Chapter 125

Social Animal

Notice Temporarily unedited, read at your own risk

Lian Jun appeased s.h.i.+ Jin for a while. After calming his lover, he looked at Uncle Long again. Do I have to start the drug therapy immediately?

The sooner the better, Uncle Long replied resolutely. I know what youre thinking but its impossible. I wont give you medicine to temporarily suppress the toxin againits too harmful to your body. Jun-shao, this window that is the right time for treatment is not something you can make open again as you wish, and your body is not a reusable modeling clay that you can reshape again and again.

Since the doctor said this much, it seemed Lian Jun had only one choice left.

Then start the therapy as soon as possible, s.h.i.+ Jin said firmly, taking the decision out of Lian Juns hands. The look on his face stated he wouldnt accept any objections. Uncle Long, please make preparations. If Lian Jun really wont be able to attend the conference, Ill go in his stead.

Everyone in the room stared at him in shock.

s.h.i.+ Jin! Lian Jun actually raised his voice at s.h.i.+ Jin, which he normally never did.

Its no use shouting at me. s.h.i.+ Jin turned his head to look him in the eye. If you were in my position, I believe you would do the same. Lian Jun, Im the deputy leader of Annihilationyou personally confirmed this to other organizations through Zhang Zhuoyuans mouth. This means I have enough standing to partic.i.p.ate in the conference instead of you. Dont try to stop me.

s.h.i.+ Jin had many good qualities, and one of them was always doing what he said he would, no matter the difficulties. Lian Jun looked at s.h.i.+ Jins serious expression, all kinds of arguments on the tip of his tongue, but he couldnt say a wordhe knew with absolute certainty that he wouldnt be able to dissuade s.h.i.+ Jin.

In the end, he only tightened his grip on s.h.i.+ Jins hand. s.h.i.+ Jin, I now regret that at that time, I pushed you into the foreground and let everyone know how important you are to me. This years conference wont be the same as in the past years; Annihilation is certain to be targeted by the other four top-echelon organizations. You have no experience, I cant

Then teach me, s.h.i.+ Jin interrupted him, squeezing his hand back. You can teach me what I need, and youre so smart, you can definitely find a way to keep me safe and away from the front line. I trust you. Besides, Aunt Lu will also be there. Itll be fine.

Lian Juns brows furrowed and didnt reply.

s.h.i.+ Jin didnt speak either. He had no intention of backing down.

Uncle Long glanced between them. He thought s.h.i.+ Jins solution was reasonable. Personally, he believed Lian Jun should rely on s.h.i.+ Jin more. The young man was not some fragile greenhouse flower that needed to be protectedon the contrary, in certain matters, s.h.i.+ Jin was more responsible and dependable than most people in the world.

As the two parties were locked in a stalemate, Li Jiuzheng, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, suddenly spoke up. From what I understand, you want to shorten Mr. Lians treatment time as much as possible?

Surprised, everyone looked at him. After Uncle Long took notice of Li Jiuzheng, his eyes flashed and he measured him with his eyes.

Li Jiuzheng leaned down to pick up the tablet s.h.i.+ Jin dropped and put it on the coffee table, then stood up. Im a doctor, he said. Although I dont specialize in neurology, one of my senior brothers does. Perhaps I might be of help.

Fifth Brother s.h.i.+ Jin called out to him, dazed.

Li Jiuzheng smiled at him. Its alright, Ill do everything I can to help you, he said comfortingly, then approached Uncle Long. Can you show me Mr. Lians medical records and the examination results?

Uncle Long didnt answer but looked at Lian Jun.

The physical condition of the leader of an underworld organization was usually known in detail only by his personal doctor. No matter how excellent a doctor was, it was not good to let an outsider know too much. Li Jiuzheng was indeed an outstanding doctor, but it was not up to Uncle Long to decide whether to accept his help.

At Uncle Longs inquiring gaze, Lian Jun frowned. He squeezed s.h.i.+ Jins hand again. Show him.

