Working Records in a Weird World - 74

 

| WRIAWW | Holding Hands | 74

Hearing Joshua admit it outright, Zong Le gave him a look that clearly said 'I knew it', his eyes practically screaming 'I knew you were up to no good with those squinty smiles of yours.'

Joshua offered no defense, simply smiling in response.

No one knew that just thirty seconds ago, he hadn’t been gay.

It was only now that Joshua finally understood why Zong Le had been looking at him so strangely before, it was not exactly disgust, but more like wariness and guardedness.

 And the reason for Bai Shao’s sudden, cliff-like drop in favorability also became clear. So it was because of this.

Recalling the mention of "extreme homophobia" in Bai Shao’s profile, Joshua maintained his smile while feeling nothing short of absurd.

Although he’d had his suspicions, even after the truth came to light, he still found it hard to believe. From his perspective, any conspiracy theory or wild guess would’ve been more plausible than this ridiculous reason. 

Who would’ve thought that something as laughable as homophobia would cost him one of his top lambs?

That said, Zong Le’s words, though unexpected, had given him plenty of new ideas.

First, Joshua did need an identity to better bridge the gap between him and Zong Le.

Initially, he’d considered the "friend," approach but his prey wasn’t biting, instead showing outright resistance. Following the original script, he’d planned to pivot toward "partner" during this mission, bonding through shared battles before making his move.

But now... it seemed "suitor" might yield better results than just being a teammate. After all, this role genuinely provoked an emotional reaction from Zong Le, making it far more effective for accumulating emotional value.

So Joshua, who is mainly guided by maximizing benefits, naturally accepted his new identity as a "gay man" and quickly settled into the role.

"So it was true what they said on the forums, he's close to 1st?"

From a distance, Bluebeard watched the two chatting amiably, mildly surprised.

Having spent years in the Infinite Space, he’d rarely seen 1st engage so warmly with anyone.

The Temple Army treated their Patriarch like a deity, and kept their distance as if approaching him would defile their sacred idol. 

And 1st himself was a staunch believer in mysticism, had it not been for his recent push to complete missions faster and reach the real world, encountering him during missions were practically unheard of.

But Zong Le was close to him? That was an unexpected surprise.

Building a good relationship with 1st would be nothing but beneficial. Not one to waste such an opportunity, Bluebeard instantly forgot about the two C-level survivors, and straightened his tie as he prepared to introduce himself.

To his surprise, Joshua didn’t even glance his way before shutting him down outright.

"Apologies, but I came specifically for Zong Le," the silver-haired man said with a polite smile, though his words carried a hint of sharpness. "Our dear Lele here has been under your care since the mission started, hasn’t he?"

Without hesitation, Joshua reached out and naturally grasped Zong Le's hand: "Now, I'm taking him away."

Everyone: ???

Not only did Bluebeard look stunned, even Zong Le himself seemed completely caught off guard. Before he could react, Joshua had already led him away from the viewing area to another row in the theater.

The man's palm was broad and cold, his long fingers distinct with knuckles faintly visible beneath pale skin.

He didn't take his hand in the traditional way of holding hands, but squeezed his fingers directly into the gaps between his fingers like a poisonous snake strangling its prey. Each scale exuded a dangerous chill. Then he slowly tightened his fingers, interlacing their fingers, leaving no room for escape.

When his fingers were completely clasped, the chill seemed to penetrate the skin and pierce the bone marrow.

As they walked, Zong Le could clearly feel the other's thumb falling on his pulse.

The vague touch was ambiguous, and also like a hunter’s calculated restraint.

"What are you doing?!" Only after they had moved far enough that Bluebeard was out of sight did Zong Le finally whisper the question.

The sudden physical contact had been too natural, and Joshua’s movements carried no aggression. Zong Le, never particularly sensitive to personal boundaries, hadn’t immediately pulled away.

He was naturally lacking in vigilance in this aspect, and socially oblivious in human relationships. Although, he is wary of Joshua’s sexual orientation, the idea of same-sex boundaries never crossed his mind.

Zong Le himself was unaware, but Joshua, who knew people's hearts well, keenly captured this detail. A glimmer of pleasure flashed in the silver-haired man's eyes, and he silently included physical contact in his strategy list.

Since he’d chosen the pursuer route, then calculated flirtation, ambiguous tension, subtle seduction, and seamless hints… were all necessary to stoke the flames.

"Didn't you want to stay away from Bluebeard? Well, as you can see, I helped you out of a tight spot."

