He, The Scumbag, Has Turned Over A New Leaf. - Chapter 6

“Respected guest, here is the item you purchased.” A member of the auction staff knocked on the door and delivered the stone Ivan had bought for 28 million star coins.

With the door shielding them from prying eyes, Ivan took the ornate box and opened it, eager to verify the purchase. The stone, a deep, dark green, rested quietly in its red wooden case, dazzling under the light.

After inspecting it to ensure it was undamaged, Ivan waved the attendant away. He returned to the sofa and asked Tovis, who was sitting there with an indifferent expression, “Is this truly something your female father left behind, or is it just a gimmick from the auction house?”

Tovis looked at the dark green stone in Ivan’s hand. His brow furrowed. It was identical to the stone he had found at the site where his female father had met his accident years ago. He nodded.

Upon receiving the confirmation, Ivan smiled and placed the expensive stone directly into Tovis’s hands. “Since this belongs to your female father, it should naturally be returned to you.”

Tovis was stunned. He felt the cool texture of the stone and the warmth of Ivan’s palm. He looked up to see Ivan smiling brightly. He quickly pulled his hand back and said respectfully, “This is something you purchased, Master. It belongs to you.”

Hearing this, Ivan’s lips curled upward. “What is mine is naturally yours. We are one and the same.”

Tovis did not accept the gift, which Ivan found amusing. He carefully placed the valuable jade back into the box and added, “I will keep it safe for you. Whenever you need it, you can ask me for it.”

Watching Ivan’s fluid actions, Tovis became increasingly suspicious that Ivan was playing some sort of trick. He reasoned that if he had accepted it, Ivan might have used it as an excuse to punish him. Feeling satisfied that he had seen through the scheme, Tovis exhaled slightly and leaned back against the sofa.

Ivan had no interest in the items that followed. Tovis neither wanted to participate nor had the means to do so. Both sat through the rest of the auction with little enthusiasm.

Shortly after, the auction neared its end. To Ivan’s surprise, the final item was an A-class mech.

He had learned about this world through the Star Network. The technological level of this planet was high, and conflicts between planets often involved mechs. Ivan was fascinated by the reports of these formidable machines, so he was delighted to see one in person.

The silver-white mech stood on the platform, looking as though it could tear anything apart in an instant. The starting bid was 100 million star coins, a price that left Ivan speechless.

Even Tovis, who had been disinterested throughout the event, became alert, watching the potential bidders closely. In the end, the mech was purchased by Guest Room Number 1 for 300 million star coins.

As the auction concluded, Ivan, still reeling from the extravagant spending, led Tovis toward the exit. Just as they stepped outside, he saw Ace emerging from a room on the second floor. To avoid him, Ivan grabbed Tovis and ducked into a small corner balcony at the end of the hall.

The balcony was cramped. Ivan pushed Tovis against the wall, and then pressed his own body against him.

“Shh!” Ivan whispered. “Wait here until Ace leaves.”

Tovis remained silent, pressed face to face with Ivan. He could smell the pheromones surrounding Ivan, which was highly uncomfortable, and he could only hope that Ace would depart quickly.

As it turned out, Ace was frustrated because he could not find Ivan. He had run into some friends and was standing by the stairs, complaining loudly. It appeared he would not be leaving anytime soon.

While Ivan was focused on observing Ace’s movements, Tovis suddenly pushed him away.

Ivan was caught off guard and nearly stumbled off the small balcony, but Tovis reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

Ivan breathed a sigh of relief after steadying himself. He looked up at Tovis, who was a head taller than him, and asked in a low voice, “What is the matter?”

Tovis’s expression was grim. He clenched his fists, struggling with the urge to shove Ivan away, but considering his current circumstances, he took several deep breaths, unclenched his hands, turned his head, and said in a low voice, “Forgive me, Master. I had a sudden headache.”

The mention of a headache terrified Ivan; it felt even more dangerous than facing Ace directly.

Ivan moved away discreetly, no longer pressed against Tovis. As he hesitated about whether they should just leave, he suddenly caught a strange scent.

“Do you smell something?” He looked up and asked Tovis, who had turned his head aside. Ivan stared at the green veins on Tovis’s tan neck and bit his lip.

Tovis ground his teeth, his hand tightening by his side. He longed to snap the neck of this oblivious male, yet he knew he could not. After much thought, Tovis relaxed his fist and replied with pale lips, “It is pheromones.”

Tovis had not expected Ivan to be so brazen. Not only was he releasing pheromones indiscriminately, but he also had the nerve to ask about it. Indeed, Tovis thought, no male is ever any good.

