Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

The three girls got along well with Shen Liang, as they all appeared to be around his age. Shen Liang's slight fondness for the Infinite Experimentation Laboratory stemmed from these three close friends. However, both Shen Liang and these assistants at the Infinite Experimentation Laboratory were ordinary people, not fusion warriors. In particular, they were all clerical workers, and their physical abilities were generally quite poor.

So Shen Liang's extra little task was to take these three little girls to play basketball and exercise, so that before Mebius could even do his dangerous experiments and kill himself, these little assistants wouldn't be working overtime all night and couldn't keep up.

But Shen Liang does indeed enjoy playing basketball, not because he plays with girls, but because his opponents are Kevin and Qian Jie.

For Shen Liang, his physical abilities were stronger than ordinary people but far weaker than those of fusion warriors, so fighting ordinary people was no fun at all; even Cangxuan Dan, Zhu Klein, and others combined probably wouldn't be a match for him. On the other hand, fusion warriors were too strong, and he was powerless to resist them.

Basketball would be a good option. In basketball, everyone can perform to their full potential without much physical conflict. It primarily tests a person's agility, flexibility, reaction speed, and the flexibility of their musculoskeletal muscles. As long as Kevin and Qianjie don't get impatient and try to beat him up, he can have extremely valuable training exercises with these two fusion warriors.

Having humanity's strongest fusion warrior as a sparring partner is quite a luxury.

"Your progress is quite good. Even Qianjie and I didn't expect you to perform so well on the spot and turn the tide in the last minute." Kevin stepped forward, habitually wanting to pat Shen Liang's head, but hesitated for a moment and then put his hand down.

"You can touch my head as much as you want, I'm not that afraid of the cold." Shen Liang glanced at him, "Besides, we just finished playing ball, and you've already touched me several times."

Since becoming a Fusion Warrior, Kevin has become increasingly taciturn over the past year. His power is freezing; his body constantly radiates cold air, making it impossible for anyone to get close. Even after a fierce basketball game, he didn't break a sweat.

Actually, one of the main reasons Shen Liang was able to defeat Kevin and Qian Jie with a group of lolis was that Kevin needed to stay focused and not touch those girls, as his body temperature was below minus thirty degrees Celsius and touching them could easily cause frostbite.

Sometimes Shen Liang would feel sorry for Kevin, so when he saw Kevin trying to get close and then withdrawing, he would remind him that it was unnecessary. In fact, Kevin did this most often not to him but to Mei, but Mei had been distant from him for a very long time, which made him even more withdrawn.

More than once, while holding him in the bathtub, Mei helplessly said that she hoped Kevin would give up pursuing her and find a fusion warrior girl who could accept him to start over. But each time, she would stop halfway through her sentence and laugh, because most of the existing fusion warrior girls of the Firemoth had ambiguous relationships with Shen Liang, and most of them had maintained these relationships for more than four or five years.

Even if he didn't have any admiration for Shen Liang, once he tasted the flavor of the human child, he would inevitably be unable to extricate himself, falling deeper and deeper into the abyss—after all, he possessed the "sweetness" bestowed upon him by Alicia.

Chapter 18 is about Mebius's sister.

At this moment, Danzhu, dressed in a moon-white strapless cheongsam, ran over, took out a warm medicine bottle from her bosom, and handed it to Shen Liang, saying, "Quick, quick, this is today's medicine."

"Medicine?" Qianjie had already repaired the basketball hoop and walked over decisively, giving Danzhu a sharp look. "What kind of medicine did Mebius give the kid this time?"

Danzhu was terrified of this violent man and immediately hid behind Shen Liang.

“It’s an essential drug for the ‘Son of Man’ project. I heard they’re going to upgrade my system,” Shen Liang said calmly. “It’s a bioelectric robot made by Aunt Mebius. It can gradually integrate into my DNA, and then it can upgrade the incomprehensible system in my brain.”

