The Dignified Chu Sui

Chu Sui was stunned for a second upon hearing this before he realized what he was saying. He looked at Arno with a peculiar expression, thinking, 'How come these words sound so strange, and also a little familiar.'

Chu Sui recalled carefully for a moment and belatedly remembered that Alvin seemed to have said something similar at the dinner table earlier. As if understanding something, he glanced at him, raised an eyebrow slightly, and praised with an ambiguous meaning, "Oh, then you really are quite young and promising."

Young and promising, a completely complimentary term. It was rare for a gem to come out of Chu Sui's foul mouth.

Upon hearing this, the aura around Arno seemed to melt like ice and snow, and he visibly became delighted. He pursed his lips and smiled, the curve very slight. He lowered his head without speaking, only saying after a moment's pause, "I will work even harder for you."

The higher the rank of the Female Zerg, the more preferential treatment their Male Master would receive. In a sense, the honor was shared.

Chu Sui thought he was childish but didn't say anything. He flicked the brim of Arno's military cap with his finger and, after a pause, said, "Then you continue to work hard, and strive to become The Empire's youngest Admiral."

Arno had already reached that position in his previous life. With a little more effort, he might have a chance to become The Empire's youngest marshal.

Chu Sui never doubted his abilities.

Seeing that the lunch break was almost over, Chu Sui didn't stay long and returned to the office. With conscription imminent, just organizing the new recruits' physical examination data and database was exhausting enough. On one hand, Chu Sui felt this kind of life was shitty, but on the other hand, he felt that busy days weren't too bad.

Many Female Zerg in the office were interested in Chu Sui and had openly or secretly shown their affection. Unfortunately, their flirtatious glances were all cast at a blind man. Additionally, after learning that Chu Sui's Male Monarch was a Major General in the Military Department, they felt that they couldn't compare in either rank or appearance and gave up their intentions.

But even if they couldn't have him, having such a handsome Male Zerg around to look at every day was still pleasing to the eye.

The conscription matters were nearing completion. Everyone worked overtime to finish all the tasks. Group Leader Morei saw that it was still early and let them leave work ahead of schedule. Chu Sui had originally planned to leave with Arno, but the latter seemed to have a Military Department meeting and didn't know when it would end, so he had to leave first.

The driver didn't see Arno and asked cautiously, "Your Excellency, isn't Major General Arno with you?"

Chu Sui had been lacking sleep recently and was dozing off in his seat. Hearing the question, he didn't even open his eyes and said in a lazy voice, "He's in a meeting."

When a person suddenly becomes quiet, it takes a period of adjustment to fall asleep. Chu Sui kept his eyes closed, still thinking about the Freedom Alliance. During this time, he had intentionally or unintentionally made inquiries. Alvin rarely seemed to be close with anyone. If he had to pick one person, it could only be Arno.

"I heard they served together on the battlefield. They are comrades who have gone through life and death together, and their relationship is very good."

The words Como had said suddenly echoed in Chu Sui's mind. For a moment, he faintly felt as if he had grasped a clue, but it was too fast to catch. Just as he was about to think more deeply, the Flyer suddenly shook violently as if it had been hit. If Chu Sui hadn't been wearing his seatbelt, he would have almost been thrown out.

He clutched the back of his head, which was in severe pain. His young master's temper flared up, and just as he was about to get angry, he heard the driver suddenly say in a panicked voice, "Your Excellency, it seems we've been surrounded!"

The Flyer was forced to land due to the violent impact. Chu Sui hadn't even reacted yet, thinking, 'Surrounded by what? It's not like we're in a war.' After finally recovering from his dizziness, he saw a group of masked people suddenly surround the Flyer, break open the cabin door in a few moves, and rush straight in.

Chu Sui was stunned. 'Fuck, are they trying to rob me?!'

His first thought upon reacting was to call for help. He inconspicuously hid his Light Computer behind his back and quickly pressed it a few times. However, before he could hit send, the leading Female Zerg seemed to sense it, directly confiscating the Light Computer from his hand and restraining Chu Sui's hands with a Power-Suppressing Ring. Due to a voice changer, his voice was deep and unpleasant, "Your Excellency, no need to be afraid. My master just wants to invite you to be a guest."

Chu Sui thought, 'Guest my ass, this is clearly seeking revenge.' He saw the driver being knocked out with an anesthetic and panicked. Just as he was about to say something, a sharp pain suddenly came from the back of his neck, as if he had been pricked by a needle. His vision went black, and he immediately lost consciousness.

