Why Do All the Villains Look at Me Like This? - Chapter 30

“Huh?”

Hearing Shen Zekai’s question, Meng Xuexiao was briefly stunned. His gaze lingered on the young man’s slightly pale face for a moment before he finally realized the time.

It had been more than twice as long as the duration they had originally agreed upon.

He immediately felt embarrassed, a faint pink rising to his cheeks, and his voice grew softer and softer, “Sorry… I got too focused while training, and… kind of lost track of time.”

Shen Zekai didn’t believe Meng Xuexiao’s explanation.

They were dealing with the Enforcer, after all, an entity whose every appearance caused a massive stir. A being like that, especially in a bad mood, could never possibly choose to act so… gently.

And yet…

Shen Zekai glanced at the back of the mecha. That eye-like pattern had, without a doubt, completely vanished.

The Enforcer had indeed left.

Was it because… it had already achieved its purpose in coming?

Shen Zekai couldn’t help but look Meng Xuexiao up and down once more.

The boy had broken a bit of a sweat, his cheeks slightly flushed, but he looked perfectly healthy. He had gone through several hours of intense training, yet didn’t even show signs of dehydration, which was one of the most common issues to arise.

It was as if… he had been taken care of extremely well.

Shen Zekai didn’t dare ask too much. He was also worried that if he pressed too far, the Enforcer might come back, so he could only feign calmness, “…Was the training… going smoothly?”

Meng Xuexiao’s eyes lit up instantly.

What Shen Zekai had asked was exactly what he most wanted to share.

“Don’t worry! There definitely won’t be any problems this time, the feasibility of collecting data during the duel has already gone up to around 70%!”

“I’m highly compatible with this mecha, and it’s super intelligent. It used really advanced methods to train with me, and it was especially patient. I’m really grateful that you lent it to me! I’ll keep training for a bit longer, I promise I won’t bring it shame!”

The boy’s eyes sparkled with excitement, radiating energy. The lashes at the corners of his eyes fluttered like the wings of a bird about to take flight, delicate, stirring gently, as if he might soar into the sky and vanish at any moment.

Shen Zekai felt that he should be proud, after all, Meng Xuexiao was praising his mecha.

On the battlefield, a mecha and its pilot were inseparable. For soldiers in the Federation military, being complimented on their mecha often brought more joy than being praised themselves.

But the one who had just been standing there training with Meng Xuexiao wasn’t his mecha at all. It was the Enforcer, who had forcefully taken over the machine.

In the end, he took a deep breath and said, “…As long as you’re not hurt, that’s all that matters.”

Whatever the Enforcer’s true intentions for possessing the mecha were, the important thing was that Meng Xuexiao hadn’t been harmed, and that, more than anything, was a relief.

He had long known that Meng Xuexiao had some connection to the Enforcer, and that it ran deep. He just hadn’t expected it to be this deep…

Not only did it refrain from harming anyone while in a bad mood, it had even taken on the role of a training partner, with unusual enthusiasm…

The Enforcer clearly harbored no goodwill toward humanity.

Shen Zekai had once discussed the Enforcer with Colonel Shen, who had spent over a decade studying it.

Based on various cases, Colonel Shen concluded that the Enforcer did not like humans.

Ever since its rise to notoriety, the Enforcer had been executing criminals, on a massive scale, without hesitation. And it didn’t stop at the criminals themselves, it also killed their families.

The Federal Military still preserved a certain piece of footage.

In it, a family of three knelt before the Enforcer. The criminal had already been executed, slumped lifelessly to the side like a bundle of limp cotton. Blood spread across the floor, soaking the white dress of his daughter.

The only survivors, a young girl and a woman, clung to each other, trembling uncontrollably.

The woman had clearly accepted her fate, but still kowtowed, begging the Enforcer to spare the child, because the girl was only 5-years-old, knew nothing of the crimes, and had never taken part in anything.

The Enforcer’s response? A fire.

The flames crackled and roared, consuming the family’s small wooden house, along with the mother and daughter who were shackled inside by mechanical cuffs, and their gradually fading screams.

