SZAR Chapter 80

Chu Xiu and the others had eaten some fruit, and when they sat back in front of the TV, the news was showing the scene at Pamir Airport.

The Major was being swarmed by reporters’ microphones, but Chu Ci kept him firmly behind himself, blocking every probing gaze. The tall, sharp Male Zerg stood like a sword drawn from its sheath, cutting through obstacles, unstoppable in every way.

Carey let out an envious sigh.

As a fellow military female, once holding the rank of Major General himself, his experience had been entirely different from Nuo Wei’s.

Years earlier, when Carey was still in service, he had seen Nuo Wei at a military banquet.

At that time, Nuo Wei was still young, following Admiral Erwen, with cheeks still carrying the remnants of baby fat, yet his posture was mature for his age — cold, stern, and unapproachable. Carey and his colleagues watched him from afar and sighed together: “A personality like Nuo Wei’s… he’s bound to suffer under his Male Lord later on.”

Cold, uninteresting, no Male Zerg would like a female like that.

Later, when Carey retired, due to his outstanding military service and gentle temperament, he was chosen as Chu Dian’s female monarch. As a commoner female marrying into nobility, he drew the envy of countless other females. At the time, the military said that a gentle nature like Carey’s would surely win his Male Lord’s favor. But he had endured storms and scars, and even now had no children.

Meanwhile, Nuo Wei, cold and uninteresting, married a commoner, Chu Ci, yet was treated with such care; his features radiated peace and happiness.

Carey couldn’t hide the twinge in his heart. He said softly, “Fate is cruel.”

It wasn’t jealousy, just that seeing someone he once knew being so well cared for while he remained alone naturally stirred envy.

Yi Xi looked at the saddened Carey and patted his back reassuringly: “A Male Zerg like Chu Ci… that kind is extremely rare.”

Carey gave a bitter smile. “I only wish my Male Lord has a calm temper. I don’t dare expect someone like Chu Ci, his deeds are truly astonishing. S-rank Male Zergs are just too rare.”

Yi Xi nodded in agreement. “Indeed, they’re extremely rare.”

Chu Xiu, meanwhile, was playing his game but perked up his ears.

What’s “extremely rare”?

Yi Xi often praised others, but most of his compliments were polite in nature. This time, however, he was genuinely agreeing.

Chu Xiu felt a little annoyed. Even though it was just agreeing, his partner was praising another Male Zerg in front of him, it didn’t sit well.

He opened his light-brain and started searching for S-rank Male Zergs.

The Empire hadn’t seen an S-rank Male Zerg in ages; information was extremely scarce. Apart from reports on Chu Ci, the only references were ancient Male Zergs from dramas and novels.

Chu Xiu recalled the scene of his own rank test. Back then, he had been anxious, his mind full of “faster, faster!” But thinking back now, he had actually held back.

First, after passing the A-rank baseline, he had deliberately held back out of distraction. Second, he didn’t fully understand what the Zerg hierarchy meant, so he hadn’t taken it seriously. If he had given his all, he might have pushed further.

But he still didn’t know the exact standard for S-rank. So he turned to StarNet, searching for a needle in a haystack among all the chaotic information.

One entry caught his attention.

⟦ Has anyone heard of that 《Space War》 mini-game? It’s said to be connected to the rank test. Scoring over 10,000 points gives a high chance of being S-rank. ⟧

Chu Xiu froze, then dug out his long-unused game library and found the dusty 《Space War》 game tucked in a corner.

He clicked to enter.

The game, a simple attack-and-defense type, was challenging only in requiring fast reactions and multitasking, skills similar to bartending. An experienced bartender masters the timing of pouring: a little too much, it’s too strong; a little too little, too weak. Some complex cocktails require several liquids to be mixed instantly, colliding with ice to bring out the fullest flavor. This, too, demands multitasking.

In truth, every craft has countless secrets at its peak, and bartending is no exception. Chu Xiu had held the top spot for years; his skill was certainly exceptional.

In the first round, he easily beat his previous record, scoring 6,000 points. In the second, he steadily advanced to 7,500. After a few more tries, he stabilized above 10,000.

Chu Xiu put the game away and opened his light-brain again.