"That system that teaches you how to pick up girls?" The masked man laughed heartily, but then he glanced at Danzhu Cangxuan and the unassuming Klein surrounding Shen Liang, and suddenly smiled while touching his chin. He then reached out and vigorously rubbed Shen Liang's face, his rough hands leaving a red mark on the boy's delicate, fair skin.

"Hey, what are you doing! You're quite strong, so watch your strength, don't hurt my baby!" Even though Danzhu was scared, she was still furious and jumped up and down, her eyes showing extreme heartache. "This baby's face is the most valuable asset of our Fire Chaser Base!"

"It seems that system is quite useful. At least you did manage to get three little ones. At this age, you're already starting to build a harem. Damn it—how did those women raise you?" Qianjie glanced at the lolis. "But starting from a young age is not bad. Heh, I just don't know which of you three will be able to win over the doll in the end."

In fact, Qianjie quite likes children. When adults see children who have grown up together and are innocent and carefree, they can't help but ask some provocative questions. It's not that they have any malicious intent, it's just for fun, to see the children fighting over each other.

But Qianjie didn't expect that these words would only earn him a few disdainful looks from Danzhu and Cangxuan.

"Hey old man, we just look young. You haven't forgotten that all the girls in the Infinite Laboratory are adults, have you? Even Dr. Mebius is an adult. Stop talking to us like that!"

"Really? Forgot?" Qianjie sneered. "When you were playing house with the dolls, I didn't see anything like you adults. You took advantage of the dolls just because you looked like little girls, didn't you?"

But Qianjie was surprised to find that, faced with such accusations, neither Danzhu Cangxuan nor even Klein refuted anything; they simply looked away angrily.

—Hey, you guys are serious!

Qianjie realized something and laughed out loud without any restraint.

Cang Xuan glanced helplessly at his sister, who was confused with anger, and then looked at Shen Liang, only able to purse his lips.

There was really nothing to argue about, and Qianjie's taunts weren't very effective. The three of them wouldn't even consider who would get the doll, because it was unnecessary. As the Infinite Experimentation Lab, which had been in contact with Eve for several years, and who had long since reached a consensus to take turns caring for Eve in place of Mebius, they had already agreed to this.

For example, this morning she and Klein were woken up by Danzhu, who had inexplicably provoked Shen Liang and then been bullied to the point of crying.

Cang Xuan lowered her head, pulled up her bellyband, and looked at her little belly. Sometimes she would wonder if playing basketball, jogging in the morning, and skipping rope were really to avoid dying from staying up all night? Rather than doing these things, it was more like she was doing them to deal with her baby. After all, her originally slender waist was now showing slight abdominal muscle lines from all the exercise.

“I’m glad to see you all get along so well.” Kevin looked at the four little ones who were so close together, then shook his head. “Seeing you reminds me of myself. But Mei has been avoiding me for more than half a year now, and I have no idea why.”

Qianjie frowned and stared at him. "I mean, has your body been frozen and your brain frozen too? It's been half a year and she doesn't want to talk to you anymore, don't you understand why? It's better to part amicably. We can all see that Mei has been giving you face."

“Mei isn’t that kind of person. She has no reason.” Kevin glanced at Shen Liang, whose expression was a bit strange, then ruffled his hair. “Wait a minute, we’re brothers, after all. You’ve been a Casanova since you were little. Do you have any ideas you can give me?”

Shen Liang stared at him coldly, leaving Kevin somewhat bewildered.

Danzhu laughed. "Why did you have to ask Wawa? The real question is right here. Why is Mei distancing herself from you? If she doesn't cut ties with you soon, Wawa might get so jealous she'll explode. She might even come with eight Divine Keys and nine women to kill you! And you're still thinking about how to pursue her? Wawa wants to kill you a hundred times over!"

You probably have no idea how distressed Mei is every time you try to send her flowers or ask her out. After politely declining, she has to take a day off to change into new clothes and spend the whole day appeasing the doll's jealousy—and you know Mei is just an ordinary human, not someone like her. If it were her, she would have to call on Cangxuan and Klein.

No wonder she's the leader of the Moth of Fire; beneath her quiet, scholarly exterior lies a passionate rock 'n' roll heart.

