The Regent of the Zerg [Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

He had assumed this was a team “hacking through the thorns to clear a path in the mountains,” so he was currently worried that his treatment might cause this year’s budget to exceed its limit.

Without having achieved a single merit, he was living on the top floor of the building with Tang Luosi, occupying a private three-hundred-square-meter suite. The magnificence and luxury of the interior decor were staggering: the red wine on the racks, the tea leaves and tobacco in the cabinets, the carved soaps in the bathroom, and the velvet carpets embroidered with gold and silver thread were all exorbitantly expensive. For a moment, he thought his identity had been exposed and they were receiving the Third Prince.

However, the Female Zerg as a group had never possessed much of a concept regarding money, which was why their economic lifelines were so easily seized. Then again, for the majority of Females who wouldn’t live past thirty-five, caring too much about money was also absurd.

Mu Ling didn’t feel he was unworthy of these things, but it shouldn’t be now. He secretly felt something was off, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

The semi-malfunctioning System in his head started squawking:

“Host, they have ill intentions!”

It was fine when it stayed quiet, but the moment it spoke, Mu Ling’s contrarian streak surfaced. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t control it; perhaps his previous surge in mental power had been honed by enduring this thing. “Don’t come out if you have nothing to say. Cultivate yourself well and perform a self-check to see if something is wrong with your central system.”

“…Reporting to Host, there is not.”

“Check again!”

“…May I ask the Host, how many times should I check?” The System seemed to pick up on his disdain, its tone becoming a bit cautious.

“Check until you find a problem.”

With that, Mu Ling erected a mental barrier against it. He could faintly hear its pitiful whimpering, but finally, it was quiet—though it wouldn’t be long before it popped out again.

As an old fox of the political circles, Mu Ling had never been stingy with money or beauty to reward subordinates or erode an enemy’s will. However, no matter how he thought about it, he didn’t feel his current self was worth this. Plus, the Zerg’s “neural circuitry” differed from humans; they didn’t necessarily have that many convoluted schemes.

Unable to figure it out, he simply set it aside. He planned to head down to the pharmaceutical department; if all went as expected, he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the preferential treatment Tang Luosi gave him for a long time.

Exiting the elevator, he ran into Karn. This bug was overjoyed, throwing his work to the back of his mind to chase after him. “You got hired too!?”

“Yeah.” Mu Ling strode toward his destination.

“Where are you staying? I’m on the thirty-third floor, the information department is there too. Have you met your roommate yet? You vanished yesterday before I noticed, but for some reason, I felt you’d definitely be fine!” Karn said excitedly.

Mu Ling suddenly stopped and turned his head:

“Thanks. You’re in the information department?”

Accustomed to Mu Ling’s lukewarm responses, being looked at directly this time made Karn feel flattered and overwhelmed. He hurriedly replied, “Yes, yes, yes, yes.”

“Can you help me find the regional planning maps for the Central City, trade agreements from the last ten years, and the Bandit Gang’s military march records—specifically Tang Luosi’s private army? The central server should be in your area.”

As each term landed, Karn’s mouth opened wider and wider until his tongue went dry. “Uh…those are…well, I don’t have those permissions yet…probably.”

Mu Ling had rarely asked him for a favor, and he actually had to refuse; Karn felt deeply ashamed.

“Didn’t you hack the Secret Port Bank’s mainframe? I don’t need top-secret info, just rough records. Most of it should be public information.”

Mu Ling patted his shoulder and looked into his eyes:

“Please. This is very important for my work.”

Karn’s head spun, his expression turning dazed as he nodded:

“Okay, okay…I’ll try, okay.”

Mu Ling raised an eyebrow and added:

“Don’t worry. If a problem arises, tell them to come find me. I’m on the sixty-sixth floor.”

“Oh, okay…wait, no, I won’t be caught…Wait!” Karn watched Mu Ling’s retreating back, suddenly realizing the floor number he had mentioned: “Sixty-six? Isn’t that the top floor?!”

The pharmaceutical department was composed of humans and sub-females, with a scattering of one or two young Females. Those three rare Males had been bundled off to serve as Mental Stabilizers.

The entire department was silent; everyone was waiting for Mu Ling.

They had heard he was a talent personally introduced by Tang Luosi and his deputy, Luke, and had been given a great deal of preferential treatment. Everyone was watching with folded arms to see just how much skill he actually had.

There were also those secretly gloating, looking noncommittally at the department director—a man with a white-streaked beard, glasses thick as bottle-bottoms, who walked around looking at people through his nostrils. His achievements weren’t great, but his temper was significant.

Previously, due to the professional requirements of this position, no one had been able to replace him. Now a dark horse had appeared. Although they didn’t know his true quality yet, the ones most worried certainly weren’t the assistants—it was this old man who could barely hold a test tube steady.

