C101 —- [4.14 — The Shelter]

“You’re thinking the same thing, aren’t you, Jiu Shu?”
 

Jiu Shu still didn’t answer.

Stretching out his hand to brush the hair away from Jiu Shu’s face, Xi Han’s amber pupils reflected his lover’s sleeping and peaceful face.
 

No matter how many times he looked at it, it still fascinated him to the point of not being able to take his eyes off him.

 

Especially after last night’s events, now Xi Han’s gaze would always involuntarily move downwards.

 

It landed on Jiu Shu’s pale collarbone.

There was still a red mark on it that hadn’t faded from last night, a trace left by his kiss.

 

 

Xi Han could tell that Jiu Shu liked his kisses, but his other movements were clumsy because he was inexperienced.
 

Although Jiu Shu frowned because of the pain, the way his fingertips on his shoulder tensed was beautiful beyond words, and it made his heart flutter.

 

Still, he decided to do more research next time, lest he hurt Jiu Shu again.

 

As a considerate lover, he should be looking out for Jiu Shu in every way.
 

What was more, compared to the frowning Jiu Shu, he preferred to see Jiu Shu slightly in a daze.

 

Perhaps it should be said that he loved Jiu Shu’s every look.

 

Recalling last night’s events, the corners of Xi Han’s mouth had an involuntary upward curve.
 

He smiled sweetly.
 

He did the most intimate thing between lovers with his beloved Jiu Shu; this thing was enough to make him happy until now.

Even those terrible details couldn’t erase his joyful mood.

Thinking like this, Xi Han held Jiu Shu’s hand and couldn’t help kissing the back.

Some of his feelings were difficult to control.
 

There was no way; his lover lying quietly on the operating table was so cute.
 

Xi Han had the illusion that all of Jiu Shu’s life was under his control, giving him a morbid sense of satisfaction.
 

After watching this contentedly for a while, Xi Han finally came back to business.

Picking up the scalpel, Xi Han was ready to start the operation.
 

Though he knew that Jiu Shu was now asleep and couldn’t hear him at all, Xi Han still soothed his lover.
 

“Don’t be afraid; it’s just a short nap.”
 

Then, when he woke up tomorrow, they could go away together.
 

Since the locator contained an inhibiting factor that would inevitably enter Jiu Shu’s body during the removal process, Jiu Shu would probably slumber until tomorrow before waking up.

Just enough time to take care of some trouble.
 

There were some imposters that shouldn’t exist.
 

Xi Han looked at the sharp scalpel in his hand, the darkness in his eyes deepening.

 

Soon, after collecting his thoughts, Xi Han began the surgery with full concentration.
 

It took a lot of courage to aim the sharp scalpel at his beloved Jiu Shu, so Xi Han was extra careful.
 

Every movement was incredibly light.
 

The skin on Jiu Shu’s body was protected as much as possible.
 

His exquisite surgical skills allowed him to remove the locator buried deep beneath the skin while ensuring that no scars would be left on his body.

 

The surgery went smoothly.
 

Only after the surgery was completed did he remove the mask and carefully hold Jiu Shu in his arms.
 

There was a growing love in his eyes.
 

No one could take Jiu Shu away from him.
 

Because they were lovers in love.
 

And there was no room for a third party in this relationship.
 

The next day.
 

 

The third experimental base welcomed the people sent by their superiors.
 

They were the staff responsible for receiving 301.
 

Each one had a handsome, pale face and a tall, sturdy body.
 

As well as a pair of almost amber-colored eyes.
 

It was just that, compared to Xi Han’s clear amber eyes, their eyes appeared cloudy and lightless, and even a little hollow.

Still, they resembled Xi Han, at least from the outside.

 

“Welcome everyone! Wait here for a moment; Dr. Xi Han will be here soon!”
 

The supervisor in the conference room smiled, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere in the conference room.
 

Although these staff members had arrived earlier in the morning, it was indeed a bit rude for Xi Han to be late when it had already been most of an hour.

Xi Han had always had a reckless nature; he was bent on indulging in experiments and had made quite a few achievements. Coupled with his status at the base, no one could control him.

Therefore, in the face of the staff members sent from above, he could only smile.
 

There were only a handful of four or five supervisors in the conference room at this time.
 

After all, this was a matter about No. 301, and it wasn’t under their control, so a lot of people just didn’t come.
 

The conference room appeared somewhat empty.
 

And in this conference room, the expressions of those three staff members were calm, and they didn’t seem to mind waiting for a long time.
 

This made the supervisor more or less relieved.
 

The recorder next to him, on the other hand, had a slightly sunken expression.
 

