Chapter 27
The most despairing thing is the abyss beneath your feet and the fragile branches in your hands crackling and breaking.
It is better to be shattered to pieces at the beginning, leaving no time to struggle, to beg or scream, or to reveal one's ugly side, than to ignite hope for an instant and then cruelly extinguish it.
When the male insect passed by, the corner of his clothes raised a slight breeze, which did not even disturb the butterfly, but it made the female soldier's pupils shrink and the blood in her body freeze instantly.
He wanted to stand up, to continue trying to persuade the male insect to change his mind, or to pierce his chest to force him to release pheromones, but he felt as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing on his back, and he couldn't even raise his head.
——The male insect's coldness and cruelty will not change because of a few pleas. He can kill the male insect regardless of the consequences, but in the end, all his comrades may suffer.
"...Ahem...Noah..."
A faint, familiar voice penetrated the violent buzzing in her mind, but the female soldier did not react at all and just knelt there in a daze.
Until the comrade behind him wiped his eyes and pushed his back hard, "It's Alvin, he's awake!"
The female soldier lying on the hospital bed looked weak and pale, her chest rising and falling weakly, and no one could deny the fact that she was about to die.
But when his eyes opened a little, revealing the same gentle deep blue eyes as before, Chong felt that he would definitely get through it and continue to fight alongside them.
The female soldier held his hand hanging by his side, hardly daring to look him in the eye. Her cracked lips trembled for a long time before she said in a hoarse voice, "How do you feel now..."
Alvin did not answer him. He moved his eyes slightly and looked at the empty ward door. Although he was unconscious just now, he could vaguely feel what had happened.
He looked calm but could not hide his worry, fearing that his hot-tempered friend would get into trouble because of him and ruin his career and future.
"Noah...don't be impulsive..."
He tried to shake his friend's hand back, his voice hoarse and weak, "It's okay..."
It's just a death. It is a great honor to sacrifice one's life for the country. Every soldier who goes to the battlefield has this awareness and no one has ever deserted because of fear of death.
Although he did not die on the battlefield, he died in the ward of a field hospital with many comrades and close friends by his side, so he died without regrets.
*
Only when they had completely left the corridor and could no longer feel those emotional gazes did Elaine feel the male insect's body relax a little.
Still feel offended?
He forced a smile and suppressed his restless emotions.
He was ready to face the wrath of the male insects, but the female soldiers in the ward were innocent and he had to free them from this deception.
He originally planned to take it step by step, but he didn't expect Alvin to have a seizure at that time.
Moreover, after only a few hours of contact, Yael's calm and easy-going behavior gave him some unnecessary hope.
He mistakenly believed that there was a slight possibility that the male insect would be willing to give out some pheromones.
But reality dealt him a heavy blow... He really couldn't believe that male insects had any compassion.
In just a few seconds, Elaine adjusted her expression and her voice returned to its previous light tone.
"I'm really sorry, sir, they are all just fighting..."
"Where is the pheromone collection room?"
Elaine was stunned.
Yael turned around, but there was no disgust or anger on his face as Elaine had imagined.
Those eyes, with distinct black and white, were clear and calm, with a hint of confusion.
"Aren't all hospitals equipped with pheromone collection rooms?"
The current social situation is that there are more females than males, and the demand for pheromones is very high.
The law stipulates that male insects are obliged to donate pheromones regularly, and pheromone collection rooms are listed as an indispensable part of hospital construction planning.
Although it is rarely used.
"The female soldier's injuries are so severe that she can't be absorbed by simply releasing pheromones. I don't know the specific treatment method. It's better to let professional doctors use the pheromones and provide treatment."
Seeing that Elaine still had a dazed look on her face and couldn't react, he lowered his head slightly, revealing the restraint patch on the back of her neck.
"I'm sorry for what I did just now. I can't accurately control the amount of pheromones released. There are so many female soldiers in the ward..."
He tried to be polite.
But the fact is that pheromones not only have the function of filling the void in the female insect's body, but also inevitably have some aphrodisiac effects.
And even if he could try his best to remove the aphrodisiac components, the pheromone itself is extremely attractive to female insects.
Just like a clear spring in the desert, a thirsty traveler can hardly control his instinctive behavior. If he releases pheromones in front of so many military women, he will be torn to pieces.
“You…you mean…!”
Elaine finally turned around, his face showing a mixture of pretended lightness and shock and ecstasy, making his expression look a little distorted.
"Are you really willing to donate pheromones?! The Hughes guy really didn't lie to me...!"
He was so excited that he could hardly breathe, and muttered incoherently several times.
After he realized the male insect's hidden meaning, he bowed repeatedly to apologize.
