Chapter 26

Yan Ning said it lightly, but Qi Heng could tell that he was in a bad situation at that time.

I met Yan Ning holding the insect eggs half a month ago. A normal and healthy insect egg needs one to two weeks to hatch, plus the time it takes for the insect to be pregnant.

During this period, Yan Ning was alone, and living in the slums must have been very difficult.

Qi Heng subconsciously recalled some settings in the game... He actually didn't want to recall the settings in the game, because every time he recalled them, some indecent settings would always come to mind.

This aspect cannot be thought about too much or too deeply.

When he thought about it more deeply, he couldn't help but regret his original "randomness" in treating the game settings.

Qi Heng thought that the division of labor between male and female Zerg was obviously different from the past. The 'past' he referred to was the period when he was still the dominant player in the game.

He thought it was normal for the Zerg to have changed after more than 10,000 years, but he didn't expect the current Zerg to have changed so much.

From the separate and severed relationship between male and female insects to the fact that female insects occupy the bottom of the entire slum with an absolute numerical advantage, and the responsibility of producing and raising insect eggs falls entirely on the female insects, this widowed way of producing insect eggs is obviously different from the way the Tianjia insect race reproduces offspring.

If he hadn't seen male insects, he would have thought that all the male insects were dead, as he thought it was impossible for female insects to lay eggs.

Also, the current situation is obviously artificially created. It must have taken a lot of time to make the Zerg's social division of labor what it is now.

No, time alone is not enough. Something else must have happened that forced the Zerg to accept this form.

What could it be?

Qi Heng's mind was racing, but the content of his thoughts was getting further and further away.

Once he starts thinking, he can't help but think more and more. This is not something he can control, so most of the time he will choose to empty his mind or not think about some problems that will become more complicated the more he thinks about them.

Suddenly, Yan Ning's voice rang out.

"We're here."

We have arrived at Yunjiu’s home.

It was a rather simple house, comparable to the one Yan Ning lived in, but it looked a little bigger.

Metal containers can be seen everywhere in District 49. Where did these containers come from? How could there be so many industrial containers on a planet where civilization had been shattered? Even though they were tattered, it showed that these containers did not originally belong to Tianyun Star.

"Sure enough, only Grandpa Yun is at home." Yan Ning said as she took him into the house.

The door of the house was open and not blocked tightly.

The environment in the slums is not good. It's not that there are no female insects who bully the weak, but from Qi Heng's observation, it seems that a certain balance is maintained.

Although female insects are aggressive by nature, in this environment where just staying alive requires one to fight with all one's might, a few female insects alone cannot cause any trouble.

Yes, although District 49 was dirty and messy, there was still order - he did not forget the patrol members he met on the first day he arrived in District 49.

The patrol team sounds like an organization that enforces law with violence, and is related to the mayor of the 49th district.

Qi Heng sneered in his heart. Using the Zerg to check and balance the Zerg, the forces behind it are quite familiar with management.

"Grandpa Yun, we're here to see you." Yan Ning spoke as he stepped into the house.

An elderly voice came from inside the house and said, "From the sound, is Xiao Ning here?"

Hearing this voice, Qi Heng raised his eyebrows slightly.

The voice sounded like that of an old man. Interesting. This was the first time I had seen an elderly female insect after being in District 49 for so long.

Area 49 is full of young-looking female insects. It is difficult to tell their true age based on their appearance without scanning their bone age, but it is certain that they have definitely not entered old age.

The Zerg are divided into three stages: juvenile, young and old. In the past, when the average lifespan of the Zerg reached 300 years old, excluding the juvenile and old stages, they would spend more than 200 years in the appearance of their adult youth.

Qi Heng didn't think too much about not seeing the aging Zerg.

After all, given that the Zerg are having trouble feeding themselves now, it is not difficult to imagine them being abandoned when they become old and unable to survive.

"It's me, Grandpa Yun."

Yan Ning led him into a room separated by a curtain with familiarity. Inside was a female insect half lying on the bed. Through a small window, he could see the female insect's dry gray hair and wrinkled face.

