DLWAV CH159

Early the next morning, Ao Ruize called the President directly.

Asking about the progress of the awakening potion’s production was naturally just a pretext. After the President finished updating him on the potion and asked how he was doing, Ao Ruize praised Gao Zong and the others for their dedication before asking directly, “…By the way, it seems Deputy Director Gao is quite a bit stronger than the bodyguards I saw beside you earlier?”

The President replied, “Mr. Gao is far more than just a bit stronger than my bodyguards. It is safe to say he has very few equals in the entire Great Yang.”

Ao Ruize asked, “Then why would he willingly stay in the Special Operations Division as a deputy director?”

The President explained, “Mainly because his nephew, Perfected Master Che Yang, was accidentally struck by a Country Y sorcerer’s voodoo curse five years ago while fighting for the nation against Country Y.”

“The conditions Country Y demanded for the antidote were far too harsh. They actually wanted us to cede a massive stretch of our southern territorial waters to them, which we simply couldn’t afford to do.”

“Fortunately, Abbot Yun of Fangqu Temple came up with a method to channel national fortune to suppress the poison inside Perfected Master Che Yang, barely managing to keep him alive. Even so, Perfected Master Che Yang was left in a vegetative state.”

“Most importantly, national fortune is a finite resource. With so much being diverted to Perfected Master Che Yang, the country inevitably suffers some impact… Unwilling to burden the people of Great Yang, Mr. Gao voluntarily came out of seclusion and joined the Special Operations Division.”

“So that’s how it is.”

Ao Ruize now knew how to go about his “forceful coercion.”

He said, “What kind of poison did Perfected Master Che Yang contract? I’d like to try formulating an antidote for it.”

“Wonderful, wonderful!”

The President’s voice immediately rose in pitch.

In truth, the main reason he had told Ao Ruize every single detail of this matter was that they had truly run out of options. With Ao Ruize appearing out of nowhere, they had placed their hopes on him once again.

Second, of course, he wanted to use this opportunity to confirm Ao Ruize’s capabilities one final time.

“I will have someone send a sample of Perfected Master Che Yang’s blood over to you right away.”

Ao Ruize: “Alright.”

Over the next few days, Gao Zong, Zhao Mingyu, and the others noticed that Ao Ruize stopped pestering Gao Zong.

Gao Zong breathed an instant sigh of relief.

He didn’t care whether Ao Ruize had simply given up after realizing it was impossible to win him over, or if there was another reason; as long as he gave up, that was enough.

Zhao Mingyu was relieved as well.

See? I really was just overthinking things before.

They promptly put the matter out of their minds.

What they never expected, however, was that four days later, Ao Ruize emerged from his laboratory and suddenly called out to Gao Zong, “Director Gao, please come to my room tonight. I have some good news to tell you.”

Gao Zong: “…”

As for Zhao Mingyu and the others, they thought about it and ultimately didn’t read too much into it.

After all, Ao Ruize had specifically said he had good news to tell their Director Gao.

Gao Zong steadied his breath, and finally, after the dead of night had settled in, knocked on Ao Ruize’s balcony door.

Whatever came his way, he could handle it.

Even though Ao Ruize had awakened an ancient divine beast bloodline, judging by the power of the attacks he displayed during his test at the Qianshi Police Station’s training ground, he couldn’t possibly be Gao Zong’s match.

Besides, what if Ao Ruize genuinely just had good news to share with him?

Soon, Ao Ruize’s voice sounded from inside.

“Come in.”

Gao Zong pushed open the door and saw Ao Ruize sitting cross-legged on the bed, playing with two small vials in his hands.

Because Gao Zong had promptly gotten an electric fan for Ao Ruize a few days ago, he wasn’t bare-chested today.

That wasn’t the main point, however. What truly caught his attention was the contents of one of the small vials, which looked somewhat familiar.

The small vial held half a bottle of red liquid, yet it acted as though it were alive. Rather than resting at the bottom of the vial, it clung to the glass walls, constantly writhing upward as if trying to push open the stopper and escape.

