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Chapter 64: “We are a family of three, and I am your father.”
An Wujiu seemed to have suddenly lost his ability to speak, only being able to stare at Shen Ti with a pair of sharply contrasting black and white eyes.
Shen Ti’s pupils resembled a sparkling azure lake under the sunlight, unfathomably deep.
“What do you want to do?” An Wujiu asked instinctively.
After he spoke, Shen Ti suddenly burst into laughter. Perhaps it was because they were so close, or perhaps it was because the sunlight was streaming in through the window. An Wujiu only then realized that Shen Ti’s eyelashes were such a light color, almost translucent.
“What are you laughing at?” An Wujiu asked.
Shen Ti looked up at him, still holding back a smile. Finally, he reached out, pinching An Wujiu’s face. “You, when you’re smart, you’re so smart, but when you’re dumb, you’re really dumb.”
An Wujiu felt inexplicably disappointed.
Just a little disappointed.
“I’m just joking with you.” Shen Ti reached out, flicking An Wujiu’s hair behind his shoulders and smiling at him. He mentioned the call from Zhong Yirou and said, “Get ready, let’s go.”
“Okay.”
At the checkout, it was the same receptionist from last night. She stared at the two of them walking out together: “How did you two handsome guys sleep last night?”
Shen Ti turned his head, holding onto his neck and deliberately pretending to be uncomfortable. “Too tired, didn’t sleep well.”
“Oh dear,” the receptionist clicked her tongue a few times, her big eyes scanning the two of them back and forth, finally settling on the red mark on An Wujiu’s collarbone: “You pretended to need two rooms last night. Lucky for you, I went along with it.”
Following her gaze, Shen Ti glanced at An Wujiu’s neck. Seeing Shen Ti staring, An Wujiu himself looked down and touched his neck.
After returning the card, the two turned and left.
“Come again; next time I’ll reserve a room with a big bay window for you two!”
As An Wujiu descended the stairs, he glanced at Shen Ti. Seeing him still holding back laughter, An Wujiu explained, “The red mark on my collarbone, I did that myself.”
Shen Ti let out a long “Oh” and crossed his hands behind his back, sighing, “You’ve ruined my reputation, even though I’m as pure as jade.”
Seeing Shen Ti’s ridiculous expression, An Wujiu momentarily felt the urge to beat him up: “It hurts when I hit people.”
Shen Ti chuckled, “Indeed, I’ve experienced that already.”
On the way, An Wujiu contacted Zhong Yirou again. As soon as the call connected, she exclaimed loudly, only asking if An Wujiu had been “with that person.”
“Been?” An Wujiu’s focus was oddly off, “Why would I be ‘with that person’?”
Shen Ti, who was drinking his ridiculously expensive organic apple juice, almost choked on it, laughing nonstop at An Wujiu’s words.
“Isn’t that the point?” Zhong Yirou sighed, relieved to hear that An Wujiu had gone to bed early last night, and gave them an address to meet.
But An Wujiu heard Wu You continuously saying, “I’ll go pick him up; I’ll go pick up Wujiu-ge.”
“Alright, alright,” Zhong Yirou reluctantly agreed, “Be careful on the way.”
So An Wujiu and Shen Ti waited at the designated location. Holding half a bottle of apple juice, Shen Ti handed it over to An Wujiu: “Want to taste?”
Without much thought, An Wujiu took the straw and had a sip.
It was unexpectedly delicious.
“It’s all yours.” Shen Ti, seeing his enjoyment, handed him the glass bottle as well.
Screens were everywhere here, real LED screens and virtual projection screens, large and small, pieced together to form a huge wall. An Wujiu sipped his juice and casually looked around. By chance, he saw the largest screen, featuring the CEO of a military technology company delivering a speech.
The subtitles indicated that this was his first public statement, apologizing for the casualties caused by the widespread loss of control of aircraft.
“What are you looking at so seriously?” Shen Ti turned to glance at An Wujiu.
“That person over there,” An Wujiu pointed out, “doesn’t he look familiar to you?”
Following his finger, Shen Ti looked over. On the screen was a middle-aged man in a suit, eloquent in speech, but his face…
He was a spitting image of an older version of Wu You.
