IRCDM Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Pupils Are Your Reluctance

Chapter 37: Pupils Are Your Reluctance

Someone walked through the mess and unconscious bodyguards scattered on the floor to Yu Wan Yao’s side.

A cold mechanical finger pressed against his neck. His skin was still warm, but his pulse had stopped. Blood slowly spread from the back of his head, as if he were lying in a scarlet flower.

“Yu Wan Yao is confirmed dead.” There was no emotion in his voice. “Black Market A-line operative number 2 is dead. Mission aborted. Should the backup plan be activated?”

A crackling sound came from the other end.

“Understood.” He said in a deep voice, “Black Market A-line operative number 3 is suspected of being in a constant state of mental disorder. Should he be recalled by the Central Laboratory?”

The other end remained a blur of static.

“Understood. Black Market A-line mission aborted. Number 1 requests withdrawal.” He lowered his head, meeting Yu Wan Yao’s unseeing eyes. Hearing the reply, his expression remained unchanged. “Yes, Number 1 will continue to remain undercover in the Black Market.”

The communication finally ended.

Pei Zhong moved his mechanical arm and reached out to close Yu Wan Yao’s eyes.

He stood up. A bodyguard woke from unconsciousness: “Young Master, it’s Liang–”

Before he could finish speaking, a bullet pierced his forehead, splattering a flower of blood on the white wall behind him.

Muffled gunshots rang out one after another in the luxurious room. The unconscious bodyguards accompanied their master into eternal sleep.

Pei Zhong walked to the door, turned off the brilliant lights in the hall, and looked back at Yu Wan Yao one last time. A rare tenderness touched his usually calm and rigid voice: “Good night, Father.”

—

The entire Black Market was in chaos.

The lower eight levels had long been fed up with the resource scarcity and darkness. Besides, they were not good people to begin with. As soon as Ling Xuan issued the call to arms, they grabbed their weapons and rushed out of their homes. Unfortunately, their attacks were indiscriminate, targeting both old enemies and recent rivals, driven by a frenzied desire to drag everyone down to hell with them. Soon, Ling Xuan lost control of the situation, and even most of her guards were killed.

The situation on the upper seven levels was even worse. The news of Yu Wan Yao’s death spread rapidly. His subordinates were leaderless, either collapsing and fleeing or fighting each other for power. The “respectable people” of the upper seven levels, deprived of Yu Wan Yao’s protection, quickly became targets for looting. Since their status as Black Market residents prevented them from escaping elsewhere, they had no choice but to seek new protection with heavy bribes, even knowing it was unreliable.

Those who had been high above became sheep to be slaughtered, and those who had been oppressed became killing machines. Amidst the chaos, there was no order. This was destined to be the Black Market’s darkest day.

People screamed and scattered in all directions. Liang Huan, wearing a blood-stained windbreaker, walked forward unhurriedly, his mood light and cheerful, until he saw a pair of familiar boots and stopped.

Li Yao, carrying a sniper rifle, stood in the crowd and met his gaze.

The streets were chaotic and disordered, the noise deafening.

Liang Huan took out the rose from his pocket, broke off the overly long, thorny stem, and pinned it to the mercenary’s identity tag on his chest.

“Your gun shoots as beautifully as this rose,” Liang Huan praised generously. “I like it very much.”

Li Yao glanced at the wound on his face, ignoring his nonsense: “What’s the next mission?”

“Yu Wan Yao was assassinated by Lou Chu. As the administrator personally appointed by this Mr. Yu, I naturally cannot stand idly by,” Liang Huan said with a smile. “Of course, I must severely punish the murderer and give Mr. Yu an explanation.”

“…” Li Yao was amazed.

Everything happened too quickly to react.

Lou Chu had just struggled to open his eyes when someone shoved a light sniper rifle into his hands. Before he could even figure out what was going on, he was stunned by a shocked and heartbroken voice: “Lou Chu, it was you?”

“Huh?” Lou Chu looked up, bewildered, at Liang Huan, Ling Xuan, and Yu Wan Yao’s trusted subordinates. “W-what was me?”

Ling Xuan sighed.