Joshua met his gaze with an innocent look, deliberately stopping before Zong Le could notice anything more amiss.

As he expected, Zong Le accepted the explanation without suspicion.

After learning of Bluebeard’s "deeds," he wanted to stay away from people with bad character.　

Since meeting Joshua, Zong Le had realized something, not every bad person in this world could be locked away. Some were clearly bad guys, yet without concrete evidence, they remained free.

Others had bad morals but without crossing into outright crime—like Bluebeard, they danced at the edge of breaking the law, there was nothing they could do.

Given the choice between Bluebeard and the silver-haired bad guy, he’d pick the latter any day.

Once this settled in his mind, Zong Le offered thanks: "Thank you for helping me out."

"Don’t mention it, it was just a small favor."

Watching the dark-haired youth casually take a seat beside him, Joshua’s smile deepened.

He knew his plan was already taking effect.

Unbeknownst to them, their actions had already sent shockwaves through many onlookers.

The movie theater wasn't that large, and many curious survivors had witnessed Joshua taking Zong Le away moments earlier. When two S-levels were negotiating, no one dared to speak, though everyone's eyes sparkled with gossip.

'My god, isn't 1st known for staying aloof from worldly affairs? Why is he suddenly so close with that newcomer?'

'They held hands! Holy shit!!! This is definitely making the forum headlines!'

'Breaking news! 1st makes a bold move to steal the newcomer from Bluebeard's side - the love and hate between S-levels! What kind of charm could make the iron tree blossom, tempting even a priest to lose his composure?!'

Though no one spoke aloud, the subtle atmosphere was palpable as they communicated through meaningful glances.

Bluebeard in particular suffered public humiliation. Having his chosen prey taken away right before his eyes with such casual disregard was nothing short of a slap to his face, leaving him utterly disgraced.

Yet as an S-level, he couldn't show any resentment in this situation. Forcing a smile, he remarked, "It seems the rumors were wrong. 1st's interest appears to go beyond mere appreciation, it looks rather intimate, doesn't it?"

As he spoke, he pulled Su Yuchen closer, trying to project an image of already having a male plaything and not caring at all.

Little did he know that Su Yuchen was equally shocked.

1st's status in Infinite Space was legendary, needing no further explanation. Even in his most desperate moments during missions, Su Yuchen would never dare entertain thoughts of approaching such a admired figure.

Yet this talented newcomer not only had two S-levels volunteering to guide him through missions, but had them publicly humiliating each other in competition for him!

Only after the crowd dispersed did Bluebeard finally snarl, "That talented newcomer's been hiding his cards well. He already had 1st's backing, no wonder he agreed so readily earlier. So I was just a part of their little game? How ridiculous, he has already been passed around, yet he still pretends to be pure in front of me."

"......" Su Yuchen remained silent, carefully hiding his bitter jealousy.

The crucial difference was that with 1st's character, the talented newcomer wouldn't need to make any form of payment, nor would he have to give up survival points after the mission.

What about him? 

Even now his throat ached faintly, his mouth and nose still filled with that revolting stench. And this was just the beginning, after the premiere, there'd be live reviews to write, the premiere banquet, and various other activities lasting the entire night.

An S-level's protection didn't come cheap. The Merchant Guild charged astronomical prices just for A-level's protection. In the adult world, nothing came for free.

"This isn't over. If I can't touch 1st, does that mean I can't teach his little plaything a lesson? He's just a measly C-level- unless they're really a couple, there'll always be places where he can't keep looking after him."

"Why aren't you saying anything?" After his scolding for awhile, Bluebeard noticed Su Yuchen's distraction and grew irritated.

Su Yuchen quickly snapped back to attention, his voice hoarse, each word feeling like shards of glass in his throat: "I just felt my throat was a bit uncomfortable earlier, so..."

"Are you blaming me for being too rough?"

"No, not at all!"

"Good." Bluebeard's tone was icy. "Your looks are mediocre, your skills are unremarkable. The only thing you offer is willingness. You don't deserve my protection, and I'm sure you know that."

It was true. Even in this short time, several B-level survivors had been making covert advances.

Many would abandon all sense of decency just to survive, some didn't even need survival as an excuse.

"Y-yes."

Su Yuchen's nose stung as he suppressed the pain, whispering: "As long as you tell me, I will do it for you."

"That's more like it." Bluebeard finally seemed satisfied.

Crossing his arms, he glared fiercely at the two figures not far ahead, when suddenly an idea struck him.

"I've got a plan. After the movie ends, you'll..."

 

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