Chapter 69 Round and Plump

Chapter 69: Rounded

The once clearly defined lines had now vanished without a trace...

Kahn followed Lin Xue and Shi Yunzheng to the place where Qu Baining was being held—though "held" wasn’t quite the right word. He was sitting perfectly composed in a room resembling a reception area, without the electronic shackles worn by those in Zone D, nor any isolation measures. There he sat, impeccably dressed, openly facing Kahn.

He scrutinized Kahn’s face for a long moment, then said with a smirk, "You’re even better-looking than in the photos."

Kahn frowned, disgusted by this almost appraising look, and had no desire for further conversation. He cut straight to the point: "Why did you kidnap me?"

Qu Baining crossed his legs elegantly, hands resting lightly on his knees, and replied nonchalantly, "I grew tired of the little pet at home, so I thought I’d get a new one."

Kahn looked shocked and asked uncertainly, "Pet? Are you talking about me?"

Qu Baining chuckled at his reaction. "I thought you’d be angry."

Kahn rarely showed strong emotions toward people unrelated to him. "So you just wanted to kidnap me to keep as a pet?"

"Just?" Qu Baining’s smile widened, as if he were looking at a naive child. "Do you think being my pet would be a better fate than being taken to the lab like the others?"

Kahn hadn’t thought that at all. He was simply reminded of his past experiences—first sold to a lab to be drained of every last bit of value, then sold at a suitable price to interested buyers. If he hadn’t escaped in the end, his life would likely have been spent in a daze under one or more people like Qu Baining.

Kahn retorted, "Aren’t you afraid of being prosecuted for saying these things?"

"What did I say?" Qu Baining replied indifferently, then looked at Kahn with interest. "Tsk, what a pity."

Kahn had no interest in knowing what he found pitiable. Having gotten the answer he came for, he turned and left the room. To Lin Xue and Shi Yunzheng waiting outside, he said, "Sorry for troubling you." If he’d known the reason was something so crass and vulgar, he wouldn’t have bothered making the trip.

Lin Xue waved it off. "No problem. We were going to stay and interrogate him tonight anyway."

"Interrogate him? The two of you?" Kahn asked, puzzled.

Shi Yunzheng rubbed his temples. "We just got the news. The higher-ups plan to make an example of a few people—scapegoats, really—to downplay the whole thing and sweep it under the rug. They even sent someone to tell us not to take it too seriously."

Kahn asked, "How could that happen?"

The "others" naturally referred to the people in Zone A, who, despite the resource-scarce environment, continued to live lavish, extravagant lives. This wasn’t just due to their sharp investment foresight early on but, more importantly, their solidarity.

When one thrives, all thrive; when one falls, all fall. There’s no more reliable relationship in the world than that.

Shi Yunzheng interrupted her. "You take Kahn back first. I’ll wait here for you." He paused, then added, "As long as we gather solid, reliable evidence, things will definitely change."

Lin Xue calmed down and led Kahn away.

They had only taken a few steps outside when they ran into a young man.

"Chi Shuyuan? What are you doing here?" Lin Xue asked, her eyes filled with confusion.

Chi Shuyuan was momentarily stunned, then looked up and said, "I want to see him."

It was obvious who "him" referred to.

Lin Xue replied, "No. You didn’t apply for permission."

Chi Shuyuan shifted his gaze to Kahn. "Who is he?" He had overheard part of their conversation and knew Kahn had just met with Qu Baining.

Lin Xue explained, "Another victim, like you." Qu Baining had remained silent about the lab incidents but had openly admitted to assaulting Chi Shuyuan.

Chi Shuyuan’s expression turned strange. He lowered his head, silent for a moment, then looked up and scrutinized Kahn inch by inch. His eyes held resentment, jealousy, curiosity—a complex mix that made it hard to discern his thoughts.

Kahn had been scrutinized one too many times today. "Is there something you need?" he asked.

Chi Shuyuan snapped out of his daze, collected himself, and replied, "No, nothing."

Lin Xue urged him, "Hurry back. You’re not allowed to linger here." After Qu Baining’s arrest, Chi Shuyuan had moved back to his nominal residence. It was only because of his status as a Zone A resident that he could be outside so late.

With that, the two walked past Chi Shuyuan and left.

Chi Shuyuan stood alone, muttering to himself, "Was it because of him that I was abandoned…"

A month later, before heading out on a mission, Yue Shaolin brought a few cans of beer he’d picked up from outside and met with Bai Suizhi and Kahn. The three sat around a small table in the room, chatting about mundane topics. "I didn’t dare drink at Sister Jia’s place, so I’m sneaking in a little drinking session here with you guys."

Bai Suizhi saw right through it. "Sister Jia may talk tough, but she’s soft-hearted. If she really didn’t want you drinking, you wouldn’t have been able to bring these out."

Yue Shaolin handed them the opened beers and said with a wry smile, "I know. By the way, can you two drink?"

Bai Suizhi nodded. "We’re both adults." But he remembered how Kahn had reacted to the strong taste last time and asked softly, "Do you want to try? This one has a lower alcohol content."

Kahn gently pushed the cup away, wrinkling his nose in refusal. "No." He was clearly still put off by the intense flavor from his last attempt.

Bai Suizhi moved the cup in front of himself. Yue Shaolin watched their subtle interaction and teased, "You two get along really well. It’s rare to see two guys as attached as you are."

