Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Hearing the familiar voice, Barlow turned around with delighted surprise. "Orit, you're finally back! Why did you take so long? Hurry up and bring the copied surveillance footage over!" Barlow urged, half complaining and half impatient.

Nevi, standing nearby, didn't say a word, but his eyes sparkled as he looked at Orit, his face full of nervous anticipation.

However, Orit's expression turned hesitant.

Seeing his mate's expression, Barlow immediately had a bad feeling. "Orit, what's wrong? Is there a problem with the surveillance footage?"

Orit nodded with a bitter smile. "When I went over just now, the association's staff were in the middle of repairing the surveillance system. There was some issue with the footage—they said it seemed to have been infected with some kind of virus. I waited there for a long time before the staff could copy the footage from the past three hours for me. But the quality is very blurry. Still, this is the best they could manage after trying to recover it."

With that, Orit wasted no time and directly projected the surveillance footage of the banquet hall's amusement park area from today onto the screen in front of the two insects using his optical brain interface.

One look, and both Nevi's and Barlow's hearts sank.

The surveillance footage in the projection looked like old, unrestored video tapes from years ago.

The picture was blurry and dim, with static lines occasionally streaking across.

Barlow's disappointment was visible on his face as he muttered with dissatisfaction, "The surveillance system had to break down now of all times—what rotten luck. Orit, zoom in and brighten the picture. Let's see if we can make anything out."

Orit did as Barlow said, increasing the brightness and zooming in. The image became a bit more visible, but it was still blurry. While they could make out the figures of the guests moving around, their faces could only be roughly made out by outline and eye color—their features were impossible to identify.

Barlow was completely deflated. "It's so blurry—how is Nevi supposed to identify that strange male insect with this! Orit, can we check the surveillance at the banquet hall's entrance and exit?"

Orit shook his head. "Master, I asked. All of today's surveillance footage in the association is like this." A grave look crossed Orit's face as he continued, "Master, this abnormality isn't an accident. The staff vaguely hinted that it was a malicious attack, but they couldn't trace the source, so they had to chalk it up to an accident. I don't believe it's a coincidence either—everything is too much of a coincidence. If I'm not mistaken, this surveillance issue is most likely connected to that male insect you're looking for."

Barlow was stunned for a moment, but Orit's explanation was clear, and he quickly caught on. "Right! It must be! That black-haired male insect was acting all sneaky and furtive—he clearly didn't want anyone to track his movements. It's really suspicious! But why? He generously gave away expensive green diamonds, yet he's hiding in the shadows. Is he really Aesop's blood relative? What is he afraid of?"

Barlow's rapid-fire questions hit the nail on the head, but no one present could answer them.

Nevi, standing nearby, pressed his lips together, his eyes dimming considerably. He felt frustrated and dejected.

The facts were clear now—since that strange male insect had deliberately tried to conceal his tracks, the chances of identifying him from the surveillance footage were practically zero.

That crushing feeling of dashed hope filled Nevi's heart.

It was a feeling he hadn't even had when receiving countless fake messages in the live-streaming platform's backend.

Although Nevi had never met that strange male insect, somehow his instincts told him that he was connected to Aesop.

Nevi pulled the two crystal-clear green diamonds from his pocket, staring at them as if he could see something in them, lost in thought.

But now, his theory couldn't be proven.

Nevi's eyelashes fluttered, a flicker of sadness crossing his face, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

"Barlow, Orit, I still want to take a closer look at the surveillance footage." Nevi steeled himself.

Even if the hope was incredibly slim, Nevi didn't want to give up even the slightest possibility.

What if—just what if—he could actually find something in the footage.

"Alright! We haven't even watched it yet—don't lose heart!" Barlow clearly saw what Nevi was planning, and a bright smile spread across his face as he encouraged him.

All three insects braced themselves for a long, drawn-out session with the surveillance footage.

But reality proved to be absurdly ironic.

The moment Nevi spotted a figure appear in the frame, his pupils contracted, and he called out, his voice slightly rushed.