“Could this person be Wu You’s father?” Shen Ti blurted it out, but upon reflection, it seemed highly unlikely. If Wu You’s father was indeed a senior figure in a military technology company, how could he allow his child to enter places like the Holy Altar?
An Wujiu also wanted to know.
He suddenly remembered when Wu You recognized the type of flowers on his neck before. At that time, Zhong Yirou had mentioned that someone who recognizes such rare ornamental flowers wouldn’t be just any ordinary kid from an average family.
So he searched for this man; no photos were available, but his surname was Wu. He took over the current military technology company from his father, and he had known his wife since childhood; they had a very good relationship. However, due to genetic issues, they had been unable to conceive and had only managed to have a precious child with the help of the latest technology from Shavon Company at the time. It was precisely because of this successful case that Sha Wen was able to promote this technology at the time.
This article was surprisingly moving.
But if this were true, how could such a precious child be allowed to enter the holy altar?
The brief apology on the screen had already ended. Coincidentally, the screen now displayed the latest advertisement for the technology company, featuring aircraft that were practically exorbitant for ordinary people.
On another screen not far away, real-time reports about the Holy Altar were being broadcast. A strangely dressed man was energetically announcing to everyone how many survivors there were at the Holy Altar today. Many people on the roadside stopped to watch, as if they were spectators outside a coliseum.
Life and death stimulated their already numb senses.
They didn’t have to wait long before Wu You arrived to pick them up.
Shen Ti didn’t mention the matter of the man just now and just looked out the window. Wu You, who was accustomed to bantering with him, felt somewhat uncomfortable seeing them both in the rearview mirror: “What happened yesterday? Why so quiet?”
An Wujiu shook his head. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke up, “Wu You, since the last round of the instance, I’ve been thinking about whether we could find a way for you to leave the Holy Altar.”
Wu You was calmer than he had imagined: “It’s impossible. Many people have tried to withdraw after making money, but they all failed.”
“You’re still young and should have a good future,” An Wujiu said to him. “If we can keep matching in the same game, I can still protect you, but I’m worried that if we can’t be matched together…”
Wu You suddenly smiled—a rare occurrence for him.
“Wujiu-ge, I don’t really have a bright future.”
“What about your parents?” Shen Ti spoke up. “Aren’t they worried about the dangers you might face in the Holy Altar?”
Wu You remained silent for a few seconds as the aircraft in the sky buzzed busily, like scattered birds.
“You can think of it as if I don’t have parents. Even if I suddenly die, I might just be cleaned up like garbage. Isn’t that very similar to the Holy Altar?”
“It’s not like that.” An Wujiu stared at his back. “Wu You, you’re not alone; at least we’re here. If you don’t want to talk about it, we won’t force you, but you have to promise me, don’t think like that anymore.”
Many times, Wu You felt that rejecting An Wujiu was a cruel thing to do.
So even though he was pessimistic, he nodded.
In the rearview mirror, he saw An Wujiu sighing with relief, leaning back against the seatback with a sense of relief. At that moment, Wu You, who had never mentioned his own affairs, felt a desire to confide in someone.
“Actually… Wujiu-ge, I’m like that Taoist priest. In the last round of the game, there are parts of the story that are similar to my own experiences.”
As soon as he said it, An Wujiu realized a possibility.
But it was too bizarre; he hoped it wasn’t true.
“I’m actually not considered a true natural person,” Wu You admitted openly, perhaps thinking that he might not see them again, so he admitted it candidly. “Simply put, I’m a clone of a child from a wealthy family.”
As An Wujiu had expected, it turned out to be the final result.
“Why?” Shen Ti asked.
“Because that child, like A02, had illnesses—not just heart problems but many other small ailments. In short, all the things that would happen to him after birth were predicted through genetic testing.” Wu You spoke calmly, not resembling the typical demeanor of someone his age, consistently referring to “that child” as if everything were unrelated to him.
“So they cloned you shortly after he was born,” An Wujiu said.
“More or less,” Wu You looked into the distance. “Not just me; as far as I know, there are already five or more, and I might be the sixth. Unlike the clones of A02, I wasn’t implanted with memories. Perhaps the technology wasn’t advanced enough yet. I was raised in their other properties and taught from a young age that I was their child.”