Gao Zong’s pupils constricted: “This is…”

Immediately following, he watched Ao Ruize first uncap the other vial containing half a bottle of green liquid, and then open the vial holding the red liquid.

The moment the red liquid sensed the stopper restraining it had vanished, it surged frantically toward the mouth of the vial.

Just as it was about to spill out of the opening, Ao Ruize poured the green liquid from the other vial straight into it.

The instant the green liquid touched the red liquid, the red liquid began to boil violently.

Very quickly, however, it subsided at a speed visible to the naked eye, until at last it lay quietly at the bottom of the vial like a pool of stagnant water.

The entire process could hardly be called dramatic, yet the wild joy in Gao Zong’s eyes practically materialized in a single instant.

He rushed straight over to Ao Ruize, wanting to take the vial in Ao Ruize’s hand to examine it closely.

Ao Ruize did not refuse, handing the vial directly over to him.

Gao Zong took the bottle, and with just a single glance, he knew the poison inside the blood had been completely purged.

He snapped his head up: “Y-You developed the antidote to eradicate the Heart of Claire?”

The Heart of Claire was the exact name of the voodoo poison afflicting his nephew, Perfected Master Che Yang.

“Mm.”

As he spoke, Ao Ruize reached out and wrapped an arm around his waist.

“So I wasn’t wrong when I said it was good news, right?”

This was, without a doubt, the best news possible.

After all, Perfected Master Che Yang was his only remaining family in this world, and his mother had once saved Gao Zong’s life.

Now that there was a real chance for him to survive, how could Gao Zong not be overwhelmed with emotion?

It took him quite a while to barely manage to calm himself down.

“Thank you, thank you…”

Before he could even finish speaking, however, he abruptly realized just how close he was to Ao Ruize. He only needed to lean forward a fraction of an inch to brush against Ao Ruize’s lips.

Most critically, Ao Ruize’s hand was resting squarely on his waist.

Gao Zong’s pupils shrank.

Yet before he could push Ao Ruize away, he heard Ao Ruize say, “No rush to thank me just yet. So, what is Director Gao prepared to trade for the antidote in my hand?”

Gao Zong froze completely.

At that exact moment, Ao Ruize’s hand on his waist tightened bit by bit, and his other palm brazenly drifted downward.

Gao Zong’s body went entirely rigid.

Ao Ruize’s intention was self-evident.

Again, Ao Ruize was nowhere near his match; dealing with Ao Ruize would be effortless for him.

Yet his nephew’s life was currently held right in the palm of Ao Ruize’s hand.

It seemed he had no way to resist Ao Ruize’s bullying.

Unless he abandoned Perfected Master Che Yang to live or die on his own, which he could not bring himself to do.

Or unless he forcibly coerced Ao Ruize into handing over the antidote, yet Ao Ruize was currently the prized guest of the Great Yang government. If Ao Ruize flew into a rage out of humiliation and did something to endanger the nation, the consequences would be unthinkable.

Thus, in the end, with reddened eyes, Gao Zong squeezed out a single word.

“Shameless.”

Ao Ruize, on the contrary, smiled brightly: “How could that be?”

“I am clearly just negotiating a business deal with Director Gao.”

“Besides, Director Gao doesn’t have a partner right now anyway. Fooling around with me a little isn’t a big deal, is it?”

Ao Ruize had originally thought he might feel a bit awkward playing the villain, never expecting that watching Gao Zong filled with grief and indignation, looking as though he wished to kill (or bite) him to death on the spot, would actually pique his interest.

“Moreover, didn’t Director Gao say you have no intention of dating right now? That’s why I haven’t even asked you to marry me, and merely wish to steal a taste of your sweetness.”

“After all, to develop this antidote, I spent three whole days working on it.”

Gao Zong: “…”

Gao Zong’s gaze fell directly onto Ao Ruize’s sexy Adam’s apple… and his vulnerable neck.

