Chapter 36: Sigh! Surveillance & Capitalism

“Click—”

The moment the hospital room door closed, Zefi raised a hand and tore off every piece of monitoring equipment attached to him.

Alarms instantly blared throughout the room. Red warning lights flashed from various machines, casting an eerie glow over the cold white space.

Leaning back against the door, Zefi’s chest rose and fell heavily. A faint flush colored his pale face. Throwing off the blanket, he revealed a loosely buttoned hospital gown. The forceful removal of the equipment had left bruises and bloodstains along his arms and torso.

The alarms continued unabated.

Ignoring them completely, Zefi strode into the washroom.

Cold water poured into the softly lit basin. As though trying to scrub away filth, he repeatedly washed his hands. Before long, his pale knuckles and neatly trimmed fingernails were stained red from excessive scrubbing.

Looking up, he caught sight of his slightly disheveled gray-white hair in the mirror and the blood seeping through the bandages around his neck.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to strangle the person who had caused all this with his own hands.

Hatred filled his ice-gray eyes.

Originally, Zefi’s impression of Lin Zhiyan had been that she was merely a lower-class girl who relied on a little cleverness and beauty to navigate social situations while charming people with her silver tongue.

Now he had added another trait to the list:

Shamelessly promiscuous.

How dare she say such things?

How dare she drag him into her sordid affairs—twice?

His fingers tightened around the edge of the sink. Embarrassment and humiliation churned inside him. Washing his hands no longer felt sufficient to express his disgust.

He changed clothes and stepped into the shower.

Ignoring his injuries, he thoroughly washed himself from head to toe.

When he finally emerged, it felt as though everything connected to her had been washed away—the scent lingering on her body, the fruit juice she had splashed everywhere while eating, even the way she had messed up his hair.

Now he was calm again.

Rational.

Sharp-minded.

The sort of person who never allowed emotions to control him.

The medical staff had been waiting outside for quite some time. As soon as he emerged, they rushed to perform another examination and reattach the complicated monitoring devices.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Zefi connected his terminal.

“Mr. Zefi, the records recovered from District Sixteen indicate that Lin Zhiyan was abandoned at birth. Her parents are unknown. She grew up in an orphanage. Every physical examination she underwent—from genetic sequencing to all biological indicators—showed nothing outside normal parameters.”

The voice on the terminal delivered its report in a precise, mechanical tone.

“If there is anything unusual, it would be a small shadow that appeared in her stomach between her third year of high school and her first year at the academy. However, this is likely related to the fire she experienced. It appears to be a small stone formed after inhaling and swallowing smoke particles.”

A stone?

No wonder she’s so thin.

The thought flashed through his mind before he even realized it.

“So her influence on him isn’t caused by genetics or any physiological mechanism?”

“You could say that. In fact, our simulations indicate that even if she and Mr. Li Siheng had children together, the offspring would still inherit contamination.”

“No need to consider that.”

His tone turned impatient.

At present, she wasn’t even willing to maintain a long-term relationship with Li Siheng, much less have children with him.

After several seconds of silence, he asked:

“How is the Child-Chain project progressing?”

“Very smoothly. We’ve already obtained preliminary results faster than the police technical team.”

A trace of pride entered the speaker’s voice.

“Although most of the research data from back then was destroyed, we still possess a considerable amount of original material.”

A centipede does not stop moving simply because it is dying.

After the decline of the Nosoi family’s medical industry, they had attempted to transition into military technology during the wars between the Old and New Eras.

Their researchers had discovered that certain elements, when deeply fused with metals and then separated, could create paired magnetic fields similar to communication signals.

The technology could bypass wireless signal detection and was particularly suited for wartime communications.

Unfortunately, before the research could be publicly released, the government discovered it and forced the family to surrender the project.

The Nosoi family destroyed most of the experimental data before the authorities arrived, but a small portion of the materials—and the only set of objects ever created using Child-Chain technology—were still confiscated.

Ironically, even after the war ended, the government never revealed any progress regarding the technology.

Whether they had failed to research it or simply lacked the technical capability remained unknown.

“Should we continue contacting Jiang Yi according to the original plan?” the subordinate asked.

Child-Chain technology was an outdated relic.

Previously, after learning Jiang Yi was interested in the project, Zefi had intended to offer it as a favor.

Now that seemed entirely unnecessary.

Zefi sneered.

