A World Asunder - Chapter 3

The discussion surrounding the differentiation of the second gender in mammals had completely taken over every media platform. New information surfaced daily, and everyone in Zhao Yexi’s circle was talking about it. A few friends who knew about Zhao Yexi’s family background often tried to fish for inside information, but in reality, he knew just as much as they did.

The expert team has temporarily named the differentiated second genders Alpha and Omega, while those who show no differentiation are called Beta.

The ABO Research Institute, comprised of experts from various fields, has been established in Suicheng.

The ABO Research Institute published a paper stating that mammals differentiating into Omegas will develop a specific gland within their bodies, while those differentiating into Alphas will exhibit clear physiological reproductive advantages.

Despite the flood of news, the general public was most concerned with whether humans would differentiate and what exact factors caused it in animals. Some linked the differentiation to a recent meteorite strike, blaming it all on a mysterious new element. They believed the element was radioactive, causing genetic mutations in animals. To prevent mutation, humans had to resist radiation.

Xiaoqiang Is Trying to Become Qiao: Click the link to buy nano-silver anti-radiation suits. Trusted by millions with a great reputation.

It’s a Macho Man: ?

Xiaoqiang Is Trying to Become Qiao: Zai, let’s buy them together. We get a 20% discount if we form a group of two.

Zhao Yexi used a photo of his father to create a meme and sent it over.

It’s a Macho Man: [Don’t listen to rumors, don’t believe rumors.jpg]

Zhao Yexi only trusted official news, but many people believed the hearsay. Anti-radiation gear in physical and online stores was wiped clean. Every time he saw fully armored pedestrians on the street, he was reminded of nuclear leak scenes from movies.

The day before Christmas, Zhao Yexi arrived at the college administration building. He watched several funny videos to ward off depression before gathering the courage to knock on his supervisor’s office door.

A deep voice called out, “Come in.”

Zhao Yexi took a deep breath and pushed the door open heroically. The moment he stepped inside, he felt the temperature drop several degrees. The air conditioning wasn’t even on. Aside from his supervisor, Guan Chengji, there was a female student. Guan Chengji glanced at Zhao Yexi before turning back to the girl. “What do you think of your own writing?”

The student kept her head down, her eyes red as if she were about to cry.

Guan Chengji said calmly, “Go back and rewrite it.”

As the student passed Zhao Yexi, they locked eyes. He saw a familiar sense of despair in her gaze. He silently hoped she would be okay.

Guan Chengji wasn’t actually mean, nor did he say harsh things to his students. He just didn’t speak much and rarely showed emotion, yet he possessed an overwhelming presence. No matter how lively Zhao Yexi acted in front of other elders, he turned into a silent, harmless lump of iron the moment he faced Guan Chengji.

“Professor, did you want to see me?”

Guan Chengji sat behind his desk in a suit. He was tall with cold, ascetic features. If he were twenty years younger, he might have given Lu Huangzhi a run for his money for the title of campus heartthrob.

Zhao Yexi said tentatively, “If it’s about the thesis, I haven’t finished the revisions yet.”

Guan Chengji looked down at a stack of documents. “You mentioned before that you didn’t want to pursue a PhD.”

Zhao Yexi stood up straight like a primary schooler. “Yes.”

Guan Chengji asked, “What are your plans after graduation?”

Zhao Yexi rubbed his nose. “I’m still considering my options.”

Guan Chengji gave a brief “Mm” and said, “You can add the ABO Research Institute to your list of considerations.”

Zhao Yexi was stunned. “But my major doesn’t seem to fit with ABO research.”

Guan Chengji looked up at him. “If humans truly differentiate into six genders, many existing social laws and regulations will need to be adjusted. That is your area of expertise.”

“But hasn’t it been left unconfirmed whether humans will differentiate?”

“Even if humans do not, the current situation with mammals will have unpredictable social effects.”

Zhao Yexi understood. “Are you going to the ABO Research Institute?”

“Yes. I need a team, and I hope you will be a part of it.”