This group of unknown intruders destroyed the automatic recording inside the Flyer and damaged the cameras on the nearby section of the road. Taking advantage of the lack of pedestrians nearby, they brought Chu Sui and the driver onto another Flyer and quickly left.

The dose of anesthetic wasn't large, but perhaps due to his human constitution, Chu Sui only woke up after a long time. He struggled to open his heavy eyelids, only feeling his arms sore and numb. Forcing himself to gather his wits and look, he discovered that he was locked up, currently in a sealed room. Everything, whether on the table or hanging on the wall, was a special-made torture device.

Seeing this, Chu Sui's scalp tingled, and he instantly became wide awake. He thought, 'There's still some time before the Freedom Alliance overthrows the system, it's impossible for me to be captured now, right?' He forcefully tried to break free from the Power-Suppressing Ring, but to no avail. His brain spun rapidly, trying to figure out who had captured him.

The answer was soon revealed. Before long, a sound suddenly came from outside the secret room's door, followed by a gloomy, triumphant voice in Chu Sui's ear, "What, didn't expect you'd fall into my hands one day, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Sui's pupils shrank. He felt the voice was somewhat familiar and subconsciously looked over, only to see that the newcomer was actually Capet, whom he had beaten up last time. Following behind him was a submissive-looking Female Zerg who bore some resemblance to Arno. It was, shockingly, Dike.

Right, how could he have forgotten him? Besides a high-status and brain-dead Male Zerg, who would dare to kidnap him so blatantly? He was done for now, this was worse than falling into the hands of kidnappers. At least you could negotiate a price with kidnappers.

Chu Sui couldn't bring himself to say things like "Do what you will, kill me or cut me up," nor could he bring himself to beg Capet for mercy. Weighing the two options, he decided to just shut up to save his life, only hoping that Arno would quickly discover he was missing and come rescue him.

Last time, Capet was beaten up by Chu Sui, losing all face and dignity, and even lay in the hospital for over half a month. How could he possibly swallow that insult? It was just a pity that it was difficult to make a move on Chu Sui while he was working at the Military Department, and Arno also accompanied him to and from work. He had to wait until today to get a chance.

Seeing Chu Sui keeping his mouth shut and not making a sound, Capet punched him directly in the abdomen and sneered with narrowed eyes, "Weren't you so impressive that day? Why aren't you talking now? Gone mute?"

Chu Sui thought, 'What is there to say? Male Zerg are all fragile chickens. You should go back and work on your stamina. That punch only had half the force of a normal person's. I'd be embarrassed to even cry out in pain.'

Chu Sui forced a weak appearance and kindly suggested, "How about this, however many times I hit you that day, you hit me back the same way?"

Capet was obviously not that kind a person. He glanced at Chu Sui, picked up a torture device from the table, his mind scheming something, but it was definitely nothing good. "Guess how many forms of punishment I have here?"

Chu Sui recognized them. Most of those things were used to punish Female Zerg. If they were really used on a Male Zerg, he'd be half-dead. He silently clenched his fingertips, his heart trembling.

'Fuck,' Chu Sui thought, 'I should have beaten this bastard to death last time.'

Capet didn't hear his reply and didn't seem to care. He tapped the whip in his hand on Chu Sui's shoulder. It was stained with dark, congealed blood, from which of his Male Monarchs or Female Attendants, no one knew. "How about this. You endure every torture device here, and if you survive, I'll let you go." Dike, who had been standing silently to the side, his pupils shrank upon hearing this, and he subconsciously called out, "Male Master..."

In The Empire, kidnapping a Male Zerg was a serious crime, let alone an A-rank Male Zerg. Capet's underlings obviously didn't dare to do something worthy of a death sentence for him, so it could only be done by his Male Monarchs and Female Attendants.

Dike didn't want to cause trouble, but if he didn't obey Capet's orders, he would be tortured by him with the devices until he wished for death.

If Chu Sui really died, The Empire would definitely not give up on the investigation, and Arno would not let the matter rest. When the time came and the investigation led to them, Capet, as a Male Zerg, would at most be imprisoned for a few months and then pay a large sum of money. They would be the only unlucky ones.

Hearing this, Capet expressionlessly pinched Dike's chin, "What, you want to plead for him? Have you not had enough of the taste of these torture devices?"

