Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 7

【In the real world, do I have any family?】

007 answered emotionlessly: 【We do not have much information regarding the host’s family situation. You can only explore that for yourself once the mission is complete and you return to reality.】

Yu Lin asked again: 【What about Lin Zhou? Did he have a grandmother?】

007 said: 【She passed away a long time ago.】

Yu Lin became lost in thought.

Likely due to his missing memories, he couldn’t deduce the specific reason for his tears from the limited information available. Perhaps it was the residual emotions of Lin Zhou’s body acting up, or perhaps in his original world, he once had a relative like her.

That was why the scene had moved him.

Once he reached a conclusion, Yu Lin quickly pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind. Most of the time, he didn’t experience significant emotional fluctuations; even when he did, they were merely brief intrusions that drifted away with the wind before long.

Yu Lin’s attention was soon diverted by the meal Xie Zhizhang had prepared.

Xie Zhizhang’s family was not well-off; usually, there was only one dish and one soup for the two of them. To host Yu Lin today, he had specially added two extra dishes. One of them was the tomato and egg stir-fry that Xu Ze’an had complained about at noon.

One might have expected a young master like Yu Lin to be picky, but instead, he sat at the corner of the table with a mix of restraint and eagerness. His hand holding the chopsticks twitched for several minutes, only starting to eat after Xie Zhizhang’s grandmother took her seat.

The dishes were light, but they were infinitely better than the “grand feast” of white porridge from the morning. Yu Lin continued to eat like a hamster, casually offering a compliment: “Your cooking is quite good.”

Hearing this, Xie Zhizhang lowered his head shyly, stirring his thick porridge with his chopsticks.

“Thank you.”

“I’ve given it some thought. With your current physical condition, you’ll need at least a year of training,” Yu Lin said to himself after taking a bite of stir-fried carrots and pork and drinking half a bowl of seaweed soup. “By this time next year, you’ll be able to pin Xu Ze’an down and beat him.”

Xie Zhizhang replied, “An Omega’s physical potential is naturally lower than an Alpha’s. Let alone a year, even if… I can’t catch up to his height.”

Yu Lin blinked, not quite understanding.

“But he’s nearly half a head taller than me, yet he still lost the fight,” Yu Lin said plainly. He was merely stating a fact without any hint of boasting, his tone even carrying a touch of innocence. “Even the people he brought weren’t a match for me.”

Xie Zhizhang kept his head low, his long-overdue-for-a-trim bangs obscuring most of his eyes. “You are very strong. But what can I do?”

Yu Lin didn’t catch the self-deprecation in his voice, assuming he was asking for a strategy.

He stared at Xie Zhizhang’s slender arms, contemplating for a few seconds before saying, “Let’s start with speed. At least if you can’t win a fight, you can run.”

“Mm, let’s start with your commute to your part-time job later.”

Xie Zhizhang’s eyes widened in confusion and surprise, and he couldn’t even manage to voice a refusal.

…

By the time Xie Zhizhang ran to the club, he was exhausted, leaning against his thighs and gasping for breath.

Yu Lin’s face also carried a flush from the exercise. He caught his breath for a moment, then reached out to support Xie Zhizhang’s arm, practically carrying him through the door.

Xie Zhizhang was startled, seemingly not expecting him to follow him inside. He asked hurriedly, “You… aren’t you going back?”

Yu Lin gave him a look that said, “Is it not obvious?”

“This isn’t a… good place,” Xie Zhizhang’s voice grew quieter.

Yu Lin: “Then why do you stay?”

Xie Zhizhang gave the same answer: “They pay well.”

“White Tide” was indeed a somewhat famous entertainment club in City A. However, it attracted people from all walks of life, making it far from a suitable place for an Omega like Xie Zhizhang to stay for long.

According to the original plot, Xie Zhizhang resigned from this job to focus on his exams next semester, but was later forced to beg the boss to let him return due to his grandmother’s illness. He requested to be assigned to the private tea rooms upstairs, where he encountered many predatory and violent bosses and nearly lost his virtue under the suppression of Alpha pheromones.

Later, when Xu Ze’an and his friends came to play, they would mockingly demand Xie Zhizhang serve them drinks, which was essentially an act of humiliation.

Although those plot points hadn’t unfolded yet, since Yu Lin intended to help him escape the original script, he naturally had to scout out everything related to the place.

The corridor behind the main entrance was dimly lit, with a blue neon strip outlining a long river. In the main hall, a dazzling array of liquor was lined up on the wall behind the bar. Warm light diffused from the greenery behind the booths, and a light wood-scented incense burned on the tables.

The man wiping glasses behind the bar saw Xie Zhizhang arrive. He leaned over the counter and whispered, “Boss Li is coming today. Go help out in the wine cellar downstairs; don’t let anyone see you up here again.”

Under Yu Lin’s curious and probing gaze, Xie Zhizhang nodded and said, “Okay, thank you, Brother Chen.”

Brother Chen straightened up and finally looked at Yu Lin, who had followed Xie Zhizhang in. “Is this your friend?”

Xie Zhizhang nodded again, explaining, “He… he said he wanted to come and see, so I brought him in. Don’t worry, Brother Chen, he’ll just sit here for a bit and won’t interfere with work.”

Yu Lin took the opportunity to climb onto a nearby high stool, leaning against the marble counter and curiously observing the various jars and foreign labels displayed on the bar.

“No problem, it’s almost time. Go change your clothes first. I’ll take good care of your friend here.”

Yu Lin lifted his eyelids to glance at the man, spotting the black ring worn around his neck. Sensing Yu Lin’s gaze, Brother Chen responded with a smile. Yu Lin withdrew his gaze indifferently.

