Chapter Ch99.1 - Sleeping Together

translator: xiin

editors: apricot & juurensha

Eight hours later.

The cabin lights brightened slowly, and the aroma of breakfast drifted down the corridor.

Wu Jin woke up in a confused daze. The big boss had already left without a trace.

Half of him was still stuffed inside the pure black sleeping bag, while the other half of him rested on the white belly of the little rabbit sleeping bag, and he was hugging an extra pillow in his arms––

The pillow was suddenly pulled away.

“!!!” Wu Jin woke up instantly and looked around subconsciously for his tranquilizer gun, lifting his head up to call for the little Pterosaur to prepare for battle. He was caught off guard by the extravagant ceiling and bright crystal lights.

Behind him, the Ming Yao who’d just snatched away Wu Jin’s pillow, was laughing uproariously.

There were still two more hours before the star ship would arrive at the port, and at this time, less than half the contestants had gotten up. Wu Jin walked along the corridor towards the logistics team with the two sleeping bags, preparing to return them ahead of time.

Especially that little white rabbit sleeping bag––

It was particularly conspicuous amongst the group of solid colored sleeping bags. It was still okay when the lights were dark, but it was blinding when the lights came on.

Soft and fluffy, without an ounce of dignity!

In the long, extended corridor, Ming Yao played curiously with the two rabbit ears and chattered continuously at Wu Jin, “Hey, Little Witch, do you know who came first in the end? You don’t know, right? Let me tell you hahahaha––”

Wu Jin folded up the two sleeping bags up and handed them over to the stage manager politely.

Ming Yao slapped the table, “That battle was one that shook the ghosts and gods! This is a story that must be told from the hatching of the first Velociraptor…”

The stage manager was startled by Ming Yao’s actions and muttered thoughtfully as they turned away, “It shouldn’t be, how could a contestant end up with two sleeping bags? We sent out 250. Could it be that someone slept on the floor…”

Wu Jin stiffened, his eyes darting everywhere.

Next to him, Ming Yao used the rabbit ear pillow like a judge’s gavel and spared no effort in smacking it down again, “But it’s said that the Velociraptor was deeply influenced even in the egg. It obeyed training and was easy to teach, learning from the leader of Jingyi, gun saint Zuo! Ah, it’s exactly that Zuo! This Velociraptor seemed to have an innate vitality, and with support, it was like it had cultivated to the second level as soon as it left its shell! When it opened its mouth, it said: Great Jingyi––”

The stage manager immediately diverted their attention, “Lift your elbow, it’s time to take back the pillows! Ah, Contestant Little Ming, don’t clutch at the pillow like that. If you want to tell a story, go to the restaurant at the back and slap the table with a milk box. If you take two of them, you can even play out a beat…”

Wu Jin led the continuously chattering Ming Yao through the restaurant, then brought him along to visit the little Pterosaur who was still in isolation. When they came back downstairs, Ming Yao suddenly called out loudly, “Team––captain––”

Wu Jin breathed a sigh of relief as Contestant Little Ming finally disappeared.

It was almost evening by the time the star ship arrived at Crosson.

After the 250 contestants disembarked, they were pushed into the studio for interviews one after another.

Wu Jin was in fifth place, and it just so happened that Wei Yan was one place ahead of him.

The female researcher from Evolutionary Scale was very solicitous towards Wei Yan. Finally, she took his hand and encouraged him kindly, “Young man, keep going! You may not have obtained Evolution Points this time, but there’s still next time, and the next next time. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself!”

Wei Yan’s face held no expression, but he bowed gently to her before leaving.

The female researcher looked in the direction he’d left by for a long time before turning back to smile at Wu Jin.

As one of the chief researchers for Evolutionary Scale, she usually had a serious expression on her face, but she seemed very approachable and gentle when she smiled.

The screen flickered slightly before Wu Jin’s team’s herbivorous dinosaur farm was displayed on it.

“In the entire competition, this was my favorite way to pass the game. Almost all the other players chose to evolve in the direction of predators, except for Contestant Little Witch.”

“Since ancient times, it has always been survival of the fittest, not the strongest.” She praised, “However, that’s the same as the top choice for players. Even now, people are pursuing the top genes, not the most suitable genes.”

The female researcher’s expression turned a little cool. She seemed to have thought of something, but soon returned back to the topic, “To give a simple example, tetrachromatic vision.”

Wu Jin froze.

She pointed to the dinosaur in the projection that blotted out the sky and covered the sun, “Dinosaurs have one of the most perfect cone cells in the world. They can clearly differentiate the ultraviolet spectrum in natural light. This advantage isn’t available to mammals.”

“Dinosaurs dominated the entire Mesozoic era for nearly 200 million years, constantly oppressing the mammals––which is the ecological niche of our ancestors. If we’d been unlucky enough to live during that era, we’d live in caves and only dare to come out to hunt at night.” The researcher smiled briefly, “Going out at night and living in caves naturally means that there’s no need for high sensitivity, and the cone cells will gradually deteriorate.”

“Later on, primates appeared, and the mammals’ dichroic vision became trichromatic vision. Human beings have trichromatic vision, and it will take a long time for them to go from tricolor to tetracolor.” She explained gently, “Millions of years, or tens of millions of years.”

“At least, it shouldn’t be now.”

Wu Jin was listening very carefully, but the female researcher suddenly switched topics and went by the book again to interview Wu Jin.

15 minutes later, the staff gave the two an ‘okay’ sign, and Wu Jin left the preparation room to wait.

Wu Jin accepted a cup of water and had just sat down in a chair when he heard the faint sound of conversation from behind the curtains.

