Chapter 26
"Next one."
The female insect doctor wearing black-framed glasses rubbed her brows and picked up a document beside her. Before she could read the disease information on it, the door was pushed open.
Three bugs came in from outside. He took a quick look and found that one of them was his good friend, who was whispering with a surprisingly beautiful female.
There was also a tall female soldier next to her, but unfortunately she was sitting in a wheelchair.
He was wearing a black mask that covered most of his face, and had a thick bandage around his neck, but a discerning worm could tell at a glance that it was a female slave collar.
"Xie Zhao!"
His good friend stepped forward and greeted him enthusiastically, blinking at him like his eyelids were twitching. "Remember the private order I mentioned earlier?"
Thanks? Which thanks?
Xi Ze's heart moved, and he pulled up the mask quietly.
Behind the desk, Xie Zhao raised his eyes with a lack of interest, and happened to meet the gaze of the female who made his friend desperately courteous to him. Although he was mentally prepared, his heart still skipped a beat.
Good...very beautiful.
But he is a professional doctor and cannot do such rude things as staring at other insects.
The female in front of him was breathtakingly beautiful, but her expression was very cold, like a fairy insect that breathes the wind and drinks dew but does not eat fireworks. The smooth and soft arc at the end of her eyes was slightly upturned, as if all the mundane things in front of her were not pleasing to her eyes.
Xie Zhao coughed softly and looked at his friend——
After he expressed that he was not interested in male insects, this guy had been tirelessly introducing him to beautiful female insects, just like a pimp in the black market.
Could this sub-female have been tricked here from somewhere again?
"What are you thinking about? Live a serious life."
Elaine moved her lips and lip-synced, then bent and bowed to usher the "sub-female" to the front, "This is Mr. Yael."
Male insect. He met Xie Zhao's shocked gaze and silently lip-synced.
Oh my god... male, male insect? !
How could such a rare creature as a male insect exist in this damn place?!
Xie Zhao's mind went blank for a moment, and he stood up in a panic. He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he heard his friend introducing himself.
"Sir, this is the psychologist I told you about before. He graduated from the first university in the empire. He has excellent professional qualities and rich work experience. He came here to work a year ago..."
Yael raised his eyes as he was told.
The doctor in front of me had black curly hair, a fair and handsome face, and a pair of thick black-framed glasses on his nose. He had a confused look and looked a little dull.
He had read the information about this doctor named Xie Zhao beforehand and had made his own preliminary judgment, but his actual personality was somewhat different from what he had imagined.
She looks innocent, but I wonder if she can control Xi Ze, a military girl who is very defensive, tough-talking, and used to scare insects with a cold face.
"Hello."
Yael's eyes curved slightly, and that hint of indifference disappeared suddenly like the residual snow shaken off the branches, replaced by a light and clean smile.
It turns out that it is not a cold and aloof little fairy insect, but a gentle and polite little fairy insect!
He smiled at me! So cute, and also... wanted to shake my hand!!
Xie Zhao felt dizzy for a moment, and for the first time he felt truly amazed when facing a male insect.
He carefully held the clean and delicate hand, feeling as if he was touching some precious work of art, and said awkwardly, "Hello, hello..."
"This time it's not me who's being treated, it's my female worm."
Yael briefly explained Caesar's situation and then chuckled.
"Dr. Xie's resume is truly outstanding. I have great confidence in his ability. I'll leave it to Dr. Xie this time. If there's anything I can help you with, just let me know..."
Xie Zhao could feel his face getting hot. He was dizzy from being called "Dr. Xie" left and right, and was flattered by the male insect's polite compliments.
Oh my god, male insects that are not picky and threatening doctors actually exist? !
He came to this remote planet from the hospital on the main planet of the Empire, on the one hand to do some practical work, and on the other hand to comfort his wounded heart from serving the noble male insects.
