Chapter 30
Joe no longer had to be locked in the house all day. The next day, he was taken to the camp by his master again. Would he be able to go in and out with his master from now on?
This is fantastic, and Joe is very happy.
While Ji Fang was dealing with matters, he would wander around the camp, visit the pet guild, and chat with Chang Wei to prevent himself from losing his native language skills.
They also went to the soldiers' training ground to watch their mech battles. Last time when they went fishing, Qiao hadn't seen clearly how Ji Fang released his mech. Now, seeing the soldiers release their mechs, he still felt it was quite amazing.
A key shaped like a round buckle; when pressed with a finger, a colossal object instantly appears—a mech. The mechs used by soldiers are all identical, only the mechs used by generals are different, each with a unique shape. Are the mechs used by generals specific?
He watched the mechs flying around on the training field, performing all sorts of cool moves, and his envy was evident on his face.
How cool would it be if he could also pilot a mecha, become a super soldier, and be able to fly and land on land!
Ji Fang saw him standing on the training field and asked, "You like mecha?"
Qiao tilted his head, naturally he liked it. He thought that his master's mecha seemed different from the soldiers on the training ground. He gestured, wanting to take another look at Ji Fang's mecha.
Ji Fang could now guess what Qiao was trying to say, and this feeling of being able to communicate with him was quite novel to Ji Fang.
"Want to take another look?" Ji Fang asked.
This time, Qiao nodded heavily.
Ji Fang's mecha is hidden in a terminal on his wrist. The most advanced bio-mecha in the country is embedded in his body. He can release the mecha instantly at will.
This time, Qiao clearly saw his master transform before his eyes. A towering five-meter-tall mecha instantly rose from the ground, making Qiao appear as a tiny speck.
The mecha gleamed with a black metallic sheen, its lines flowing seamlessly, resembling a cheetah poised to pounce, or a wolf lurking in wait.
Ji Fang controlled the mecha and lifted up the small Qiao Ye who was standing on the ground, as if holding her in the palm of his hand.
The sudden increase in height excited Qiao, and then Ji Fang focused on the mecha's heart, pressing Qiao in as if he were being pressed into the heart.
Joe felt his vision suddenly shift, and he found himself inside the mecha's core, standing alongside his master.
Qiao also knew that the mecha was controlled by mental power, which was the same principle as the control terminal. He was trying to sense it with his mental power when Ji Fang smiled and patted his head: "My mental power is too strong. You can't take the initiative. Your attempts are like tickling me. Don't be naughty!"
"You can actually tickle me?" Qiao Ye thought of how his master often made him beg for mercy by tickling him, and he immediately thought this was a good opportunity for revenge! But before he could even extend his mental energy, it was as if he was trapped. Then, he didn't know how Ji Fang controlled it, but he touched a wisp of his mental energy. Instantly, Qiao Ye felt as if tens of thousands of ants were crawling on his body.
Joe immediately begged for mercy and stopped provoking him.
As they were investigating the mecha, another mecha suddenly appeared behind them.
"When I saw Commander Ji's unique bio-mecha at Lingshan Lake, I was itching to have a spar. There's no time like the present, so let's have a match now, shall we?" Zhou Shiqing's eager voice rang out.
Zhou Shiqing's mecha was khaki-colored. In Qiao Ye's eyes, it looked like a dog with a beard that specialized in cleaning anus. Its shape was somewhat strange, but strangely harmonious.
Ji Fang knew he couldn't refuse today, so he decided to compete.
Ji Fang placed Qiao Ye in the safety seat inside the mecha, and then flew with Zhou Shiqing to a closed training ground.
Zhou Shiqing took advantage of his unpreparedness and launched the first attack, and the two were soon locked in a fierce entanglement.
Ji Fang appeared to be on the defensive, but no matter what Zhou Shiqing did, he couldn't attack him.
Zhou Shiqing is, after all, a 3S-level figure, and his skill in piloting mechs is naturally not weak. However, Ji Fang is in a state of ease, making it impossible for others to fathom the depth of his skill.
Suddenly, Zhou Shiqing discovered an opening in Ji Fang's defenses. Overjoyed, he attacked the mecha's heart.
Sitting in the safety chair inside the mecha, Qiao Ye almost lost his breath when he saw the knife coming straight at his face.
Zhou Shiqing's longsword was withdrawn one centimeter from Qiao Ye's line of sight, because Ji Fang was faster than him, and his sword had already reached the energy tank on Zhou Shiqing's mecha.
All mechs require a high-density energy crystal for control. If the energy crystal in the energy chamber is destroyed, the mech will instantly lose its ability to move. Besides the energy chamber, the mech's weakness is its core.
Zhou Shiqing brows furrowed as he steadied his mental strength, thankful that he had reacted in time.
However, if it were him, he could have easily destroyed the opponent's energy crystal with a single strike under these circumstances. So, was Ji Fang doing it on purpose? Or was it just an accident, and he simply reacted faster and dodged it?