Mu Ling didn’t care about Karn’s or his future colleagues’ schemes. He pushed open the door to the pharmaceutical department, meeting a barrage of scrutinizing gazes. At a glance, he saw the man from the recruitment desk. He looked unpleasant, standing next to the Director and whispering something.

Mu Ling walked in. The Director pushed up his glasses and approached:

“Little Mu, right? You’re late.”

“I am Mu Lin. The colleague who received me just took me to my quarters. I came down right after a quick tidy-up.”

Mu Ling extended his hand. The Director glanced at him, then back at all the members of the research department. In a slow, gravelly voice that sounded like he had phlegm stuck in his throat, he said: “Young people, always so eager to make excuses for their mistakes. A bad habit.”

Mu Ling realized the “power play” was starting, so he simply withdrew his hand:

“Understood. Luke said I would be serving as the deputy director of this department from now on. You must be the Director?”

The original deputy director, the colleague from the recruitment desk, froze and looked at Mu Ling: “Deputy Director?”

Mu Ling nodded:

“You are the original deputy director, named Yu Fan? Luke said the workload in the pharmaceutical department is heavy and a second deputy director needs to be added to lighten your burden.”

Yu Fan looked at Director Han: “Director Han, we haven’t received any such news.”

“A colleague from the Strategic Coordination Department was supposed to bring me here this afternoon and notify you, but I wanted to see the work progress of these past years first—if you’re uneasy, you can ask the Coordination Department.”

Mu Ling spoke calmly, then looked at the other staff members:

“Who among you is responsible for archives management?”

A tall man with a buzz cut stepped out: “I am.”

“Is it convenient to review them now?”

The man glanced at Director Han and nodded: “Yes. Please come this way…Director Mu.”

Seeing this young man acting as if no one else were in the room, Director Han’s fingertips trembled with rage:

“Pharmaceuticals is delicate work, and many technical patents cannot be shown to outsiders. How can the department archives be shown to just anyone?”

Mu Ling didn’t turn back: “I am not an outsider…All resources in this building belong to the Bandit Gang, and Tang Luosi has full power of disposal. It’s all written in the management regulations. I was appointed directly by him, so why can’t I see them?”

As soon as he finished speaking, mocking glances drifted toward Han and Yu, who didn’t know how to refute. The rest of the staff gathered around Mu Ling to introduce themselves: “My name is Qi Bai. I was responsible for the third-phase development of the stabilizer. Please allow me some time to organize the experimental data for you later.”

“I am Remas, a researcher. My current primary work is targeting the previous phase of clinical drug trials…”

They were about to continue when Mu Ling cut them off:

“I haven’t officially taken office yet. Currently, I am only reviewing public materials. I have seen everyone’s files, so there is no need for introductions. The work here is heavy and everyone has a lot on their plate. Please do not delay your work for my sake. Thank you.”

“Then… shall we welcome you tonight? There should be a welcoming party,” someone suggested.

Mu Ling thought for a moment: “Tomorrow. Today is too rushed; I still have some onboarding matters to handle.”

Seeing them getting along harmoniously, Han and Yu were at a loss. None of the tricks they had prepared could be used. This kid didn’t take the bait at all, showing none of the trepidation of a newcomer. Now he didn’t even bother with basic pleasantries, treating his superiors like thin air.

Yu Fan pulled Director Han aside: “He was appointed personally by Tang Luosi. We can’t touch him here.”

Director Han was furious, but his logic remained. He nodded and squeezed out a smile: “Young people are high-spirited. It’s inevitable, inevitable…”

“Arrogance leads to ruin. Sooner or later he’ll suffer, and he’ll understand your painstaking efforts one day.”

Mu Ling glanced at them and whispered to the person beside him:

“What do the two directors usually do?”

This question stumped the person. He thought for a long time before saying:

“Director Han is responsible for liaising with other departments and overseeing the workflow of R&D and experiments…As for Director Yu, he’s responsible for the files and welfare of all personnel in the department…”

Mu Ling found it strange: “Isn’t that the work of the Coordination Department?” His own affairs weren’t managed by Yu Fan.

The person gave a bitter smile:

“It was supposed to be, but the pharmaceutical department is a special case. Other departments have absolutely no say in our work. R&D requires massive funding every year, often with additional requests. The amounts are so large that the Coordination Department can’t finalize them, so the higher-ups simply allocate a lump sum and let the department arrange it internally…”

Mu Ling was thoughtful: “The Bandit Gang is quite wealthy.”

“Females earn money fiercely and spend it just as fiercely…they’re used to being extravagant. Though Tang Luosi can bring back a whole year’s worth of operating funds just by leading a team on one mission…” The person sighed. “I don’t know the specifics, but anyway, we don’t lack money.”

The reason they didn’t lack it was because the controlled area of the Bandit Gang was currently small, and aside from mental stabilizers, the Females could be completely self-sufficient: mining, security, taking commissions… there were all sorts of ways to earn money, though they basically relied on force.

