The ultimate blue sea

Chapter 23-Tension

Chen Lin opened the door and saw the execrable Shi Huizhang standing there with a shining white row of Utopia white coats. Shi Huizhang spat out the cigarette in his mouth, held it between his fingers and used it to point. With a fake smile, he said to Chen Lin, "The base just intercepted a probing wave. It's likely they've discovered the base's location. We all think it's a little strange for the RZ Unit sons of bitches to be showing such great magic powers this time."

Chen Lin looked at him expressionlessly. Shi Huizhang was of the sort who could put on imperial robes and still not look like the emperor. Hearing him spout a bunch of high-sounding technobabble was ridiculous. Chen Lin was even worried he would bite his own tongue.

Shi Huizhang continued: "We suspect that some internal personnel...have brought back some unfriendly 'little articles.' What do you think?"

Chen Lin looked down and laughed quietly. "What, you think there's something wrong with me?"

Shi Huizhang looked him up and down, then suddenly raised a hand and took Chen Lin's glasses off. Chen Lin didn't dodge. He stood at the door, looking at him coldly. Shi Huizhang pinched his glasses by the arms and turned them over in his hands. He held them up to his nose bridge, then passed them to a Utopia staff member next to him. "I think there's something pretty wrong with these glasses of yours. A blue seal's senses are hundreds of times more acute that an ordinary person's. A near-sighted blue seal... Ha, now that's a curiosity!"

A white coat behind Shi Huizhang took Chen Lin's glasses as though they were an exhibit in a court case, wearing gloves and putting them into an evidence bag, then took a step forward and nodded to Chen Lin. "A mere formality. Please cooperate, Mr. Chen."

Chen Lin and Shi Huizhang were busy staring at each other as though in a contest to see who had the bigger eyes, turning a deaf ear on these words.

This white coat was extremely self-possessed, displaying no trace of an unhappy expression. He took a pale blue envelope from his pocket and presented it to Chen Lin with both hands. "Mr. Chen, this matter concerns the safety of the base. Please cooperate with our work."

Chen Lin lowered his head and reached out to take the envelope. After opening it, he scanned it, his gaze pausing for a moment on the bold and flamboyant "Fei" it was signed with. Then he turned back inside. "You may do as you like."

The white coats entered his residence and began an orderly inspection. Shi Huizhang wanted to follow them inside, but Chen Lin extended a hand to block him at the door. Chen Lin lightly said, "There will be no need for you to come in. It's too messy inside. I can't receive guests."

The corner of Shi Huizhang's eye gave a twitch. He smiled coldly. "What, did that little beauty you brought back make a mess?"

Chen Lin acted like he hadn't heard, ignoring him. But Shi Huizhang, as though struck with preaching disease, glanced at Chen Lin's lower body and said in a peculiar intonation, "Let me just give you a warning. As a man, first you need your life, and then you can consider eating your fill. When you've eaten your fill, you can consider golden rooms, love affairs, all that—it doesn't come above food."

Chen Lin quietly returned the compliment: "I can't compare to Shi-da-ge's refined hobby of raising dogs by his gate."

Shi Huizhang didn't feel a bit of shame. With a meaningful smile, he patted Chen Lin on the shoulder. "I know you don't have any little greys to spare. There are some decent ones in the new batch. They haven't gone through a 'feast' yet, brand new. If you want, I can spare you one."

When Shi Huizhang spoke, he was very close to Chen Lin. The smile on his face was sinister and vulgar; he looked hardly human. Chen Lin dodged aside in revulsion, thinking that this cretin must have been a dog that would piss anywhere turned human; power had made him savage—Chen Lin knew he was a nasty piece of work himself, but he was still ashamed to be associated with him.