He hadn’t expected these people to come so early.
 

It was fortunate that Duan An had made preparations in advance just in case, or else he would have lost 301.
 

As a shelter with a beautiful appearance, the recorder knew that these staff members who had come to pick up 301 were not up to any good.
 

Whether it was them or Xi Han, all of them were not good people.
 

301 must not be allowed to fall into their hands.
 

The recorder lowered his head, typed a few times on the tablet without a trace, sent a few messages, and then continued to take notes as if nothing had happened.
 

After about ten more minutes, the slow footsteps of Xi Han finally sounded outside the door.

 

 

The late arriving Xi Han’s amber eyes swept over the three staff members, meeting their near amber eyes.
 

It was only after a long time that he arched a brow with what appeared to be a gentle smile.

 

“Sorry for being late.”
 

“It’s fine, it’s fine, Dr Xi Han come on, these are the staff sent from above, let them talk you through it, it’s best to listen to what they have to say.”
 

Xi Han sat down on the chair next to him, his eyes glancing idly at staff members A, B and C.
 

They didn’t even have names on their identity nameplates.
 

There were only the numerical designations A, B, and C.
 

As mentioned in the information, those who had been subjected to harsh human experiments and had succeeded in the experiments were the best who already knew nothing but k*illing, and the ability to think independently on their own was close to non-existent.
 

They were extremely good employees in the eyes of normal people and would obey any instructions from their superiors.
 

But more than normal people, they were like puppets of the monster named 001.
 

Living only to fulfill the k*illing mission that 001 had carved into their souls.
 

Just like how he was before he met Jiu Shu.
 

“……”
 

Xi Han furrowed his brows; his emotions couldn’t be read.

Nor did he pay attention to the supervisor’s persuasion.
 

The supervisor who was trying his best to persuade Xi Han spoke until his mouth was dry, and he couldn’t help but feel a little helpless when he saw that Xi Han never responded.
 

The supervisor looked at the three people, A, B, and C.
 

The three raised their eyes and looked at Xi Han.
 

“Take us to see number 301.”
 

A’s unnatural voice carried an order that couldn’t be refused.
 

His eyes were cold and lightless as he looked at Xi Han.
 

The main purpose of coming to the third experimental base this time was actually not only to pick up No. 301 but also the man named Xi Han in front of him.
 

He narrowed his eyes as he looked into Xi Han’s amber eyes.
 

This man had a similar pupil color to him.
 

What that meant, A knew better than anyone else.
 

He was also one of 001’s conscious bodies.
 

Then it needed to be dealt with.

 

A, as a 001 consciousness that had been subjected to human experiments, was truthfully informed of his identity.
 

However, he didn’t deny his human identity because of this, and he even held a positive attitude towards those experiments that had once made him endure great suffering.

After all, only by continuously developing themselves could humans ultimately defeat those evolving monsters.

In his opinion, he was still human and still had a deep aversion to monsters.
 

The identity of 001 Body of Consciousness was merely an aid on the way to destroying the monsters.

 

 

With this identity, he could use it to continuously absorb the power of other bodies of consciousness and finally succeed in becoming the main body of the body of consciousness.
 

Becoming the main consciousness of 001 and waking Him from His slumber.
 

Remove all those monsters ravaging the planet.
 

A’s tone was too raw.

The few supervisors beside him listened with cold sweat on their foreheads, fearing that he would fight with Xi Han.
 

Although on weekdays, Xi Han’s temperament was considered easy-going, but when he got angry, he was terrifying.
 

 

That gloomy expression in the meeting the day before yesterday was scary.
 

Now that he was already upset about where 301 was going, A’s tone was simply adding fuel to the fire.
 

It was entirely possible for a fight to break out.

However, Xi Han didn’t seem to be as angry as the crowd thought he would be.
 

He even revealed a smile, his voice gentle.
 

He agreed to A’s request.
 

“Okay.”
 

Saying that, Xi Han got up and walked towards the outside of the conference room, also glancing at A, B, and C, signaling them to follow.
 

The other supervisors in the conference room looked dumbfounded and really didn’t understand how Xi Han could suddenly be so nice.
 

Supervisor Jack also looked surprised.
 

Although he had already given the information to Xi Han, he didn’t expect Xi Han to treat these few people with this kind of reaction.
 

Xi Han ignored the crowd and walked out of the conference room on his own.
 

A, B, and C followed right behind him.
 

The people in the conference room looked at each other in disbelief, and only the recorder left early on the pretext of not feeling well.
 

 

Then, the recorder stood in front of the door of the conference room, looking at the backs of Xi Han and the others as they walked away, and sent a message to Duan An.

