MMPS Ch. 24

Chapter 24: Gloriosa

The diary ended there, but no date is marked, clearly still unfinished, and probably split into two pages.

Yu An eagerly inserted another spent core, retrieving the next page. He lay on his bedroom bed, turning onto his side to read carefully.

——

Tears, like a sudden downpour, extinguished his anger, leaving only the faint embers flickering on the charcoal.

Compared to the areas I know, he prefers using his hands, his fingertips seemingly alive. When he’s gentle, it’s irresistible, but when he’s rough, it makes me wish I were dead.

I had no choice but to hold onto him; I had nowhere else to go. He bit my neck, his beast-like fangs as if ready to tear me apart, but the sharp pain was nothing compared to the one inside me.

I used to deliberately anger him, but he’d never been this angry before. It was like a girl on her period—at a certain time, his temper would grow especially violent.

I had never empathized with such emotions. When I hurt others, I couldn’t feel their pain. He taught me the subtle feelings through similar pain, like water making me feel tenderness, like fire making me feel scalding pain.

Finally, he stopped, pressing me tightly to his chest. My heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally landed. Just now, I thought he had given up on me.

He gently stroked me, asking if I knew I was wrong.

I thought for a long time, the pain slowing my thinking.

“Do you only like me when I obey you in everything?” I asked weakly.

There are always things around me that annoy me. If someone could listen to me, I think it would be a little better. If not, I can only digest it myself. My ability to digest is limited. My way of dealing with things is not to endure, but to make the source of the irritation disappear from the world.

He was stumped by my question, lifted me to sit on his lap, facing him, clumsily wiping my eye corners with the back of his hand. He blushed awkwardly, his voice soft as he asked: “What do you want me to do?”

He finally lowered his guard and admitted it was his first time dealing with a child. After that, he humbly sought my advice.

I told him seriously that when I express hatred, he should curse along with me, not correct me. Many things aren’t about right or wrong. I never think I’m always right. I don’t care. I don’t live for answers. Some grudges don’t need to be avenged. When I know someone is on my side, I let go.

He rested his head on my shoulder, silent for a long time, and finally muttered: “Okay.”

It was clear he had bullied me, yet he acted as if he was the one hurt. I wanted to return everything he had just done to me. I wanted to clap my hands together and smack his face between them, seeing the red palm prints through my fingers. When I kissed him, he always closed his eyes, blushing, not knowing where to put his hands.

He knew he was wrong, and I forgave him.

November 20, M017

——

The windows and doors were tightly shut, the room cold. Yu An lay on his side on the pillow, eyes closed, holding half a page of the diary. His eyes were unknowingly wet, his whole body curled up in the cold blanket, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Two little hands, which had secretly followed him back, opened the backpack zipper, climbed to the bed, and silently stared at Yu An for a while. Then they gently lifted the corner of the blanket and squeezed in, placing their right hand around Yu An’s waist, left hand linking fingers with his, quietly accompanying him with their warm touch.

At the same time, Zhao Ran also lay on his bedroom bed, his right hand in front of him, left hand stretched out as if holding a void, fingers intertwined with that emptiness. All his remaining limbs were connected to Zhao Ran’s senses and consciousness. He could feel Yu An’s skin cold, his eyes moist.

Unable to sleep for once, he reached for his phone on the pillow and dialed a number marked “Big Fool.”

It rang a few times before the other side picked up. It was close to midnight, and the man’s voice on the other end sounded tired and arrogant.

“Speak.” His greeting barely concealed his anger.

“Da-ge, I’m bored, just thought I’d give you a call and chat.”

The other side was silent for a moment: “Finally decided to give up on that guy?”

“Well, not really,” Zhao Ran chuckled, “How’s everything at home? You doing alright?”

“….”

“Oh, by the way, do you know how old I am? An An asked me the other day, and I couldn’t answer. Almost gave myself away.”

“Heh, An An.”

Zhao Ran wasn’t discouraged and pressed on: “Okay, let me ask a simpler question. How many years have you known me?”

“Well, I’ve known you since you were born.” The other side sighed and rubbed his head. “Don’t bother me with this.”

“There is something.” Zhao Ran’s smile faded, and he spoke seriously, “Consider it a request, let me make another vow. Da-ge, as long as you agree, from now on, what you say will go.”

“Oh… waiting for me, huh?” The man hummed a little, “You made a vow not to repeat the past to Yu An. I can only judge fairly.”

“You forced me to make that vow.”

“Same thing. I don’t want to see you waste time on a crazy guy anymore, and don’t bother me again.”

“Oh,” Zhao Ran lazily twirled a strand of hair and said, “The great lover still teaches others how to behave, huh? Still holding your ex’s head, huh? Did you put it on the pillow?”

There was a sharp clatter on the other end of the phone, like a skull being knocked off the bed, and then rolling on the floor.

The man immediately lost his temper and angrily hung up the phone.

Zhao Ran calmly ended the call and sent Yu An a message: Sleep early, do well in your written exam tomorrow. Afterward, I’ll pick you up.

Within two seconds, Yu An’s reply came.

Yu An: Interviewer, can you help me find some used cores?

Zhao Ran paused. 

