Chapter 9: They Are After Xu Rui

She pulled Xu Chu behind the tavern counter and hissed, "Didn't I tell you to look after him? What is wrong with you? If I hadn't come over just now, he would have been taken away by those people!"

The tavern owner rubbed the thick beard on his face, looking somewhat guilty.

"Miss, the kid is going to die at twenty anyway; we might as well take the chance to sell him for a good price now."

"Among the people who crowded around earlier, several offered as much as 3,000 interstellar credits. It’s a pretty good price for him."

Xu Rui was furious. "I’m warning you, he is my brother, and I am not selling him!"

"Fine," the tavern owner sighed helplessly. "In my opinion, this kid is going to drag you down to your death sooner or later."

Xu Rui glared at him. "Mind your own business!"

She still needed to find the equipment, so she took Xu Chu by the hand and headed out.

Just then, they ran into Sana and her husband.

Xu Rui immediately looked as if she had seen a ghost, backing away repeatedly while covering her nose with her hand. Her disgust for the couple was written all over her face. It seemed that merely existing in the same space as them made her feel so repulsed she was on the verge of vomiting.

Sana noticed this, and the smile on her face stiffened slightly.

...

"Sana and her husband are such good people; they spent their whole lives running small relief stations, yet they are treated with such disrespect by Xu Rui. I really want to crack her skull open and see what on earth she is thinking!"

"I can understand her protecting her brother, but the way she goes about it is truly repulsive."

"What? Does she think Boss Chu is her private property and doesn't want anyone else touching him?"

"What a selfish, self-centered person!"

On the awards podium, several people watched as Xu Rui led little Xu Chu down the street. As they walked, many locals in the city automatically cleared a path for them. The filthy, dilapidated environment of the streets came into view; the people living here were all impoverished natives of Silverfrost Planet.

The progress bar on the screen in front of Liu Han continued to tick upward.

32%, 33%, 34%...

He glanced at the progress bar and sneered:

"Xu Rui hasn't changed a bit from childhood to adulthood. Perhaps her soul is so foul that she always prefers to associate with heinous villains while loathing those who are truly kind."

"The members of my laboratory were all kind, good people, yet almost all of them died at her hands."

Tang Feng, dressed in military uniform, nodded in agreement.

"The star pirate organizations I've investigated over the years almost all have close ties to Xu Rui; she is nothing but a scourge."

Jiang Chen added, "Actually, we might be able to find the whereabouts of Sana and her husband—or their bodies—through this memory. That would be a good thing."

"Mr. Servan was a genius who solved the energy problem of the laser anti-aircraft guns, which gave us the lethal weapon we needed to deal with the Mother Bug. They played a key role in that battle, and we must ensure they are laid to rest."

These words made everyone present feel an even deeper disgust for Xu Rui.

Perhaps Xu Rui had put in great effort and truly wanted to perfect her brother's genes. But the evil deeds she committed could never be offset by such things.

Xu Chu clearly felt the same way.

As he looked at the screen, his heart was incredibly calm. Seeing Xu Rui work hard for a year for his sake, even drawing out her own spinal fluid and treating him—her servant—like a real brother, he felt a flicker of emotion, but his hatred remained dominant. He could never let go of the fact that Xu Rui had forcibly snatched away his opportunity to be adopted by that couple.

He longed so desperately for a normal, warm family.

...

Xu Rui got a room key from York. They stayed in a shabby inn.

Xu Rui locked Xu Chu in the room and warned him, "Don't run off. Wait for me to come back, do you understand?"

Xu Chu nodded obediently. "Okay."

The footage followed Xu Rui. Everyone could clearly see her movements throughout the entire day. She was busy rushing back and forth, visiting several places, spending money to pull strings, and fishing for information regarding gene-extraction equipment.

Such expensive equipment would only be owned by someone from a prosperous planet like the Imperial Star. Furthermore, only a doctor would invest such a massive sum; it was almost impossible for a wealthy doctor to come to such a remote area.

She spent the whole day with nothing to show for it.

When she returned to the room, she found it empty—Xu Chu was nowhere to be seen.

She was immediately frantic and rushed out to search for him. Just as she stepped out of the inn, she saw Sana leading Xu Chu toward her.

Xu Rui immediately looked like a bristling kitten. She rushed over in a rage, snatched Xu Chu away, and glared at them.

"What are you doing!"

Xu Chu was frightened, holding a pile of snacks he had never seen before. "Sister."

Xu Rui turned back and scolded him angrily, "You idiot! You'll follow just anyone!"

Xu Chu was too scared to speak, looking even more vacant.

Sana wasn't angry; she kept smiling. "Little Rui, we really don't have any hostility toward you. I just saw Little Chu running around in the hallway and took him out to get something to eat."

"If you don't mind, you can also come to our spaceship to take a look. We have a lot of equipment on board that you've never seen before."

Xu Rui shook her head, her eyes widening in vigilance. "I'm not going!"

Sana sighed helplessly. "Alright, then. Goodbye."

For the next few days, Xu Rui continued to look for the equipment as usual. She still came up empty-handed.

One day, she brought Xu Chu to the small tavern. "I have some things to take care of. I’ll leave my brother with you. Keep an eye on him for me and don't let that couple get near him."

The tavern owner asked the question everyone wanted to know.

"Why are you so repulsed by them? They're very nice people. They're well-traveled explorers who even buy food for Xu Chu."

Xu Rui’s delicate brows furrowed as she pondered. "I don't know. My intuition tells me to stay away from them. Besides, I can smell a very strange scent on them—it's not something humans have."

The tavern owner chuckled. "Maybe they're androids. Androids are now recognized by the authorities as human, so you don't need to be so guarded."

Xu Rui had clearly never heard the term, and her eyes went wide. "Androids?"

The tavern owner nodded. "That's right. Don't be so wary. Even if you have genetic memory, you still have to learn. Take your servant and leave this godforsaken place."

The tavern owner's words clearly overturned Xu Rui's understanding. She had always prevented Xu Chu from interacting with the couple because they lacked the scent of a human. If androids were considered human, should she reduce her hostility toward them?

Just as they were talking, Sana and her husband walked in to have a drink.

Sana greeted them with her usual smile. "Little Rui, Little Chu, hello."

This time, Xu Rui resisted her discomfort and gave them a stiff nod. "Hello."

Not being pushed away, Sana was so excited her eyes grew moist. "That's great! Let me buy you dinner. What would you like to eat?"

Xu Chu had already happily chosen the food he wanted, but the couple only stared at Xu Rui. "Little Rui, what would you like to eat?"

Xu Rui reluctantly chose something that Xu Chu liked.

"Great, let's go eat now." Sana smiled brightly and took Xu Rui's hand. "This is wonderful, Little Rui. Would you like to come and see our spaceship? Little Chu has already been there, and we've been looking forward to you visiting."

Xu Chu was left to the side, though he didn't seem to realize it, hopping around in excitement.

Someone remarked, "Is it just my imagination, or do I feel like the couple's real target is Xu Rui?"