MASG chapter 59

 

Xia Yu was helpless.

Saying he didn’t miss Mo An was impossible. The younger brother he personally hatched and personally raised—every day of separation tugged at his heartstrings. But he still wouldn’t let him seek death.

“Let go quickly, or I’ll have to save you if you get poisoned.” He kicked Mo An twice, his muddy shoes hitting Mo An’s training pants. His legs were as hard as rock and his lower body was incredibly stable. Even after two kicks, Xia Yu couldn’t budge him.

Before he knew it, Mo An had grown so much.

He could even hug himself with one arm. The aquamarine crystal swirled in his mouth; then, he spat it out and wiped it clean with his left hand. Xia Yu’s feet barely touched the ground. He immediately took several large steps back as soon as he was put down and frantically checked his clothes for looseness.

“Why are you so nervous?” The culprit, still unsatisfied, leaned against the wall, watching Xia Yu. Mo An asked innocently, “Are you unhappy to see me?”

Before Xia Yu could answer, Mi Dou jumped up and smacked him on the head. “How could you do this? You came back without telling us?”

Mo An’s head jerked forward, and he rubbed it. Just as Mi Dou was about to hit him again, Mo An grabbed his fist. “Of course I rushed back after the mission was over. I wanted to go straight back to the city, but Yan Xia said you guys work here, so I came over right away. Aren’t you going to welcome me?”

Mi Dou’s fist was enveloped by Mo An’s hand. In Mi Dou’s eyes, who was less than 180 cm tall, Mo An was practically a giant. “Ah? Haha! You really did go on a mission behind our backs! Tell me!” “What mission?”

“I’ll tell you in the room. It’s confidential.” Mo An released his hand, turned around, and smiled at Xia Yu. Still shaken, Xia Yu straightened his collar and muttered, “I’ll get angry if you do this again.”

He always said that, but no one ever listened. Xia Yu straightened his clothes with a hint of mild resentment in his eyes and glanced at Mo An. Mo An wasn’t angry. Instead, he smiled, leaned down to Xia Yu’s shoulder, and asked, “Are you happy I’m back? I came back as soon as the mission was over, without delaying at all.”

“Hmph.” Xia Yu walked forward with a cold face.

Mo An showed no sign of discouragement, taking long strides. However, he had to slow down lest he overtake Xia Yu. He’d only held the pendant in his mouth for a moment, and now his tongue was numb. Even the slightest bit of sweat from Xia Yu’s body clung to the crystal, and he could still feel it.

They continued walking; the path was clear and unobstructed. No one stopped Xia Yu and Mi Dou because a high-ranking officer from the control center stood beside them. Mo An’s wish from five years ago had come true. He finally had the ability to protect them and was no longer dependent on or subservient to anyone.

“Good day, Captain Xia.” Of course, some people were just giving Xia Yu face.

“Detain the suspect for now. I’ll interrogate him personally tonight,” Xia Yu instructed the man as he pushed open his temporary tent.

Mi Dou was tidying up Xia Yu’s room. As soon as he entered, he said, “More and more people know you now, and I’ve benefited a lot from it.”

“I benefited from your mother’s influence, too,” said Xia Yu, taking off his raincoat and carefully hanging it on a hanger. The rain was still falling, pattering against the roof of their tent. He could feel Mo An’s gaze fixed on him—or perhaps on his face.

“Is there something on my face?” He pretended to be angry as he turned around and casually made Mi Dou a cup of honey water.

Mo An leaned against the wall as soon as he entered the room, his barely concealed smile like waves rapidly gathering in his eyes. “Nothing. Just checking on you. You’ve lost some weight.”

“What’s so interesting about me? You’ve seen me before.” Xia Yu never understood Mo An’s strange remarks. Sometimes, they would just sit quietly together while Mo An stared intently at Xia Yu as if he might disappear at any moment. “I haven’t interrogated you yet. Go sit over there!”

“Okay, okay, I’m willing to accept Captain Xia’s judgment.” Mo An raised his hand dramatically, as if he were a criminal being arrested. His half-finger glove didn’t connect to the cuff of his training uniform, revealing a section of his strong wrist. The muscles in his forearm were visible beneath the thin uniform, and there were noticeable bulges at both elbows—his fully developed elbow fins. Xia Yu didn’t mince words, tossing a chair at Mo An and clearly appearing genuinely angry. Mi Dou, not intending to participate in their “battle,” smiled and sat on the bed to enjoy his thick honey water.

With his hands behind his head, Mo An sat obediently in the interrogation chair. His height exceeded 190 cm, and his gaze still followed Xia Yu. He wanted to see just how angry Xia Yu was. But even if Xia Yu was furious, he wouldn’t take it out on him, would he? He loved him so much.

Even if Xia Yu was angry, he wouldn’t interrogate him, would he?

And even if he did, he wouldn’t handcuff him, would he?

Click. A pair of silver electric handcuffs locked his wrists.

True to form, Xia Yu swung the handcuffs without hesitation and cuffed his younger brother. Mo An was only surprised for a moment. Then, his fingers twitched before he resignedly placed his hands behind his head. “Okay, I’m sorry.”