Thank you for your trust, Li Jiuzheng said, glancing back at Lian Jun. Noticing that s.h.i.+ Jin standing beside Lian Jun was still staring at him blankly, he turned around and came over to him. He stroked s.h.i.+ Jins hair, rea.s.suring him, Dont be afraid, everything will be fine.

Fifth Brother. s.h.i.+ Jin looked up at him, suddenly not knowing what to say.

Li Jiuzheng stroked s.h.i.+ Jins hair again. His movements were a bit awkward and clumsy, but very careful. Seeing that the youth didnt avoid his hand, his smile deepened. He nodded at Lian Jun, then turned back to Uncle Long. Lets go. I need to see the detailed records, and time waits for no one.

Uncle Long looked at Lian Jun and s.h.i.+ Jin. As Lian Jun didnt stop him, he nodded and took Li Jiuzheng away.

s.h.i.+ Jin watched his brother leave, tightly gripping Lian Juns hand.

Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translators site to get the fastest updates!

The New Year holiday came to an abrupt end. Li Jiuzheng put on a white coat and shut himself in the lab, and s.h.i.+ Jin, no longer in the mood to have fun, coerced Lian Jun into giving him conference prep cla.s.ses.

Though Lian Jun had yet to cave in, the news that he was about to start treatment quickly spread. The relaxed atmosphere on the island was swept away, and invisible tension filled the air.

The general course of the conference is the same every year. You accompanied me last year, so I dont think it requires much explanation, Lian Jun began as he pushed down anxiety and worry, watching s.h.i.+ Jin, who was sitting opposite him earnestly taking notes. The difficulty lies not in the conference itself, but dealing with the authorities and contending with the leaders of various organizations. Theyre all wily old foxes; you need to be careful not to play into their hands. If there is a conflict during the conference, or if someone tails you and sets up an ambush He suddenly paused.

s.h.i.+ Jin looked up at him, confused.

s.h.i.+ Jin, I will never let you go to the meeting instead of me. Lian Jun said with unusual for him unreasonable att.i.tude, forcefully closed the folder in front of him. Zhang Zhuoyuan and Lu Shan are still fine; even if they dont help you, at least theyre unlikely to make trouble for you. Meng Qing from Meridian Gate and Qi Yun from Epoch wont be so easy to deal with, however, and Yuan Peng from Snake Fang is a fool who cant control his temper. Things wont go the same way as last yearthis time, Annihilation is being targeted. If they suddenly start making things difficult for you, you

Lian Jun, s.h.i.+ Jin interrupted him. He leaned forward to take his lovers hand. Lian Jun, you know these guys are not stupid enough to try anything right under the governments eye, and theyve just formed an alliance. Their main purpose during this conference should be to feel us out, not to attack me directly. Dont even say youll let Gua One go as your representativeMeng Qing and the others wont accept it. Theyll definitely make an issue of it and demand for the authorities to remove Annihilation from the list of legal organizations on the grounds that Annihilations leader failed to attend the conference. We cant allow this to happen as Annihilation still didnt finish moving its businesses out of the underworld, so Im the only possible choice. Im your partner and the person you officially announced as your deputy leaderexcept for you, Im the only one they will acknowledge.

s.h.i.+ Jins a.n.a.lysis was sharp and to the point, but Lian Jun wasnt happy at all; no one would feel happy if they were forced to personally send their lover into danger. He held s.h.i.+ Jins hand tight and didnt reply, his expression dark.

s.h.i.+ Jin got up, leaned over, and cupped Lian Juns face, forcing him to look into his eyes. Lian Jun, I want you to be healthy and accompany me for the rest of my life, he said earnestly. Even if just for me, can you please care about yourself a bit more?

Lian Jun looked at him, his fingers tightening and relaxing. Suddenly, he stood up and pulled s.h.i.+ Jin into his arms.

s.h.i.+ Jin hugged him back, offering silent comfort.

They hugged for a while before Lian Jun felt the tension drain from his body. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to come back to his senses, and loosened his embrace. I will contact Aunt Lu and ask her to mix more with Meng Qing and the others, he said, touching s.h.i.+ Jins face. Lets try to get through the conference as smoothly as possible.

