TYMIMA Chapter 44

Lily’s ability currently had many limitations, such as spatial limitations, word count limitations, and event size limitations.

 

The Black Lantern Society had conducted experiments with her. The most extensive influence she could currently achieve was changing the weather of an entire city.

 

Beyond that, her current pheromones couldn’t support it.

 

But as she grew older and stronger, this ability would become immeasurable.

 

Lance encouragingly patted Lily’s blue hair: “Good girl, well done, now go back.”

 

Lily licked the candy in her mouth with some disappointment, looking up at Lance: “So soon? Is this all you need me to do? Don’t you need me to kill someone for you? Don’t worry about affecting my studies; I memorize vocabulary words while killing people.”

 

Lance tilted his head slightly, hearing faint footsteps in the corridor. He bent down to pat Lily’s shoulder, praising: “Not bad, you’ve already learned to use fragmented time for studying. This is important for raising the average education level of the Black Lantern Society. Go back for today, and I’ll call you next time we need to kill someone.”

 

Lily said reluctantly: “Fine, if only I could be strong enough to write your obstacles to death.”

 

Lance seriously considered whether, if Lily’s ability continued to develop, she could one day imperceptibly write an S-level to death.

 

Lily’s [Written Reality] and Si Hongche’s [Command Obedience] were essentially very similar abilities, but Lily’s was first-tier, while Si Hongche’s was third-tier.

 

Whether there was an insurmountable level barrier between awakened abilities, whether a top B-level ability truly couldn’t cause damage to an S-level of the same attribute in battle—these were still unknown. Human research on underground cities had only been going on for less than a hundred years.

 

But at least for now, Lily must absolutely not encounter Si Hongche.

 

Lance smiled lightly: “You can grow up slowly, and you don’t need to become especially strong. I will protect all of you.”

 

Because no matter how strong an S-level was, they couldn’t match a deity system Awakened one capable of overthrowing the entire Federation.

 

The footsteps in the corridor were getting closer, and the sound of low coughing seemed to be right by their ears.

 

Before leaving, Lily took out two blood-red candies from her pocket and stuffed them into Lance’s hand: “Green apple flavor, remember to eat them.”

 

Then, with Mad Clown’s ability activated, Lily disappeared on the spot.

 

Only Lance remained in the bathroom. He picked up Mad Clown’s anchor point and looked at the bathroom floor. Frowning, he turned on the faucet and placed the ink-black anchor point under the water flow.

 

Far away in Harbor Tan, Mad Clown suddenly straightened his back, feeling a shocking sensation as if his soul was being washed by cold water, making him shudder.

 

It took Mad Clown a while to realize what had happened, and he couldn’t help but jump up in anger: “Damn it, my anchor point isn’t dirty! Why are you being so obsessively clean at such a critical moment?!”

 

Dream Witch had already taken off her old-fashioned professional attire and changed into a tube top and short skirt, letting down her coffee-colored curly hair.

 

Mad Clown’s words piqued her interest: “Hmm? Interesting ability. So touching your anchor point makes you feel something. If it were inserted into—”

 

Lily was so curious she stopped rolling her candy.

 

Mad Clown’s face immediately turned red, and he said angrily: “Don’t corrupt the child!”

 

In the Blue Pivot building, Lance yanked open the bathroom door, colliding directly with an inspection team member.

 

The inspection team member frowned, looking him up and down, and demanded: “Why are you closing the door in broad daylight?”

 

Lance lowered his head to hide his expression, trying to reduce his presence: “Sorry, I just started my internship here today.”

 

“Intern? Recruiting interns when we’re so busy, I don’t know if you’re here to help or cause trouble.” The inspection team member muttered as he walked past Lance.

 

Lance glanced slightly with his peripheral vision, confirming that the man hadn’t become suspicious, then pinched his sleeve and walked out.

 

As soon as he left the bathroom door, he appeared under a surveillance camera. Lance looked up at the camera with its flashing red light, then unhurriedly withdrew his gaze.

 

The opportunity to meet Oliver was resolved, bu

 

t how would he talk to Oliver or pass on information?

 

The cameras in the Blue Pivot building were too dense, and those around Oliver would certainly be even more so. If he showed any unusual behavior while delivering food, Si Hongche would definitely catch it.

 

 

What about taking advantage of the times when Si Hongche is out?

 

He wasn’t sure whether Si Hongche had a habit of reviewing surveillance footage.

 

Anyone who could keep another person by their side and torment them for over a decade—regardless of love or hate—had an obsession that was terrifying enough. He couldn’t underestimate Si Hongche’s fixation and attention toward Oliver.

 

Lance narrowed his eyes, suddenly struck by a wicked idea.

 

Since he didn’t have a good solution for now, why not let Oliver come up with one himself?

 

He was also very curious: back in the day, the S-class twin stars who shone at Star University—which was more impressive, the control system or the plant system?

 

Lance returned to the group. The squad leader had been pacing in place for a long time, frequently checking his watch. When he saw Lance, he immediately scolded, “Look how much time you’ve wasted for everyone! One person takes five minutes, five people is twenty-five minutes. Do you know how much can be done in twenty-five minutes at Blue Pivot?”