“No. Every military and political heir in the Ringstar Empire thinks he’s an emperor. Showing goodwill practically requires kneeling and begging.”

After a moment’s thought, he added:

“Keep an eye on Lu Weixi’s attitude toward the technology. If he’s interested, contact Lu Suiyuan on my behalf. Use Li Siheng’s upcoming studies in District Eight as an excuse—I want to discuss District Eight with him.

“If Lu Weixi shows no clear interest, then quietly leak information that Jiang Yi is interested.”

The medical staff gradually departed.

The subordinate continued reporting on various projects. Nearly twenty minutes later, the call finally ended.

Silence filled the room.

Bright sunlight streamed through the window. White curtains swayed gently.

Zefi coughed several times. The movement pulled at the wound on his neck, sending pain through him.

His limbs felt cold as he lay back down.

Just then, another call arrived.

It was from his mother.

He answered.

“Child, how is your condition?” asked Great Solent gently.

“Recovering. I should be able to remove the equipment and move normally tomorrow.”

“That’s good.”

She paused.

“And Siheng?”

Zefi opened the bedside control panel.

A massive projection lit up across the wall, displaying live surveillance feeds from the entire building.

He enlarged Li Siheng’s room.

There, Li Siheng sat on the edge of the bed.

Standing before him was a thin figure with her back to the camera.

His hand held hers.

The posture was unmistakably that of lovers flirting.

Zefi couldn’t help letting out a cold laugh.

“The doctor said this morning that his condition is stabilizing. I’ve just observed him myself. His behavior appears normal.”

Normal enough to want to wrap his entire body around the woman standing in front of him.

“That’s good. His condition last night was truly frightening.”

Great Solent sighed.

Then she asked the only remaining question:

“How did your discussion with Lin Zhiyan go? Did you satisfy her demands?”

Zefi glanced at the screen.

Li Siheng had drawn his legs together and wrapped an arm tightly around Lin Zhiyan’s waist.

He was holding her so tightly that her shoulders moved as she struggled to escape.

When he refused to let go, she simply pushed him onto the bed.

The next moment, she climbed onto the mattress.

Sunlight gilded her beautiful face as she laughed.

Li Siheng immediately rolled over and followed her.

Even without sound, the scene practically explained itself.

The same meaningless exchanges lovers always repeated:

You’re annoying.

No, you are.

You’re clingy.

Then who should I cling to?

Endless nonsense followed by laughter.

Zefi stared at Li Siheng’s face—a face so similar to his own.

His gaze darkened.

Nausea rose within him.

Why did Li Siheng have to possess that face?

Why did he have to use it to make such foolish expressions while flirting with a woman like her?

The humiliation from the previous night resurfaced.

He wasn’t sure whether he was angry because Li Siheng’s face confused his own thoughts—or because Lin Zhiyan knew every humiliating detail of his disgraceful state.

“Zefi?”

Great Solent’s voice brought him back.

“Blood loss is making it difficult to focus. My apologies.”

He straightened slightly.

“She requested one million credits. I offered more, but she refused to maintain a longer-term relationship with Li Siheng. I transferred the money as agreed and intend to negotiate again later.”

“The question now,” Great Solent said, “is whether we should continue separating her from Siheng.”

“It has gone too far to turn back now.”

Zefi considered carefully.

“Perhaps we should proceed gradually. Let her visit him a few times this semester. Once she becomes accustomed to it, persuading her to maintain contact with him should be easier.”

“You’ve always been careful and reliable,” Great Solent replied. “Your only flaw is that you’re too sharp and unwilling to yield. Sometimes taking a step back and accepting a small loss produces the greatest benefit.”

She continued:

“She’s close to Siheng. She dared to ask for—and accept—a million credits. That suggests she’s flexible rather than self-righteous.”

Zefi paused.

“Your meaning is…?”

“Talk to her again when you have time. If her demands aren’t excessive, satisfy them. Siheng is destined to enter politics. Nothing can be allowed to happen to him. Otherwise, how can he clear obstacles for the Solent family?”

…Satisfy her?

Zefi found the suggestion absurd.

The emotions he had barely suppressed surged back.

“Mother, I don’t think you understand what she actually said.”

“Was her demand truly that unreasonable?”

The wound on his neck throbbed.

A thin sheen of sweat appeared on his flushed face.

His eyes drifted back to the projection.