Bai Suizhi just smiled without replying and clinked glasses with Yue Shaolin. Kahn, though he hadn’t drunk anything, blushed faintly.

Yue Shaolin asked, "Are you two settling in okay here? Looks like Kahn’s put on some weight. He used to be so thin a gust of wind could blow him away, but now he’s finally filled out a bit."

Bai Suizhi, who ate and slept with him every day, hadn’t noticed. But now, prompted by Yue Shaolin, he looked closely and was surprised to see it was true—Kahn’s previously hollow cheeks had plumped up slightly, and his facial contours had softened, though it did nothing to diminish his handsomeness. Instead, it gave him a jade-like warmth and refinement.

Kahn touched his face. "Really? I hadn’t noticed. Maybe I’ve been eating more lately." He smiled sheepishly.

Yue Shaolin said, "Eating well is a blessing. Don’t go on any diets to lose weight. You’re still growing; nutrition is the most important thing."

Bai Suizhi added, "After going through this crisis, I doubt anyone would even think about dieting."

"Exactly. Only those who’ve gone hungry know how lucky it is to have a full stomach."

Yue Shaolin’s expression turned worried. "Speaking of which, it reminds me of our mission this time."

"What mission?" Bai Suizhi and Kahn asked curiously.

"Our base controls a food factory, and it’s suddenly been overrun by mutated rats. No one knows where they came from, and we’re investigating the source." Yue Shaolin frowned deeply. "If that factory collapses, we’ll have a major food supply problem here."

Just as Yue Shaolin was about to continue, his communicator beeped. He glanced at it and stood up to leave. "I have to go. Let’s meet again when I get back."

Bai Suizhi picked up the remaining beer on the table. "Brother, what about this…"

Yue Shaolin hurried toward the door. "Leave it here with you. Feel free to drink it if you want. If you run out, just call me, and I’ll bring more back from outside."

Seeing how rushed he was, Bai Suizhi set down the beer and said, "Alright, brother. Be careful, and have a safe trip."

"Have a safe trip," Kahn echoed.

After seeing Yue Shaolin off, Bai Suizhi gave Kahn a thorough once-over and said in amazement, "Baby, you really have gained weight." Since they’d gotten together, Bai Suizhi had taken to calling Kahn that occasionally.

Kahn liked the term too. He looked down and pinched his stomach, worried. "Does it look bad?" His previous muscle-building routine had been interrupted by Bai Suizhi’s arrival, and with his increased appetite lately, the once-defined lines had disappeared, replaced by a soft, slightly rounded belly.

Bai Suizhi placed a hand on his stomach and gently rubbed it. "Not bad at all. It’s cute." It felt like touching cotton, but with more elasticity—so delightful he couldn’t keep his hands off it.

Kahn pressed his lips together. "Starting tomorrow, I’m going to step up my workouts!" He felt he couldn’t let this continue, or he’d end up like the bearded man next door, unable to see his feet when he looked down.

Bai Suizhi hugged him and said in a playful, whiny voice, "But I really like it, what should I do..."

Kahn replied, "Then do you want to sleep with me tonight? I'll let you touch me." To keep things from going too far, the two rarely slept together.

Bai Suizhi froze for a second, burying his head in Kahn's neck, his voice muffled, "You're cheating again..."

"Then do you want to sleep with me or not?" Kahn waggled his fingers.

Bai Suizhi held his hand, lacing their fingers together tightly, and answered without hesitation, "Yes."

...

In the afternoon, Lin Xue brought bad news: "Qu Baining has escaped."

A month of peace was shattered by this development.

Kahn asked in a low voice, "Wasn't it said earlier that he had already confessed?"

Lin Xue sounded extremely tired, completely swamped with this mess: "I suspect this was part of his plan all along. We've been tricked."

"What do you mean?" Bai Suizhi spoke up.

Lin Xue explained, "He was supposed to be transferred to another location today for further investigation, but both Shi Yunzheng and I happened to have missions today, so they put someone else in charge of escorting him. The vehicle he was in didn’t follow the planned route—instead, it went to their old laboratory. There’s a secret underground passage there, and they escaped through it." She had mentioned before that Qu Baining had put a lot of effort into the base’s construction, but no one expected he had also prepared a secret escape route.

"They?" Kahn zeroed in on another detail.

"All the researchers who weren’t detained or under investigation were taken away by him." Lin Xue couldn’t help but curse, "Shit! They all acted like obedient grandsons staying at home normally, but today, like they all got the same psychic message, they all went to the lab. If anyone tells me this wasn’t planned in advance, then I'm a monkey's uncle!"

Bai Suizhi sensed the underlying scheme: "This doesn’t seem like something that could be arranged in just a day or two."

"That’s why I suspect Qu had an escape plan from the moment he was captured." Her voice grew serious. "If it wasn't so crazy, I’d even wonder if his arrest was part of his plan all along."

"That seems a bit too exaggerated. What would be his purpose? To go out and fight zombies?" Bai Suizhi didn’t agree with such a bold speculation.

Lin Xue sighed and said, "I hope I’m overthinking it."

Bai Suizhi comforted her, "Maybe it’s for the best that he’s out now, so he won’t cause trouble for others." He then joked, "Perhaps he’ll even help you guys thin out the zombie ranks out there."

Lin Xue’s side was noisy: "Let's hope so. We’ve arrived at the location, heading out on the mission now. Talk to you later."