Right on Target (TARGET)
The stimulating signals racing through his brain could override the pain, giving Su Heting a euphoric sense of frenzy. He was quite satisfied with this and even felt reluctant to eliminate the virus.
Xie Zhenshu asked, "What virus?"
"The one in the Colosseum. According to the Chief, it stimulates the brain and makes me fight more ferociously." Su Heting lowered his hand as he spoke. "Speaking of which, you’ve connected to the Colosseum interface too. Did you ever feel that… you know, that sudden 'boom' of adrenaline?"
Xie Zhenshu’s response was blunt: "No."
Su Heting said, "Oh."
The subway played advertisements as it moved, with holographic fashion models strutting back and forth. Su Heting’s attention shifted to the ads, observing the models before realizing they were actually quite good-looking.
Xie Zhenshu suddenly asked, "Does the virus hurt?"
Su Heting said, "No."
Maybe a little, but it was nothing to him.
Xie Zhenshu said, "Certain stimulant viruses can infect the brain’s activity zones, causing addiction without the person realizing it. If you feel it activate every time you fight, that might be a warning sign."
His tone was calm, as if he were merely commenting on the hot weather. But the more composed he sounded, the more alert Su Heting became.
Su Heting’s cat ears perked up, though he didn’t want to seem afraid. He deliberately paused for five seconds before asking, "What happens if you get infected?"
Xie Zhenshu said, "You lose your mind."
Su Heting pressed cautiously, "Like…?"
Xie Zhenshu replied leisurely, "Drooling, streaking, screaming."
Su Heting shuddered, unable to accept the idea of himself like that. His tail thumped anxiously against the seat as he asked with grave seriousness, "Then what should I do?!"
Xie Zhenshu shook the water bottle between his fingers and answered, "Find someone to connect with you mentally and have them check for you."
Su Heting said, "That would require plugging into an interface. They’d see everything in my head—that’s practically the same as streaking."
Xie Zhenshu said, "So you’d rather prepare to streak in public?"
The dilemma made Su Heting hesitate. "No, I don’t want that either. Are you sure it causes mental infection? I feel fine right now, and my willpower is strong—the virus might not even work on me." He raised a finger to count for Xie Zhenshu, "I’ve fought so many matches so far and haven’t gone crazy. It doesn’t usually interfere with me."
Xie Zhenshu understood and countered, "Were you excited when you first saw me?"
Su Heting said, "The way you phrased that makes me sound like a pervert."
Xie Zhenshu remained unperturbed and repeated, "Were you excited?"
Su Heting said, "...A little, maybe."
Xie Zhenshu said, "Then it’s already working."
This kind of stimulation wasn’t normal—it converted fear in the face of danger into excitement, urging people to fight with their lives on the line. Even if it lay dormant most of the time, it was still dangerous at critical moments. Besides, Xie Zhenshu was telling the truth—the thrill could be addictive.
Xie Zhenshu continued, "It’s best to find someone to help you as soon as possible."
Su Heting resisted, "What if they start wreaking havoc in my head? I wouldn’t even be able to tell them to get lost."
There are still risks with neural linking—the other party might leave traces behind.
Su Heting didn’t want his mind to be filled with nothing but the other’s shadow every time he thought. He was a conservative, valuing his privacy and unwilling to share everything with a stranger.
Xie Zhenshu let out an “Oh.”
Su Heting sat for a moment before saying, “Mom Fu can fix it.”
Xie Zhenshu asked, “You want to neural-link with Mom Fu?”
Su Heting’s hair immediately stood on end, as if Mom Fu’s massive frame had already barged into his head while waving her manual and banging it against his skull. He blurted out, “Forget it… no! I’d never neural-link with her! Can’t this be solved with surgery? Open up my head and take it out.”
But when Mom Fu examined Su Heting, she hadn’t detected any stimulation signals—they were deeply hidden and usually dormant in the brain.
The more Su Heting thought about it, the more agitated he became, his tail faithfully reflecting his mood as it slapped loudly against the seat.
Xie Zhenshu said, “You must have at least one friend who doesn’t mess around.”
Su Heting turned his head, staring at Xie Zhenshu for a long moment before asking, “You mean Hermit?”
Xie Zhenshu abruptly crushed the water bottle in his hand, the cap popping off and rolling between their feet. His sharp eyes turned icy as he tilted his head back and drained the bottle.
Unaware of the Inspector’s irritation, Su Heting remained lost in his own worries, dismissing the idea himself: “He’s not reliable either—he might get a sudden whim and start stacking blocks in my head. As for Jiali, she’s the big sister—it’d be weird to ask her to neural-link with me.”
Who else was there? In the survival zone, these were the only people he trusted.
Xie Zhenshu gripped the empty bottle, silent.
Su Heting said, “You—”
Xie Zhenshu cut in, “I’m free.”
Their eyes met just as the subway arrived at the station and its doors clanking open as the announcement urged them to disembark. Without waiting for Su Heting’s response, Xie Zhenshu picked up the bottle cap and stepped off.
Su Heting followed behind Xie Zhenshu with his arms folded behind his head, calling out, “Why the sudden hurry?”