He finally gave in.

s.h.i.+ Jin was overjoyed, and hurriedly nodded his head like a well-behaved child. Okay. This conference is unlikely to be dangerous, though. You really dont need to be so worried. Besides, Ill have Gua One and the others, theyll also help me.

Seeing the look of relief on s.h.i.+ Jins face, Lian Jun caressed his cheek, then hugged him again. So d.a.m.n useless, this body of his. s.h.i.+ Jin was not even twenty yet, why must he go through those kinds of things for him?

Noticing the arms holding him tighten more and more, s.h.i.+ Jin patted his lovers back in a soothing manner. Dont worry, Ill come back safely.

There will be no next time, Lian Jun whispered, his hands clenching until his fingers turned white. This will never be allowed to happen again.

If youre seeing this notice, youre reading this chapter on pirate site the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

One day after that, Uncle Long decided on the time when to start the treatmenta week later. For the next week, Lian Jun needed to keep a strict diet and have regular injections of adjuvant drugs to prepare for the drug therapy.

Li Jiuzheng was still shut in the laboratory looking through Lian Juns thick medical record file and other information but since he was not a neurologist, no one really expected him to turn the tide and suddenly shorten Lian Juns treatment time to less than a month. As such, the preparations went on with the a.s.sumption that s.h.i.+ Jin would be going to the conference in Lian Juns stead.

Once the decision was made, Lian Juns work productivity immediately increased. He first called a meeting with Gua One and the rest, asking them to start preparations for the conference ahead of schedule, then he contacted Zhang Zhuoyuan and told him he would not attend this year due to health reasons.

Alarmed, Zhang Zhuoyuan hurriedly inquired about his physical condition in more detail. He was greatly relieved to hear Lian Jun was merely sick, not seriously ill and about to breathe his last, and in a tactful manner asked if he needed a.s.sistance with medical treatment.

Lian Jun said that there was no need, but solemnly requested Zhang Zhuoyuan to take good care of s.h.i.+ Jin, who would attend instead, and ensure his safety.

Right now, in Zhang Zhuoyuans heart, Lian Jun was of importance akin to venerable ancestors. Naturally, he agreed to Lian Juns request and repeatedly promised to look after s.h.i.+ Jin.

The government side dealt with, Lian Jun contacted Lu Shan again and explained that he was about to start treatment and that s.h.i.+ Jin would attend the conference instead of him.

Lu Shans reaction was similar to Zhang Zhuoyuans. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she asked in a raised voice, {Wait, are you really going to get the treatment? Its not that something bad happened to you? I hope youre not lying to me, brat, or therell be h.e.l.l to pay.}

Im not, I promise. Anyway, s.h.i.+ Jin will go instead of meplease help him as much as you can, Lian Jun replied, then his tone softened. Aunt Lu, s.h.i.+ Jin is very important to me. Nothing can happen to him.

Lu Shan was quiet for a moment. {Alright, I know. Ill take care of him,} she replied, her voice calming down. {Dont worry so much, just relax and focus on getting well You little brat, youre finally giving me some good news. Ive been worrying for years, always afraid youll leave before me}

There was a quaver in her voice as she was trying to suppress her emotions.

Lian Juns heart felt warm. Its been hard on you all these years, Aunt Lu.

{What are you talking about? Life is tough in general.} Lu Shan quickly got herself under control. She a.s.sured, {You can start the treatment with peace of mind, Ill look after s.h.i.+ Jin. I promise you Meng Qing and others wont even lay a finger on him.}

Thank you, Aunt Lu. Please pay attention to your safety, too, Lian Jun thanked her earnestly.

After ending the call, Lian Jun put down the phone and glanced at s.h.i.+ Jin, who was sitting on the sofa, engrossed in reading through various information. He stood up and went over to him, then stroked his hair.

s.h.i.+ Jin blinked and looked up from the doc.u.ment. Have you got me a strong bodyguard? he asked with a smile.

Mm. Lian Jun bent down and hugged him. Ill get better as soon as possible And then Ill come pick you up.

