Yin Mingzheng fulfilled Shi Qing's request.
When the extraterrestrial youth, now satisfied, retrieved the small components, although he appeared relaxed with a satisfied look on his face, his body felt somewhat weak.
Shi Qing didn't stand on his own either; he clung to Yin Mingzheng like he had no bones, earnestly analyzing the system, saying, "The Blue Star people's learning ability is truly terrifying."
It had only been a few days, yet Yin Mingzheng had surpassed her teacher.
The system, finally breaking free from the mosaic, quietly listened to a nursery rhyme, "The little girl picking mushrooms, carrying a large bamboo basket—"
Shi Qing didn't mind the system ignoring him. Now that the happiness had passed, it was time to get down to business.
He fulfilled his promise and allowed Yin Mingzheng to step out of the room for the first time.
Everything outside was silver-white, silver-white corridors, silver-white machinery, and when there was so much silver-white, walking on it would always give a sense of temporal disorientation.
Shi Qing was like a lively little bird, with a joyful smile on his face, pulling his partner along to show him the nest he had built.
"This is the supply chamber. Every day, new machinery is manufactured here, and my legion is created here."
Yin Mingzheng looked at the humanoid machines coming out of the silver-white manufacturing chamber one by one.
Each of them possessed extraordinary strength and aggression. When they were just "born," the mechanical beings responsible for recording the "new recruits" would mark them one by one and distribute weapons.
Given the current speed of production and the combat capabilities of these machines, as long as Shi Qing wanted, he could conquer the Blue Star at any time.
The human hero had no time to think much, as Shi Qing had already moved like a cheerful bird, dragging him to the other side.
"Over here is the observation chamber. Here, my legion can monitor everything on a planet."
Shi Qing took three or four steps into the spacious hall, pulling Yin Mingzheng, who was gazing at various images floating in mid-air, all the way to the throne in the center of the hall.
He stepped up first and sat down steadily before extending his hand to Yin Mingzheng, with a look of trust in his eyes. "This is the throne, only the king of the mechanical race can sit on it."
"Now you are my partner, and you can sit here with me."
Yin Mingzheng's complex emotions were hard to conceal as he looked at Shi Qing extending his hand. He knew that he should immediately grasp that hand and earn Shi Qing's trust.
But when he looked at the extraterrestrial youth, whose clear eyes were filled with joy and the eager expression of wanting to share everything with him, he couldn't bear it in his heart.
Shi Qing genuinely wanted to share everything with him, but he only wanted to gain Shi Qing's trust to escape from here.
The man closed his eyes and forced himself not to look at the guilt in his heart.
Through this journey, Yin Mingzheng had thoroughly confirmed his previous thoughts. This spaceship was like an impenetrable fortress, both internally and externally guarded by countless humanoid machines. Even if he coaxed Shi Qing into granting him the freedom to move, he still couldn't escape.
Since a direct attack was not an option, he had to find a way through Shi Qing.
"Shi Qing," he didn't grasp the hand the youth offered but asked, "Are you the only one on this spaceship?"
"Of course not."
Shi Qing stood up, like a little prince who had grown up being pampered. He raised his chin with a hint of pride and pointed to the humanoid machines in the observation chamber, working systematically.
"They are all my subordinates, there are so many of them."
He looked proud, and Yin Mingzheng asked again, "Do they, like you, have their own thoughts?"
Shi Qing's expression froze.
Yin Mingzheng continued, "You said earlier that you are the king of the mechanical race, but your subordinates are all machines. They obey your orders and work for you, but they cannot accompany you."
"They can!"
The youth sitting on the throne clenched his fists, his silver-white eyes showing determination. "For tens of thousands of years, they have been accompanying me!"
"But they only accompany you because of orders. If you don't give orders, will machines come to accompany you voluntarily?"
"They will! They will!"
Yin Mingzheng looked at Shi Qing on the throne; his eyes were already red, and his hands were tightly clenched into fists. His expression was stubborn, and there were tears shimmering in his eyes.
He could tell that Shi Qing understood deep down. Over these days, Yin Mingzheng had gathered enough information and had a clear understanding of the characteristics of the mechanical race. Mechanical beings had only one life, and that was the king. The rest were just humanoid machines created by the king.
Machines lacked thoughts and only followed the king's commands.
To continue the lineage, each generation of kings would do their best to protect themselves and create a spaceship after birth, spending their entire lives on it. Only these thoughtless machines would accompany the king.
—Until death.
He was called a king, but in reality, he was a prisoner.
And now, he had to lure this prisoner.
Yin Mingzheng lowered his voice, like a snake tempting humans to eat the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. "Shi Qing, do you really want to continue like this for the rest of your life? Do you want to stay on this spaceship forever? Spend your whole life with machines that have no life, all the way until death?"
