Male Lead, Please Don’t Covet the Mob Character Cannon Fodder (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 31

Zhong Lin, the Chairman of the Federal Parliament, was the most powerful man in the entire Federation and was deeply beloved by its citizens. The position of Council Chairman rotated every ten years, yet he had held the office for five consecutive terms based on popular support. He was, in every sense, the true guide of the Federation’s progress.

Ji Qingshi gazed at him with eyes full of sorrow and asked a seemingly nonsensical question: “Why?”

Zhong Lin knew exactly what Qingshi was asking. He lifted his hand, his eyes downcast as he stared at the wrinkled skin upon it. “Qingshi, you are still young. You do not know the taste of aging. Day by day, the body becomes a heavy burden. Wrinkles crawl across my entire being. It is a terrifying sensation. Then, someone suddenly tells you they can return you to your peak, or even grant you eternal youth. Could you refuse?”

Qingshi’s gaze grew heavy. “So you agreed to Bai Lin’s human experiments and turned me into… What am I in your eyes? An object to be disposed of at will?”

Zhong Lin replied, “Qingshi, do not be willful. This is all for the future of the Federation!”

Qingshi sneered, “This is Chairman Zhong abusing public power for private gain, is it not?”

“Hmph. I have exhausted my heart and soul for the Federation for so long; am I not even worthy of this small bit of personal power?” Zhong Lin’s black eyes settled on Qingshi. “Without me, there would be no Federation today! Only by maintaining my youth can I better lead the Federation forward!”

In those eyes, Qingshi saw none of the kindness or benevolence of the past, only the greed and hypocrisy of one corrupted by power. He closed his eyes, no longer attempting to reason with a man who viewed the Federation as his personal property.

Seeing Qingshi’s reaction, Zhong Lin’s gaze darkened, and his tone became agitated. “Are you looking down on me? Do you think I have been blinded by power? Heh, you are wrong, Lieutenant General Ji. I am perfectly sober. I know exactly what I am doing! What does the Federation look like in your eyes? A scene of harmony? Do you know what it looks like in mine? A heap of loose sand! The various families within the Parliament are falling apart, each acting for their own interests. They are all waiting for me to step down, preparing to carve up the entire Federation. What can I do? What should I do! Lieutenant General Ji, tell me, besides this path, do I have any other choice?”

Qingshi gripped his trembling left hand. Keeping his eyes downcast, the corners of his mouth twitched into a faint arc. “So, why did you summon me here today? What do you want? Did Bai Lin not tell you? His experiment failed.”

“Heh,” Zhong Lin leaned back into his chair, letting out a calm, soft laugh. “No, he succeeded. I have waited long enough for you.”

Qingshi glimpsed something in that confident, triumphant smile. “You know…”

“Yes, I know that the transformation of the Hynos snakemen requires entering the Dragon Transformation Pool, which is what they call the Holy Land.” Zhong Lin stared into the air, seemingly lost in memory. “I have waited thirty years. I have finally lived to see this day. Qingshi, I raised you. You will help me, will you not?”

Looking at the man who was both familiar and a stranger, Qingshi let out a weary sigh. “What do you want me to do?”

“You will know when the time comes.” Seeing the compromise in Qingshi’s eyes, Zhong Lin waved his hand. A man in a black military uniform appeared before Qingshi. “Go out with your Uncle Shu Yi. I am tired.”

Shu Yi was the protector who had accompanied Ji Qingshi as he grew up, and someone Qingshi had admired since childhood. Qingshi knew Zhong Lin was using this to strengthen his leverage; he knew Qingshi would be unable to refuse. Zhong Lin knew him too well. After all, he was the donor of the original genes inside Qingshi’s body.

“Let us go, Qingshi.” Shu Yi was nearly fifty, with a perpetual, gentle smile on his face. Qingshi walked out of the room. Shu Yi followed and thoughtfully closed the door. “Qingshi, it has been a long time. You have grown up.”

