Mecha Chapter 14: Responsibilities

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Sulo

 

Luo XiaoLou clasped his hands indistinctly and calmly asked, “Did the president say when he wanted to meet me?”

The senior raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that Luo XiaoLou didn’t go over right away but asked such a question. He smiled back, “He’ll probably be in the president’s room from now until the dismissal time in the afternoon.”

“That’s fine. Thanks senior, I’ll go over after school this afternoon.” Luo XiaoLou thanked him, and didn’t say anything else, before turning around and leaving.

When the senior reached an empty place, he clicked on his wrist communicator and said with a smile, “I gave the message. Your little mouse looks scared of you!”

Luo ShaoJun’s soft laugh came from the other side, “I’ve warned you, don’t scare him.”

The senior from the Command Department immediately retorted, “Hey, I wouldn’t dare to spoil it for you. But, he’s really weak.”

This time, the other side was silent for a moment and said in an obscure voice, “Weakness isn’t a bad thing for some people.”

Luo XiaoLou hurried out, and when he arrived at the information building, Yuan Xi hadn’t come over yet, so he stood there waiting for him.

Luo XiaoLou was actually a little afraid of seeing Luo ShaoJun, even though the young master was always smiling. Being watched by that man, Luo XiaoLou always felt like a mouse being stalked by a snake. In front of a snake that isn’t hungry, you’d better stay put and be a good reserve, or else you’ll be swallowed whole.

And what was Luo ShaoJun’s business for reaching out to him on his first day, when he had already said he would never have anything to do with him again? Was he still worried?

Luo XiaoLou was deliberately pushing back the clock, he needed time to think carefully about how to respond…

“Hey, come on. It’s obviously such a simple thing, but the old man had to nag endlessly.” Yuan Xi’s familiar voice said, “There are no classes in the afternoon, we’ll go back after lunch.”

Luo XiaoLou froze. He quickly pulled up the class schedule downloaded to the communicator. His department still had a class in the afternoon.

Luo XiaoLou said, “I have a class in the afternoon, so I’ll go back later. It’s not far anyway, I’ll go back by myself after school.” 

“Pass me a copy of your class schedule.” Yuan Xi said as he also proceeded to pass a copy of the Mecha Department’s class schedule to Luo XiaoLou.

Luo XiaoLou clicked it open: the Mecha Department class was scheduled in Class 1. Tears flowed in his heart, Class 1. Was this guy perfect except for his character flaws?

They ate lunch in the cafeteria. Luo XiaoLou looked at the sumptuous campus set meal, almost wishing he could take it home tonight. However, Yuan Xi was reluctant to do so, so he had to stop.

While eating, Luo XiaoLou asked Yuan Xi with a sour feeling in his heart, “Did you guys get to touch a real mecha today?”

Yuan Xi gave him a puzzled glance and without answering, he instead asked, “You want to see?”

Luo XiaoLou sighed, “Of course, I haven’t seen one yet, and, if it weren’t for genetics and fitness, I would have applied for the Mecha Department. Now, I’m a Mecha Manufacturing major, and if I could touch a physical one, or even glance at it from the side —”

Yuan Xi interrupted Luo XiaoLou’s nagging and simply said, “Then I’ll show you when the weekend comes.” 

Seeing the surprised look in Luo XiaoLou’s eyes, Yuan Xi not-so-naturally emphasized, “I’m going to train this weekend and I’ll show you a couple of things.” Although he had been taught never to expose his weaknesses to others, Yuan Xi felt inexplicably pleased and touched by Luo XiaoLou’s ‘nosiness’ last night, perhaps because no one had ever done that before — no, no one had ever had the chance to do that before.

Of course, even if he was happy, a thank you was not something Yuan Xi would say, so he decided to be nice to his slave instead.

“That’s good too! You know, I haven’t seen it yet — shit! I’m going to work on the weekend!” Luo XiaoLou had a bitter face.

Yuan Xi’s brows furrowed, and then he angrily asked, “Work? You’re my —, why should you work for someone else?” Yuan Xi didn’t say the word slave because there were other people around. But instead, his words were even more misleading, and Luo XiaoLou noticed that the two people next to them were already looking their way with shocked eyes.

Oh, God, this was so embarrassing.

Luo XiaoLou was tempted to pretend that he didn’t know Yuan Xi, but that obviously wouldn’t solve the problem, so he blushed and whispered back, “Can’t you see that I need to provide for my family? How else do you think I’m going to pay for food, clothing, and shelter!”

Yuan Xi stared back for a moment, seeming to somewhat understand the reason behind Luo XiaoLou’s simple dinners, “You can tell me about —”

“Great! You finally realize you’re eating and drinking for nothing — ahem!” Luo XiaoLou swallowed his joy and the words he’d been bottling up for so long. He looked at Yuan Xi’s face, which was already darkening, and carefully made up for it, “It’s nothing, although I’m in charge of breakfast and dinner, you also paid for our lunch, and I have to take your car…”

“Do you have to be so distant?!” Yuan Xi asked with great displeasure.

