MASG chapter 43

 

Xia Yu had never run so fast before.

Faster, faster, even faster! He had to get there before Rijianmei—no matter the reason—he could not let the medical representatives see Midou! They were not good people. Who knew what kind of unspeakable secrets they were here for this time?

Ling Shi was wonderful—it was helping everyone. Fortunately, it existed; otherwise, he wouldn’t have known about this huge event. Xia Yu panted as he ran. Mo An, who had just put on his little pants, followed right behind him, panting and puffing until he tripped and fell.

“Aiya ya!” Mo An’s legs flew up like a fishtail and slid away with a whoosh. Luckily, he was chubby; otherwise, that would have hurt a lot.

“Be careful.” Xia Ban gently picked up the little ball of meat and ran alongside Xia Yu. Mo An was still too young and wasn’t used to being on land.

When they reached the door of the intensive care unit, they saw two people in white coats—one man and one woman—talking with Mi Lian.

“What do you mean by this?” Mi Lian asked in disbelief, still in shock.

A lack of sleep, fear, and overwhelming grief had turned her once rosy face sallow. Her skin looked as though pigments that her body couldn’t process had formed overnight, dulling her complexion. Her lips were pale, and she stood there as if she belonged to a different realm.

“Impossible. I disagree.” She shook her head again. “My son hasn’t passed the critical stage yet.”

“Aunt Mi Lian! We’re here!” Xia Yu couldn’t stop in time and crashed into her.

When Mi Lian turned around and saw them, a faint warmth returned to her face. “Why are you here? I was just about to come find you after I finished here…”

“Auntie, who are these people?” Xia Yu could already guess what she wanted to do—thank them in person—but that wasn’t the most important thing right now. “Are they here to see Midou?”

Xi Ban arrived breathlessly, still holding onto Mo An and a bit behind the others.

“Put me down! I want to run by myself in front of xla! Let me go!” Mo An wiggled and struggled in Xi Ban’s arms, almost rolling his eyes. “You carry me while running, and I thought you’d be fast—but you’re even slower than my little short legs!”

When will Double Tail ever fix his slow, sluggish habit?

“They are…” Mi Lian couldn’t remember where these people were from. She turned back and asked, “Sorry, I didn’t catch that. Where are you from?”

The man and woman both wore the darkest kind of sunglasses, making it hard to tell who they were looking at. They were about the same height and build. Each held a silver refrigerated case with an ID card hanging from their neck.

The illiterate Mo An stared at the words, unable to recognize them.

Xia Yu immediately spotted the key phrase: Rijianmei. Before Xi Ban could speak, hatred rose in him. It was their company that had sent the Tide ship to hunt mermaids.

“Hello, we’re pharmaceutical representatives from Rijianmei Plastic Surgery Hospital.” The woman extended her right hand as if to greet Mi Lian, but retracted it quickly and stood up straight again. “Hello.”

The man, who was also wearing sunglasses, mimicked her exact movement like a programmed robot—same speed, same angle—stretching his hand out, then pulling it back. “Hello, we’re pharmaceutical representatives from Rijianmei Plastic Surgery Hospital. Welcome to join us.”

“When did I ever say I’d join you? Sorry, but I’m not interested in plastic surgery, and my son needs it even less. I just want him to be healthy. I don’t understand why you insist on seeing him.” Mi Lian was utterly confused, though plastic surgery ads were common these days.

“Yeah, Midou is still little and weak. Why do you want to see him?” Xia Yu asked in a low voice, pretending to sound naive, but actually probing for information. Maybe they’d underestimate him as just a clueless kid.

But their answer didn’t please him. They really did speak frankly only because they couldn’t be bothered to lie.

“We’d like to conduct some data experiments with your son. It’s a great project. We hope you’ll support us,” the woman said matter-of-factly.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Mi Lian forced down her anger.

The man brushed off her emotion like smoke. “Please cooperate with us. We won’t take your son away—just a small blood sample. This is a great milestone. One day, you’ll surely be proud of your son.”

“I’m already proud of him!” Mi Lian threw a punch.

Xia Yu heard a sharp whoosh—like wind slicing the air. He’d never seen a woman throw a punch like that—clean and fierce, striking upward in a crisp hook. The man looked tall but seemed weightless as he flew into the ceiling and embedded himself in the metal.

Yet his expression remained eerily calm, to the point of being terrifying. Even stranger, the woman didn’t seem shocked or moved to help him. Her expression remained unchanged as if nothing in the world could faze her.

The man’s body dangled from the ceiling, his limbs swinging like a clock’s pendulum.

Xia Yu barely counted three seconds before the man dropped down unharmed. Though his spine was badly deformed, bent like twisted copper wire, so that he could only look at his feet.

After a few cracking sounds, his spine readjusted to normal. “I hope you’ll reconsider. After all, Rijianmei Plastic Surgery Hospital is expanding its specialization to include life sciences. Your son, infected by Moruote and having survived death, is very significant.”

Mi Lian’s facial muscles twitched visibly.

