Chapter 40#
“……”
“？？？？”
“What’s going on?!”
“Is F101 insane? Why did he hit him?!”
“The beauty is so pitiful.”
“F101 has a problem. Does he have anger issues or something?!”
“Stop! Stop! Stop! You’re going to beat him to death!!”
“How could F101 do that? How could he lay a hand on a face like that?! Is he blind?”
“F101 has violent tendencies? I don’t like him anymore. Really speechless.”
“See? People from the underground prison—even the handsome ones—aren’t good.”
“Those shipping them should just give up. This is a domestic abuser.”
“People who don’t know anything, don’t jump to conclusions.”
“You up there, don’t play the rationalist. Hitting is wrong!”
The electronic board was instantly flooded with heated comments.
The nearby contestants, who had been envious and jealous a moment ago, were now stunned into silence.
Even the flying robot, which was about to deliver the Z35 laser gun to Zhao Xing, froze mid-air for a moment.
The first to react was Contestant A045. She stepped forward, intending to stop the beating: “You can’t—”
She didn’t finish.
Because Zhao Xing suddenly stopped.
He stood up, and in the same motion, yanked Luo Mingshan—bruised and battered on the ground—to his feet.
Without a word, he picked up the Z35 laser gun from the floating robot, gave it a once-over like he was inspecting goods, and then casually but swiftly fired the first shot.
—It landed exactly 5 cm in front of A045’s foot.
The laser, a line of death, instantly carved a black gash into the earth. Grass and rocks were sliced cleanly apart, and even the soil was cut into a 10 cm deep black abyss.
A045 felt her toes go numb, cold sweat trickling down her back.
As a Blue Star woman worth 60 points on this island, almost no contestant had ever actively targeted her with lethal intent—this was the first time.
Zhao Xing looked at A045, then swept his gaze over the others who had been eyeing Luo Mingshan with lust.
His tone was casual: “A045, right? I happen to have enough points right now to kill two people of your level. If you don’t believe me, take one more step and see.”
As he spoke, he raised the laser gun slightly, aiming it squarely between A045’s brows.
Zhao Xing was tall and straight, exuding a chilling, murderous aura. Blood from the beating still stained his hands. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were pitch-black, bottomless, as if hiding boundless violence.
It was as if anyone who dared to provoke him again—even if it meant losing all his points and being hunted—he would crush them to dust without a blink.
Cold sweat beaded on A045’s back. She took a step back, cursing under her breath: Madman!
Instantly, the others who had coveted Luo Mingshan involuntarily stepped back half a step too.
Zhao Xing turned back to Luo Mingshan.
Luo Mingshan’s beautiful face was now covered with bruises. Dust and grass clippings clung to his temples and cheek. His clear eyes shimmered with tears, yet his lips were stained with vivid blood—enough to drive anyone wild.
The contestants who had just been intimidated by Zhao Xing’s actions began to stir again at the sight of that face.
No matter how tough Zhao Xing was, he was still just an F-group rat worth 10 points…
A man standing behind them stared at the back of Zhao Xing’s head and slowly raised his gun.
“Brother Zhao, danger!” Luo Mingshan’s eyelashes fluttered. In a flash, he wrapped his arms around Zhao Xing and pulled him to the left to dodge!
Bang! A bullet sliced through the air where Zhao Xing had been standing a moment ago.
Zhao Xing spun around to face the shooter. Without hesitation or thought, he pulled the trigger.
The laser struck the man square between the brows, leaving a deep hole in his forehead.
The man’s eyes widened in disbelief as he glanced at Luo Mingshan, then slowly collapsed to the ground.
Silence fell around them.
At the same time, the live-stream audience, who had been quietly watching, erupted again.
“Ah…”
“My heart stopped just now. I really thought D078 could kill F101.”
“Why did that beauty warn F101? He was beaten so badly, and he’s still on his side? I don’t get it.”
“Trash and submissive, locked together! Respect and bless!”
“I feel like an idiot for condemning the domestic violence just now.”
“The beauty is so gorgeous, but why is his brain wired wrong? If F101 died, wouldn’t he be free?”
“You make it sound so funny. Free? He’d most likely become a communal slave.”
“…”
“That beauty’s reflexes just now shocked me. So fast.”
Zhao Xing grabbed Luo Mingshan’s long hair, forcing his head back, while with his other hand he tapped the still-warm laser gun—fresh from killing—against his face.
“Luo Luo,” Zhao Xing said coldly, “See that? That’s what you’re here for. To be my burden and trouble, to bring me endless chaos.”
Luo Mingshan’s face went pale instantly.
Zhao Xing sneered. “Luo Luo, I told you, didn’t I? If you dare to come to the surface, I’ll kill you first.”
Luo Mingshan’s neck was pale and fragile, like a prisoner offering his head for execution.
His eyelashes trembled, but his eyes held only quiet, obedient emotions. He said softly, “Then just kill me, big brother.”
Zhao Xing: “…”
Suddenly, Luo Mingshan gave a faint smile. His face was covered in wounds, his lips were stained with blood, but Zhao Xing could sense his inexplicably good mood. He said, “Big brother can’t bear to kill me.”