Okay. s.h.i.+ Jin returned the hug, soothingly patting his lovers back.

Death Progress Bar is translated by Betwixted Translations. Read on the original translators site to get the fastest updates!

That very evening, Lian Jun had the first injection of the adjuvant drug. At this moment, the treatment officially began, and could not be interrupted arbitrarily.

Lian Jun didnt sleep well that day. The pain in his legs, which hadnt appeared for a long time, tormented him all night. s.h.i.+ Jin never left his side, and for the first time, he experienced the feeling of complete mental and physical exhaustion.

This is just an adjuvant medicine. How much pain will he be in when the real drug therapy starts s.h.i.+ Jin muttered to himself, staring blankly.

< Darlings progress bar dropped distinctly even after just one injection. Everythings going well > Xiao Si consoled him.

I know. s.h.i.+ Jin buried his face in his hands and closed his eyes. Its just He hasnt s.h.i.+vered with pain like this for a long time I just feel so useless. I cant help him at all.

Xiao Si didnt know how to comfort him. It could only repeat, < Things will get better. The beginning is always the hardest, you know? Itll be fine >

s.h.i.+ Jin also was sure that things would get better, but He looked at Lian Jun lying in the bed, who didnt stop frowning even when asleep, and his fists tightenedbut the process of getting better was just too painful, and it would take three months or even half a year.

For the first time, s.h.i.+ Jin felt this kind of hatred flame inside him, to the point that he wanted to dig up Long s.h.i.+s grave and whip the corpse to vent his anger.

Around midday the next day, Li Jiuzheng finally emerged from the laboratory. He went to find Lian Jun, who had just woken up, and had a long discussion with him. Three days later, a helicopter landed at the island airfield, delivering a serious-looking man about 40.

This is Shao Jianping, my senior brother. Hes also a doctor, a neurologist, Li Jiuzheng introduced, explaining, After reviewing Mr. Lians medical record and data of each stage of treatment, he determined that Mr. Lians treatment plan can be further optimized. He knows more about neurological problems than I do, so I asked him to help me. He looked at Shao Jianping and motioned towards s.h.i.+ Jin. This is my brother, s.h.i.+ Jin. Then he turned to Lian Jun. And this is Lian Jun, the patient in question and my brothers boyfriend. He has already started treatment and his legs have a severe pain response to the adjuvant drugs.

Shao Jianping seemed to be the kind of conscientious, no-nonsense doctor for whom the patients health always took precedence. At Li Jiuzhengs words, he dispensed with the niceties and immediately got down on one knee to carefully examine Lian Juns legs with a murmured, Pardon my rudeness. Brow furrowing, he asked, Is the pain constant?

Lian Jun shook his head. It lessens over time.

Shao Jianpings frown eased a little. May I ask who is your attending doctor? Id like to ask in detail about the treatment plan and your current physical condition.

Lian Jun called out Uncle Longs name. The doctor had been standing in the back, and upon being summoned, came over to talk with Shao Jianping.

The two went aside to confer. s.h.i.+ Jin watched them leave, and leaned down to help Lian Jun tidy up his clothes. Feeling the comforting caress from his lover, he smiled at him and straightened up. He looked at Li Jiuzheng, then went over to him and gave him a hug. Fifth Brother, thank you very much. A doctor of Shao Jianpings status would come to help just because Li Jiuzheng asked him to? His brother mustve gone out of his way to arrange this and likely owed someone a big favor now.

Li Jiuzheng froze in surprise, then hugged him too, patting his back a bit awkwardly. No need to thank me Xiao Jin, Mr. Lians condition is very complex, and on such short notice, I couldnt figure out how to reduce the treatment time. As a temporary measure, I tried to come up with a way to make the treatment less demanding on his body Im sorry I wasnt able to help.

No, youve already helped a lot. Thinking of Lian Juns past few sleepless nights, s.h.i.+ Jin felt his eyes getting hot. Fifth Brother, really, thank you very much. Relieving the pain was already good enough. Right now, all he wanted was for Lian Jun to be able to get a good nights sleep.