[Xi Han is already almost back; please be careful.]
 

 

Now that Duan An had infiltrated the base, if the plan was correct, he should have entered Xi Han’s office by now to look for clues about 301.
 

Today, Xi Han had shifted the location of No. 301, and the people within their organisation had yet to find the exact location of No. 301.

Hopefully, it wasn’t that Xi Han had lost his mind and k*illed No. 301 before he was picked up.
 

“You all seem to be very uncomfortable with talking.”
 

 

In the corridor, Xi Han curved his eyes in a friendly manner as he spoke to A, B, and C.
 

“……”
 

No one responded to Xi Han, they all just gave Xi Han a faint look.

It seemed like there was a bone-deep rejection of each other.
 

Xi Han didn’t mind either and continued to talk to himself, “I used to dislike it as well; when I was a child, I was a very inarticulate person, and I would cry at the movement of monsters.”
 

“I actually hated monsters, but occasionally I couldn’t help but be confused and wonder why I hated them so much.”
 

“It’s probably because of those humans who died tragically under the monsters; I still remember their faces to this day; it’s pitiful.”
 

Xi Han said, as if he were lost in memories.
 

A looked up at Xi Han, wondering why he was talking about that.

But it was true; he also felt hatred towards monsters because of that.
 

Even knowing the effects of 001, he still harbored an unquenchable hatred for monsters.
 

Because of that, he could even experiment on himself for the greater good of humanity.

Opening the door, Xi Han signaled several people behind him to enter the room.

 

“Come in, aren’t we meeting 301?”
 

A, B, and C entered the room without question.
 

But there was no sign of that humanoid shelter in the room.
 

A frowned first, and before he could ask a question, the door to the shelter area closed behind him.
 

Xi Han had long since stood outside the glass wall that had fallen out of thin air, his face still wearing a gentle smile.

 

 

He slowly wiped his fingers that had just opened the door to the room, his tone calm. “You guys are much dumber than I thought.”
 

001 really did corrode human sanity, making conscious beings incomparably stupid.
 

“Actually, the reasons just now were all false.”
 

“The aversion to monsters is also fake.”
 

“It should be clear to you guys, right? It’s all just an influence from 001.”
 

It was indeed ridiculous to say that the obsession that spanned most of his life was actually just a tool that 001 had casually fabricated.
 

He was just a tool from the beginning, and when not needed, he would be thrown away and discarded.
 

But now, he was different from before.
 

He had his beloved Jiu Shu.

 

And was no longer a tool.
 

“You! You actually knew!” A was a bit shocked.
 

Xi Han actually knew about the matter concerning 001; he had clearly not undergone any experiments.

 

 

A wanted to ask a little more clearly.
 

 

Instead, Xi Han just interrupted him with great interest and continued, “I read in the information that people who are consciousness bodies can assimilate other people if their mental energy is strong enough, have you tried it?”

 

 

Of course A had tried.
 

But his mental energy wasn’t strong enough to do so.
 

The two companions behind him now were the two experimental bodies that were being cultivated at the same time from above.
 

They were just waiting for the time when whoever’s mental energy grew the strongest, they could assimilate each other, thus becoming the brains shared by the consciousness bodies.

 

Accelerating 001’s awakening.
 

A didn’t know why Xi Han was asking this, but before he could be confused, the next moment he lost consciousness.

 

 

A’s eyes turned a pure amber color.
 

Through the transparent glass wall, Xi Han looked at A with a flat expression.
 

A, on the other hand, slowly raised his hand and choked himself to death.
 

Even though he was on the verge of suffocation, the expression on his face looked hollow and lifeless, as if he were being manipulated by something.
 

Seeing this, the two of them, B and C, rushed forward to stop it.
 

But just in those few moments, the lumbering, rattling sound of a creature walking around came from within the confined holding area.

 

It was a shelter with a high danger level.

Even as 001’s body of consciousness, they, after all, had human bodies and could be harmed by monsters just like humans.

There was no way they could survive being locked in there right now.
 

The two who realized this raised their heads in hatred, only to see Xi Han wave his hand at them, smiling, “Goodbye.”
 

Never to be seen again.
 

After settling these three imposters, it would be time to leave with Jiu Shu.

 

Xi Han was in a happy mood.
 

He had already made complete plans.
 

After leaving the base and settling everything down, he would then deal with the other imposters until he was the only one left in the world.
 

He would not allow any subject to exist that might replace his consciousness.
 

And none of this would be known to Jiu Shu, nor did he need to know.
 

 

Because those imposters didn’t even have the value of being known by Jiu Shu.
 

