Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 27

Task completion detected. Preparing to exit the world.

Original world line progress: 0. Accumulated Deep Affection Value: 2000. Keep up the good work.

Yu Lin originally thought he would be directly transported to the next world. However, after a bout of world-spinning dizziness, he opened his eyes to find himself in a room that looked like a square box.

The walls and floor were a stark, snowy white, so bright that a single extra glance felt like it would cause blindness. Yu Lin felt like a trapped beast. He stood in the center of the box, quietly scanning his surroundings. He felt uncomfortable both physically and mentally.

“Where is this?” Yu Lin asked. “Is this a punishment for disrupting the world line?”

007’s voice echoed in his ear. “This is the system’s transfer station. Rest here for a while before we go to the next world.”

Yu Lin replied, “I do not need to rest. Take me straight to the next world. Besides, this place is so barren. What is there worth resting for?”

Yu Lin stamped on the hard floor. Even just lying down would be uncomfortable. Moreover, in such a confined space with nothing in sight, staying for long would lead to agitation, followed by unknown fear and loneliness. Resting here was no different from being a prisoner in confinement.

007 said, “It is I who need to leave for a while to report to my superior.”

Yu Lin played along casually. “Your work system is quite strict.”

007 replied, “It was not originally this demanding.” It was only because you ran wild in the first two worlds.

Yu Lin sat down cross-legged and patted the floor with a look of disdain. “Fine, go then. But can you at least leave me a mat or a pillow? You should have that much authority, right?”

The sound of electrical friction crackled around him. Suddenly, the square box began to disintegrate, transforming into an infinitely extending dark universe. Yu Lin felt as if he were floating in mid-air. Then, the space warped, and colors unfurled outward from him in layers.

A bed appeared out of thin air. The floor became wooden, and the walls took on an antique finish. To his right, a living room area was partitioned off. The bamboo-slat ceiling exuded a quiet, elegant Chinese charm.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows were towering, lush green mountains. A winding, jade-colored stream flowed past the house. On the open-air terrace sat a rosewood tea table and rattan cushions. At the edge of the terrace was a rectangular pool about half a meter deep.

The oppressive sense of confinement vanished instantly, replaced by a poetic dwelling filled with warmth and tranquility.

Yu Lin did not expect that a small wish would grant him such a large courtyard. He wandered over to the sofa and leaned back, sinking into the soft cushions as a pillow landed against his chest.

“Are you going to be gone long? What if I get bored, or thirsty, or hungry?”

007 knew Yu Lin was pushing his luck after getting a good deal. Gritting its teeth, the system snapped its fingers.

Yu Lin clearly saw a faint blue-purple current streak through the air. In the next second, the table on the terrace was covered with pastries, cold dishes, grilled meats, fried snacks, and salads. A beverage machine sat at the edge. It was as if a small buffet restaurant had been moved there.

Yu Lin let out a soft exclamation, his eyes lighting up. “The treatment at this transfer station is actually quite good.”

007 said through gritted teeth, “Because my boss said that since you are our first host, we can give you a few benefits to encourage you to complete tasks seriously in the next world.”

After saying this, even 007 wanted to roll its eyes.

However, Yu Lin clearly had no energy left to focus on the system’s mental state. He circled the table, filled a large cup with cola, and gathered a large plate of food. He then found the spot with the best light, sprawled out on a rattan cushion, and stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth.

007 asked, “Then, I am leaving now?”

Yu Lin replied perfunctorily, “Yes, goodbye. Safe travels.”

Yu Lin did not see a faint stream of light shoot up into the “sky” above him, turning into countless lines of code and electronic turbulence before vanishing into the clouds.

The laboratory capsule hissed open. A pair of well-defined hands first pressed against the edge, followed by a tall man holding his head as he sat up.

The central light screen flickered with a piercing glare. The silver-white equipment and walls carried an eerie coldness. The blood-red afterglow of the setting sun flickered tiredly on the narrow, dark windows. An airship sped through the vacuum track, vanishing in the blink of an eye without even leaving a shadow.

“Brother Lu, are you all right?”

“How long has it been?” Lu Hechuan asked.

“One hundred twenty-three hours, forty-nine minutes, and six seconds,” said the young man sitting at the console.

Lu Hechuan stepped out of the capsule and grabbed a black wool coat from a nearby chair to drape over his shoulders. His deep features looked even colder under the silver-white light.

“What about the backend data?”

“All vital signs are stable. However, the mental web has only recovered by 5 percent and is still somewhat unstable.”