Li Jiuzheng was extremely sensitive to s.h.i.+ Jins emotions. Noticing a nasal quality to his younger brothers voice, he immediately panicked and hurriedly patted his back in a gentle manner, coaxing him incoherently.

Lian Jun watched them, then touched his legs, his eyes dimmingin the end, he still made s.h.i.+ Jin worry.

After Shao Jianping came, Lian Jun could finally sleep through the night again. Shao Jianping was much less timid with medication than Uncle Long; hed seen more complex neurological diseases than him and knew how to relieve the pain of patients. Uncle Long felt a load off his shoulders as hed been worrying about how to ease Lian Juns pain during the treatment. Li Jiuzheng bringing in Shao Jianping was really a great help.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially s.h.i.+ Jin, who immediately dragged Lian Jun off for the afternoon nap. They had to make up for all the sleep his lover had missed in the past few days!

Two days later, as Lian Juns routine had slowly returned to normal, another helicopter landed at the island airfield.

s.h.i.+ Jin stared aghast at Fei Yujing, who was led into the study by Gua One, almost dropping the notes in his hand. Second Brother, what are you doing here? he asked in shock.

I and Lian Jun have a work relations.h.i.+p. Of course, Im here to work, Fei Yujing replied, pus.h.i.+ng down the teenagers head. He looked at Lian Jun. Have you decided to let s.h.i.+ Jin attend this years conference by himself?

Lian Jun nodded. I already let the government side know.

Fei Yujing frowned and glanced down at s.h.i.+ Jin, who was staring with a silly expression on his face. Then Ill go with him.

s.h.i.+ Jin snapped back to his senses and scowled. No! Second Brother, youre here to work on the business integration, why would you need to go to the conference

Children shouldnt interrupt when adults are talking. Fei Yujing flicked him on the forehead, then turned back to Lian Jun. Ill give you my contacts in the energy industry. These people are experienced and efficient in dealing with this kind of matters, and I can pretty much guarantee theyll help you handle all the issues before the conference starts. Therefore, on the premise of the business matters being finished before then, Id like to accompany this stupid younger brother of mine to the conference to watch the fun. Would that be fine?

Lian Jun glanced at s.h.i.+ Jin, who was still trying to stop Fei Yujing, and replied, If s.h.i.+ Jin agrees to take you with him, I have no objection.

Of course he will. Fei Yujing ignored s.h.i.+ Jins protest and asked, Where is the study arranged for me? Please show me the way. Also, send me a copy of all the information related to business integration. I need to get the work underway as soon as possible.

Lian Jun called Gua One, instructing, Take Mr. Fei to the small study next door. Bring the doc.u.ments with you.

Gua One nodded and motioned Fei Yujing to follow him.

Xiao Jin, lets have dinner together tonight. Fei Yujing patted s.h.i.+ Jins head again, then turned around and left with Gua One. Coming and going like the wind was a fitting expression here.

s.h.i.+ Jin stared blankly at the closed door, touching his head that was repeatedly a.s.saulted by Fei Yujing. A moment later, he reacted and yelled, Listen to what people are saying, you a.s.shole! Why are you ignoring me as if Im invisible? Dont even dream of me taking you to the conference! Like h.e.l.l I will!

The steps of Fei Yujing, who faintly heard the angry roar in the corridor, paused for a second, but he continued into the small study as if nothing had happened and glanced around. Noticing there were many high school textbooks on the bookshelf, something flickered in his eyes. Who used this study before? he asked.

s.h.i.+ Jin, Gua One replied. Hes been studying here with a teacher from the organization to prepare for the college entrance exam.

Sure enough.

Fei Yujing walked over to the bookshelf, pulled out one of the textbooks and flipped through it. He found a sheet of paper inside. When he took it out, he found it was an essay with the topic Family Picnic. The score was 0. He couldnt help chuckling.

Zero points for an essay? How did s.h.i.+ Jin even do it?