When Qi Heng saw the other person, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and even the idea of ​​finding out about the other person's situation dissipated a lot.

This female insect's life is coming to an end.

Female insects entering old age will show signs of aging, but they will definitely not look as exhausted as the one before us. There are female insects with naturally white hair, but the one before us is obviously not one of them... When the gray turns into completely white, it means the moment of death has arrived.

The other person looked at them with slightly cloudy eyes, and when he saw the insect baby in Yan Ning's arms, he showed a kind smile unique to elders.

"I heard from Xiaojiu that your insect eggs have hatched into little insect cubs. That's great! I'm glad you didn't give up."

Yan Ning smiled, and her arms around the baby bug tightened involuntarily. She said with some relief, "I'm lucky."

Isn't it just good luck? If I hadn't gone to the Dead Egg Pit that morning, if I hadn't met Qi Heng that morning, how could I have this laughing and noisy little bug now?

"Come closer and let me see."

"Yeah." Yan Ning walked over as he said.

"Lele, come and say hello."

The baby insect poked its head out from Yan Ning's arms, opened its innocent eyes and looked at the old female insect in front of it with ignorant curiosity. After tentatively reaching out and touching the old female insect's hand, it showed a shy and cute smile.

Yunjiu's grandfather smiled and touched the bug cub's head.

"He is the Zerg you brought back from outside." Yun Jiu's grandfather was talking to Yan Ning, but his eyes were fixed on the strange Zerg who didn't speak at the side, that is, Qi Heng.

Qi Heng accepted the other party's scrutiny calmly.

The corners of his mouth remained unchanged, with a faint smile on his face.

"Hello."

"I'm Qi Heng. I've received a lot of care from Yun Jiu before, so I came here with Yan Ning to visit."

Some habits cannot be changed by time travel. Qi Heng always maintains due respect and courtesy towards those older than him.

"Is there anything I can confuse you about?"

He found that Yun Jiu's grandfather had not moved his eyes since then and had been looking at him.

"Are you from another district? You don't look like one," Yunjiu's grandfather said. The strange feeling he felt upon seeing this Zerg creature made him add, "Your living conditions must have been pretty good back then."

Qi Heng remained expressionless and said calmly, "It's just so-so."

Yun Jiu's grandfather looked at him with a strange look in his eyes. Did he discover something? He thought to himself.

Qi Heng had no plans to stay any longer. He had come here and left his things behind, so it was time to do other things.

So he offered to leave.

Hearing that he was leaving, Yan Ning, who had known about it from the beginning, said nothing: "I'll talk to Grandpa Yun for a while, and then I'll go back to cook..."

"No need." Qi Heng said.

"I'll take care of it myself at noon. It's a rare occasion for you to come out, so why not spend some time with me?"

The female insects in the slums eat two meals a day, but Qi Heng is different. He is used to eating three meals a day.

It was okay at the beginning because the conditions were poor, but when they improved later, he asked to resume three meals a day... There was no other way, he was doing physical labor in a mine, and he really couldn't keep up with the physical consumption if he didn't eat enough.

As a result, Yan Ning had to cook three meals for him a day.

It’s not that I haven’t thought about doing it myself.

But Yan Ning was obviously disappointed that she couldn't help in other aspects, and it wouldn't be good if she refused even this... Qi Heng thought about it and let him do it. Helping to cook was also another way to contribute one's own strength, which was also a good thing.

"How can that be..."

Qi Heng waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "It's just a meal, it's settled."

"I'm leaving first."

He left Yunjiu's house and walked towards the central trading area carrying the remaining meat.

When Qi Heng saw that Yun Jiu's grandfather could only lie down with no reaction in his lower body, he realized that he was probably paralyzed in bed and unable to move.

Normally, Yun Jiu goes to the mine at dawn and doesn't come back until dark, so the old man has no one to keep him company at home. Today, it's a rare occasion for Yan Ning to bring the insect cub with him, so as a younger generation, it would be good for him to chat with her more.

