MASG chapter 29

 

“What’s wrong with your eyes?” Xia Yu asked in a sharp, whistling voice.

Why did Mo An have one red eye?

Fortunately, the red color faded away after a few seconds, as if drained of color, and his right eye returned to normal. As the color disappeared, the voices and images in Mo An’s mind vanished too—like an illusion.

“I…I saw something strange. It was like I was on a ship. Everyone there looked… wrong.” Mo An answered truthfully.

“A ship?” At first, Xia Yu didn’t think much of it, but the huge cargo ship projected on the nearby screen made him think of the Tide. Could it be another premonition of danger from a mermaid? When he has those visions, does one of his eyes turn red?

Before they could figure it out, Mi Dou, who had been crying so hard that his face was a mess, suddenly shouted, “Xia Yu! Mo An! I found my mom! Come here!”

“Let’s go take a look!” Xia Yu pulled Mo An along and walked out of the crowd, not too fast.

Mo An was an aquatic creature. He wasn’t used to walking on land, and even with legs, he moved clumsily and wobbled. Sometimes he wanted to bounce as if his lower body were still a chubby tail. Before they could reach the adults, Mi Dou dragged his mother toward them.

“Mom, it’s them—one’s called Xia Yu, and the other’s called Mo An. They saved me.” Mi Dou spoke while twitching his ears, his emotions running high.

“Thank you, thank you so much!” Mi Dou’s mother squatted down and opened her arms. She hugged the two little ones tightly—so tight they almost couldn’t breathe. “I’m Mi Lian. You can call me Aunt Mi from now on. Where are your parents?”

“Ah?” Xia Yu froze.

Mi Dou quickly replied, “They don’t have parents. They’re orphans.”

That was a lie. Although Mi Dou was close to his mother, he didn’t dare tell her the truth. Mi Lian didn’t suspect anything. She just felt sorry for them. “It’s okay. I have some authority in the middle level. I can find someone to look after you. If you need anything, just ask.”

Mo An could hardly escape her embrace. Mi Lian was strong and tall, taller than most of the men around them. He wasn’t very warm toward strangers, but Xia Yu was different. When he heard words of authority, he practically jumped up, thrilled.

Because he knew exactly what power meant.

In the apocalypse, power meant living a better life.

“Really? We can ask? I… I have a problem. Please help us.” Xia Yu spoke up immediately. He had to seize every opportunity, even if it meant being called selfish. “Mo An and I are orphans. We don’t have parents, so there’s no one to register our identities.”

“Ah… that’s indeed a problem.” Mi Lian nodded.

“Without identity information, we can’t buy anything, and then we can’t survive.” The memory of being unable to buy nutrient injections flashed back. Xia Yu didn’t want to experience that again. “We need ID documents.”

“This…” Mi Lian looked troubled. “What were your parents’ names? If I can find their records, I can help you make new ones right away.”

“We…we…” Xia Yu choked. They didn’t have any. They were both raised in a lab, secrets that “never existed.”

In just a few seconds, Mi Lian read their expressions. Mi Dou fidgeted anxiously beside them, thinking that maybe they should tell the truth—at least then his mother wouldn’t hurt a mermaid. But before he could speak, Mi Lian slapped her thigh. “All right, I understand.”

Xia Yu asked nervously, “You… understand what?”

“You’ve lost your memories, haven’t you?” Mi Lian said in an obviously fake tone. “Poor thing, you must’ve lost your memories. You can’t remember the past or your parents, so you don’t remember anything, right?”

Huh? Did they suddenly get amnesia? Xia Yu blinked in surprise, then realized that Mi Lian was helping them lie. She was quick-witted.

“Yes, yes! We’re orphans who’ve lost our memories. We’re so pitiful.” Xia Yu nodded right away. “Given our situation, could you help us?”

“Of course. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How pitiful. So young, and already you’ve lost your memories. You can’t remember anything. Ah, so pitiful.” Mi Lian really got into character, shaking her head and sighing. “Mi Dou, stay with them for a bit. I’ll go talk to the boss.”

“Who’s your boss?” Mi Dou didn’t want to be separated from his mom.

“The new boss. I’ll bribe him.” Mi Lian patted her pocket. Clearly, she had her own ways. Before leaving, she gave Mi Dou her wristband so she could easily find him later.

She walked off to talk with the nearby boss, and Xia Yu and Mo An watched her slip a pack of cigarettes into his hand.

“So that’s bribery. I get it now.” Xia Yu learned quickly. In the apocalypse, using resources to get what you want was a survival skill.

“That kind of thing happens all the time in the mines. Don’t worry, my mom’s amazing,” Mi Dou said.

Just as he finished speaking, Talos walked over with a middle-aged man with white hair. “It’s these three. Can you make arrangements?”

“They’re so young! You didn’t say they were this young!” Lao Gui frowned. He didn’t want to deal with minors.

“They just look young. They’re actually older.” Talos made something up. “All three are genetic composites—modified. Just arrange housing for them.”

“I’m Mi Lian’s son! My mom’s over there!” Mi Dou pointed to the left.