 

Lance glanced at him, smiled slightly, and actually answered with a straight face: “When considering how much can be done in twenty-five minutes, we need to factor in labor utilization and cost reduction rates. First, we record the average working time and output of Blue Pivot employees between 12:35 and 13:00 using sampling survey techniques.”

 

“The formula for calculating average working time is Σ(observed time values) / number of observations. The same goes for average work efficiency. Multiply average working time by average work efficiency to get average output, which is what you mean by ‘how much can be done.’”

 

“But in this calculation, we haven’t considered outliers, bottleneck periods, operational losses, or task-switching losses, and, just a reminder, my actual time in the restroom was five minutes.”

 

Tang Li: “……”

 

Liu Bo: “……”

 

The squad leader’s eyes went wide, momentarily speechless: “You… you little…”

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s brain automatically filtered out complex and useless information. He lowered his head, staring at Lance’s abdomen, and asked quietly, “How is it, does your stomach still hurt?”

 

Lance shook his head: “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan breathed a sigh of relief: “Good, as long as it’s not hurting.”

 

Lance really appreciated Zhan Pingchuan’s reaction—able to ignore all meaningless things and instantly switch to caring about him.

 

The little idiot was still a little idiot; it didn’t matter if he didn’t understand, as long as he cared.

 

So Lance took out one of the two candies Lily had given him and handed it to Zhan Pingchuan: “Try it.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan rubbed the bright red wrapper, pinched the hard candy inside, and glanced at Lance’s pocketless pants, asking, “Where did you get this?”

 

Lance replied lightly, “Just picked it up.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “……”

 

He summoned all the self-control he’d ever had in his life, forced his stiff facial muscles into a barely grateful smile, and resisted the urge to put the candy back where it belonged. Numbly, he pinched the edge of the wrapper, letting the candy shake in the air like a maraca.

 

“Aren’t you going to eat it?”

 

Lance opened his palm to show: “I have another one. Want to eat together?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s nails turned pale from the pressure, his gaze flicking back and forth between the two matching candies. One for you, one for me—what did that mean?

 

This was true love, sharing both fortune and hardship!

 

At last, romance triumphed over years of neat-freak habits. Zhan Pingchuan entered sage mode, silently reciting, “There is no tree of enlightenment, nor a bright mirror stand. Originally there is not a single thing, so where can dust alight?” Soon, his mind was elevated and his spirit purified.

 

He decisively tore open the wrapper, and with the speed of a bomb disposal expert, quickly unwrapped the candy and popped it in his mouth.

 

Instantly, a crisp apple sweetness filled his mouth.

 

Honestly, letting go of worldly concerns, it tasted pretty good.

 

Lance gave a sly smile, unwrapped his own candy, popped it in his mouth, and asked with interest, “So, how does our Harbor Tan specialty taste?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan stared at Lance’s curved eyes, realizing he’d been teased. He was both exasperated and amused, finally reaching up to pinch the tip of Lance’s hair.

 

If they weren’t in Blue Pivot right now, he wouldn’t have let it go so easily.

 

The squad leader, having gone from being intellectually humiliated to being force-fed dog food, finally exploded: “You’re here to intern, not to date! I’m going to suggest to Robert that you two be completely separated!”

 

Fuming, the squad leader went to knock on Robert’s door, calling out loudly, “I’ve brought the Star University interns, please assign them.”

 

The door quickly opened, revealing a big, burly, bearded man. His eyelids drooped, bloodshot eyes betraying he’d just been napping.

 

Suppressing his fatigue, he glanced back, hitched up his suspenders that barely held in his belly, and gruffly said, “Come in, we’ve been so busy lately, finally some interns. Hey, it’d be best if you were all assigned to District One.”

 

The squad leader immediately objected, pointing at Lance and Zhan Pingchuan: “No way, these two must be separated. If they’re together, all they’ll do is flirt, seriously affecting work efficiency!”

 

Robert paused, giving Lance and Zhan Pingchuan a serious look. His gaze gradually turned ambiguous and lewd, a sly smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

 

A young, beautiful, red-haired Omega, and a tall, long-legged, tan-skinned Alpha—just imagining the two tangled together, red hair entwined with black, tan skin pressing against pale, was enough to know how enticing it would be.

 

“Blue Pivot isn’t a place for fooling around. Rein in your wild energy, and get serious when you’re here!” Robert, feeling a wicked urge to stir things up, grabbed the personnel shortage roster for each district and quickly flipped through it. Finally, he looked up and said, “The other three can stay in District One, but as for the redhead, just send him to District Two to replace someone delivering boxed lunches!”

 

Letting a delicate Omega do the physical work of delivering meals would surely tire him out and make him cry—then that Alpha would be all the more distressed.

 

Robert didn’t even realize his thoughts were being manipulated, and was quite proud of his “clever” arrangement.

 

Tang Li’s eyes widened in shock, not expecting his words to become a self-fulfilling prophecy—someone in their group really was assigned to such a meaningless job.

 

“You… you guys…”

 

He didn’t dare to protest or resist, only clenching his fists in frustration.