Qingshi’s lips quirked slightly. “And you have grown old.”

“Indeed,” Shu Yi laughed and patted Qingshi on the shoulder. “Come, I will take you back.”

Shu Yi’s vehicle was an A22 hovercar, one of the earliest driven models. It was the car Qingshi had sat in most often as a child. “Why are you still driving this? The annual maintenance cost alone could probably buy the latest model,” Qingshi teased after getting into the car.

“It cannot be helped. As people get older, they get nostalgic. We cherish the old things,” Shu Yi responded brightly.

Qingshi lowered his eyes, his tone dropping. “Uncle Shu Yi, have you ever thought about pursuing eternal life?”

Shu Yi glanced at Qingshi and sighed. “Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of humanity. The Chairman, his burden is simply too heavy. He does not dare lay it down, and he cannot lay it down.”

Qingshi remained silent for a moment before asking, “What exactly does the Chairman want me to do?” After asking, Qingshi caught a flicker of pity in Shu Yi’s eyes. His heart skipped a beat as he heard Shu Yi say, “When the time comes, Qingshi, you will know. Uncle knows you are a strong child, and more importantly, a soldier of the Federation. I am proud of you.”

Knowing Shu Yi would not give him an answer, Qingshi smiled bitterly and turned to look out the window.

Qingshi returned to his small house, living a secluded life. The weather grew colder. News reports frequently mentioned attacks on coastal areas by mutated beasts awakening in the Antarctic. Fortunately, the Federation used its firepower to suppress them; so far, no beasts had broken through the defense lines.

The symptoms in Qingshi’s body grew more severe. He could feel the Hynos snakeman genes within him craving intensely. Every night, he struggled to suppress these impulses, but tonight, everything seemed different. Scales, slimy yet rough, slid between his toes, brushed against his soles, and coiled around his ankles, calves, and thighs, gradually moving upward.

Qingshi’s consciousness was no longer clear. His eyes were half-closed, unable to distinguish between reality and a dream. Hot breath fanned against his ear. Slender fingers pried open his teeth and slipped inside. Broad knuckles filled his oral cavity as calloused fingertips heavily toyed with his sensitive palate.

Qingshi’s brow furrowed. Trembling, he tried to poke his tongue out to push the intrusion away, only to have his tongue pinched and toyed with between two fingers. The coarse texture was constantly transmitted to his mind through the receptors on his tongue. Unable to retract it, the numbing and itching sensation made Qingshi almost want to cry. The corners of his eyes flushed a vivid red from the agitation.

Only when the tip of his tongue had become swollen and crimson did the fingers withdraw. Because the intrusion had been too large and lasted too long, the corners of his mouth stung slightly, and he temporarily could not close them. It felt too real. Was he truly dreaming? Qingshi panted, his thoughts chaotic.

Something icy touched the burning tip of his tongue, testing it bit by bit until the cool-seeking flesh could no longer restrain itself and poked out. Only then did the intruder coil around it, demanding fiercely.

“Mm!” The tip of his tongue was sucked into a cool space. Though the touch was icy, it felt as if it possessed a burning heat intended to swallow him whole. Fingers threaded into the hair at the back of his head. A powerful electric current traveled down his spine, causing his slender waist to arch uncontrollably.

Qingshi shook his head, trying to escape, but the hand at the back of his head held him firmly in place, allowing him to be occupied without reservation. “Cough, cough,” nearly suffocating, Qingshi panted and coughed. His drifting consciousness suddenly became sharp. Just now, that did not seem like a dream.

Slowly lifting his eyes, he met a pair of dark green vertical pupils that were conspicuous even in the darkness. Qingshi’s eyes widened suddenly. “How did you…”

Jia gazed at his flushed little mate, his eyes dark, his large Adam’s apple bobbing rapidly. Sensing something wrong from Jia’s expression, Qingshi watched him warily, propping his hands against the mattress to move backward. “Why are you here?”