Zhao Yexi was suddenly overwhelmed by the compliment. He had actually gained Professor Guan’s recognition. He felt incredibly impressive.

“Think it over and discuss it with your parents,” Guan Chengji said. “Give me your answer later.”

Zhao Yexi nodded frantically. “Okay, okay! Thank you, Professor!”

He was six months away from graduation. His classmates were either looking for jobs or continuing their studies, but he hadn’t settled on anything because nothing had piqued his interest. ABO was a brand-new field. Joining now meant being a pioneer. If he worked hard enough, maybe decades from now his photo would hang in the school hallway for children to admire.

Since he couldn’t reach his parents, he turned to his “tool” best friend to share the news.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Tao Qiaosheng said over the phone. “The institute is in Suicheng, so if you go there, we won’t have to deal with a long-distance friendship. Besides, your dad is a big shot there. Isn’t that a perfect connection to exploit?”

Zhao Yexi agreed wholeheartedly. “You’ve hit the nail on the head. If I go there, no one will dare call themselves my ‘daddy,’ and the cafeteria lady might even give me a few extra pieces of meat.”

There was silence on the other end. After a moment, Tao Qiaosheng roared, “No! Can you have some ambition? By ‘connection,’ I meant promotions and raises, or at least being able to come in late and leave early, not a few extra scraps of meat from the cafeteria trough!”

“That won’t happen. I’d still be under Professor Guan. My dad wouldn’t be able to interfere.”

“Fair point,” Tao Qiaosheng said. “But Xi-zai, aren’t you terrified of Professor Guan? You have to watch anti-depression videos before every meeting. If you stay his student, the funny videos won’t be able to keep up with your consumption.”

Zhao Yexi sighed. “The world needs more humor.”

After hanging up, Zhao Yexi was still pondering the matter when he inadvertently walked toward the basketball courts. He had avoided the courts for a while after the trauma of losing to a middle schooler. Today was Christmas Eve, and those still playing were mostly single guys. He was briefly comforted by the sight of the busy courts until he saw the girls standing by the sidelines. They were all holding bottles of water, clearly waiting for their boyfriends.

Zhao Yexi wanted to leave quickly, but suddenly someone shouted, “Macho Man!”

He turned around instantly. Someone was calling him!

A tanned boy ran toward him, out of breath. “Macho Man, how do you have time to play today? Is your homework finished?”

Zhao Yexi stared at the boy’s face for a few seconds before remembering him. This was the junior high student he had played with last time. After adding each other on WeChat, the boy had invited him to play several times. Zhao Yexi had maintained his persona as a stressed high school senior, always righteously claiming he was too busy with homework.

The boy’s WeChat name was “The Realm’s Best Monkey,” so Zhao Yexi usually called him Monkey.

“Not yet,” Zhao Yexi whispered. “I’m heading home to write it now.”

Monkey muttered an “Oh,” looking rather drained. He was sweating heavily, but instead of the smell of sweat, Zhao Yexi caught the aroma of braised pork.

Zhao Yexi sniffed the air repeatedly. “Who’s so talented that they’re eating braised pork right next to the court?”

“I don’t know.” Monkey’s features twisted in discomfort. “Macho Man, I think I have a fever.”

“You’re playing basketball with a fever? Come here, let me check.”

Monkey leaned in, bending down to accommodate Zhao Yexi’s height. As he got closer, the smell of braised pork grew stronger. Zhao Yexi swallowed his saliva and reached out to touch Monkey’s forehead. It was indeed quite hot.

“Do you feel unwell anywhere else?”

Monkey said, “I’m sleepy, my legs feel weak, and the back of my neck is itchy.”

Zhao Yexi didn’t hesitate. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Although Monkey was only in junior high, he was already 185cm tall and looked older than his age. Even though Zhao Yexi was nine years older, he looked like the younger brother standing next to him.

“Wait, the smell of braised pork is coming from you,” Zhao Yexi said, as tears of hunger almost escaped from the corner of his mouth. “How much meat did you eat?”

“I didn’t eat any,” Monkey said with difficulty. “Macho Man, I can’t walk anymore.”