His laughter slowly stopped, the smile fading from his face. He looked at s.h.i.+ Jins handwriting on the essay paper, which was very different from the past, and slowly closed the textbook. How could a child of the s.h.i.+ family get any points for an essay on such a topic.

What a childish essay topic, he commented expressionlessly, putting the textbook back. He walked to the desk and set down his briefcase. Where are the doc.u.ments?

Gua One took out a flash drive and put it on the desk.

If youre seeing this notice, youre reading this chapter on pirate site the original translator of Death Progress Bar is Betwixted Translations.

In the big study room, s.h.i.+ Jin stared sideways at Lian Jun, a silent question in his eyes.

Lian Jun looked him in the eye. I didnt ask him to accompany you to the conference, he said softly.

Seeing him like this, s.h.i.+ Jins anger dissipated at once. He went to the desk and caressed Lian Juns haggard face, murmuring with dissatisfaction, Why are you in such a hurry to deal with all this work, even asking Fei Yujing to come over in advance? Right now, what you should focus on is resting properly

Ive been resting well these past few days. You dont need to worry, Lian Jun rea.s.sured him, taking his hand and kissing it.

How can I not worry? Youre probably trying to get as much work done as possible while your body can still bear it At his lover trying to distract his attention by acting intimately, s.h.i.+ Jin squeezed his hand angrily, but this was as much punishment as he could bear to mete out. Instead, he rummaged through the pile of doc.u.ments on the desk to find some he could handle, sat down, and started working on them, replacing words with action.

Heart feeling warm and soft, Lian Jun reached out to stroke his lovers hair.

At dinner, Fei Yujing met Li Jiuzheng. It was then that he found out the doctor also was on the island and had been here all along. He stared at Ii Jiuzheng, who was trying to keep a nonchalant expression, and said evenly, Well played, Fifth.

Li Jiuzheng focused on the meal, pretending not to hear his words.

Let the others know youre safe. Theyre worried because theyve been unable to contact you. Fei Yujing didnt bother him further but turned to s.h.i.+ Jin, who was visibly sulking. Are you angry? he asked despite knowing the answer.

s.h.i.+ Jin also concentrated on eating, pretending that he was deaf. These days, Lian Jun was on a strictly controlled diet and didnt have meals with him, so he could eat whatever he wanted.

Fei Yujing leaned back in his chair and eyed his disobedient younger brothers, holding back an angry chuckle. Stop playing dumb and talk to me.

s.h.i.+ Jin obediently opened his mouth. I wont take you to the conference, you are too annoying.

Li Jiuzhengs chopsticks paused mid-move. As if afraid that Fei Yujing didnt hear clearly, he glanced at him and clarified, Second Brother, Xiao Jin thinks youre annoying.

At this, Fei Yujing really laughed angrily. He put down his chopsticks and said, I dont care. s.h.i.+ Jin, if you want Lian Jun to feel at ease while hes undergoing treatment, youd better take me with youand not only me, but also Fifth. Dr. Long must stay here to attend to Lian Jun, and you cant go to the conference without a reliable doctor around.

Taken aback, Li Jiuzheng blinked, then immediately defected to the enemy side. Xiao Jin, Second Brother is right, he said in a serious tone. Its too dangerous for you to go alone, so take me and Second Brother with you.

As an ally became the enemys lackey, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse. s.h.i.+ Jin almost choked to death while swallowing a mouthful of food. He glanced at Li Jiuzheng in disbelief, wanting to scold him for his traitorous deed, but was afraid of hurting his fragile gla.s.s heart. In the end, frustrated, he glared at Fei Yujing and spat out, Despicable.

Learn more. Fei Yujing exposed a smile belonging to a superior social animal. He affectionately put a piece of fish on s.h.i.+ Jins plate, adding, Eat more fish, Omega-3 fatty acids are good for your brain.

s.h.i.+ Jin barely stopped himself from stabbing him in the face with chopsticks.

Translator: Eques

Eques:

Next chapters gonna be harrowing (at least I find it harrowing) and might upset you. You might want to wait until chapter 127 is posted and read it together.

The whole arc ends around chapter 135.