“Mi Lian? You’re her kid? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Lao Gui’s attitude changed immediately. “Then you must be the bear, right?”

Mi Dou nodded. Xia Yu stepped forward and pulled Mo An’s small hand. He introduced himself. “Hello, I’m Little Jellyfish, a Blue Jellyfish genetic hybrid. I can do all kinds of work, whether it’s dirty or tiring, and I can even perform. Please give me a job. This is my little brother. I… I found him on the street.”

“We’ve lost our memories. We’re orphans.” Mo An lied without blinking.

Talos smiled. They had only been apart for a short while, yet the two kids were already telling smooth lies. They definitely wouldn’t die easily in the apocalypse—they understood the survival rules well.

Lao Gui knew it was fake, too. Most likely, they were undocumented. Even Talos couldn’t sort it out, so he dumped them here. “And what about you?”

He began observing the silver-haired boy. He was the shortest and smallest, but he looked the most dangerous. Lao Gui trusted his instincts. Then he glanced at the boy’s hands, which were webbed with sharp nails. Then he looked at the area behind the boy’s ears, which seemed to be hiding something.

The inner ear fins were folded tightly against the back of his ears.

“Stop staring. I’m a fishman.” Mo An lied. “My name’s Mo An. I’m a human-fish genetic hybrid.”

Talos took a puff from his pipe, satisfied. Meng Qingqing had worried that he wouldn’t be able to blend into human society, but that was a needless worry.

With Lao Gui and Mi Lian’s help, everything went smoothly. Half an hour later, Mi Lian took them to register their new identities. From that moment on, the two officially existed in the system.

When their photos appeared on the big screen, both Xia Yu and Mo An let out a breath of relief.

Photos would be updated yearly, so for now, their ID pictures showed their childlike faces. Next to their names were their gene classifications: Level 6 citizens—one a Blue Jellyfish and the other a Fishman. From then on, they could earn money and buy things. At least they had a way to live.

Then came the matter of their living arrangements.

“Lao Gui will arrange your rooms. He’s in charge of that.” Mi Lian picked up her son with one arm. “Mi Dou will live with me, of course, but you can play together and do light work during the day.”

“Thank you.” Xia Yu bowed, with Mo An beside him.

Lao Gui said, “Your rank isn’t high enough, so you can’t get good housing. But, since you’re friends with Talos, I have two options for you. One is a sixteen-person room with your own bed and nightstand. It’s big with windows. The other is a very small room just for the two of you. It has no windows and isn’t as nice.”

Talos said, “They’re still young. It’s better for them to live with others.”

“No, I don’t want to.” Mo An suddenly spoke up. “I want to live with xla. I don’t want anyone else.”

“But that room…” Lao Gui gestured with his hand. “It’s very small.”

“It’s fine. We’ll stay in the small room. We’re not that big, and we’re easy to take care of—like little mice.” Xia Yu thought the same. It would be more convenient for the two of them to live together, and having others around would only make things awkward.

Lao Gui could only shrug. “Talos, you heard that, right? I’m not being harsh on them. This was their choice.”

“All right, I’ll leave it to you. I trust you. When I come back from the sea, I’ll bring you something good.” Talos patted Lao Gui on the shoulder. Lao Gui smiled and nodded—it was clear the two had just made some kind of deal.

People passed by them, most of them too busy to pay attention to the new little ones. Before leaving, Talos called them over. He squatted down and said, “I’m leaving now.

“Go ahead. Bye-bye.” Mo An said flatly.

“Hey, you little fish brat! Who do you think found you a place to stay?” Talos smacked the back of Mo An’s head. Xia Yu was scared half to death by the action—he quickly rubbed Mo An’s head and apologized. “I’m sorry. Mo An just doesn’t know how to talk.”

“Him? Trust me; mermaids have a far better command of language than you do. They’re one of the oldest species in the world, predating humans by far. Don’t underestimate their intelligence.” Talos patted Mo An again. “You two live well here. Just make sure no one discovers Mo An’s identity.”

“I’ll definitely protect him.” Xia Yu felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going out to sea. The Black Sea Hunters never stop unless the storm does. That’s our fate.” Talos paused. “Do you have anything to say to me?”

“I hope you return safely.” Xia Yu said with concern. “The sea is too dangerous.”

“Haha, yes, it is.” Talos nodded.

“If you die at sea, that’s your choice and your fate.” Mo An spoke again. “It’s quite a nice destination.”

“Ah, Mo An, stop talking…” Xia Yu quickly covered Mo An’s mouth. Were all mermaids this blunt? Would Talos get angry?

Unexpectedly, Talos wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he burst out laughing. His hearty laughter lightened the mood and eased Xia Yu’s nervousness.

“No wonder you’re a siren—your mouth is exactly like Meng Qingqing’s. If you manage to grow up alive, I believe you’ll anger that woman to death for me.” Talos bit down on his pipe again. “I’m off! See you in a few months!”

After saying that, he stood up without hesitation and walked toward the exit. Xia Yu and Mo An watched him leave while Lao Gui took over Talos’s duties and began showing them around the shelter.

