LSDWTWHA chapter 29

Chapter 28

After Su Su left, Yan Bai also went offline.

He opened the nutrient pod with a serious expression and sat up.

“Not going well?” A middle-aged man sat in a chair near the floor-to-ceiling window, casually speaking. His face bore some marks of age, but his handsome features still shone through, indicating that he was once a strikingly handsome man.

“Yes, Father.” Yan Bai put on his coat and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, standing slightly behind the middle-aged man, his hands neatly resting at his sides, abandoning his usual lazy demeanor. “It’s my fault for thinking things too simply.”

Outside the window, the sky had darkened. Through the glass, they could see each other’s reflections.

The man sitting in the chair was Yan San, the head of the Yan family, and Yan Bai’s adoptive father.

“It’s not your fault; you’re still inexperienced. It’s natural to overlook things sometimes.” Yan San drummed his fingers against the chair’s backrest, the copper ring bearing the Yan Shipping symbol clinking against the wooden armrest.

“Su Su grew up as a shark and doesn’t have much identification with mermaids. If you try to guide him using the history of mermaids, it’s unlikely to be effective.”

“Everything is just as you predicted, Father.” Yan Bai agreed and then asked, “Please guide me on what I should do.”

“The safest method is to eliminate him.” Yan San looked out the window, speaking calmly, “The appearance of Su Su has brought too many variables. It would be better to remove him now; I have ways to place our own mermaids around Qi Hanyi again.”

A look of struggle appeared on Yan Bai’s face. “But he is still our kin…”

“Your cousin, you mean?” Yan San met Yan Bai’s reflection in the window with a smile. “Well, if you are reluctant, there are other ways.”

“Bringing Su Su into the fold is a risky move, but if successful, the gains will be greater. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that Qi Hanyi treats Su Su very differently. After what happened back then, he could still raise Su Su at home without any suspicion.”

Yan Bai quickly concurred, “Yes, if we can get Su Su to listen to our arrangements, the success rate of our plans will increase significantly.”

Yan San stood up and turned around, “Since he’s a shark, we should train him according to his nature. Let’s put out some bait, make him chase after it, and just when he’s about to bite, we take it away and push the matter onto humans. Don’t you think he’ll be furious enough to want to bite someone?”

Yan Bai understood, “You mean, let Su Su participate in the competition being held by the military, and ideally, he brings back a ranking?”

Yan San gently patted Yan Bai’s shoulder, “I like your insight. Since Su Su shares blood with you, it’s likely he’s not a dullard. If he can truly be of use to us, that would be a good thing.”

“That’s true, Father.” Yan Bai still had concerns. “But if Su Su actually places, not only will his identity as a mermaid be exposed, but it could also reveal the existence of the Dark Tide.”

The “Dark Tide” Yan Bai mentioned was an organization formed over twenty years ago by mermaids who harbored hatred for the Empire and humans who supported them. They had undertaken several retaliatory actions against the Empire. But nobody knew that the mastermind behind them was actually Yan San. Even fewer knew that Yan San, who held a prominent human identity in the shipping industry, was, in fact, also a mermaid.

The Yan family was merely the surface strength of Yan San, involved in normal shipping commerce with no issues to investigate. His real power lay hidden in the Dark Tide organization on Freedom Island.

Those who attacked during Qi Hanyi’s family visit belonged to the Dark Tide.

This time, the identity given to Su Su was also a fake created by the Dark Tide. If discovered, Su Su would undoubtedly be labeled as part of the Dark Tide.

Yan San, however, smiled indifferently, “The goal is to expose him. This way, humans will naturally tag him as an enemy, leaving Su Su with no choice but to ally with us. Even for his survival, he would stand on our side.”

“Additionally, Qi Hanyi has developed a mental force collapse condition. This event might be his way of finding a new pilot for the Baizhuo. This is our opportunity. Since the military arranged for the competition, it’s indeed a chance for us. You inform Dark Tide to have Zheng Hui enter the game as well. He’s human, his identity is clean, and he can withstand scrutiny. If he can secure first place, he would smoothly enter the Expeditionary Force. With Su Su there to attract attention, no one will suspect Zheng Hui is also one of us.”

Su Su didn’t know he had become a target to attract hatred; he was currently worrying about something else.

Silver-white scales had begun to sprout on his arms and legs, a sign of the drug’s effect waning. Today at noon, he had only eaten half of yesterday’s amount and was already full, showing that the side effects of the drug were diminishing.