"Orit, wait—could you zoom in on that insect's face in the upper left corner? Make it as big as possible!"

Orit acknowledged and tapped a few times on his optical brain, and the image in the projection rapidly enlarged as Nevi had requested.

Barlow noticed Nevi's unusual reaction and stared intently at the magnified face on the screen, suddenly exclaiming, "Hey! That—that's that black-haired strange male insect! Nevi, how did you know..."

After all, that black-haired male insect had only just appeared in the frame—Barlow hadn't even noticed him at all, only recognizing him after zooming in, by the familiar eye color and outline.

But Nevi had recognized him with a single glance.

Barlow turned back to look at Nevi in astonishment, but the sight of him left him speechless.

Nevi's eyes were red-rimmed, his face tear-streaked. Yet his expression was radiant with joy.

"Barlow, this male insect—he's Aesop's blood relative. He must be..."

Nevi spoke, almost incoherent.

On the capital star, and even on the numbered stars, insects with green pupils weren't uncommon—nothing out of the ordinary. That was why Barlow hadn't thought twice when he first saw the black-haired male insect's green pupils.

But although they were all green, they weren't all exactly the same. There were distinctions like pea green, stone green, jade green, and dark green.

Only blood relatives in a direct line could have perfectly identical pupil colors.

A child's pupils would gradually change slightly as they grew. Bai Bai, who had been born not long ago, had a faint cyan-green hue. The black-haired male insect's pupils weren't exactly the same as Bai Bai's.

But his pupils were identical to Aesop's.

They were a clear, translucent emerald green, like lake water—bright and beautiful under the sunlight, full of life.

Nevi adored Aesop's eyes, which was why he recognized that familiar shade at a single glance even in the blurry footage.

"Barlow, his eyes—his eyes are exactly like Aesop's..." Nevi choked out, weeping tears of joy. His dim eyes seemed to ignite with a spark of hope, suddenly blazing with brilliant light.

No further confirmation was needed—this strange male insect was Aesop's blood relative.

*

Due to Nevi and the children's early departure, today's full moon banquet was destined to end prematurely.

Primo had already quietly escorted Makaji out ahead of time.

Only President Pegita, barely keeping it together, remained to see off the departing guests.

When Nevi fainted from his allergic reaction, the spot had been relatively secluded, so not many insects had witnessed the scene.

Thus, when guests expressed confusion about Nevi's absence, Pegita could only brush it off, saying the children were tired and couldn't bear to be away from their father.

The children were still young, so no one would be overly critical of them.

As the guests filed out of the Male Insect Association one by one, a young male insect was arguing with his family by one of the hovering vehicles.

"Grandfather, why won't you introduce me to Nevi?! You've been pushing me to attend mixers and setting up blind dates for me. Now that I've finally found a male insect I like, why won't you help me?!" The young, handsome male insect demanded, his eyes red-rimmed.

Just moments ago, so many young male insects had been introduced to Nevi by their elders and had managed to speak with him.

But he alone could only watch from the sidelines, dropping hints repeatedly, even pleading with his eyes toward his grandfather and father—yet they deliberately turned a blind eye.

After missing that opportune window, the young male insect had secretly mustered his courage, planning to approach Nevi on his own after the banquet ended. He had rehearsed his words several times in his head to avoid getting too nervous and making a fool of himself.

But his careful preparations were ultimately in vain, because Nevi never appeared again.

The crushing disappointment of his hopes being dashed festered into mounting anger and resentment, and the young female couldn't hold it in any longer, venting it all before she even got home.

"My child, you and Nevi are not suited for each other. I will introduce you to other more suitable young males," said the elderly female with graying hair and deep wrinkles on her face.

This was an aging female who had entered her declining years.

"But I only like Nevi. Great-grandmother, although Nevi's rank isn't high, he has very healthy and lively children, as you've seen. Great-grandmother, rank and family background really don't matter that much." The young female's voice trailed off into something close to pleading with her great-grandmother.

Even an ordinary low-rank male with striking looks would never be pursued as fervently as Nevi.

