Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Once WuYin's mood shifted from gloomy to sunny, and he stopped being mysterious, opting instead to speak plainly, the previously tense and complex situation cleared up instantly, becoming bright and clear.

It's just a case of 'the flood washed over the Dragon King Temple, one's own people not recognizing their own.'

Lu Ba looked at Jie Linyuan with complex emotions, observing his fingers moving lightly around the hilt of the dagger, the dark blade vanishing into his palm in an instant. To outsiders, it might seem Jie Linyuan hid the knife in his sleeve, but as a fellow Z-series mechanical warrior, he knew all too well that the dagger was actually extracted from Jie Linyuan's metallic arm and now reassembled back into place.

...A feat he could no longer achieve.

There's the vibrant left eye, the realistic skin coating, the silver-white long hair...

The mysterious masked man who had posed a significant threat now stood behind Z1932, sheathing his sharpness and malice, chatting relaxedly with the mutants, as docile as a big cat turning over to sun its belly.

Hypocrisy, malice, moodiness... Lu Ba was not any less wary of him for being Jie Linyuan's companion; instead, his vigilance increased. He couldn't help but step forward and ask Jie Linyuan in a low voice, "Who is that person? Your superior? I heard your highest authority was auctioned off to the Beacon Shelter at a high price, so what are you doing in the zoo? Are you on a mission?"

Jie Linyuan, feeling the long-missed and familiar concern, shook his head, "No, it's not a mission... and there will be no more missions."

His gaze was confident and firm, his eyes free of sorrow, "My highest authority is in my own hands, I have no superiors, and I no longer need to obey anyone's orders."

"What?!" Lu Ba's face changed dramatically, this revelation shocking him more than seeing Z1932 in the zoo, who should have been thousands of miles away, "How is that possible? ...You are the most successful mechanical warrior experiment; unless completely destroyed, how could they let you go? How did you gain control of the highest command? Did you come here fleeing from being hunted?"

Jie Linyuan laughed, such negative sentiments had once been his unshakable beliefs, that unless he abandoned everything, embracing death for a chance at life, he would never gain freedom. And even if he gave up everything, those people would not let him go.

Among the over two thousand subjects of the Z-series mechanical warrior transformation, some volunteered, while others were forced. They were monitored and controlled like robots, devoid of privacy, forbidden from having their own thoughts, only to unconditionally obey all orders.

It's unknown who started it, but the desire for freedom spread like a virus within the training camp. Some were completely domesticated by the lab, becoming true humanoid weapons representing only slaughter; others were infected by the virus, willing to give everything just for a chance to escape and be free.

Yet, the only fortunate one who achieved his deepest desire without paying any significant price was him alone.

Though Lu Ba had gained his freedom, he also faced severe consequences from self-destruction, with deteriorated physical conditions and significantly reduced lifespan. The difference in vitality between him and Xie Linyuan, standing beside him, was stark...

At that time, the true intent behind giving him the highest order was undoubtedly sinister, laying the groundwork for parasitism. For this reason, even though Xie Linyuan had received tremendous favors from him, he wasn't genuinely grateful.

As time passed and circumstances changed, his feelings evolved, leading to a drastic transformation in his relationship with him. Standing next to a once close colleague, Xie Linyuan shook his head in a mixture of emotions, sighed, and with a smile tinged with indescribable complexity, said, "It's a long story, but... I'm doing quite well now."

"Xie Linyuan," he suddenly interjected, commanding as if it were his due, "I'm hungry."

The moment before, Z1932, who had claimed he needed to follow no one's orders, promptly responded with eagerness, "Hungry? What would you like to eat?"

"That thing in the bag... Where's your bag?"

Xie Linyuan: "..."

The two, belatedly realizing, noticed that the backpack was missing, along with the grey-blue figure who was carrying it.

"Are you hungry, little tiger?" Freed from choosing between him and Lu Ba, the mutants exploded with 120% enthusiasm. The headphone mutant, Gray, spoke animatedly, "Since your friend is also here, why not stay for a meal? We've also got some freshly picked sweet melons."

"Sweet melon?" He had never tried this before and was curious. He was about to agree instantly but then paused, turning to Xie Linyuan for his opinion.

This was because, before entering the zoo, he had been repeatedly admonished to ensure that they wouldn't expose their identities as they had at the southern camp, where their every detail was scrutinized by the base's higher-ups. Therefore, before doing anything post-entry, he had to consult Xie Linyuan and obtain his permission.

He showed an impatient and rebellious expression when nagged by Xie Linyuan, acting as if he was above everyone else, but when it came down to it, he actually waited earnestly for Xie Linyuan's approval.

Xie Linyuan, amused by his gesture, shook his head without any hesitation.

He looked disappointed, clutching the three-eyed brown bear that refused to leave his arm, and ran over, asking, "Why?"

As he approached, Lu Ba instinctively stepped back, ostensibly to avoid suspicion but in reality, he was still not over the initial intimidation. Xie Linyuan wasn't surprised by Z1068's reaction; after all, when he first met him, he too thought he was a powerful and unpredictable villain, always plotting betrayal.

"I ran into Mr. Long on the way to find you," Xie Linyuan whispered into his ear, "It's Jia Chen, who looks exactly like you. So, it's best not to show your face among these mutants whose backgrounds we haven't fully grasped. It would be better to find another host to parasitize first, then move freely and openly."

"Why should I?" He showed no excitement at finding a 'brother' but instead became strangely defensive, "Why should I change hosts? Let Jia Chen find someone else. This body and all its cyborg aspects are mine. Why should he use them?"

