ASA Ch50: Peacock

Chapter 50: It is actually a paradise in another sense for special humans.

Peacock—Prologue—

Inside the bar, the lights were chaotic, and the music was deafening. A shiny steel pole stood in the center of the circular stage, surrounded by a boisterous audience, their cheers rising and falling.

The music gradually stopped. The bar fell unusually silent, and all the chatter ceased for a moment.

As the music resumed with a different tune and a lively rhythm with melodic singing, the lights caressed a figure on the stage.

Long, flowing hair, like soft seaweed, swayed with each movement. The dancer had a slender waist, and her exposed arms and legs showcased well-defined and beautiful muscles. Muscles adorned her body, providing support for every powerful move. She twined around the steel pole like a snake, caressing it as if it were her lover.

Jiang Xiaochuan stood in the crowd, his young face turning bright red.

In an attempt to appear more mature, he had used hair gel to fix his hair, donned a jingly outfit, and borrowed something to enhance his stature.

Someone behind him kept pushing him forward, everyone eager to get closer to the stage, closer to the woman entangled with the steel pole.

Jiang Xiaochuan stared at the dancer without blinking. The upper half of her face was covered by a mask, and her long hair cascaded down. Occasionally, the light swept across her face, revealing a sharp chin and perfectly shaped lips. She always smiled, and Jiang Xiaochuan wondered what she was laughing at, but it was undoubtedly directed at him. She looked down on the whole scene and also on Jiang Xiaochuan. Sometimes she bit her lips, which were as red as blood.

As the dance ended, the dancer’s chest heaved, and Jiang Xiaochuan approached, able to see tiny beads of sweat on her slender neck.

A strange fire ignited within Jiang Xiaochuan, and he subconsciously swallowed. Men around the stage reached out to touch the woman, and she didn’t resist. With high heels on, she walked around the small circular stage, then stopped in front of Jiang Xiaochuan.

Carefully, Jiang Xiaochuan extended his hand. He dared not touch; he just tapped the high heels, and his fingers moved up, touching the bare skin of the dancer’s foot.

As if feeling an itch, the legs twitched slightly. Jiang Xiaochuan was startled, quickly lowering his head.

“Wait.”

He heard a deep voice.

The hand, still damp with sweat, pressed his shoulder, fingers hooking his chin, forcing him to lift his head. Jiang Xiaochuan’s heart raced wildly, feeling as if he could smell a fragrance or some kind of dizzying allure from the person in front of him. He opened his mouth and smiled at her.

Looking down on him, she slightly lifted her mask. Jiang Xiaochuan saw her straight nose and the eyes hidden in the shadow of the mask.

“…A child?”

Jiang Xiaochuan’s face turned pale instantly. She firmly held his shoulder, not letting him escape, then jumped off the stage, pulling his arm to lead him out of the crowd.

Peacock—

Exiting the subway station, it started to rain shortly after. Xie Zijing hadn’t even brought a backpack, let alone an umbrella. Braving the drizzle, he ran toward the small community where Qin Ge lived.

The team building a few weeks ago was something Xie Zijing cherished. He and Qin Ge had discussed going on a trip together at the end of June, taking advantage of the weekend. Once July started, they would be busy with inspections in various departments, units, and universities, making it an extremely hectic month.

Xie Zijing stood in front of Qin Ge’s door, shaking his head, soaked. Everything Qin Ge and he needed for the trip had been prepared a few days earlier, waiting for Xie Zijing to arrive so they could set off together. Xie Zijing took out the keys and opened the door, and the soft rubber bunny head on the keychain swung back and forth as he moved.

“I’m here, Qin Ge.” The wet clothes stuck to his body, which was very uncomfortable. Xie Zijing lowered his head and changed his shoes in the entrance hall. He took off his soaked shirt and exposed half of his strong body. “It’s raining. Have you collected your clothes?”

Sitting on the sofa was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy with a shocked expression on his face, staring blankly at Xie Zijing, who walked in with his upper body bare.

Xie Zijing was used to being alone at Qin Ge’s house. At this time, his shirt was draped over his shoulders, and he was already taking off his pants.

“Who are you?!” The boy on the sofa jumped up and said, “Brother! There is a pervert!”

Xie Zijing understood: he was Qin Ge’s non-blood-related younger brother, Jiang Xiaochuan.

