100kV Chapter 73

Chapter 73
The Calm Before the Storm
Ground Baby Is Stuck la

Ye Wenxuan: “I don’t really understand, how do they know about the SP Institute? Also, with so many scientists missing, did it really never catch the government’s attention?”

Lao Jia: “We can’t be sure whether these people were willing or were forced to join. But it is clear that the SP Institute has its own complete channel that can silently remove traces of a person’s life.”

Inexplicably, Ye Wenxuan remembered that after Adonis escaped from the lab, he had found that his identity had been destroyed and he had become a “dead” living person.

He rubbed his arm, feeling a little cold.

Lao Jia added: “We only know that such an institute exists. As for where it is specifically, who is active, or what they have been studying, everything is very hazy, and we can’t find any useful information.”

“That is, until you recruited the supersonic superhuman Adonis and the short-term prophet Kathy in England.”

Ye Wenxuan froze slightly and looked up at him.

There was only lao Jia’s voice in the conference. No one else talked, just listening in silence to him speak.

Lao Jia: “According to Adonis, the lab’s research on superhumans has progressed to a deeper degree. I’m guessing that they have been doing this since several years ago. There are many doctors in the institute, and Adonis is Mario Rhodes’s experimental subject. The only person he really saw was this doctor.”

“In addition to Mario Rhodes, Adonis mentioned another man, Lambert D. Lawes.”

Ye Wenxuan crooked his head: “Well, I’ve never heard of him.”

This time Xing Yuan spoke: “Could it be that scientific maniac who disappeared?”

Lao Jia: “Yes, that’s him.”

Ye Wenxuan looked around and found that everyone had an expression of understanding.

“…” So was it only him who didn’t know about this scientific community weirdo??

Lao Jia didn’t see that there was an ignorant noob here and directly said: “Adonis and a few other superhumans were able to escape successfully, and Lambert played a significant role in this. Or to put it another way, without Lambert’s help, these superhumans would never have been able to make it out from the institute.”

Xing Yuan’s eyes flashed: “He’s…which country’s spy?”

Lao Jia shook his head: “We don’t know. We don’t have much information about Lambert. He retired too early, and the information is incomplete.”

Xing Yuan: “There’s another possibility, he wants to let out bait to catch some big fish.”

Lao Jia: “We also can’t rule out this possibility.”

Several people discussed the topic of the SP Institute for a long time, and then Luo Wen ordered people to keep the serum properly and hurriedly ended the second meeting.

“Time is running out. Lao Feng and I are sending this thing to the military lab tonight.” He carried the box with the serum, his expression calm: “For Ge tiger’s matter, all of the departments are acting and presumably there shouldn’t be anything wrong. As for the SP Institute, everyone should keep their mouths shut and first keep this silent.”

Feng Gaoyi also stood up and summarized: “This matter isn’t easy to solve, we should do a good job of long-term combat preparation.”

The ministers left one after another. Ye Wenxuan and Xing Yuan were the last ones to leave. Before leaving, Ye Wenxuan checked the clock on the wall, and it was really past midnight.

There were people on night shifts manning the special affairs department building, and it didn’t look deserted at night. The two said goodbye to Zheng Xingguo and Xue Yongchang. They passed through the corridor filled with cameras, and under the security system, they left the building.

As soon as they went outside a cool night wind blew at their faces. Ye Wenxuan squinted slightly, yawning sleepily.

Xing Yuan walked next to him: “Tired?”

Ye Wenxuan casually said: “It’s already almost one, how could I not be tired.”

After leaving the special affairs department territory, Ye Wenxuan changed the topic: “Just now when Minister Luo Wen was there, why didn’t you take the opportunity to discuss some terms with him and let him get you out of the family mess?”

Xing Yuan lifted a corner of his mouth: “Worried about me?”

Ye Wenxuan turned to look at him, then retracted his line of sight. He scoffed: “Whatever, in any case the person in trouble isn’t me.”

Xing Yuan chuckled and reached out to pull at his ponytail: “Rest assured, I talked to Zheng Xingguo in the car on the way there.”

Ye Wenxuan slapped his hand away: “Our deputy captain didn’t beat you?”

“My request wasn’t extreme, why would he beat me.” His hand was patted away, and Xing Yuan good-naturedly took it back. He slowly said: “The assets of the Xing family will be confiscated, the Xing group’s assets are very sizable and involve a lot of illegal transactions. This matter is very troublesome to follow up on, and I will likely act as a criminal informant, exposing Xing Jianming.”

Ye Wenxuan slowed down: “Criminal informant?”

“I won’t be tried in public, I just need to give a testimony.” Xing Yuan held his wrist and walked slowly along the street: “Really not worrying about me?”

Ye Wenxuan: “…No.”

Xing Yuan smiled and didn’t tease him again.

