WCHM Chapter 66

The message spun twice before freezing in the chat window. A line of red text appeared on the screen:

[Sorry, your message appears to be empty. Please check it and try again.]

Lu Chi paused, pressed Send again, and tried several more times, but it still failed every time. The sentence simply couldn’t be sent.

Interesting.

A faint smile tugged at Lu Chi’s lips. Raising an eyebrow, he put away his terminal and focused on what lay ahead. Inside his head, the system had once again scared itself silly. Like someone suffering from paranoia, it seemed ready to spray urine everywhere just to ward off whatever evil spirit had created this supernatural dead end.

[I’m here,] Lu Chi chuckled. [Don’t be afraid.]

The poor system froze and immediately fell silent. Closing his eyes, Lu Chi saw it hugging its own head, rolling around shyly inside the stream of data. He couldn’t help laughing again before opening his eyes to survey the surroundings.

The overhead lights weren’t particularly dim, making it easy enough to see the general layout.

Everywhere were the remnants left behind. These two buildings had already been abandoned developments before the rebels bombed them, and by now, nearly everyone in the area had been evacuated.

He overheard workers clearing away rubble inside, complaining, “What the hell are they thinking?! They won’t let us use any machinery at all! Isn’t this just making life difficult for us?!”

“Exactly… Some of these rocks weigh over a hundred kilos! If they weren’t paying so well, I’d have quit ages ago!”

“Keep your voice down! This is Homeland Group territory. You might not care about your life, but I still care about mine!”

Listening quietly for a while, Lu Chi learned that the workers had been hired by an ordinary-looking Alpha secretary wearing a Homeland Group uniform, accompanied by two Beta assistants.

Apparently, Yu Kexing himself hadn’t appeared.

Inside the construction site, aside from elevators and heavy demolition equipment, no other mechanical devices were allowed. These temporary workers had been here for an entire week. There were no strict production quotas, but attendance was mandatory every day.

However, rather than cleaning the site… It felt more like they were standing guard. Or perhaps…

Waiting for prey.

Was Yu Kexing waiting for the rebels who would come here to scout the bombing site?

Was he trying to catch them? Or did he himself not know who the rebels really were? Which was why he had stationed these workers here. Even if something happened, it wouldn’t be his own people who got hurt.

Countless thoughts flashed through Lu Chi’s mind, but this brief investigation had already confirmed his suspicions.

The Main Shou was wrong from head to toe.

By the usual logic of melodramatic novels, he had either been reborn, transmigrated into the story, or somehow knew the future.

Bright light spilled down from overhead. Lost in thought, Lu Chi silently turned to leave, but as he rounded the back of the building, his footsteps suddenly halted. Behind the abandoned ruins…

A group of people sat silently on the ground.

Winter was approaching, and the capital planet wasn’t particularly warm, yet they sat there in ragged, low-quality clothing, enduring the cold wind behind the two buildings. Among them were children and the elderly. Omegas, Betas…

Even a few Alphas.

But every face was pale and numb, and some were even missing limbs. Others wore rusted, outdated prosthetics that barely functioned. Each person held a protest banner, while even larger slogans hung both before them and behind them.

[Black-hearted developers, give us back our money! Return the savings we spent our whole lives earning for our homes!]

[The banks and courts are nothing but lapdogs of the conglomerates! Get out of the capital! Get out of the Federation!]

[GIVE US BACK OUR MONEY!!!]

The hastily written words, together with the enormous blood-red exclamation marks, radiated a desperate kind of quiet madness. A Legion patrol vehicle soon floated over. The instant it appeared, everyone hurriedly gathered up their banners and scattered like frightened rats. Only after the patrol departed did they silently limp back to their original positions.

The architecture of the Federation’s capital was cold and sterile. Perhaps to suit its cyberpunk aesthetic, not a trace of vegetation could be seen anywhere, so everything felt bleak and indifferent.

After watching for a while, Lu Chi turned onto another road and followed the holographic map back toward Lin Jingsi’s residence. Before he even reached the entrance… The moment he stepped into the hundred-meter perimeter surrounding the tower, a warm spring breeze immediately brushed across his face. It was as though an invisible mechanical barrier separated two entirely different worlds.

A fine mist drifted down from hidden sprinklers overhead. Tall green plants lined the pathways, their leaves glowing vividly beneath the daylight. So… Even plants were a privilege reserved for the upper class.

The gentle voice of the AI “Cocoon” sounded overhead.

[Welcome home to Verdant Court.]

[Today’s air humidity: 40%. Surface temperature: 26°C.]

[If you experience any discomfort, please notify me immediately so I may make the necessary adjustments…]

No wonder there were no patrol officers nearby. Without the correct biometric authorization, they didn’t even possess the permission or the qualifications to approach this place.

Even the luxury of relaxation belonged exclusively to the privileged.

Glancing toward several concealed laser emplacements in the distance, Lu Chi calmly boarded the transparent floating elevator as the scenery flashed past. Stepping into the foyer, he immediately noticed an extra pair of black military boots by the entrance.