Jiang Xiaochuan had just finished the high school entrance examination not long ago and embarked on the first, agonizingly long vacation of his life. On the day of the exam, Qin Shuangshuang and Jiang Leyang were both arranged to go on business trips, so Qin Ge went to pick him up. Xie Zijing was supposed to go with them, but Qin Ge had not officially introduced him to the family yet, so he declined.

Xie Zijing immediately revealed a warm smile, observing Jiang Xiaochuan standing in the center of the living room, alert like a bird that was suddenly provoked.

Jiang Xiaochuan still had a hint of childishness in his expression, but his height had already surpassed 1.7 meters, and his features were handsome. He was already quite a good-looking young man. When he saw Xie Zijing smiling at him, he immediately put on a disgusted expression. “Bro, why do you have such a weird friend?”

Qin Ge shouted from the kitchen, “Call Uncle Xie!”

Xie Zijing: “…Not Uncle, kiddo, call me brother.”

Jiang Xiaochuan still wore a wary expression and didn’t respond.

Xie Zijing earnestly extended his hand towards him, introducing himself seriously, “Hello, I’m Xie Zijing. I know you’re Qin Ge’s brother, Jiang Xiaochuan. Nice to meet you. I am Qin Ge’s boyfriend.”

Jiang Xiaochuan’s eyes almost popped out, and instead of shaking Xie Zijing’s hand, he walked briskly into the kitchen, saying, “Bro, you’re in a relationship?!”

Qin Ge mumbled a vague “yes.”

Jiang Xiaochuan exclaimed, “What about my teacher? I gave him a lot of your pictures!”

Qin Ge: “…?”

It took more than ten minutes to explain everything. Xie Zijing changed into clean clothes, made himself a cup of hot tea, and gave Jiang Xiaochuan a can of chilled juice.

He moved around Qin Ge’s bedroom as if it were his own space. There were spare clothes of his in the wardrobe, so he directly took them out to change. However, all of this seemed unbelievable to Jiang Xiaochuan: his brother was in a relationship, and it was with a weird pervert.

Therefore, he didn’t take the juice offered by Xie Zijing, saying, “I don’t drink this kid’s stuff.”

Qin Ge came out of the kitchen with a plate of dishes and knocked his head upon hearing this, “You’re still a kid yourself.”

“I’m not!” Jiang Xiaochuan got angry. “And you also say the same things as them!”

“Them? They are your parents.” Qin Ge called him to eat, “Have some food first and tell me what’s going on.”

Xie Zijing spit out the tea silently, asking Qin Ge without words: Are we still going camping?

Qin Ge shook his head.

Xie Zijing pretended to pout, put down the tea cup, and jumped to the dining table, sitting across from Jiang Xiaochuan, starting to eat lunch.

Jiang Xiaochuan had visited suddenly about an hour ago. He hadn’t contacted Qin Ge before coming, and Qin Ge hadn’t received any news from him or from Qin Shuangshuang and her husband. He only knew that Jiang Leyang had finished the high school entrance examination, didn’t bother to check the answers or estimate the scores, and was currently idling at home, waiting for the results, going out to have fun every few days.

The problem lay in this “having fun.”

During the meal, Qin Ge received a call from Qin Shuangshuang. Jiang Xiaochuan saw Qin Ge standing up with the phone and immediately became alert, “Is it my mom or my dad?”

Qin Ge glanced at him but didn’t say anything.

Jiang Xiaochuan met his gaze, felt a bit uneasy, but quickly straightened his neck and said stubbornly, “Whether it’s my mom or my dad, just say I’m not here!”

Qin Ge: “…It would be believable if you spoke a bit softly.”

Qin Shuangshuang, who had already heard Jiang Xiaochuan’s voice, breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Indeed, at your place.”

Qin Ge walked to the balcony, and outside, the rain was still pouring.

Qin Shuangshuang told him that Jiang Xiaochuan was currently in a state of running away from home.

“He actually went to bars and nightclubs!” Qin Shuangshuang was still angry when talking about it, “Such a little guy, just a bit older, and he’s imitating others to go to bars!”

Even before the high school entrance examination, the couple noticed that Jiang Xiaochuan seemed a bit absent-minded. His grades were steadily improving, and he obediently attended weekend classes and did his homework. Everything seemed normal, and with the additional points from the robotics competition, he could get into a good school. Qin Shuangshuang and Jiang Leyang were pleased, but gradually, they noticed that every Saturday night, after finishing evening self-study at school, Jiang Xiaochuan would take more than an hour to return home.