The youth on the throne had even more moisture in his eyes, biting his lip stubbornly as he locked eyes with the man.
Yin Mingzheng looked at him, but it seemed as if he could see, through the millennia, a silver-white youth sitting on a high throne, surrounded by silent, lifeless machines, living a lonely and desolate life day after day.
Until death.
He had been wondering why Shi Qing was so clingy, like a leopard cub that had tasted meat for the first time, unable to leave its prey, always wanting to nest in Yin Mingzheng's arms and exchange small parts with him.
Now that he suddenly knew the truth, a tinge of pity for Shi Qing welled up in the man's heart.
If he were to exist in such an environment, he might have gone insane, no matter how strong his powers were.
[Ding! Yin Mingzheng's rejection level: 75/100... Absorb...]
Shi Qing: [What are you absorbing?]
[Host, your race is so pitiful, but no matter how pitiful it is, invading another planet is not good. However, it's great that you can increase the rejection level like this... Absorb...]
[Are all your systems this naive?] Shi Qing disdainfully asked, [Can't you tell I'm making this up? To protect myself, I've imprisoned myself on this spaceship for a lifetime. Which race would be so foolish?]
System: [...But, host, didn't you almost cry just now?]
[I didn't create a pitiful background for myself, how can I make Big Sweetheart pity me? Did your system malfunction and forget that we're on a mission? Alright, stop absorbing. I need to focus.]
System: [...]
Shi Qing no longer paid attention to the overly sensitive system. He listened as Yin Mingzheng finally got to the point after taking a few detours.
"How about this, you come back with me to the human base. There, you'll meet many sick people, women, men, children, and various animals. They all have their own thoughts, and they'll accompany you."
If it were truly a race that had been alone for tens of thousands of years, Yin Mingzheng might have been able to persuade him.
But Shi Qing was not that type.
Even though he remained lonely, he still raised his chin proudly. "The mechanical race doesn't associate with other races. I don't need companionship, and if I do, I only need yours."
This was undoubtedly a charming declaration.
If the person saying it weren't an extraterrestrial, and if the meaning behind the words weren't to keep Yin Mingzheng trapped on the spaceship for the rest of his life, it might have sounded appealing.
Perhaps sensing Yin Mingzheng's reluctance, the youth's eyes flickered with a hint of panic. He jumped down from the throne and took his partner's hand.
"Do you still want to go back to the human base? Why? They'll kill you."
Yin Mingzheng was taken aback. "Kill me?"
"Am I wrong?" As if to retain his partner, Shi Qing waved his hand, and something about the size of a Blue Star small television flew over.
Shi Qing commanded it, "Calculate the future of the Blue Star's first base's superpower, Yin Mingzheng, staying on the Blue Star."
After giving the command, he turned to Yin Mingzheng. "This is the intellect brain. As long as it absorbs the data, it can calculate the future of all life on this planet."
Yin Mingzheng looked at the thing Shi Qing called the intellect brain; it resembled a small television for humans, except it was entirely round.
Overall, its appearance didn't match what humans had imagined in terms of future technology for invaders arriving on the Blue Star.
And at this moment, the "television" was displaying the calculation that Shi Qing had mentioned, with strings of numerical text scrolling across it. Yin Mingzheng even saw a few familiar faces.
In the end, the intellect brain provided the calculated results.
Yin Mingzheng had a seventy percent chance of being assassinated before the age of thirty, a twenty percent chance of being betrayed to the Bug Clan, and a ten percent chance of having his powers revoked and sent for research.
Summary: He had a hundred percent chance of not surviving past thirty.
Seeing the results, the extraterrestrial youth expertly nestled into the man's arms, playing with his cuff. "You saved many people, but not everyone wants you to survive. Just like this time, I threatened them a bit, and they handed you over to me."
He softened his body, like a thorn flower, gradually hugging the rigid Yin Mingzheng tightly, and his face bore the innocent smile of a little prince. "They don't want you, but I want you."
"Stay here, always with me, alright?"
In Yin Mingzheng's embrace was Shi Qing's soft body, but his eyes remained fixed on the results displayed by the intellect brain.
Finally, his once-sharp eyes dimmed.
The man tightened his hold on Shi Qing's hand.
After a moment, Shi Qing heard his hoarse voice:
"Alright, I'll stay here, always with you."
[Ding! Yin Mingzheng's rejection level: 80/100]
The system was about to break down: [Didn't he already agree? Why is the rejection level still rising?]
In Yin Mingzheng's arms, Shi Qing acted like a coquettish little leopard, rubbing against his prey.
A sweet smile gradually appeared on his face.
"Get ready, Yin Mingzheng has been stimulated."
"Our excitement is about to begin."
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