The forum was buzzing with activity, countless Zerg discussing Chu Ci’s promotion. The main point of debate was the same everywhere: ⟦ How likely is it for one to be promoted again after reaching adulthood?⟧

Zerg are a species that rely heavily on talent and bloodline. A child’s traits at three often predict their adult self; the first awakening sets a rank range, the second awakening confirms it. This is an ironclad rule followed by every generation of Zerg. But in less than half a year, these two rules were broken: first, Chu Xiu jumped five levels in his second awakening, breaking rule one; then, Chu Ci was promoted after reaching adulthood, breaking rule two. The entire StarNet was in turmoil, and many Zerg began daydreaming.

【 If Chu Xiu and Chu Ci can do it, maybe I can too? 】

【 Seeing Chu Ci trending made my blood boil. I want to retest my level. 】

【 Take a gamble, swap a bike for an aircraft carrier. What if it works? 】

Of course, there was also ridicule and sarcasm.

【 These two are exceptions. Who do you think you are? Retesting is just giving the appraisal center your money. 】

But none of these whispers could dampen the Zerg’s enthusiasm. The reservation site for the appraisal center experienced slight lag, and countless Zerg flooded in, almost crashing the servers.

Chu Xiu’s mood was complicated. The cursor hovered over [ Reserve Test ], then he clicked confirm.

What’s so impressive about being S-rank anyway? Why is it “extremely rare”? Maybe he could be too.

Yi Xi had no idea.

They had dinner at Carey’s place. Carey really treated Chu Xiu like his eldest son. Good food and good wine kept coming, and he seemed particularly eager to cook for the young ones, serving dish after dish with a “I won’t stop until you’re full” kind of determination.

Chu Xiu graciously took the food, praising Carey’s cooking with a sweet smile. For this “gold medal soft rice,” flattery came easily. Carey beamed, and the gloom in his eyes lightened considerably.

The only downside was that Chu Dian kept calling Chu Xiu repeatedly.

It was unclear what had triggered him, he seemed frantic. When Chu Xiu couldn’t answer, Chu Dian called Carey. Carey hesitated, afraid to hang up. Chu Xiu clicked his tongue, took the call, and stepped away from Yi Xi and Carey, walking alone into the bathroom: “If you have something to say, say it. If not, get lost.”

Chu Dian choked for a moment, seemingly not expecting the once-timid Chu Xiu to be so bold, and immediately erupted in rage: “Chu Xiu, fine, you moving out of the house I can accept, and I won’t argue with you about Yi Xi, but the money house has been operated by our Chu family for generations—”

Chu Xiu let out a light laugh. “Operated for generations?”

Generations of operating? A damn casino giving you a sense of accomplishment? You’d think they were inheriting some intangible cultural heritage.

He clicked his tongue in mock amazement. “You really have no shame, old man. What, you’re unhappy that the Empire let you stay out of jail for medical treatment? Why don’t you take your documents, bring along the approval court, and have the judge return this ‘family legacy’ of your ‘generational business’ to you?”

Chu Dian coughed violently, clearly furious. “Ungrateful wretch!”

Chu Xiu thought to himself: Your real son got himself killed ages ago; I’m not your son. My biological father, though a scumbag, at least had some limits compared to you.

Yi Xi and Carey couldn’t hear, so Chu Xiu unleashed his trash talk without the slightest restraint. He’d been in the entertainment world long enough to hear every insult imaginable from colleagues, patrons, and clients, usually he had to pretend to be polite, but now facing Chu Dian, all that experience finally had a use.

On the surface, Chu Xiu kept a playful tone, feigning affection while being disgusting: “Father, which hospital are you in? Should I come by in a couple of days with a wreath? That way you can’t say I’m unfilial.”

Chu Dian’s breathing hitched. “You little brat, do you even know how much that casino makes in a single day? The whole Chu family relies on it! After living under your family’s shadow for so long, you can’t show a shred of gratitude…”

From Chu Dian’s urgency, Chu Xiu suddenly realized a question:

The underground money house’s biggest bet was how long Yi Xi could live. Yi Xi was going to marry into the Chu family, and the money house was a Chu family asset. Were they trying to manipulate it from behind the scenes?

No wonder back then Chu Dian told him to relax, saying it didn’t matter if he didn’t like it. At first, he had hoped Chu Xiu would get killed so he could inherit the family fortune. But when Chu Xiu survived, Chu Dian had already quietly set up another plan, to feed the family casino. He let netizens bet on Yi Xi’s life, and the date with the highest odds was the one the Chu family had picked for Yi Xi’s death.

This way, the house could take the largest cut.

Chu Xiu’s throat turned sour.

He was about to vomit, and Chu Dian kept jabbering on. Chu Xiu let out a cold laugh. “Old man, two days and you’ll be on your way.” With that, he was too lazy to listen any further and slammed the phone down with a snap.