“We’re studying Moruote’s cure. One day, we’ll overcome its side effects, which will allow gene-synthesized humans to have the opportunity for mechanical modification again. It’s a natural right of every life form—he deserves it. As you know, the fatality rate of Moruote is extremely high without special medicine within five hours…”

“That’s enough!” Mi Lian glared at them, cutting off their endless babbling.

The man and woman stopped and nodded slightly toward her.

“I don’t care what kind of schemes your so-called plastic surgery hospital has. No. Don’t touch my son.” Mi Lian emphasized, grabbing the man’s collar with ease. Her bear ears pressed tight against her thick hair in fury. “No matter how important he is to your research, it means nothing to me. He isn’t my pride just because he survived—he’s been my pride since the day he was born. The only reason I’m not fighting you outside my son’s room is because I’m his mother. I don’t want to fight in front of him, but I can.”

Xia Yu and Mo An stood silently beside her. Heaven help them—if a fight broke out, they’d have to join in, too.

Xi Ban quietly took a step back. If it came to a fight, he wouldn’t be able to help.

“Won’t you reconsider?” the woman asked expressionlessly.

Mi Lian didn’t want to talk to them anymore. She turned toward the ward door, her tall back trembling with suppressed fury. The two representatives’ faces remained unreadable, but they didn’t try to continue. Instead, they turned toward the corridor exit and prepared to leave.

Before leaving, Xia Yu glanced at their badges once more. The three words Rijianmei were irritating no matter how you looked at them.

Thump, thump, thump—their footsteps faded, disappearing down the hall. Once they were sure the two were really gone, Xia Yu tugged on Mo An’s hand and hurried to Mi Lian. “Auntie, don’t be angry—they’ve already left.”

Standing in front of the cold door, Mi Lian took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. After a brief moment, she tried to smile, but it was stiff and forced. Then she crouched down and said, “I was actually planning to come find you right away, but Midou needs his guardian here. Thank you for everything you’ve done for him. I…”

“You don’t have to say that.” Xi Ban smiled as he stepped forward. “They’re best friends. If it were them who fell ill, I believe Mi Dou would save them, too.”

“That’s right. Mi Dou definitely would.” Mi Lian looked at him. “Wait—who are you? You used to…”

Before she could finish, Xi Ban hummed a few notes. Her gaze instantly turned hazy. Two seconds later, she said, “Don’t you have anything to do today? It’s rare for you to have time to visit Mi Dou.”

“Of course I’d come by. I helped raise Mi Dou, too.” Xi Ban had once again successfully blended in. “How’s the child?”

Mi Lian didn’t notice anything. “These few days are still the danger period. We need to keep watching. If he makes it past that safely, he can move to a regular ward, and then I’ll finally be relieved. I can’t thank you all enough. I don’t even know what to say.”

“There’s no need to thank us. The child is what matters most. All children deserve to grow up safe and sound.” Xi Ban truly empathized with her feelings. Ever since his transformation, his instinct to care for the young had reached its peak. Whether human, genetic hybrid, or mutant species—juvenile life was always precious.

Several nights of staying up had drained Mi Lian’s strength. Xi Ban helped her sit down, asked Xia Yu and Mo An to keep her company, then went to the cafeteria himself. As part of the Tide Mission, he had also received payment. He ordered three meals and bought drinks. He brought them back to watch Mi Lian and the two children eat dinner. It had been exhausting—Xi Ban was completely worn out. In the hatching grounds, a double-tailed mermaid barely moved; a single day of activity on land equaled three days under the sea.

By the time he sent Xia Yu and Mo An back to their room, he was yawning nonstop. However, Silver Fang and Yanxia’s arrival shattered his dream of resting.

“Yanxia Jiejie, you’ve recovered so fast!” Xia Yu said in surprise.

“You’re all better?” Mo asked, gnawing on the metal spoon he’d used to eat with. His sharp teeth left deep marks across its surface. He bit the spoon in half with a crack and chewed on it like bubblegum.

“Brat, I just replaced an organ. I’m fine now. This old fossil, Silver Fang, told me it was you who saved me.” A bandage was still wrapped around Yanxia’s neck. “Your life is pretty tough, huh? The pressure crushed my organs, yet you came out unscathed?”

“Are you hiding something from me?” Yinya asked in the same tone, pointing at Xi Ban. “And you too.”

“About that…” Xi Ban was just about to hum again when Xia Yu stepped forward.

“Let me explain. Please, you and Yanxia jiejie come inside. We’ll talk in the room.” Xia Yu didn’t avoid the issue anymore. His cleverness was plain to see. Since he was already caught in the storm of fate, he might as well pull more people in—enough to protect them all.

“Please come in,” said Mo An politely, still chewing nonstop.

Once inside, the temperature system switched on automatically and adjusted to a comfortable 26 degrees with built-in oxygen circulation. Yanxia looked around. Yes, this place was perfect for two kids.