Lu Hechuan walked to the console and carefully scanned the floating data. After a moment of silence, he asked, “What about the rest?”

“Ah?” The young man paused. “The rest being?”

Lu Hechuan ground his molars and said, “His emotions.”

The young man realized what he meant and hurriedly operated the console. Half a minute later, he said sheepishly, “There is no difference from the initial value. But I remember there were several fluctuations midway, though they dropped back down very quickly.”

Lu Hechuan gave a muffled hum and said nothing more, though he continued to scroll through the recorded data.

The young man suddenly thought of something and reminded him, “However, a few minutes before you woke up, Seven-zai seemed to rush off to find the Boss. Did something happen in the first world?”

Lu Hechuan’s hand paused before he quickly said, “It is nothing.”

It was unclear what he was referring to.

Lu Hechuan scrolled through all the recorded data, but his body went rigid for a long time when he saw a peak from two days ago.

That violently fluctuating curve did not actually belong to Yu Lin; it belonged to him. Based on the time conversion, it happened during Yu Lin’s summer vacation. During that period, the only thing that could cause his emotions to fluctuate so violently was—

Taking advantage of the young man’s inattention, Lu Hechuan casually altered the data, erasing the peak point before turning to leave.

Beside the laboratory was another room hidden behind heavy facilities. Unless one was looking for it, it was almost impossible to find.

Lu Hechuan scanned his iris at the scanner outside and swiped into the room. The narrow room was no different from a standard hospital ward. The one-way glass made it impossible to see the laboratory from the inside, but from the outside, everything in the room was clearly visible.

A pale young man lay on the narrow hospital bed. His lean body was covered with various instrument tubes. An IV needle was inserted into a blue vein. The machine at the head of the bed ticked and beeped. The white mist from his breath hit the oxygen mask and quickly vanished.

Lu Hechuan stood there for a few seconds before moving to sit on the other side of the bed.

“It is so quiet. I am suddenly not used to it.” He lowered his eyes, his cold eyes revealing a trace of tenderness as he gazed at the young man’s quiet face.

The scars from the explosion had been perfectly repaired, leaving almost no trace. Lu Hechuan raised his hand, his fingertips brushing a stray hair from the young man’s forehead. His finger moved gently across the delicate brow bone, but he received no response.

“The first world gave you too much freedom. You tore apart the protagonist and deleted the world line. It probably will not be that simple later. 007 has likely gone to complain. I wonder what script he will pick for you in the next world.” Lu Hechuan murmured, a faint smile inexplicably touching his lips. “Though I suppose I share part of the blame for that complaint.”

Suddenly, Lu Hechuan’s optical computer received a new message. The young man outside informed him that the “joy” in Yu Lin’s emotions was currently in a continuous state of rising.

He paused slightly and looked at Yu Lin’s slightly pursed lips.

“He is probably eating.” Lu Hechuan’s finger brushed the brow bone again, his thumb lightly touching the corner of the eye. He was about to move lower when another message arrived on his optical computer.

Urgent, come quickly!

Lu Hechuan curled his fingers and stood up, grabbing his collar. His wool coat billowed in the wind of his stride. By the time he left the room, his face had returned to its previous cold expression, his eyes reflecting a sense of stoic detachment under the lights.

Lu Hechuan exited the laboratory, took the elevator upstairs, and pushed open the only door.

The person who had called him was standing awkwardly by a sofa, his raised hand seeming unsure of how to soothe someone’s emotions. A massive floor-to-ceiling window stood behind him. A constant stream of airships glinted with metallic light. The setting sun cast its glow on his back, obscuring his features.

Lu Hechuan glanced at the small, sulky young man sitting on the sofa with his knees pulled to his chest. He then met the other man’s pleading gaze and sighed.

“What is it?”

The man said, “Seven-zai wants to enable the character setting repair function that is still in testing.”

Lu Hechuan rejected the proposal immediately. “Impossible.”

“If there are no restrictions, Yu Lin will not complete the tasks properly at all.” Lin Qi jumped down from the sofa. He had a very youthful face and a small stature. Standing between Lu Hechuan and the other man, he looked like a high school student. He tried to puff out his chest to boost his presence, and his voice was forced and loud. “You saw the last world, and the one before that. I cannot control him at all, let alone have him find his own emotions while acting out deep affection.”

Lu Hechuan still refused. “Forcibly sealing his memories is enough. Yu Lin does not like being controlled by others. Even if you enable it, it will only backfire.”