Lou Chu panicked: “It wasn’t me, I-I just wanted to get some fresh air, Teacher. I absolutely didn’t want to betray you. Liang Huan suddenly appeared, no, there was a sudden fight at the entrance. They all hit me–”

“Enough, you still dare to quibble!” Deng Meng said coldly. “You fled the lower eight levels without authorization and assassinated Mr. Yu. The evidence is irrefutable. What explanation do you have?”

Lou Chu was shocked: “I killed Yu Wan Yao?”

“Who else could it be but you?” One of Yu Wan Yao’s underlings gnashed his teeth. “Lou Chu, you’re so ungrateful!”

These were some of the more reliable people under Yu Wan Yao. The core members of Yu Wan Yao’s staff had either “suddenly” died in the riots, and the remaining had escaped. They couldn’t make up their minds. After receiving the news, they had immediately gone to find the murderer. Liang Huan took them back to the scene, only to find that the bodyguards he had knocked unconscious had all been shot. But this didn’t affect his plan. He led them through a process of reasoning and quickly identified the “hideout” of the “suspect.”

“It wasn’t me, how could I kill Yu Wan Yao? I wanted to kill him, but…” Lou Chu was at a loss for words. He looked at Ling Xuan for help. “Teacher, Teacher, tell them, it wasn’t me. I would never kill Yu Wan Yao without your order.”

“Are you saying that Ms. Ling instructed you to do it?” Liang Huan asked.

Ling Xuan frowned slightly.

Lou Chu exclaimed: “You’re talking nonsense, I should just shoot you dead–”

Lu Biao and Deng Meng immediately pinned him to the ground, and Deng Meng kicked him hard.

“Now the truth is clear, and our misunderstandings between the upper and lower levels have been resolved,” Liang Huan sighed helplessly. “It was all because Lou Chu acted without authorization and had ulterior motives. Now everyone can stop fighting to avoid hurting innocent residents.”

Yu Wan Yao’s underlings exchanged glances. They were not part of Yu Wan Yao’s inner circle. The inner circle had already “suddenly” died in the riots, and the rest had fled. They couldn’t make a decision. Ling Xuan, on the other hand, had been “escorted” all the way up by Yue Hang and others in Divine Seal mechs. Not to mention that Lou Chu was a fool who spoke without thinking, even if Lou Chu hadn’t acted foolishly, she wouldn’t have really confronted Liang Huan head-on.

“Mr. Liang is right,” Ling Xuan said first, smiling slightly. “It was my poor management that caused you trouble.”

Liang Huan liked people who knew what was good for them. He looked up at the “underlings.” The men exchanged glances and smiled ingratiatingly. “Brother Liang, we were always brothers. We’ll have to rely on you more in the future!”

The Divine Seal mechs were stationed outside. Yue Hang led the Divine Seal team in a surprise takeover of Yu Wan Yao’s armory. Those under Yu Wan Yao died particularly sensibly from top to bottom, “happening” to fall under Liang Huan, the “administrator.” Now, as Yu Wan Yao’s “former” subordinate, taking over the Black Market was both justified and legitimate. As for why these people died so strangely, that didn’t seem so important under the guns.

In one day and one night, the entire Black Market underwent a complete reshuffle. Most people had never even heard of the name “Liang Huan,” but that didn’t matter to them. Liang Huan directly moved out the power generation equipment that Yu Wan Yao had hidden away, turned on the lights in all fifteen levels day and night, and distributed the resources that Yu Wan Yao had hoarded over the years per capita. That was enough to make them remember the name, and it greatly soothed people’s restless emotions.

If anyone was still blind to the situation, Yue Hang and Lu Biao’s Divine Seal team would not be polite.

Soon, the Black Market was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Liang Huan returned to the villa he had rented before, but since he had just taken over the Black Market, he had been too busy to go upstairs for three consecutive days. He slept in the living room. Yue Hang had been sent by him to reorganize Yu Wan Yao’s subordinates, while Lu Biao and Deng Meng led people to maintain order in the fifteen levels. Chen Jia and Jing Yi were busy counting Yu Wan Yao’s huge fortune… Almost every major event had to be reported to Liang Huan, and everyone was extremely busy.

When Ling Xuan was “invited” by Liang Huan, she knew that Liang Huan would not spare her life.