“But actually, I…” Wu You pressed the brake. “I’m just here to provide a heart for that child.”
An Wujiu lowered his eyes, unsure of how to comfort Wu You.
“The first five either died because the technology wasn’t up to standard or died early or late. Some died directly in infancy. Oh, and,” Wu You remembered, “one had his kidney replaced. That child had immune-related diseases, and in my generation, genetic editing was done to improve him.”
“How did you find out?” Shen Ti leaned against the glass window, tilting his head to look at Wu You’s profile.
Wu You took a breath. “I grew up elsewhere, and the couple would occasionally come to see me, but they were always busy and rarely came. So they arranged a nanny, a butler, and a playmate for me, who was a few years older; they said he was my ‘cousin.'”
Shen Ti quickly understood why Wu You was exceptionally kind to An Wujiu; there might be some transferred affection involved.
“That cousin was the best person to me. I often threw tantrums and was unhappy because my parents weren’t around, but he took care of me, cared for me, and taught me a lot,” Wu You said as they neared their destination, operating the aircraft in preparation for landing.
“What happened next?”
“Later… I accidentally saw the report the butler gave to the couple, and I learned about my identity. I told him, and that’s when I found out that even my brother didn’t know. He suggested we escape together, and I agreed, but I was only twelve at the time, and our plan wasn’t thorough enough; we were easily discovered.”
Wu You parked the aircraft and unfastened his safety belt. “Then, to let me escape, he diverted their attention and got shot randomly.”
An Wujiu frowned deeply. It wasn’t until after Wu You opened the cabin door and left that he belatedly followed.
He couldn’t imagine a 12-year-old going through all of this.
To awaken to the truth after being deceived, realizing that everything he had was a lie.
Wanting to escape from such a life, the only trustworthy older brother died because of him.
Died right in front of him.
No wonder he was not talkative; the pain this world had inflicted upon him was already too much.
Too much to silently endure.
“Later, I lived alone.”
Wu You kept his hands in his pockets, pretending to speak nonchalantly to An Wujiu. “Don’t underestimate me. In these few years, I managed to save enough money to buy a cheap citizen chip and change my name.”
Shen Ti leaned closer, walking behind them: “What was your original name?”
“It was that child’s name, Wu You, ‘You(优)’ as in excellence.” Wu You put on the hood of his hoodie. “I didn’t want even my name to be someone else’s.” Now his name is Wu You (吴悠).
Since the most precious thing about himself was his heart, he would be called Wu You.
Unlike Wu You, he had nothing, but he did have a healthy heart.
They arrived at Yang Erci’s residence, a towering apartment building, but inside it was a mixed crowd. Just as they reached the elevator, they came face to face with a heavily tattooed, shirtless man.
As they entered the elevator, An Wujiu reached out and put his arm around Wu You’s shoulder: “You changed your name quite well.”
Wu You felt a moment of distress and pressed his lips together. Suddenly, Shen Ti wedged himself between the two, one arm around each of their shoulders, patting them. “Looking at your pitiful appearance, I’ll allow you to join our little family.”
“Who are you two talking about?” / “What family?”
Wu You and An Wujiu exclaimed simultaneously, but neither could escape from Shen Ti’s clutches.
Shen Ti sighed as if he were sighing to the heavens, then closed his eyes.
From the reflection on the elevator’s interior wall, An Wujiu saw his actions: “What are you doing?”
The elevator door opened on the 56th floor.
“I’m praying to the heavens to let the three of us reunite at the next gathering,” Shen Ti said seriously.
Wu You made a disgusted expression, as if he were about to vomit: “It’s a family of three, and I’m your dad.”
“Oh, you.” Shen Ti wanted to grab his collar but missed, letting him escape. As he turned his head, An Wujiu’s lips curled with a faint smile.
Shen Ti teased, “You’re still smiling; the little bunny has already agreed to marry you.”
An Wujiu reacted and slapped Shen Ti’s arm directly.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch…” Shen Ti rubbed the spot where he got hit, hearing Wu You cursing him as a “lunatic” not far away, feeling miserable.
“You’ve changed.” He looked at An Wujiu pitifully.