On the screen, Li Siheng had buried his face against Lin Zhiyan’s neck.

Zefi laughed coldly.

“She said that asking her to maintain contact with Li Siheng was equivalent to treating her like a prostitute.”

He paused.

“And if we wanted her to agree, then I should become her secret lover as well.”

The instant he finished speaking, the anger vanished, leaving only embarrassment behind.

He took a deep breath.

The scene on the screen looked vulgar and disgusting.

“Did she really say that?” Great Solent asked.

Before he could answer, she laughed.

“You let her lead you by the nose.”

Zefi’s voice sharpened.

“What? Should I really strip off my clothes and sleep with her?”

As he spoke, he reached to disable the surveillance feed.

Then—

He froze.

His back straightened abruptly.

Li Siheng was embracing Lin Zhiyan from behind.

One hand hovered before her face.

Lin Zhiyan stared blankly at it.

At the gray-white strand of hair held between his fingers.

His hair.

Zefi suddenly felt a flash of panic.

His hand slipped on the controls.

The room immediately filled with sound.

“Good heavens, he set me up!”

Lin Zhiyan’s voice rang out.

At the same moment, Great Solent’s voice came through the terminal:

“And why wouldn’t he?”

The overlapping voices startled Zefi.

Annoyance followed.

Then absurdity.

“What was that sound?” Great Solent asked.

Zefi rubbed his temples.

He activated the audio feed and put on a monitoring headset.

His ice-gray eyes fixed on the screen.

“Nothing. I accidentally turned on the television.”

In reality, he wanted to know exactly how Lin Zhiyan intended to explain herself.

Inside the headset, Li Siheng asked a question so stupid it was almost laughable.

“What exactly happened?”

In simpler terms:

Tell me anything, and I’ll believe it.

Lin Zhiyan clearly received the signal.

She took several deep breaths.

The strand of hair in his hand even fluttered from the movement.

Part of her wanted to blow it away and pretend nothing had happened.

She felt irritated.

She had already soothed him.

She had convinced him he was special.

Now one strand of Zefi’s hair had ruined everything.

Breaking free from his embrace, she lowered her eyes sadly.

“He… talked to me about conditions.”

Li Siheng immediately grabbed her hand and stood.

“Whatever he said doesn’t matter. I’ll speak to him personally.”

Lin Zhiyan froze.

Then panic exploded inside her.

No no no no!

Had nearly killing Zefi last night really made him fearless?!

Why was he heading straight for a confrontation?!

She planted herself stubbornly on the floor.

Li Siheng stood firm as a pine tree.

The two ended up locked in a bizarre standoff.

Looking at her, he asked softly:

“You don’t want me to? Or… are you lying to me?”

Clearing her throat, Lin Zhiyan answered with exaggerated bitterness.

“And what about you? Do you want me to be humiliated again? Or do you think that if Zefi pretends nothing happened in front of you, then nothing happened?”

Li Siheng frowned.

“What conditions did he offer?”

“He… hoped I would…”

She sighed.

Wrapping her arms around him from behind, she buried her face against his back.

“He hoped I’d completely separate myself from you.”

Li Siheng intertwined their fingers.

“Compared to separating us, he’d rather use you to control me. Especially after last night.”

Lin Zhiyan: “…”

Well.

That exposed her plan immediately.

He pulled her around to face him.

“Why did you stop talking?”

Because my brain is still writing the script!

Suppressing her frustration, she continued:

“You didn’t understand what I meant.”

She pushed lightly at his face.

“He wanted me to appear whenever you needed me and disappear whenever you didn’t.”

Li Siheng’s expression shifted.

“But I refused.”

She smiled.

“Because I don’t think our relationship belongs on a negotiation table.”

Then, as if joking, she added:

“Sure, I turned down a lot of benefits. But seeing Zefi get angry was pretty entertaining. He called me a lower-class person and said that even if you needed me forever, we’d eventually separate because he understood your personality so well.”

Li Siheng immediately protested.

“Zefi said that deliberately. That’s the kind of person he is. Always stirring up trouble. Always trying to make everyone follow his plans.”

He lifted her effortlessly and carried her to the window seat.

“I’m just afraid. We worked so hard to find each other again. Whatever happens between us has nothing to do with that bastard Zefi.”

He continued talking rapidly.

“He wishes I’d remain a puppet forever. He envies that I have love while he only has wealth and reputation. He envies that I’m the true holder of political power.”