He was a highly professional person and could tell at a glance that although the male insect in front of him had not yet undergone secondary differentiation, its level was definitely not low and it would require special care if placed on the main star.
I've never heard of any family having such a beautiful little male insect.
Xie Zhao seemed to be drugged with love potion and couldn't stop grinning. He followed Yer's words and looked at the military girl sitting in the wheelchair.
Then, I was stabbed to the core by a pair of cold golden eyes.
He suddenly woke up.
"Okay, then three times a week. We'll decide the exact time when the time comes. Is that okay?"
After determining the long-term plan and treatment duration, Yael stopped talking.
When he applied for funding for previous research, he needed to practice Tai Chi and use flattery and politeness. Although he was not an expert at these things, he was pretty familiar with them. However, this situation rarely occurs after he came here.
He did not reject this behavior. After all, it was just for his own profit. The research materials and equipment were worth his time and effort, and the same went for the female insect.
"Okay, okay, then you can leave first, or wait in the VIP lounge for a while. I'll take your female insect in to chat first."
Xie Zhao picked up the documents on the table. The slight blush on his face had not yet faded. He was as enthusiastic as a large and energetic dog, and the curly hair on his forehead trembled with his movements.
Yael hesitated for a moment, but did not choose to leave immediately, "Wait a moment."
Then Xie Zhao saw the male insect smile at the female soldier. It was not the distant and polite smile it gave him, but a shallow but real smile, as if it was a little helpless.
The female soldier who had been secretly staring at the insect fiercely raised her head meekly, and the male insect took off the mask on her face, and her deliberately concealed features suddenly became clear.
The female soldier had a handsome appearance, with cold and deep eyebrows and narrow eyes that were slightly upturned at the ends. Her golden eyes were extremely sharp, revealing a ray of sharp light for no reason.
When he stared at someone, it was like a beast locking onto its prey, which made anyone shudder. At least Xie Zhao, who was being "stared at", felt a chill on his back, as if his throat was being strangled and he was slightly suffocating.
But there seems to be something strange...
Xie Zhao frowned secretly and couldn't help but look over there again, only to find that the military girl's vision was a little blurred, covered with a thin layer of shadow, and she seemed unable to see.
Are you blind already?!
He secretly clicked his tongue, thinking that even being blind was still so scary, if she didn't have all these injuries, how dazzling would the military girl look like.
Moreover, he always felt that the outline of this female soldier was strangely familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
But then he thought again, if he had seen such a recognizable military female before, it would be impossible for him to not remember her at all. It should be just an illusion.
"Whether you have a problem or not, since you are here, why not check your mental health as well? Didn't you have nightmares before?"
Knowing that Caesar was reluctant, Yael didn't waste any more words. He casually rubbed the female insect's hair, which felt very nice, and said half-commandingly and half-coaxingly, "Okay, be good, I'll pick you up later."
Be good.
The four words uttered softly by the male insect were so destructive that even Xie Zhao, who was far away, felt the blow, not to mention Xi Ze, who was being coaxed in the face.
The female insect lowered her eyes in a panic, swallowed her heartbeat, and whispered, "Okay."
Xie Zhao grinned quietly, suspecting that his teeth had been soured.
But when Yael turned around, he immediately put on a very professional look and said, "Hello, is it ready? Then I'll take him in."
"Thank you for your hard work, doctor."
The psychotherapy room is just a few steps behind this office.
The moment the door was closed, Yael saw the harmless look on Xie Zhao's face disappear, his eyes became slightly cold, and he looked very reliable and professional.
Click——the door behind me was completely closed.
Elaine, who had been acting as a background since the beginning, stepped forward and said enthusiastically, "Sir, do you want to go to the lounge or somewhere else now? If you don't mind, I can help you..."
Yael retracted his gaze and thought for a moment, "Let's go to the lounge and wait."
*
This hospital was not the one that Yael was familiar with, but a field hospital located in the gray zone at the edge of the planet. Usually, most of the patients treated there were military females injured in combat.
