NFM Chapter 108

The spaceship traversed the darkness, crossed the strata, and finally came to a halt on the surface of the Earth.

After the spaceship had completely stabilized, the ramp was finally lowered. Dozens of potential criminals, supporting each other, tremblingly stepped out of the spaceship.

No, perhaps they could no longer be called potential criminals now.

They were now—humans.

“Wow, we’ve finally made it to the surface!” Lu Xiaotian jumped down from the spaceship, shouting excitedly, “Fatty, look, they’ve already built a base on the ground… By the way! Brother Chu, Brother Chu, when is Brother Lin coming up?”

Faced with Lu Xiaotian’s inquiry, Chu Tianshu poked his head out from the vehicle: “I’ll go pick him up now.”

“Oh… okay… But isn’t Brother Lin still underground? Why are you heading to the base?”

Chu Tianshu ignored Lu Xiaotian’s question. Upon entering the base, he swiftly made his way to his office, his brisk pace causing those around him to startle.

“The general seems to be in a hurry…” a subordinate asked the secretary, “Has something urgent happened? Could it be…”

“Could it be that those people underground are coming up?!”

The secretary shook her head, looking at the door Chu Tianshu had closed, and said, “Although the general seems to be in a hurry, he seems to be in a very good mood… Strange? Has something particularly happy happened?”

After closing the doors and windows, Chu Tianshu slowly let out a breath.

Facing the television in front of him, he rubbed his hands together and adjusted his collar and shirt. The shirt hem, which he usually casually tucked outside his belt, was now neatly tucked in.

After confirming three times in the mirror that his attire was impeccable, he gave a light cough and turned on the television.

After a screen of static, the television finally went black.

Chu Tianshu stared at the television screen until a hint of blood red slowly spread across it.

The first thing to emerge from the television was a pale hand. Its fingers were long and slender, with distinct knuckles, like an ice sculpture.

Then, another hand appeared, gripping the edge of the television, as if to exert force.

Next, a head, then the entire upper body—

—Lin Huai crawled back to the surface from underground, following the internet cable through the governor’s television and into the television in Chu Tianshu’s office.

“Yo, so fast,” he heard a lazy voice above him before he had even fully emerged. Looking up, it was indeed the slouching Chu Tianshu.

…He really has no posture at all, Lin Huai thought.

After Chu Tianshu spoke, he didn’t hear a response from Lin Huai for a while. Looking down, he saw that Lin Huai was half stuck in the television, head lowered, as if contemplating life.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

After a long while, he finally heard Lin Huai’s voice.

“…Pull me out,” he said in a self-deprecating tone, “Your screen is too small, I’m stuck.”

Chu Tianshu: …

“Hahahaha, hahahaha.”

“Hahahaha, hahahaha.”

Even after five minutes, the cheerful laughter continued to emanate from the office. The secretary and the subordinates exchanged worried glances, seemingly concerned that their general might have injured his brain.

Meanwhile, the face of the red-robed youth standing next to the one who was laughing uncontrollably had turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. He forcefully flexed his wrist, revealing a kind smile.

Chu Tianshu, lying on the couch, had laughed so hard that his disguise had come undone. He had reverted to his original appearance, lying on the couch, his tall and lean body curled into a “W” shape, his long neck trembling as his chestnut hair swayed, his originally handsome face contorted into a meme-like expression.

Lin Huai felt that if Chu Tianshu continued laughing, he might not be able to resist the urge to murder him.

“Is it really that funny?” he said softly, sitting down next to Chu Tianshu.

A cold hand was placed on Chu Tianshu’s neck, and he immediately stopped laughing, blinking his eyes at Lin Huai.

The atmosphere became heavy.

Chu Tianshu: “Yes.”

Chu Tianshu: “Hahahahahahaha hiccup.”

Lin Huai: “…”

…I think it’s better to just kill him. With that thought, he flipped over onto Chu Tianshu, his hands gripping his neck, and said viciously, “I’ll make you laugh—”

“Gah, gah gah gah, Lin, Lin, I can’t breathe—” Instinct for survival made Chu Tianshu kick his long legs under Lin Huai’s weight, his hands grabbing Lin Huai’s arms, trying to pry them apart.