"That's not what I meant..." Xie Linyuan tried to explain that his suggestion was the most convenient and quickest solution. Moreover, he was increasingly suspicious that his so-called original body was actually artificially manufactured, meant for use by all sixty Jiazi test subjects.

Artificially created bodies were made to be identical, serving as common vessels for these parasites.

He had lost part of his memory, leading him to mistakenly believe that the body was uniquely his.

"Xie Linyuan's gaze fell on the mole near Wu Yin's Adam's apple, confirming that Jia Chen also had a mole in the same place."

"Of course, he knew Wu Yin wouldn't like this answer, so he wisely chose to remain silent, suggesting, 'For now, it's better if you cover your face. We'll discuss further with Jia Chen and Geng Wu later tonight.'"

"Wu Yin glowered unhappily, 'Where is Jia Chen?'"

"'He gave me an address.'"

"'Good, take me to him now,' Wu Yin said, seeing the rain under the eaves lighten, and headed towards the door."

"The mutants didn't understand what had happened, only seeing the once complacent 'delicacy' spurred by a few words from his companion to leave, casting reproachful glances at Xie Linyuan."

"The six-winged dove flapped excitedly in its cage, almost taking off with the cage as Wu Yin departed. The Pothos, needless to say, had already claimed Wu Yin's shoulder as its nest. The three-eyed brown bear, turning into a koala, clung tightly around Wu Yin's waist."

"Terrifyingly, a snow-white fox suddenly sprang out from nowhere, probably realizing its people were about to leave, and shivered as it coiled around Wu Yin’s neck into a white scarf, its three tails almost twisting into a braid, and all four ears turning into airplane ears in fright."

"Only Dian Xia barked proudly twice, indicating that he had been officially adopted by his owner, and these other pitiful, tail-wagging runts stood no chance of shaking his status by his master’s side."

"Wu Yin turned, puzzled, 'Where exactly did you all find so many mutant animal cubs?'"

"It was clear that this group of mutants also wanted to cling to Wu Yin as unabashedly as these mutant flora and fauna, but due to their status, they could only stand a distance away, each with bulging, murky eyes and radiating black blood vessels around their eyes, gazing at him with a look that could give one nightmares."

"Only Wu Yin and Xie Linyuan, with their steely mental fortitude, were not intimidated into weak knees."

"Xiao Hei and A Cheng timidly raised their hands, explaining in a babble, 'We caught them.' 'Because we often get commissions to deal with mutant animals.' 'So we come into contact with them a lot.' 'The big ones are usually killed, but we wanted to keep the small ones.' 'But they really don't like us.' 'They won't even let us touch them.' 'Only Mr. Long can touch them.'..."

"At that moment, hurried footsteps approached from outside the wall, stepping on puddles and gradually nearing the gate."

"Wu Yin immediately became alert and stopped in his tracks, with Dian Xia also lifting its head."

"Suddenly, a very familiar, lazy voice reached them, strangely familiar to Wu Yin, 'Slow down, Xiao Wu, since he’s come, he definitely won’t run. You might as well have waited at home…'"

"Wu Yin paused, then realized the voice was identical to his own."

"The door abruptly opened from the outside, revealing a panting boy of about five or six, 'Sister Bai, I heard that a man wearing a mask came to you…'"

"He stopped abruptly because the man he was referring to stood right in front of him, surrounded by a large, fluffy ball of animals."

"By the boy’s side, Mr. Long Jia Chen held an oil-paper umbrella, standing tall like a green cypress, stepping over the threshold slowly, draping an arm over the boy’s shoulder, and slanting the umbrella towards him."

"The boy looked up excitedly, his lips quivering, eyes locked with Wu Yin's without blinking. Without needing to remove the mask for confirmation, the reaction of the mutant animals was enough for him to ascertain that the person before him was one of their kind."

"Jia Chen was much calmer, his gaze sweeping from top to bottom over Wu Yin, quickly shifting to Xie Linyuan. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he smiled warmly, 'We meet again,' his face bearing the same features as Wu Yin."

"Xie Linyuan's brow furrowed slightly, instinctively glancing at Wu Yin. He expected the other to still be fixated on the boy but instead met his verdant eyes, the profoundness in them sending a sudden jolt through his heart."

"I..." In the moment he locked eyes with Wu Yin, Xie Linyuan wanted to say something but was unsure of what was needed at that moment."

"Explain? But what was there to explain? Nothing had happened; he hadn't done anything wrong. Even Jia Chen's greeting was nothing more than a simple acknowledgment of an acquaintance."

"But Wu Yin was too perceptive, no nuance of emotion could escape his notice, not even the most subtle hint. Xie Linyuan couldn't feign ignorance to Jia Chen's overture."

"Polite greetings followed behind them, with the mutants warmly calling out to Mr. Long and Xiao Wu, even Lu Ba waved casually, clearly very familiar with Jia Chen and Geng Wu."

"Jia Chen responded to each with a gentle nod and a smile, 'Don't stand in the rain, come inside.'"

"He treated everyone equally, but his gaze lingered a moment longer on Xie Linyuan, withdrawing his look just as Xie Linyuan returned the frown."

"—It was a covert enticement hidden beneath the surface, an unspoken flirtation, an irresistible provocation."

"Damn it, Xie Linyuan thought, truly damn it. There really was someone in the world with a face that perfectly matched his aesthetics, gentle, mature, intelligent, sexy..."

"And yet, he had never hesitated for even a moment with this person."

"How could he continue to deceive himself, claiming it was only Wu Yin's face he was attracted to?"