"Kevin should know when to back down." Shen Liang finally suppressed his inner impulse.

“Giving up easily is not my style,” Kevin sighed. “Besides, May is practically my everything.”

“Then Kevin is beyond saving,” Shen Liang said calmly.

"It seems even a Casanova can't give me much advice. Winning over Mei is really difficult," Kevin said with a wry smile.

No, it's not high at all.

At that moment, Shen Liang's terminal vibrated. He looked at the screen, which read, "Is Klein next to you?"

"Yes," Shen Liang replied. The other party was Mebius.

“She forgot her monthly treatment.” Möbius paused. “Bring her back. Klein has a hidden ailment, so be gentle with him and don’t ruin my Klein.”

Shen Liang stood there for a while, thinking, and then typed something in.

"Aunt Mebius."

"It's Sister Mebius."

“Aunt Mebius, this is the fourth time I’m reminding you this month. Klein is dead. She died in the Herrscher of Domination incident. The current Klein is just a puppet; she no longer has any hidden ailments.”

After sending this message, Möbius did not reply for a long time.

Shen Liang suddenly had a feeling.

He suddenly felt as if an angry voice was pounding on his heart...

—Dead?

—Your woman, no, my woman…is dead?

Shen Liang touched his chest, somewhat curious.

He rarely showed emotional fluctuations, but when he uttered the words "Klein is dead," he unexpectedly flared up with a nameless rage! He shouldn't be like this; he should have long since grown accustomed to the passing of those around him, for in the end, everything returns to dust. He had known of Klein's death for a long time, but why did he suddenly become so unlike himself when he said it today?

It felt like there was another person yelling inside my body.

"How dare you! You dare to harm my Klein? You dare to harm my woman! You didn't even protect what you possessed! I should be furious! Why aren't you furious? With such indifference, do you even deserve to be called 'Eve,' on whom so many expectations were placed?"

—A promise to protect must be kept! I would never be that kind of person!

The roar echoed in his ears, and Shen Liang felt a sense of unreality. As the roar grew louder, the world even began to feel somewhat surreal.

"But that's just who I am," Shen Liang thought with a puzzled expression.

The moment this thought arose, the brief surge of rage in Shen Liang's heart instantly subsided, and the furious voice seemed to have been suppressed in an instant, vanishing without a trace. Shen Liang blinked innocently, not understanding what had just happened to him.

"Really? I forgot." Much later, Mebius replied, her voice tinged with weariness even in her typing. "I'm giving you a task: go keep Ling company."

This time, Shen Liang's heart clenched instantly, and even his pupils shrank involuntarily. He immediately opened the communication, and his tone, which had been able to remain calm even when his emotions were fluctuating, was now unstable. "Ling?"

At this, Danzhu and Cangxuan's smiles vanished. They knew what Shen Liang calling out "Ling" at this moment might mean.

"Don't worry, it's not about ordering you to execute Ling." Mebius waved his hand. "It's not about killing anyone, it's just about meeting Ling. There's no problem with her becoming the twelfth Herrscher's host; after all, she's Sakura's sister, and we're willing to keep her alive... To put it bluntly, even if she really becomes a Herrscher, Kevin should be able to handle it. The Herrscher of Death didn't cause any trouble when she became a Herrscher at the Fire Chaser Base, did she? She'll be the same. So she won't die so easily, and we won't harm your little girlfriend immediately."

Chapter Nineteen: You Want to Have a Kitten Too?

Ling got up very early. After a month of adjustment, she had developed a slight understanding of life in the solitary confinement cell.

The blast-proof glass windows were covered in condensation. The room was warm and cozy, though the lights weren't on. It was a large one-bedroom apartment with a cozy decor. After the Herrscher of Death incident, the confinement room had become more humane. The fake screen windows had been replaced with real glass windows. It looked no different from the dormitories of ordinary Fire Chaser members, and there weren't even many protective measures for Herrschers.

Perhaps it was because she was, after all, Sakura's younger sister, and they still had to give Sakura some face. She was simply not allowed to leave; the guards outside the door remained wary of her and were even unwilling to speak to her.