Now that the score is tied, Zhou Shiqing is somewhat unwilling, but he is unsure of Ji Fang's true strength and does not want to be reckless again.
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Shiqing stopped. He retracted his mecha and landed. His slightly narrowed, dangerous eyes instantly turned calm. The smile didn't reach his eyes, but his whole expression was indeed cheerful: "Commander Ji, you have excellent skills. No wonder you can lead the Seventh Army to be invincible at such a young age. After experiencing it today, I am truly impressed."
Ji Fang also retrieved his mecha, picked up Qiao Ye and got down. His eyes were calm, as if the test on the battlefield had never happened: "Not at all, Commander Zhou is indeed worthy of his reputation, his strength is formidable."
Zhou Shiqing walked in and gently patted Ji Fang's shoulder, speaking as if the two had a very good relationship: "Commander Ji is young, but he is sure to achieve great things. We serve the King, so we must always be vigilant, improve our strength, and not slack off. Commander Ji, don't you agree?"
Ji Fang was a little uncomfortable with strangers patting his shoulder. He walked away subtly, and upon hearing Zhou Shiqing's pointed warning, he said calmly, "Of course!"
Zhou Shiqing finally left, and Qiao felt a sense of relief. He was also very happy that his master no longer had to feign politeness with this person.
Before leaving, Zhou Shiqing suddenly grabbed Qiao Ye and gently stroked his head with his large hands. Qiao Ye's angry resistance instantly pleased him, and he said with a smile, "Good boy, if your master doesn't want you anymore in the future, just follow me. I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury with me, and your treatment will be a generation better than your master's!"
Joe wouldn't believe his nonsense. He had heard from Li Cheng that he killed natives every day to reward his soldiers. This Cohen was truly terrifying.
If Zhou Shiqing heard this, he would definitely cry out that he was wronged. He clearly did not kill every day, and the rumors could not be spread like this!
*
Zhou Shiqing returned to his Seventh Army's location in the North. Before returning to the North, he passed by his home in Lizhou City, Lixi, because of a video call from his grandfather.
"Hmph! You dare to come back! You good-for-nothing son!" Zhou Shiqing was greeted by the unfriendly face of Old Master Zhou.
Zhou Shiqing was used to his father's suppression. He paused slightly at the door, then came in as if nothing had happened.
Then he faced Zhou Yonghe's question: "Where is the Yuanyuan I gave you half a month ago?"
Zhou Shiqing looked puzzled: "What do you mean by round and flat?"
Zhou Yonghe stared incredulously, his beard bristling and eyes wide: "The original human I had sent to you!"
Zhou Shiqing looked on with a look of recollection, then suddenly realized: "The primitive human you were talking about, I took it to the cafeteria and stewed it long ago."
Zhou Yonghe's face immediately turned ashen. Fortunately, thanks to his son's repeated training, he was not so angry upon hearing this news that he almost had a heart attack and had to be sent to the hospital, just like the first time.
It wasn't worth getting so angry that he killed himself. He grabbed the teacup from the coffee table and swiftly and ruthlessly smashed it at his unfilial son.
Zhou Shiqing reached out and easily took the cup, then winced as the scalding tea burned his face, almost dropping it. He couldn't believe his own father had done such a thing: "Dad, this is boiling water! Is it really worth it for a beast?"
Zhou Yonghe slammed his fist on the table, making a loud bang: "Look what you've done! I think you're the beast! I raised that original human for over two years, and I wouldn't even lay a finger on it myself. And what did you do, just ruined it like that! I'll beat you to death!"
Although he knew his father would be angry, Zhou Shiqing was still a little annoyed that this scene played out every time he came back. It was just an animal, was it more precious than a human life? Humans are at the top of the food chain and eat meat, so what's wrong with eating a primitive human? Why should he beat his own son to death over something like this!
Zhou's father found a clothes pole on the shelf and chased after his son, beating him fiercely.
Zhou Shiqing played hide-and-seek with his father, and roared emotionally, "Dad, what are you doing? I finally came back, and you hit me because of a Yuanren? I might as well not have come back!"
Zhou Yonghe was getting old and couldn't keep up with his young son. He was panting heavily and said, "What was the point of sending you the original human? Don't you know about your mental strength problem? Don't think I don't know you've been using illegal drugs to forcibly enhance your mental strength. Do you know the consequences? You're useless, so you think of taking crooked paths. I think you're really going to drive me crazy!"
"I heard you went to Ji Fang's place this time and lost the bet on Nanzhu Island. You've utterly disgraced me, Zhou Yonghe! In my entire life, I've never lost to that old scoundrel Ji Yan, yet you've repeatedly made me lose face. You're utterly pathetic!"
Zhou Shiqing argued, "I will take back Nanzhu Island sooner or later. Losing to him was an accident! How did you know I used banned drugs?"