He twitched his fingers. These handcuffs might be good for imprisoning others, but they were absolutely impossible for imprisoning an adult mermaid. Mo An only needed to struggle to shatter them, or twist to turn them into pretzels.

“Do you think it’s too late to apologize now?” Of course, Xia Yu knew that Mo An was no longer a child. The electric handcuffs were just toys to him.

“Well, it’s better than nothing, right?” Mo An observed Xia Yu’s expression and licked his lips. “I was really wrong. Don’t be angry, okay?”

He seemed genuinely upset; he was probably about to torture himself. But even if Xia Yu was angry, he wouldn’t point a gun at Mo An, would he?

Just as Mo An finished thinking this, a brand-new, state-of-the-art electric gun was pressed against his forehead. Xia Yu stood in front of him, his lips pressed tightly together and his face deathly pale with anger. Yet, his eyes and brows held a different kind of charm, suppressing his impending outburst of fury.

Seeing him like this, Mo An smiled. He was truly handsome, even when angry.

“Is Yu Kun City such a fun place?” Xia Yu failed to understand the smile again, only knowing that, at that moment, his forehead was about to burst with anxiety. “I raised you with all my might, just so you could go to Yu Kun City and die? Just so you could be used as a blood bag?”

So it really was because of this.
Mo An immediately suppressed his smile and looked at Mi Dou. “Wait, isn’t this information classified? How did you know?”

Damn it, this is aimed at me. Mi Dou was sipping his drink when he was suddenly glared at. He quickly looked away, pretending not to have heard anything.

It really was Mi Dou who said it. Mo An had identified the little traitor. Mi Dou must have gotten the information from Aunt Mi Lian and then told Xia Yu everything. Otherwise, how could he have been exposed after keeping it so well hidden?

“Don’t get distracted. I’m asking you a question.” Xia Yu pressed the gun forward; the blue veins on his wrist were particularly prominent.

“Wait, my tongue is numb.” Mo An changed the subject.

“Nonsense! You touched my jewelry. Of course your tongue will be numb for two or three days.” Xia Yu frowned slightly, then quickly hid his concern. “Tell me, why did you go to Yukun City? Why did you hide it from me?”

Mo An’s long legs shifted awkwardly, his knees moving forward into a standard interrogation position. “I hid it from you because I was afraid you’d worry.”

“If something happened to you, wouldn’t I worry?” Xia Yu braced his shoe against the edge of the interrogation chair and placed it between Mo An’s legs.

Mo An looked at Xia Yu’s calves, took a deep breath, and laughed. “I’m not in danger. I’m back safe and sound.”

“Stop joking with me. I’m not buying your act now.” Xia Yu wanted nothing more than to shoot him. “When did you learn to lie to me? You should have at least discussed it with me first, right?”

“Then, after we discuss it, will you let me go?” With a slight flick of his index finger, Mo An removed the electric handcuffs. He lowered his hands and began to massage Xia Yu’s calves.

“Of course I won’t let you go. As long as I’m alive, you won’t be able to go to Yu Kun City again.” Xia Yu had wanted to stay angry for a while longer, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to. As long as he was back safe and sound, that was enough. After sighing, he slowly sheathed his gun. The power indicator on the gun was flashing red, indicating that it was low on power and couldn’t fire.

Mo An knew Xia Yu would never point anything dangerous at him, so he pressed his advantage. “All right, don’t be angry. I’ll tell you everything next time.”

Looking at his face, Xia Yu’s anger visibly subsided. He suspected that Mo An was only so confident because he knew that he wouldn’t really lose his temper. “Don’t let there be a next time. One more time, and I’ll shoot your fish brain full of holes… How’s the progress in Yu Kun City?”

Those three words, “Yu Kun City,” were practically a wound to the world. Everyone knew the city had been inexplicably quarantined by a strange virus, but there was nothing they could do. It was said that the monsters and parasites within had mutated, and not even Nuwa could understand their movements. Only a few reckless fools like Mo An would obey orders to conduct a collection mission on the outskirts of Yukun City.

“No progress. All the plants and animals near Yukun City are dead, and there’s a clear radius around the city. Once you go beyond that radius, no living thing is affected. I took pictures.” Mo An tied Xia Yu’s shoelaces and took out a few photos from his pocket.

Mi Dou, who had finished his honey water, came over to look, too. The three of them, just like when they were kids, were practically touching heads.

They’ve grown up, yet they seem like they haven’t. They still sit together and analyze things. Xia Yu brought the top photo closer, and sure enough, just as Mo An had said, Yukun City looked like it was surrounded by a circle. Outside the circle was green grass, wildflowers, birds, and drones—everything you’d find in the real world.

But once you crossed that line, the land turned yellow, and the vegetation withered. There was no natural life there, and even drones couldn’t fly in. Once inside the “death zone,” drones would lose signal and crash.

As he watched this, Xia Yu silently pulled gloves out of his drawer, put them on, and returned to smack Mo An on the head.

“Why are you hitting me again?” Mo An dodged with a smile.