She had been smart all her life, but in the end, she had been tripped up by a young man. She had not expected Liang Huan to have the audacity to kill Yu Wan Yao directly. If any of the steps had gone wrong, it would have been a complete loss, but he had succeeded. His actions were so swift, his mind so meticulous, and his methods so ruthless, completely unlike a young man in his early twenties–

He had even masterfully exploited Yu Wan Yao’s and her own underestimation and arrogance towards him.

Ling Xuan sighed. This was the most important reason for their failure.

“Mr. Liang, I am willing to admit defeat.” Seeing that he was just looking down at the documents and had not spoken for a long time, Ling Xuan spoke first.

Liang Huan put down the document and smiled: “Ms. Ling, it’s just that I was a little luckier. You don’t have to be modest.”

“I have a serious illness and won’t live long. I’ll just be wasting Mr. Liang’s bullet.” Ling Xuan said calmly, “It’s just that Lou Chu is a child entrusted to me by an old friend. I hope Mr. Liang can spare his life, considering his foolishness.”

The smile on Liang Huan’s face faded: “Ms. Ling, if Lou Chu is not killed, what will Yu’s old subordinates think? Please don’t make things difficult for me.”

“I am willing to give you the armory on the lower eight levels and all the shops in my name.” Ling Xuan’s old face was full of bitterness. “Mr. Liang is so smart that he will definitely have a better excuse.”

Liang Huan sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, his fingers interlaced on his knees. He sighed softly: “Ling Xuan, I’m afraid I can’t comply with your request.”

Ling Xuan smiled bitterly: “Then I have nothing to say.”

Liang Huan’s gaze fell on her face, and it took a long time before he spoke: “Even if all the weapons and resources in the Black Market are added together, along with Lou Chu’s life, they are not as important as you are in my heart.”

Ling Xuan was stunned and looked at him in shock.

Liang Huan smiled slightly: “I know you weren’t from the Black Market before. You were also a talented person. I hope you can come and help me manage the Black Market together. Yue Hang and Lu Biao are all rough men, and Deng Meng and the others are useless. You have been able to control the lower eight levels for so many years and rival Yu Wan Yao, which is enough to prove your ability.”

Ling Xuan was choked by this sudden change: “Mr. Liang really wants me to help you?”

“Yes.” Liang Huan put down his legs and straightened his back, speaking seriously. “I sincerely hope that you can come and help me. Not only do I not want Lou Chu’s life, but I will also protect him. As long as I, Liang Huan, am alive, Lou Chu will be safe. I will do what Lou Chu can’t do for you.”

He looked gently and earnestly into Ling Xuan’s eyes: “Ms. Ling, this shouldn’t be the Black Market. I want everyone here to be able to stand in the light and no longer be drowned in violence and bloodshed. I hope that one day everyone can walk out of the Black Market, that every criminal here can repent and have a chance to atone for their sins, and that every child here can receive an equal education. Are you willing to join me?”

Ling Xuan’s eyes turned red, and she gripped the armrest next to her tightly: “This is…”

“These are the words you said in your speech representing the Administrative Court in the New Era in 103. I believe you haven’t forgotten them.” Liang Huan walked up to her and took her hand, which was full of scars and wrinkles. “Are you willing to give me this opportunity?”

A hot tear fell on the back of Liang Huan’s hand.

Ling Xuan turned her head away in a panic to wipe away her tears. When she looked at Liang Huan again, her expression had completely changed. The look on her face was so firm, her eyes filled with indomitable will and new hope. She looked at the sincere and earnest young man in front of her and nodded heavily.

“Of course,” she said.

Liang Huan smiled knowingly.

In front of the railing on the third floor of the villa, Li Yao’s arm was resting on the railing, a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers. He witnessed this deeply moving “sincere confession.”

He could even see every exquisite and appropriate expression on Liang Huan’s face. He seemed to have a natural power to make people willingly believe him. When he smiled and looked into a person’s eyes, it was as if he was looking into the other person’s heart, and then he would use his usual gentleness and sincerity to tell the other person to come and tell me, to rely on me, I am worthy of your trust, and I will lead you out of the darkness and pain.

