Chapter 99: 54.1

Chapter 54.1

Lubrication

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

 

Mr Liang is calm. Or possibly, just still from weariness. Cheng Zhaoci does not know what to even say to help cheer him up.

His xiongzhu is dead. He is going to face a hell of a life from here on out. What can Cheng Zhaoci even say? ‘Let it go’? Is he even remotely qualified to have him let this tragedy go?

He ends up just mumbling after a while, “Mr Liang. You can come to me if you need help. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Mmm,” Mr Liang does not refuse it. Even though it is practically a teenager offering him help, and his student, no less, but he… he doesn’t really care about stuff like ‘dignity’ anymore. It wouldn’t feed his or his fresh new charges’ stomachs, “I should apologise. I might not be able to continue teaching you for now. I will be busy handling my late xiongzhu‘s businesses for a few months.”

“It’s fine. I’m not in a hurry. I can work on my comics too,” Cheng Zhaoci makes a dry smile, but it’s so forced even Cheng Zhaoci felt off.

He leaves Mr Liang’s residence, almost in a daze. Something heavy weighs on his chest. So heavy, it’s like his heart is struggling to make every single beat.

‘Why should he deserve this?’ Cheng Zhaoci wonders, recalling the story Lu Yao told him, that he didn’t have the courage to learn what exactly his xiongzhu went through after being captured. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to hold himself together.

Mr Liang was directly exposed to the video documenting the torture, suffering and eventual death of his xiongzhu. He can’t even begin to fathom how he feels right now.

Cheng Zhaoci knows. He knows those space pirates have also been wounded in the past. But then, so what?!

How does that justify doing untoward things to a prone, innocent male?! How does that justify them murdering the male’s cijun and concubine in cold blood, and beating him to a gruesome death?!
What were they even thinking, filming and uploading that video?! Why the fuck were they even filming the depravity Mr Liang’s xiongzhu suffered?!

What, only those pirates’ injustice were injustice, and their pain is more genuine than the lives of other insectoids?!

Why did this happen? Did Mr Liang’s xiongzhu deserve it? Did his cijun and concubines deserve it?

Cheng Zhaoci isn’t a saint. If the inferno of war didn’t immolate insectoids close to him, he might be able to rationally analyse this as ‘the unfortunate product of the extreme misogyny in insectoid society.’ He will condemn the pirates but also stress that he can understand why the pirates became that way.

Since it’s really difficult to grasp the cruelty the victims suffered when it remains some impersonal news.

However, this bystander mentality collapses as soon as it becomes a personal issue.

Hidden beneath the all the grandstanding from atop the moral high ground, lies broken individuals, countless broken individuals.

You are reading story Insectoids: The Job of the Males at novel35.com

Back at the Grand Marshal’s, Cheng Zhaoci finds Lu Yao already home, sitting on the sofa with a serious look on his face. He tries to pull a smile seeing Cheng Zhaoci, “xiao-Ci, did you see your teacher? How’s he doing?”

“Not good. But he isn’t going to do anything regretful,” Cheng Zhaoci sits opposite Lu Yao. He does not mention the fact that, while Mr Liang might not look like he’s going to give up on life, he gives off the feeling he’s more tired living than dead.

Lu Yao doesn’t seem surprised. Then he tries to change the topic, noticing how down Cheng Zhaoci also appeared, “well, more materials for your stories?” He knows Cheng Zhaoci has been looking for materials to complete or entirely change a story he already has in mind. This is a tragedy with lots of emotional elements. It would make for a good story that raises awareness.

“No,” Cheng Zhaoci shakes his head, “I am in no place to turn other’s tragedy into a story; this is also not something to cast into the limelight for unrelated insectoids to point to and comment.”
“‘Pa, I just feel really stuffy inside. I, I don’t know how to describe it…” Cheng Zhaoci’s hands are restlessly gesturing, but he still can’t put it into words.

Sorrow. Dread. A worry something equally terrible might happen to them.

“I know,” Lu Yao gets up, to put his hand on Cheng Zhaoci’s head, caressing it, “‘pa understands.”

No one understands it better than him. He has never been able to move on, not even after all these years, not even when he himself could die of old age at any time. When he sleeps, he still often dreams of the times he spent with his xiongzhu; he still often relives the nightmarish scene, when he found his xiongzhu among the space pirates.”

When Cheng Zhaoci has calmed a little more, he goes back to his room. He doesn’t fall sleep though; he can’t fall asleep.

Online, there is an uproar. Federation citizens and anonymous accounts are endlessly arguing.

The video was pure, unadulterated horror. Federation citizens are lambasting the pirates, to an almost extremist degree. There are insectoids who have adopted the position that whatever injustice those pirates suffered were their own fault; the only problem with the males that have tortured them? That they didn’t just torture them to death outright.

Others are being armchair sociologists. This reprisal is an inevitability, they say, of the ridiculous amount of privileges and prerogatives afforded to males.

While those staying anonymous are on the other end of the extreme spectrum – they claim that if males’ only contribution to society is their sperm and procreation, then they should only be treated with the dignity of a breeding stallion. Being few in numbers and outnumbered is not a reason to give them protection.

If you look closely, you will find that the insectoids are all arguing from all sorts of perspectives, believing themselves justified. What you will not find, is discussion on the tortured, mangled male himself.

Who was he? What was his name? How was he like? – He was a male, so he was kidnapped. He was a male, so he died.
Did he live or die because of his name, and because of his deeds? Or did he live or die, only because of his gender, of the word ‘male’?

The answer is ‘male.’ And nothing else.

Cheng Zhaoci basically lied on his bed awake the whole night, until he eventually fell asleep some time in the wee hours the next day.

He was not alone. The Zhou brothers were similar. Especially Zhou Luoluo, who saw the video himself. He hasn’t said many words since. He didn’t even go pursue Lu Nianqian, like he usually does.

Cheng Zhaoci finally leaves his bed on the afternoon of the second day. He has adjusted his mood enough to continue working on his comic.

Life has to go on. And he is not only going to live, but be alive.

You can find story with these keywords: Insectoids: The Job of the Males, Read Insectoids: The Job of the Males, Insectoids: The Job of the Males novel, Insectoids: The Job of the Males book, Insectoids: The Job of the Males story, Insectoids: The Job of the Males full, Insectoids: The Job of the Males Latest Chapter