Mr. Dior - Chap 67

“Why did you come here to meet them?” Zhang Chenfei asked. The two scientists were out of sight now.

“I wanted Charles to write a report,” Jiao Qi said. The main purpose of him coming to see Professor Charles today was to get an expert opinion on Big Cock Zhang’s condition, which could be used when they sued the IntelliBrain manufacturer. However, after conversing with Professor Charles for a while, he found that the fellow’s mouth didn’t seem to have any filter, and so decided not to raise this to him directly.

“I’ve said this so many times – the human world is very dangerous. Why don’t you listen? Do you know what that research lab does? If you were caught by them, that’d be the end of you,” Lord Poseidon said, rather frustrated. His little prince was too flippant about this, and was incredibly difficult to manage.

The heavens only knew how all the blood in his body had frozen over the moment he saw his father appear on the IntelliBrain screen. He’d rushed over in his Maybach, breaking all the speed limits along the way because he’d been afraid that if he was just a second late, his little prince would get dragged into the research lab and experimented on against his will.

“What would an infertility research institute want with me?” Jiao Qi asked incredulously. He sent a message to Que De, asking him to issue the expert opinion and get Charles to sign it within the next two days.

“To give birth to children.”

“Huh?!”

“I’m saying, the lab will make you give birth to children if they get hold of you,” Lord Poseidon said, enunciating every word clearly as if he were talking to a child.

“What?”

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t an anatomical study of a merman.

“Do you know how strong the reproductive abilities of merpeople are?” Zhang Chenfei asked, frowning. He was driving them straight home. He was very intent on knocking some sense into his little prince’s head. This naive little merman had no idea how evil the hearts of men could be, and how evil scientists without even the semblance of a conscience could do all sorts of immoral, reprehensible things.

“Why did you bring us home? I still have a meeting in the after… ah!” Jiao Qi shouted in surprise as Zhang Chenfei casually picked him up with one hand, slung him over his shoulder and walked into the lift with him. When they got into the house, he was tossed onto their water bed unceremoniously.

Zhang Chenfei loosened his tie with a tug, then climbed onto the bed and restrained the little prince who was trying to get away. He planned to teach this fellow a good lesson right then and there.

The reproductive abilities of humans had been declining for years now. There was a correlation between this and the great pain human females had to endure when giving birth. More and more women were refusing to have children because they were worried about the health risks associated with giving birth as well as the pain involved in the birthing process. That research laboratory had started researching the means by which marine creatures reproduced a long time ago. It went without saying that laying eggs was much easier than giving birth to a baby, but human bodies could not produce eggs, and so the evil scientists had started focusing their attention on merpeople.

“They will tie you to the birthing bed and fill you with thick, sticky liquid. The eggs of people you don’t even know will then grow in your body. When the fish eggs are ripe, they will make you lay them one by one,” Lord Poseidon said in a husky voice, speaking slowly and deliberately right into the little prince’s ear, as if he were reciting some sort of ancient spell. It was oddly… sexy.

“Alright, I understand – I won’t go near that research institute any more. Let me go, quick… oof… You bastard, what was that?!” Jiao Qi exclaimed, his eyes widening.

“A model fish egg,” Zhang Chenfei said. He couldn’t really bear to treat Jiao Qi this way, but his little prince had to have this lesson carved into his brain, or he would put himself in danger again. It was this thought that made him steel his heart and shove the thing in. “You’re about to experience what it’s like to lay eggs after they’re ripe. And this is only one egg – do you know how many those humans will make you lay at one shot? At least twenty.”

“Excuse me?! I’ve never heard of fish eggs that vibrate!” Jiao Qi protested. He could only stare at Big Cock Zhang with wide eyes as he pressed down firmly on the remote control. He couldn’t form a complete sentence after that.