“In my early years, I avoided the group of people Xing Jianming trained and founded my own company. Even though it’s not comparable to the Xing group, it can still gain a foothold in the industry. This time while I was in England and South Sudan, thanks to the help of these brothers in the country, they didn’t let Xing Yi or Xing Jianming act wantonly.” As he walked he spoke: “The serum I got in South Sudan, along with my testimony, were in exchange for my freedom and the opportunity to start again.”

Ye Wenxuan didn’t notice that his hand was still being held and only said: “They agreed with you continuing to run a company?”

Xing Yuan: “I will always have to fight for it.”

The two people faced the wind for a long time. The traffic in the middle of the night on this main road was still bustling. Ye Wenxuan’s brain gradually sobered up, and he suddenly stopped at an intersection.

Xing Yuan was pulling him the whole time. Seeing that he stopped, he looked back at him: “What’s wrong.”

“I was thinking,” Ye Wenxuan looked around: “Where are you taking me?”

Xing Yuan: “Eh, aren’t you leading the way?”

“…” Ye Wenxuan looked back at him: “Clearly you’re the one leading the way!”

Xing Yuan: “I was following you.”

Ye Wenxuan: “Peh, it’s you pulling me forward ah!”

Xing Yuan: “…”

Ye Wenxuan: “…”

Xing Yuan rubbed his face: “What’s this called, the closer to ink the blacker you get. After staying with you too long, my IQ has started to fall.”

Ye Wenxuan pinched his waist, smiling faintly: “Do, you, dare, to, say, that, one, more, time?”

Xing Yuan sincerely said: “Don’t really dare.”

Ye Wenxuan angrily withdrew his hand.

Xing Yuan: “Where’s your house?”

“Another two bus stops.” Ye Wenxuan squinted at him: “What do you want. My home does not welcome people with an IQ less than 20, or animals.”

Xing Yuan almost laughed out loud. He pressed down the corners of his mouth and whispered: “Well, does it welcome boyfriends?”

Ye Wenxuan’s breathing turned rough for a couple seconds. His eyes whirled around, and he opened his mouth: “Boy…friend what, I didn’t agree to that ah.”

“Eh?” Xing Yuan raised an eyebrow: “You even kissed, could it be that you want to dump me away as a scum man?”

Ye Wenxuan’s face was covered in black lines: “…Roll, I’ll electrocute you.”

Xing Yuan no longer joked around with him, coming close to his ear and whispering: “I’m homeless, I seek shelter.”

“…” Alright, Ye Wenxuan had to admit that he was more receptive to this.

After a while of walking, Ye Wenxuan suddenly said: “No.”

Xing Yuan: “Hm?”

Ye Wenxuan looked him up and down, asking suspiciously: “Your legs are fine now?”

Xing Yuan froze slightly: “…No.”

Ye Wenxuan looked back at the few hundred meters they already walked, then turned back to stare at him: “Where are your crutches?”

Xing Yuan met his gaze for a few seconds, and when Ye Wenxuan showed no weakness, Xing Yuan finally softly coughed: “When sitting in the car I threw them to the back seat. When I got out I forgot to bring them.”

Ye Wenxuan: “What about the medicine?”

Xing Yuan: “…With the crutches.”

Ye Wenxuan: “…”

He wondered: “You don’t feel any pain?!”

Xing Yuan: “…Ah…It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt much…”

Ye Wenxuan wanted to kill him with a foot.

But in the end he just gnashed his teeth and scolded: “Are you retarded!”

Xing Yuan endured this hardship gladly.

In any case Ye Wenxuan couldn’t really throw an injured person in the middle of the road and go home by himself. He sighed heavily, called a taxi, and put him in the backseat. Then he also got in and then told the driver his address.

Five minutes later the taxi arrived below the building. The two people got off, and Ye Wenxuan found the right unit from his memory. As they walked up the stairs, he took out the keys from his pocket.

There were sound-activated lights in the corridor. Xing Yuan looked at his movements and suddenly felt a little strange: “When you went to South Sudan, you brought the door key?”

Ye Wenxuan stopped at the door on the east end of the fourth floor, poking the key into the keyhole: “How’s that possible.”

“Before going abroad, I asked a colleague to put it in my office drawer. When we left earlier I went to grab it.”

The key turned two and half times and the door opened.

For over a month no one had been in the apartment. The air was cold, and there was a strong smell of dust.

With a buzz, the chandelier in the living room automatically lit up. Ye Wenxuan waited for Xing Yuan to come in before closing the door, bending over to take out two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet.

Xing Yuan stood to one side and saw the lights in the bedroom and study light up. The TV in the living room automatically turned on, the air purifier started running, the water heater turned on the heating light, and then there was a slight humming sound. He looked down and saw the vacuum robot slide past his foot.

Xing Yuan: “…”

Truly convenient.

At this time Ye Wenxuan had just hung his coat behind the door. He came back and found that Xing Yuan still standing there and couldn’t help but say: “Why are you just standing there frozen, come on in.”

Xing Yuan slowly let out a breath. He changed into slippers and followed Ye Wenxuan into the living room.