Tick-tock…
 

Somewhat arrogantly and coldly, he withdrew his gaze from the imposters.
 

Xi Han was just about to turn around and leave the place when his tablet suddenly rang with an alarm.
 

He pulled out his tablet and caught a glimpse of the empty room on the surveillance screen.

 

The love of his life, who was supposed to be quietly slumbering on the bed, had disappeared.
 

Xi Han’s eyes instantly condensed with lurid frost.
 

His fingers also trembled uncontrollably.
 

It was imperative to find Jiu Shu quickly.
 

Jiu Shu’s wound had not yet healed, and although the incision was small, it would bleed if moved easily.
 

Xi Han left the area with hurried steps.
 

He didn’t notice the sheltered area behind him.

A, who was originally holding his neck in a death grip, let go of his hand.
 

 

A bewildered look appeared on his face.
 

Why was he here?
 

He remembered, just now he tried to assimilate that damned impostor, but he didn’t expect it to go wrong.
 

Lowering his head, ‘Xi Han’ looked at his body and frowned.
 

He couldn’t believe he switched his consciousness into A’s body.
 

“……”

What to do? Would Jiu Shu not recognize him?
 

Then A must be in his body now.
 

‘Xi Han’ could feel more memories belonging to A in his brain.
 

A’s side must also have memories belonging to him.
 

In that case, Jiu Shu would definitely recognize the wrong one!
 

No, he had to get out of here quickly, he had to find Jiu Shu quickly.
 

He had to tell Jiu Shu not to believe that impostor’s words!
 

Jiu Shu changed into a uniform that belonged to a researcher.
 

He wore a mask, revealing only a pair of beautiful eyes.
 

He was sitting in the office, looking at the surveillance video on the computer with his eyes downcast.

Having just woken up after sleeping the whole day, Jiu Shu had already noticed that the locator on the back of his neck was missing.
 

He knew that the surgery had been done and that he was safe and sound.
 

But Xi Han’s words before the surgery made Jiu Shu a little concerned.
 

Although this world didn’t look like he was going to be split up, if the object of punishment’s usual jealousy was anything to go by, beating himself up would be a common occurrence.
 

So Jiu Shu decided to come here to look at the surveillance and other documents.
 

To determine just how far the plot had progressed.
 

But it seemed that he wasn’t the first person to come here to check it out.
 

 

The files on the desktop just now showed signs of having been turned over, but they failed to unlock the password lock set on Xi Han’s computer, so in the end, they could only return without any success.
 

Probably someone from the Monster Protection Organization.
 

Jiu Shu guessed, raising his hand to look through the documents on the desktop. His gaze swept over the messed-up sheets of paper.

 

The person who was looking through the information before was obviously very annoyed by these teenage girl-like papers, and pushed them all to the side in a messy manner.

 

 

Jiu Shu was attracted by the dense red hearts on them, as well as his own name, and reached out his hand to sort out the papers one by one.
 

Although it was very childish, it had to be said that it was quite cute.
 

Jiu Shu smiled.
 

It was only after easily cracking the password to Xi Han’s computer that Jiu Shu discovered the reason for Xi Han’s unusual behaviour.
 

It seemed that he had discovered his origin.

So he thought that those humans who were also affected by 001’s aura were love rivals?
 

Jiu Shu sighed.
 

In fact, only Xi Han was the main body of 001’s consciousness, and the others were just tools that 001 used to destroy monsters, so it was not possible to call them love rivals.
 

Unless Xi Han assimilated them completely, they couldn’t even be called 001.

 

 

They are just background characters in the original film.
 

Ki*lled by the plutocrats in the second film in order to resurrect Xi Han and made into a nutrient to replenish Xi Han.
 

Jiu Shu also didn’t expect Xi Han to be this jealous.
 

“Jiu Shu?”
 

Suddenly, a man’s careful voice came from outside the office.
 

Listening to this unfamiliar voice, Jiu Shu raised his eyes and looked over.
 

Reflected in his eyes was a man with amber eyes.

The short black hair made him look stern; he had handsome features and a pale complexion.
 

He was wearing a tight short-sleeved shirt and loose trousers, which showed a robust and sturdy body, with muscle lines a little more pronounced than Xi Han.

 

But it was stained with dirty traces of bloo*d, he seemed so bruised up that it looked like he had just escaped from the battlefield.

In his eyes, he could see the love and fascination that were unique to Xi Han.
 

The only thing that was completely different from Xi Han was the face.
 

“……”

Jiu Shu frowned in a rare and somewhat troubled manner.
 