The compassionate God of the Sea couldn’t bear to see his little prince struggle in agony, so he turned his back to him, then used his IntelliBrain to book an island villa. The little merman had been discovered and this place wasn’t safe any more. He had to bring him back to the ocean, even if that cost him his entire fortune worth billions.

It was only when the God of the Sea returned to the ocean that he was at his full power. He needed his full power to offer his little merman complete protection.

He clicked the “Confirm” button to make payment, then informed his secretary to make the necessary arrangements at work and book the flights. Zhang Chenfei sighed, then turned back to look at his little prince, only to find that the latter was trying to steal the remote control. He immediately tossed it out of reach.

His little prince now had sparkling tears in his eyes, and for some reason, this vulnerable look of his made Zhang Chenfei want to bully him. The great Lord Poseidon picked up his trembling little wife and wickedly gripped his wrists tight so that he couldn’t use his hands. “You have to ‘give birth’ to it without assistance, or I’ll put it back in again,” he warned.

Jiao Qi glared at him weakly. Alright, Big Cock Zhang, you’re really getting out of hand! When you’ve awakened from this character, I’ll make you pay for this… He forced down his sense of embarrassment, “gave birth” to that “fish egg”, and won himself a comforting kiss.

“Sorry baby, I shouldn’t bully you,” Zhang Chenfei said, carrying him down the stairs. He set him down gently in front of the dining table and poured out a warm energy drink for him. “Return to the ocean with me. I’ve already booked plane tickets for the day after tomorrow.”

Returning to the ocean…

Jiao Qi drank a mouthful of the warm drink, then shook his head. “I won’t go,” he said. He was a young, successful billionaire, and he was living a good life; why would he want to jump into the sea for no rhyme or reason?

“There’s no room for discussion. You must go back with me. It’s much too dangerous here now,” Zhang Chenfei said, walking over and taking hold of the little merman’s chin. He narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Or, are you trying to tell me that you’d like to try giving birth to twenty fish eggs?”

“… whatever it is, I’m not jumping into the ocean, and you’re not to do so either,” Jiao Qi said. He couldn’t help blushing at the mention of “fish eggs”, and he slapped Zhang Chenfei’s hand away. He finished drinking the energy drink in two gulps, then got up to go to work.

“It would appear that I’ve been too kind to you, so much so that you’ve forgotten who you are!”

Lord Poseidon was greatly angered, and he finally revealed his true appearance. His eyes were cold as he caught hold of his misbehaving little prince. “Look carefully! You’re a weak little merman, and I am Lord Poseidon, who can take your life with a snap of my fingers!” he said.

“I don’t care what you say. Today is Monday, and it’s the start of the work week. I am not going to fool around with you on an island,” Jiao Qi said, sending a message to Zhang Chenfei’s secretary to get him to cancel the plane tickets.

Before long, Zhang Chenfei received confirmation that the plane tickets had been cancelled, and he was so angry that he started laughing maniacally. “It looks like I’ve coddled you overmuch,” he said.

Lord Poseidon’s anger was not one that any old fish could take. He turned and went into the kitchen and killed a fish with loud chopping sounds right in front of his little merman.

He sliced open the fish’s belly, cut off its head and descaled it with his knife, then cut it into slices with slow, deliberate strokes.

“Are you afraid now?” Zhang Chenfei asked, smiling evilly as he stuffed ginger and garlic into the fish’s stomach.

“Oh yes, I’m so scared.”

“Are you coming with me to the seaside?”

“No.”

“… …”

Zhang Chenfei didn’t know what to do about his disobedient little prince any more. He couldn’t bear to do anything drastic to him, so he chose to just start a cold war. Other than saying “I love you” once in the morning, they didn’t speak for two whole days. They didn’t text each other either, and Zhang Chenfei didn’t cook for Jiao Qi. Even at night, they drew a line on the water bed and didn’t cross over in each other’s sleeping space.

Jiao Qi let Zhang Chenfei do as he wished and went to work as per normal.

