LMWD 🍁 Chapter 10: The Little Mermaid Browses the Forum

"Ha... hahaha."

Wen Yanzhou not only knew who he was; he knew him very well indeed.

After all, he had come to this man's territory as a spy. Naturally he had done his research. Wen Yanzhou knew full well that the man before him was the human Admiral, a cruel, ruthless leader, a villain who sought to exterminate every last mermaid!

"You... you saved me in the desert. Thank you... thank you, ha."

A qualified spy must remain calm and collected in the face of danger. When encountering a villain, one must read the situation carefully, keep the villain at ease, and never give oneself away.

Wen Yanzhou smiled back at Lu Feng with a forced grin, mentally pumping himself up. I will be an excellent spy.

Lu Feng watched Wen Yanzhou's fake smile with complete indifference. Didn't you say in your dream that you hated that cruel Admiral? How is it that now that you've actually met him, you've tucked your head in like a turtle? Lu Feng could see Wen Yanzhou's legs trembling with fright.

"You just said 'doomed.' What is doomed?" Lu Feng stopped teasing and asked about his earlier words.

"Ah." The panic Wen Yanzhou had momentarily set aside came rushing back: "I'm doomed: I'm late for training. Even if I go now, it's already too late."

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow: "You value that training so highly?"

This was the perfect opportunity for flattery. Wen Yanzhou's eyes darted: "Yes! I admire you so deeply, Admiral. I've made up my mind: I will take first place in the New Recruit Tournament and join your army!"

A qualified undercover agent, of course, speaks to people as one would to people, and to ghosts as one would to ghosts.

Lu Feng's expression remained as impassive as ever. Wen Yanzhou stole a glance at him, unable to tell whether he believed it or not.

The air hung heavy and still. Faced with such overwhelming pressure, Wen Yanzhou wanted nothing more than to bury his head under the covers and pretend he didn't exist.

The mattress suddenly sank beside him. Frowning, Lu Feng sat down on the edge of the bed.

This is it, this is it. He's seen through me, hasn't he? This Admiral looks so formidable. Can he tell I'm a mermaid just by looking at me?

Wen Yanzhou's heart hammered wildly in his chest. When he saw Lu Feng's hand reaching toward him, his heart leapt into his throat.

The hand descended!

Wen Yanzhou was so terrified he wanted to recoil, but there was nowhere to go. He squeezed his eyes shut in despair.

"No fever, at least."

Lu Feng pressed his hand to Wen Yanzhou's forehead, testing his temperature. Compared to yesterday, it was much improved. The heat from his face and body had receded back to normal.

A warm sensation spread across Wen Yanzhou's forehead. He opened his eyes warily, discovering that Lu Feng had only placed his hand upon his head.

"Phew. No fever, no fever." Wen Yanzhou let out a long breath of relief. Not discovered. He hasn't discovered I'm a mermaid.

Wen Yanzhou echoed Lu Feng's words, and the next instant, Lu Feng's hand slid from his forehead down to his neck.

Wen Yanzhou's body reacted before his mind could process the danger, flinching away automatically. Lu Feng's hand missed its mark, but it quickly returned, catching Wen Yanzhou's neck firmly.

This is it! He's going to strangle me! This Admiral truly is cruel and ruthless. Another wronged mermaid soul will soon join the ranks under his command.

"Can't you even dress yourself properly?"

Lu Feng straightened Wen Yanzhou's collar, undid the misaligned buttons, and refastened them correctly.

Wen Yanzhou's eyelashes fluttered rapidly. His shallow breaths brushed against Lu Feng's hand. Several seconds passed before he realized what was happening.

Huh? He... wasn't trying to strangle him after all?

"I've already requested leave for you from recruit training. You won't be marked late this time." Lu Feng withdrew his hand, watching as Wen Yanzhou's expression shifted from shock to delight.

Mm... very similar. Exactly the same as in the dream.

Knock knock knock.

A knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice.

"Admiral, I've come to check on Wen Yanzhou's condition."

"Come in." Lu Feng gestured for the visitor to enter, rising from the bed to stand once more.

"Doctor Lin! What are you doing here!" Wen Yanzhou's mouth fell open in delight.

Doctor Lin gave Lu Feng a slight nod, then turned to Wen Yanzhou: "You had a fever yesterday. I came to see how your recovery is going."