‘Xi Han’ looked at Jiu Shu’s detached expression and instantly panicked, explaining, “Jiu Shu, don’t be afraid; it’s me; I’m Xi Han!”
 

 

Saying that, ‘Xi Han’ looked gloomy: “I was accidentally taken over by someone, and now I can only use this body to see you.”
 

“Has Jiu Shu… already abandoned me?”
 

‘Xi Han’ looked fearful and bewildered.
 

Everything had finally come true.
 

Jiu Shu didn’t recognize him anymore and would only trust an impostor with his own memories.
 

“…… Xi Han.”
 

Jiu Shu rubbed his brow helplessly.
 

Really assimilated.
 

It was also an assimilation where the memories were each separated, the equivalent of splitting one’s soul into another body.

 

Without a common conscious control, it was basically equivalent to slicing oneself.
 

It was like when Xi Han had possessed No. 175 in an unconscious state before.
 

It was clearly all him, but he was still jealous because of it.
 

He had previously thought that at least there weren’t many humanoid shelters in the base, so Xi Han wouldn’t be too jealous.

Now it was really a bit of a headache.
 

But things had come to this, so he could only be appeased.
 

After all, the current ‘Xi Han’ could be called Xi Han in a sense.
 

“Of course I recognize you.”
 

Jiu Shu arched his eyebrows, his beautiful pupils mesmerizing.
 

“You’re tired, aren’t you? Sit here and take a rest.”
 

At those words, ‘Xi Han’s’ originally obscure and lightless eyes instantly became bright, like a stray dog that had found its master.
 

“Mhm!”
 

As long as he could stay with Jiu Shu, ‘Xi Han’ was satisfied.
 

Even though he was bruised all over just now in order to escape from the shelter area, he sat on the seat beside Jiu Shu as if he didn’t care.

Letting the blo*od seep out of his abdomen soak the chair.
 

“That’s a lot of blo*od.”

Jiu Shu took a tissue and wiped away the blood flowing from his forehead for ‘Xi Han’.
 

The corners of ‘Xi Han’s’ mouth rose, and he watched without blinking at the gentle expression revealed by Jiu Shu.
 

The panic spreading in his heart just now had finally eased a bit.
 

His Jiu Shu still believed in him, and there was still a possibility for them to be together instead of being broken up by that impostor.

 

 

‘Xi Han’s’ mood changed from cloudy to sunny, and his eyes showed an increasingly happy color.
 

And at that moment, outside the office, Xi Han was looking at the tablet in his hand in a panicked manner, checking the footage of the various exits as he went.

There was nothing here.
 

Not here either.
 

None of them!
 

He couldn’t find him anywhere!
 

Xi Han had just searched all the nearby exits where Jiu Shu could have appeared, but there was no sign of Jiu Shu.
 

Who took Jiu Shu?
 

Someone from the Monster Protection Organization?
 

Or was there another impostor?
 

Xi Han’s amber pupils fluttered with suppressed unease and hostility.

The slender bones gripping the tablet were so hard that they were nearly white.

If it was really the impostor who had done the deed, he would definitely break him into pieces!
 

No, he couldn’t be too impatient; he had to be calm.
 

Now that the entrances to the base had been blocked, Jiu Shu must still be in the base.
 

Counting the time, Jiu Shu should have woken up by now; it was impossible for him to be taken away silently.
 

Unless he left voluntarily, following others.

 

 

But they were lovers; how could Jiu Shu abandon him and follow the impostor away?
 

Jiu Shu must have just been too bored in the room and went out for a stroll.
 

Thinking like this, Xi Han’s panicked mood finally got a little better, and he was able to calm down a little.
 

He had just ki*lled those imposters, so he shouldn’t make too much noise now. As long as he made sure that Jiu Shu was still in the base, he would be fine.
 

He would search more carefully and would definitely be able to find Jiu Shu.
 

Just as Xi Han was about to go to other places to continue searching carefully, suddenly, Xi Han heard the voice of Jiu Shu.
 

The voice came from the office, not far ahead.
 

Xi Han was ecstatic, and without thinking too much, he went forward and opened the door.
 

What met his eyes were the beautiful lines of Jiu Shu’s side face.
 

Still beautiful.
 

But at this time, his beloved Jiu Shu was close to another man with amber eyes.
 

His expression was incredibly gentle.
 

“!!!”
 

Splat-
 

The sound of a tablet falling to the ground rang out, and Jiu Shu twisted his head to see Xi Han’s shocked and widened eyes.

His eyes were red, aggrieved, and desperate, like those of a young woman who had witnessed her husband cheating on her.

 

---

TN:

DRAmaaaa 😏