 

Zhan Pingchuan’s face darkened.

 

He wouldn’t have minded delivering meals himself, but the little red fox, a good student who grew up in libraries, was clearly not used to physical labor.

 

Just as he was about to speak, he felt Lance squeeze his hand. Turning to look, he saw Lance gently shake his head.

 

Though he didn’t understand why, Zhan Pingchuan suppressed his anger.

 

And so, the matter was settled in such a simple and absurd way.

 

Zhan Pingchuan, Tang Li, and Liu Bo were assigned to District One for information network internships due to Robert’s personal bias, while Lance was sent to District Two to deliver meals.

 

Blue Pivot arranged their dorms in low-rise buildings near their workplaces, with the same standard as official employees: one person per room, with a balcony, bathroom, and a barely functional TV.

 

Zhan Pingchuan tossed his backpack onto his bed and slipped into Lance’s room, taking the chance to ask, “Why did you stop me just now?”

 

Lance had already prepared his answer. While unpacking his suitcase, he replied, “I think delivering meals is pretty good. It doesn’t require much brainpower, but lets you meet more people. Many see it as a sign of being bullied and avoid it, but if you look at it differently, it’s actually a position of power.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan helped him arrange the mountain of mixed noodles, signaling his interest in hearing more.

 

Lance smiled: “From what we know, Blue Pivot is extremely busy during Dawn Day. Most people only have time for a quick lunch, so lunch becomes their only chance to rest and enjoy themselves. With hundreds of boxed meals, there will definitely be some that look better or have more food, and who gets what is entirely up to me.”

 

“Everyone here is smart. With a little guidance, they’ll quickly realize if they’re being favored or neglected. People don’t mind scarcity, but they mind inequality. Those who are favored won’t see it as a trivial kindness; compared to those who are neglected, they’ll really enjoy the favor. And to keep it, they’ll be willing to offer small favors in return.”

 

“As for the complaints from those who feel neglected, hmm… after all, I’m only interning here for two weeks. They should be able to tolerate it.”

 

Zhan Pingchuan propped his chin and studied Lance, watching his soft, rosy lips move nonstop. He couldn’t help but say, “Baby, sometimes I really think you’re even more impressive than I imagined.”

 

Lance’s hand paused, and he lifted his eyes, meeting Zhan Pingchuan’s gaze through the edge of his silver-rimmed glasses.

 

He realized that his guard against Zhan Pingchuan was getting lower and lower. Pheromones really were a terrifying thing—he’d unconsciously started including Zhan Pingchuan in his own camp, even forgetting that the other was just an ordinary college student from a simple background.

 

But Lance quickly reacted as alarms went off in his mind. He knelt on his suitcase, leaned closer to Zhan Pingchuan, and instead of continuing the previous topic, placed his hand on Zhan Pingchuan’s shoulder, his eyes clear and bright: “Why do you call me baby?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan knew the topic had been shifted, but obviously, the one Lance started was even more attractive.

 

He wasn’t in a hurry to find out how many more surprises the little red fox had for him, because the process of discovery itself was a pleasure.

 

Zhan Pingchuan gazed into Lance’s amber fox eyes, tilted his head slightly, and kissed the tip of Lance’s lips, chuckling low: “Well, I call the people I like, the red-haired, the smart, the ones who curl up into a fox ball with their back to me, and the ones who like to kiss me after drinking—baby.”

 

Who else could flirt like this right after coming of age? Even Zhan Pingchuan admired himself.

 

Lance’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and he couldn’t help but lick the spot that had been kissed.

 

“There’s one thing I need to correct you on,” Lance said softly.

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “Hm?”

 

Lance leaned in close to Zhan Pingchuan’s ear, his breath carrying a faint star magnolia scent, and very seriously corrected him: “Who says I only like to kiss you after drinking?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “!!!”

 

When it comes to flirting, he still lost—straight-A students really are unbeatable, comprehensive, and unsurpassable.

 

With the little fox so soft and obediently throwing himself into his arms, Zhan Pingchuan’s heart nearly melted. He released a bit of gentian pheromone to tease Lance’s gland, and sure enough, Lance’s breathing quickened.

 

The two were just about to shamelessly demonstrate a non-alcoholic kiss when Tang Li shouted from outside the door: “Classmate Zhan, classmate Lan, it’s been ten minutes! Are you done yet?”

 

Zhan Pingchuan: “……”

 

Lance: “……”

 

Zhan Pingchuan held up three fingers and solemnly swore to the light: “Off topic, I swear, I definitely last more than ten minutes.”

 

Lance: “.”

 

Tang Li called again: “Are you done packing? The squad leader is urging us.”

 

Lance gave up on the kiss, braced himself on the suitcase, and stood up, patting his knees.

 

Zhan Pingchuan was a little unsatisfied, regretting: “Why’d you get up? I was just about to clear up a rumor in time.”

 

Lance smiled at him, covering his gland—now tinged with the bitter scent of gentian—with his hair, and said meaningfully: “I’m afraid you last more than ten minutes.”

 

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 (advanced chapters available on kofi)