Most examinees were tired, and the school would close after evening self-study, so he couldn’t stay there without going home to rest. Qin Shuangshuang became nervous, feeling a sense of unease, but Jiang Leyang advised her to dismiss the idea of tracking Jiang Xiaochuan, saying that children needed some personal space.

Qin Ge: “…Yes, Aunt Qin, don’t push him too hard. He’s growing up now.”

After the high school entrance examination, Jiang Xiaochuan completely unleashed himself. He started staying up late, sleeping in, and spending every day either watching movies with one friend or playing online games with another. He spent even less time at home than when he was studying, sometimes not coming back until one or two in the morning. Qin Shuangshuang had long been suppressing her anger, and three days ago, she finally erupted.

While tossing Jiang Xiaochuan’s clothes into the washing machine, Jiang Leyang found a lighter in his pocket. The lighter had an exquisite design, a square black plastic block with the name of a bar printed on it.

Both Jiang Leyang and Qin Shuangshuang were alarmed. On that day, Jiang Xiaochuan still came back after one in the morning, looking dejected and spiritless.

Discovering that both parents were waiting for him at home and adopting a defensive posture, Jiang Xiaochuan immediately sensed that something was amiss. He didn’t dare approach and moved along the wall toward his room. It was only when Qin Shuangshuang got close to him that she smelled the scent of smoke and alcohol on him.

“You know, I actually have a bad temper,” Qin Shuangshuang said. “I scolded him, and his dad was trying to calm things down. He said he didn’t smoke or drink; he just went to bars to broaden his horizons. But what kind of place is that? That street is very dangerous; I’ve checked cases there, I know.”

As she mentioned the address of the bar, Qin Ge suddenly froze.

When he was on duty at the Crisis Management Office, he had been complained about by the underground people for issues like marriage registration for underground people, causing some unpleasantness. In retaliation, the underground people dug a large hole in the office hall and created chaos at night. Qin Ge knew they had multiple settlement points within the city, and the largest one was called “Wangdu,” with the area code 011. The bar Jiang Xiaochuan went to, called Atlantis, was just above the Wangdu area (011).

This was indeed too dangerous. Wangdu was called a king’s capital not because it housed the underground people’s power structure; quite the opposite. Wangdu was the only area among over twenty settlement points in the city that didn’t have any established authority. It was precisely because of this that it gathered the largest number of unidentified underground people, leading to an increasingly complex situation over the decades. Apart from underground people, a large number of unemployed, half-zombified humans appeared, and some of the de-identified werewolves, sentinels, and guides also operated in the Wangdu area. The Crisis Management Office and the Special Management Committee had tried many times to cooperate in cleaning up unsafe elements in the Wangdu area, but due to the involvement of many complex forces, cleaning up was not an easy task.

Although Wangdu was complex, it wasn’t actually chaotic. In this settlement area for the underground people, there was a spontaneously formed team responsible for maintaining normal order in Wangdu.

In another sense, it was a paradise for special humans.

But Jiang Xiaochuan was too young; he wasn’t suitable for such a place. Qin Shuangshuang’s worries were not unfounded: a weak, defenseless guide like him could easily attract the attention of the suspicious sentinels in the Wangdu area.

Even if Jiang Xiaochuan insisted that the bar he went to was absolutely safe and legitimate, Qin Shuangshuang couldn’t dispel her concerns.

Jiang Xiaochuan was furious. After a big argument with his parents, he locked himself in his room and didn’t say a word to them for two days. This morning, in a departure from his usual behavior, Jiang Xiaochuan dressed neatly and prepared to leave. Qin Shuangshuang scolded him sternly when she saw him leaving without a word, and the two started arguing again. When Jiang Leyang came out to mediate, Jiang Xiaochuan, who had already thrown his phone on the table, stormed out of the door in anger.

“He said, if you can’t stand me like this, then I’ll run away from home. I’ll make sure you can’t find me, and I’ll go wherever I want.” Qin Shuangshuang sighed heavily over the phone, “Raising him is worse than raising a dog.”

Qin Ge: “This is the rebellious period.”

Qin Shuangshuang: “Exactly! Leyang and I also said this is the rebellious period. It’s really infuriating not to think this way. We were afraid something had happened to him, so we tried contacting several of his friends, who said they hadn’t seen him. Fortunately, he went to your place.”