The mate’s attempt to flee triggered bad memories for Jia. The taste of worry, pain, and heartache, all these complex emotions crashing into his mind, was truly unbearable. He would never give his mate another chance to leave his side!

“Ah!” A thick, powerful snake tail coiled around his slender white ankle and yanked hard. Qingshi, who had been sitting, collapsed onto the bed. Qingshi tried with all his might to pull his right foot out, only to find he was no match for him. He flipped over and grabbed the other side of the bed, trying to crawl forward to put distance between them. But after a couple of steps, he realized he had done something foolish.

His body was pinned down by a heavy weight. Broad palms braced beside his ears. He could feel breath against the hair on his head. His fingers, turning white from gripping the edge of the bed, were pried open one by one. His slender wrists were held in cold, pale, large hands and brought to the mouth of his master.

Qingshi looked sideways at Jia. His pale face was like porcelain stamped with plum blossoms, white with a hint of red, cold yet alluring. He could already imagine what would happen next, but he still struggled, refusing to give up. Jia reached out to press down on the back of Qingshi’s neck, undeniably taking his wrist into his mouth. Sharp fangs pressed against the tender skin on the inside of the wrist.

“No,” the slight sting mixed with Qingshi’s refusal. Psychologically, he was resisting, but his body’s cells were cheering, like parched earth finally meeting a long-awaited rain. His tense body softened into a pool of spring water after the cool liquid was injected. A warming snake tongue licked the bite marks on his wrist. Jia looked down at Qingshi with a dangerous gaze. “I will not give you another chance to escape.”

In the final moments of his consciousness, Qingshi suddenly realized what the pity in Uncle Shu Yi’s eyes meant. The timing Zhong Lin was waiting for was right now. Zhong Lin knew Jia would definitely come for him and would take him to the Holy Land. From the very beginning, they intended to use him to trade for the route to the Holy Land. Otherwise, no matter how strong Jia was, it would have been impossible for him to reach Qingshi’s room without any hindrance.

When he regained consciousness, his entire body felt as if it had been broken apart and rebuilt. Qingshi forced himself up with his hands, and just as his strength failed and he was about to fall back, a palm supported his back. A tube of blue nutrient solution was pressed to his lips. Qingshi looked up at Jia beside him and reached out to take it himself, only to find his fingers were weak and useless, like a disabled person.

Whether angry at Jia’s overbearing actions or at his own helplessness, Qingshi turned his head slightly and refused the feeding. Unexpectedly, seeing this, Jia poured the nutrient solution directly into his own mouth, then lifted Qingshi’s chin and kissed him.

His teeth were easily pried open. Qingshi was forced to swallow in large gulps, but Jia poured too quickly. Some of the nutrient solution leaked from the corner of his mouth; the pale blue liquid, mixed with saliva, slid down the side of his lips to his arched neck, finally disappearing into his collar, leaving behind suggestive water trails.

“Cough, cough, ha,” the intake of the nutrient solution allowed Qingshi’s exhausted body to recover some strength. He raised his hand to block Jia’s chest. “Enough.”

Seeing that Jia had no intention of continuing the feeding, Qingshi breathed a small sigh of relief. He then noticed he was wearing a new set of clothes; the previous ones, which had become unpresentable, were gone. There were only two people in the room; it was obvious who had changed him.

Qingshi glanced at the blue sky outside the window, various emotions intertwining in his eyes. Finally, he turned back to meet Jia’s eyes. Under that heavy gaze, he parted his thin lips: “Did you not say you were taking me to the Holy Land? I will go with you.”

As he spoke, a curve hooked at the corner of his lips. Within that seemingly happy trace lay a bitterness and helplessness known only to himself.

“Qing,” Jia leaned down to kiss that smile, tenderly and with deep treasure. “Do not leave me again.”

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