"I'm much better! Yesterday I felt so hot and uncomfortable, but after sleeping I woke up feeling almost normal!"

Being alone in this room with that dreadful Admiral had been terrifying. Doctor Lin's arrival instantly relieved a great deal of Wen Yanzhou's tension, and he perked up at once.

"Doctor Lin, was it you who brought me here for treatment yesterday? I'm so much better now. Thank you!"

Wen Yanzhou barely knew anyone here besides Doctor Lin. Seeing him now, he naturally assumed Doctor Lin had been the one who save him.

Doctor Lin, who was arranging equipment beside the bed, froze. He glanced over his shoulder at Lu Feng.

After a few seconds, reading the Admiral's expression, Doctor Lin chose his words carefully: "Mm... this is the Admiral's private medical suite. Yesterday's situation was urgent, so you were placed here temporarily."

Wen Yanzhou followed Doctor Lin's gaze to Lu Feng. His expression was cold, probably annoyed that Wen Yanzhou had taken over his room.

"Ha... hahaha." Wen Yanzhou spoke ingratiatingly: "Thank you, Admiral."

Doctor Lin produced a bewildering array of machinery Wen Yanzhou could not begin to understand and ran a full examination. Finally, he felt Wen Yanzhou's forehead.

"You are indeed much better. But you must still take better care of yourself in the future."

Wen Yanzhou's clothes had been pulled askew during the examination. Doctor Lin patiently helped him redress.

"Thank you, Doctor Lin!" Wen Yanzhou tilted his head and pointed at his trousers: "I don't really know how to fasten these either. Could you help me with those too?"

Doctor Lin agreed without hesitation, tidying Wen Yanzhou's trousers neatly and fastening the buttons at his waist.

Lu Feng's face darkened.

When I helped him dress, he was terrified out of his wits. When Doctor Lin does it, he's all eagerness and smiles.

"Lin Xing. How goes the investigation into the spies I asked you to look into?"

"What? Spies?!" Wen Yanzhou's voice cracked with terror. He stared at Doctor Lin, rigid with tension.

Lin Xing was also puzzled. He hadn't received any recent orders to monitor spies. Could there be new developments regarding the old cases?

"All known spies are under surveillance. Any movements will be reported to you immediately."

Wen Yanzhou stared at Doctor Lin in disbelief, too frightened to draw breath. He silently pulled his hand away from where Doctor Lin had been about to adjust his belt.

"Thank you. Thank you, Doctor Lin. I can manage myself."

"Um... ha... Doctor Lin is that impressive?" Wen Yanzhou ventured tentatively: "He's also responsible for catching spies?"

"Indeed." Lu Feng kept his face perfectly straight: "Doctor Lin catches spies quickly and accurately."

"No spy has ever escaped Doctor Lin's notice."

Wen Yanzhou stood at attention on the spot, mentally patting himself down to confirm all his parts were still attached.

"Truly... truly impressive." Wen Yanzhou rose to his feet and backed toward the door, his legs moving in a crooked, unsteady gait: "I'll be going now."

At last he had escaped that suffocating room.

Wen Yanzhou returned to his small quarters, the place he had been staying while recovering. He opened the forum on his optical computer, hoping to find out what today's recruit training entailed. If possible, he should try to make up for it.

Wen Yanzhou lay on his stomach on the bed, navigating through the forum with his avatar, which he thought looked rather odd. At last, he found what he was looking for.

[Recruit training is so exhausting]

Clicking into the post, he found many people complaining about the intensity. The first day's standing at attention had already broken the spirits of many would-be soldiers, and the second day's weighted running had left them gasping for air.

Wen Yanzhou sucked in a breath and shuddered as he read. Good thing I didn't go to training today. With my body, I probably wouldn't have made it through at all.

But though he had escaped today, what about tomorrow? Tomorrow's training would likely be even harder. How was Wen Yanzhou going to survive?

Wen Yanzhou's face fell as he scrolled through the posts, worried for his future.

[The Admiral is so mysterious. Has anyone managed to take a photo of him? I want to see!]

Wen Yanzhou spotted this post and clicked on it indignantly. People actually wanted to see this Admiral? He was fierce and terrifying, what was there to look at?!