“Let him stay at my place for a few days,” Qin Ge suggested. “When are the results coming out?”

“On Wednesday,” Qin Shuangshuang said anxiously. “Please keep an eye on him; don’t let him go to Wangdu again; it’s not a place for a kid like him. Leyang and I find it difficult to communicate with him now; he’s in a fit of anger. Qin Ge, help persuade him; rebellion is fine, but he can’t rebel recklessly, right?”

“Sure,” Qin Ge agreed.

Back at the table, Jiang Xiaochuan didn’t touch his food, staring nervously at Qin Ge. “What did my mom say?”

“She complained about you,” Qin Ge signaled him to eat. “Once you finish, Uncle Xie and I will take you camping.”

Xie Zijing: “Not Uncle, okay?”

Jiang Xiaochuan: “What’s fun about camping?”

Qin Ge: “Then what do you want to do? Uncle and I will accompany you.”

Xie Zijing: “I’m not Uncle!”

Jiang Xiaochuan: “…I don’t know. I don’t have much to do during the day.”

Qin Ge: “Then why did you plan to go out today?”

Jiang Xiaochuan stammered, avoiding eye contact, and after a while, he said, “Just going out… wandering around, grabbing a bubble tea, maybe buying a manga or something.”

“Then let’s go grab bubble tea and buy manga,” Qin Ge suggested.

Xie Zijing ate his meal with a gloomy expression. He wasn’t interested in either of these activities.

The whole day passed like this. Qin Ge and Jiang Xiaochuan went out shopping, chatting about various trivial topics between the brothers. Meanwhile, Xie Zijing slept alone at Qin Ge’s house, woke up, cleaned, and searched online for well-reviewed zombie movies. He downloaded them and waited for Qin Ge and the rabbit to return home.

He thought that after playing with Qin Ge for a day, Jiang Xiaochuan wouldn’t rebel anymore and would obediently return home. However, in the evening, when Qin Ge came back carrying a packed dinner, Jiang Xiaochuan followed behind.

“Xiaochuan will stay at my place for a few days,” Qin Ge said. “Why aren’t you going home?”

Xie Zijing: “…Then where should I stay?”

Qin Ge: “Stay at your own home.”

As Jiang Xiaochuan walked past Xie Zijing, he smiled arrogantly. Qin Ge urged him to take a shower, and Jiang Xiaochuan seemed a bit happier than during the day, entering the bathroom with the new clothes he bought.

Once seated, Xie Zijing immediately leaned against Qin Ge. Feeling a bit embarrassed, Qin Ge pulled him to the balcony. Xie Zijing kissed him a few times and sighed slowly: “This week, I can’t do anything.”

Qin Ge: “What do you want to do?”

Xie Zijing: “Do what you’re thinking right now.”

Qin Ge: “…My younger brother will stay for a few days and then go home.”

He told Xie Zijing about Jiang Xiaochuan going to play in the Wangdu area. Xie Zijing scratched his head, listening very seriously.

Perhaps because Jiang Xiaochuan was tall, after he tidied up and dressed well, he did look somewhat like an adult. Most shops in the Wangdu area didn’t welcome minors, which could cause them a lot of trouble. However, if the checks weren’t strict, it was entirely possible for Jiang Xiaochuan to sneak in.

“What’s the name of the bar?”

“Atlantis,” Qin Ge chuckled. “A beautiful youth from Greek mythology, who went mad and died in the palace.”

“…” Xie Zijing also chuckled. “Alright, it’s really auspicious. Are you familiar with the Wangdu area?”

“Not exactly familiar,” Qin Ge admitted. “I’m more of a theorist; I’ve read a lot of information. But Tang Cuo managed the underground people’s related data in the archives for a while. He went to the Wangdu area for field investigations a few times.”

That wasn’t apparent at all. Xie Zijing was surprised, “Tang Cuo? He looks so timid.”

“He’s very serious when it comes to work,” Qin Ge said. Knowing that Xie Zijing wasn’t familiar with the Wangdu area, he explained, “The complexity of the Wangdu area lies in the fact that many forces divide territories there, but most people still follow the rules. Originally, the area code 011 referred to the underground settlement area of the underground people, but gradually, it also included the entire aboveground area. So, the overall situation is not simple. They have a set of self-management rules, and there’s also an autonomous team in the Wangdu area.”

Xie Zijing was interested in these things, which he had never heard of before. “Autonomous team?”