An Wujiu glared at him and said, “You were the one who started talking nonsense.” With that said, he followed Wu You somewhat guiltily.
Shen Ti sighed loudly from behind, “I knew it; this is definitely going to be my future family status.”
Zhong Yirou opened the door for Wu You and An Wujiu. She had a towel wrapped around her head and wore a black silk pajama set that didn’t match her aura at all, with a face mask on.
“Come on in.”
“You’ve made it look like your own home,” Wu You muttered under his breath.
“Maybe she’s the future lady of the house,” Shen Ti chuckled behind them.
That was fast.
An Wujiu glanced back and happened to catch Shen Ti raising his eyebrows.
“Shut up.” Zhong Yirou gave Shen Ti a warning look: “Don’t talk nonsense.”
Yang Erci’s apartment was spacious, but it was empty, with hardly any furniture or personal items.
“Is she living alone in such a big place?” Shen Ti looked around.
“She just moved here, and it’s just a temporary arrangement,” Zhong Yirou sighed. “She’s really wealthy.”
“No wonder some people have impure motives,” Wu You glanced at the ceiling.
Zhong Yirou pinched his cheek: “I think you’re cuter when you don’t speak.”
Yang Erci walked out of a room and nodded at An Wujiu: “There’s food on the dining table that Yirou just made. You can eat if you’re hungry.”
Unexpectedly, all three of them showed a difficult expression simultaneously, waving their hands repeatedly.
“Forget it, don’t eat then,” Zhong Yirou pulled An Wujiu along. “Let’s get straight to the point. I’ll project the results of your last scan.”
After saying that, she took out a small remote control and pressed a button. The complete three-dimensional scan results appeared on the off-white wall.
Indeed, An Wujiu saw that the human skeleton was white, but a significant portion of his body was not pure white.
Why was so much of his skeletal structure replaced with metal?
“Look here, I’ll zoom in for you.” Zhong Yirou clicked a couple of times, and the image magnified, revealing details of the skeletal structure.
Shen Ti pulled a chair over and sat beside An Wujiu, leaning against him. He extended his long legs, habitually tilting toward An Wujiu.
“Even if it’s your intact native bone structure, there are signs of secondary growth after fractures,” Zhong Yirou pointed out the marks on top of it.
“Could it be from a previous accident?” Shen Ti’s head rested on An Wujiu’s shoulder. “Like falling from a height.”
An Wujiu tried hard to recall, but he couldn’t find any similar incidents in his memories. It was as if his memory was constantly suggesting to him that he was just a very ordinary person, someone who would never encounter major challenges or storms in his lifetime.
“It’s very possible, and if you really fell from a high place, survived, and suffered a severe head injury, it’s also possible to experience amnesia. Although I think with a full-body bone replacement like this, the injuries should be quite severe. Surviving would be a miracle in itself,” Zhong Yirou explained.
Zhong Yirou then showed him the metal skeleton on his body again. “Do you see these small numbers?”
Yang Erci held a cup of coffee, leaning against the pillar. “If I’m not mistaken, this kind of metal skeleton with such strength and density hasn’t been circulated on the market. There are only two possibilities for you to accept such surgery. First, you are recruited as a clinical volunteer. Second, you have a close relationship with researchers in companies like Sha Wen, where they can have one of them replace your bones at any cost.”
An Wujiu listened calmly.
Regardless of the possibility, as long as he had this skeleton, he would trace its source and figure out what happened.
There aren’t many places capable of performing this kind of surgery, only companies with the most cutting-edge resources.
He looked at Yang Erci. “Why did you leave Sha Wen? Places like the Holy Altar would only waste your talent.”
“I’m looking for someone,” Yang Erci lowered her eyes, “and the core research department of Sha Wen has now completely deteriorated. It seems like they’re all under control, completely losing their rationality.”
Her gaze seemed lost in thought.
This shouldn’t be the case; the people in the research department should be the top scientists.
Why would they lose their rationality?
“It’s best if you can find the person who performed the surgery on your bones,” Yang Erci changed the subject. “Only they can guarantee the follow-up maintenance. Although the strength of metal inner skeletons is great, once you suffer another severe injury…”
“You may really become paralyzed and never stand up again.”
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