He would soon revert back into a shark.

There were only five pills left, meaning he had five chances to transform back into a human. If unable to succeed, he would forever remain a shark.

Su Su stared worriedly at the pills in the box, feeling a deep-seated panic he could hardly explain. What would he do if he consumed all the pills and couldn’t change back into a human?

Previously, he only focused on filling his stomach; now he was becoming increasingly greedy. He had found things he enjoyed, and he wanted to pilot a starship, even if only in the game. If he returned to the sea, living as a shark fighting for scraps, he would be bored to death.

As the moonlight faded outside and stars shone brightly, Su Su felt a sudden impulse; he realized he hadn’t visited his old friends for many days.

He didn’t rush online but instead got dressed and left his room.

Qi Hanyi’s residence was a four-story villa with its own courtyard.

There were no flowers in the courtyard, only a few trees, under which a stone path wound its way.

Previously, Su Su practiced walking here, and at that time, Qi Hanyi would patiently accompany him, his tone gentle, occasionally showing a fleeting smile, showing no sign of disliking him.

It had already been two days since he last saw Qi Hanyi.

Su Su looked up and gazed at the sky, accurately pinpointing the position of the Baizhuo.

Su Su smiled, “Old friend, I saw your predecessor in the game. The Silver Dragon is beautiful, but I think you must be even more beautiful.”

Not far away, the housekeeper, busy giving instructions to the gardener, caught sight of Su Su and immediately ran over.

Two days ago, the young master moved out. He suspected it was due to a quarrel with the mermaid but hadn’t had the chance to ask. Now that he finally saw the person in question, he intended to catch up on the situation.

“Young Mistress, Young Mistress!” The housekeeper called out from behind.

This title was novel, and Su Su didn’t react for a while, believing it wasn’t directed at him, until the housekeeper patted his shoulder, prompting him to stop.

Su Su pointed at himself, confused, “You’re calling me?”

The housekeeper, warm and sincere, explained, “This is your home with the young master, so naturally, you’re the only Young Mistress.”

“What brings the Young Mistress here?” the housekeeper asked. “You may not be familiar with the house, but I can assist you.”

“Oh, I’m just out for a walk,” Su Su explained.

The housekeeper smiled, “It’s a good thing you want to be active. I worried you’d get bored being cooped up in your room. But young master has instructed that without your permission, we’re not to disturb you.”

“Yes, I usually prefer to be alone.”

Su Su thought that Qi Hanyi might be worried about others entering and seeing his shark appearance.

This arrangement was good; he wouldn’t have to worry about being discovered while playing the game.

“Being alone is fine, but it’s even better to occasionally come out for a stroll. I remember you liked the shuttle. If you want to ride, I can have Old Zhang arrange it. Or if you have other ideas, feel free to mention them. I’ll arrange as much as I can. If something can’t be arranged, I’ll ask the young master. You don’t need to be formal in the villa; just treat it like your home,” the housekeeper accompanied Su Su, matching his pace, “Please don’t think I’m being overly chatty. The young master is rather stoic; he doesn’t communicate much, so I tend to speak on his behalf.”

“You’re not being chatty,” Su Su replied. He sensed the old man’s goodwill and didn’t mind listening to humans talk.

Yet, he couldn’t quite understand why, since the housekeeper was Qi Hanyi’s person, he cared for him so much when Qi Hanyi disliked him.

Su Su pondered this and spoke directly. “You don’t have to take special care of me. I’m not any Young Mistress. Qi Hanyi dislikes mermaids. You calling me Young Mistress may upset him. Besides, I’m only temporarily residing here. Once his matters are settled, he’ll send me away.”

Indeed, Qi Hanyi was only using him.

But the housekeeper shook his head vigorously, “Why would you think that?”

“He said he hates mermaids,” Su Su said.

The housekeeper’s heart sank, fearing that attending the banquet might have caused trouble. No wonder the atmosphere was a bit strange when the two returned that day.

“The young master has been through some unfortunate experiences, leaving him with some shadows regarding mermaids. But you can rest assured, he doesn’t hate you.” The housekeeper quickly tried to reassure him, “On the contrary, in those days after you arrived, the young master’s mood improved significantly compared to before. It’s clear he enjoys your company.”

Su Su was skeptical of the housekeeper’s words. “He moved out just to avoid me.”

“This, I’m not too clear about either. Maybe you should tell me what happened then, and I can help analyze it,” the housekeeper used this opportunity to glean information.

