In the city inside the Wall, the sex industry thrived like nowhere else.
Humans in this post-apocalyptic world were already pent up enough. Without some way to blow off steam, society would erupt in all sorts of unrest.
That was why the authorities always turned a blind eye to those pleasure dens.
But those sex services were mostly aimed at the middle and lower classes—quick, convenient, and dirt cheap.
The pampered heirs of high society had no need to slum it in such places. With a snap of their fingers, they could summon fully customized bionic companions or genetically perfected lovers eager to climb into their beds.
And Saibansi had always been too proud for his own good. He barely deigned to look at people on his own level—why would he ever set foot in a dump like that?
An escort delivery joint and the Tech Group’s Crown Prince? The two concepts clashed like oil and water.
Yet Saibansi’s expression did freeze, if only for a split second—and everyone saw it clear as day.
He curled his lip in a careless smirk. “Kroya, have you lost your mind? Grown some guts, have you? And you dare slander my boyfriend?”
Kroya remained utterly calm. “Truth or lie, one quick check will tell.”
He pulled out his communicator and, in front of everyone, punched in a code. “Mr. Sai Yin has access to every personal record in the Base. Whether you’ve ever ordered from that delivery shop—I’m sure the data’s all there, crystal clear.”
The mention of his father’s name finally cracked the perfect facade on Saibansi’s handsome face.
“Why the hell would my dad give you his comm code?!”
“One’s a twenty-something runaway brat throwing tantrums, the other’s a bastard son who clawed his way to the top of the Union on his own. Sai Yin’s no fool—he doesn’t put all his eggs in one basket.”
Kroya enunciated each word deliberately, his finger hovering over the connect button. “…What do you think he’d do if he found out his precious son was keeping a lover on the side?”
Keeping a lover was small potatoes.
But keeping one from the bottom-rung escort delivery ranks? That was a scandal.
And for the bastard son to uncover it?
If word got out, it’d shame the entire family.
Saibansi could already hear the snickers from the young masters and ladies behind him, and all those scheming relatives in the family gloating over his downfall.
After a long silence, he spoke slowly. “What the hell do you want?”
Kroya flashed a smile so faint it was almost invisible. “Simple.”
“Get down on your knees right here in front of everyone and apologize to me. Do that, and I’ll pretend I never knew a thing. No tattle-tale to Dad.”
Kneel?
Luo Li’s teeth chattered at the demand.
A guy like Saibansi probably hadn’t even tripped as a kid, let alone faced anything like this.
He was used to lording over those rich kids like a king. Kneeling now? He’d never live it down.
Weido called out, “Come on, Kroya, ease up. Little Saizong’s your brother, after all—why push it this far?”
Kroya didn’t budge. “If he’s so attached to his little plaything, what’s a simple apology?”
He glanced down at Luo Li. The boy was biting his soft pink lips until they flushed bright red. He took a hesitant step toward Saibansi but shrank back from the dark aura rolling off the Eldest Young Master.
Unable to stop himself, Kroya blurted, “Do you actually like Saibansi or what?”
In their line of work, falling for a client was the ultimate taboo.
Saibansi might be arrogant as hell, but Kroya could see his spoiled golden-boy brother had plunged headfirst into first love and couldn’t swim back out.
Just like right now.
That smug king of a man visibly flinched at the question, his light brown eyes shaking, his composure cracking.
Saibansi’s heartstrings pulled taut. He had no idea why he was this on edge—damn it, it wasn’t like he was the one confessing to Luo Li.
At this moment, he even thought that if Luo Li said he liked him, Saibansi would accept it—even if the kid had just rolled out of Kroya’s bed yesterday.
Real or not…if it came straight from Luo Li’s mouth, it’d be real enough.
Saibansi stared at the boy across from him, his heart pounding like it was about to leap out of his throat.
Luo Li fidgeted, embarrassed.
How was he supposed to know what “like” even felt like? He’d never liked anyone before.
It seemed like such a big, important word—one you couldn’t just toss around.
After a moment’s hesitation, he mumbled softly, “I don’t like him…”
There was a snap, and Saibansi’s heartstrings broke.
Weido ventured carefully, “Uh, Little Saizong…”
“I don’t give a damn if he doesn’t like me!”
Saibansi cut him off sharply, his emotions flooding out like a dam burst. “It was just a fling, that’s all. Don’t flatter yourself—I sure as hell wouldn’t go wagging my tail like some dog begging for scraps like other guys do!”
【Fuck, my temper’s flaring—blood pressure through the roof!】
【Broke that fast? Not happy playing ATM? You think my little rabbit would actually fall for you? Keep dreaming!】
【+1111 Someone sub in, I wanna slap this cheap dog dead】
【Just a fling? Fling your ass! Who asks his baby to call him hubby on a phone call? Who jerks off to my baby’s pics every night? Who packs condoms for a “vacation” with my baby? Who’s still bleeding from the face but rushes here to catch him in the act? And you call that a fling?】
【I’m pissed-laughing, fam—watch out or my baby’s snake hubby’ll skewer him with one tail swipe】
【Hold up, bros, don’t rush—this episode feels familiar. Sure, the cheap dog’s losing it now, but he’ll be tailing his wife again soon enough】
【Who gives a shit! Lili, ignore him—he’s not fit to be your dog anymore. Tell him to fuck off!】
Saibansi ignored the barrage, turning sharply on his heel. He wiped at the long gash tearing across his face.
“We’re leaving.”
Only Weido noticed his clenched fists, the veins bulging terrifyingly along his arms, his knuckles white as if they might shatter.
Luo Li’s delicate pink nose twitched. He had no idea how things had spiraled into this mess.