His voice grew softer.

“He left that strand of hair on you on purpose. He thinks I’m just like him—always jealous and suspicious. But I’m not.”

Lin Zhiyan brushed her fingers through his hair.

“I know you’re not. So let’s stop talking about Zefi. I don’t like him.”

Li Siheng visibly brightened.

“Really? Yesterday you only talked to him in front of me. You even said he was handsome.”

Then he seized the opportunity to insult Zefi.

“When he was covered in blood yesterday, he looked like a pig from a slaughterhouse.”

Lin Zhiyan: “…”

That was a little excessive.

Still, she knew she needed to keep him happy.

“You’re the most handsome. The most beautiful. The brightest. But if I hadn’t said that last night, I wouldn’t have been able to wake you up.”

“Really?”

His eyes shone.

“Then tell me. What makes me better than him?”

She cupped his face.

“His features are too deep-set. His gray hair and eyes make him seem lifeless, like a plaster statue. Your eyes are narrower, your brows finer… and you look more Eastern.”

She paused.

“We both have Eastern ancestry. He doesn’t.”

The moment she finished speaking, Li Siheng froze.

Then tears began rolling down his cheeks.

Confused, Lin Zhiyan stared.

He hugged her tightly.

“Do you like Eastern ancestry that much? Because I don’t really have it. I only look like I do. Do you like the ancestry itself, or just the appearance? Would you still think I’m better if it weren’t for that?”

Lin Zhiyan: “…”

Wonderful.

Trying to comfort someone had somehow created a new problem.

She wiped away his tears.

“Wait. Isn’t your father Eastern?”

Li Siheng quietly replied:

“I’m not his child.”

Lin Zhiyan blinked.

Wait.

Can you just casually reveal something like that?!

He pressed his forehead against hers.

“My mother couldn’t become pregnant because of genetic contamination. So she used her own egg cell and Zefi’s mother’s egg cell to create me.”

Lin Zhiyan stared blankly.

“But you look—”

“Appearance genes were modified.”

He lowered his eyes.

“My genetics already had problems. The black hair and black eyes became this gray-black color instead.”

He rubbed his forehead against hers.

“Does that disgust you?”

“No.”

She smiled.

“Even gray-black is more lively than gray-white.”

Li Siheng immediately laughed.

He seemed absurdly pleased by the comparison.

Then Lin Zhiyan suddenly realized something.

“Wait. Can two egg cells produce a male child?”

Shouldn’t that only result in XX chromosomes?

Li Siheng smiled strangely.

As though he’d been waiting forever for someone to ask.

Slowly, he leaned closer.

“My mother was born with an unusual intersex condition. She could have become a complete man, but chose to remain an incomplete woman so she could serve as a proper puppet.”

His voice remained calm.

“Even so, her genes still affected the chromosomes in her eggs. Eventually those traits were passed on to me.”

Cold sweat appeared on Lin Zhiyan’s forehead.

At that moment, she truly understood how terrifying the Nosoi family was.

Then something even more frightening happened.

In a sweet, almost casual tone, Li Siheng added:

“Do you know? Although my body looks normal, if an artificial uterus were implanted, my genes would allow it to develop fully. The corresponding organs would develop as well.”

He smiled.

“So if you wanted, I could even carry a child for you.”

Lin Zhiyan’s mind went blank.

She nearly lost the ability to speak.

Li Siheng looked extremely satisfied by her reaction.

Immediately deciding she never wanted this conversation to continue, she pushed against his stomach.

“You are standing way too close.”

His face reddened.

A moment later he swept her into his arms and carried her back to the bed.

“I’m more useful than Zefi, more attractive to you, and better looking, right?”

No.

You’re just more terrifying.

That was what she thought.

What she said instead was:

“Of course.”

Li Siheng smiled happily.

Then his gaze drifted upward toward the floating surveillance camera in the corner.

In another hospital room, Zefi clearly saw the challenge in his expression.

The desire.

The smug satisfaction.

Zefi lowered his pale lashes.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

One ear listened to Great Solent discussing official business.

The other was filled with the sounds coming from Li Siheng’s room.

Vulgar.

Shameless.

He felt physically sick.

Yet at the same time, a mocking thought surfaced:

The bastard who had spent his entire life envying him could only seek superiority through a woman like Lin Zhiyan.

Pathetic.

And laughable.

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