Chapter 90: 49.5

Cheng Zhaoci… is defeated. He’s too tired to continue. This damned world has no place left for him.

Though soon enough, he is cheered up unexpectedly.

Zhou Luoluo is calling. Zhou Xiaobao’s comic has commenters that are accusing Zhou Xiaobao of being some underage shemale that is fantasising about males while never having seen one in real life, that he ended up writing such a creepy plot.

So Cheng Zhaoci decided to check it out – it’s true. The comment also has lots of replies underneath. Suffice it to say, none are exactly courteous.

Zhou Xiaobao’s comic, if nothing else, is extremely effective at attracting young, diehard fans with horrendous fighting power.

The kind that screams at the top of their lungs, that this comic is the best and better than every single other comic. BombIn’s comic? With its higher views and stuff? Nope, no idea what that is.

This leads to the odd situation that, while Cheng Zhaoci and Zhou Xiaobao are now good friends, their respective fans are locked in perpetual conflict. It’s amusing to Cheng Zhaoci.

A tour of the comment section has made Cheng Zhaoci feel better. Feeling better has led to inspiration to keep working on comics!

‘Theoretical Time Turnaround’ is a go!

This time, his comic’s cover is deeply unsettling.

Pure black background that gradually reddens at the bottom, which also slowly reveals the silhouette of the protagonist’s black hair. Bangs conceal his half-shut eyes, with the pupils looking downwards at something out of shot.

The face, meanwhile, is pure white with simple grey shading for shadows.

There isn’t a smidgeon of the warmth to be found in the earlier comic covers. Instead, it is a simple, effective shock. The title is handwritten in contrasting white colours, with sharp strokes that are uncomfortable to look at.

This time, Cheng Zhaoci isn’t starting on his comic proper in the very beginning. Instead, he is drawing a teaser.

Panel one. In a black background with bright red characters, ‘Do you want the chance to redo everything?’

Panel two. Close-up of an insectoid with untrimmed, unkempt stubbles. Eys widened, bloodshot. In his pupil’s reflection is the creepy smile from the protagonist.

Panel three. Black again. The red characters read, ‘I can return you to the past.’

Panel four. A demi, looking right at the reader – presumably looking at the protagonist – with a shocked face, “who in the world are you?!”

More red characters, ‘Do you wish…’

A few panels follow, depicting many insectoids of different sex and age, but with the same kind of shock.

‘… to go back in time?’

That’s the last panel of the teaser.

Cheng Zhaoci then publishes both the cover and the teaser as soon as he’s done.

Cheng Zhaoci’s readers have been quite happy about the artist’s high productivity these months, but that doesn’t help at all with the sense of eeriness they’re feeling seeing this completely different style of cover.

What’s this?! It looks so horrible!

The insectoids might have easily assumed it was ghost or paranormal in nature if they weren’t completely materialistic and physical in belief. They feel chills down their spines, but they can’t put a finger on it.

‘Time Turnaround,’ and combined with the teaser, means going back in time, to do their lives anew.

A rather fresh concept indeed. Theoretical? So it’s simply a hypothetical? If life can restart? The author is ready to get another sad story out? Is the protagonist going to lose everything and think about what if he can do it all over?

The insectoids who think they’ve got it all figured out clicks it open to find only a teaser chapter.

After that…

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Shit it’s so freaking horrifying! But wait, why does it feel like the plot has already climaxed? Which is the protagonist’s face? There are so many of them! Is it the one depicted on the cover, with lifeless eyes and a weird, plastic smile?

What kind of protagonist is that?! Aren’t all protagonists supposed to be handsome?

But they’re so curious! Why do they really want to read what’s going to happen?! They don’t even know what’s going on!

Discussions are sparked. From discussion on the style, to the protagonist, to the title’s namesake, the whole ‘turning around time’ thing.

And also, what would people do if they could redo their lives?

“I don’t know,” reflexively mutters Jin Yue, after reading the teaser. He doesn’t need a chance to redo things. He knows, he, and his past self, are practically two different insectoids.