The composition of doctors and patients here is quite complex, but the medical team is very well-trained and professional, and there is even a psychologist specializing in treating post-war trauma. No wonder Hewitt highly recommends this place.
"Me and Hughes? We are bad friends, I guess. That's all we have. I was surprised when he found me..."
Elaine is the acting director of this hospital. I heard that the real director is his female father, who is now opening a hospital on the main planet and has kept this unkempt female as a mascot.
Yael rolled up the inspection report in his hand and glanced at Elaine after hearing this.
"Sir, please come this way. I just came in through the back door. You haven't seen the inside of this hospital yet. Although our hospital is not as high-end as the Central Hospital, the medical level is excellent..."
Yael followed him around a corridor, but was caught off guard by the stretchers that filled the corridor, as well as countless wounded female soldiers who were sitting or lying on the ground.
His pupils shrank slightly and his steps paused.
Yes, a small war broke out in the surrounding galaxies not long ago. Although we won, there must have been quite a few injured military women. This is exactly when this hospital can come in handy.
Some of the female soldiers had lost their hands and feet and turned into blood gourds. They just barely bandaged the wounds to stop the bleeding. It was very miserable. And because the wounds had transformed into insect tentacles and shells, it looked weird and scary.
They packed the corridor very tightly, but they were very quiet and well-trained. When they saw insects coming, they would silently make way for them.
Yael closed his eyes, somewhat silent.