Zerg society was essentially Females earning money to support Males and sub-females. While there were sub-females who could generate economic value, they weren’t many. Therefore, there weren’t many places for the Bandit Gang to spend money.

Supporting humans took some effort, but for the brave and warlike Females, it wasn’t a big deal. Compared to Males, humans were much cheaper to keep.

Mu Ling had a general idea in his mind.

The Zerg didn’t have the concept of a welfare society; all expenditures were spent on war and pleasure. Since the great war with humans had subsided a hundred years ago and neither side had the will for a large-scale hot war, only pleasure remained.

The surplus value produced by the Females was fully capable of supporting this. Instead, because they had nothing to do, they ended up with a surplus of energy with nowhere to use it, looking for trouble everywhere. Thus, maintaining public order became another expense, which the Empire didn’t care about.

But here, where humans and bugs lived together, the Zerg-majority group didn’t care about improving the living standards of the residents in their jurisdiction. It should be said they had enough trouble looking after themselves to care about that.

So even if the pharmaceutical department was controlled by a bunch of “wine sacks and rice bags,” as long as they said they had a lead, the desperate Females were willing to spend huge sums to support them. This support lacked oversight, so it had grown into a mass of rotten flesh.

Mu Ling hoped the two directors had some real substance; otherwise, he would have to take a knife to them.

He stayed until late at night before returning. Karn told him via a private message on the internal network that the required materials had been gathered and would be packaged and sent to him tomorrow. He felt this young man was good—quick at his work, and could be promoted in the future.

Just as he was “directing the empire” in his mind, he returned to his luxury apartment and hung his removed coat on the rack. The sound of a door opening came, and he looked over.

Tang Luosi’s surprised face appeared behind the door. The two stared at each other for a long while.

Mu Ling opened his mouth, countless guesses sliding through his mind, but his thoughts were so cluttered he was speechless.

The astonishment on Tang Luosi’s face turned into realization, and then he was caught between laughter and tears.

He suddenly remembered his conversation with Luke last night.

“You refused to live on the same floor as those three Males.” Luke’s expression of inquiry was very serious. “Are you dissatisfied with them?”

Tang Luosi was always helpless against this loyal and upright buddy. He explained patiently: “Live together so I can watch them tremble in front of me?”

Luke said: “That C-rank is quite bold and seems to have the intention. You—”

“Stop, stop, stop. Listen to your tone, you sound like a pimp. I don’t need it, okay?”

“…Understood. You still don’t like Males.”

Tang Luosi rubbed his temples and sighed: “Males…they’re all like that…”

“Then to business. That human today, do you like him?”

“…I do like him quite a bit, the method he mentioned is quite interesting…” Tang Luosi stared at him with a wary gaze. “But it’s not that kind of liking, so restrain yourself.”

“Understood.” Luke’s expression was calm.

Understand my foot! Tang Luosi complained inwardly.

“You—” The two spoke at the same time, then fell silent together, gesturing for the other to speak first.

Tang Luosi scratched his head, looking at him with some embarrassment:

“They arranged for you to stay here?”

“This is your room.” Mu Ling understood everything in an instant. No wonder a newcomer like him could stay on the top floor. It turned out Luke wasn’t treating him as a “scholar of the state,” but had delivered him to Tang Luosi’s door as a canary—without even telling the canary’s owner.

Tang Luosi gave a silent affirmation.

“I’ll have them change my room.”

Mu Ling spoke considerately. If he were a Prince or a Regent, this would be an offense against a superior and punishable by death. Even if he weren’t enraged, he wouldn’t look pleased.

However, right now, facing Tang Luosi’s embarrassed and chagrined expression, he felt no resentment. He could only sigh silently, understanding for the first time in two lives what it meant for “beauty to lead one astray.”

“No need… there are other rooms here. As long as you don’t mind.” Tang Luosi was concerned that changing rooms might lead to rumors about Mu Ling. He was a newcomer who hadn’t established his footing yet, and that kid Luke acted rashly; there was no guarantee he wouldn’t barge in and ask what had made Tang Luosi unhappy.

This kid was innocent, having been caught by Luke’s “draw from the hat”… He wasn’t interested in the newly arrived Males, but that didn’t mean he was so thirsty he wouldn’t even let a human kid off—come to think of it, nineteen? That’s not exactly small.

“I’m the one intruding on your quarters; as long as you don’t mind, what is there for me to mind?” Mu Ling smiled easily under his gaze.

“Quite bold, aren’t you…” Tang Luosi licked his lips. “My reputation out there isn’t exactly good.”

Mu Ling laughed: “You aren’t fierce at all. What is there to fear? There are three thousand rumors; if I took every one seriously, would I ever be able to leave the house?”

Tang Luosi blinked: “Which room do you want to sleep in?”

“Any is fine.”

“Then the one next to mine.”

As he nodded, Mu Ling could hear the System screaming hysterically through the mental barrier: “DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! Host! He is super fierce!”

Support The Regent of the Zerg [Transmigration]