving for work. And also lunch. The magical technology insectoids have means that food can be kept warm and even fresh for two days and up. Stale and cold food are no longer a concern for them.

So whenever our lazy and circadian arrhythmic Cheng Zhaoci finally drags himself off the bed, he would only find an empty mansion and hearty meals. One day, he finally asks himself the question – is he becoming too decadent?

And Wei Zhuo has not let Cheng Zhaoci cook for himself either, having discovered that Cheng Zhaoci would always eat something like half a bowl more when he does the cooking instead. Now he wouldn’t stop cooking.

Cheng Zhaoci’s daily routine now involves waking up, and eating.

It makes Cheng Zhaoci feel ashamed. This wouldn’t do! He would become a useless person! What if he ends up an insectoid who can draw some comics and that’s it?!

Cheng Zhaoci resolves to improve his shut-in situation. He calls up Xiao Ji and He Huaijian, still in the middle of their holidays, and because Mr Liang has also let him off the hook for the holidays, he happily forces Xiao Ji along to play virtual mecha fights with him.

He Huaijian is still working on his secret project and is busy, apparently.

Xiao Ji hasn’t actually got over the bump that is Cheng Zhaoci’s latest comic yet, and normally, he would not have indulged Cheng Zhaoci, who tore his heart out with a fiendish smile and smashed it to pieces. And also wouldn’t tell him what happens next in the plot.

However, he is also feeling some pressure for him to act.

Mainly in the form of the two biological older brothers of Cheng Zhaoci that popped out of nowhere. Cheng Zhaoci has both assured and shown him with action that he does not mean to associate with them, but Xiao Ji still can’t help but feel slightly inferior.

It is because he has learned that those shemales are rich and influential respectively. He and He Huaijian, meanwhile, are still yet-to-graduate future shemale soldiers. It’s quite alarming.

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What if Ci-zai ends up hanging out with his two ‘older brothers’ when he’s outside?

So a conflicted Xiao Ji accompanies Cheng Zhaoci to play. Unfortunately for him, he turns downright depressed after actually playing virtual mecha fights with his good younger brother.

First Military District, Conference Room

“Have the pirates gone mad these days?” A middle-aged Vice-marshal coldly asks with a long face, “what’s the current figure for kidnapped males?”

“Four. We’ve made contact with the space buccaneers, but they refuse to let them go. With how long the four misters have stayed in pirate hands, I’m afraid…” His adjutant doesn’t continue, but everyone knows what he’s talking about.

Males cannot fight. They’re even worse than demis, not to mention they’re in the face of hostile shemales. A male in pirate company might not necessarily be dead, but it might be even worse. Could they have ended up as breeding machines? Pets?

“What about their locations? Do we have the intel yet?” Wei Zhuo still appears calm; at least, calmer than his associates present.

“We have located them already, but we’re also worried that this situation seems to have become the norm rather than the exception.”

“Jin Yue did this,” the Vice-marshal interrupts, “he’s merged the pirates to try and form some sort of new governmental body. A body with no protection clause for males.”

“The coming storm will be nasty, huh.”

Cheng Zhaoci, with a glassy-eyed Xiao Ji in tow, receives a message from Wei Zhuo as they leave the mecha fighting centre behind, “the frontline?”

He’s had peaceful days for long enough to have almost forgotten that Wei Zhuo, being a shemale soldier, is always on call to fight, as is his duty.

“What? Frontline?” Xiao Ji comes back to life, checking out Cheng Zhaoci’s holodeck, “a war is coming?”

Battles are quite common to the insectoids, which are rather belligerent and warmongering in nature. Oh, it’s more of a pirate suppression than a war, which is also common enough, when considering Wei Zhuo actually met Cheng Zhaoci while tracking down Jin Yue on Zhousuo.

A war is nothing that can be trivially resolved in a day or two, though, so they won’t be able to see each other for a while. And it’s apparently pretty urgent, because they’re ordered to get ready for sortieing tonight. They won’t even be able to say goodbye.

“Xiao-Ci,” someone suddenly calls out.

Cheng Zhaoci and Xiao Ji both turn to the sound, to see that it is Lu Nianqian.

Xiao Ji immediately goes on alert, standing between Cheng Zhaoci and him.

“I have something to say,” Lu Nianqian then glances at Xiao Ji, “and if the boy is worried as well, feel free to come listen.”

“What is it?” Xiao Ji furrows his brows a little, “you can’t talk about it here?”

“I’m afraid not. It would be troublesome for prying ears to hear,” Lu Nianqian answers rather nonchalantly, treating Xiao Ji really as a simple underage teenage shemale.

“Let’s go, then,” Cheng Zhaoci isn’t too concerned about Lu Nianqian now. It was obvious when they ran into that cijun accidentally last time that Lu Nianqian does not share his dad’s insanity.

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