At Yun Jiu's home.

After Qi Heng left, Yun Jiu's grandfather asked, "Xiao Ning, how did you know him?"

Yan Ning was stunned for a moment before realizing that the 'he' was referring to Qi Heng. After a moment of hesitation, she replied, "Why do you ask?"

"Grandpa is a little curious, can't I tell you?"

Yun Jiu's grandfather recalled the appearance of the black-haired female insect standing beside him. Her outstanding appearance made it impossible to ignore her. Even though they were both female insects, they couldn't help but look at each other twice.

"No, it's just that I promised Brother Qi..." Yan Ning pursed her lips.

The insect cub lying in the arms of its female father turned over, yawned, and buried its head in the female father's arms, looking drowsy.

"I heard from Yunjiu that you brought him back from outside the district."

For some reason, Yun Jiu's grandfather was a little concerned about the black-haired female insect. When he was talking to Xiao Ning, the other party just stood there. She had a very approachable smile on her face, but she seemed to be floating outside the space they were in.

"I've seen a lot of Zerg, and he's very different."

Qi Heng didn't know that after just one meeting, Yun Jiu's grandfather, the elderly female insect, could see another side of him beneath his gentle appearance.

But he probably wouldn't care even if he knew. After all, people living in the world always have to disguise themselves appropriately in order to adapt to the world.

...He did not deliberately put on a mask. His gentle and approachable appearance and aloof and indifferent inner self were both him. The former was for him to survive in this strange world, while the latter was because he subjectively did not want to integrate into this world.

I don't want to establish too many connections with the world, and I hope to live alone in the safe zone of my own creation. The opposite is the feeling of being out of place brought about by doing so.

The young Zerg with little experience were fooled by the side he showed, but it was easy to see through in front of some experienced people. This happened because he never deliberately hid the other side of himself.

First, there is no need for it, and second, what if it is discovered?

Anyway, he has no demands on this world, and he doesn't need to get anything from others. This is what Qi Heng thought in his heart.

The other side.

District 49.

Central trading area.

Qi Heng had a smile on his face, but he was full of impatience in his heart.

He just came to exchange something. Who could tell him what was going on with this male insect that suddenly appeared in front of him?

Before I could walk away from him, I heard:

"Hello dear, let me introduce myself, my name is Carlos."

The male insect flirted with his long hair and stood in front of him with a smile: "You are so beautiful, I like you very much, maybe we can spend a pleasant night together."

Qi Heng couldn't help but tighten his hands that were hanging by his side.

Being stopped on the road by a male insect and confessed to is almost as stimulating as being confessed to by a man. This is simply an unbearable burden for a straight man. If the location and occasion were not inappropriate, Qi Heng would really give this male insect a good beating and eventually paralyze him.

He knew that due to the low progress of his fusion, he did not have the pheromones that a male insect should have, and he did not look as weak as these male insects, but this was not the reason why the other party confessed his love for him as a 'female insect'.

What is more disgusting than being confessed to is the other person's words.

Being confessed to by a same-sex person is proof of one's charm, but this is not a reason for the other party to sexually harass and behave like a hooligan and be shameless. Are all male insects nowadays so depraved?

No, this is not depravity, it is clearly perversion.

He looked around and saw that many of the female insects watching were actually envious, while the male insects looked like they were enjoying the show and were sure that he would accept it.

The smile on his face disappeared, his thin lips straightened into a line, and he said with disgust: "Not interested, get lost."

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The author has something to say: I will post a new update tomorrow. Since the update has always been at midnight, in order to put it in the front row, the next update will be moved from 1:00 am on the 30th to 12:00 pm_(:з」∠)_

The delay compensation is +2000 for the update on the same day, a total of 5,000~~~

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Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: 10 bottles of Yanjiuci, Chijian, and Sishang; 5 bottles of Fanmodaozhi; 470404492 bottles; 1 bottle of Mandolin, Omission..., and Yanguowuhen;

Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!