By the time Federal soldiers arrived, not even ashes remained. Everything had been incinerated, not a single trace was left behind.

No humanity. No compassion.

The way the Enforcer looked at them was no different than looking at a fly about to be swatted, no distinction at all, whether it was the criminal, the criminal’s family, or, if you extended the scope further, all of humanity.

That fire, it felt less like punishment and more like a ritual.

Shen Zekai thought of an old poem from ancient Earth, “Wildfires burn endlessly, yet with the spring breeze, life grows anew.”

It was as if humanity was born to be the sacrifice consumed by wildfires, the paving stones for something greater. Only after total annihilation would a more perfect life be born.

It was deeply chilling.

Then Shen Zekai thought of Meng Xuexiao.

Meng Xuexiao was also human, also one of those sacrifices that, in the Enforcer’s eyes, deserved to die!

If that’s the case… then the relationship between Meng Xuexiao and the Enforcer needed to be seriously questioned.

Could the Enforcer be using Meng Xuexiao to achieve some hidden goal?

Meng Xuexiao didn’t have much in the way of family. Every step he took seemed tentative and cautious. Even the smallest gesture of kindness from those around him—he would hold onto it carefully, treasuring it like a precious object, as if it needed to be locked away in a box with a password.

To Meng Xuexiao, the Enforcer must be playing the part of someone patient, reliable, someone who hadn’t yet done anything that would break his trust.

Like a predator trap dressed up in beautiful flowers, waiting for the perfect moment to snap shut, crushing the bones of the little animal’s legs in an instant.

Shen Zekai suppressed his thoughts again and again, but in the end, he couldn’t hold it back any longer, “Actually, there’s no need to keep training with that mecha every single day. Getting familiar with it today is already good enough.”

“On the dueling ground, the mecha isn’t the decisive factor. I’ll teach you the rest.”

He wasn’t sure whether the Enforcer would return again, but he had to start preparing in advance.

For example, separating Meng Xuexiao from this mecha.

Meng Xuexiao blinked, only then processing what Shen Zekai had just said, “So… you mean I won’t be training with the mecha over the next few days?”

Even though he’d only spent a few hours with the mecha, Meng Xuexiao suddenly understood why the bond between Federal soldiers and their mechas was so strong.

The boy instinctively turned his gaze to the now completely dormant mecha, squatted beside it with clear reluctance, and even reached out to gently touch it.

It truly felt like the pilot and the mecha were one being.

Mutually strengthening, mutually supporting, entrusting their backs to each other without hesitation.

Hearing that he wouldn’t be able to train with it anymore made him feel genuinely disappointed. It was like a fire that had just been lit in his heart had been suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water.

But Meng Xuexiao also understood, this mecha was never his to begin with. It belonged to Shen Zekai. And Shen Zekai wouldn’t harm him, so… this must be part of some new training plan he had in mind.

His slender fingers traced along the mecha’s painted surface, “Looks like it’ll be a while before I get to see you again.”

After a moment, he looked up at Shen Zekai again, “Then… can I at least give it a basic cleaning?”

Meng Xuexiao gestured toward the nearby towel and water bucket, “Since I borrowed it, I should at least return it to how it looked before I used it.”

Polite, respectful, and considerate.

Shen Zekai thought that if Meng Xuexiao ever wanted to borrow a classmate’s mecha, with this kind of attitude, anyone would be willing, not just once, but again and again.

And yet… he still felt oddly dissatisfied.

“That’s not necessary,” Shen Zekai said, his tone a bit stiff and dry, “There are staff members at the mecha maintenance center who handle its upkeep every day.”

“Understood.” Meng Xuexiao nodded right away, without pressing further.

Since there were professionals assigned to care for the mechas, they were undoubtedly far more skilled than he was and could give this mecha the best possible maintenance.

Clearly, some places really were worth the high price they charged.

Even though Meng Xuexiao hadn’t questioned him further, in fact, had accepted Shen Zekai’s words without resistance, Shen Zekai’s expression didn’t soften at all.

He didn’t need to think hard to know exactly what Meng Xuexiao was thinking.

This person… always assumed the best of everyone around him!