Professor Charles confirmed during his visit that there was a medical institution that was willing to issue written medical confirmation of the IntelliBrain Disorder Syndrome to sufferers of the same. When he knew that Zhang Chenfei was presently in the midst of another episode, he sent this information on to Jiao Qi, who in turn passed this on to the Shifei legal team. He asked the legal team to get their other two victims – the boy stuck in the game and the female celebrity who was stuck in a comedic dialogue – to quickly make an appointment and obtain medical confirmation of their condition as well.

On Jiang Rourou’s side, preparations had already been made to sue NC. Because she was a spokesperson for NC’s IntelliBrains, she was contractually bound not to say anything bad about NC until her contract ended, and could not make this issue public until then. By the time this matter went before the Court for the first time, her contract should have expired or be very close to expiry.

The evidence had to be solid in order to sue NC successfully. Jiang Rourou had more evidence than the average victim as there was a camera set up to record “behind the scenes” footage that was still rolling at the time that Jiang Rourou had been injured. That video clearly recorded the moment when the heavy prop fell and hit Jiang Rourou on the head. Also, as she was NC’s spokesperson, she had always been using NC’s IntelliBrain. All she needed now was medical confirmation that she was suffering from IntelliBrain Disorder Syndrome.

Jiao Qi settled everything that he could manage on his own, but there were some things requiring technical expertise that he had no choice but to shelve until Big Cock Zhang “woke up” from this character, like the specifics of the data that he wanted to get from NC.

“CEO, this is the confirmed lineup of programmes that we’re buying from BBQ and BBL. Please review it,” the marketing division head said, taking out the latest list for Jiao Qi to peruse. They weren’t buying that many programmes this round – they were basically just testing the waters with this first purchase.

Jiao Qi glanced at the list and didn’t find that anything was out of order, so he signed off on it.

“The Amirican dramas can be used as the primetime broadcasts for the second half of the year. There are a bunch of activities scheduled for the New Year period – the marketing division will give you a detailed report at our usual meeting next Monday,” the marketing division head said.

“Just make sure you do the urgent matters well. These programmes can be bought at any time, and the profits to be made from imported programmes are always a question mark…” Before Jiao Qi could finish speaking, he received a call, and based on the number displayed on his caller ID, it appeared to be from Daddy Zhang. Jiao Qi waved a hand, indicating that the marketing division head could leave.

The marketing division head had been trying to get CEO Jiao to praise him for his efforts, but he ended up being lectured instead. He heaved a sigh of relief when CEO Jiao was interrupted and quickly slunk away.

“Father,” Jiao Qi said, answering the call.

“Ah,” Zhang Zhishi said, still sounding very awkward. He hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “I’m not disturbing you at work am I? I just wanted to give you a heads up that Professor Charles is not particularly rigorous in his research. If you want to buy something off him, you should find an expert to test it out for you first.”

“Is that so? How could you tell?” Jiao Qi asked. He hadn’t expected Daddy Zhang to be so concerned about something he had randomly said offhand.

“Nn. If I went into the specifics, you wouldn’t understand, but basically, he has a new theory that does not have a 100% success rate in actual practice. Despite the problems with his theory, he’s been promoting it all over the place without really highlighting its deficiencies. My impression from this is that he’s not a very rigorous researcher,” Zhang Zhishi said. He became more chatty when he started talking about his area of expertise, but the moment he was done, he didn’t really know how to end it, and just harrumphed twice rather awkwardly.

Jiao Qi waited for some time, but when Zhang Zhishi didn’t continue, he realised he was done. “I understand. Thank you, father,” he said.

“Don’t mention it, Xiaoqi.”

Jiao Qi wasn’t sure if it was his own mistaken impression, but he felt like the person on the other end of the line heaved a sigh of relief. He couldn’t help wondering if his aloof face and cold temperament didn’t just intimidate his subordinates, but also scared his own father-in-law.

