As it was nearing dinner ti, Lu Xun received a call from his aunt, urging him to co ho for dinner.
He quickened his pace and soon arrived at his residential area.
Seeing so people gathered outside, he curiously went over to take a look.
"Oh wow, another wanted criminal!"
"Five-star danger level, how terrifying."
"No kidding, just providing reliable information about the wanted criminal earns you a million bounty, that’s not a small fry!"
...
Lu Xun squeezed through the crowd and finally saw the wanted notice everyone was talking about—
[Zhang Xinghai, male, 32 years old. A forr elite Iron Guard of a special operations unit in the City Defense Army, suffering from severe ntal illness due to excessive prosthetic implants, becoming violent, murderous, and lacking empathy.
This person is extrely dangerous, suspected in multiple murder cases, currently at large. Anyone providing clues or those who capture him will be rewarded with 1,000,000 Federation credits...]
He quickly finished reading the notice.
He also looked at the photo, it really was that Zhang Xinghai.
Lu Xun had personally analyzed the guy’s body, so he knew what he looked like beneath the mask.
’Is this guy still alive? Seems like that Ogre Race spine was quite useful, helped him survive.’
’To think he could hold out so long against the entire city’s forces, both open and hidden, that’s impressive.’
He looked at the wanted notice with a blank expression, pondering over it in his mind.
It made no ntion of Zhang Xinghai being a secret agent, why not say it outright? Could the organization be problematic?
Besides, there was other false information mixed in.
Zhang Xinghai’s physical and ntal condition was very good, he definitely wasn’t ntally ill, Lu Xun was a hundred percent sure of this.
Over-implanting prosthetics could indeed cause severe ntal illness, from hallucinations to becoming an extrely aggressive maniac.
For, ultimately, prosthetics were prosthetics, not flesh. No matter how high-tech, they were still "foreign objects."
After body modifications, the body’s hormone secretion system could be affected, eroding the brain and affecting ntal state and thinking.
But what age are we in now?
This "cyber psychosis" was resolved by scientists ten thousand years ago.
In most cases, even if prosthetic levels reached 99%, regular use of inhibitors could negate any negative effects.
Like Lu Xun’s uncle, whose brain was transplanted into a fully bio-simulated body, not even needing inhibitors.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and sixty million in bio-simulation gear was virtually indistinguishable from a real human body, genuinely advanced civilian technology with minimal flaws.
Of course, this is talking about civilian grade prosthetics.
Military prosthetics are sowhat special.
Involving Magic Essence, Soul Power, Spiritual Energy, and other supernatural forces, excessive implants could indeed drive soone insane, inhibitors of no use.
Unless one has exceptional Talent, if military prosthetics exceed 20%, it’s almost hopeless.
Zhang Xinghai’s body had a total prosthetic level of 30%, but only about 16% were military, the rest civilian-grade prosthetics.
Moreover, he was indeed among those few with "exceptional Talent," with a body highly tolerant to Anomalous Energy and various electrical and chemical signals.
This person couldn’t possibly be ntally ill or a maniac.
There could be hidden motives behind his defection.
Perhaps persecuted by so mysterious mastermind, leaving him no choice but to kill and flee.
But none of this concerned Lu Xun anymore.
He didn’t want to know Zhang Xinghai’s story, nor was he interested in the mastermind’s identity.
He just wanted to stay far away from these dirty matters.
Live quietly and peacefully.
...
Back ho, as soon as he stepped in, he slled a rich aroma.
"Bro, you’re back?" Xie Manyu waved joyfully, "Quick, quick, co and taste the dishes I made!"
"You made these?"
"Yup!" She proudly puffed out her chest.
Lu Xun went over to the dining table, glancing at the sumptuous array of dishes, and gave Xie Manyu a suspicious look.
Sweet and sour carp, spicy mouthwatering chicken, boiled beef...
Since when did his sister have such skills?
Did she secretly learn culinary arts while I, the neglectful brother, ignored her efforts all along?
As he thought, Lu Xun picked up chopsticks and casually tried a piece of fragrant beef, savoring the taste.
Hiss~
His eyes widened, then he curled his fingers and gave her a knock on the head:
"Well, Xie Manyu, you’ve learned to lie? This is clearly aunt’s flavor!!"
The dishes cooked by his aunt had seeped into his bones and soul, and his taste buds could easily tell.
No one else in the world could replicate that taste!
Xie Manyu dared to take credit from mom, she needed a lesson!
"Wah~" She held her head in her hands, pouting, "I wasn’t lying, I never said I made all of it."
She pointed to a nondescript bowl of tomato scrambled eggs on the table, arguing:
"Look, this dish is definitely my doing, if you don’t believe it, ask mom!"
Just then, Jiang Jingfei ca out of the kitchen with a dish, hearing the siblings’ talk, she chuckled and said:
"This ti you’re wrong, Xiao Lu, that is indeed your sister’s handiwork."
Uh...
Lu Xun scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and said to Xie Manyu:
"Cough, sorry, my bad."
"Hmph!"
She crossed her arms, chin up, turning her head aside with a look of "I’m mad and I won’t be appeased."
Lu Xun leaned over, comforting her, "Co on, I’ll let you smack back."
"I want to give you ten knocks!" she retorted.
"Deal."
Lu Xun braced himself.
Xie Manyu chuckled, rolling up her sleeves, about to give her brother a beating, but hesitated, then lowered her hand.
"Hmph! Never mind, I’ll let you off this ti, but you better watch out. You better finish the entire plate of scrambled eggs, not a single bit left!"
"Heh, that’s why you’re my good sister, I knew you couldn’t bear to hit ." Lu Xun showed a self-satisfied look.
Xie Manyu blushed, dodging his gaze, hurriedly saying:
"Not—not because I care about you! I... I just don’t want to hurt my hand punching you, stupid Xiao Lu, don’t flatter yourself! Damn... I changed my mind, bring your head here, let knock you now!"
"You two stop it, sit down and eat!"
Aunt sternly smacked the table, asserting her authority as the head of the house.
Successfully diating the squabble.
However, Xie Manyu felt mom was being biased, puffing her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
She decided she would find dad later to stand up for her!
She channeled her anger into appetite, but soon the delicious dishes conquered her, and she forgot all about other things.
After dinner, Lu Xun told his aunt he planned to go back to school tomorrow.
After all, he had almost fully recovered from his injuries, just a few more applications of the dicine and he’d be good as new, not even leaving a scar.
Honestly, the als didn’t need to be so lavish anymore, no need for extra nutrition... but no need to say that!
Aunt didn’t oppose when she heard he wanted to return to school, and after washing the dishes, she called Lu Xun’s teacher to explain the situation.
"It’s such a relief to have nothing weighing on ."
Lu Xun lay back on his bed, rubbing his full belly, feeling more relaxed and comfortable than ever.
He was out of that nasty business loop, and his uncle had the life-saving money.
The task Old Octopus entrusted him before dying was also completed today.
The sense of urgency in Lu Xun’s heart vanished completely.
Tomorrow he would start enjoying school life!
Accumulating Trait Points every day, looking for chances to gather so genes, and when bored, learning so Necromancy from deskmate Wuer.
Of course, he also planned to find an odd job... a legitimate one, no shady business.
Earn so money, so for household expenses, and stash the rest away for future needs.
"Life’s truly looking more and more hopeful!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers