Zerg: I ​​was picked up by the cold and beautiful Major General at the start of the game.

Garrett listened intently to his subordinate's report, his brow furrowed.

"Second Master, regarding that batch of supplies from last time..."

"Redhead! Redhead! Did you hear me? Come in!"

A clear but commanding voice interrupted his thoughts.

The reporting female insect paused, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes—

Is this the male insect who was kidnapped? And he's been put in the second-in-command's room?

Garrett's temple throbbed. He took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation, and called out, "What's wrong?"

"Bring in another bed!" Lin Luo's voice came from inside the door, completely justified. "Do you expect me to squeeze in with him during the day?"

Garrett closed his eyes, waved to his subordinates, and soon a simple folding bed was brought in.

He had just picked up the data tablet again when Lin Luo's voice rang out again:

"This bed is of such rough quality, it's rubbing against my skin and making it uncomfortable. Replace it with the softest material immediately!"

"...Change it for him." Garrett practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.

The last remaining, well-packaged high-grade velvet bedding from the starship was brought in and laid on the bed.

However, before Garrett could even settle in, Lin Luo, carrying the clothes that had been brought in earlier, began to criticize:

"This kind of material won't do either; it's not breathable. Go find me some new ones."

"Fine... whatever you say." Garrett clenched his fist, telling himself that he shouldn't get angry at him for such a small material request; it was all for his older brother's sake!

After the lights were switched on, just when he thought he could finally have some peace and quiet, Lin Luo started making trouble again: "The lights are too bright, dim them, they're disturbing my rest."

Garrett silently entered the room, personally operated the control panel, and dimmed the lights.

"It's too dark now!" Lin Luo immediately expressed his dissatisfaction.

"The brightness needs to be moderate, not too bright, but also not so oppressive, otherwise how can I fall asleep?"

Garrett felt his patience had reached its limit, and he shot Lin Luo a dagger-like gaze.

Lin Luo looked back without fear.

After a two-second standoff, Garrett took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed his almost explosive anger.

He turned around and slid his fingers forcefully across the control panel, adjusting it little by little.

"Is it okay now?" His voice was low, filled with suppressed anger.

Lin Luo looked around, seemingly unable to find anything else to complain about, and finally nodded condescendingly: "Let's leave it at that for now."

Without saying a word, Garrett immediately turned and left the room.

Garrett's subordinates finished their report, closed the door, and left.

He walked to the rest area and whispered to a few familiar companions:

"It's really strange. That male insect is in the second-in-command's inner room. He's quite arrogant, ordering the second-in-command around like he's ordering his own female servant."

"Can the second-in-command really tolerate this?" another female insect asked curiously.

"I tolerated it! No matter how much I disliked it, I did it anyway. This is the first time I've seen the second-in-command so... 'obedient' to anyone." He used a somewhat imprecise word.

A female insect nearby, who knew the inside story, explained in a low voice:

"It's all for the leader. The leader is so badly injured. This gentleman was 'invited' here to stabilize the leader's mental state. Can't the second-in-command please appease him a little?"

Several female insects showed expressions of sudden realization.

However, a female insect with old scars on her face snorted coldly, her eyes filled with disgust:

"Male insects? They're nothing but a bunch of cruel creatures in a shiny guise. Their specialty is torturing female insects, and they take pleasure in it."

"The fact that we're putting on a show now is only out of necessity."

The female insect who had previously spoken up for Lin Luo couldn't help but retort:

"Mers, although this gentleman's demands are a bit excessive, at least he hasn't engaged in any abusive behavior, which is already quite commendable, isn't it?"

"Rare?" Mels scoffed, his smile laced with mockery.

"You're too naive. His life is in our hands now, so of course we have to keep our claws out of control."

"Once he's out of danger, do you think he'll still act like he's 'just a little willful'? Judging his true nature based on his current situation is too naive."

After he finished speaking, the surroundings immediately fell silent, and several female insects who had previously thought Lin Luo was quite good fell silent.

They knew what Mels had been through. His extremism was not without reason.

Mels, his face grim, glanced one last time at the second-in-command's closed door, said nothing more, and strode away.

The female insect who had spoken up for Lin Luo earlier looked in the direction he had left, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say a few more words to soften the situation.

But in the end, it all turned into a barely audible sigh, and he swallowed his words back.

The atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.

"Alright," another, older female insect clapped her hands, breaking the silence.

"Don't all gather here anymore. Have you finished what you're doing? Those who need to patrol, go patrol; those who need to inspect, go inspect. Let's disperse."

Upon hearing this, the insects exchanged glances, composed themselves, and dispersed without further ado.

-

Theodore and Voske's Home

On the screen, information flows continuously.

Theodore curled up on the sofa, his fingers flying across the screen, his brow furrowed from prolonged concentration.

The vast majority of the private messages and comments sent by the insects on the StarNet were unrelated to Lin Luo's disappearance.

Whether it was useless comfort or nonsense, he dared not overlook any of them, fearing that, just in case, there might be a crucial clue hidden within.

Meanwhile, Voske was also processing a massive amount of information compiled by his subordinates.

While he was quickly screening the information, he also had to assign his men to verify the seemingly plausible pieces of information that Theodore had selected.

The two insects were so busy they barely touched the ground, exuding anxiety and exhaustion.

Finally, Voske noticed that Theodore had slowed down and subconsciously rubbed his red and dry eyes.

He immediately put down his work, got up and sat down next to Theodore, his warm fingers gently covering the lord's temples, massaging them with just the right amount of pressure.

"My lord," his voice was deep and gentle.

"Take a short break. You'll be more efficient at processing this information when you're well-rested, don't you think?"

Upon hearing this, Theodore obediently leaned back, completely sinking into Voske's warm embrace.

"Okay, whatever you say." He tilted his head back, looking at his female lord's chin, his voice carrying a hint of sleepiness from relaxation, as if he were being affectionate.

After a moment of silence, Theodore suddenly asked softly:

"Vosk, if... one day I were the one who disappeared, would you still search for me desperately like you do now?"

Vosker paused slightly during the massage, lowered his head, and his eyes were filled with an almost devout seriousness.

He pulled his arms closer, holding Theodore even tighter, his tone earnest and firm:

"My lord, please don't say that. Wherever you go, I will always follow you and will never let you face any unknown alone. So, there are no 'ifs'."

"...Okay." Theodore answered vaguely, or perhaps he was really exhausted. He closed his eyes peacefully, his breathing gradually becoming long and even, and he fell into a deep sleep in Voske's arms.

Voske maintained his embrace, lowered his head, and placed a gentle kiss, tenderly, on Theodore's forehead.

"My lord," he said in an almost inaudible voice, making a solemn promise, "I will never let you encounter any mishap."

The night is deep, and an embrace is the safest haven for each other.

---