"But I'm a man!" Ye Bugui put down the blender in his hand, then put his hands under the tap and rinsed them repeatedly.
As a hunter, Ye Bugui had done many things he was unwilling to recall.
Just like his hand, no matter how many times he washes it, he can never wash away the bloodstains that once stained it.
Thinking of this, Ye Bugui's expression became distressed.
He felt that he was not worthy of his neighbor's affection.
"Lu Shi is a very simple person. He likes to cook, and I've been to his shop. When he sees his customers smiling after eating his food, he also smiles happily."
“A person like that,” Ye Bugui said seriously, “shouldn’t be with me. He can find someone better.”
Modi chuckled, looking at Ye Bugui, finding it hard to believe that this hunter would consider so much.
"I think you two are quite compatible; you're both very innocent and naive."
"As for what you said at the beginning, that he is a man just like you, that surprised me. I didn't expect you to be such a traditional person. Nowadays, we don't need to get married and have children, so what's the difference between marrying a man or a woman?"
“But…” Ye Bugui rubbed his temples. “Okay, maybe I’m too traditional. Even so, I don’t think I’m good enough for him.”
“How will you know if you don’t try?” Modi shook his head, completely unexpected that he would one day be acting as a relationship expert: “The main question is, do you actually have feelings for him?”
"I don't know." Ye Bugui's gaze became much more vacant. "How about I make him a cake first?"
It was six o'clock in the afternoon.
In the past, the Dream Come True Group's industrial park was full of people taking a walk after their meals.
But today, all of these people are gone.
Those with tickets had already boarded the light spheres and arrived at the deathmatch tournament venue.
Those who couldn't get tickets sat obediently in front of the screen, taking out their long-accumulated food, ready to watch the show and enjoy the deathmatch tournament.
"There are so many people today." Lu Shi and Ye Bugui stood side by side, but maintained a certain subtle distance, making them look like a pair of not-so-familiar friends.
"Hmm," Ye Bugui felt a little apprehensive when he thought about the small cake he had hidden in the box. Maybe he shouldn't take it out; it would only make Lu Shi think he was stupid. "It seems everyone is very enthusiastic about the deathmatch tournament."
“This is our first time watching it,” Lu Shi smiled. “It should be very exciting.”
“That’s for sure.” Ye Bugui nodded seriously. “After all, it’s to remind us to be good people.”
After the two followed the crowd to their seats, they remained silent.
It wasn't that the two of them were speechless, but rather that it was just too noisy here, and no matter what they were saying, they couldn't hear each other clearly.
Unbeknownst to them, eight prisoners were being held directly beneath their seats.
If it weren't for the oddly shaped collars around their necks, these eight clean-cut people would be hard to mistake for prisoners.
Among these eight people, one was an acquaintance of Ye Bugui and Lu Shi.
Unfortunately, both Ye Bugui and Lu Shi have forgotten each other.
"Let's all have a good meal."
At that moment, a prison guard wearing a leather jacket walked over and pushed a cart full of food in front of them.
Wei Jin glanced at the dazzling array of food, but had no appetite whatsoever.
This was their last meal, and the thought of that made him lose all desire to eat, no matter how delicious the food smelled.
"What's wrong? Can't you eat?" The prison guard glanced at the eight of them and, seeing that none of them had touched their chopsticks, finally spoke up: "Whether you eat or not, you all have to participate in the deathmatch tournament. Since that's the case, why not choose to eat? At least you won't go hungry."
Just then, the smallest prisoner suddenly raised his hand:
"I heard that one person will survive the deathmatch tournament, is that true?"
The prison guard glanced at the man who had asked the question, who stroked his bald chin and laughed.
"Perhaps, it depends on your fate. Now you finally know fear, finally regret it? Then why didn't you follow the rules in the first place?"
The eight prisoners' moods changed drastically after seeing a glimmer of hope.
Everyone started scrambling for food; they all knew that conserving their strength was the most important thing if they wanted to survive.
When a chicken leg fell to the ground, the prison guard suddenly stretched out his foot and stepped on it.
Even so, all the prisoners lay on the ground, humbly lifting up the guard's leather boots to snatch the chicken legs he had crushed.
The prison guards were laughing heartily.
After the meal was finished, the prison guard opened a door.
A beam of light shone in.
Wei Jin greedily walked to the front, just to bask in the sunlight; he couldn't even remember how long it had been since he had seen the light.
...
"It's about to start," Ye Bugui whispered in Lu Shi's ear after the surrounding voices had quieted down a bit.
Lu Shi raised his head, glanced at the empty space in front of him, and asked in confusion, "How did you know?"