The program producer seemed to be half-filled with smoke. He puffed out a hazy cloud of smoke and said, “Say, old classmate, you’re old and cynical now, and you even bring up personal things during an interview, hey!”

Female researcher: “Shut up.”

Wu Jin was just about to get up and leave when the field manager who was listening to the replay of the interview immediately gestured for him to sit down again.

Wu Jin: “……”

From behind the curtain, the female researcher spoke coldly, “There’s a price that has to be borne for recoding any gene, and the six-year survival rate of genetically modified humans is less than 50%. Cone cell reconstruction carries a high probability of retinal detachment, while bone marrow transformation brings up a high probability of bone fibrosis, not to mention the consequences of hematopoietic transformation, immune system modifications, neuron modifications, and the emotional shackles.”

“Six years ago, the R-Code base was disbanded and incorporated into R-Code Entertainment. The Federal bankruptcy laws only protect failed entrepreneurs, but not failed experiments. At the time, when so many genetically modified humans were demobilized, there were no more expensive drugs for them to maintain their physical functions. Releasing them was equivalent to destroying them, and even if they could survive––”

She paused and laughed coldly, “No emotions, no past, no future.”

“Who will take responsibility for them?”

The two of them took their coffees with them as they drifted away from the curtain.

Wu Jin sat there behind the curtain for a long time, his back cold.

It wasn’t until the crew member signaled that Wu Jin was free to go that he opened up the door in a daze and dashed off in a certain direction.

The little stage manager at the door was a little surprised, “Who are you looking for? Contestant Wei Shi? Oh, Contestant Wei just went in––”

The door to the preparation room was closed tight, and Wu Jin lay in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, the cat at his feet meowing loudly.

Wu Jin bowed his head and picked up the black cat that was tugging at his pants.

On the other side of the door, Wei Shi who’d been talking with the stage manager suddenly turned back.

In the clear area outside the window, the youth was holding the cat, his head stuck against the glass as he looked at him.

The stage manager turned around as well, “Oh, Little Witch is here. You two attack each other relentlessly during the competition, but your relationship seems really good in private…”

He watched as Wei Shi set the script down onto the table, opened the door, and stretched out a hand to stroke the small curls before doing the same for the cat. The two spoke in low voices, and Wu Jin’s tight shoulders relaxed slightly.

The youth shook his head, then walked out of the waiting room and waved goodbye to Wei Shi.

When Contestant Wei returned, the stage manager spread open the script again, “Then, let’s continue! Don’t be so tense during the interview, this…”

He lifted his head and froze suddenly.

Wei Shi’s face was still expressionless, but the coldness in his pupils had been reduced slightly.

“… Yes, just like that. Hold it, hold it!” The stage manager finally breathed a sigh of relief and handed over the script.

After the interviews ended, Zoe immediately performed his duties as the team captain of White Moonlight and called all the team members together for a meeting.

During the trainee period when they had limited resources, Zoe took on many functions, ranging from making training plans, mobilizing the team members prior to a match, going over the game and the group’s performance afterwards, as well as walking sinisterly around the Crosson base like a ghost––

By the field, Caesar was running after the ball when he suddenly shivered.

Zoe’s boot stepped coldly on the ball.

Caesar: “Ah, why are you guys here… Sigh, please be merciful, I’ll go by myself, I’m going now! Little Witch, Wen Lin, don’t don’t don’t…”

Caesar was soon taken away by the three. Before they left, Wu Jin kicked football back into the field.

Inside the Crosson Twin Towers, in the South Tower, Zoe locked the door and opened up the records. The first thing he did was severely criticize Caesar.

“You have three days. Submit your personal reflection of the fourth elimination match to me, and a copy will be kept for the company. Also,” He glanced at Caesar’s little stomach, and Caesar immediately sucked it in to try and cover it up. Zoe sneered, “I want to see your body fat go back down in a week. If it doesn’t––”

Caesar’s eyes widened.

Zoe: “I’ll send you to aerobics class with Secretary Qu.”

Caesar: “Holy shit! That’s harsh!”

Zoe threatened, “If it goes on like this, I will suggest to the company that they prohibit trainees from being in relationships…”

Caesar trembled and hurriedly begged for mercy. Wu Jin also shivered––

Wen Lin asked blankly, “Little Witch, why are you shivering?”

Wu Jin shook his head furiously, “No… no-no-nothing!”

Zoe turned a page in his notebook and was calm again when he looked back up, “Little Witch, fifth place. Keep it up. Your overall view of the situation was praiseworthy, but you need to do extra close combat training this week.”

“Ah Lin,” He looked at his own support position, and his expression was gentle, “Nineteenth, not far from a debut position. Work hard.”

Wen Lin smiled and nodded.

“Also, it’s very important that we go back to the company this time.” Zoe made a hand gesture to show that he was now talking about serious business, “The battle team is going to move up their reserve player selection this year.”

Wu Jin was surprised, “Moving it ahead––”

Zoe nodded, “Something must have happened, but it’s hard to say what. Additionally, Caesar and Ah Lin will take part in the special training in Floating City this time, and the rest of the trainees have free choice on whether or not to participate. If nothing unexpected happens, I’ll be going as well. As for Little Witch, I also suggest…”

Wu Jin’s thoughts were moving as fast as lightning.

The end of summer was the peak period for survival show transfers. It was likely that White Moonlight had temporarily shifted their player selection ahead of time due to player transfers.

Wait a minute, Floating City special training––

Wu Jin lifted his head up with a swish.

Zoe: “Will Little Witch go?”

Wu Jin’s eyes were as bright as crystals as he nodded quickly, “Yes!”

xiin: eeeee more back story on the genetically modified people… and i love how Wu Jin’s thoughtful enough to throw the ball back, haha~