Even if he could do it again… What has already rooted itself in his mind will not just disappear.

“Quit reading comics! The Federation is at our doorstep!” Sun Wushe looks like he really wants to bonk Jin Yue on the head.

“But we also have lots of insectoids under our command,” Jin Yue closes his holodeck, “more are joining us by the minute.”
“We also have more than twenty males, don’t we?” Jin Yue stretches, “how is management doing?”

A shemale with a thorny vine tattoo on his face looks at Jin Yue and answers, “per the rules, forced labour and forced to accept intercourse from any insectoid under our command. One died yesterday, though.”

“I think it was someone over a hundred. When he learned his cijun and concubines are all dead, he provoked a comrade and was beaten to death.”

Jin Yue’s forehead twitches, “beaten to death?! Who did that?!”

“Wang Zhong. He barely escaped with his life after his father almost killed him. He is extremely hostile to males,” the tattooed shemale reports, “we’ve already given him his punishment. Three days’ solitary confinement. Pay deduction.”

“Did I not announce to everyone, no fatalities?” Jin Yue has a scary face on.

“Don’t be silly. That male wanted to die. Who could’ve stopped him?” The shemale doesn’t seem fazed, “he lit the fuse, and Wang Zhong blew up on him, as he wanted. It was too much to beat him to death like that, so we got him confined and docked his pay. If the punishments go too far, what would our men think?”

Jin Yue is silent for a while, before glancing over at Sun Wushe, who says nothing and looks away. He then waves his hand and says, “no next time.”

So the incident has blown over.

“Those concubines and the cijun must be mad; brainwashed. Not even threatening their lives would they stop trying to save a male. What a waste.”

“The male also got his death wish already,” someone interrupts, “enough about that. We have to talk about the Federation.”

Everyone has almost subconsciously buried the matter afterwards. Regardless of their personal feelings, the deed is done. There are things that must be sacrificed, now that they’ve walked this far.

“The Federation will never be able to wipe us out entirely. The ones at the top have no idea how many insectoids like us there are. They are drowning in their ignorant sins!”

“And isn’t this just another repeat of history?” Lu Yao sighs, reading the report in his hand, “how many years has it been since the last failed uprising?” He can’t remember. He never did do well back in school, especially in History. He’s too old to remember.

His holodeck is ringing. The caller reads ‘Bai Jiawen.’ Lu Yao’s eyes widen a little, and he accepts the call, in his private company, “what’s wrong? You needed something, Mr President, sir?”

Some mumblings later, Lu Yao rolls his eyes and answers, “I thought you’d know even better than I do exactly when xiao-Ci is going to enter adulthood. Those mad scientists of the Institute also have their eyes on him like hungry wolves too, for that matter.”

Those scary bipolar males of the Institute are insane! Lu Yao will never allow his xiao-Ci in touch with those lunatics!

“Huh? Oh, don’t be silly, I don’t believe you’ve lost a single hair over Jin Yue. What? Overthrow the male ruling authority? If it were that simple to do, you think the status quo would have stagnated and dragged its disease-riddled carcass this far along history?” Lu Yao sarcastically asks.

There is yelling, and Lu Yao shudders a little, and starts cooing the other person, “okay, okay! Got it! I understand! Just don’t worry. We still don’t know if xiao-Ci really is grade S, you know? It’s all guesswork and predictions, got it? Oh, do calm down. Think about how you were all smiles when I told you about my grandson and xiao-Ci are hitting it off.”

“Granddad?” Cheng Zhaoci pokes his head in, “is everything alright?” Cheng Zhaoci wasn’t eavesdropping, but the shouts were getting louder and louder and he could hear it clearly from the living room. It didn’t sound too angry, but still.

“Oh, xiao-Ci? It’s fine, I’m just talking to the President.”

Oh! The Presi… Wait! Wasn’t he, like, a total puppet of the Chairman of Chief Command? Why would he be in a call… Oh no, is granddad getting dragged into political turmoil?!

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