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Lao Gui led them into the elevator. “The middle floors are between levels 100 and 150—pretty chaotic. The lower levels are mostly equipment areas, and the higher-ups live upstairs. Since that incident, many more people have come to live here, including lots of children.”

“That incident” was probably Nuwa’s rebellion, but no one dared to discuss it in detail.

“Your room’s small, but it’ll do.” Lao Gui led them down to the 120th floor. “This is the cafeteria. You can buy food here later.”

There were clearly more people here than on the lower floors, and the orderly atmosphere made Xia Yu feel familiar. The clean silver corridors and the always-bright rectangular white lights especially reminded him of the research institute.

The smell of food drifted toward them, and they both stopped at the same time.

“It smells so good! What’s that?” Mo An looked at the glass case in front of him. All the food inside was unfamiliar.

“I don’t know either. I’ll go check.” Xia Yu swallowed and stepped closer. “It’s fish fillet.”

“Oh, fish fillets, huh? It’s definitely not as tasty as fresh fish.” Mo An missed hunting freely in the sea. He tried to pull Xia Yu away, but he couldn’t budge him.

Xia Yu’s feet seemed glued to the floor. His eyes were fixed on the food, and he was visibly swallowing. He had eaten fried fish fillets before, but the food at the institute was always cold.

Hot fried fish fillet must taste amazing. Xia Yu didn’t realize how greedy he looked. His mouth was watering nonstop. Mo An called to him twice, but he didn’t respond. The little jellyfish’s attention was completely captured by something other than him for the first time.

Great, from now on, fish fillet was his enemy.

After a few seconds, Mo An turned to Lao Gui. “Lao Gui, how can I get that?”

“Well, aren’t you rude? Can’t you call me Uncle Lao Gui?” Lao Gui complained about his lack of manners.

“We… fishmen call each other by our names. A name represents identity.” Mo An said. “Teach me.”

“Teach me what?” Lao Gui was amused—such a tiny creature, yet speaking so boldly.

“I need to buy this food to offer to my xla.” Mo An pointed at the fish fillet. Among mermaids, feeding food was one of the intimate gestures.

“Oh, that. You just have to buy it.” Lao Gui hadn’t expected them to not know this; they really had no life experience. “Xia Yu, Xia Yu?”

“Ah? I’m listening.” Xia Yu snapped out of it. “What is it?”

“What I’m about to tell you is very important.” Lao Gui stepped forward and stood directly in front of the purchase station. “When you want to buy food or other goods, stand here and wait for the clerk to scan your face or chip. If you have the newest brain chip installed, your money or credits will be deducted automatically—no scan needed.”

“Then I’ll just scan my face. I don’t want anyone opening my head.” Xia Yu feared chips.

Just then, a cleaning robot passed by, and Xia Yu immediately pulled Mo An close. Those robots weren’t the same anymore—they all had independent consciousnesses now.

After the robot left, Lao Gui continued, “Mi Lian argued that you were amnesiac orphans, so she got you welfare benefits. Even if you don’t work, you’ll receive 500 credits every month for food.”

“How long will 500 credits last?” Xia Yu asked.

Lao Gui didn’t answer directly. Instead, he stood at the counter and used his wrist chip to communicate with the robot inside. He bought two servings of freshly fried fish fillets. He handed the hot meal boxes to Xia Yu. “If you’re really frugal, 500 credits is enough for a month. A vegetable dish costs 20 credits, and meat dishes range from 70 to 150 credits—it depends on what you choose. Fish fillets are 100. Today’s meal is on me.”

What? One fish fillet costs 100? That meant their monthly allowance could only buy five fillets. Xia Yu accepted the food with both hands, bowed to thank him, and started calculating their living costs. Clearly, if they didn’t work, they’d starve.

“Let’s go. I’ll show you to your room. Rest for a few days first.” Lao Gui was about to ruffle Xia Yu’s hair when a small, webbed hand suddenly stopped him.

“You can’t touch him. He’s my xla. If you want to touch someone’s head, find your own xla.” Mo An said sternly. “Lao Gui, don’t you have your own xla?”

“What xla, xla—you better talk properly.” Lao Gui waved his hand. At least the kid knew how to protect his companion. Since they didn’t want to be touched, he didn’t insist. After the tour, he prepared to take them back up in the elevator.

It was hard to focus with a hot fish fillet in hand, but Xia Yu still noticed the large screen on the wall. It was broadcasting new “Wanted Parasite Host” alerts. “Parasite hosts…aren’t they fourth-class citizens?”

“Those are advanced parasite hosts that have evolved intelligence. Some even have their own minds and beliefs. But some are extremely dangerous and unstable—they have to be killed.” Lao Gui explained. “Have you seen one before?”

“I’m not sure if it was a parasite host, but I’ve encountered two of them—one was a leech and the other was a mushroom. Xia Yu replied. “Are parasite hosts dangerous? Could they be hiding among the people here? Is this place safe?”

“Don’t worry. The middle levels are very safe.” Lao Gui said confidently.

Just as Xia Yu relaxed, a woman suddenly exploded about ten meters away from them.

Blood splattered toward them, and Mo An swiftly wrapped his arms around Xia Yu, shielding his face from the black blood.

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