Chapter 18 – The First World 18

Su Zheyan finished gathering supplies and was ready to leave the town before the night market.

As he walked onto the main street, several alphas were playing soccer.

The noisy commotion caught the attention of Chu Shici, and he stuck his head out of his pocket to see what was happening.

Before he could get a clear view, Su Zheyan pushed his head back. It wasn’t until they were out of the town that he let him out.

Chu Shici looked up and asked, ” Yan ge, what just happened?”

Su Zheyan remained silent with a cold expression, seemingly in a bad mood.

The system hesitantly spoke, “I saw it clearly. Those alphas were kicking someone’s head.”

“I’m not surprised at all.”

“The problem is, that head looks exactly like Vice General Liu from before.”

“Which Vice General Liu?”

“The one who came a few days ago to persuade Su Zheyan to undergo gender transformation. The head had a pattern on half of its face, as if it was branded by a hot iron.”

The system pondered, “A snake entwined around an apple, exactly the same as the anti-counterfeiting mark on your body.”

After a moment of astonishment, Chu Shici somewhat understood Su Zheyan’s feelings at this moment. When a former comrade’s head is chopped off, he would definitely…

At this point, Chu Shici suddenly realized something was wrong.

After spending so much time together, he had gained some understanding of Su Zheyan. Although he appeared aloof, he was actually very emotional. He wouldn’t just stand by and watch his teammate’s body being dishonoured by alphas, even if they had argued before due to the gender transformation issue.

Even if this speculation was too subjective, he could approach it from another angle.

Chu Shici felt a chill down his spine and hesitantly asked,”System, didn’t Vice General Liu return to the Empire with the army a long time ago? Why would he appear alone on this desolate planet?”

“There are clothing fragments on the ground that appear to be from a black suit. The bodyguards who intercepted you this morning, along with Zuo Ting, were wearing this type of uniform.”

“Is it someone from Eternal Life Technology who died? Vice General Liu held a high position. When did he become a lackey of Eternal Life Technology… wait, is he really Vice General Liu?”

The more Chu Shici discussed with the system, the more absurd it seemed.

He crawled out of his pocket and said, “Yan ge, this morning in the alley, you told me that after the eradication of the clones, Eternal Life Technology created a new batch. What were the original identities of those new clones?”

Su Zheyan glanced at the little robot from the corner of his eye and replied coldly, “I don’t know.”

Chu Shici knew he was in a bad mood, but he didn’t care.

“Has Eternal Life Technology secretly cloned high-ranking Empire commanders, intending to silently seize military power?”

Su Zheyan ignored him. Chu Shici pondered for a moment and said, “Or perhaps they not only cloned the commanders but also all the influential figures in the Empire. Are they planning to secretly takeover?”

Su Zheyan sighed softly. “You won’t find answers here. Why are you asking these questions? Have you seen heads rolling?”

Chu Shici nodded. “Isn’t he your deputy?”

“He is a clone. Empire law requires all clones to have the Eden symbol imprinted on their faces. The branding process is strictly regulated, and the mark cannot be removed by any means, ensuring that clones never have a chance to impersonate the originals.”

Chu Shici made a hoarse sound.

If it were on the body, he could have cut off the flesh or severed limbs. But with half of the face marked, the only way to hide it would be to chop off the head. Previously, when Su Zheyan mentioned the clone uprising, he had wanted to ask how to distinguish between the real and the clones. He didn’t expect the methods to be so brutal.

Chu Shici sympathized with the clones.

With such an ugly mark, they were destined to live unlike ordinary people. They possessed thoughts and bodies but lived like livestock. In the past, such people were called slaves, and now slaves had a new name—clones.

Su Zheyan fell silent for a long time and hesitated. “There are many newly approved clones, both male and female. I don’t know what they are up to. I don’t want to discuss this matter anymore, and you shouldn’t bring it up again.”