Chu Xiu leaned over the sink for a long while, rubbing his ears, muttering, “Disgusting.”

To talk about gambling as if it were perfectly normal, to treat a casino that ruins countless families as a family legacy, to treat running a deathly game as a way to get rich, even sacrificing your own son for it… everything about it was utterly outrageous.

Chu Dian, Chu Jin, and the Chu family behind them — they were filthy.

Chu Xiu washed his hands properly, scrubbing between every finger. Just thinking that this body carried Chu Dian’s genes made him feel sick.

When he came out of the bathroom, Carey and Yi Xi were still chatting and laughing, while Clement quietly sipped his soup. The white porcelain bowls on the table held honey-colored sauce, plates adorned with red and green chili peppers and vibrant greens, white shells cradling soft clam meat that gleamed enticingly under the warm yellow light. They looked cheerful and harmonious, like a real family dinner.

This was warmth Chu Xiu had never received from his real blood relatives in either life. His biological father had never given it; his stepfather never could.

The stepfather had killed the original owner, and his real father treated him as nothing but a money-making tool. But now, he was sitting down to eat with Carey and Yi Xi, someone even peeled shrimp for him.

Yi Xi was peeling shrimp for him and noticed Chu Xiu staring in surprise. He waved with a smile. “Come on, don’t just stand there.”

He poured a pile of bright red shrimp meat into Chu Xiu’s bowl.

Suddenly, Chu Xiu’s eyes stung. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Yi Xi from behind, and buried his face against him.

Through both past and present lives, through all the scheming and filth, there was only this one person who was truly pure, throwing away money without hesitation, never looking down on anyone, not even a tiny bartender.

Yi Xi paused mid-motion, gently stroking his hair as if to soothe him. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Chu Xiu said, then out of nowhere added, “I want you to help me take a bath tonight.”

Yi Xi froze. “What?”

Chu Xiu said, “I’m so dirty.”

It sounded like a complaint, yet also like a playful whine: “My body is really dirty.”

Yi Xi didn’t fully understand, but that didn’t stop him from tapping the tip of the male zerg’s nose and smiling as he agreed: “Okay.”

After a meal and a little wine, they headed home. The couple got cozy on the flight, kissing each other, and once home, the male zerg stripped and sank into the water.

Yi Xi had thought that ‘help me bathe’ was just a little flirtatious game between lovers. After all, since the end of their activity, the male zerg had been impossibly energetic, never still for a moment, often forcing Yi Xi to hunch over, curling against the headboard, whining in mock innocence: “Yi Xi, I feel uncomfortable.”

The male zerg was so forceful, yet still insisted that Yi Xi touch him, like a child denied candy: “I can’t help it… it’s uncomfortable.”

Yi Xi had no choice but to go along.

Having played these games many times, Yi Xi had developed some resistance. He assumed this would be the same, but to his surprise, the male zerg lay quietly in the bathtub, genuinely still, with no hidden meaning.

Yi Xi scooped water and poured it gently over him. Chu Xiu’s body was perfect, muscles flowing clearly and beautifully, like the finest marble sculpture of a Greek artist. Helping him wash was like tending to a work of art.

Yi Xi’s fingers traced every inch of Chu Xiu’s skin underwater. Steam rose between them, blurring his view of Chu Xiu’s face.

Chu Xiu held Yi Xi’s hand as it traveled downward, past the jaw, past the collarbone… Just when it seemed inevitable that things would escalate, Yi Xi thought the male zerg would get out of the tub and continue where they left off on the bed, Chu Xiu suddenly froze.

He pressed his lips together, unmoving. No teasing, no whining. He sat quietly in the water, eyes fixed on the surface, lingering there without further action.

Yi Xi asked, “Cointreau?”

Not continuing?

But the male zerg took his hand, brought it to his lips, and lightly kissed it. “Yi Xi, you’re so clean.”

Yi Xi chuckled. “I washed my hands, and I’ve been in the bath for a while, of course I’m clean.”

He tried to pull his hand away, intending to continue what they were doing before.

But Chu Xiu wouldn’t let go.

He held it like a child hugging a doll, clutching the entire arm to his chest.

He held it so tightly, so firmly, his cheek pressed against the skin, lightly rubbing, then out of nowhere said, “I’m glad I came.”

Glad he came…because the filthy, wretched Chu family hadn’t managed to touch the person beside him, not a single bit.