“Well, it would have been hard to tell the difference…” Luo XiaoLou muttered quietly, finally clearing his mind and trying to reason with Yuan Xi, “But I feel like I’m raising my own child when I shouldn’t be. Honestly, it’s not a bad feeling, and it’s always more comforting to have a skill of your own.”

Leaving aside the fact that there was no telling when Yuan Xi would leave, even if the two of them lived together, he couldn’t expect another man to live with him forever. He was a man. He couldn’t really consider himself a slave dependent on someone else for survival because of that damn slave contract. Besides, it was always easier to have his own financial resources, and the right to equal discourse at times — well, the definition of the word equal could be discussed later.

Looking at Yuan Xi’s dark cold eyes staring at him, Luo XiaoLou felt a drop of sweat slide down his forehead and continued, “Last time, you promised me that I would have some freedom. I like where I work and I like my job, and this job is very helpful for my professional subject. I promise you that I’ll try not to hold you up, and if you do have something to do, I’ll consider taking a leave of absence — you should think of something for me once in a while, too.”

Yuan Xi stared at Luo XiaoLou for half a day and finally said grimly, “…Whatever.”

It seemed that the persuasion was successful, and Luo XiaoLou was relieved. He took a glance at Yuan Xi and initiated the gesture, “Then, I’ll go with you to see the mecha first on Saturday, and then go over to work on Sunday.”

Yuan Xi still ignored him and just moved gracefully, and ate the lunch in front of him.

After lunch, they got up and headed out, when Luo XiaoLou said from behind Yuan Xi, “I’m going to class then.”

Yuan Xi huffed and headed for the parking lot. He took a few steps, turned back and said, “You’re the one who said you’d put me first if I had something to do. You’re coming with me to training first thing that Saturday morning.”

Luo XiaoLou was amused, he hadn’t expected a vocal response from Yuan Xi.

After his first class, Luo XiaoLou simply packed up his things and went to the student body president’s office.

Not the Mecha Manufacturing Department’s student council, but the Saint Miro Academy’s Student Council, which was very powerful in such a prestigious academy and played an important coordinating role between the school and the various majors.

The students who could enter the student council were all of unusual ability, not to mention the student council president.

Thinking of this, Luo XiaoLou sighed again.

Reaching the door, Luo XiaoLou swiped at the door with his communicator, and after ten seconds, the door automatically opened. When Luo XiaoLou entered the room, he saw Luo ShaoJun lying on the couch.

There was another person in front of the couch, a young girl in a white dress, who stood up from Luo ShaoJun’s side and gestured to Luo XiaoLou to keep quiet. Then, she gently came over and whispered, “Chairman Luo said you’d come to see him. You should wait. He’s been busy for a long time, it’s hard for him to rest for a while.”

Luo XiaoLou didn’t dare to move, and could only sit on the chair farthest from them and wait.

The young woman smiled and brought Luo XiaoLou a glass of water, then cast her affectionate gaze on Luo ShaoJun.

Luo XiaoLou thanked her, and to pass the time, he began to think about this afternoon’s basic class, which, to be honest, he couldn’t quite understand. Maybe when he finished going through the high school course on his own, he wouldn’t have to work so hard.

He looked up slowly and found Luo ShaoJun standing in front of him with a smile on his face. Luo XiaoLou was drinking from a cup in his hand at the moment, and immediately choked and spilled a lot of water, before getting up in a mess, “President Luo.”

Luo ShaoJun’s eyebrows furrowed as he personally took a tissue to wipe his school uniform and mouthed, “You should have woken me up earlier when you arrived.”

Luo XiaoLou looked up again to find that the young girl had gone out, leaving only him and Luo ShaoJun in the room. Luo XiaoLou tried to look calm, “It wasn’t a long wait. What is it that President Luo asked me to come over for?”

Luo ShaoJun looked at him for a moment and suddenly smiled, “There’s no need for you to be so nervous, and besides, you can call me big brother.”

Luo XiaoLou looked at Luo ShaoJun who had walked back to the couch and sat down. His dark eyes seemed to be full of smiles, but Luo XiaoLou couldn’t see a single one of his thoughts. Hearing Luo ShaoJun’s words, Luo XiaoLou became serious as he looked at him and said, “President Luo, I made a promise that I will never break.”

“What does it matter? It’s out there anyway, and we are blood related after all.” Luo ShaoJun said carelessly.

Luo XiaoLou bowed his head and didn’t answer.

“I called you over to ask, since you’re new to the school, if you need any help with anything. You can always come to me.” Luo ShaoJun said.

Luo XiaoLou shook his head, “There’s nothing I’m not comfortable with, I think it’s pretty good.” Thinking about it, Luo XiaoLou added, “It’s just that the course sounds a bit hard, I’ll try not to repeat the grade.”