The soles were spotless, and not a speck of dust clung to them. Yet Lu Chi still caught the faint scent of blood lingering in the air. The young Alpha who had only recently finished killing people was now in the kitchen cooking.

His broad back faced the doorway as he lowered his head, expertly slicing fresh potatoes. But his knife work was so practiced that it became a blur, less like preparing dinner and more like efficiently dismembering a corpse.

The moment Lu Chi stepped inside, Lin Jingsi heard his footsteps.

“…You’re back.”

Lu Chi gave a quiet hum in response as he removed his black baseball cap. The silver hair that had been tucked beneath it spilled free at once, cascading over his sharply defined shoulders like clusters of blooming white lilies of the valley.

Then, the “lily of the valley” walked into the kitchen. Without warning, he climbed onto Lin Jingsi using both hands and feet, wrapping himself around him.

Instinctively, Lin Jingsi caught him. Supporting Lu Chi’s thighs with one arm, he effortlessly lifted him higher. Even through the fabric, the heat of his palm was unmistakable.

Then he heard Lu Chi ask, “Lin Jingsi… do you know about the two abandoned buildings?”

At that, Lin Jingsi had the AI take over the cooking. After washing his hands, he carried the Beta out on his back, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the inside of Lu Chi’s thigh. After thinking for a moment, he said, “At least several hundred abandoned developments appear across the Federation every month. Si’an District connects to the docks and is one of the worst areas for real estate scams. Which two buildings are you talking about?”

In this interstellar society, technology had advanced to its peak, but that didn’t mean humanity enjoyed a more convenient life. On the contrary.

The other side of advanced technology was low civilization.

Even now, seventy percent of the Federation’s population had never received a complete education, and many were barely literate. They were the poorest class in society, and also the easiest to exploit.

Resting his chin against Lin Jingsi’s shoulder, Lu Chi said leisurely, “The two buildings that were bombed by the rebels.”

Only one rebel bombing had made the news a month earlier, so Lin Jingsi remembered immediately. Pouring him a cup of hot water, he explained, “They’re near the southern docks. The Federation once announced plans to upgrade the shipping routes there, so developers immediately bought up the land.”

“To build mass-market apartments?”

Even with advanced machinery, expanding transportation infrastructure remained an enormous undertaking that required countless workers. The developers had likely set their sights on the future property market around the port, intending to construct inexpensive apartment complexes and profit from rent and housing loans.

Buying a home meant obtaining residency in the main urban district. For people living in the slums, that alone was the dream of a lifetime.

Lin Jingsi nodded, but his expression remained indifferent as he continued, “Later, news of the waterway project was quietly suppressed.”

Realizing something was wrong, the developers immediately disappeared with the money. Before fleeing, they even launched a “discount promotion,” squeezing the last drop of blood from tens of thousands of impoverished people.

“Did they really disappear?” Lu Chi asked.

In this world, the influence of the financial conglomerates was almost unimaginable. Money from merely tens of thousands of victims wasn’t enough to frighten them into running.

By then, Lin Jingsi already understood what Lu Chi was really asking, so he immediately opened a holographic display and pulled up the relevant files. Getting straight to the point, he said, “Only the companies on paper disappeared. The people behind them never changed.”

“Four developers were involved with those two buildings.”

“All were operating under the Homeland Group’s name as subsidiaries of second-tier conglomerates.”

Then he asked matter-of-factly, “Which one do you want dead?”

“Or all of them?”

Lu Chi laughed. His arms looped around the Alpha’s neck as he swayed gently, his voice light.

“You figured that out too?”

Lin Jingsi slipped an arm around his waist, lifting him effortlessly from his back into his embrace. Lu Chi’s smiling eyes were now only inches away. Instead of answering immediately, Lin Jingsi reached out and gently smoothed away the unconscious crease between Lu Chi’s brows.

“Of course I did,” he answered in a deep voice.

Because I know your heart is kind.

Lu Chi’s eyes were like a tranquil sea. Without speaking, they always revealed the ripples hidden beneath the surface. Lin Jingsi had never felt anything toward suffering or the struggles of the lower class.

Or poverty. Or hunger.

He had been born without much sympathy. Even if he himself were suddenly cast into the lowest depths of society, he wouldn’t feel despair. He would simply carve a path through the blood. And if he couldn’t win…

Then he’d die trying.

Retreat had never existed as an option, but Lin Jingsi wasn’t stupid. He could see the flame hidden deep inside Lu Chi’s eyes, a very small flame, a quiet kind of anger.

This was a world steeped in coldness and darkness. The privileged learned hypocrisy from childhood, while the poor learned cruelty. Everyone became numb, mechanical.

Fanatical.

They worshipped violence and power, only to spend their entire lives being manipulated by violence and power. Yet inside Lu Chi’s eyes, there were genuine emotions. Living, breathing emotions. No matter when he looked at him, that soul was always shining.

Yu Kexing himself didn’t understand why he had fallen in love with Lu Chi at first sight, but Lin Jingsi had watched everything with cold clarity. He had seen the exact moment Lu Chi’s vibrant vitality struck Yu Kexing’s heart.

Not falling for Lu Chi…

That would have been the truly unbelievable thing.