Coincidentally, Chu Shici didn’t want to bring it up either. Thinking too much about the clone issue was too dark and affected his mood.

Their agreement lasted only a few hours.

That night, they did what they usually did. Su Zheyan took a shower and wiped the robot clean.

They sat in the small but cozy capsule, eating while listening to the radio to pass the time.

Su Zheyan ate his nutrient-free paste while buying top-quality oil for the robot. The new food tasted amazing, and Chu Shici ended up with oil dripping from his mouth.

The taste in music selection by the Empire’s voice was still terrible. Chu Shici switched through several commonly used channels and finally stopped at the Empire Night News.

The elegant and clear voice of the female anchor resonated in the capsule.

【#Mr. Zuo, the head of the Desolate Star Branch of Eternal Life Technology, stated that he has reached an agreement with General Su today. Under his persuasion, General Su has changed his outdated and conservative mindset and agreed to undergo the beta-to-alpha conversion surgery. The surgery will take place tomorrow, and our station has also invited General Su today. #】

【#General, hello. Previously, you firmly refused gender transformation. What changed your mind? Can you share your personal journey with other betas? #】

Su Zheyuan put down the nutrient paste and frowned, looking at the antenna on top of the robot’s head. Chu Shici, being choked by machine oil, didn’t dare to cough, afraid of missing any information.

The next second, a familiar and cold male voice came from the speaker in the robot’s abdomen1.

【#During the ancient Earth era, ABO differentiation only occurred after reaching adulthood. But in the interstellar age, gender is innate and skips the differentiation process. In the empire, there is a recognized fact that each gender has different advantages. With equal training, alphas are more likely to become outstanding warriors, scientists, or social elites. Omegas possess exceptional artistic talents, with over seventy percent of renowned artists in imperial history being omegas. At the same time, when they bond with alphas, they can give birth to more exceptional offspring. #】

【#Betas are relatively mediocre, but they serve as mediators between the two genders and were once an important part of maintaining social stability. However, times have changed. The suppression vaccine developed by Eternal Life Technology completely eliminates the problem of being controlled by instincts. #】

【#The advantages that gender once bestowed upon betas have been completely replaced by technology. #】

There was a crisp sound of a breaking inside the capsule, and Chu Shici looked over to see that the spoon in Su Zheyuan’s hand had snapped in two.

The ‘General Su’ being interviewed on the broadcast was still talking passionately.

【#I used to think this was a form of gender discrimination, just like you all. We were a disadvantaged group, envious of the social elites. Now I understand that the empire has never abandoned betas. The gap caused by gender in the past seemed so unreachable. But now we have the opportunity to change our origin and become any gender we aspire to. #】

【#I choose to become an alpha because I love this country, and I want to better defend our homeland. Beta comrades, do not be misled by hostile forces. Gender transformation is just like plastic surgery. We can make our appearance more perfect through surgery. Since it’s all about making ourselves better, why resist gender transformation? #】

Chu Shici was dumbfounded.

Su Zheyuan reached out and pinched his antenna. Chu Shici flinched, afraid that he might lose consciousness and break the antenna.

After this news segment ended, Su Zheyuan’s face had turned red with anger.

“They cloned me without my knowledge, attempting to replace me without the clone markers. That alone is outrageous. How could he use my face to say such things?”

Chu Shici thought of a possibility, “How many prominent betas are there in the empire?”

“Besides me, there are two others. But Deputy General Liu, who tried to persuade me earlier, mentioned that they have already agreed to undergo gender transformation.”

Chu Shici suddenly understood why the empire played the emotional card with Su Zheyuan.

The betas, whom they respected and admired, served as their spiritual leaders in times when unity was needed against common enemies. Making them believe that betas had a future, that they were no less than anyone else.

Now that the last leader also believed that betas should be eliminated, how long could the struggling betas, who were already oppressed and discriminated against by society, continue their fight?

Translator’s Note-I am really feel bad for Su Zheyan but still he got to be strong.

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