Luo ShaoJun laughed quietly, “Well, you’ve chosen your major well. Study hard, you might be able to be a mecha maker for ShaoTian when the time comes.”

Luo XiaoLou’s heart jumped again, but he smiled bashfully on the surface, and said, “Your brother is a genius mecha warrior, how could he be interested in me?”

Luo ShaoJun looked at Luo XiaoLou for a moment, encouraged him, and finally let Luo XiaoLou go.

After the tension, Luo XiaoLou was amused that Luo ShaoJun wouldn’t have to care about him so much at all. He was not the same person as before and would not have any thoughts about the Luo family. And the Luo family’s two decent young generals were many times stronger than him. That young general Luo must have probably already forgotten about Luo XiaoLou, the bastard son.

What could a mecha maker do if he was any more successful?

However, he had to prepare himself and find a way to get out of the Luo family’s grasp before he graduated.

Luo XiaoLou walked out of the administration building. It was still early and he was considering whether or not he should go to the information building to check some information. At this moment, the communicator on his wrist flickered.

Luo XiaoLou hurriedly pressed the switch. The only one who knew his communicator’s contact information at the moment was Yuan Xi, “Have you finished your class yet?”

“Mn, just finishing up.”

“Come to the school gate.” Yuan Xi said and turned off the communicator.

Luo XiaoLou was baffled, what was Yuan Xi up to? He wouldn’t come back just to pick him up again, would he? Luo XiaoLou shuddered hard at the thought of this possibility.

Luo XiaoLou quickly arrived at the entrance of the school and found Yuan Xi’s black car parked there.

Luo XiaoLou immediately opened the door and got into the car. Looking at the slightly disheveled school uniform on Yuan Xi’s body, he carefully asked, “You haven’t gone back yet?”

Yuan Xi’s expressionless face immediately turned red, and after a long pause, when Luo XiaoLou was surprised at how difficult his question was to answer, Yuan Xi quickly said, “I was practicing my hand speed, of course. And I’m only giving you a little ride back — did you expect me to wait specifically for you?!”

The corners of Luo XiaoLou’s mouth moved. If he laughed he would be killed for sure… Finally, with difficulty, he went along with Yuan Xi and said, “I know, thanks.”

In the very beginning, when Luo XiaoLou was bullied by Yuan Xi every day and only dared to curse Yuan Xi in his heart, there had been thoughts of getting rid of the man. He went into the virtual network to secretly inquire what that slave contract was all about.

His life and death was in the hands of others, and if one day there came a situation where he wanted to live but couldn’t live, or die but couldn’t die, there was simply nothing more terrifying and disturbing than that.

But Luo XiaoLou had searched for a long time, and there was no information on slave contracts. Except for their existence inside some movies and novels, there was no sign of their existence in the real world. 

Mental energy did exist, but people who were controlled by the mental energy for a long period of time would turn dull and stupid; they would not have their own thoughts and consciousness. This contract with him was obviously not the same thing.

Unable to find more information, Luo XiaoLou, in the end, didn’t dare to just leave, in case Yuan Xi found him from the slave contract. His future would end up being even more miserable.

After Luo XiaoLou completely resigned himself to living with Yuan Xi, he gradually began to accept that he was Yuan Xi’s slave. He also gradually began to understand that apart from being mean, domineering and super awkward, there were actually some lovely things about Yuan Xi.

For example, Yuan Xi would go around corners to help him, like right now.

Yuan Xi glared at the smiling Luo XiaoLou and the car flew out.

At dinner that night, Yuan Xi handed Luo XiaoLou a card.

“What’s this?”

Yuan Xi simply said, “This is connected to my account on the virtual internet. The money in it has never been used before, and now that I have a slave, these should naturally be managed by you for me.”

“You mean you can make money on the virtual internet? Did you earn this yourself?” Luo XiaoLou was surprised.

“Of course. I used to go to the virtual online mecha-matchmaking platform, and I should have received money from every time I won.” Yuan Xi affirmed.

“So it’s not your family’s money you usually spend?” Yuan Xi’s image in Luo XiaoLou’s mind suddenly rose a notch higher.

“How can that be? My dad will call me up on time every month. But if I ask him to help me raise — my little animals and stuff, he’ll definitely come to check, and then I’ll be in trouble.” Yuan Xi said, glancing specifically at Luo XiaoLou.

Luo XiaoLou ground his teeth and put the card away, with a thousand shades of darkness on his face, muttering, “I was the one raising the family for a month before. I wonder who was it, living for free. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of environment you grew up in —”

With Luo XiaoLou’s words, the apartment suddenly went dark.

“What’s going on?” Luo XiaoLou was shocked. The term blackout didn’t seem to even exist in the future world, he had looked for it when he moved here and there was even no such thing as an electric meter.

Yuan Xi’s voice sounded with a touch of sarcasm, “The energy box is out of power, dear slave, it’s time for you to take up the responsibility of providing for your family.”

 

The author has something to say: 

Yuan Xi has the sense to raise a family now…