AGTCTCC Chapter 33
by VolareChapter 33: Are You Taller?
Sang Quan Shi Li’s face still bore the exhaustion of sleep deprivation. He dragged his body, forehead pressed against the door, and feebly raised a finger to press the doorbell twice.
He howled like a wolf, “Chu~ Qi-yiiiii~ open the door-errrr~~”
It was a numb-looking Lin Wu who opened the door: “…”
He had been dragged out in the middle of the night by Chu Qi’s call, rushing over non-stop. Now he had just settled the two ancestors, and before he could even doze off, he was woken up again. Had he violated some heavenly law?
Sang Quan Shi Li: “Huh?”
“Why are you here? Is Chu Qi’s heart acting up again?” He craned his neck to look inside, his eyes a little clearer.
Lin Wu, sporting huge dark circles under his eyes, rolled them at the question.
“I’d rather it was his heart.”
Lin Wu stepped aside to let Sang Quan Shi Li in, unable to suppress a yawn. Sang Quan Shi Li, who had just barely woken up, was immediately infected, his eyelids drooping.
As soon as he entered, Sang Quan Shi Li collapsed onto the sofa. Lin Wu slumped onto another armchair.
When he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.
Sang Quan Shi Li’s eyes were blank.
Who am I, where am I, what am I doing?
Lin Wu had woken up long ago and was now checking Chu Qi’s heart rate. Hearing the noise, both of them looked over.
Lin Wu chuckled, “Awake? I was wondering if your heart was still beating.” Chu Qi took a sip of water from his glass, saying nothing.
Sang Quan Shi Li flopped around on the sofa like a fish out of water for a couple of times before stopping, burying his head in the sofa cushion, his voice muffled.
“Stayed up late last night, got a message from Shen Gui early in the morning telling me to come find Chu Qi…”
Suddenly remembering the important matter, Sang Quan Shi Li scrambled up and rushed to the two men, or rather, to Chu Qi.
With a serious expression, he lowered his voice: “Chu Qi, did you go to the main base last night?”
“Main base?” Lin Wu also knew that the main base had been raided last night, and thinking of the injuries on both of them last night, he drew a long line with his pen.
Tsk, he’d become an accomplice.
The “culprit” slowly took a sip of water, his voice as cold and detached as ever, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly.
“Yeah, Shen Gui told you?”
“Not really.” Sang Quan Shi Li waved his hand, looking smug. “He just said to keep your actions low-key, I guessed it myself. Oh yeah, the commander told him and Xing Zi Mu to see him alone today.”
“He told you to stay home for now, he used the excuse that you went out on a mission last night.”
Chu Qi nodded, putting down the water glass. Lin Wu was recording data when he heard Sang Quan Shi Li exclaim.
“Xiang Li?”
The other “culprit” came down from upstairs, and upon hearing this, simply nodded and walked expressionlessly to Chu Qi’s side.
Ignoring Sang Quan Shi Li’s condemning gaze that seemed to say, “Xiang Li’s back? You’re just protecting him,” Chu Qi poured a glass of water for Xiang Li with perfect naturalness.
Chu Qi: “Awake?”
Xiang Li nodded again, accepting the water. His lips, parched from not drinking all day, were indeed a bit dry.
Seeing that Chu Qi was ignoring him, Sang Quan Shi Li felt somewhat frustrated. He stood to the side, looking Xiang Li up and down, frowning and stroking his chin. After a long while, he came to a conclusion.
“Have you gotten taller?”
This sentence made Xiang Li stiffen suddenly. Perhaps the shock in his eyes was too obvious, Sang Quan Shi Li continued to emphasize it.
“I measured your combat suit size, you must have gotten taller!” After saying that, he compared their heights. “Tsk, tsk.”
“You’re half a head taller than me.”
Lin Wu’s voice vaguely drifted over, “Isn’t it normal to grow at nineteen…”
–Not normal, too abnormal.
Xiang Li raised his head and met Chu Qi’s gaze. The other also frowned, sizing up his height. The dull pain in his heart from last night seemed to have returned, pounding strongly, making Xiang Li’s eardrums ache.
Amidst Sang Quan Shi Li’s voice, “Is there still hope for a twenty-nine-year-old to grow taller?” the two men went upstairs one after the other.
