CH 8

Before tonight, Chu Shici didn’t have a clear understanding of the male protagonist’s combat abilities.

When he left the capsule cabin and saw limbs scattered everywhere outside, he realized that Su Zheyan was indeed a powerful protagonist from a  novel.

From the moment he heard the shouts to rushing out to help, it had only been about three minutes, and already five alphas had been torn apart.

Chu Shici finally let go of his worries and casually approached a half-dead alpha with a nail in his hand.

The alpha had been cut in half, and he looked in horror at Su Zheyan, who seemed like a human meat grinder. He couldn’t understand how a beta could be so powerful.

At that moment, a small platinum-colored robot appeared before him. It was a popular children’s toy from over a decade ago, about the size of a palm.

The alpha was stunned, wondering where this thing came from, when the robot ran over. Tilting its head to one side, it scrutinized him and muttered, “Hmm… you look familiar. Oh, I remember now! You’re the one who said ex-soldiers are more exciting when they wake up!”

As it spoke, the robot raised the iron nail and fiercely jabbed it into the alpha’s eye.

A scream pierced the night sky but was quickly drowned out by the wails of others.

Su Zheyan, who was already in a frenzy of killing, heard the strange sound and turned his head alertly.

The alpha he had previously injured had already breathed his last, and a red, unidentified object holding an iron nail was rapidly approaching him.

Just as he was about to kick the object away, he heard a vibrant voice, “Yan ge, I’m here, I’m here!”

Su Zheyan was taken aback and immediately wore a displeased expression.

His robot had been dirtied.

The filthy thing ran past him, its four wheels spinning quickly. In the blink of an eye, it rushed to the leader of the men and jabbed the iron nail at his shoe.

Most of the leader’s subordinates were already dead, and leader was overwhelmed by Su Zheyan’s cruelty and power, nervously facing off against him.

Suddenly, the leader felt a sharp pain in his toe, as if something had pricked it.

Instinctively, he forcefully kicked his foot to alleviate the pain.

Chu Shici didn’t hold onto the nail and was flung away. He sat on the ground, holding his head in a dazed manner, as if he had been stunned by the fall.

Su Zheyan became even more irritable.

He glared at Chu Shici and said, “Go back, or you’ll be next.”

With a knife in hand, he fiercely charged towards the lead alpha.

Chu Shici had initially thought of staying to finish off the remaining alphas.

But after seeing an alpha being chopped into pieces within a few minutes, he quickly ran back to the capsule cabin at a faster pace than before.

The capsule was too high, with no ladder on the outside, so he couldn’t climb up.

The system comforted him, “Don’t worry, the male protagonist likes you so much. He won’t bear to chop you.”

Chu Shici pressed himself against the shell of the capsule cabin and said, “I’m not afraid of him chopping me, I’m afraid of him giving me a bath.”

“He scrubs gently, it doesn’t hurt. Why are you so scared?” the system replied.

“You don’t understand, you’ll know soon enough,” Chu Shici said.

Su Zheyan wiped the blood off his face, stood up, and looked around. He noticed that there were still two people who hadn’t breathed their last.

Tomorrow, when the fog rolls in on the wilderness, monsters will devour the bodies, so he doesn’t need to deal with them.

He approached the two individuals, one of whom kept crying and begging for mercy, making a lot of noise.

Su Zheyan swung his knife, and the world fell silent.

The other person, realizing that pleading was futile, started swearing and hurling insults. He called Su Zheyan various derogatory names, piercing his heart like needles.

Ever since arriving on this desolate planet, everyone he encountered referred to him with such words.

Su Zheyan lowered his gaze and looked at the man by his feet. “Why do you call me that?”

The man spat out bloodied entrails and said, “Here, betas are just playthings. We can’t defeat you, sooner or later, someone else will…”

Su Zheyan interrupted him, “I am Su Zheyan, General Su of the Empire.”

The man looked at him in shock and then sneered, “General Su? The one who won the patriotic war? Damn it, I should have brought more people. Betas like you, who look good and have a big reputation, are worth more than omegas.”

Before he could finish his sentence, his head rolled onto the ground.

Chu Shici overheard the conversation between the two just now. He ran to Su Zheyan’s feet, and a drop of water fell on his head.

Looking up, Chu Shici saw Su Zheyan standing still with a knife in hand, expressionless, like a cold statue. If it weren’t for the tear mark on his face, Chu Shici wouldn’t have been able to tell that he had just cried.

The system helped to check the plot related to the patriotic war. “The original text was lengthy, but to summarize, it was about an invasion by external forces that reached the capital of the empire. General Su led his troops to launch a surprise attack, penetrating deep into enemy territory, killing high-ranking enemy officials, and bravely resisting despite being on the verge of death due to physical exhaustion. However, during the rescue process, his gender was exposed. After being discharged from the hospital, he was brought to a military court.”

The system clicked its tongue and shook its head, saying, “Even without any character corruption, Su Zheyan is truly a righteous and exemplary male protagonist.”

Chu Shici could only see the outline of the original text, and he needed to consult the system for specific details. Although it was common for male protagonists in enjoyable novels to have a tragic start, he didn’t expect Su Zheyan to have such a miserable early period.

As Chu Shici climbed up along the pants, he asked the system, “Does this count as completing my side quest?”

“No, the male protagonist becoming like this doesn’t have a direct connection with unmasking the empire. At most, it will make him feel disheartened,” the system replied.

As he was halfway up, his body was grabbed by a cold hand, and his line of sight rapidly rose, bringing him face to face with Su Zheyan in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the slightly reddened corners of his eyes, Chu Shici couldn’t help but reach out and touch his face.