“Why are you so close to Yu Kun City? You’re almost crossing the border! You’re being reckless. Even with Xiang Xing’s map of Yu Kun City, this is too risky!” Xia Yu tried to hit him again, but Mo An grabbed his elbow. He was incredibly strong now and couldn’t break free at all. Xia Yu pulled hard several times before finally managing to pull back. He grew angrier and more frightened with each passing thought.

Mo An glanced at his watch nonchalantly and quickly changed the subject. “I’m back safe and sound. It’s getting late. Do you guys want to take a hot shower? I’m worried someone else might have used up all the hot water.”

This reminded them that, since it was a temporary tent, hot water was delivered on a fixed schedule each day. The first thing team members did upon returning was shower; otherwise, the water would become increasingly cold. Upon hearing this, Mi Dou hurriedly dragged Xia Yu into the bathroom. “Quick! Quick! Wash off the sweat and rainwater first. I stink!”

“It’s not that bad. Mo An is really something, going to such a dangerous place alone. No, I’ll have to give him a good spanking later.” Xia Yu pulled up the semi-transparent plastic sheet that served as their door. Through the sheet, he could see Mi Dou’s naked body and the shower cap he was putting on to keep water out of his ears.

He wasn’t so particular about his own. Xia Yu threw his dirty clothes into the laundry basket and stood under the showerhead.

“Jingwei, check the security cameras around here for me.” He held up his wrist.

Jingwei: [Okay, give me one second.] [16 cameras connected, 13 freely adjustable, no abnormalities detected.]

“Thank you.” Xia Yu touched the bracelet.

When Professor Wang Qin first gave it to him, it only fit loosely on his upper arm. Now, it fits his wrist perfectly; his wrist size is similar to Professor Wang’s.

Jingwei: [You’re welcome. I know what you’re worried about. You think the mission isn’t over yet, don’t you? Don’t worry. I can use ten percent of Ling Shi authority. I’ll watch the surroundings for you. If anything happens, I’ll notify you immediately.]

“Yes, I think the mission isn’t over yet. Those cultists are hard to kill.” Xia Yu lathered himself with shower gel. Mo An had cut his hair short, but it had grown long again, reaching his shoulder blades when wet.

Jingwei: [You got harassed again today, didn’t you? Why do those people always use your gender as an excuse?]

“I don’t know either.” Xia Yu lathered his hair. He couldn’t understand those people’s motives or why his gender couldn’t be determined. Could this be the dual-sex nature of the Blue Jellyfish species? He looked down. Although somewhat delicate, his male characteristics were obvious. He couldn’t see any female features in his body, even though the results of every gender test were unknown.

Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, Mo An was secretly applying medicine to the wound on his forearm when someone knocked on the door.

“Don’t come in.” Mo An stood up, opened the door, and went out. “What is it?”

“Sir!” The person who entered saluted him first. The control center clearly had a higher status than ordinary action teams. “I didn’t know you were coming today. I’m sorry I didn’t welcome you properly. I’ve already arranged a private room for you!”

“Ouch…” Mo An gasped in pain from the deep wound. “No need. I’ll stay in this room.”

“But…”

“I don’t want to change. Don’t bother.” Mo An’s tongue was still numb. “By the way, there’s a security officer. I saw his work card; the number is 9932.”

“Yes, sir. He’s working. Should I call him over?” the person asked.

Mo An casually waved his hand. Because of his height and build, however, even the slightest movement carried a sense of oppression. A hidden anger flashed in his deep eyes. “No need. Don’t assign him to security checks too often. He’s too opinionated at work. I don’t want to see him again.”

“Yes, sir.” The man saluted again before leaving. Mo An went back inside and closed the door lightly. He heard the sound of running water and looked toward the shower. Through the thin, translucent shower curtain, he could see Xia Yu washing his hair. Foam slid down his back, and when he got too close to the curtain, his skin stuck to it, making it shockingly clear.

Thank goodness he arrived in time today. Otherwise, he was afraid that person would use their position to forcibly check Xia Yu’s gender.

Because hot water was limited, Xia Yu and Mi Dou took quick showers. Dinner was simple. Since it was still early, Xia Yu put on his coat, preparing to interrogate the suspect they had apprehended. The interrogation room was a makeshift setup containing only a table and two chairs. Through a large window, onlookers could see inside.

There were cameras inside and outside that operated 24 hours a day.

The suspect was an elderly man with a full head of white hair. His hands were handcuffed behind his back with electric handcuffs. His attire was also unusual: a long white robe. Xia Yu handed over the suspect outside the door, hung up his name tag, and said, “You wait outside. I’ll go in alone.”

“You alone?” Mi Dou asked. Interrogation work requires at least two people. What was Xia Yu going to do?

“I’ll be fine alone. Wait outside.” Xia Yu put on his gloves, shot Mo An a heavy look, and went inside the interrogation room.

The two of them were left waiting outside. Mi Dou looked worried. “What’s Xia Yu doing? If someone finds out that he’s interrogating alone, he’ll definitely be in trouble. I know Xia Yu too well. He must be planning to use force. Mo An, don’t you think Xia Yu is being reckless?”

“Of course not.” Mo An took an energy candy from his pocket and popped it into his mouth with a smile. “I just think… when he interrogates… he’s so hot.”

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