"I'm so sorry for putting you in such a predicament...! Then can we go to the collection room now?"
Yael nodded and motioned for him to lead the way.
"Let's go."
…
The room, which had been tightly closed since its construction, welcomed its first real visitor.
Because no insects had visited the collection room for a long time, the doorplate inlaid on the door was rusted, and the door hinges were covered with a thick layer of dust. When pushed hard, it made a harsh noise, and Elaine felt a little embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, sir. There have been no insects here for many years, so I haven't cleaned it well. Please be patient for a moment..."
Elaine winked at the female insect behind her, and a figure rushed in instantly, turned on the air purification system to the maximum level, and quickly sucked away the floating dust inside.
There were several senior doctors who were called in temporarily standing at the door. When they saw the male insect go in and looked at Elaine's expression, they also squeezed in awkwardly.
The dust in the air could not be completely sucked out for a while, and Yael couldn't help coughing a few times. The doctors immediately looked at him nervously.
"I'm fine, go and start the machine. Time is running out, don't delay."
Yael spoke in a calm tone, but it reminded the doctors of how reserved they were when they were interns facing the strictest and most bossy instructors. They straightened their backs reflexively and said, "Okay, wait a moment!"
The pheromone collecting machine is a small and delicate one, protected by layers of protective shields, and looks quite new.
The doctors were facing a formidable enemy and gathered around the table as much as possible to ensure that they could deal with any emergency.
"Please give me your hand."
Elaine pulled out a long, thin catheter, removed the cap at the top, and revealed a silver collection head.
Yael sat on the sofa and subconsciously stretched out his left hand, but when Elaine was about to roll up his sleeves there, he reacted and retracted his hand.
"Sorry, use your right hand."
The silver collection end was attached to the inside of the wrist. When the machine was turned on, a faint blue light appeared and it extended to the left and right to become a bracelet that was tightly clasped.
"When I turn on the collection button, you just need to release the pheromones as usual. If you feel any discomfort during the process, please tell me immediately..."
Elaine kept talking, fearing that the male insect would find it troublesome and quit.
Yael hummed and closed his eyes slightly. As the machine started beeping, he thought of the female soldier lying on the hospital bed, covered in wounds and breathing weakly, and pursed his lips.
Being injured so badly, he must need a lot of pheromones.
He closed his eyes and manipulated his mental power to circulate in his body, pressing back and forth on the sleeping spot on the back of his neck. After it began to heat up, he forced his way in, bringing out a lingering scent of caramel.
The smells were guided by the bracelet, without leaking a single bit, and were all input into the memory through the pipes. The numbers on the tiny screen soared.
The machine was working diligently, with no signs of problems. The doctor also relaxed a little on duty and began to communicate with his eyes.
【How much do you think you can collect? 】
[It's hard to say. It depends on the level of the male insects. The level of male insects living on this planet should not be very high.]
[Maybe about 10 ml, which can save one or two female insects, but it is still a drop in the bucket for the military females in the most urgent situation, and the quality must be relatively high to be effective. ]
[What was the name of that military lady... Yes, Alvin, maybe it's just to extend his life for a while. Didn't you say before that there is a channel to purchase it from the main planet...]
【Focus! 】
Elaine raised her eyes and scanned the crowd. The doctors who had been absent from duty immediately turned their eyes away, lowered their heads, and looked at their noses and hearts.
“Ding Di——”
The collector issued a warning, and the next second, the ring on the male insect's wrist fell off naturally.
After the collection was completed, the male insect had not yet opened its eyes. Its face was a little paler than a few minutes ago, and its brows were slightly furrowed, as if it was feeling a little uncomfortable.
"Are you all right?"
Elaine leaned over and whispered, scanning the male's face back and forth, trying to determine his current condition.
Strangely, releasing pheromones is as easy for male insects as breathing, and it causes absolutely no harm to the body and has no side effects.
Yael pressed his fingertips between his brows, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a scream.
“What the hell!!”
The voice was so surprised that it swore directly, and it almost echoed in the empty room.
After a few rustling sounds, there was a series of exclamations.
"...Ah? Ah?! Am I dazzled?!"
"But how is that possible? The machine is broken?!"
Elaine turned around and looked at the doctors who were extremely excited. She sensed the unusual atmosphere and swallowed the words that were about to scold them. "…What's going on?"
The doctor holding the collection bottle in his hand was so excited that he was speechless. He rushed over and carefully handed the collection bottle to me, "Look at this!!"
The huge collection bottle was tightly wrapped with rare materials, with only a small screen showing the pheromone content.
What's wrong? Is it because there is too little to show the content?