“I heard others talking about a fun game called ‘Star Wars.’ I wanted to play, so I asked him if I could play a human game.” Su Su recounted, “He told me that mermaids aren’t allowed to access the human network, and it’s a death sentence. Then he moved out.”

After speaking about this, Su Su raised another question, “Why can’t mermaids play human games? Do humans really see mermaids only as tools for reproduction?”

The more the housekeeper listened, the colder he felt. This young master of his was too much; regardless of the circumstances, he shouldn’t have said such cruel things to his mermaid!

He took a deep breath and switched to a more serious tone, slowly saying, “Child, you must believe that not all humans see mermaids merely as tools for reproduction. That viewpoint is wrong. The young master is certainly not such a person. I don’t know why he said that to you, but those words are definitely not from his heart.”

“I can’t tell you much about the past. But I believe that if it weren’t for that past incident, the young master would have respected and cherished you very much, just like…” The housekeeper paused and gazed off into the distance, as if recalling something, looking at the distant stars with a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “Just like his father.”

“Qi Hanyi’s father?” It was the first time Su Su had heard anyone mention Qi Hanyi’s father, as he had only known of his grandfather.

“His father was a remarkable man.” The housekeeper’s eyes filled with admiration. “You may not know, but back then, the plight of mermaids in the human world was much more challenging than it is now. The general was the first to propose that mermaids and humans should have equal rights and suggested integrating differentiated mermaids into the military to pilot starships and mechs, fighting side by side with humans.”

“Mermaids piloting starships!” Su Su’s eyes lit up. This was exactly what he had been hoping for. If it could come true, it would be just too happy.

However, thinking about how mermaids couldn’t even play games now made Su Su realize they hadn’t succeeded. He couldn’t help but feel some regret, “Why did he fail?”

“The resistance was unimaginable, but the general persisted. He was a person of strong initiative. If he were still alive, perhaps it would have been achieved by now. But who could have anticipated…” The housekeeper’s eyes misted over, and his voice caught slightly.

Su Su gleaned from the housekeeper’s words that Qi Hanyi’s father had died, which is why the matter couldn’t be realized. Su Su sighed, genuinely grieving for the loss of a life. “What a pity.”

“Who wouldn’t think so?” The housekeeper quickly composed himself. “Thinking back, perhaps your request struck a chord with the young master’s painful memories, prompting him to say those things. Of course, this isn’t your fault. Wanting to play a game is perfectly understandable. Even wanting to pilot a starship isn’t a wrongdoing. The general once said that as long as someone has the desire to protect this planet, anyone or any mermaid is qualified to navigate that starry sky.”

“Wanting to protect this planet?” Su Su looked in the direction of the Baizhuo. How could he be so grand? He just wanted some excitement. Reflecting on it, it felt as though he didn’t have the qualifications to pilot a real starship. But playing a game should be okay, right?

Su Su tentatively asked the housekeeper, “Then what do you think would happen if I secretly played the game without Qi Hanyi knowing and he found out? Would he really kill me according to the law?”

“Of course not,” the housekeeper said firmly, then added, “However, according to the current laws of the Empire, you must act with caution. If discovered by others, it could still lead to some trouble.”

Su Su was delighted, feeling enthusiastic about playing games that night. He was even happier when Yan Bai sent him a message, saying his reaction at noon had been somewhat excessive and that if he truly wanted to participate in the competition, it was fine. There was no need to worry about his identity being exposed.

Receiving the message, Su Su happily dashed to the registration point.

This time, he smoothly completed the registration. Holding the notification for the preliminary competition, Su Su gleefully messaged his two friends.

【Whitefin Sharky】: I’ve successfully registered!

The other party replied quickly: Congratulations.

【Whitefin Sharky】: How about you?

Qi Hanyi replied: I didn’t pass.

Of course, that was just a pretext; he had no intention of participating in the competition from the start.

【Whitefin Sharky】: Aye! The questions aren’t difficult; tell me what you’re struggling with, and I’ll teach you!

Qi Hanyi stared at the communication screen, a faint smile involuntarily tugging at the corners of his mouth. Being cared for by a newbie player in a game felt somewhat strange.

Qi Hanyi checked the location and saw that 【Whitefin Sharky】 was at the competition registration point, likely just sending a message after passing the assessment, clearly indicating they hadn’t spoken much before.

Truly… easier to fool than expected.

But it was perfect; he wanted to observe the other’s operations up close.

Qi Hanyi typed a reply: I’ll come find you.