At that moment, the door, which had been tightly shut, was opened by the secretary and the subordinates who had been alarmed by the commotion inside the room: “General, we…”

Upon seeing the scene before them, all four fell silent.

Secretary: …

Subordinates: …

Lin Huai: …

Chu: (nearly suffocating)

“You, you guys, have fun,” the secretary stammered, closing the door.

Behind the door, Lin Huai released his grip. He looked at the closed door, confused: “I feel like they’ve misunderstood something… What do you think?”

Chu Tianshu, who had been released: “Hahahaha hiccup, hahahaha hiccup.”

Lin Huai: …

The next day, the secretary, carrying a stack of documents, arrived at the general’s office.

Before knocking, the scene she had witnessed the previous night reappeared in her mind.

She realized that even with extraordinary willpower and talent, it was difficult for her to forget what she had seen last night.

…Calm down, this is a very normal physiological need. She told herself, closing her eyes, and knocked on the door.

The morning sunlight flowed into the office, real sunlight, not artificial. And the person she believed in and respected was sitting at his desk, looking as usual.

—Yes, this is the figure she has always been pursuing. The secretary thought, placing the documents on the desk, but her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the couch on the other side.

Then her face, upon recalling a certain image, twisted uncontrollably.

…Calm down, stay calm. She told herself, after all, she wasn’t just learning today about the general’s unusual fondness for that Number 81. And what if…

What if it was a navel orange?

Her heart was greatly comforted. After reporting various matters, she exited the office as usual.

Until she heard that familiar, cold voice behind her.

“This is just horseplay between good friends,” the voice’s owner said, “Don’t mind it.”

Horseplay between good friends…

The secretary barely managed to control every muscle in her face, forcing a smile: “Okay.”

Meanwhile, Lin Huai sat in his chair, watching the people working in the fields, lost in thought.

Now the red progress bar above his head was completely full. On the day the spaceship had been taken away, his name and Chu Tianshu’s had topped the trending list together, even surpassing the divorce news of a national celebrity couple. In theory, his mission was complete…

But he still felt an endless void.

“Brother Lin,” Lu Xiaotian sat beside him, his sparkling eyes looking at him, “What are your thoughts?”

“Get lost,” Lin Huai said casually.

Lu Xiaotian: …

Turning to see Lu Xiaotian’s hurt expression, Lin Huai added, “Sorry, force of habit.”

“It’s okay,” Lu Xiaotian said, “Of course, I choose to forgive you.”

“Good boy.”

After sending Lu Xiaotian away, Lin Huai played with his phone, and as he swiped past a familiar icon, he suddenly had a bold idea.

‘Fields, labor, beautiful women…’ He looked at Eva and Ellen picking fruits nearby, his eyes lighting up, ‘Isn’t this just…’

Action followed thought. As Eva and Ellen, having filled a basket with fruits, were about to head back, they were startled by Lin Huai suddenly appearing before them.

“Brother Lin,” they greeted him.

Lin Huai looked at Eva. After a few days, with her high intelligence, she seemed to have gotten the hang of farm work. He scrutinized the two of them, finally breaking into a smile.

“Eva,” he said, “I’ve been thinking, the name I gave you before was too hasty.”

Niohuru Eva nodded, looking at him expectantly: “You…”

“I’ve thought of a new name for you, what do you think?” Lin Huai said, “After this, you can engage in more activities, and broadcast related promotional videos and live streams underground, letting them experience the beauty of returning to a pastoral life…”

“It was you who brought me a new life. So, what is my new name?” Eva asked expectantly.

“Yizi Qi.”

Author’s Note: A day of explosive updates.

Goodnight, everyone!

*Explanation of the joke:

Navel orange: A sweet fruit, a harmonious action, on Haitang or AO3 it’s an activity that two people can engage in, on Jinjiang it’s a knight riding a horse…

Li Ziqi: A famous female streamer known for her pastoral and idyllic lifestyle.