Sang Quan Shi Li also wanted to follow “ta-da-da” after them, but Lin Wu turned him around for a life-or-death battle with the words, “When I met you at twenty, you didn’t seem to have grown since.”
In the room.
Chu Qi cut straight to the chase: “Is it possible?”
“No.” Xiang Li’s throat bobbed up and down, without hesitation. “I need to find Old Yan.”
Chu Qi raised an eyebrow: “Going back to Planet C079?”
“Planet C079 will be closed to the outside world during this time, I can’t contact…” Xiang Li thought of something, his eyes dimming slightly.
The room was silent for two seconds, Chu Qi asked, “What did you see in the archives last night?”
“I don’t know.” He said truthfully.
“That Spiritual Power barrier… seems to be Qi Aunt’s.”
Chu Qi frowned: “Qi Xiao?”
“Yeah.” After saying that, Xiang Li took two steps forward and rested his entire head on Chu Qi’s body. The clothes he was wearing were soft, and his face was buried completely. Before, he was about the same height as Chu Qi, but now he really felt taller than Xiang Li.
“My Spiritual Power seems to be unusable, Officer.”
Chu Qi crossed his arms, and Xiang Li leaned against him in this “helpless bird” posture, the vibrations pressing against the other’s protruding collarbone.
“Am I going to die…”
“Yes.” Chu Qi pushed him away without mercy, opened the door, and left a sentence before leaving.
“Remember to come down for dinner later, corpse.”
When Shen Gui and Xing Zi Mu arrived, the four had already finished eating and were sitting on the sofa playing cards.
Sang Quan Shi Li was frustrated: “If I had known, I would have played the pair of fours first!”
Lin Wu casually threw out four Aces, then apologized with a look of regret.
“Sorry, Sang Quan, this is my smallest hand.”
Sang Quan Shi Li: “… Did you guys definitely use Spiritual Power to switch cards?”
“Hmph, Game Hedgehog never learns.” Shen Gui walked in, his arm resting on Sang Quan Shi Li’s shoulder, marveling with a “tsk, tsk.”
“Stop playing, let’s put strips on each other’s faces.”
No matter what game it was, as long as Sang Quan Shi Li was involved, he would always be stabbed in the back.
For details, refer to the previous card game played by Lin Wu, Sang Quan, Chu Qi, Xing Zi, and Shen Gui (landlord).
It was still Sang Quan, enraged and incompetent: “Didn’t win even with four against one, what are you guys doing!”
Sang Quan Shi Li: “…”
You’re the Game Hedgehog.
“What did the commander say to you?”
Looking around, only Chu Qi had the fewest strips on his face. The others were unfortunate enough to be teamed up with Sang Quan a few too many times.
“The Empire wants to discuss cooperation with Planet C079.”
Xing Zi Mu took the card Lin Wu passed to him and slowly played two 2s.
Lin Wu, who was watching his cards being torn apart, glared at the “Game Hedgehog”, who seemed to have received his provocation and glared back fiercely.
Hands in pockets: Whatever, I can still win.
Xing Zi Mu: “Although I don’t understand the details of Planet C079, at least they are all human forces.”
“Human interests are above all else.”
Xiang Li threw out four 6s: “Planet C079 is not interested in cooperating with others.”
Chu Qi, who was cooperating: “Pass.”
Sang Quan Shi Li, scratching his ears and cheeks: “Pass.”
Xing Zi Mu’s Royal Flush crushed them: “Don’t you want to know about the archives?”
“…”
Sang Quan Shi Li paused in his card-watching, looking up blankly.
The archives, that was where his mother used to work.
Shen Gui: “The Empire is willing to go and clear the Polluted Entities on Planet C079 and rebuild Planet C079.”
Xiang Li’s expression was indifferent: “Talk to Old Yan, it’s useless to talk to me.”
Shen Gui: “I sent him a message before coming, but he hasn’t replied.”
“Normal, ask again in a month. I don’t want it, pass.” Xiang Li waved his hand, signaling the next person.
Chu Qi & Sang Quan Shi Li: “Pass.”
Shen Gui: “A 3.”