Zhao Ran: Used cores?

Yu An: Yes, the ones with no energy left.

Zhao Ran: Spent cores still emit weak radiation. All spent cores from malfunctioning weapons in the company are gathered and destroyed in bulk. There’s a count to keep track of them, and it’s not good for the tally if there’s one more or one less. Why do you need spent cores?

Yu An: [Emoji: Please]

“…” Zhao Ran stared at the screen where a pair of little hands joined together in a small yellow bean emoji, anxiously running his fingers through his hair. He sighed and helplessly replied: “I’ll try to find some for you tomorrow at work.”

Yu An: [Emoji: Happy Jumping]

Zhao Ran buried his head into the pillow, throwing his phone aside. Even in the middle of the night, his mind kept looping the image of Yu An holding a dried fish and jumping around.

*

Monday morning, as usual, Yu An got up, washed up, threw his shoulder bag over his shoulder, and tucked his Underground Metro identity card into his pocket. He then casually picked up a carbon pen and went out for his exam.

It wasn’t that he didn’t take the internship evaluation seriously, after all, he had left the house in the same way four years ago when he took the college entrance exam.

Yu An boarded the train at the nearest subway station and transferred to Line 4 at Pisa Manor Station. The written exam was set to start at 11 AM, but because it was on his way, Zhao Ran asked him to get off at Pisa Manor Station and inspect the closed and investigated Guxian County Hospital to ensure there were no signs of illusions before leaving.

Since the “Goat Head” had caused human casualties at Guxian County Hospital, and since the hospital was located at the southernmost tip of Hongli City, categorized as part of the Hongli South District by the subway patrol zones, it was also the area with the most severe deformity radiation and the breeding grounds. The possibility of illusion chamber here was much higher than in other areas.

After exiting the subway station, he followed the route on the map to Guxian County Hospital, passing by a pile of steel pipes in an abandoned factory building. Suddenly, he saw three patrol officers wearing silver subway badges walking toward him.

The badge designs indicated that these people belonged to the subway city patrol group, under the leadership of Team Leader Yuan Xiaoying.

However, besides the three patrol officers, there was also a girl walking not far behind them.

The girl was dressed in a trendy, avant-garde style, with hollow dice hanging from both earlobes, spinning rapidly as she walked. She took a card-shaped lighter from her skirt pocket, flicked it to light a blue flame, and lit the cigarette in her mouth.

Yu An noticed her unusual characteristic—both pinkies, from the base to the tip, were silver.

The leading patrol officer was in serious communication with other colleagues via a walkie-talkie, indicating that he was on a mission.

A van was parked at the left side of the abandoned factory wall, making a soft scraping sound from the rear. From Yu An’s vantage point, he saw shadows moving in the rear of the van, and faintly saw a few people moving things into the back compartment.

At first, Yu An didn’t connect the two events, but the workers near the van suddenly noticed him, a stranger, on the usually deserted path.

One of the men with a scar on his face gave Yu An a wary glance, slowly reaching into his coat as if to draw a gun.

Yu An was startled and quickly ducked behind a brick wall corner, signaling the patrol group coming toward him that there was someone here.

The patrol officers noticed the suspicious person near the abandoned factory and immediately quickened their pace toward him.

Several large men loading cargo into the van were alert and split into two groups as they heard the sound of fast footsteps. Three of them drew guns, shielding the other two inside, and the protected men frantically threw the cargo into the van.

“Quick, the patrol is coming! Move the stuff!”

“Damn it, that kid was staring at us. He’s definitely the one who tipped them off. If I catch him, I’ll kill him!” The scar-faced man spat angrily, “Enough, let’s go! You two come with me and block the patrol up front.”

The three patrol officers realized the situation and lowered their voices into the communication: “Suspicious target spotted near the Guxian factory in the South District, ready to implement capture. Team Two, prepare to intercept.”

The girl who had been walking at the back suddenly stepped forward with a gust of wind, jumping ahead: “Leave it to me! The internship task is nearly complete, and I need to finish it before the noon exam.”

“Ni Lan!” One of the senior patrol officers called out her name sharply, “Be careful, there may be civilians near the factory! No severe injuries to unrelated people!”

Ni Lan ignored the warning, transforming into a streak of lightning as she swiftly moved across the ground. Her black-and-white streaked hair flew in the wind, and as she neared the wall, she gripped her left pinky with her right hand, slowly pulling it out like drawing a sword. A flash of silver light appeared.

“Civilians? Then let’s gamble on whether I’ll hit him.”

A silver laser sword extended from her left pinky. Ni Lan raised her arm, and with a sharp motion, the blade cut diagonally through the corner of the brick wall, leaving a smooth cut in the middle. The bricks slowly slid downward, crashing to the ground, and one corner of the factory collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Dust and smoke filled the air. Yu An, who was exposed behind the collapsed wall, pressed his back against the brick, crouching down. His eyes widened as the searing laser passed over his head. If he had waited just a fraction longer, his skull would have been sliced open on the spot.

It was obvious that the girl’s pinkies were damaged, and the silver part must have been embedded with deformed cores—dual core slots, all with silver-grade cores.

Will there be a chance of winning this intern evaluation?