Just thinking about that face, about his declaration that all spies would be caught, made Wen Yanzhou shiver involuntarily.

Floor 1: What is the OP thinking? Taking a photo of the Admiral? Do you have a death wish?!

Floor 2: Same here. Last time someone posted just a side profile. The thread went up... and then... well, what happened after is better left unsaid.

Floor 3: Hahahaha you must be the OP who posted those "beautiful photos" of the Admiral last time! I was wondering why the thread vanished the moment I clicked in.

Floor 4: Yeah... sigh. The past is better left behind.

Floor 5: Oh right! That person who said they wanted to "lick the Admiral's breathtaking beauty", hasn't said a word in days. Probably got banned hahahahaha

Floor 6: Invited. Just took this. Look fast. [Image]

A new comment suddenly appeared, attached with an image. Wen Yanzhou zoomed in. It was a back view.

That unfeeling, unapproachable silhouette, radiating cruelty and coldness, it was definitely him!

Wen Yanzhou enlarged the image and poked at it repeatedly with his finger, trying to stab the dreadful Admiral to death through the screen.

He had barely poked it a few times when a notification popped up: This image no longer exists.

So petty!

Wen Yanzhou swiped back to the main page, intending to look at other posts. But probably because he had been reading about the Admiral, the system kept recommending threads related to that dreadful man.

[Quick read! A summary of the Admiral's achievements throughout his career]

[How to achieve man-machine unity: using the Admiral's mecha as an example of mecha synchronization]

[Admiral's combat training footage. Don't click; you'll regret missing it]

[The Admiral is so impressive. Is his pheromone level really only A-level?]

Wen Yanzhou looked at these titles with disdain. They were practically singing that Admiral's praises until flowers bloomed. He would never click on any of them! "Regret missing it" indeed, he would rather bleed dry than click!

[[Image] Isn't this that guy? Did he pass by Camp XX? Is he holding someone in his arms...?]

? Wasn't that the Admiral? Wen Yanzhou's eyes went wide as he stared at the image on the main page. Was he actually carrying someone?

Would he really walk around holding someone, and allow himself to be photographed doing it? Wen Yanzhou couldn't resist clicking in to investigate.

The fish cannot even sympathize with the version of himself from one second ago.

Floor 1: Mm... yes...

Floor 2: Saw it with my own eyes. Dare not say more.

Floor 3: Stop speaking in riddles! Who is it? Decode it already!

Floor 4: Can only be felt, not explained. Figure it out yourselves. But WHO is in his arms?! I genuinely have no idea!

Floor 5: I don't know either. New recruit, I heard. Supposedly an Omega.

Floor 6: This is huge! Is the Admiral finally thinking about settling down?!

What? Wen Yanzhou was skeptical. That terrifying man actually liked Omegas? The image was right there, and though the face of the person in his arms was unclear, there was definitely someone there. It was all very strange.

Wen Yanzhou refreshed the page, ready to read more speculation, only to find, as expected, another "This post no longer exists."

Good heavens! Even the speed at which he ate his favorite dried fish couldn't match the speed at which the Admiral deleted posts!

Wen Yanzhou marveled at this. But these forums were really fun, you could ask anything on them. Which meant...

Wen Yanzhou's eyes suddenly lit up. His fingers flew across the screen.

[Doctor Lin is so impressive! I really admire him. He saves people AND fights battles. His nose is handsome, his eyes are handsome (200 words of praise for Doctor Lin omitted)... Oh, by the way, that scale pendant Doctor Lin wears is so beautiful. Does anyone recognize it?]

Wen Yanzhou was a little spy. He must always remember to conceal his identity and never expose himself. He typed, deleted, and retyped his message for ages.

This way he could gather information about his brother's scale pendant without revealing who he was. Wen Yanzhou felt positively brilliant!

Floor 1: Doctor Lin is indeed wonderful.

Floor 2: Yes! He's so capable and good-looking too!

But perhaps he had been too subtle. No one seemed to notice the question he had so cleverly and casually slipped in. Would anyone give him information about his brother's scale?!

Suddenly, a new reply popped up.

Floor 3: So ugly.

Wen Yanzhou frowned, confused. He typed a reply to the comment.

Wen Yanzhou: What's ugly?

The commenter: The scale. It's ugly.