"?!!!"
When Elaine saw the numbers clearly, her eyes suddenly widened. She was so surprised that it looked a little funny.
Wait, no, what, actually? !
He suddenly raised his head and exchanged glances with the doctor in front of him. After a long while, he said in a hoarse voice, "...The machine is broken?"
The number on the collection bottle is clearly [5000ml], and the flashing red light shows that the content is full and it is time to change to the next collection bottle.
But a collection bottle usually needs to collect hundreds of male insects before it is barely full, which means -
This male was of a much higher rank than they had imagined, and more selfless and generous than they had imagined.
"What's wrong... Is the machine broken?"
Yael finally recovered from the dizziness, opened his eyes and saw the frozen insects. He also happened to hear Elaine's unbelievable whisper and said with some worry.
Although he still had some pheromones left to release, it was definitely not as much as before.
And if the machine breaks down, it will be very troublesome and may delay many things.
After hearing what the male insect said, the doctors who were immersed in shock suddenly woke up and turned their heads at the same time, which scared Yael.
He blinked slowly. "Want... another shot?"
"Is it still not enough? I should have a little bit left. I can continue to draw and try. I used a lot of massage on my female worms yesterday, so maybe it hasn't recovered yet..."
He looked a little helpless, his eyes were clear and sparkling under his trembling eyelashes, his face was a little pale, but -
There was an almost divine, angelic light emanating from the eyes of those doctors.
"No no no no!"
A doctor looked respectful, and after coming to his senses, he repeatedly said, "That's enough, that's enough, thank you very much!!"
Elaine stared at him blankly, her eyes turned red at some point, her lips trembled for a while, and finally she pursed them tightly.
He bent down deeply and bowed to the male insect in front of him, his voice hoarse.
"...really...thank you very much."
For Alvin, for the countless female soldiers who struggled painfully for survival, and for himself.
Yael was silent for a moment, turned away without accepting his thanks, and said, "Send it over. The female soldier named Alvin shouldn't be able to wait too long."
Watching them carefully escort the pheromones out the door, Yael hesitated for a moment and suddenly said, "Wait."
*
Suddenly, a team of doctors rushed into the ward and urgently transported Alvin to the operating room. The female soldiers who were unable to handle the case were all driven away by the bad-tempered attending physician.
The red light outside the operating room door came on, but the noise outside was still not completely eliminated.
The senior doctor with gray hair frowned and instructed the female nurse beside him, "The person called outside is dead, but Alvin can still be saved!"
The originally tired and sleepy female soldier was awakened. She opened her sea-blue eyes with some difficulty and looked at the battle in front of her with some confusion.
He tried to clear his throat, but his voice was still deep and hoarse, difficult to hear, "Ahem...what..."
"Don't talk, save your energy."
The doctor was making well-trained preoperative preparations while giving orders in a cold voice.
But seeing his confused expression, I explained, "Don't worry, that male insect donated 5,000 milliliters of pheromones. You can be saved."
Alvin's chest rose and fell for a moment, his expression was stunned, and after a while he murmured, "Is that so..."
But it's too early to say there's hope. He knows his situation well. It's not just a lack of pheromones. He's almost reached his limit.
Medical resources are scarce on a marginal planet like Etal, and they should not be wasted on him.
No matter what, Alvin was very grateful to the generous male insect. Countless female soldiers were saved because of these 5,000 milliliters. It was no exaggeration to say that it was an oasis that appeared in the desert.
If I can't make it this time, at least ask the doctor to convey a thank you.
His Adam's apple rolled, and he suppressed the sweet taste rising in his throat, "Ahem... Heh, if..."
As if knowing what he was going to say, the doctor gave him a displeased look.
"Just shut up. If they say there is hope, then there is hope. Don't just give up on yourself."
He placed a syringe between his fingers in front of Alvin and said, "Open your eyes and see what this is."
The liquid in the syringe was bright red and viscous, with a warm glow of blood flowing under the light of the flashlight.
Reflected in those deep blue eyes, it was like a glimmer of light shining on the vast ocean.
Like... hope.
"This is the blood that the male insect specifically asked to give to you."
…
"You mean..."
Noah stared blankly at Elaine, whose eyes were shining brightly in front of him. A huge sense of absurdity and unreality surged in his heart, just because of the decisive words just now -
"That male worm voluntarily donated 5,000 milliliters of pheromones and even some blood to Alvin."
This news shocked almost all the female soldiers. They looked at each other for a moment, still feeling that it was very unreal.
"……Really?"
Elaine came over at a trot, still a little out of breath, and walked back and forth in the corridor.