“They call themselves the Black Battalion,” Qin Ge said. “It’s an autonomous team formed jointly by several major forces in the Wangdu area. Among these major forces, the largest is the underground people, followed by semi-zombified humans and werewolves. Finally, there are sentinels and guides, while other special humans with fewer numbers are not a priority.”

“So few sentinels and guides?” Xie Zijing asked. “Aren’t underground people and semi-zombified humans less powerful in combat than sentinels and guides?”

But the Black Battalion valued something other than combat power. Sentinels and guides were less likely to be rejected because they had no physical differences from ordinary humans. However, underground people and semi-zombified humans, due to potential dangers and physical characteristics, were almost unable to integrate into normal human society. The Wangdu area gathered a large number of underground people and semi-zombified humans who couldn’t smoothly integrate into ordinary human society. Therefore, only leaders elected from among these people could gain the trust and respect of the Wangdu area residents.

Watching Qin Ge explain, Xie Zijing leaned in and kissed him on the mouth, saying, “Ah, I really want to do it.”

Qin Ge was dumbfounded, “Aren’t we talking about serious matters?”

“You look handsome, even when you’re serious.” Xie Zijing hugged his waist. “It would be perfect if your little brother weren’t here.”

Qin Ge was speechless, “Don’t say such things.”

Xie Zijing pecked at the corner of his lips, and the two embraced on the balcony for a while. The daytime rain had stopped, and the night air was exceptionally fresh and crisp. Xie Zijing’s embrace was thick, warm, and comforting. Qin Ge tilted his head and kissed his jaw, “Beard…”

Xie Zijing: “I shaved this morning.”

The two chatted affectionately for a while before returning inside. The room was quiet. Qin Ge suddenly felt a pang of anxiety, “Xiaochuan?”

There was no one in the bathroom, and Jiang Xiaochuan’s shoes were already gone.

Xie Zijing also froze, “He wouldn’t… He wouldn’t have heard what I said, right?”

Qin Ge quickly grabbed the car keys and his phone, rushing out with Xie Zijing to find Jiang Xiaochuan. When they asked the property management, they learned that while they did see the boy described by Xie Zijing leaving through the main gate, his posture was leisurely, showing no signs of anger.

“He was talking on the phone as he walked,” the security guard said. “He stopped at the gate for a while. Because he was a new face, I took a few more glances.”

He overheard Jiang Xiaochuan saying on the phone, “Remember to bring your ID; see you at the entrance of the bar.”

Now, Qin Ge was also angry, “He completely disregards what his parents said. Wangdu area is not a place for kids to casually enter.”

After urging Xie Zijing into the car, Qin Ge started the car and called Tang Cuo.

Tang Cuo was currently giving a personal training session at Gao Shu’s gym, having just finished the warm-up. “Wangdu area? I’m familiar with it. I know people from the Black Battalion.” He said, “Atlantis? I’m familiar with that too. The owner is affiliated with the Black Battalion, my friend.”

In urgency, Tang Cuo said his goodbyes to Gao Shu and left the gym. Gao Shu, who had taken his suppressants and prepared the steak, watched Tang Cuo leave in a hurry, unable to say a word for a long time.

Qin Ge received the information and immediately drove toward the Wangdu area at the fastest speed.

The Wangdu area was located in the suburbs of Beijing, and taking the subway would be much faster than driving. Qin Ge parked the car outside the bar street in the Wangdu area and, led by Tang Cuo, entered the Atlantis bar.

The lively music echoed through the bar, and Xie Zijing immediately covered his ears as soon as he entered. “Oh, my ears hurt…”

“You wait outside for us,” Qin Ge told him. “If Xiaochuan comes out, grab him and don’t let him wander.”

Tang Cuo, next to him, shouted loudly in Qin Ge’s ear, “You’ll get used to it after a few more times! I guess your brother came to watch the performance too! The pole dance show at Atlantis is quite famous!”

Qin Ge saw the pole in the center of the circular stage. He and Tang Cuo squeezed into the crowd, starting to search for Jiang Xiaochuan. Tang Cuo, right beside him, struggled to move a few steps toward the stage and suddenly stopped. He reached out, pressing the shoulder of a girl in front of him, forcing her to turn around.

The lights were mixed with various colors, making it hard for Qin Ge to see the girl’s face clearly until he got close to Tang Cuo. Only then did he hear Tang Cuo exclaim, “Sister?!”

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