Ivan froze. Although he knew that in this interstellar world, pheromones existed and that he and Tovis were forced into marriage due to pheromone matching, this was the first time he had sensed it so directly. Recalling the information he had researched about pheromones, Ivan hurriedly explained, “I am sorry, I did not know, I…”

Before he could finish, the entire auction house began to shake. Simultaneously, an increasingly dense scent of male pheromones permeated the room, and the venue descended into chaos.

Tovis immediately went on guard, realizing he might have misjudged Ivan; these pheromones were not his.

Blinding lights flashed in the sky. Ivan looked out the window in shock and saw three mechs flying in the air. The shaking had been caused by the laser cannons from those mechs.

The auction house became a scene of absolute turmoil. Ivan frowned and asked, “What is happening?”

Tovis shook his head. It was inconceivable that there would be a hostile attack on Harley Star. Fortunately, the auction house was built sturdily; otherwise, the laser blast would have reduced it to ruins. Even so, the structure began to sway under the relentless bombardment of the mechs.

“Let’s go!” Ace was nowhere to be seen by the stairs, so Ivan grabbed Tovis and began running downstairs.

Outside, the female Zergs responsible for security were already fighting the three mechs, but standard equipment was no match for the sophisticated weaponry of the attackers. The streets were in disarray, many civilians had been killed, and local reinforcements had not yet arrived.

Ivan looked for a place to hide, but Tovis let go of his hand. “You must find a safe place to hide!” He then turned and ran toward the auction stage.

“Tovis!” Ivan looked at Tovis’s retreating figure with a furrowed brow, then ultimately followed the fleeing crowd to get out.

Tovis dodged falling debris and sprinted toward the mech that had not been moved from the auction stage. Upon reaching it, he immediately connected his mental power to the system. His S-class mental energy made operating the machine effortless, and he successfully entered the cockpit, steering the mech out into the fray.

After finding a safe spot, Ivan looked up and saw Tovis piloting the silver-white mech he had seen earlier, charging toward the enemy.

The dim night was suddenly illuminated by the brilliant colors of laser blasts, plasma cannons, and sparks flying from the metallic collisions between the mechs. Tovis maneuvered the silver-white machine, weaving between the three enemy mechs and engaging them in battle.

Ordinary citizens gathered beneath secure structures to watch the spectacle. A female Zerg even approached Ivan, offering to protect him. Ivan politely declined, his eyes fixed on the intense battle above.

Although the enemy had the advantage in numbers, Tovis was one of the few S-class individuals in the Empire and a veteran of many battles; he was not losing and was even exerting pressure on his opponents.

Despite this, Ivan was anxious. He knew that piloting a mech required mental power. If Tovis suffered a mental breakdown as a result, he would be in danger.

Seeing that the defense of Harley Star was moving too slowly, Ivan furrowed his brow and used his light-brain to call the government’s emergency line. “Hello, this is a report of a hostile attack at the Xinwang Street auction house. Please send help immediately.”

After the call, he continued to watch the sky. A mech fell from the air, crashing into the ground and forming a large crater. Ivan felt a jolt of fear until he realized it was not the silver-white one.

The battle continued with alternating explosions. Fortunately, after the second enemy mech was shot down, reinforcements arrived. The government mech squad surrounded the remaining enemy and quickly cleared the area.

Tovis steered the mech to a gentle landing, only to be immediately surrounded by government troops. Ivan frowned and was about to step forward to explain when a figure charged toward him.

“You, Ivan! What is going on? I was bidding on that stone at the auction, and some idiot snatched it up, ruining my plans! Where did you go?” Ace, looking disheveled, emerged from nowhere, blocking Ivan’s path and demanding an explanation.

Ivan, the “idiot” in question, was speechless. “I will explain later.”

Over there, Tovis was being led away from the mech. He had no time to waste with Ace. Seeing Ivan’s urgency, Ace grew angry. “Have you defected? Tell me, have you defected?”

Ivan, losing his patience and no longer wanting to play the role of the original Ivan, said directly, “Yes. Since the wedding, I have fallen in love with Tovis. Let me tell you this: stop bothering him and stop targeting him!”

He then ran toward Tovis. Ace stood in place, his face hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable.

“Why are you arresting a good citizen?” Ivan walked up and pushed aside the military females holding Tovis.

Because of Ivan’s status as a male Zerg, the soldiers did not block him, but they followed protocol. “Even so, sir, your spouse must come with us to assist in the investigation.”

At the same time, the original buyer of the mech, seeing that his purchase had been damaged in the battle, arrived with the auction house staff to demand an explanation.

The entrance to the auction house was now noisier and more chaotic than it had been during the attack. Tovis lowered his head, appearing entirely submissive.

Ivan gritted his teeth in frustration, thinking, He is good at playing the victim.

Having no choice, Ivan remained at the auction house to handle the compensation for the damaged mech, while Tovis was taken away by the military. The entire operation, which was meant to win Tovis’s favor, had ended in failure.