"Why would I lie to you about such a big thing? I finally settled the male insects and came here to inform you!"
"That's right! How could such a big thing be fake!!"
"Oh my god - thank God! Thank that male insect!!"
They soon responded, murmuring excitedly, getting so excited that they began to hit each other's chests, and then hugged each other tightly.
"The Colonel is saved... Noah, why are you daydreaming?!"
A female soldier hugged Noah's shoulders and shook him vigorously, which made him come back to his senses. His lips moved for a moment, but his throat was so swollen that he couldn't say anything.
He buried his face in his hands, took a deep breath, and trembled all over.
"Damn, are you crying?!"
"I told you to apologize to the male insect. Before, you were pointed at and scolded in the ward, and the male insect was merciful not to scold you. Who knew that you actually donated so many pheromones? Alvin's survival depends entirely on that stuff!"
"The net value of the male insect's blood is tens of millions of star coins. We have no way to get this stuff, but the male insect donated it voluntarily... We must thank him very much this time."
…
This shocking news quickly spread throughout the hospital.
Doctors have special means of communication, and most patients are from the same military, so they are very familiar with each other. The versions of the story passed down by word of mouth have changed three or four times.
“Beep beep.”
The computer flashed furiously. Xie Zhao glanced at the military girl who had almost exhausted him, said sorry, and walked aside.
Caesar sat on the sofa opposite with a calm expression. After hearing the doctor leave, he lowered his eyes and tapped lightly on the wheelchair handle with his fingers.
This psychological treatment was as unsuccessful as usual, and the young psychologist opposite seemed to be almost mad at him.
It's not that he can't face the fact that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, but he doesn't even know what he is worried about.
Military women who have been immersed in the battlefield for many years have more or less some psychological problems.
As one of the best among them, he was invited to have tea many times while he still held the military title.
But even the empire's top psychological experts were helpless against him.
Superb verbal inducement didn't work, nor did drugs and special treatments. Even the military courts, where all the spirit-destroying methods were used on him and he was interrogated for months without sleep, had never been able to break down his defenses.
Xi Ze could clearly feel that the door had merged with the city wall over the years. The handle had fallen off, the door hinges were rusted, and it was covered with thick dust. Even he himself could not open it.
If it can’t be opened, it can’t be opened. This is his armor to defend against attacks. It would be perfect if there were no gaps.
Or so he thought, until Yael tried to heal his trauma.
The pretty little male insect frowned, thinking he looked very menacing, as he hammered at his defenses, trying to find an entrance.
But even his anger was restrained. Compared with the coercion and intimidation he had heard of, the so-called "punishment" was as light as a cloud or the soft tentacles of a snail.
Even with just a few words of coaxing, he would willingly sit here, repeating the psychological treatment he had undergone countless times, counting the time waiting for the male insect to come and take him home after it was over.
……go home.
He chewed on this word which was too new to him. He could hardly suppress the roar coming from his chest, and he tightened his fingers unconsciously.
"What the hell?! Is this true?!"
The female insect doctor in the corner screamed, interrupting Caesar's trance.
Afterwards, there was a burst of crackling typing sounds, which was enough to express his shock. During this time, there were countless "wow" and shocking interjections, which made his eyes move slightly.
"What happened?"
When he finally calmed down and came back, Xize had already stopped smiling, his eyes fixed on the position of the female insect in front of him.
Xie Zhao had calmed down a little, but was instantly excited again by this question.
"It's your Lord!! I'm telling you...!"
He told her everything he had heard, with rich emotion and detailed description, interspersed with occasional exclamations and praise.
"Really? This male insect is so good and amazing! Oh my God..."
"Any male insect with a bit of ability is basically extremely arrogant, and they all look down on others. I never thought I would meet such a male insect in my lifetime! Is there suddenly smoke coming out of the Xie family's ancestral tomb?"
Xi Ze listened to the whole thing quietly, as if he was also infected by Xie Zhao's excitement. The corners of his lips curled up slightly, and the gentle smile in his eyes could not be concealed at all.
He was not at all surprised that Yael would do such a thing.
Somehow this feeling broke through his deep-rooted concept of male insects and became a new standard, a rule called "Yell".
But before he could chuckle for long, a thought spread like weeds and took over the high ground with unstoppable force -
The male insect is so gentle and tolerant to everyone.
He and the military girl were both able to survive thanks to this mercy and generosity. There was no difference at all.
There's nothing special about him.
This thought was like a creeping weed, entwining layer upon layer of my heart, squeezing that soft flesh and causing it to swell with blood and cause waves of pulling pain.
The smile in Xi Ze's eyes disappeared, and his expression was stunned.
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