In here it was no longer the appearance from when Ye Wenxuan first arrived six months ago. The old wooden furniture had long been disposed of and replaced with his own chosen secondhand furniture.

There were only a few pieces of furniture in the living room. The ultra-thin color TV in the TV cabinet had already been switched to the news channel. A white coffee table was placed in the middle, and a set of very soft-looking fabric sofas was placed against the wall.

The sofa covers were a fresh mint green. Several watermelon-colored pillows were piled on top, and the living room had quite a bit of a literary and artistic youth’s romantic atmosphere.

Ye Wenxuan looked at Xing Yuan sitting on the sofa and felt like this person had also softened from head to toe.

He washed two cups first and poured some water, putting it on the table. Then he ran into the study and pulled out the medicine box.

Xing Yuan sat on the sofa, watching him rummage through busily.

When he got back to the living room, Ye Wenxuan put the bandages and gauze on the sofa. He turned and aggressively said to Xing Yuan: “Come, strip.”

Xing Yuan: “…”

Why did it feel like something wasn’t right?

Ye Wenxuan also felt like his words seemed a little strange. He coughed a bit and picked up the bandages: “At least change your bandages. Tomorrow I’ll go to the department and get your medicine and crutches back. Tonight you’ll have to use these first.”

Xing Yuan: “Oh.”

He didn’t say anything, directly taking off his pants.

Ye Wenxuan: “…” Fuck, do you have to be so fast!

“What?” Xing Yuan threw his trousers on the ground and turned to look at him: “Shy?”

Ye Wenxuan completely did not expect that the person choked up would be him. He moved his gaze away with some difficulty and held up a bandage: “You…can you change it yourself.”

Xing Yuan looked at him, then at the bandage, and the corners of his mouth lifted: “I’m afraid not, I can’t reach.”

“…” Ye Wenxuan cleared his throat: “Then I’ll reluctantly help you this time.”

Xing Yuan: “Hehe, I really can’t ask for anything more.”

So the two men huddled on the not very spacious sofa in the early morning at 1 AM. In the brightly lit living room, very decently taking off pants and changing bandages.

In the background was the news from the female anchor on the TV, and the noise from the vacuum robot working hard to clean.

A few minutes later, Xing Yuan reached out to pull the short hair behind Ye Wenxuan’s ear. The latter paused his movements and gave him a skeptical gaze.

“Well…” Xing Yuan pointed to the bedroom, study, kitchen, and bathroom, with a subtle expression: “Don’t you think your home is a little too bright?”

Only now did Ye Wenxuan find out that all of the lights in his apartment were on. Just now he seemed calm, but in fact ever since he opened the door he had been inexplicably nervous. He clearly just wanted to turn on the lamp in the living room, but it turned out that he had turned on all of the electrical appliances in his apartment.

Just as he turned around, the vacuum robot passed by the two people. Its head hit Xing Yuan’s right foot and seemed to treat it as some sort of large piece of garbage. It relentlessly changed its angle of attack, seeming like it swore to suck Xing Yuan’s right foot into its body.

But more than that, it harassed the two humans with its AI voice.

[Ding. Ground baby is stuck la!]

[Ding. Ground baby is stuck la!]

[Ding. Ground baby is stuck la!]

Ye Wenxuan: “…”

Xing Yuan: “Ground baby?”

Ye Wenxuan’s expression was blank: “…Ah, he gave himself the name…ba…”

He snapped his fingers, and the lights in several rooms began to go out one by one. The TV screen turned back, the water heater turned off, and even the fridge in the kitchen turned off.

But the vacuum robot was still spiritedly attacking Xing Yuan.

As the victim, Xing Yuan covered his mouth with one hand, turned his head and tried to endure, several times almost unable to push down the corners of his mouth that were incessantly going up.

Ye Wenxuan looked down at the disobedient robot. He bent down to pick up this fellow from Xing Yuan’s foot, and completely did not expect that this thing would change its words.

[Ding. Ground baby is hanging in the air la!]

[Ding. Ground baby is hanging in the air la!]

[Ding. Ground baby…]

Ye Wenxuan couldn’t bear it anymore, slapping the robot’s round body. Ground baby let out a buzzing sound, and then completely died.

Xing Yuan covered his face, lying back against the sofa. His shoulders were constantly shaking, trying to stop his impulse to burst into laughter.

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## very intelligent vacuum robot ##

Ground baby brought the slippers to Xing Yuan’s foot: [Ding. Little one has given you slippers la. (／°▽°)／]

Xing Yuan looked at Ye Wenxuan.

Ye Wenxuan: “…Kaomoji or what…parentheses slash circle triangle circle parentheses slash this sentence you don’t have to say, thank you!”

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Translator Notes:

[1] closer to ink blacker you get – 近墨者黑, blanking on a corresponding idiom. basically when you get closer to someone something, you start being like them

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Random Notes:

A little more than an hour: 2:40 pm – 3:45 pm, for 4.4k characters to 2.6k words.

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