Sure, he didn’t like Saibansi—but he hadn’t said he hated him either. Why was Saibansi so pissed?
If it were the other way around, Luo Li wouldn’t have minded at all.
Rich people were so weird.
Kroya, meanwhile, wore a grin from ear to ear. Seeing Saibansi dumped by his first-love boy toy felt even better than watching him kneel.
Kroya looked away and scooped Luo Li back onto the hoverbike.
Luo Li blinked in surprise. “What are you—”
“That beast doesn’t want you anymore? Fine. You’ve still got me.”
Kroya fastened the helmet on him. “I’ll take good care of you.”
~~~
In the Sinkhole Mid-Layer, at the Poachers’ Camp.
Several men worked together to haul the mangled corpse from the deep water, along with all its gear, laying it out on the bank to dry.
“His pollution levels are off the charts. And after soaking that long? Still this high.”
Soi glanced at the detection dial handed over by a subordinate, then inspected the scattered bones on the ground more closely.
The young man had been strangled, most of his skeleton gnawed clean away, leaving only fragments.
Traces of King Snake’s bites.
Why the hell had King Snake targeted Lai An out of nowhere? They’d never messed with those things before.
“This water leads to the Sinkhole Depths, right?” one subordinate knelt by the pool, peering in. “Weird. How’d he end up falling in here?”
“Maybe he didn’t fall. Maybe King Snake threw him in.”
Soi mused, “All the dangerous species in the Sinkhole are drawn to pollution sources. Rumor has it the Sinkhole Depths is where one nests. King Snake’s been hunting for it.”
The pollution source was the root of all contamination beyond the Wall—the most powerful dangerous species of them all.
In the past, the military had guarded their habitats tightly. But years ago, the sources had mysteriously vanished.
Soi murmured, “This poor bastard must’ve brushed up against one.”
Of course, it was just a hunch.
The subordinates grumbled as they handled Lai An’s remains. Then the roar of a hoverbike cut through the air. They looked up—Kroya was back.
…And not alone.
A petite boy sat on the back.
They recognized him at once: the little boyfriend always glued to Saibansi’s side—the one the boss despised.
Lai An had snapped photos of him.
Before fishing out the body, they’d all suspected the boy had something to do with Lai An’s death—maybe caught him spying and got revenge.
Even now that it was clear King Snake had done the deed, they stayed wary of the kid.
They were about to bark at him threateningly when he yanked off his helmet and flung it to the ground in a huff.
…That was the boss’s favorite helmet.
“Hey, you little shit, you picking a fight—”
Kroya whipped around, cutting his men off. “Get lost. All of you.”
His subordinates blinked. “?”
The Poachers’ Guild Chairman—who never cracked a smile—bent down and scooped up the sulky boy from the seat. “I didn’t ride too fast this time, did I? What got you mad now?”
Luo Li actually stomped the mighty hoverbike, his small face still streaked with tears. “I never said I wanted to come back with you!”
“Then go chase after Saibansi so he can keep ordering you around from on high?”
The man in leather, radiating a fierce, untamed aura, cupped the boy’s pale, tender cheeks. He’d just wiped away one teardrop when more came plummeting down onto the back of his hand, big and fat.
Luo Li sniffled through his sobs. “Then you… you said I was doing compensated dating…”
Kroya fell silent for a moment. “I only said that to rile up that beast Saibansi. Didn’t I admit I’m a bastard too? What’s the issue? I’m not going to look down on you for it.”
His subordinates’ eyes nearly bulged out of their heads.
In this era, with bionic people and androids everywhere, society obsessed over bloodlines more than ever before. The Chairman’s status as a bastard was the Union’s unspoken taboo—everyone knew it, but no one dared breathe a word. If it ever reached his ears, the unlucky soul was in for a world of hurt.
And now their boss was admitting it outright, right in front of this little punk?
Seeing the boy still fuming, cheeks puffed out, Kroya bent one arm and hoisted him up effortlessly in a single-handed carry, striding toward the camp.
He caught sight of Lai An’s corpse but spared it only a quick glance. “Hurry up and deal with that thing. It’ll only get messier the longer it sits.”
Then he never mentioned it again.
Lai An’s death should have been a massive deal. Kroya had always put the Union above everything else, yet here he was brushing it off like it was nothing.
Not only that, but the arms wrapped tightly around the boy hadn’t loosened for a second.
Once inside the tent, Kroya ignored the cluster of odd stares boring into his back from behind. He squatted down and unlaced Luo Li’s shoes, his callused fingertips kneading firmly into the boy’s soft soles with practiced ease.
But Luo Li wasn’t having any of it. He didn’t offer so much as a smile—instead, he scowled with that pretty face of his and lashed out with a kick to Kroya’s arm.
The onlookers sucked in a collective gasp.
The insolent boy huffed arrogantly. “I don’t care—you embarrassed me! Now they all think I’m sleeping with you!”
Kroya tilted his face upward. “Impossible. Those guys will just think a lowly wretch like me sed…uced you.”
【？？？】
【Am I reading too much into it, bros? That hesitation—he was about to say ‘raped’, right?】
【He sure knows how to baby his sweet, innocent little wife’s delicate heart (eyeroll)】
【But I still can’t stomach him saying Baby does compensated dating! What’s so bad about it? If I had the cash, I’d be booking Baby in a heartbeat!】
Luo Li still looked far from appeased, so Kroya ducked his head obligingly and pressed his cheek right up to the boy’s dainty little foot.
“Then kick me here? Will that cool your temper?”
The subordinates: “？？？？”
What the hell? How had their boss morphed into a love-struck fool overnight?
No. Not just lovesick.
This was full-on simping lapdog territory!