What set Nevi apart from ordinary low-rank males, besides his looks, was the most crucial thing these females valued: he had two lively, healthy children.

Nevi was so young, barely into adulthood, which was clearly a sign of his strong fertility.

Young females in their mating season, driven by hormones and infatuated with the handsome male's looks, might throw caution to the wind, but the experienced, clear-headed elders were far more pragmatic.

To put it bluntly, if Nevi didn't have Bai Bai and Mei Mei, he'd be labeled low-fertility and never treated with such deference by these elder insects.

The young female did her best to extol Nevi's virtues, hoping her great-grandmother would abandon her outdated views.

Her great-grandmother's prime years had been the family's golden age, when they ranked among the prominent families on the capital star. But in recent years, with the rise of new powers and some extremely complex reasons, their family had declined significantly, fallen on hard times, and even showed faint signs of decay.

Yet her pampered, old-fashioned great-grandmother stubbornly clung to the notions and habits of aristocratic privilege.

As if doing so could keep herself immersed in the illusion of the family's former glory.

The great-grandmother's expression remained unchanged, her gaze calm as she looked at the young female. But her silence clearly conveyed her stance.

The young female went from pleading to despair. "Great-grandmother, our family is no longer the once-mighty power it used to be! Do rank and status really matter that much?!"

With tears glistening in her eyes, the young female threw out these words almost desperately before running off in disappointment.

Her mother watched her child's retreating figure, a look of reluctance on her face, and finally couldn't hold it in once they got into the hovercar: "Great-grandmother, why did you stop her? Actually, Nevi would be a perfect match for our child! And it's what she wants."

Seeing the middle-aged male's confusion, the elderly female said with a sigh, "Do you think I believe Nevi isn't good enough for our child?"

The middle-aged male stayed silent, but his expression clearly said yes.

The elderly female didn't explain but suddenly asked an unrelated question.

"What do you think of Nevi's two kids?"

Though puzzled, the middle-aged male answered honestly, "They're two very cute, healthy kids who look just like their father."

The elderly female continued, "What rank do you think his two children will be?"

"Probably around the same rank as their father..." The middle-aged male answered, following the usual logic of genetic rank inheritance, but trailed off mid-sentence as he sensed something was off.

"Do you remember the Meires family's frail young male, Ge Linuo, who never shows up at social events?" The elderly female changed the subject, and before the middle-aged male could ponder it, she posed another question.

"I remember. Great-grandmother, you're good friends with his father. I attended Ge Linuo's child's first birthday banquet with you." Though confused, the middle-aged male continued answering.

"What rank do you think Ge Linuo is?" The elderly female said slowly.

"Hmm, probably around A- or B+. Although their family never mentioned it, Ge Linuo's parents aren't low-ranked, and his child tested as A-rank, so by inheritance patterns, that's about right. Great-grandmother, what are you getting at with all these questions?" The middle-aged male grew increasingly bewildered by the barrage of questions.

"No, that child Ge Linuo is only D- rank." The elderly female casually dropped a bombshell.

"D-? How is that possible? I've seen Ge Linuo. Though he's frail, he's strikingly handsome—he doesn't look like a D- at all. And if he really were D-, how could he produce an A-rank child?" The middle-aged male found it utterly absurd.

Because it completely contradicted the genetic rank inheritance patterns he'd learned.

"Sigh, it's true. During his egg stage, Ge Linuo missed out on his father's mental soothing due to an accident. After hatching, his rank was extremely low, and he was frail and sickly. His family has carefully nurtured him to keep him from dying young. This information was strictly suppressed by his family; I only learned of it by chance." The elderly female explained.

"But why is his child's rank still so high? That defies all logic." The middle-aged male murmured in a daze, as if struck by a massive shock.

