IRCDM Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Diverging Paths, I Will Be With You

Zhu Ming looked at Liang Huan with a sour face, “Kid, remember me?”

Liang Huan looked at his pale face and huge dark circles, and smiled slightly, “Did you just get reincarnated from hell?”

“You!” Zhu Ming angrily pushed away the bodyguard next to him, shocked that the other party had forgotten him, “Five years ago, you made a bet with me, saying that your illegitimate half-brother had swallowed your family property, and you tricked me into selling the shares of the Lion Defense Company to you, and then snatched the big order for the mercenary base’s protective shield, causing me to be scolded by my dad!”

Liang Huan said, “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not Liang Huan.”

“Bullshit! I can recognize you even if you beat me to death. Don’t think you can fool me by finding someone to impersonate you.” Zhu Ming rolled up his sleeves and said, “I don’t recognize people by their faces. Everyone’s mental power has a scent. I can smell it right away. Your mental power is the most pungent!”

“Mental power can be smelled?” Liang Huan was a little surprised, “Can you smell the difference between human and heteromorph mental power?”

Zhu Ming said smugly, “Of course. The mental power of heteromorphs and humans is completely different. This is my superpower. This young master has been looking for you for so long, and I’ve finally caught you. If you know what’s good for you, quickly return the Lion Defense Company to me, or don’t even think about stepping out of the Dawn Group’s gate half a step – ah, ah, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”

Liang Huan grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back, “Young Master Zhu, the transaction back then was voluntary. It’s meaningless to bring it up again now.”

“You were the one who tricked me first! You don’t have an illegitimate brother at all, and you weren’t as miserable as you said!” Zhu Ming wailed, becoming more and more aggrieved as he spoke, “I even gave you chips and clothes. I even felt sorry for you and cried several times. I was really blind!”

Liang Huan: “…”

Facts prove that idiots can always bring new opportunities. He looked at the bodyguards around him, “Tell your chairman, if you want to save his son, bring 50 billion to exchange.”

These bodyguards were originally forced to follow Zhu Ming around to bully people, and they were still the kind of bullying that couldn’t be brought to the table. Immediately, someone went to press the alarm, but the alarm in the entire building was very quiet, without any movement.

On the contrary, Zhu Ming exploded and begged very spinelessly, “Don’t call the police, and don’t tell my dad! Put down your guns, what if you hurt me?! Save me!”

Before he finished speaking, those highly paid bodyguards suddenly bled from all seven orifices and fell straight to the ground. Zhu Ming instantly became like a quail whose neck had been pinched, widening his eyes and daring not to struggle anymore. He silently swallowed his saliva, “Y-you killed them all?”

“They just fainted.” Liang Huan put him on the ground and said kindly, “Young Master Zhu, what is a Lion Defense Company? Don’t you want to inherit the entire Dawn Group?”

Zhu Ming’s face was ashen, and most of his alcohol sobered up immediately. He was very self-aware and said, “My dad doesn’t like me at all. He has more than one heir. He wouldn’t spend 50 billion to save me.”

“How would you know if you don’t try? Are you really willing to hand over your family property to others?” Liang Huan patted him on the shoulder amiably, “I’ll help you get the Dawn Group, and you give me 50 billion in interest, which isn’t too much.”

Moreover, this person could actually smell the difference between heteromorph and human mental power. Although he was a bit stupid, he might be useful. Liang Huan immediately made a decision in his heart.

Zhu Ming felt the mental source about to shatter and finally realized that he had kicked a steel plate. He quickly nodded, “I’ll listen to you. Not to mention 50 billion, I’ll give you 100 billion, bro, you’re my own bro, please don’t kill me. I haven’t lived enough yet.”

Liang Huan smiled, “It’s not suitable to kill before and after the wedding. Don’t worry.”

Zhu Ming met his gentle and smiling gaze and instantly felt a chill.

—

In the banquet hall, the lights were ambiguous, and the music was melodious. Liang Huan saw Li Yao in the crowd at a glance. He probably wasn’t used to the formal attire, so he took off the overly gorgeous coat and rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. He also unbuttoned two buttons at the collar. Even with an ordinary bionic mask on his face, he couldn’t help but attract attention with his broad shoulders and narrow waist. In the time he ate two pieces of cake, three or four people came to chat him up and invite him to dance, but he politely declined them all.

“Sir, may I invite you to dance?”

“Sorry, no time.” Li Yao didn’t even have time to turn his head and reached out to take the only mecha peripheral candy on the table, but another hand took the candy first.