Although I know clearly that these female soldiers are giant insects in skin, I still can't help but think back to the soldiers and firefighters in the society, who are admirable and loved.
同樣是保衛疆土保護民衆，這裏的軍雌身份卻并不顯得多麽特殊。
蟲族中雌蟲的數目十分龐大，甚至已經過于溢出，大批消耗在戰場上也不會覺得心疼，甚至被認為是給星球減負。
又因為雄蟲的數量稀少，只有站到高位的軍雌才能配對到雄蟲，替代的合成信息素和安撫劑價格又昂貴，更多普通的軍雌活着離開了戰場，卻死于信息素虧空和精神力暴亂。
如此冰冷又殘酷的社會淘汰法則。
耶爾穿越到蟲族這麽久，雖然有意不去深入接觸社會，但常識大多還是知道的，但知道歸知道，接受不接受又是另一回事了。
伊萊恩卻像是司空見慣，滿臉笑意甚至都沒有減損一分，語調仍然歡快昂揚。
“閣下，這邊請！這條走廊後面就是貴賓休息室了……”
他說話的聲音不算大，但在安靜得過分的走廊裏還是很顯得十分聒噪，不少軍雌被吵醒，擡頭看向這邊。
耶爾偶然一低頭，對上一雙困苦的眼睛，深邃又清透，沾染了血和塵土，隔着一米的距離和他沉默對望。
窗外模糊的白光晃眼，為這一片狼藉覆蓋上朦胧的白紗，顯得安靜又肅穆。
他在這不同尋常的死寂中，清晰地聽到自己擂鼓般的心跳。
這感覺很……奇異，像是按部就班游離在外的npc，終于承認并稍微融入了這真實的世界。
能感知到原住民的悲傷與痛苦，真正地開始共情這紛雜而龐大的社會情感。
直到那個軍雌低頭閉上了眼睛，他還怔怔站在原地。
“醫生！醫生……！”
嘶啞急迫的叫喊猝然響起，下一秒，耶爾身側的病房門被大力推開。
“醫生呢？！阿爾文快撐不住了！信息素補給還沒有到嗎？”
雙眼通紅的軍雌大步跨出，守在門邊的幾個士兵也倏地站了起來，聽到裏面痛苦的低吟聲，神色都難看至極。
“都讓開！不要堵着門！”
極速趕來的醫生風一樣卷進病房裏，連門都沒來得及關，就連接設備開始急救。
一開始推門出來的軍雌神色發狠，聲音卻止不住發顫，“……沒用的，這次再沒有信息素補給，阿爾文撐不了幾日。”
周圍站着的鐵血铮铮的軍雌對視着紅了眼眶，一句話也說不出。
市面上流通的信息素都是奢侈品，平時就已經供不應求，戰時更是買不到幾瓶。
醫院的儲量不多，在這幾日的戰事下已經消耗殆盡，主星的供給也根本指望不上。
醫院的說辭他們已經聽膩了，但事實就是這樣，信息素沒有就是沒有，他們只能眼睜睜看着戰友死在眼前。
急救也就是幾分鐘的事，耶爾擡眼去看時醫生已經停了手，那個名叫阿爾文的軍雌被髒污的藍色簾子擋住，看不清具體身形和樣貌。
只有一只手從病床上垂下來，骨節堅硬分明，手背上青筋蜿蜒，沾染了硝煙和血跡的髒污斑駁，在地上投下一抹淺灰的剪影。
伊萊恩不知道什麽時候來到耶爾身後，也同樣看着病房裏面，神色卻不再是裝出來的浮誇笑意，眸底隐含悲傷。
他的聲音很輕，“我們進去看看，好嗎？”
耶爾眼睫一顫，将視線移到這個剛才還很不着調的雌蟲身上，神色微微恍然，最終還是沉默地點了點頭。
見雄蟲願意進去，他連忙上前一步，撥開擠在病床前的軍雌和醫生，空出一個寬敞的位置來。
“閑雜蟲等不要進……小院長，您怎麽來了？”
醫生臉上的暴躁轉為驚訝，看了看雌蟲又看了看他身後的蟲，還是退開一步。
只是不管怎樣，這個名叫阿爾文的軍雌注定撐不了多久了，信息素沒辦法憑空變出來。
而且也不僅僅是信息素的事，精神力暴動、根基受損、并發症……哪一樣都是要命的。
別說只是院長的二雌子，就連院長親自來都救不了。
他嘆了口氣，挫敗地放下手裏的急救器械，轉向周圍憤怒又悲痛的雌蟲，“醫院也沒辦法了……節哀。”
這兩個字徹底将那些軍雌點炸了，最開始沖出來叫醫生的軍雌倏地站起來，受傷的野獸般暴怒低吼。
“他還沒死呢節什麽哀？！治不了滾出去！不需要你在這裏假惺惺……你誰啊在這看什麽熱鬧？都他媽的滾出去！”
“你冷靜一點！”
伊萊恩冷聲道，伸手将耶爾護在身後，以防他被不知輕重的軍雌誤傷，同時餘光頻頻看向雄蟲神情，眉間暗含焦急。
