ARIWLBBC Chapter 81

Bo Ge’s head peeked out from Lei Beishuang’s arm. After a few seconds, just as he was about to pull back, he noticed that the space between the man’s arm and waist had tightened, trapping his head.

He tried to pull his head out, gripping Lei Beishuang’s arm with both hands, but after two failed attempts, Bo Ge switched tactics and decided to wiggle further in instead.

This new strategy worked effortlessly. Bo Ge’s head was guided by another hand, and soon he lay sprawled across Lei Beishuang’s lap, much like a cat stretching out as its owner stroked it.

Stroking the back of a feline gives it comfort. But for a human, having someone repeatedly run their hand down their back is an unusual experience. It felt like Lei Beishuang was gently smoothing out the fabric on Bo Ge’s back.

Lei Beishuang continued his gentle stroking, just as Bo Ge had done for him before.

Since Bo Ge was still growing, the *Human Care Guide* had mentioned that the growth plates in male humans generally close between ages 23 to 25. For most males, growth is essentially complete around age 20.

His human still had two years left before he’d stop growing, meaning he needed Lei Beishuang’s attentive care during this time.

The atmosphere was incredibly soothing, and Bo Ge began to doze off, vaguely hearing a soft, ethereal humming.

Suddenly, a third voice interrupted their moment. The stroking stopped, bringing Bo Ge back to alertness. The abruptness of the sound was as if a brick had been thrown into a bubble of pink serenity.

Lei Beishuang frowned slightly, looking toward the source of the sound: a white conch shell on the bedside.

Puzzled, Bo Ge turned his head, immediately spotting the culprit. It was a gift from Ka Qi Luo, delivered earlier that day, who had said that placing it on the bedside would bring an unexpected surprise.

“Why is it playing automatically?” Bo Ge wriggled out, grabbed the white conch, and tried to find an off switch. Suddenly, the conch emitted a voice.

“Is that you, my adorable human?”

A deep, sultry woman’s voice—charming and captivating.

What is going on here?! Bo Ge froze in shock.

“Do you remember me? We met today,” the conch continued smoothly. “You looked adorable blushing.”

And… who exactly are you?

Bo Ge glanced at Lei Beishuang, who adjusted his position on the bed, watching him quietly.

“Did you really forget me?” The sultry voice persisted, letting out an indignant huff. “How heartless.”

Bo Ge saw Lei Beishuang tighten his robe and tie the sash around his waist, his lips pressed into a firm line.

“I’m your boss!” Bo Ge declared, growing bold.

The white conch went silent for a moment.

“Human, every one of your responses is more surprising than the last,” the voice sounded both shocked and increasingly intrigued.

“Who are you? I don’t know you at all!” Bo Ge shouted into the conch, feeling helpless.

I swear, I have no idea what’s going on! This is a setup!

“Who I am doesn’t matter. What matters is that you intrigue me.” The voice was brimming with allure.

“Would you like to meet me? I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” The voice hinted blatantly at an invitation.

Flirting with his human right in front of him. Lei Beishuang’s expression remained calm, but a black, furry tail emerged, rhythmically thumping against the bed with a soft “thud, thud.”

“I have a boyfriend, and I am *not* impressed with this gift!” Bo Ge looked around, trying to find a trash can, but instead opened the smart window.

“A boyfriend? So you’re into males?” The voice paused for half a second. “I have a brother…”

Thinking quickly, Bo Ge confirmed no one was below, then firmly tossed the conch out the window, watching it tumble onto the grass below. He closed the window and quickly jumped back into bed.

“Shall we continue?” Bo Ge asked, a little uncertain as he sat on the bed.

“You could listen to it again,” Lei Beishuang said calmly, tucking his tail back in as he settled back, pulling up the covers. “There might be a surprise in store.”

“I got this conch today when I bought some fragrance from Kaqi Luo. The elf salesperson gave it to me, saying it would bring a nice surprise if placed by the bed,” Bo Ge explained pitifully. “It looked so clean and innocent—I had no idea it would turn out like this!”