Li Yao turned his head unhappily and saw Liang Huan smiling at him with the candy, “Like this?”

“Cough.” Li Yao cleared his throat and said seriously, “Picked it for you.”

“Thank you.” Liang Huan comfortably put the candy in his pocket and held out a hand to him.

Li Yao grabbed his hand and was led forward by him, “Aren’t you unable to dance?”

“Only learned one step.” Liang Huan leaned close to his ear and lowered his voice, “You teach me the rest.”

Facts prove that His Majesty the Emperor really couldn’t dance. His dance steps were comparable to driving a mecha after a mental disorder and amnesia. Several shoe prints were left on Li Yao’s leather shoes.

“Your Majesty, you look quite efficient when you kill people. Why do you dance like a rusty mecha?” Li Yao held his shoulders and changed to a simpler dance step, but he couldn’t help but tease him.

Liang Huan frowned slightly, “You’re dancing too fast.”

Li Yao smiled, “Didn’t anyone teach you to dance when you were an emperor?”

“I only need to watch others dance.” He followed Li Yao’s dance steps forward and glanced at the other party’s wide-open collar, dissatisfied, “Aren’t you cold opening it so much?”

“How can I show it to you if I don’t open it?” Li Yao’s hand on his shoulder slid down and rested on his waist, pinching it lightly.

Liang Huan learned other people’s movements and pulled him into his arms, kissing his cheek and then letting go.

Li Yao clicked his tongue, “That’s a bit impolite. How can you really kiss?”

Liang Huan was unapologetic, “You can kiss back.”

Li Yao narrowed his eyes and took him away from the center of the dance floor.

The outer side of the banquet hall was a night sky garden. The bionic mechanical flowers were lifelike, and the retro fountain had a sculpture of a six-winged angel. The flower walls on the iron railings crisscrossed to form small paths. The sky above was a simulated night sky, and the huge, bright moon was enough to fool the eye.

This was a place specially set up for VIPs to talk. There were no eavesdropping or video recording devices inside, making it convenient for them to conduct some exchanges that were not suitable for exposure. Everyone knew this tacitly.

Li Yao obviously knew more about these occasions than Liang Huan. He found a secluded pavilion familiarly and set it to privacy mode.

Liang Huan raised his hand and plucked the vibrant flowers next to him, but unfortunately, the cold mechanical feel instantly made him lose interest.

Li Yao didn’t know where he got a cigarette, and he put it in his mouth, but he was mindful of Liang Huan and didn’t light it. He just ground it between his teeth irritably.

“People from the military have also contacted you?” Liang Huan took the cigarette from his mouth and rubbed his red lips with his fingertips. They were a little hot.

Li Yao’s mental power was now very unstable, and his emotional fluctuations were very large – which was obviously abnormal. Although Li Yao seemed to have rich and outgoing emotions, he was actually the most stable person. Except when driving a mecha and when he deliberately teased him, this person was mostly like a pool of still water, calm like a bionic robot.

He had only become truly lively after being rescued by him.

He had raised him for so long, and he had finally become a little happy and fresh. As a result, his emotions were affected by people other than him, which made His Majesty the Emperor very unhappy.

Li Yao habitually turned his head and rubbed his warm palm, “Your core signal receiver – have you received any special space signals recently?”

Liang Huan’s eyebrows slowly lowered, and his voice had a hint of a smile, “We’ll talk about it when we get back.”

Li Yao grabbed his wrist, raised his head, and stared at him, “Tell me here.”

Liang Huan flattened the corners of his mouth, “Li Yao.”

He lowered his eyes and looked down at Li Yao, like some kind of silent and extremely oppressive warning.

“Have you?” Li Yao squeezed his hand slightly.

Liang Huan had no choice but to link his mental power and forcibly bring his frantically fluctuating mental power back into the mental source. Li Yao resisted for a few seconds but still let him do it. Liang Huan felt a little better and raised his hand to hold the back of his neck, gently kneading it to relieve his stress.

“Yes.” Liang Huan leaned down slightly and looked him in the eye, “But I don’t want to tell you. Look, you just can’t control yourself after knowing this news. If I tell you there is still hope to find the survivors of the Dawn Fleet, will you abandon me again to completely activate the coordinates?”

Li Yao frowned, “I won’t…”

Liang Huan’s voice was gentle, and even his mental power was very soft, but the words he said were extremely strong, “You won’t what? Continue.”

Li Yao moved his lips and stared at him unhappily, wanting to pull away the hand that was pressing on the back of his neck, but he was imprisoned in place by Liang Huan’s mental power and couldn’t move at all.