Once everyone was seated, Xia Yu made sure the door was closed and ran back to stand before them. “I can resist the deep-sea pressure. It must have something to do with my genetic makeup. I’m a jellyfish.”

As he spoke, his eyes shone brightly with a faint blue glow—like a BlueJellyfish.

“I guessed as much,” Yanxia nodded. Being able to withstand deep-sea pressure was not something ordinary humans could do.

“My brother can also withstand the pressure and saved us from the Tide. That’s because he’s actually a mermaid,” said Xia Yu, gritting his teeth.

Mo An spat out the metal “bubblegum,” put his chubby hands on his hips, and nodded solemnly.

Yinya and Yanxia stood there blankly for a few seconds, their faces frozen without a trace of expression.

“He saved everyone in the sea. Please keep his secret. He’s not a fish-man, but rather, a real merman—a rare species, not a genetic hybrid. I know this world doesn’t easily accept rare species, but he’s a good one,” said Xia Yu, watching their reactions carefully and dragging them into the same boat.

When one person keeps a secret, there’s always a chance it could leak. Many people keeping the same secret means it’s more likely to stay hidden.

Humans are selfish, but like AI, they know how to avoid risk. If they didn’t help keep the secret, Xia Yu could simply claim they already knew. They’d be accomplices, guilty of hiding the truth. At worst, he still had Ling Shi’s help. At the very worst, Xi Ban could erase their memories.

He had prepared three backup plans. Xia Yu needed a strong team to protect himself and Mo An. He couldn’t keep stumbling blindly into danger.

“Are you out of your mind?” About ten seconds later, Yanxia finally spoke. “Fish-men and mermaids aren’t the same thing. Did you mix them up?”

Yinya stayed silent—he was always the cautious type.

“I didn’t mix them up. My brother’s a rare species. We’re not orphans. We’re test subjects who ran away,” said Xia Yu boldly. “He’s a merman. Please help us keep his secret because his natural enemy is hunting him.”

“Actually… I’m a mermaid too,” said Xi Ban, raising his hand to speak.

Yanxia and Yinya entered “sleep mode” again.

When Yanxia snapped out of it, she was like a volcano about to erupt. “What are you people playing at? Do you think it’s funny to fool me? Do you want to die?”

“It’s true, really! I’m really a mermaid. Look at my eyes if you don’t believe me.” Xi Ban hurriedly pointed to his eyes. A membrane of tears flashed across them—beautiful, but Yanxia was so angry that she just wanted to hit him.

After a long while, Yinya slowly said, “I knew you weren’t human. I also knew you weren’t part of my team. I can’t recall your face whenever I don’t see you, and under those circumstances, there’s no way you escaped the Tide unharmed. Tell me—why are you really following us?”

“Sigh. It seems my singing still needs improvement.” Xi Ban sighed and confessed everything, including his true intentions and the matter with the Rijianmei Plastic Surgery Hospital. Throughout it all, Yinya and Yanxia’s worldviews kept shattering and rebuilding. As it turned out, the survivors’ stories from the ship weren’t lies.

Catching mermaids was real. Rijianmei was real. Maybe those sea giants he mentioned were real, too. While they were lost in thought, Mo An kept rolling his eyes, trying to flip down the undeveloped tear membrane and accidentally going cross-eyed.

After a few seconds, Xia Yu continued, “That’s our secret. I know rare species are dangerous nowadays, but Mo An really means no harm.”

Yinya and Yanxia were close to breaking down. Mermaids were supposed to be mythical creatures. Even if there were rumors of smuggling among the rich, no one dared say it was true. Seeing two at once—was that luck or pure bad fortune?

After thinking it through, they decided it was bad fortune.

“So now you want us to join your team?” Yanxia finally regained her calm.

Xia Yu showed his sly little grin. “Well… there are benefits, right? At least you’ve seen a living mermaid.”

“Benefits? You call that a benefit? That’s called courting trouble.” Yanxia snapped, slumping into her chair. There was no turning back now. There were no options, not even two. She glanced at Yinya, and their eyes met in silent agreement.

Yinya hesitated. This was a hot potato, too heavy for a mere team captain to handle. But Yanxia’s intent was clear—she wanted in. For all her loudness, the woman had guts.

“All right. We’ll help you keep the secret for now. But you must promise to stop lying. This will be a pact of mutual honesty. If either of us breaks it, the other can reveal everything by any means.” Yinya’s trust wasn’t complete yet. “Now, tell us—what’s your final goal? And… is the mermaid really safe?”

Seeing that the time was right, Xia Yu smiled innocently. “He’s totally safe. Even though he can bite through metal spoons, he’s one of the cute, rare species. Besides, not all rare species are vicious. Some are plant-type, and plants are gentle, right?”

The moment he finished speaking, the ground began to tremble.

Several kilometers away, the tallest building shook violently. A giant green plant took root in its foundation and grew from a sprout into a towering tree. Countless branches and leaves burst through the windows and wrapped around the entire structure. Swarming aircraft turned on their spotlights and flew closer, only to be smashed to pieces by the whipping branches.

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