Lei Beishuang didn’t reply, seemingly already asleep.

Bo Ge pouted and slipped under the covers, growing more frustrated the more he thought about it. He decided he would bring the conch back to the store tomorrow and get some answers from that clerk.

The big cat might still be upset, so Bo Ge carefully reached for the fragrance he’d bought earlier and placed it on Lei Beishuang’s nightstand. Then he climbed back into bed, snuggled close to his Leopard, and placed a hand on him, whispering softly.

“I really didn’t go out looking for another cat behind your back.”

After a moment, Lei Beishuang’s hand rested on his, and Bo Ge heard a faint “Mm.”

The big cat wasn’t sulking anymore.

Relieved, Bo Ge fell asleep in that position. In the middle of the night, he was awakened by a knocking sound and the sight of his staff flying in urgently, saying something. This was followed by the sound of Lei Beishuang getting out of bed.

“What’s going on?” Bo Ge sat up, rubbing his eyes and glancing at his watch—it was 3 a.m.

“Nothing,” Lei Beishuang replied, already dressed in formal attire. He leaned down and kissed Bo Ge’s forehead. “Go back to sleep. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Bo Ge smelled a hint of the fragrance on him and obediently burrowed back into bed. When he opened his eyes again, it was broad daylight, and his teacher, Hai Tu, had already arrived to begin a new round of studies.

“Bo Ge, did you not sleep well?” Hai Tu observed the boy’s hurried washing routine and messy hair with curiosity.

“That gift from the fragrance shop was too troublesome,” Bo Ge grumbled, spitting out his mouthwash. “Today, I *have* to go see that elf.”

“The conch?” Hai Tu looked puzzled. “What could that conch even do?”

“Ruin relationships,” Bo Ge replied curtly, unwilling to elaborate. He quickly ran to the dining room, wolfed down his breakfast, cheeks full as he continued his online class while chewing.

“The second phase of our studies will include artificial intelligence,” Hai Tu pointed out. “The first unit is especially important—it’s about robots. The key points to remember are the definition of a robot, a few technical parameters, the eight control methods, and the application range of robots…”

Bo Ge quickly underlined the key points, only to find that his entire page was marked up in red—everything was important.

“Before class, let me test your foundational knowledge.” Hai Tu turned off the virtual interface. “When did the first robot appear?”

Bo Ge thought for a moment and answered cautiously, “During the Sui Dynasty?”

“What period is the Sui Dynasty?” Hai Tu frowned. “That’s far off. Remember, the first robot appeared in the year 2380, created by the dwarf-elf hybrid Master Perist. He is considered the undisputed ‘Father of Robots’—and this is a critical point.”

“What about humans?” Bo Ge frowned. “Didn’t humans play a part?”

“Unfortunately, humans had no role in its creation.” Hai Tu pulled up some data for Bo Ge. “Read through this, and you’ll understand the specifics of the time.”

No human involvement?

In 2020, Bo Ge had seen news reports on robots capable of interacting with humans, so how could the first robot have only appeared in 2380?

Bo Ge quickly scanned the history of robot manufacturing, finding no mention of humans at all. And Perist’s development of fully functional robots was extremely fast, almost as if he had been standing on the shoulders of giants.

“After touring the Ark Fleet’s ruins, Master Perist seemed to be kissed by the Muse of inspiration. He began to consider if machines could completely replace human labor, and within three months, he created the first intelligent robot, ‘Titan.’”

Titan?!

Bo Ge’s lips twitched. Seriously?

Bo Ge couldn’t shake the suspicion that Master Perist had simply stumbled upon a broken robot in the Ark’s ruins, brought it back, repaired it, and then presented it to the public as his own invention, complete with a knock-off name!

Why didn’t anyone from the human side object back then? Or could it be that humans had already decided to keep robots as their secret weapon and were intentionally keeping a low profile?