Liang Huan twitched the corners of his mouth, “So why should I tell you?”

Li Yao was forcibly controlled by him with his mental power, and he couldn’t even get angry. He narrowed his eyes and said, “You did save my life, and I do like you, Liang Huan. I never thought about going back to the military. You designed me to take a stand, secretly and openly controlling my range of activities, hiding your relationship with Lion Defense Company, and even more things I don’t know – these don’t matter. I like you, so I admit it, but this is the only thing that won’t work.”

The Dawn Project was a task he had to complete. As long as there was a glimmer of hope, he would never give up.

A smile appeared in Liang Huan’s eyes. He kissed the corner of Li Yao’s mouth affectionately, “I know, so I won’t give you even a glimmer of hope.”

Li Yao was rarely angered by him, “Liang Huan.”

Liang Huan grabbed his hand and placed it on his heart, smiling calmly and gently, “Or you can kill me now and take out my heart, but before you take it out, I will die with you. Don’t even think about the Eastern District base and those so-called survivors living. Everyone will be buried with us.”

Li Yao’s temples throbbed in pain. He took a deep breath, “Liang Huan, I won’t hurt you. Let’s talk it over.”

“I’m talking it over with you.” Liang Huan stood up straight, and the black eyes concealed the smile, “Li Yao, this is not my Northern Liang. This may be more like a holographic game I entered after death. I don’t care whether you people live or die. If I don’t like it one day, I can end the game at any time. Only you in here make me feel interesting, so I’m willing to stay. Can you understand?”

Li Yao met his indifferent and aloof gaze, and in shock, he gritted his teeth and cursed, “Fuck.”

Liang Huan released the back of his neck and sighed. He sat down next to him and picked up his hand, slowly playing with it, “Chen Yanwei wanted to exchange you back with Mecha I Department and 50 billion, but I didn’t agree. You are much more interesting than Mecha I Department. That old thing Huan Zan probably can’t figure it out. Even if he gives me the entire military, I won’t let you go.”

Li Yao tried his best to remain calm and opened his mouth slowly, “The core signal receiver is on you. Even if I go back to the military, it won’t be useful. If you want to completely receive the survivors’ signal, you have to completely activate the local star coordinates. The previous coordinates only activated 95%, and the main orbit linked 99.9%. As long as we can cooperate with the military, we can make up for the remaining errors through technical means.”

Liang Huan smiled, “Don’t be naive. The military’s current technical means can’t even build a real 3S mecha. Expecting them to make up for the errors is better than sending them to space to pave the way.”

Li Yao: “…”

“They think the signal receiver is on you, so they called you back to let you die completely, and then set up a monument for people to remember.” Liang Huan grabbed his hand and kissed it, his expression gloomy and cold, “What? Do you expect me to burn paper for you in the future?”

Li Yao frowned.

“Furthermore, the signal receiver is now on me. They may already know this, so they deliberately told you to come and negotiate with me.” Liang Huan reached out and raised his chin, forcing him to look at himself, “That is them forcing you to send your lover to die, Li Yao, are you willing?”

Li Yao clenched his teeth, “… You disconnect the mental link first.”

“You don’t even need to ask. You should just pretend that you don’t know anything and stay obediently by my side.” Liang Huan smiled and strengthened the mental link, forcing Li Yao to lean forward and kiss himself, “This is so much better.”

“Fuck your grandpa!” Li Yao couldn’t bear it any longer and forcibly disconnected the mental link, punching him in the stomach.

Liang Huan didn’t dodge at all, one arm resting on the back of the seat, staring at him with a grim look, the wound on his lips that had been bitten open oozing a little blood, looking like a demon crawling out of hell, ready to devour people at any time.

“Can’t we talk nicely?!” Li Yao grabbed his collar and hauled him over, “I only asked you one question, why are you going crazy!”

Liang Huan smiled, “Then tell me you won’t go back to the military.”

Li Yao instantly went silent. He frowned, “Things are not black and white, nor are they right and wrong. We can definitely think of other ways to activate the coordinates, and no one needs to die.”

“Li Yao.” The smile on Liang Huan’s face slowly widened. He gently grabbed Li Yao’s wrist, “You misunderstood one thing. The Dawn Project has completely failed. Even if we welcome back Chen An and other survivors, it will not be of any benefit to me. I may not even need to keep the military in the future. What I want from beginning to end is you alone.”

To put it another way, even if Chen An brought people back alive, it would not be a good thing for Liang Huan. The military does not need a marshal who is both virtuous and talented and has the support of the people. A rotten military is the best opponent for Liang Huan and the Eastern Third District.