But Ling wasn't bored. As the discovered Twelfth Herrscher, the researchers would often drag her along to do all sorts of experiments, so she was actually quite busy.

"So why did the Honkai Will choose me as the Herrscher's host?" Ling complained as she tied on her apron in the kitchen and took out goji berries from the cupboard.

"Maybe it's just a disguise, hey, like the Herrscher of Death. We all thought she was an unawakened Herrscher, but actually she was just observing our actions. You're the same. Snake Sister said you're behaving exactly like Ling right now, which could just be a cover, waiting for the right moment to give us a big surprise." The girl helping with the work nearby chimed in casually. She swung a long tail and wore a revealing crop top and super short shorts, which looked more like a bikini than outerwear. But such a daring outfit didn't come across as vulgar; instead, it accentuated her cat-like curves and agility.

"Sister Pado, you believe I'm a Herrscher too?" Ling pouted.

"I don't care whether you believe it or not. Anyway, even if you're a Herrscher, you'll probably focus on Snake Sister, Boss Jie, and the others. You wouldn't care about a weak fusion warrior like me who just loafs around and waits to die." With cat ears and a wagging tail, Pado was still carefree, helping Ling pick vegetables and casually pulling the rhinestone belt that Ling had thrown on the ground before going to bed behind her.

Padofelis, the weakest fusion warrior of the Flame Chaser, enjoys casually collecting all sorts of glittering gold coins and gems, or extremely rare items. The materials for Rin's rhinestone belt aren't actually worth much, but it was a birthday gift from Eden to Rin, supposedly a handcrafted keepsake from a prince of a South African royal family, making it quite valuable.

Ling sighed. After being detected with abnormal Honkai energy and becoming a vessel for the so-called Herrscher, her friends dwindled. Although the higher-ups of the Flame Chaser could still accommodate her out of respect for Sakura, and her safety was not an issue, the people who would keep her company would soon be reduced to only a few of her closest confidants.

Well, how should I put it?

Sometimes Ling felt that it would have been better if these friends hadn't come, because in the small area of ​​the Fire Chasing Base, most of the girls she was familiar with were also familiar with Eve.

Now I'm stuck here all day, feeling bored, lonely, and cold. Although seeing them makes me happy for a few minutes at most, I feel depressed all day afterward when I think about my boyfriend.

"Isn't it because Sister Ying said she was worried you'd be bored, so she asked me to come and keep you company more? Being under house arrest all day without a single friend to talk to, you're practically becoming depressed like a Herrscher even if you're not one." Pado quickly soaked the dried sea cucumber for her; she'd just stolen someone's belt and now she needed to make up for it. The sea cucumber needed to soak for half an hour to taste good; in that time, she could cut up some abalone.

"I only become depressed because of friends like you, okay?" Ling opened the clay pot, inside which was white porridge that she and Pado had been cooking since last night, and the aroma was irresistible. "A week ago, Wilvi came and brought me dozens of videotapes, saying they were old movies that couldn't be found online. Guess what I found halfway through watching them?"

"what?"

“A certain video,” Ling said expressionlessly, slamming the lid of the casserole pot shut, making Paddy’s cat ears twitch in fright, “from the bedroom to the entryway, the personalities appeared one by one, and she even laughed mockingly at the camera. I really can’t believe she could laugh after being outmaneuvered by six people. I’ve never seen such a shameless woman. Do you think she was trying to amuse me or just showing off?”

“Sister Wilvi isn’t like that. If she’s smiling at you on purpose, it’s probably because her ‘evil’ personality has come out, hmm…” Pado looked away from the angry Ling and whispered, “Actually, you’re not new to knowing about Doll’s complicated relationships with the opposite sex. Sister Snake and Sister Mei are both hoping that Doll will have the ability to reproduce. If beings like Doll can be replicated, we can basically declare victory in this war unilaterally.”

"Is that why I saw you meowing and clinging to the wall in the videotape later?" Ling's tone was icy. "Kitty?"