Hearing this, Dike's face instantly turned deathly pale as if he had remembered something terrible. He quickly shook his head, "No... You've misunderstood. I just wanted to say that His Excellency Chloe has come to see you and is waiting in the living room on the first floor."

Chloe was one of Capet's disreputable friends. Hearing this, Capet showed impatience on his face, "What is he here for?"

Dike reminded him, "You made an appointment with him to go to the club today."

Capet frowned to himself, "Troublesome."

After speaking, he threw the whip aside, straightened his collar, and said to Dike, "You stand guard here. Don't let him run away."

Dike nodded, "Yes."

Chu Sui's heart was in turmoil. He watched Capet leave and subconsciously looked at Dike, calculating in his mind what his chances were of winning him over. Since it was death either way, he might as well give it a try.

Chu Sui deliberately shook the chains, making a soft clattering sound. Dike heard it and looked over. "You don't need to waste your energy trying to break free. These are used in the Interstellar Prison to hold serious criminals."

Chu Sui belatedly recalled that Dike currently served as a grand judge, so getting a pair of shackles like this was certainly not difficult. However, a grand judge actually knowing the law and breaking it sounded more or less ironic. "Let me go."

Dike glanced at Chu Sui, not saying a word, probably thinking he was being fanciful.

At this life-or-death moment, Chu Sui's IQ was rarely online. Coupled with having been a records clerk for so long, he wasn't completely ignorant of the law. "The military will find this place sooner or later. At that time, Capet will be fine, but none of you will be able to escape responsibility. If you let me go, I can plead for you in court."

Dike's face showed ridicule upon hearing this, "It seems my brother has really found a clever Male Master. But Your Excellency Chu Sui, if I let you go, I can escape the judgment of the law, but I cannot escape the punishment of my Male Master."

If he didn't release Chu Sui, it was a dead end when the military found this place. If he did release Chu Sui, falling into Capet's hands was also a dead end. The Zerg Race had no such thing as a divorce agreement. Unless they were driven out by their Male Master, they could never leave Capet's side for their entire lives.

Dike's heart was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface. On the contrary, he was extremely anxious. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find any way out. He wasn't much better off than Chu Sui.

Chu Sui wanted to say more, but Dike no longer wanted to listen. He turned and walked out of the secret room. With the click of the door closing, the surroundings fell back into silence.

Chu Sui was inexplicably reminded of being locked in the little black room in his previous life. It was just as quiet, without a single sound. When he died in his previous life, there was no pain at all. At most, he got an injection, then fell asleep. Before he even woke from the dream, he was resurrected by the System. He had no direct concept of death.

But it was different now. He was locked in this secret room, calling to heaven and earth with no response, and could be dismembered by Capet at any moment, his body then abandoned in the wilderness.

Chu Sui looked at the torture devices, a chill silently creeping up his back. The thought that those things would be used on him made him feel that the people who invented them were all perverts. He didn't know what he thought of, but then he tentatively shouted into the air, "System?"

The System popped out with a ding: 【What?】

There had never been a moment when Chu Sui felt so happy to see it. Even the blue light emanating from the System was comparable to the universal light of Buddha. "It's great that you're here! Quick, quick, quick, help me get untied!"

The System thought, 'If I could untie you, I would have done it long ago, do you even need to ask?' It flapped its wings and flew in front of Chu Sui. The light screen projected in mid-air clearly displayed two words—

【Insufficient Permissions.】

Chu Sui's heart instantly sank. He asked tentatively, "Then can you help me call for help?"

The System tried, but it still didn't work: 【Insufficient Permissions.】

Apart from regulating the host's code of conduct, they couldn't intervene in anything. It was like a pedestrian on the roadside who would be seriously injured in a car accident the next second, a customer dining in a store who would go into anaphylactic shock, a heartbroken girl about to jump into a river from a bridge to commit suicide. Even if you foresaw all this in advance, you couldn't step in to help.

Everyone has their own fate. Some are destined to die young, while others can live a long and worry-free life. It's all predestined in the great scheme of things. If one were to intervene and eliminate all calamities, the world would fall into chaos.

The System landed on Chu Sui's shoulder and offered comfort: 【This trial is likely destined in your fate. Just endure it and you'll be fine.】

Chu Sui asked, "What if I can't endure it?"

The System fell into a long silence: 【...】

'If you can't endure it... then you'll be gone.'