He would not allow Li Yao to waver and still have illusions about the military.

Huan Zan’s move was indeed ruthless, and he had firmly grasped Li Yao’s weak spot, wanting to force him back.

Li Yao slowly released his hand from his collar and took out another cigarette from nowhere, “Liang Huan, let’s both calm down. Let me think about it.”

Liang Huan suppressed the anger rising in his heart. He did not want to force Li Yao like this, but they would have to take this step sooner or later.

The cool breeze was gentle, and the pungent smell of smoke slowly dissipated in the air.

“Chen An is my teacher. When I was nine years old, my mother died. She and Yi Hengbai took me with them. Yi Hengbai was her first student, and I was the second. She was stricter and stronger than my mother, and not gentle at all, but my brother was very good. Every time I was scolded away by Chen An, he would find me back.” Li Yao leaned on the chair and took a long breath, “The people in the vanguard team are my brothers who have lived and died with me. Not to mention what Commander Huan and Uncle Yi are like, the people in the Dawn Fleet are all Chen An’s old subordinates. They have been with me since I entered the military. I have no father or mother, but they raised me. They are my comrades and even more so my family.”

“Liang Huan, I can’t let them die in vain. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I have to go on.” He saw Liang Huan frowning and snuffed out the cigarette in his hand, “The person the military sent to find me was Yi Hengbai.”

Liang Huan was stunned for a moment.

“I don’t know what they did to my brother’s body, creating something that is neither human nor ghost.” He bit his teeth, “I know he is definitely not my brother, but I have to go back and find out what is going on. I can’t let my brother not rest in peace even after death. He and Chen An… are the two most important people to me besides you.”

Liang Huan did not speak, but stared at the vibrant bionic flower not far away.

“I have never liked anyone before, and I am not qualified to like others. You are the first.” Li Yao squeezed his palm hard, “I am actually quite bastard sometimes and not a qualified lover at all. I used to always run away, and it was not all for the mission. I was afraid that if I really liked you, a person who is destined to die would not be qualified to talk about the future with people.”

He stared at his hand with drooping eyes, “You saved me, and you don’t know how happy I was the moment I opened my eyes in the room. When I saw you, I realized that living is so good, and not having to die is so good.”

Liang Huan said almost cruelly, “You can’t change anything by going back.”

Li Yao was silent for a long time and opened his mouth with difficulty, “You can put me -”

“Li Yao.” Liang Huan interrupted him, “Some words are enough to say once. I can’t do it, and I won’t do it.”

Li Yao gave a bitter smile, “I know, sorry.”

“I don’t accept it.” Liang Huan looked at him expressionlessly, “If you don’t make a decision, you will be in trouble. Even if you find out about Yi Hengbai’s matter, there is a one in ten thousand chance of taking Chen An back, you will not have a good ending.”

“Ah.” Li Yao leaned on the chair, twisting the unsmoked cigarette in his hand aimlessly.

“My teacher assisted me for more than 30 years, and I still demoted her when it endangered the interests of the court. My biological father loved me very much, but we had disagreements, and I did not go to see him once until his death.” Liang Huan said lightly, “Because even if I don’t demote her, she will not end well in the future court battles. Even if I reconcile with my father, it will only lead Northern Liang down the wrong path. In the future, the father and son will still blame each other. It is better to be more decent. It is better than being more embarrassed than today. Since there is no power to change the ending, why do you have to take this trip?”

Li Yao looked up at the starry sky outside the pavilion and smiled, “It’s always unwilling if you don’t try.”

Liang Huan turned to look at him.

Li Yao also turned his head, smiling and hooking his finger, “Your Majesty, we are really two completely different people. If we really get married in the future, we will definitely quarrel every day.”

Liang Huan chuckled.

Li Yao clenched his hand, “Your Majesty, you did not give your teacher and father a chance. Can you give me a chance now… and give us a chance?”

Liang Huan felt the warm moisture in his palm, and the light of the simulated moon became a little dazzling. The fake flower seemed to be covered with a layer of blood-colored cold frost.

Bai Li Cheng’an and Cui Qi’s disappointed and sad eyes appeared in his mind.

There will be no exceptions, and there will be no other ending. Even if he does it again, he will still choose his own path.

Liang Huan looked at him and slowly shook his head, “I won’t take you to gamble, and I won’t gamble with my own life.”

Li Yao smiled and released his hand.

