Chapter 130: We Must Be Close Partners, Right!

Ten minutes later, tucked away in a quiet corner of the Green Spark cafe, Cheng Shan let out a long, resigned sigh. She had just finished putting away the catnip and wiping down a fresh table. Glancing up, she watched the white-haired young man—the very same one who had been fussing over a feline companion moments ago—stroll back through the door. This time, however, he had a new companion in tow: a rigid, intensely serious young man who looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“Excuse me, one glass of Slug Milk, and one hot chocolate.”

The Doctor casually waved Cheng Shan over, adding the two drinks to his tab with the practiced ease of a regular. Settling into his seat, he turned to his new guest, offering a perfectly polite, entirely hypocritical smile. “I wasn’t sure what kind of drinks you preferred, so I took the liberty of ordering the Slug Milk for you. I hope you don’t mind?”

‘The Reunion Movement is rough,’the Doctor reasoned internally.’These guys are constantly fighting, scraping by in the frozen wastelands, and taking a beating. He’s definitely suffering from calcium deficiency. A nice, warm glass of Slug Milk is exactly what he needs to rebuild those bones! He’ll definitely see how approachable and considerate I am!”What else could this be? It’s a blatant show of force.’Red stared mournfully at the glass of Slug Milk placed before him, effortlessly reading between the lines.’Asking if I minded was just a polite fiction, exactly like this drink. He makes it look like he’s treating me, but the reality is absolute: I have zero right to refuse.”Brother, I get it now,’ Red thought, his jaw clenching.’You’re just an absolute tyrant. If you had just told me earlier that my refusal would piss you off this much, I would have respectfully treated you like a god of plague, served you hand and foot, and sent you on your merry way! But no. Now I’ve been downgraded to a collector’s item.’Red had always prided himself on his tactical foresight. Right now, that foresight was entirely dedicated to calculating what posture would look the most dignified when he was eventually stuffed into a glass display case.’I wonder if they’ll let me wear a suit and tie in the display?’ He was an Infected. He had never worn anything so luxurious in his life, but he had heard that a tailored suit made a man look decent, no matter how grim his circumstances.

While Red was busy planning his own burial attire, the Doctor sat across the table, practically glowing with self-satisfaction. He watched Red grip the warm mug of Slug Milk with both hands. The poor guy was even trembling slightly! ‘He must be deeply moved by my attentiveness. Keep it up, Doctor. You’ve successfully breached his emotional defenses!’

To someone who doesn’t love you, even watching you hang yourself just looks like you’re having fun on a swing.

The Doctor leaned forward, casually steering the conversation toward the plight of the Infected. He drew upon Red’s own brutal experiences, weaving them into his arguments to bridge the gap between them. As he spoke, he watched the emotions in Red’s eyes sharpen. The Avenger was clearly moved, absorbing every word. He accepted the Doctor’s viewpoints without a single word of protest, nodding in complete, absolute agreement!

Sensing the perfect opening, the Doctor made his move. He reached into his coat and slid a sleek, black Oripathy monitoring watch across the table. The Rhodes Island insignia gleamed under the cafe lights. “So, would you consider walking the same path as Rhodes Island?”

Red didn’t hesitate for a fraction of a second. He snatched the device off the table and, with lightning speed, strapped it tightly around… his neck.

The Doctor opened his mouth, fully intending to point out that the device was a wrist monitor. But the sheer velocity of Red’s action—snapping it around his throat like a tactical choker—stunned him into silence.

‘Maybe… wearing it on the neck gives him a sense of security? Like protecting a vital artery?’As long as the biometric sensors made contact with the skin, the monitor would function. And since Red didn’t seem to be choking, the Doctor decided it was best not to micromanage.’Every operator has their quirks. If I force him to wear it normally, he might pull a Kazemaru and go on a hunger strike. Better leave it be.’Red finished securing the mysterious strap around his throat as fast as humanly possible. He only allowed himself to exhale when he saw the terrifying mastermind across the table give a slow, barely perceptible nod of satisfaction.’He was threatening me,’Red realized with chilling clarity.’Ursus, Victoria, the Reunion Movement… He casually listed off the surviving Infected just to beat me into psychological submission!’He didn’t dare provoke this absolute control freak any further. Without a second thought, he had fastened the’rope’around his own neck, willingly surrendering his most vulnerable vital point. Strangely, once the’collar’clicked into place, a twisted sense of relief washed over him. As long as he followed orders, he was safe. He wouldn’t be executed today. Red didn’t fear his own death, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of his comrades being slaughtered just because he failed to satisfy this monster’s desire for control.’This collar will probably detonate if I try to run…’ Red had seen similar explosive restraints used on Infected slaves in the Ursus Originium mines. He could already picture the bloody spray of his own decapitation.

A few feet away, Cheng Shan stood frozen, the cleaning cloth slipping from her fingers.

She was the sole witness to this entire, utterly deranged exchange. She had watched this white-haired customer rush out into the street, grab some random, incredibly intense-looking guy, and drag him inside. They had barely exchanged a dozen sentences before the serious guy eagerly strapped a literal collar around his own neck!

‘Was the cat from earlier not enough to satisfy your sick fetishes?! Did you seriously just go out and pick up a dog?!’And to make matters worse, the collar bore the exact insignia the shop manager had explicitly warned her to watch out for! First the cat, now this guy.’Is this degenerate’s Originium Arts actually Beast Taming?!’Cheng Shan screamed internally.’And another thing—keep your twisted pet-play out of my cafe! Do you have absolutely no sense of shame?!’

[Rhodes’s Note:

Enjoying the operation so far, Doctor?

(This daily grind literally pays the landship’s rent! 🙇‍♂️):

Massive thanks for reading and supporting the operation!]