“Don’t do this. I can’t carry you.” Zhao Yexi wondered if he should call an ambulance for the first time in his life when he caught sight of two people in the nearby open-air parking lot.

Monkey saw them too and said weakly, “Macho Man, there’s a handsome guy.”

Lu Huangzhi stood in front of a black SUV, his tall figure very noticeable. Facing him was a girl who looked familiar to Zhao Yexi; she was a junior from his college whose face graced the school’s recruitment brochures.

The student held a cute pink gift box tied with a bow. She said something to Lu Huangzhi, but he shook his head with a cold expression. She walked away looking devastated.

This was the correct way Lu Huangzhi should behave polite but distant, maintaining a safe distance from people. What was with the way he acted in front of Zhao Yexi?

Lu Huangzhi opened his car door and was about to get in when he heard a shout: “Lu Huangzhi!”

He turned his head and saw Zhao Yexi approaching while supporting a male student. “What is it?”

“My friend is suddenly unwell. I think he has a fever. If it’s convenient, could you take us to the hospital?”

Lu Huangzhi gave a half-smile. “I thought I wasn’t worthy of being your driver.”

Recalling the harsh words he had said earlier, Zhao Yexi felt a sting of embarrassment. For Monkey’s sake, he chose a tactical retreat. “I take back what I said last time.”

Lu Huangzhi asked knowingly, “So you want to get in my car?”

Zhao Yexi used his toughest tone to say the most humble thing: “I want to, a little bit.”

Lu Huangzhi laughed. When he smiled, the slight puffiness under his eyes, his “aegyo-sal,” became prominent. He looked quite good.

Lu Huangzhi opened the back door. “Come on, then.”

Zhao Yexi whispered a quick “thank you,” hoping Lu Huangzhi wouldn’t hear it. He tried to get the dizzy Monkey into the car, but the “Best Monkey” was too heavy. He lacked the strength and was forced to ask for help. “Requesting backup?”

Lu Huangzhi walked over and asked, “Do you smell something strange?”

“You mean the braised pork? I smell it. It actually smells pretty delicious.”

“I don’t like it,” Lu Huangzhi said, frowning slightly. “It’s too greasy.”

Zhao Yexi mocked him, “You’re a grown man and you’re still a picky eater?”

“Yes,” Lu Huangzhi said. “Very picky.”

Zhao Yexi sat with Monkey in the spacious backseat. In the rearview mirror, he could see Lu Huangzhi’s brow furrowed with slight impatience. Zhao Yexi said, “You seem very reluctant to drive us.”

At a red light, Lu Huangzhi rubbed his temples. “I’m not reluctant. I just don’t like this smell.”

In the confined space of the car, the smell was even stronger. Someone unaware might think Lu Huangzhi had a strange fetish for braised pork-scented car freshener.

Monkey, knowing he was the source of the problem, said weakly, “Should we open a window?”

“Catching a cold while you have a fever? Do you think medical insurance is too cheap?” Zhao Yexi said. “Where’s your phone? Call your parents and tell them to meet you at the Zhongshan University Affiliated Hospital.”

By the time they reached the hospital, both Zhao Yexi and Lu Huangzhi were covered in the scent of braised pork. Zhao Yexi didn’t mind; he was used to similar smells after eating hotpot or barbecue. But Lu Huangzhi seemed to care deeply. “You guys go ahead. I’m leaving.”

Zhao Yexi nodded. “Thanks for the hard work. You may go now.”

Zhao Yexi registered Monkey at the emergency department. He found a nurse at the desk and asked, “Excuse me, could you…”

The busy nurse glanced at him. “What are the symptoms?”

“Uh,” Zhao Yexi counted on his fingers. “Fever, muscle weakness…”

“And a strange smell on the body?”

Zhao Yexi was stunned by her accuracy. “Yes!”

The nurse pulled a spray bottle from her pocket and gave Zhao Yexi a thorough dousing. He coughed from the strong smell of alcohol. “Why are you spraying me?”