Xie Zhizhang thanked him repeatedly with a bowed head before turning and hurrying toward the locker room.

After he left, Brother Chen picked up a cocktail shaker and asked, “Can you drink?”

Yu Lin stared at the metal cup, lifting his eyelids slightly without responding.

Brother Chen assumed he was shy, just like Xie Zhizhang. Whistling a light tune, he picked up a bottle in front of Yu Lin. The clinking of ice and liquor against the glass rang out, and soon he pushed a pink drink in front of Yu Lin.

“Strawberry flavored. Want to try?”

Yu Lin’s eyes lit up instantly. He glanced at Brother Chen, seemingly weighing his motives. But soon, he held the glass and took a sip. The sweetness, mixed with the sharp sting of alcohol, immediately rushed to his brain.

“Tastes good,” he commented.

Brother Chen smiled gently. “Just a little drink, not much alcohol. Perfect for kids like you.”

Yu Lin blinked, thought for a moment, and then asked, “Are you an Omega too?”

Brother Chen tapped the ring on his neck with a slender finger. “Can’t you tell? Alphas don’t wear these things.”

Yu Lin said, “Xie Zhizhang doesn’t have one.”

“It’s on his hand,” Brother Chen said. “I like neck rings; they look better.”

Yu Lin didn’t understand; having something stuck on his neck would only make him feel restricted.

As business hours began, the club suddenly filled with guests. Brother Chen was the only one behind the bar and became frantic with work. He soon had no time to mind Yu Lin, only instructing him not to drink anything handed to him by a stranger before disappearing.

Bored, Yu Lin sat at the bar, taking small sips of his strawberry drink. The warmth in the air became increasingly intense, and he felt as if he were soaking in a hot spring, his consciousness starting to drift.

Ambiguous and lingering songs played in the background, mixed with the noisy chatter of people. Blurred lights flashed in Yu Lin’s eyes, and a hazy glow occupied most of his vision.

007: 【Abnormal rise in host’s body temperature detected.】

Several groups of people came and went from the seats next to Yu Lin. Initially, a few were interested in talking to him, but seeing him sit there coldly ignoring them, they cursed under their breath about him “acting all high and mighty” and moved on to their next target.

Lin Zhou was tall and slender with fair skin, and his features hadn’t yet fully matured, carrying the innocence and cleanliness unique to a youth. Especially since Yu Lin was wearing a white top today, his current dazed and worldly-unaware state was extremely provocative.

So, even though people were repeatedly rebuffed, some still couldn’t resist stepping forward to strike up a conversation.

Drowsily, Yu Lin thought: 【Do they have nothing better to do?】

007 answered: 【Seeking a mate is a primal desire for certain humans.】

Yu Lin didn’t understand.

There was another movement on the chair next to him. Yu Lin had noticed the man’s scrutinizing gaze half a minute ago, so he didn’t pay it much attention.

“Hey kid, all by yourself?” The man bumped his glass against Yu Lin’s and leaned in. A heavy scent of musk filled Yu Lin’s nose, making him feel a bit nauseous.

The man added, “How about a drink together?”

Yu Lin didn’t bother to respond. He felt very dizzy now; if he weren’t waiting for Xie Zhizhang, he would have gone back to sleep long ago.

The man wasn’t annoyed by the rejection. He picked up a bottle and poured it into Yu Lin’s glass, his rough fingers brushing against the rim. He soon pushed the glass toward Yu Lin’s eyes.

“How about a drink to show some respect?” The hand closer to Yu Lin pressed against the back of his chair, while the other hand leaned on the table. Standing behind and to the side of Yu Lin, he struck a very imposing pose. His eyes were dark and heavy, like a hawk waiting for its prey to take the bait.

Yu Lin turned his head, his voice softened and raspy from the alcohol: “What did you just put in there?”

The man froze, clearly not expecting his hidden movement to be noticed. But he quickly feigned composure and said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Yu Lin’s gaze fell on the liquor swaying in the light. Small bubbles rose from the bottom of the glass, dazzling his eyes.

“It looks like it tastes bad,” he said. “And the smell on you is foul. Don’t stand so close.”

The man hadn’t expected such a blunt rejection; it felt like a slap to the face. His previously maintained image of a well-dressed gentleman collapsed instantly. Flushed with anger, he raised his hand to grab Yu Lin’s neck.

But before he could touch even a shred of fabric, Yu Lin spun around and stood up, seizing the man’s arm and pinning him against the bar.

The alcohol had significantly decreased Yu Lin’s speed and strength. The man struggled hard two or three times, and Yu Lin nearly failed to hold him down. Perhaps because he had stood up too quickly, he felt dizzy now, and even the man’s figure seemed to have afterimages.

【I might need to remind you, I feel like… you’re a one-drink wonder.】

Before Yu Lin could ask what a “one-drink wonder” was, the man’s companions, who had been watching from the side, swarmed around them.

A group of large men stood behind him, shouting hoarsely, “You little brat, what the hell are you doing! Let him go!”

Seeing things go south, Brother Chen also snapped back to reality to inquire about the situation.

“It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Xiao Xie’s friend, let go first, don’t let this escalate…”

Yu Lin’s ears were filled only with a buzzing sound. What remained of his reason vanished entirely, as animal instinct gradually took control of his body.

The sound of clinking bottles echoed. Yu Lin pulled the man’s hand, pressing his chest and back harder against the bar. His cold almond eyes eerily scanned the Alphas and Betas approaching him.

When Lin He arrived at the club, what he saw was the scene of Yu Lin twisting an Alpha’s arm and throwing him to the ground.