“我冷靜什麽冷靜？！合着死的不是你的戰友是吧，這爛醫院連幾瓶信息素都搞不到，那些雄蟲整天醉生夢死連這一點價值都提供不了！我看這個帝國早就爛掉根了……！”
旁邊的戰友七手八腳一起上都按不住他，場面一片混亂，拉扯間差點演變成大型互毆。
耶爾對那些争吵恍若未聞，手心抓住鏽蝕的欄杆，掀開簾子的一角專注地看着病床上的軍雌。
那是一個剃着板寸、容貌堅毅的軍雌，他身量高大而強壯，卻只能勉強擠在窄小的床上。
赤裸的上半身橫貫着無數深可見骨的傷口，無端讓他想起絞入螺旋槳被慘烈切割血肉的鯨魚。
剛撿到西澤的時候，他身上私刑的傷口極為新鮮。
但越是治療，被覆蓋其下在戰争中受的傷便逐漸顯露出來，更嚴重、更深也更多，累累地堆疊起來，幾乎觸目驚心。
耶爾回過神，突然蹙了蹙眉，微彎下腰嗅聞了一下——
這個軍雌身上散發出一種陌生又熟悉的味道，根據剛才醫生說的話，這個軍雌正處于發情期失控後強行壓制的虛弱期。
病床周圍也飄蕩着狂躁卻虛弱的精神力，顯然已經步入了暴動後期。
“閉嘴！”
伊萊恩終于忍不住爆發，一聲怒吼将病房內的軍雌都震住。
他瞪着那個神色憤怒又悲痛的軍雌，低聲警告道，“再吵吵阿爾文就真的沒救了！”
他餘光掃了一眼病床邊上的耶爾。
這句話和暗示動作的另一層意思如此明顯。
那些軍雌身體都是一僵，幾乎有些難以置信地順着伊萊恩的視線，看向那個被帶進病房中的“亞雌”。
不、說不定不是亞雌，而是……
可是真的有可能嗎？
這種貴族的狗都嫌棄的貧瘠星球，在這種陳舊不堪的戰地醫院，在一個受盡折磨即将死去的軍雌病床前——
真的會出現一只雄蟲嗎？
伊萊恩的眼神已經給出了答案。
但和這一室的争吵和慘烈相比，那個雄蟲的神情未免冷漠得過了頭，純黑色的瞳眸清透，卻像是無波無瀾的寒潭之水，沒有任何東西能倒映其中。
剛才憤怒低吼的軍雌表情僵硬，他當然對在窮奢極欲中糜爛的雄蟲不屑一顧，剛才還幾乎指着鼻子痛罵了雄蟲一頓，要拿到這一點信息素難度可想而知。
……但這是唯一能救阿爾文的辦法了。
安靜到死寂的狹小空間裏，突然響起一道沉悶的撞擊聲，像是一座轟然坍塌的山。
耶爾從沉思中回過神，就見到腳邊直挺挺地跪着一個軍雌，他臉色很蒼白，眸光卻決絕。
浸透了疲憊和悲痛的聲音嘶啞難聽，磕磕絆絆又低聲下氣地說着哀求之語。
“閣下，請您救救他吧，只需要一點點信息素就好了……阿爾文是一名很優秀的戰士，他在戰争中救了很多民衆，一直……”
他和剛才兇狠冷硬的樣子完全不一樣，神情卻沒有多少屈辱，為戰友的生死而下跪，本就不算什麽艱難的抉擇。
意識到雄蟲很可能對這些并不感興趣，軍雌猛地打住話音換了個說詞。
“我們可以買，要多少星幣您都可以開價……這次戰争我有很多軍功，如果您想要可以都拿走……！”
“我的軍功也可以給您，求您救救阿爾文吧！”
“我的也可以……”
“我也是……”
“求求您了……”
病房裏呼啦啦跪了一大片，懇求附和的話語此起彼伏，場面甚至是震撼的，而被幾十雙眼睛小心翼翼注視着的中心，正是耶爾。
但是雄蟲臉上的表情還是很淡，看不出心情怎麽樣，伊萊恩的心髒咯噔一下，不斷地往下沉。
……還是太心急了。
雖然接觸時間不長，但雄蟲明顯不是會被輕易動搖的性格。
現在場面變得這樣難堪，在他眼裏也許根本就是赤裸裸的算計和威脅。
不過也确實如此，從休伊斯那裏得知他醫院有一只雄蟲，而且性情品格等還不錯，有一定的概率可以獲得信息素後，他就費盡心力地把蟲拐到這裏來了。
剛才走的路也不是通往vip休息室的，而是他專門騙雄蟲過來的。
本想循序漸進的，但阿爾文實在等不了了，但……或許還是太心急了。
是他的錯，如果雄蟲真的為此生氣，不僅救不了阿爾文，跟着跪下的這些軍雌都要受罰。
Elaine closed her eyes and was about to step forward and turn around when she saw Yael move and take a step back.
He did not look at the many female soldiers kneeling at his feet, and lowered his eyes calmly.
"Let's go."