Lin Wu, who had stepped aside: Where did that 3 come from? Does he even have such a small card?
Sang Quan Shi Li’s eyes lit up, clutching the two fours hidden tightly in his hand, looking at Xiang Li and then at Chu Qi.
Xiang Li didn’t even raise his head: “Pass.”
Chu Qi: “A 4.”
The light in Sang Quan Shi Li’s eyes dimmed.
Shen Gui played all the cards in his hand, looking at Shen Gui, who seemed to be minding his own business.
“…”
“Okay, we can wait a month.”
Shen Gui took out a certificate from his pocket and pushed it to Xiang Li.
“This is a pass approved by the commander. With this, you don’t have to wear a mask when you’re wandering around Main Star anymore.”
Xiang Li unceremoniously stuffed it into his pocket, patted it twice, and then threw out a card.
After they finished playing, Shen Gui handed Chu Qi a USB drive. Sang Quan Shi Li’s two fours were never played, and he was tearfully pressed down by Lin Wu and stuck with another strip.
Chu Qi took it and connected it to the light panel computer at home. Before he even opened it, he heard Shen Gui say.
“This is the video from last night.”
Xiang Li, who was tired from playing cards: “?”
Even in front of the person involved, Shen Gui didn’t shy away at all: “Know yourself and your enemy, next time strive to take him down directly.”
“…”
After saying that, the three of them really studied his Spiritual Power in front of Xiang Li. Xiang Li listened quietly, occasionally nodding to show his encouragement, as for whether their analysis was correct or not, it was none of his business.
The information in the USB drive was not only the video from last night, but also the videos from the military academy at various times, as well as the video of “Wu Zhen’s” night raid on the laboratory. It wasn’t complete; the temporary laboratory was completely destroyed, so it couldn’t be found, so it wasn’t there.
While the others were analyzing enthusiastically, Lin Wu received a call from his soldier.
Shen Gui: “Xiang Li’s Spiritual Power Energy Measurement Stone is missing.”
As soon as this was said, everyone’s eyes turned to Xiang Li.
The subject of the attention also frowned: “Old Yan switched the Energy Measurement Stone a long time ago, don’t worry.”
The others: Is that what we’re worried about?
Lin Wu: “The disappearance of the military academy students hasn’t been resolved yet, and now the Energy Measurement Stone stored in the military academy headquarters has been stolen. How likely is it that it was done by the same people?”
Xiang Li, who was having Lin Wu check his heart for any abnormalities, nodded, saying absentmindedly.
“Very likely, right.”
At the military academy.
A group of teachers stared at the destroyed storage room, their temples throbbing with pain.
Students disappeared under their noses, and now the students’ Energy Measurement Stones have been lost under their noses!
When Shen Gui came, Xiang Li followed behind him. Chu Qi probably couldn’t show his face for a few days because Shen Gui had said he was going on a mission to Planet C079.
Shen Gui: “Although the commander knows it’s you, the other senior managers don’t know. You stay at home, I’ll take Xiang Li.”
As soon as Xiang Li arrived at the gate of the base, his expression changed. His eyes swept from the left to the right of the military academy, and the end of his eyebrow raised almost imperceptibly.
He walked a few steps to Shen Gui’s side, suppressing his voice to speak in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
“The person is already gone, do you have the star map monitoring?”
Shen Gui glanced at Xiang Li in surprise: “Yes.”
The monitoring displayed by the star map showed that this morning, a figure suddenly appeared inside the military academy building. The figure staggered obviously when it appeared before returning to normal walking.
This person came all the way to the storage room, and at the door, his figure became shallow, and the whole person passed straight through the door, directly reaching the Energy Measurement Stone containing Xiang Li’s “Spiritual Power” with a purpose.
Xiang Li’s face was as cold as jade, staring down at the figure on the screen. The person seemed to be doing it on purpose, twisting his face towards the position of the monitor, that face clearly exposed on the screen.
A very young face, a man’s face.
Xiang Li: “Ning Li An…”
Shen Gui stared at the scene on the screen, feeling somewhat familiar. Hearing Xiang Li say this, he looked carefully again, confirming that he had never seen this person before.
“Why did he steal your Energy Measurement Stone?” Shen Gui asked.