Xie Zhenshu replied, “Long legs.”
Su Heting choked on his words, watching as Xie Zhenshu tossed the empty bottle perfectly into the trash. He began considering the feasibility of neural-linking between them. “You’re really free?”
Inspector was swamped with responsibilities, juggling both online and offline duties—Su Heting suspected he barely slept.
Xie Zhenshu repeated, “I. Am. Free.”
Su Heting lightly poked Xie Zhenshu’s back with the water bottle. When he got no reaction, he poked again. “Then… wanna link?”
He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling awkward.
Neural-linking was an intimate act—what with the spliced sensations and all—it wasn’t that he doubted Xie Zhenshu, but he figured Xie Zhenshu had probably never linked with anyone either. What if he wasn’t that familiar with it? If they ended up fumbling around… that wouldn’t be great either.
Su Heting said solemnly, “If you’re really willing, I can log off and prepare. Do you need any guidance on linking?”
Xie Zhenshu replied, “No.”
Su Heting said, “Oh.”
Though the Sanwang Station was remote, it was a major hub with over forty exits. Xie Zhenshu frequented the place and knew his way around. Without turning his head, he could still catch glimpses of Su Heting behind him from various odd angles.
Su Heting trailed after him like a schoolkid after class, his face aloof but obediently following Xie Zhenshu’s every turn.
Xie Zhenshu suddenly stopped and turned around with his expression cold, the cross-shaped earring by his ear glinting faintly.
Su Heting asked, "What's up?"
Xie Zhenshu replied, "Just a little."
Su Heting spoke with earnest gravity: "Want means want, don't want means don't want. What the hell is 'just a little'?"
Xie Zhenshu stared at the cat. After a long pause, he finally said, "Want. I have no experience."
—Damn it.
Su Heting was baffled, feeling like the air conditioning wasn’t strong enough.
The "whoosh—" of the wind didn’t cool him down—instead, his face grew hot.
He suspected Xie Zhenshu was doing this on purpose.
The atmosphere was turning strange in a way he could distinctly perceive. He could clearly hear his own heartbeat gradually speeding up, all because of that one sentence.
The cat had no experience either.
Not just with the neural link between the two of them, but also with Xie Zhenshu himself.
By the time Su Heting snapped out of it, he had already raised his arm to cover half his face, pretending to wipe sweat. But he didn’t know why he was so nervous, or why he felt the need to hide his face like some guilty criminal. He had no energy to spare for what Xie Zhenshu might be thinking—he just wanted to focus on calming his racing heart, as if the two of them weren’t discussing a serious poisoning incident, but something else entirely.
Damn it.
Su Heting thought in frustration.
It must be the heat.
Xie Zhenshu took hold of the water bottle Su Heting hadn’t thrown away and tugged it down, forcing him to meet his gaze. He asked, "Will you come to my place when the time comes?"
Su Heting gritted his teeth. "...Yeah!"
Having secured his answer, Xie Zhenshu led the cat out of the subway station.
The two exited through Gate D and climbed the stairs back into the sweltering heat.
The streets here were wider, flanked by over a dozen "Tech Innovation" buildings, with a deserted residential district not far away. Across the road was a shabby children’s park, where a giraffe slide had faded under the sun and a tattered plush toy lying beside it.
Su Heting grabbed the hem of his jacket and stuffed his tail inside, hiding it. Meeting Xie Zhenshu’s gaze, he forced an explanation: "It’s too hot out. Too much sun makes the fur fall out."
In truth, he was worried his tail might act up and betray his unsettled state.
Fortunately, Xie Zhenshu didn’t press further, merely glancing at the lump at the small of his back where the tail was thrashing wildly.
Their destination was only seven hundred meters away—a short distance in a straight line, but Su Heting felt like they’d been walking forever.
Battling both the sun and his own tail, he lasted only a short while before letting it back out.
Xie Zhenshu took the "sun exposure causes shedding" excuse seriously. He yanked a roadside signpost out of the ground and held it over the tail, casting a small patch of shade.
Su Heting: "..."
The oppressive heat was unbearable, reinforcing his conviction that his earlier reaction had been due to the weather—hence why his heart still hadn’t settled. He thought he should ask Mom Fu for a thorough checkup; maybe all those matches had taken a toll on him.
The cat wanted to say something to Xie Zhenshu but couldn’t find the words. The two arrived at the supermarket entrance in silence. Seeing the locked doors, Su Heting finally perked up. "Old method?"
Eager, he prepared to break in.
Xie Zhenshu raised a finger, and a diamond-shaped fragment transformed into a sleek, narrow card. He swiped it at the entrance. The lock beeped and disengaged before the doors sliding open automatically. Soft welcome music began playing inside as the lights flickered on one by one.
Su Heting: "..."
Xie Zhenshu said, "I come here often."
Su Heting said, "Got it, practice makes perfect. Just as well, I'm hungry too. We can eat first before getting to work. In such a big supermarket, there must be—"
His voice cut off abruptly.
The supermarket's lights were bright, allowing them to see every shelf clearly. But contrary to expectations, there was nothing here.
All the shelves were empty.
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