Su Zheyan seemed to smile, but it was too quick for Chu Shici to see clearly.

Su Zheyan brought him back to the capsule cabin, where Chu Shici watched as he took off his clothes and began wiping away the bloodstains on his body.

Just as he had anticipated, Su Zheyan didn’t treat him like a person. After wiping himself clean, Su Zheyan didn’t change his clothes but instead held Chu Shici in one hand and gently wiped him.

Su Zheyan had a tall and well-built figure, and as a pure bottom, Chu Shici’s heart would race every time he saw him. But tonight, Su Zheyan’s gaze remained fixed on those deep blue eyes, not wandering or indulging in random thoughts.

When Su Zheyan’s finger passed by him again, Chu Shici reached out and grabbed it. He held it up above his head and asked Su Zheyan to remove the antenna from his head.

Su Zheyan doesn’t understand what the little toy is doing.

In the moment the antenna stood up, a melodious and gentle piano tune played from the capsule chamber. It was the traditional Imperial song, “Anthem of the Heroes.”

The robot held his finger and affectionately rubbed against his fingertip.

Su Zheyan remained silent for a while and turned his head away, no longer looking at him.

After a long time, Chu Shici heard a barely audible sob, and the system’s notification sound echoed in his mind.

【Vitality points +4, current energy points 25/100.】

…

The next morning, Chu Shici opened his eyes and instinctively looked around for someone.

It was only 5 o’clock now, and there was no one in the capsule chamber. On the low table nearby, there was still some half-eaten nutrient paste.

Chu Shici had already gotten used to it.

The male lead ate less than a cat and woke up earlier than a rooster. He already had psychological issues, and if things continued like this, even an iron person wouldn’t be able to handle it. Even if they had to pry open his mouth and force-feed him, they would make sure he finished a box of nutrient paste every day.

The system was awakened and asked in a drowsy state, “What are you looking for?”

“I’m looking for my Yan ge.”

” Yan ge? Oh, the male lead, you can see him by looking up.”

Upon hearing this, Chu Shici tilted his head back, and with the lid open, he saw Su Zheyan standing outside the capsule, facing away, busy with something.

He climbed up the ladder, but before he could poke his head out, a finger pressed him back.

He wanted to struggle, but Su Zheyan simply confiscated his ladder.

Looking at the unreachable edge of the capsule, Chu Shici felt a bit discouraged.

The system had already fully awakened and, with nothing better to do, started chatting with him. “Why did you call him Yan ge just now?”

“He’s fierce in fights, loyal. From now on, he’s my Yan ge.”

“That’s strange. You sound quite street-smart when you speak.”

“I used to be a troublemaker before, didn’t you know?”

The system shook its head in confusion. “I don’t have your specific information. Why would someone who looks as well-behaved as you be involved in underworld? Tell me about it, I’m curious.”

Chu Shici didn’t satisfy its curiosity and only mentioned that he was forced to do so, seeming unenthusiastic.

There were several bottles of oil with tubes attached under the bookshelf, which Su Zheyang had prepared for his breakfast.

Chu Shici took a few sips and found the taste and texture surprisingly good.

He wandered around in the capsule and found a new oil can.

It wasn’t there yesterday, but it appeared today. Su Zheyang’s backpack couldn’t fit such a large can, so he probably went to the city again this morning.

Chu Shici fell into contemplation.

What time does this person actually wake up?

The new oil can was labeled “Eternal Tech, Premium Oil.”

It had exquisite packaging, embossed patterns, and a gorgeous logo, emitting an aura of luxury from inside out.

Beside it was a half-empty bucket of old oil, stored in a worn-out can with peeling paint, and two crooked handwritten words, “Oil.”

There were a few new boxes on the desk: “Robot Care Solution,” “Third Generation Robot Toy Accessories Box,” and “Premium Assembly Toy Bed.”

Just looking at the 25 vitality points, Chu Shici hadn’t fully understood the meaning behind the numbers until today when he had a unreal experience.

Su Zheyang’s previous attitude towards him was to keep him alive with casual care.

Now, it had turned into treating him like a precious robot, feeding him the best oil and letting him sleep on the most expensive bed.

The capsule cover was opened, and Su Zheyang, with a cold face, placed a pink princess bed with a canopy on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf.

Chu Shici was somewhat disdainful of the color, but Su Zheyang kept staring at him.

After thinking for a moment, Chu Shici pounced over joyfully and exclaimed, “Is this my bed? It’s so beautiful, I love it!”

The bed was very soft, with matching bedding, and a dreamcatcher hung at the head. Even if it was placed among toys, it was a pricey luxury item.

Chu Shici originally didn’t like pink, but upon seeing this bed, he suddenly felt a twinge of longing in his heart.

The desolate star lacked order and had scarce resources. Whether it was food or coins, Su Zheyang had forcibly snatched them from other criminals.

Chu Shici believed he hadn’t done much to help Su Zheyang, just keeping him company and playing with his fingers. He never expected that just doing so, Su Zheyang would be willing to buy so many extravagant and impractical things for him.

As Chu Shici was thinking about how to thank him, he suddenly noticed something hidden inside the comforter.

He lifted the comforter with confusion, revealing a male doll underneath. It was slightly bigger than him, with delicate craftsmanship and movable joints.

Su Zheyang’s cold voice came from above, “You always say you like men, so I got one for you. Take it and play.”

He paused for a moment and curiously said, “Let me see how it works, play with it.”

Chu Shici: …