However, gentleness and sincerity were just Liang Huan’s means of confusing people. Li Yao was confident that he had experienced countless temptations and meticulous traps, including high-intensity professional training, but if it hadn’t been for this incident, he wouldn’t have even been aware of this.

Beneath Liang Huan’s warm and beautiful exterior was a cold and selfish soul. His intelligence allowed him to play with everyone in the palm of his hand, and his arrogance made him indiscriminately disregard everyone. Li Yao even felt that in Liang Huan’s eyes, they couldn’t even be considered “people,” but rather some kind of toy piled on a child’s desk that could be manipulated at will.

He took a drag on his cigarette. In the hall below, Liang Huan had already comforted Ling Xuan and had someone send her back. He seemed to sense something and turned around and looked up.

The hallway on the third floor was empty, leaving only a wisp of smoke that was about to dissipate, expressing silent ridicule.

Liang Huan glanced reluctantly at the documents piled on the desk. After hesitating for a few seconds, he turned and went upstairs.

Li Yao’s room was arranged next to his.

He reached out and knocked on the door: “Li Yao, it’s me.”

A vague voice came from inside the door: “Li Yao’s not here. Come back tomorrow if you have something to say.”

“…” Liang Huan simply raised his head and scanned his pupils. Three days ago, when he brought Li Yao over, he had deliberately scanned his pupils in as well. Li Yao had just glanced at it at the time and didn’t have any objections.

[Sorry, your pupil scan is incorrect and cannot enter.]

Li Yao deleted his pupil scan.

Liang Huan frowned: “Li Yao, open the door. I have something to tell you.”

There was no movement inside the door. After waiting for a moment, he had no choice but to go downstairs.

Li Yao was lying on the bed leisurely with his legs crossed, flipping through a series of missed calls, and clicked on You Zhao Chen’s avatar.

“Damn, are you still alive? I thought you died outside with such a big disturbance in the Black Market these days!” You Zhao Chen opened his mouth like pouring beans, not giving anyone a chance to interrupt. “Awesome, Captain Li, you’re absent from work for no reason. The boss is so angry that he wants to deduct your points. You know I shed tears and blocked it. You didn’t report that you drove away the best hovercar in the base and prepaid 960,000 worth of bonuses. We all think you ran away with the money. If I hadn’t knelt down and begged the boss, he would have posted a wanted notice…”

He said a lot before realizing that there was no movement on the other side. He carefully opened his mouth: “Li Yao?”

“Yeah, what, keep talking.” Li Yao’s voice was a little sleepy, and he yawned comfortably. “I just fell asleep. You’re better than sleeping pills.”

“Fuck!” You Zhao Chen cursed, “Where the hell did you go!?”

“Ah, I was imprisoned by Liang Huan.” Li Yao drooped his eyelids and fought with sleepiness. “He confiscated my hovercar, threw away the medicine I bought back at a high price, and locked me in a small house and wouldn’t let me out. I’m covered in injuries now, and I’m just hanging on by a thread.”

“You? Imprisoned by Liang Huan?” You Zhao Chen was silent for two seconds. “As a brother, I solemnly remind you, if you have the leisure to role-play with a spy, you might as well hurry up and bring the person back as a mental power source, and then you can sleep with him however you want.”

“Why don’t you believe me?” Li Yao sighed.

“The highest military prison can’t hold you, how can you be held by Liang Huan?” You Zhao Chen scolded, “Don’t you know why you can get out of prison? You escape from prison every two or three days, and every time you just happen to run to the gate and are deliberately caught. Later, you even organize the inmates to escape from prison together. You were in prison for three years, and the warden lost all his hair. The day you were released from prison, the ceremonial cannons fired by the highest prison almost blew open the protective shield–”

“Little You, that’s not important.” Li Yao interrupted him earnestly. “I mainly want to ask you for leave.”

You Zhao Chen: “…Ask for leave?”

“Liang Huan has to go on a honeymoon with me, saying it will take three months, otherwise he will hang himself.” Li Yao sighed, “Chief, please understand the misfortune of my family, don’t deduct my basic salary, our family depends on this little money to live on, if it really doesn’t work, let Uncle Yang help me swipe my card at the training ground.”

Uncle Yang had mobility issues and had to be assisted by a care robot to go out. You Zhao Chen on the other end of the communication spat out a series of swear words.