He had barely interacted with Zhang Zhishi much in the past few years. Even though Jiao Qi did want to be filial to both of Big Cock Zhang’s parents, the situation between the father and son was such that he had to tread very carefully to avoid hurting his own husband.

Zhang Zhishi hadn’t asked him anything about his son, and his main motive had been to caution him regarding Professor Charles. Now that he had achieved his goal, he was about to hang up, but Jiao Qi couldn’t help asking one last question.

“Umm.. Father, I have something to ask,” Jiao Qi said. “What exactly is your research institute researching?”

“Genes and #%^&*@$ bio-engineering,” Zhang Zhishi said. He had explained at length in scientific jargon about the work he did, but it was far too technical for Jiao Qi to understand. He did deduce that his research wasn’t about infertility at all, though. After exchanging a few more polite pleasantries, the two were unable to continue the conversation after that and mutually ended it.

When Jiao Qi returned home, the great Lord Poseidon was still persisting in his cold war and refused to speak to him, but he was now willing to make dinner. Jiao Qi finally managed to eat one of Zhang Chenfei’s homecooked meals after eating out for two days.

The line marked out by the bolster on the water bed had also been removed. Jiao Qi pressed his lips together and smiled. “O revered and mighty Lord Poseidon, have you forgiven me?” he said.

“Hmph.” Lord Poseidon sniffed arrogantly, then lay down to sleep.

In the middle of the night, Jiao Qi felt someone touching his leg, and he initially thought it was the little golden retriever which had come in to lick the soles of his feet again. He wriggled his legs and tried to chase the puppy away, but his legs seemed to be tied together, and he couldn’t move them as he wished.

Jiao Qi opened his eyes. In the dim light, he could see a black figure crouched by his feet, using the belt of his bathrobe to tie his ankles together.

“Who are you?!” Jiao Qi exclaimed in shock. He’d been groggy with sleep when he first saw this scene, but he was wide awake now.

The fellow’s back was toward him, and Jiao Qi only got a look at his face when he turned around. It was Big Cock Zhang, who should have been sleeping peacefully by his side at this very moment.

Jiao Qi exhaled in relief, then raised a hand to whack him. “What nonsense are you up to this late at night? You should be sleeping!” he scolded.

Lord Poseidon ignored him. He looped the bathrobe belt around a few more times, binding the lower half of Jiao Qi’s slender legs together tightly, then tied the ends together in a pretty bow. After that, he picked Jiao Qi up and stood up slowly.

“When your legs are tied together and subject to the magic of the God of the Sea, you can be turned back into a merman,” Zhang Chenfei said. He’d agonised over this for two days, and had finally decided that he would turn the little prince back into his original form.

“Uh, no thanks,” Jiao Qi said, struggling to free himself. The position he was presently in was extremely uncomfortable, and he would get a backache the next day if he remained like this.

“This isn’t up to you,” Lord Poseidon said, pulling off Jiao Qi’s pyjamas forcefully.

His little wife protested loudly.

The lights came on in the room, and Zhang Chenfei pulled the little prince’s hands, pressing them to his face. “Look. I’m the human that you love, but I’m also Lord Poseidon. The ocean is our home, and I am going to bring you back right now,” he said.

“But I like the way you look as a human!”

Lord Poseidon gripped his little wife’s wrists harder in disbelief. “So, what you like is this human shell of mine?” he asked, shocked.

“Obviously?!”

If he liked someone else’s appearance, he’d have married someone else! Jiao Qi wasn’t sleepy at all now, and he pushed Zhang Chenfei aside with one hand.

Jiao Qi was such a superficial fish! Zhang Chenfei was very displeased. “Don’t you like my cooking? What about my vivaciousness? Or the fact that I’m a billionaire?” he asked.

“I like them all,” Jiao Qi replied. Of course he liked all these things about Big Cock Zhang – these were a part of Zhang Chenfei, and he liked everything about him. “But I don’t like husky-seahorses!”

“… …”