Zhou Yonghe snorted: "Just because I'm your father, I can tell what kind of shit you're going to take the moment you bend over! I also heard that you and Ji Fang fought to a draw? I think Ji Fang went easy on you, not wanting to embarrass you, deliberately letting you win. You're not as smart as others, and you're not as good as others either. I think the only thing you're better at than him is that you're older!"
Zhou Shiqing's face showed a stubborn and indignant expression. He was very sad. Before Ji Fang showed any talent, his father had always disciplined him strictly. He was expected to do well and was never praised. If he did not do well, he would be punished and beaten. No matter how hard he tried or how excellent he was, there were always other children who were more outstanding than him.
Even though he has been an adult for so many years, his father still feels that he is inferior to others and that he makes him lose face. He also keeps sending people to monitor him. He knows all of this.
Doesn't he know the consequences of using illegal drugs? He just wants to be the strongest, to stand at the top, and doesn't want his father to ever surpass him again!
He also hoped that one day he could surpass his father and become his father's pride.
His father knew perfectly well that he was using illegal drugs, but instead of stopping him, he even sent them to Yangyuan. How could he not understand the meaning behind this?
I'd rather my son risk losing his mental strength than let him lose it, so he can improve his mental strength and bring honor to my family!
Zhou Shiqing stopped running. He suddenly realized how ridiculous everything he had done was. He stood still, letting his father beat him with a stick.
The pain in his heart was worse than the physical pain as he was being beaten. Suddenly, he looked up and roared with bloodshot eyes, "I'm not your son! Let Ji Fang be your son! If you send Yuanren to me again, I'll still stew him!"
Zhou Shiqing had only been home for less than twenty minutes when he stormed out, leaving Zhou Yonghe trembling with anger: "If you leave this house today, don't ever say you're my son again!"
Zhou Shiqing's chest heaved: "No means no!" With a bang, the door slammed shut, and he walked out.
Seeing this scene, Wu Yuan knew that the old man had beaten a general again. He sighed inwardly and followed without saying a word.
The Zhou family villa was vast, and the dozen or so Yuanren raised by Zhou Yonghe ran around in the garden. When Zhou Shiqing went to the airship, he saw these Yuanren, who were all plump and thin, raised by his father. His eyebrows shot up and he was furious.
He rushed towards the primitive people in a rage as if he wanted to kill them, grabbing them all in his hands and then roughly throwing them into the spaceship and locking them up.
Wu Yuan was terrified. These Yuan people were all the old man's treasures. If the general took them all back and stewed them, something terrible would happen!
He quickly stepped forward to stop the general: "Boss, we're tired of these Yuan people, they smell sour. Let's keep them and not kill them."
Zhou Shiqing quickly grabbed the primitive people, holding them with obvious disgust, keeping them far away from his clothes, afraid they might suddenly be so frightened that they would pee and poop all over him. He said angrily, "Who said I was going to stew them? Eating this is bad luck, I'm afraid I'll get indigestion. Go, take this whole bunch of primitive people to Ji Fang. Ji Fang is his son, I'm not worthy of using these primitive people!"
Wu Yuan was completely baffled. Why give it to General Ji? What had the general done to offend him this time?
Zhou Shiqing continued to issue instructions: "After delivery, tell Zhou Yonghe that 'the original people have already been given to his own son, Ji Fang.'"
It seems the conflict between the father and son has become very serious, and they have completely broken off their relationship, now calling each other by their first names.
Wu Yuan wanted to stop him, but as his subordinate, he was powerless to do what his boss wanted to do.
*
The next day, Qiao also saw Zhou Shiqing's guards dragging a spaceship full of all sorts of primitive people over, and Qiao was stunned.
Ji Fang was somewhat puzzled: "What does Commander Zhou mean?"
Wu Yuan smiled and explained, "Our Commander Zhou said that he felt bad for bothering you for so many days without bringing you any gifts. So, seeing that you train Yuan people as soldiers and that you like Yuan people, he specially collected these Yuan people to send to you as a token of his gratitude. He hopes that General Ji will not refuse."
Ji Fang, unaware of Zhou Shiqing's latest scheme, said, "No need for gifts. Didn't Commander Zhou already send me an island? That's the greatest gift I could receive."
Hearing this, Wu Yuan felt a pang of sympathy for his boss, but right now, he was focused on completing the task his boss had given him. He said, "How can that be the same? A bet is a bet, and giving gifts is giving gifts. Commander Ji, please don't be so polite."
Fearing that Ji Fang would refuse, Wu Yuan quickly unloaded all the original people, completed the delivery mission, and flew away in the airship with a whoosh, as if a monster was chasing him.
Qiao also silently looked at the more than ten original humans in the cages. They were fierce, hairy, docile, lively, quiet... all kinds of them. Would he belong to Ji Fang along with these original humans in the future?
This was absolutely Zhou Shiqing's blatant revenge against him. First, he took away his master's favor, and then, after a while, when Ji Fang didn't like him as much, Zhou Shiqing would come back to Ji Fang and send him away. His methods were indeed ruthless!
So, from today onwards, is he no longer the unique original human belonging to his master?
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