“To temporarily block the smell on the patient, otherwise the hospital will turn into a restaurant.” She pointed to a QR code nearby. “Scan this, fill in the info, and wait for your number to be called.”

Zhao Yexi muttered an “Oh” and pulled Monkey over. “Spray him. He’s the one who’s sick.”

The emergency room was so crowded it was hard to walk, and it smelled strongly of disinfectant. Zhao Yexi saw many people with symptoms similar to Monkey’s and started to panic, regretting that he hadn’t worn a mask.

After waiting for ten minutes, his number hadn’t been called, but Monkey’s mother arrived. She had hair rollers in her hair and looked frantic, peppering Monkey with questions. Upon learning that Zhao Yexi had brought her son to the hospital, she thanked him repeatedly and promised to bring him a “model citizen” silk banner next time. He firmly declined. “Give it to the driver instead. He did the hard work.”

With Monkey’s mother there, Zhao Yexi felt there was no need to stay. He decided it was best for an unrelated person like him to leave and make room for patients and their families.

Zhao Yexi wanted to hail a cab home, but when he reached the parking lot, he found that Lu Huangzhi hadn’t left yet. He was leaning against his car with a cigarette in his mouth. The tips of his hair and his eyelashes were slightly damp; he must have washed his face.

Seeing Zhao Yexi, Lu Huangzhi extinguished the cigarette and stood up. “All done?”

A guy with an earring and a cigarette didn’t sound like a top student, but on Lu Huangzhi, these traits acted like a beauty filter. He looked incredibly attractive. Especially that hand holding the cigarette—the same hand that had written several stunning papers with arguments completely opposite to Zhao Yexi’s.

If Lu Huangzhi didn’t target him so much, he would be willing to call him a campus god.

“Why are you still here? I told you that you could leave.”

Lu Huangzhi said, “The smell was in the car. I’m letting it air out.”

“I can see you really despise braised pork.” Zhao Yexi glanced at the cigarette butt in Lu Huangzhi’s fingers. “You smoke?”

This was the first time he had seen Lu Huangzhi smoke.

“Not often,” Lu Huangzhi said, dropping the butt into the car’s ashtray. “Come here.”

Zhao Yexi was wary. “What for?”

“Smell me. See if the cigarette smoke covered up the other smell.”

Zhao Yexi refused. “I will not.”

“You don’t even dare to do that?” Lu Huangzhi shrugged, seemingly finding it boring. “Coward.”

Zhao Yexi turned around to walk back toward the hospital.

Lu Huangzhi called out behind him, “Where are you going?”

“To ask how much the ICU costs per day. I’m going to beat you up even if it bankrupts me.”

Lu Huangzhi didn’t get angry; Zhao Yexi even felt that he was enjoying himself again. “You just got out of my car and you’re already turning on me? That’s a very quick betrayal.”

Darn.

Zhao Yexi knew he was in the wrong and bit back his retort, silently adding a note to his mental grudge book: Lu Huangzhi called me a coward.

Seeing Zhao Yexi’s frustrated look, Lu Huangzhi chuckled and mercifully changed the subject. “Is your friend, okay?”

“I don’t know. His mother arrived, so I left.” Zhao Yexi was puzzled. “Is there a flu outbreak? I saw a lot of patients with the same symptoms.”

“Maybe,” Lu Huangzhi said casually. “Or maybe they’ve differentiated, just like the animals.”

Zhao Yexi was startled. “Spreading rumors? I’m reporting you.”

“Whether it’s a rumor or not, you can ask your ‘ordinary’ dad.”

Zhao Yexi reached behind him to scratch his neck. “I can’t even get through to him on the phone, how am I supposed to ask?”

Lu Huangzhi noticed Zhao Yexi had made this gesture several times today. “What’s wrong with your neck?”

“It’s a bit itchy,” Zhao Yexi said awkwardly. “It feels like something is growing inside.”

Lu Huangzhi’s gaze fixed on him. “Let me see.”

Zhao Yexi was lean. In the afternoon sunlight, the small patch of skin where his shoulder met his neck was fair and translucent, drawing Lu Huangzhi’s full attention.