RIACMET chapter 226

 

“Brother Chu, Brother Jing.”

Jiang Nian greeted them with a smile and joined their conversation naturally.

Cheng Jing casually asked,

“Are you done purifying Teacher Gao?”

Jiang Nian shook his head.

“No purification today. I’ll make time to come by tomorrow.”

Chu Yi raised an eyebrow.

“How’s Yang Kai?”

“I helped Teacher Gao open the door for him.”

Jiang Nian answered honestly and glanced at Cheng Jing.

Cheng Jing curled his lips slightly and looked through the checklist. After a while, he set it down.

“It’s late. Let’s head back.”

“Alright.”

Chu Yi pushed aside the test results and said,

“At this stage, we’re just gathering antibody sources in preparation for mass production. Yang Kai’s situation is a bit unusual. Although he confirmed that antibodies obtained from a Zombie King infection are stronger, Minister Wang and the base’s top management don’t support that kind of reckless action.”

“A professor with psychic evolution superpowers said that, rather than direct infection, we could try mixing extracted blood with the virus and then purifying and separating it. In theory, it’s viable. He’ll calculate the relevant data as soon as possible and begin the process.”

After finishing, he paused and gave Jiang Nian a direct instruction.

“When that happens, Jiang Nian, you’ll be responsible for the centralized purification of those mixed samples. Until then, don’t help anyone else who tries to cause trouble. Accidental infection is force majeure, but deliberate infection is basically suicide.”

“Yes, understood.”

Jiang Nian nodded obediently, not daring to look directly at Cheng Jing beside him.

It was over—one thing after another. If he had known that Yang Kai would confess after Brother Jing woke up, he would have cried first to win some pity.

Chu Yi couldn’t help him and added,

“The first crystal core removal operation at the institute has been completed. The subject was Luo Yuan, a sixteen-year-old male whom you met at the last detention school. His superpower was creating dizzying sound waves. He recovered well after the core was removed.”

“The surgery to remove the superpower crystal core was a success. From now on, the authorities will standardize this type of procedure for juvenile superpowered criminals who cannot be educated or guided. I’m just giving you both a heads-up.”

“Got it.”

Cheng Jing and Jiang Nian nodded in unison to show they understood. Such measures couldn’t exactly be called humane, but, considering the current situation, they made sense. At the very least, it would be easier to discipline someone without a superpower.

It’s like during your rebellious high school years. As long as you didn’t go completely off the rails, you’d probably end up more obedient later.

…

Cheng Jing had come with Tang Ji and hadn’t brought his own vehicle.

So, Jiang Nian invited him to ride the Black Knight.

“Brother Jing, hold on tight!”

Naturally, Cheng Jing wrapped his arms around Jiang Nian’s waist.

“Drive slowly.”

“Don’t worry. Trust my skills. I’ll take you flying!”

Jiang Nian said as he stepped on the gas and the motorcycle roared forward.

Feeling the strong grip around his waist, Jiang Nian realized that Brother Jing was extremely nervous. So, he drove steadily and carefully, circling the base roads before returning to their dormitory.

Cheng Jing didn’t dare say a word during the ride, afraid he might distract the driver. Only after he got off the bike and returned home did he finally exhale in relief.

“Wasn’t that fun, Brother Jing? My driving skills aren’t bad, right? Hehe!”

Someone was clearly fishing for compliments shamelessly.

Cheng Jing looked at the smug man and wanted to bite him.

“Excellent. Amazing.”

He had really enjoyed it, but safety concerns still made him anxious. After taking off his uniform jacket and gear, and just as he was about to scold someone, Brother Jing pulled over a chair, sat up straight, and took the initiative.

“Brother Jing, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have hidden the fact that I helped Brother Kai purify his antibodies. I just thought he looked pitiful, and I could tell he truly loved Teacher Gao, so I helped him. If it were me… I would’ve done the same.”

Mercy toward the devoted will never go out of style.

“…”

The words Cheng Jing wanted to say were stuck in his throat.

This little brat knew him too well. Truthfully, if it were him, he would have done the same. After all, Yang Kai was at fault, not the person in front of him pretending to be innocent. So, he could only warn him.