It looked as though in the very next second, his gaze would transform into a wind blade and slice it clean through.

Yet that moment never arrived; instead, he was met with Ao Ruize saying, “Then it’s settled.”

The next second, his waist was gripped tight, and his entire body tumbled straight into Ao Ruize’s embrace.

Immediately afterward, Ao Ruize’s voice rang out again: “Where should we start playing first?”

Gao Zong watched helplessly as the other man’s gaze landed on his lips.

Finally snapping out of his stupor, Gao Zong instinctively tried to push Ao Ruize away.

It was already too late.

In the next second, amidst a dizzying spin, he was pinned directly onto the bed by Ao Ruize, who immediately leaned down and kissed him.

Gao Zong: “…”

Feeling the hot, damp breath against his lips, Gao Zong clenched his fists tightly.

Since things had come to this, what else could he do?

He could only squeeze his eyes shut, pretending he was merely being chewed on by a pig… a dragon.

Yet whether it was because the weather was naturally stifling or for some other reason, his body slowly began to heat up bit by bit.

Soon after, his breathing grew increasingly rapid.

Unable to help himself, he parted his lips slightly to catch a breath, only for Ao Ruize to seize the opportunity in the next second, capturing his lips and tongue.

“Mmph.”

Gao Zong couldn’t stop his clenched fists from loosening, raising his hands helplessly to clutch tightly at the tank top Ao Ruize was wearing.

Only when his hands gripped even tighter than before, and a misty sheen coated his eyes, did Ao Ruize finally release him.

Yet still without giving him a moment to catch his breath, Ao Ruize moved downward and bit gently at his Adam’s apple, making him curl his toes involuntarily and tilt his head back…

What he never expected, however, was that in the next second, the scorching heat brushing against his skin abruptly vanished.

Gao Zong: “…”

Gao Zong subconsciously lifted his mist-filled eyes to look at Ao Ruize hovering above him.

Leaving someone hanging after whetting their appetite like this—was that something a human being could actually do?

Ao Ruize reached out to pull Gao Zong’s shirt together, covering the red marks on his collarbone, and chuckled softly: “Alright, that’s enough for today.”

“After all, I’m not even an adult yet.”

Since his wife was already upset with him over what happened in the previous world, didn’t he have to restrain himself a bit in this one?

At the same time, he couldn’t let his wife think he was incapable, so after racking his brains, he had come up with this excuse.

Gao Zong: “…”

So you actually remember you’re still a minor?

At the very least, he had never seen a minor daring enough to commit such a lawless act.

Immediately after, Ao Ruize pulled him into his embrace: “Alright, time to sleep.”

Gao Zong: “…”

Only then did Gao Zong process the situation.

None of that mattered; what mattered was whether this meant he still had a chance to escape.

After all, judging by Ao Ruize’s words, at least until he came of age, he wouldn’t actually go all the way with him.

Even if Ao Ruize had already taken plenty of liberties.

At this thought, Gao Zong’s taut nerves instantly relaxed considerably.

He cast a covert glance at Ao Ruize beside him, loosened his clenched hands once more, and closed his eyes.

He thought: there was no time to lose; he had to come up with a solid plan as quickly as possible.

However, perhaps because Ao Ruize’s embrace was far too comfortable, or perhaps because he was exhausted from the extreme highs and lows of the night, he actually drifted off to sleep before thinking of any plan at all.

As a result, the next day, when he woke up again, he discovered that at some point during the night, he had ended up sprawled right on top of Ao Ruize.

Most importantly, one of his hands was resting squarely on Ao Ruize’s pectoral muscles, and Ao Ruize’s tank top was bunched loosely above his chest—clearly pushed up by that very hand—while his legs were clamped firmly around Ao Ruize’s left leg…

So much so that in his groggy daze, Gao Zong was struck by the illusion that it wasn’t Ao Ruize who had taken advantage of him, but rather that he had been the one who had his way with Ao Ruize last night.