The two looked at each other. After a moment, Lu Chi smiled, coaxing, “Let’s not kill just yet…” He paused, then corrected himself with a grin: “Well… what I mean is, don’t kill too many people. A small-scale, precisely targeted operation would be fine.”

“For example?”

“For example… The person responsible for signing off on the compensation payments.”

Their eyes met. Before the Beta could leap out of his arms to go beat someone up himself, Lin Jingsi tightened his hold. In a low voice, as though soothing an agitated cat, he murmured four simple words.

“Xiao Chi. Eat first.”

Even when justice is about to descend from the heavens…

…the first priority is still making sure you’ve had a proper meal.

………………….

So, under the AI’s reminders, they took their time eating dinner, chewing each bite slowly. By the time they finished, it was already deep into the night. Changing into black tactical suits, equipping signal jammers, and pulling masks over their faces, Lu Chi and Lin Jingsi slipped with practiced ease into the luxurious villas belonging to the four executives responsible.

However, they never even drew their guns.

The moment blades slid between those parasites’ fingers, the men completely lost their nerve. Terrified out of their wits, they signed the compensation documents on the spot and frantically called the banks, demanding the transfers be processed immediately.

For Lu Chi and Lin Jingsi, it was simply another night. But for the people who had been silently protesting outside the abandoned development, it became the night a miracle arrived.

Less than half a day after Lu Chi had watched them sitting there, they suddenly recovered the life savings they thought were gone forever. Along with compensation greater than anything they had ever imagined.

And the people who had quietly brushed away the clouds hanging over their lives had already returned home.

Fresh from the shower, Lu Chi was pulled tightly into Lin Jingsi’s embrace and pressed onto the bed, where the Alpha kissed him deeply. The quiet sound of water echoed through the room, and the faint crease between Lu Chi’s brows finally relaxed as he returned the kiss. After a long while, just as Lin Jingsi’s lips began to wander lower, Lu Chi panted softly and squeezed the back of the Alpha’s neck.

“That’s enough.”

They were officially returning to classes the next day, so it wouldn’t do to leave marks that were too obvious. Lin Jingsi stared at him, his breathing growing heavier. After a long silence, he lowered his head to gently lick and nibble at Lu Chi’s incomplete gland, his voice hoarse.

“Then… just let me hold it while we take care of ourselves.”

He deliberately chose crude wording because he’d discovered that the little cat in front of him unexpectedly liked hearing him talk like that. Deep down, Lu Chi had a shameless streak, and he enjoyed it when things became a little rougher.

The long-haired Beta paused, raising an eyebrow at him. The corners of his eyes were already flushed an unhealthy shade of red, and he wasn’t in a particularly good mood today.

Lin Jingsi licked the cool tip of Lu Chi’s ear. As though he could read every shift in his lover’s emotions, his fingers moved beneath the blanket before quietly asking, “Xiao Chi… has it been a while since you slapped someone?”

Lately, they’d been far gentler with each other than before, but the truth was both of them had a touch of madness in them. Sometimes they needed something to sharpen the senses.

“…”

Lu Chi suddenly laughed. After a moment, he let out a slow breath, then wrapped one hand around Lin Jingsi’s throat.

The bedroom lights went out.

A long time later, when the breathless sounds in the room finally subsided, steam once again rose from the bathroom.

…………………….

The next morning, sunlight remained dazzlingly bright. A breaking news report interrupted the broadcast:

“Four heirs of prominent financial conglomerates were found shot to death in their homes. Was this the work of enemies, a conspiracy, or another act of provocation by the rebel forces?”

Apparently, Lin Jingsi had sent someone to finish the job afterward. Without a trace of sympathy, Lu Chi closed the news feed, changed into the Federation Academy’s standard uniform, and headed toward the hover-train station.

He didn’t ask Lin Jingsi to drive him. Leaving the high-rise alone, he continued thinking. The origins of those two abandoned developments were now clear. But why had the rebels repeatedly chosen that exact location as the starting point of the war?

A force couldn’t possibly grow to that scale without anyone noticing. Nor could Federation weapons and technology leak out for no reason.

Who was secretly funding them? Who was supplying them with such enormous amounts of money and resources? Who… truly stood behind the rebel army?

Yu Kexing must have wanted the same answer. That was probably why he’d risked exposing himself by stationing people there ahead of time. Lost in thought, Lu Chi stepped off the train.

The station was crowded with fellow students, laughing and chatting as they streamed past him. Squinting slightly beneath the afternoon sun, he soon lowered his head again, casually hiding most of his face beneath the brim of his baseball cap and his bangs.

The academy’s gray-blue Western-style uniform fit him perfectly, accentuating his clean, elegant frame. Even without revealing his face, he carried an unmistakable youthful air, like a slender bamboo fern growing beside a window: quiet, refined, and serene.

Many people in the crowd stole curious glances in his direction, but he paid them no attention. Opening the holographic schedule, he checked the first class of the day:

“From Enrollment to Burial: 108 Ways to Make Desserts.”

Lu Chi closed the terminal and nodded with satisfaction.

Very good.

Desserts.

That, he could approve of.

……………………..
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