Chu Sui felt like cursing. He felt that no one had a more bitter fate than him. "I don't care. I'm afraid of pain. If he stabs me with a knife later, you have to block it for me."

The System's body could nullify all physical damage, so blocking a couple of times wouldn't be a problem, but...

【I'm just a small ball, where do you want me to block for you?】

The System's body was only slightly larger than a palm. If it blocked the heart, it couldn't block the lungs. If it blocked the lungs, it couldn't block the kidneys. He was bound to get stabbed somewhere. If it were to give a suggestion, blocking the heart would be better.

But Chu Sui said, "Block my face."

He looked at the System as if facing death with equanimity, as if he had made some difficult decision, and said word by word, "Block my face."

Even in death, he had to be a dignified person.

System: 【...】

Outside, the night gradually thickened. When Arno rushed home from the Military Department, the sky was already completely dark, but the lights in the living room were not on. The surroundings were silent without the slightest sound. His steps paused slightly. He remembered that Chu Sui used to like to turn on all the lights, making the surroundings bright and brilliant. He couldn't help but feel that this was abnormal.

"Male Master?"

Arno turned on the lights and called out but received no response. His gaze swept over the shoe cabinet, but he didn't see the shoes Chu Sui would have changed out of. He couldn't help but pause. Wanting to confirm, he quickly went upstairs and into the bedroom, and sure enough, he didn't see him there either.

The robotic vacuum was still moving back and forth in the living room, from one end to the other, like a diligent little bee. The floor was swept spotlessly clean. But Chu Sui always found its constant movement noisy and would definitely turn it off as soon as he got home.

Chu Sui didn't like to socialize with Male Zerg. His social circle was so simple you could count it on one hand. The only ones he was familiar with were a few colleagues from the office, and he rarely went out. This situation clearly couldn't be him going out to have fun.

Arno's expression darkened bit by bit. As he hurried downstairs, he used his Light Computer to send a communication request to Chu Sui but received no response. He activated the linked positioning, but the signal was garbled, clearly blocked by a device.

Adjutant Fedi had just dropped Arno home and was about to leave in the Flyer. However, before he could go, he saw Arno return, directly open the cabin door, and sit in the co-pilot's seat. A silent chill emanated from his body. His voice sounded calm at first, but was in fact bone-chillingly cold, "Back to the Military Department."

A soldier's duty is to obey orders. Fedi instinctively started the Flyer according to his wishes. When he came to his senses, he subconsciously asked, "Did you leave a document in the office?"

Arno's pair of blue eyes were cast under the shadow of his cap's brim. Perhaps due to the dark sky, they appeared somewhat dim. He used his Light Computer to quickly repair the linked positioning data and said in an emotionless voice, "Immediately assemble the stationed troops from District 12. Gather them in the shortest time possible."

If anyone dared to kidnap a Male Zerg in the Imperial Capital, it could only be described with one phrase: they must have eaten a bear's heart and a leopard's gall. Even if they were kidnapped, the military would conduct a house-to-house search and find them in less than a night. Any Zerg with a normal brain wouldn't risk their life to do such a thing.

While notifying the technical department to check the surveillance, Arno rapidly ran through all of Chu Sui's enemies in his mind, then eliminated them one by one. In a flash, a name suddenly surfaced, causing Arno to uncontrollably clench his fingertips.

Any Zerg who knew him well knew that Capet loved collecting all kinds of new Flyers. For the new limited edition model at the club this time, he had pre-ordered it more than half a year in advance. How could he possibly miss it? He went for a joyride with his disreputable friends before coming back. The thought that Chu Sui was inside waiting for him to deal with made his mood increasingly wonderful.

The Capet household had numerous Female Attendants, about a dozen in total. At this moment, they were all arranged in two rows, kneeling respectfully on the ground to welcome him home. On their exposed backs, some festering scars could be faintly seen, and their expressions were all close to numb.

When Dike saw him return, he went forward to help him take off his coat, the feeling of unease in his heart growing stronger and stronger. But Capet was completely oblivious, casually kicking aside a Female Zerg blocking his path, then walking upstairs by himself, asking nonchalantly, "You didn't let him go, did you?"

This "he" naturally referred to Chu Sui.

Dike lowered his head upon hearing this, his voice filled with an unconcealable fear as he said in a panic, "I would not dare to disobey your orders."

Capet smiled, casually stroking his face, and said with a curl of his lips, "Of course I know you wouldn't dare."