“The invention of robots advanced the Alliance’s development and addressed the labor shortage caused by the low population. In 2400, the first awakened robot with emotions requested to be recognized as a citizen of the Alliance. However, the Alliance’s chief justice denied this request, arguing that ‘robots do not have life characteristics.’”

The more Bo Ge read, the deeper his frown became.

It seemed that every so often, robots would cause some sort of disturbance. Bo Ge noted these times down, casually searched them on the galactic web, and noticed that before each disturbance, humanity had faced some challenges.

For instance, just before the robots demanded citizenship in 2400, humans had been seeking political rights but were repeatedly delayed. After the robot demonstrations, humans finally secured a seat in parliament.

Out of the Alliance’s twenty-seven members, one seat was allocated to a human, a position that has been maintained to this day.

Once human demands were met, the robot protests and strikes quietly died down.

The most recent incident was in 2921, when the sharp decline in the human population made them increasingly rare and sought after, attracting various powers who often kidnapped, detained, and even transported humans secretly, sometimes resulting in fatalities. However, the Alliance didn’t initially take this seriously.

In response, in the fourth quarter of 2921, robots went on strike, declaring, “I am not a commodity,” and held further protests.

Following this, the Alliance strengthened oversight on human trafficking and improved the *Rare Species Protection Act*, imposing harsher penalties for harming or abducting humans.

The living conditions for humans improved, and the robot strikes ceased.

For some reason, Bo Ge recalled his grandfather, the human chief, who had once spoken with deep dissatisfaction about the matchmaking system and marriages between beastkin and humans.

“Young master, Hai Tu,” Nais entered the study with drinks, placing a cup down and moving close to Bo Ge.

“Young master, the master asked me to inform you that due to some unfinished work, he might not be home tonight.”

“What kind of work?” Bo Ge looked up at Nais, worry clear in his eyes.

“Just routine work, nothing for you to worry about.” Nais reached out, patting Bo Ge’s head soothingly, nodded with a smile at Hai Tu, and left the study.

“Don’t worry,” Hai Tu said, noticing Bo Ge’s distracted expression. “There are always various matters to handle before Alliance celebrations. We’re used to it.”

“Why?” Bo Ge asked, confused.

“Challenging authority, perhaps?” Hai Tu speculated. “Some people always have grievances against the Alliance, and causing trouble right before the celebration gets them extra attention.”

Sighing for Big Cat’s sake, Bo Ge lay on the desk watching his online class, where a professor was smiling and speaking passionately.

“We should not underestimate the emotions of robots. Sometimes, their emotions are even more focused and intense than ours as they seek self-discovery and explore concepts of good and evil…”

Nearby at the First Military Academy’s trade center, a robot introducing products to students suddenly froze mid-sentence, its expression distorting oddly.

“Run… run quickly…” it muttered.

“What’s wrong with you? Which part malfunctioned?” A young cadet frowned, taking a few steps back and pressing the button to call the manager, eyes fixed on the malfunctioning robot.

The manager quickly rushed down. “I apologize, we’ll contact the robotics sales company today and immediately replace it with the latest…”

The cadet’s eyes flashed with fear, and he suddenly bolted outside. Oblivious, the manager turned, only to be grabbed by a mechanical arm that clutched his neck. Moments later, an explosion erupted, with flames shooting skyward, shaking the entire building.

Security robots swiftly arrived, evacuating the crowd and sealing off the scene. Two Alliance-marked hovercrafts reached the blast site, and several Alliance beastkin agents arrived, their eyes bloodshot.

“How many incidents today?”

“On Abel’s main star alone, this is the fifth robot self-destruction incident. Black Pearl has issued orders to intensify patrols and inspect any suspicious robots.”

“Damn it, there are casualties this time…”

After finishing a morning of online classes, Bo Ge laid his head on the desk for a brief rest. His communicator beeped, and when he looked up, he saw it was his big sister Yu mumu requesting a video call.

¹You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️ -TL: Ysiad

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  You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you and Enjoy reading! ❤️ -TL: Ysiad