If there was still a glimmer of hope for the Dawn Project to continue, then he would definitely complete his task without hesitation and return to the military to activate the coordinates. Whether it was taking back Chen An or finding out about Yi Hengbai’s matter, it was urgent for him.

But Liang Huan did not want the Dawn Project to continue. A project that had failed ninety-nine percent was of no value to him. The only things he needed were Mecha I Department and time. The activation of the new coordinates could even be waited for ten years later, and he would never take Li Yao and his own life to complete the task for the military.

A domineering and ambitious emperor and a loyal and fearless soldier who obeyed orders, across thousands of years of time, the contradictions buried in the roots seemed to be absolutely irreconcilable. They were not on the same path from the beginning, and it was more like confirming the old saying that those who have different paths cannot conspire together.

In the end, they still parted ways, unable to escape the curse of being alone.

Liang Huan lowered his eyes, but was suddenly grabbed by the back of his neck and kissed. He did not refuse and responded to Li Yao’s kiss somewhat roughly, but he was sneering in his heart. He almost vented and pressed Li Yao on the chair, tearing apart the black shirt that he had long disliked, and touched the black dragon on Li Yao’s back.

He raised his head, reached out and rubbed Li Yao’s bloodied lips, putting on the layer of gentle shell, “Do you think I will let you go like this? Don’t dream.”

The person he wanted, even if he rotted, had to rot in his hands.

Li Yao touched his heart and said jokingly, “That’s not true, I just saw that you were about to cry and felt a little distressed, as if I didn’t want you anymore.”

“…” Liang Huan stared at him with a straight face.

Li Yao hooked his neck and kissed him, “We modern people are not that pedantic. It’s also possible before marriage.”

Liang Huan had no reason to refuse, “You said that, don’t regret it.”

Li Yao was inexplicably, “What do I regret? Look at the place I chose, how romantic.”

Liang Huan slowly lowered his eyes.

The moonlight was bright, and the flower wall surrounded the pavilion tightly. The smell of smoke and the faint smell of machine oil filled the air. The music from the banquet hall and the laughter of people were looming. The expensive suit was thrown on the ground at will, and the layers of folds were intertwined with black and white, and then rubbed into a mess by the panting footsteps. The soft mechanical petals were rudely pressed under the body.

Li Yao lay on his back in the flowers, his sharp and beautiful eyes filled with moonlight and shock, “Wait, baby, is there something wrong?”

Liang Huan grabbed his sweaty hair, lowered his head and kissed his Adam’s apple, listening to him groan, and asked knowingly, “What’s wrong?”

“…You,” Li Yao tried to push him away, gritting his teeth, “I’m your husband.”

“Um.” Liang Huan smiled and kissed his ear, deliberately not conducting any mental link, but Li Yao’s powerful strength still could not resist the pure internal strength. This resistance was purely adding to the love|interest for him, “Husband, relax.”

“Fuck!” Li Yao cursed angrily, his face uncontrollably flushed red. His chaotic brain could not withstand too much thinking. The guilt mixed in the conversation and Liang Huan’s madness were vivid in his mind. He even had the illusion that Liang Huan had been planning for a long time by any means. The resistance in his heart slowly wavered in Liang Huan’s gentle and lost eyes, “This… hiss, can you do it?”

Liang Huan suddenly narrowed his eyes, “What did you say?”

“No, I mean you dance so badly, of course, this doesn’t seem to have anything to do with dancing, but… damn it, Liang Huan!” His expression changed instantly.

Liang Huan lowered his head and kissed his eyebrows gently, rejecting all his resistance and questions.

…………

…………

The stars were shining, the moonlight was bright, and under the unnatural night sky, bionic flowers bloomed. The soft, cold mechanical petals were crumpled all over the ground. The sound of panting and cursing intertwined into a vast sea of desire, the and brutal covered in sweat, and the madness and calm were staggered in the close skin.

The future of mankind was uncertain, and the hope for the future was slim. Like most people in the apocalypse, they coveted the lingering and endless desires and the moment of unforgettable joy, seeking a glimmer of hope in the doomed destruction, until death.

Li Yao looked up at the fake moon and tried his best to hug the lover in his arms. He heard his voice full of desire and trembling, “Liang Huan, we will go out… sooner or later, we can take everyone out.”

Even if they are now standing at the intersection of two roads, no one is willing to give in, and no one can convince each other.

Liang Huan responded to this hug without reservation. He looked at the rotten sea of flowers in front of him and the desperate struggling roots in the depths, lowered his head and kissed the hot black dragon on Li Yao’s shoulder.

“Of course, I will be with you.”