Chu Sui didn't know how long he had been in the secret room, but a rough estimate was a few hours. He heard Capet's footsteps from far away and turned his head to look at the System beside him. "How about I die first, and you resurrect me again?"

Huh?

The System slowly typed out three question marks upon hearing this: 【???】

...'You're dreaming.'

Chu Sui's ability to read expressions had improved recently. Seeing the System remain silent, he instantly understood its meaning. Just as he was about to say something, Capet suddenly pushed the door open and entered. Seeing this, he immediately shut up.

"Consider yourself lucky today. I originally planned to deal with you long ago, but I didn't expect you to get away. This time, you won't be able to escape."

Capet picked up his usual whip from the table, swung it twice in the air to get a feel for it. The sharp sound of it cutting through the air made one's heart tremble. Even though Chu Sui had already prepared himself mentally, he still tensed up due to an instinctive reaction.

The System remembered his instructions, flapped its wings and floated in mid-air, then flew over and slapped itself onto his face.

Chu Sui: "..." Fucking suffocating.

Capet remembered how Chu Sui had beaten him black and blue last time, and his heart filled with even more resentment. He whipped him fiercely, drawing blood that was visible to the naked eye. "Let's see who can come and save you this time!"

Chu Sui: "!!!!"

Pain pain pain pain pain pain!

Chu Sui was in so much pain he almost cried out, but his mouth was covered by the System, so no sound could escape. The System whispered: 【Shh, don't scream. The more you scream, the more excited he gets.】

Chu Sui: "????"

'Are you even speaking human?!'

Capet didn't hear Chu Sui's cry of pain and frowned, seeming dissatisfied. Just as he was about to strike again with the whip, who would have thought that a series of urgent knocks would suddenly come from outside, followed by Dike's somewhat anxious voice, "Male Master, Arno is here with the army to search the premises!"

Hearing this, Chu Sui's heart relaxed, and even the pain subsided a little. Capet glanced at him, tossed the whip aside, and sneered, "If he wants to search, let him search. I don't believe he can find this secret room. Let's go, let's go out and see."

As he left, the door to the secret room was shut tightly.

Capet had just stepped out of the room when he saw the first-floor living room completely surrounded by Military Females, led by Arno and Alvin. He inconspicuously exchanged a look with Dike behind him, then walked down the stairs without a hint of panic. "Making such a big scene in the middle of the night, you really scared me. If Major General Arno wants to come as a guest, I'm more than happy to welcome you, but there's no need to bring so many soldiers, is there?"

They were searching the first floor.

Arno's face was usually expressionless, but today it was exceptionally chilling. His silver hair was a little messy from the wind, clear evidence that he had rushed all the way here. His blue eyes looked at Capet, making the latter feel as if he had fallen into an ice cavern. "I'm sorry to disturb your rest, but this is a search warrant from the Military Department. Please cooperate."

Capet couldn't detect the slightest hint of apology in his voice, but he was still tantalized by Arno's cold and arrogant appearance. He licked his lower lip and said with a sly smile, "You want to search? That's simple. You can go to my room and search slowly. It doesn't matter if you search all night."

Just then, Adjutant Fedi came over and said in Arno's ear, "Major General, we didn't find any sign of His Excellency Chu Sui on the first floor."

Hearing this, Arno led his team straight to the second floor. Capet's attempt to block them was fruitless, so he could only grit his teeth and follow, saying gloomily, "My house is full of antique collections. If you dare to break anything, I won't let you off easy!"

Unfortunately, no one took his words seriously. Arno remembered that Capet had just come out of the bedroom, so he took his trusted guards inside to search. However, after searching every room, they didn't find any sign of Chu Sui. His expression became even colder.

Capet watched from the side and sneered at the sight. He walked up to Arno and said, "I heard His Excellency Chu Sui has gone missing. I feel very sorry about that. But The Empire is so big, if some accident were to happen, the body would be very difficult to find. Major General Arno, you might as well find a new Male Master soon..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the cold barrel of a gun was suddenly pressed against his forehead. Capet was so scared he was instantly speechless. His pupils contracted sharply. He looked up and met Arno's dark, turbulent eyes. In that instant, a chill silently crept up his spine.

"You're right,"

Arno's voice was unbelievably calm. He even smiled. His long, fair fingertips rested on the trigger, looking as if they could pull it at any moment. "The Empire is so big. I imagine the death of one Male Zerg would also be very difficult to discover..."