Chapter 11: “Work hard.” [Wien, 53%]…
He Yue arranged his painting tools in the empty room that had been set aside for him.
Bottles of paint, neatly arranged by number and color on the wooden shelves, and various brushes hanging on the brush rack.
He truly enjoyed the feeling of having his own studio.
These days, Koeyle was out early and back late, practically a ghost. Loud booms occasionally came from the direction of the training ground, probably another female insect who hadn’t survived the new recruit training.
He Yue wasn’t in a hurry with the conquest mission. Even when the system occasionally popped up to remind him, he would receive a casual reply— (I have my own plan.)
After a few times, the system simply stopped urging him, choosing to trust and respect the crazy man’s meticulous planning.
He Yue ordered some easels, tall ladders, and other things online, which were delivered to the studio after inspection. This place gradually started to feel like his personal studio from before he transmigrated, except for some unpacked boxes and wrapping paper that hadn’t been thrown away yet.
A knock came at the door, and He Yue turned to open it.
Wien stood at the doorway, holding a sheet of paper filled with black text in one hand, a dark blue board underneath it, and a pen and red ink pad in the other.
“Come in.”
He Yue said, sitting down on the newly unpacked sofa, sinking slightly into it.
Wien followed him in, not sitting on the sofa, but kneeling directly at his feet, the movement so swift and smooth that even He Yue was momentarily stunned.
He Yue finally sat up straight: “What is it?”
“Master said, there’s a proper way to ask for a favor.”
The female insect who had offended him before, and Koeyle as well, had both been repeatedly reminded of this by He Yue.
“You all remember it quite well,” He Yue didn’t tell him to stand up, instead leaning forward slightly. “Speak, what is it?” Wien presented the paper in his hand to He Yue: “I ask for Master’s permission to enlist in the army.” He Yue took the paper and read the bolded words softly.
“Recommending Wien to enlist with a doctoral degree, appointed as a civilian major, recommender…” In the bottom right corner, the slightly messy handwriting vaguely resembled Koeyle’s English name, with a clear thumbprint above it.
Koeyle had kept his word from last time.
“Did Colonel Koeyle say anything?” He Yue asked.
“As long as Master signs it, it’s fine,” Wien gripped the pen tightly. “The colonel said this is standard procedure, the recommender and the male insect’s signature are all that’s needed.” He Yue raised an eyebrow in surprise: “I thought he would elaborate on how difficult it was to get this position, so he could sell you a favor.” “No, the colonel sent me the template to fill out and just signed it directly.” If that was the case, the colonel took military rules more seriously than he thought.
He Yue thought, taking out the dark blue hard-cover document from under the paper.
It was Wien’s doctoral degree certificate, stating: Doctor of Medicine, specializing in Pharmaceutics.
“Pharmaceutics?” He Yue asked in confusion. “I thought with your physique, you would choose mechas or firearms or something.” Wien smiled and said, “I chose pharmaceutics because… the Imperial Research Institute is researching a drug that can increase the survival rate of male insect nurturing eggs. I thought, if I could participate in the research, Master would wake up sooner.” From birth, every major decision Wien made, even every action and thought, revolved around He Yue. He was like a compass, using every step of his life to get closer to its direction.
“Then why aren’t you staying at the research institute now, and going to the military instead?” He Yue couldn’t figure out how this decision could be related to him.
Wien paused, his speech noticeably faster: “Because the male insects of military officers receive better treatment from the Empire, whether it’s medical, political, or commercial, they have more and better priority, and the subsidies are much higher than those at the research institute.” He spoke quickly, as if he had rehearsed it beforehand.
“Also because of me?” He Yue finally said with a smile.
Wien nodded earnestly: “It’s because of Master that I made this decision. I ask for Master’s approval.”
This level of devotion, to the point of squeezing out his last bit of value, was something He Yue had never seen, even at “Castle.”
The genetic imprint had truly broken down the female insect and integrated itself into every part of him, leaving nothing behind.
This absolute devotion and obedience pleased He Yue. He didn’t even have to lift a finger, and his accompanying female insect would come to him without hesitation.
He Yue took the pen from Wien’s hand and signed his name on the last line. He pressed his finger onto the ink pad Wien offered and stamped his red fingerprint on his signature.
Wien took out a tissue from his pocket, intending to wipe the ink from He Yue’s hand, but saw him pressing his thumb back into the ink pad.
“Wien, come closer.”
His voice was laced with a smile, gentle, and unconcealedly tender, clearly satisfied with Wien’s answer.
Wien’s knees were slightly numb, but he still dragged himself closer, his knees touching He Yue’s toes.
The ink-covered thumb pressed against the center of Wien’s forehead.
“Stamped.”
The pressure on his forehead was light and fleeting, leaving only a clear fingerprint.
Fingerprints were only used for identification purposes, appearing on documents requiring signatures and stamps, and thus held a strong sense of ownership.
Regardless of He Yue’s intention, Wien considered this a declaration of “You also belong to me.”
He vaguely felt a dreamlike warmth on his forehead, even more exhilarating than the scar on his neck.
He Yue took the tissue from his hand and wiped the ink from his fingers. He looked up and saw Wien still kneeling there, lost in thought.
“Work hard, Major Wien.”
Wien’s body trembled slightly, the emotions hidden deep within him resonating loudly.
[Wien, 53%]
The system’s voice rang out, along with the number that flashed above Wien’s head.
He placed one hand on his left chest, his kneeling posture making it difficult, but he still gave He Yue a somewhat awkward imperial military salute.
“I will, Master.”
“Go pack your things. You can’t stay at the colonel’s house after enlistment.”
Upon hearing this, Wien pushed himself up from the ground and rubbed his numb legs. He asked, “Can I still come visit Master occasionally?”
“As you wish.”
Despite He Yue’s repeated insistence that he didn’t need to, Wien still insisted on cleaning up the trash in the studio. He gathered the trash on the floor and brought the robot vacuum cleaner into the studio.
He Yue enjoyed the leisure, sitting on the sofa, sipping tea, and watching his busy figure.
(Wien is the kind of conquest target whose value increases even if I leave him alone, right?)
[…It seems that way.]