"Ge Linuo's case is an extremely rare instance of rank decline after birth. His innate genetic rank is high, and his offspring inherit his innate genetic sequence, so they're naturally unaffected." After saying this, the elderly female added, "Male eggs with extremely high innate genetic ranks have an immense need for mental energy. They require frequent mental soothing from their fathers to hatch normally. Ordinary nutrient solutions won't suffice—they'd cause incomplete development of the male egg, leading at best to a significant rank drop and physical damage, or at worst, death in the egg. Sigh, Ge Linuo's situation is unfortunate but also fortunate. High-rank male eggs are ninety percent likely to be born only in the powerful families of the capital star, so it's considered a secret—it's normal you wouldn't know."

A flicker of grief passed through the elderly female's eyes. Their family had truly fallen out of touch with the top echelons of the capital star, each generation worse than the last.

"So now, tell me, what rank do you think Nevi's two children will be?" The elderly female composed herself and returned to the original question.

The middle-aged male jolted violently, instantly grasping his great-grandmother's meaning, and said in disbelief, "Great-grandmother, you mean Nevi is also in this situation?"

"Most likely. Children can have their genetic rank tested at two to three months old, and that time isn't far off now." The elderly female said calmly.

The middle-aged male's expression grew solemn.

A handsome, innately high-rank male with no background or family connections was, in the eyes of true powers, nothing more than a plump, easy prey on a chopping board.

Once Nevi caught the attention of those power factions, it would be a true storm of chaos.

High-rank offspring had always been one of the key reasons power factions endured through generations.

The competition for high-rank males had always been a bloody, brutal struggle among these powerful families.

"Wait, that's not right. If Nevi is an innately high-rank male, how did he end up in a remote numbered star?" The middle-aged male suddenly realized something was off and asked in confusion.

The elderly female's gaze was calm as she said gently, "Perhaps he's a victim of another power struggle. But that's none of our concern."

The elderly female finally let out a bitter smile and said with a sigh, "I stopped the child from contacting Nevi not because I think Nevi isn't good enough for our child. Quite the opposite—it's our child who isn't good enough for Nevi! Our family has truly fallen; we can't afford to get involved in such chaotic situations. Rather than give the child false hope and let her sink deeper, it's better to cut off her hopes from the start. Short-term pain is better than long-term suffering. She'll understand eventually."

"I understand, Great-grandmother. She'll come to appreciate your efforts in time."

*

The next morning, Nevi, who had tossed and turned all night unable to sleep, rose early. After watering the white rose sprouts that had emerged from the soil on the balcony, he gazed despondently at the view outside, feeling lost inside.

He had confirmed the identity of the black-haired male and finally found a lead on Aesop.

But the black-haired male's deliberate concealment left Nevi puzzled, countless tangled thoughts swirling in his mind.

The black-haired male clearly doted on and cared for the children, so why wouldn't he face him and the children directly and reveal his identity?

Since the black-haired male knew where he and the children were and had come to find them, what about Aesop?

Did he know? If he did, why hadn't he come to see him and the children, not even sending a single message?

Nevi lowered his gaze and bit his lip. Just then, the notification sound from his optical device interrupted his thoughts.

He opened it and saw it was Kaisisen.

Kaisisen: Nevi, did the one-month celebration go smoothly yesterday?

Nevi collected his thoughts, hiding the many upheavals of the previous day, and chatted casually with Kaisisen about some lighter topics, though his spirits were clearly low.

Kaisisen was perceptive and quickly noticed something was off with Nevi.

Kaisisen: Nevi, has something happened? If you're facing any difficulties or issues, you can tell me, and I'll help you resolve them.

Looking at Kaisisen's bold, commanding tone, Nevi couldn't help but smile softly, feeling much lighter inside.

As they spent more time together, Kaisisen had become an increasingly trusted and important friend to him.

Nevi's earlier wariness had quietly crumbled long ago without him even realizing it.

Nevi read Kaisisen's concerned words, his gaze softening, and with a light touch of his fingers, a new message was sent out.

Nevi: Kaisisen, under what circumstances would the friend I've been searching for leave no trace, yet one of his family bugs quietly show up at the cubs' full-moon banquet?

*

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Author's note: Ah, it's so late, but this is a super meaty chapter, I did my best! There's quite a lot of info in it!

Thank you all so much for your support—I'll keep working hard!