Li Yao took his wrist away and hung up the communication directly: “It’s so good for old people to exercise their legs and feet, they don’t know what’s good for them.”

He turned over and called Jiang Mufeng.

“Hello.” Jiang Mufeng’s voice was rigid, “Li Yao?”

“I’m asking you about something.” Li Yao cleared his throat. “It’s like this, I have a friend who wants to get a divorce after three months–”

“You want to divorce Liang Huan?” Jiang Mufeng was slightly surprised.

Li Yao said seriously: “It’s a friend of mine.”

“Okay, tell me what your demands are,” Jiang Mufeng asked.

Li Yao: “…How should we divide our marital property? Do I need to give him half of my bonus and commission? He seems to have made a fortune now, can I get some benefits?”

“For example,” Jiang Mufeng asked.

Li Yao’s eyes lit up: “For example, he has a 2S mecha.”

“…Mechs belong to wartime materials and are not included in marital property,” Jiang Mufeng said. “Unless he dies, you have the right to inherit.”

Li Yao suddenly regretted the shot he missed three days ago. He should have aimed at Liang Huan’s temple.

“Thanks,” Li Yao raised his hand to hang up the communication.

Jiang Mufeng said, “Why do you want to divorce Liang Huan?”

“He’s abusing me,” Li Yao said.

Jiang Mufeng was silent for two seconds: “His physical fitness is E-.”

“Mental violence is also a type of abuse,” Li Yao said righteously. “Are you a lawyer or am I a lawyer?”

Jiang Mufeng hung up the communication directly.

Li Yao chuckled, put away the chip, lay on the bed and fell asleep.

Liang Huan’s medicinal soup had been given three times a day without fail for the past few days. He would get sleepy after drinking it. Every time he lay down, fell asleep, and woke up, his back would ache. Finally, he got so annoyed that he simply slept on his stomach. Although the after-effects of taking the enhancer were not as strong, he still felt the fatigue that permeated from his bones. That’s why he spent 90% of his time sleeping in these three days and three nights. It wasn’t easy to smoke a cigarette and feel refreshed for a few minutes before he remembered to call Little You and Little Jiang…

His consciousness gradually became chaotic. It was as if a mecha that was barely running was finally able to rest for a moment. There were no explosions or blood in his dreams–

Swish.

……

Swish.

……

Swish.

“Tsk.” Li Yao struggled to open his eyes and saw Liang Huan wearing a shirt and suit pants, stepping on a pair of shiny black leather shoes, sitting on the sofa opposite him, flipping through documents. The warm yellow light made his already superior facial features even more striking.

“Awake?” Liang Huan turned off the virtual lens in front of him and looked at him with a gentle expression. “Did I disturb you?”

Li Yao turned his head and looked at the tightly locked doors and windows, and said irritably: “How did you get in?”

“The entire Black Market belongs to me. I can go wherever I want to go,” Liang Huan put the approved document aside and looked at his eyes seriously, “Why have you been avoiding me these days? Do you resent me for neglecting you?”

Since capturing Lou Chu, Li Yao had been staying in his room and not going out. They hadn’t said a few words in so many days.

“…” Li Yao had slept too much and didn’t react for a moment.

“I’ve been too busy these few days.” Liang Huan got up and walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and took his hand, “When I’ve settled everything down, I’ll reward you for your merits. You’ve made a great contribution this time, and I’ll never forget you.”

“Wait a minute.” Li Yao pulled out his hand and frowned, “Are you mentally disordered again?”

Liang Huan looked at him quietly: “Why did you delete my pupil scan?”

Li Yao was shocked: “Why would your pupil scan be in my room?”

“You didn’t delete it in the mercenary dormitory before.” Liang Huan sighed, “Or are you still concerned that I tricked you into coming here? Li Yao, I gave you a chance to take revenge, but you couldn’t bear to kill me.”

“I came to have you treat my mental power…” Li Yao was forced to wake up while sleeping, and was a little slow because of the medicinal soup. He raised his hand to stop Liang Huan from speaking, “Shut up first, let me slow down.”

Liang Huan smiled: “Yu Wan Yao is dead, we have made up. Li Yao, I don’t want you to have any grudges in your heart. I was too eager to get you before, so I took a risky move. Can you understand my feelings?”