“Yang Kai goes crazy sometimes. Stop getting involved with him. If you do something foolish and get hurt, I’ll lock you in the house and won’t let you go anywhere.”

The two of them together were a disaster waiting to happen. It worried him endlessly.

Jiang Nian raised his hand in assurance.

“I get it, Brother Jing. Don’t worry. I hate pain, and I won’t do anything reckless.”

Cheng Jing nodded.

“What about you riding the motorcycle?”

“I got it. I’ll drive slowly next time. You were so happy today, Brother Jing. I just wanted to have a little fun. I love it when you sit behind me and hug me.”

Jiang Nian was someone who reacted quickly and spoke even faster. As long as he didn’t argue, acted coy, and said the right things at the right time, old grudges would never be brought up again.

“All right, just be careful.”

Cheng Jing couldn’t bring himself to scold him, so he let it go.

Jiang Nian yawned at the perfect time.

“I’m sleepy. Go take your shower, Brother Jing.”

“All right.”

…

At the same time, on the other side—

Gao Xuyang sat on the edge of the bed. Yang Kai, who had already apologized, knelt in front of him and listened to his question.

“Is our marriage certificate fake? Did you chase after Cheng Jing?”

He had overheard Jiang Nian talking to Yang Kai outside the door. Ever since he became a zombie, his hearing had evolved.

If he used his superpowers, it would be even more terrifying—he could pick up sounds from much farther away.

Now, he only needed to absorb crystal core energy and cooperate with Jiang Nian’s purification process. Once he recovered, he would become very powerful.

Yang Kai looked up at him and replied,

“The marriage certificate is fake. It was for the job, but our agreement to marry was real. You promised to marry me. If nothing had happened to you, we would have completed the mission, gone on vacation, and gotten married for real.”

‘As for chasing Brother Cheng, you heard about that too. At the time, I thought working with Brother Cheng was great, and I wanted to express my feelings. But after I learned about Jiang Nian’s situation, I gave up.”

Prolonged psychological repression can affect performance and may lead to suspension. People around him, including a psychologist, had recommended emotional transfer. Perhaps the seamless coordination during missions gave him the illusion that Brother Cheng’s personality complemented his own.

Besides, they both had unrequited “white moonlights.” They could relate to each other. Neither would dislike the other, nor would either ask too much. It was a kind of mutual comfort.

Honestly, when he first saw Jiang Nian, he didn’t think they were suited for each other. He blamed it on his inexperience.

“…”

“I see.”

After a long moment, Gao Xuyang nodded and said,

“If you ever…take a risk like that again… I’ll divorce you.”

He threatened to divorce Yang Kai because he was too free with his flirtation. This made him anxious and fearful, but he couldn’t stop him.

Recovery wouldn’t be easy. If Yang Kai kept acting this way, he’d get hurt sooner or later. Gao Xuyang didn’t want that.

“I promise I won’t do it again.”

Yang Kai stood up and took the opportunity to hug him tightly.

“Don’t push me away. Let me hold you. Stay with me. I’ll die without you.”

Gao Xuyang thought to himself, “That’s a threat.” Still, he hugged him back stiffly and agreed.

“All right.”

Suddenly, his head throbbed. Some faint, scattered images flashed through his mind. Yang Kai’s words and actions at that moment felt familiar—he was pretending to be pitiful, threatening and pressing him down.

Yang Kai wanted to hold him a while longer, but Gao Xuyang pushed him away.

“It’s late… you should… sleep.”

“Alright. I’ll go clean up.”

Reluctantly, Yang Kai grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom.

In order to be with his beloved day and night, he had recently moved in.

He was worried it might cause trouble, so he usually showered at the dorms before coming over. One day, however, after he changed clothes here, Teacher Gao had actually helped wash them for him!

He was so happy he nearly fainted. Naturally, he couldn’t let such a perfect opportunity to grow closer slip away.

Now that their relationship had been confirmed, Gao Xuyang, who rarely showed emotion and didn’t say much, was filled with affection in all his actions. Doing everything for each other felt completely natural.