“A beam of light just went off down below,” Ye Bugui said, who had been staring down. “I think it should start soon.”
At this moment, Azi walked over with her boyfriend. After sitting down next to them, Azi immediately gave one of the two buckets of popcorn she was carrying to Lu Shi.
"I've been looking for you all for so long! Why are there so many people here today?!"
Lu Shi smiled and said, "It's a deathmatch tournament, but I'll only come once. There are just too many people."
However, Azi's boyfriend immediately shook his head. He glanced at Lu Shi, clearly not believing what he said.
"You won't. After watching it once, you'll be even more addicted to the deathmatch tournament. Otherwise, you'll feel like your life is missing a bit of fun."
"That's exaggerated?" Ye Bugui clearly didn't believe it. "Does this deathmatch tournament really have that much appeal?"
"You'll see when you see it," the uncle said softly.
As soon as he finished speaking, they saw the void beneath their feet tremble.
Then eight stone pillars rose up, each with a prisoner tied to it.
"Pooh!"
Many people start spitting and throwing things at the prisoners when they see them, even though they don't know what crimes these people have committed.
When Ye Bugui saw Wei Jin, he frowned. Why did he have a feeling of familiarity? He clearly had never seen this person before.
A note from the author:
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 61
☪ Dream Come True Group 7
“Prisoner 001,” a stern voice rang in their ears. As criminals, they…
“Prisoner 001,” a stern voice rang in their ears. As criminals, they did not deserve to have their own names.
"He was late and left early for a week in a row, and even had someone else clock in for him! This kind of person not only wasted the company's investment in him, but is also a habitual liar, and his crimes are unforgivable!"
The audience below the stage shouted, clearly condemning 001.
Lu Shi looked suspicious. He gently patted Ye Bugui beside him, unaware that Ye Bugui's condition had changed after seeing Wei Jin.
"Just being late or leaving early, is that a capital offense?" he asked, puzzled.
The person who answered his question was Azi: "Lu Shi, what nonsense are you talking about!"
She glared at Lu Shi, warning him not to speak carelessly, before whispering in his ear:
"One person being late or leaving early may seem to have no impact on the company's operations. But what if everyone did that? Who would want to come to work on time? Wouldn't that create complete chaos? This kind of behavior challenges the group's rules and authority, and is a capital offense!"
Lu Shi was persuaded and became even more aware of his own shortcomings in thinking.
“Prisoner 004,” the voice continued, “dared to get pregnant without permission, and even planned to give birth to the child and raise it alone! Unforgivable!”
This time, Lu Shi heard many women around him fall backward, having fainted from the shock of hearing about this horrific crime.
Azi shuddered, covering her face with her hands, utterly unable to believe that such a terrifying person existed in the world.
"How could anyone do this! Raising a child without permission is a capital offense!"
This time, Lu Shi did not ask any questions. He understood everything after he first learned of the existence of the care center.
"That's terrifying," Ye Bugui said softly. "Some people actually think about giving birth to their own children. Aren't they afraid their stomachs will explode?"
“Yeah,” Lu Shi thought of the short films they watched every week, which often reminded them in animated form that humans can't give birth naturally. Their bellies would explode after swelling to a certain point. “Don't these people go to class?”
“Could it be because they don’t believe it?” Blackjack, sitting in the back row, said. “Perhaps, people really can give birth to their own children. Otherwise, where did all the people in the wilderness come from?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Blackjack found himself unable to control his body.
An invisible eye was watching him, and if he continued talking, he would be sent to the deathmatch tournament.
These words landed lightly on Lu Shi's heart, yet they stirred up a ripple.
He received his education at the Dream Come True Group, where he learned that everyone there came from a foster care center, and that individuals like them did not need to reproduce. Once they had a loved one, they could find the high priest in charge of reproduction and offer their genes.
Their genes then develop into embryos, which eventually grow into adults in the care center.
Of course, they have no way of knowing who their genes will produce.
At Dream Come True Group, the outdated concept of parents and children is nonexistent.
From the moment they were born, they were employees of the Dream Come True Group.
In the minds of every employee, this logic is impeccable and beneficial to them.
After all, raising children is so expensive, and the company is willing to cover it; they should be happy.
But Lu Shi wavered. If people are born with the ability to reproduce, why should they be deprived of it?
Is the concept of family really outdated?
But he dared not think about it any further. His chip suddenly stung, which meant that he was being watched.
"Don't overthink it." Ye Bugui put his hand on Lu Shi's shoulder: "These are all negative examples, and we should learn from them."
By the time Lu Shi came to his senses and continued watching the deathmatch tournament, they had already introduced the last prisoner.