“I–” Li Yao looked at him, his eyes meeting. “Why should I understand your feelings?”

Liang Huan: “I just wanted to come and see you.”

“You’ve seen me.” Li Yao was so sleepy that his head was dizzy. He raised his hand and wiped his face, pointed at the door, “I’m so sleepy now, you should go.”

Liang Huan’s tone was resentful: “Why don’t you get up and help me approve documents?”

Li Yao’s sleepy brain couldn’t keep up with his thoughts: “This is the Black Market’s secret, I’d better not participate.”

“Li Yao.” Liang Huan raised his hand and put it on the back of his neck, forcing him to look up, “Look at me.”

Li Yao was energized by his cold touch, and looked at him with a lifeless look: “What do you want to do?”

Liang Huan smiled slightly: “Let me sleep with you.”

Li Yao didn’t understand: “There are so many rooms here, sleep by yourself.”

“It’s not the same.” Liang Huan patted his neck fondly. The mood that had been restless all along finally improved, “Just like we slept next to each other on the carpet before, I specially had someone change the bed in your room to a bigger one.”

Li Yao was shocked for a moment by his straightforwardness: “Are you okay?”

Liang Huan was about to take off his belt, but after thinking about it, he lay down on the bed with his clothes on, and motioned Li Yao to lean in, “I’ll only sleep with you for two hours.”

Li Yao: “…”

Was he sick or was Liang Huan sick? Why couldn’t he completely understand Liang Huan’s intention?

Liang Huan was already lying on the bed, breathing evenly.

Li Yao held the quilt and stared at the scar on his cheek for a while. His chaotic sanity finally returned. He raised his foot to kick him, but the person with his eyes closed suddenly opened his mouth: “I haven’t slept for three days and three nights.”

Li Yao sneered: “What does that have to do with me?”

Liang Huan accurately grabbed his wrist, gently rubbed the little black dragon on it, and smiled, “Without you by my side, I can’t sleep well.”

Half of his face was buried in the soft pillow, broken hair covered his forehead, and he smiled at him drowsily with his eyes half open. A shadow was cast by the light on his straight nose, and there were faint dark circles under his thick eyelashes. The scar on his cheek was particularly dazzling and abrupt.

Li Yao looked down at his hand holding him.

Two hours later, Liang Huan opened his eyes on time. Although he was overwhelmed with sleepiness, he still struggled to stay awake.

Li Yao was not by his side, but was sitting at the end of the bed with his knees bent, looking at an external chip. He didn’t even raise his eyelids when he heard the movement.

Liang Huan opened his mouth, his voice a little hoarse: “I came to tell you that after the assassination of Yu Wan Yao that day, all the bodyguards in his room died.”

Li Yao raised his head and asked: “You didn’t do it?”

“There was no need to kill them. I originally arranged for Yue Hang to go over and lock them up.” Liang Huan frowned, “But when he brought people over, those people were all killed, and the monitoring chip in the room was also taken away, as well as the treatment instrument I brought from home.”

Li Yao looked at him, his expression inscrutable.

“I suspect it’s someone from the military.” Liang Huan said, “Be careful these few days, I’ll try to make time to be with you.”

Li Yao turned the external chip in his hand and said lazily: “No need, just don’t bother me while I sleep.”

Liang Huan got up, walked to the door, and scanned his pupils into the door lock system. He stared at his eyes and asked seriously: “Li Yao, can you not delete it?”

Li Yao: “…”

Liang Huan said considerately: “I’m afraid I’ll scare you if I suddenly appear.”

Li Yao said in disbelief: “You can scare me?”

Liang Huan said helplessly: “You were so scared that you didn’t move just now, staring blankly and looking very cute.”

Li Yao smiled ferociously: “I just wasn’t awake.”

Liang Huan looked at him playfully and lovingly, the malice in his eyes not concealed at all: “Okay, let’s pretend you weren’t awake.”

A crack was pressed out of the external chip in Li Yao’s hand.

He could tell that Liang Huan had pretended to go through so much trouble just so he could piss him off in the end.

Fuck.

Childish.

The fatigue all over Liang Huan’s body was swept away, and he went out with great joy.