Zhao Xing: “…”
Luo Mingshan’s eyes curved, his tone carrying an inappropriately innocent joy: “Big brother can’t bear to kill me, and you even came to save me. I’m your prize now.”
Damn it!
Zhao Xing roughly shoved the muzzle of the laser gun into his mouth, and at the same time viciously kicked him in the shin. “Shut up!”
“Mmh!” Luo Mingshan couldn’t help but let out a pained whimper. He staggered but quickly steadied himself.
He looked at Zhao Xing, holding the laser gun in his mouth, not daring to spit it out or let it fall. He looked utterly pitiful.
Zhao Xing: “…”
He didn’t quite understand why, but suddenly he felt something was off.
With a look of disgust, Zhao Xing pulled the gun out of his mouth and wiped the saliva on his clothes a couple of times. It didn’t come off clean, so he irritably tossed the gun to him. “Take it.”
Zhao Xing glanced at the sky and noticed the sun was already starting to sink westward. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to head back to the White Tower early.
Without a word, he started walking toward the White Tower. Luo Mingshan didn’t ask anything, just obediently followed behind.
Behind them, the bullet comments on the electronic board began to shift again.
“Hmm… This direction feels a bit off, doesn’t it?”
“The beauty came from underground?”
“…”
“I feel like these two have some tangled history I don’t know about.”
“So the beauty’s name is Luo Luo? That sounds nice.”
“Even though F101 beat the beauty, it seems like he rushed through the mission because of him. I was following F101’s POV just now, and he really worked hard looking for those androids…”
“Am I the only one who noticed that big brother gave the most powerful laser gun to Beauty Luo Luo? He really did. I’m crying.”
“Anyone still remember Mr. L and D066?”
“Sorry, but Beauty Luo Luo’s looks totally outshine them. He even comes with a built-in ‘sea of love and hatred’ backstory buff.”
“The show has finally responded about the androids—check the official blog, everyone!”
…………
Just as Zhao Xing was buying room cards from the vending machine, the island’s broadcast announced that the second main mission had been issued.
The electronic board was only three meters away, but Zhao Xing couldn’t be bothered to look.
With a dark expression, he bought two double-room cards and, spending one more point, a pack of cigarettes. Then he took Luo Mingshan back to the White Tower early.
Each double-room card cost 10 points, so two cost 20—the same as a single room.
The layout was two bedrooms plus a living room, with a kitchen and a bathroom, totaling about 100 square meters. Not as luxurious or spacious as a single room, but definitely more than enough.
After entering, Zhao Xing dumped all the heavy weapons from his waist onto the table, then lit a cigarette.
Luo Mingshan stood in front of him with his head down, looking like he knew he’d done something wrong.
“What did I say before I left? I told you not to stick to me like a piece of tape and follow me up. You completely ignored me, didn’t you?”
Zhao Xing blew out a stream of smoke and said in a low voice—
“Tell me. How did you get up here?”
Luo Mingshan: “After you left, Cheng Yu suddenly appeared in front of me—”
“Who is Cheng Yu?” Zhao Xing interrupted him.
Luo Mingshan: “He was the surface man who took you away. Not long after you left, he returned to District K13.”
Zhao Xing frowned. He felt an inexplicable aversion to that name. “Continue.”
Luo Mingshan: “He wanted to take me to the surface and make me his lover…”
Sizzle!
Cigarette butt crushed in his palm, Zhao Xing’s expression was calm, but his voice was hoarse as he asked a useless question: “Did you agree?”
In that second, Zhao Xing thought of many things.
He thought that for Luo Mingshan, imprisoned in District K13, that surface man was an irresistible force; he couldn’t refuse.
He thought that bastard Cheng Yu, going through all the trouble to return to K13 for Luo Mingshan, would never give up until he got what he wanted.
He thought that Luo Mingshan was already an adult male. Even if in K13 Luo Mingshan had been his little slave, his dog, he had abandoned him. The moment he left the underground city, they had no relationship at all. Whatever choice Luo Mingshan made was his own freedom.
In that instant, Zhao Xing thought of many things to convince himself, to keep himself rational.
But the moment Luo Mingshan nodded, it was as if an invisible fuse was instantly lit. Rationality went up in smoke, and anger could not be contained.
All his self-persuasion vanished, his mind went almost blank, and all he could see was the image of Gu Xiaoxi moaning and writhing in the arms of that surface man not long ago.
The thought of Luo Mingshan doing the same thing made Zhao Xing’s eyes turn bloodshot.
He looked up at Luo Mingshan and saw a red mark under his collar.
Bang!
A thunderclap.
It was the aftershock, stronger than the explosion of sanity a moment ago.
Zhao Xing’s eyes stung. His mind went completely blank, but his body grew hot, scorching, as if a volcano had fully erupted inside him.
He crushed the cigarette in his palm, grabbed Luo Mingshan by the collar, and dragged him into the bathroom.
Zhao Xing turned on the showerhead and shoved Luo Mingshan under the stream of water. Through gritted teeth, he said—
“Strip.”