Even after walking out of the mecha maintenance center, Shen Zekai’s face remained dark and stormy.

And because his mood was so bad, he didn’t notice someone hiding in the grass not far away.

“Phew, finally gone.” Hearing Shen Zekai’s footsteps fade into the distance, Li Hao poked his head out of the bushes.

He had already figured that Shen Zekai wouldn’t just sit back and wait for things to happen, so he quietly followed behind Shen Zekai and Meng Xuexiao, only to discover that the two of them had gone straight to the mecha maintenance center.

The fact that Colonel Shen had given Shen Zekai a personal mecha was basically common knowledge at the academy. Even Li Hao had heard rumors about how powerful that mecha was.

If Shen Zekai really lent that mecha to Meng Xuexiao… well, that would be a serious problem.

Luckily, when Shen Zekai came out, his expression was extremely sour, and that let Li Hao’s previously tense heart fully relax.

Meng Xuexiao was just a freshman, and an F-rank at that. How could he possibly control such an advanced mecha? Shen Zekai was probably upset about exactly that!

“Click, click, click” Shen Zekai really had terrible taste. After all that effort to finally take an interest in someone, it turned out to be nothing more than a pretty-faced fool. Their Wu-ge, on the other hand, had impeccable vision, every person he picked was rock solid!

Li Hao was determined to perform well in the upcoming duel, to beat Meng Xuexiao so thoroughly that everyone would know Wu-ge was a thousand times better than Shen Zekai!

He was just getting fired up when suddenly, he felt a heavy shadow fall over him. He instinctively looked up, only to meet a pair of violent, furious eyes.

He immediately cried out in alarm, “Wu-ge, y-you… why are you here?”

Wu Zian gave a slight smirk, “Came to see the mess you’ve made?”

“Mess?” Li Hao didn’t react right away.

Wu Zian gave him a hint, “That duel with Meng Xuexiao? Everyone’s talking about it.”

“Ohhh, you mean that!”

Li Hao smacked his own forehead, once they got to this topic, he wasn’t scared at all anymore. In fact, he was even a little excited.

He eagerly leaned his face toward Wu Zian.

“I found out everything, Shen Zekai and Meng Xuexiao don’t have anything up their sleeves. Just now, Shen Zekai looked super frustrated! That Meng Xuexiao is totally useless!”

“And they don’t even realize what kind of trash they are, thinking they can go up against our Wu-ge? This time I’m going to shut them down in one go and earn you some glory!”

“Earn me some glory, huh?” Wu Zian smiled, drawing out each word.

The next second, he clamped a hand around Li Hao’s cheeks.

Li Hao had a round face to begin with, but once Wu Zian squeezed, it instantly turned pear-shaped. The spots where his fingers dug in quickly turned bruised and purple, especially the five points of contact, which darkened to nearly black.

“C-can’t… breathe…” Li Hao gasped in broken breaths, eyes wide as he struggled to see Wu-ge’s face, completely dazed, he had no idea why things had suddenly turned like this.

“Can’t breathe? Then I’ll help you breathe.” Wu Zian hoisted him up and gave him a shake, like he was holding up a broken marionette from a toy shop.

Then he smashed a fist directly into Li Hao’s face.

Li Hao let out a miserable scream. His nose was completely smashed upward, the shattered bone piercing through the flesh and sticking out, like a crude breathing tube that had been violently jammed in.

Wu Zian’s smile only widened. He flexed his wrist a little, “Don’t be in such a rush, this isn’t over yet. Didn’t you say you wanted to put on a good show in the duel?”

“Shen Zekai is worried sick over Meng Xuexiao, so I’ll worry about you, too.”

“Let’s see… broken arms, broken legs, maybe a few snapped vertebrae. No big deal.”

After hearing that Meng Xuexiao had been forced into a duel, Wu Zian had done quite a bit of digging, looking into everyone at the school who might oppose Shen Zekai, or oppose him.

In the end, he found nothing.

He hadn’t expected that, just earlier during lunch, a few of his subordinates were gleefully chatting about it, placing bets on how long Meng Xuexiao could last against Li Hao.

Would it be a few rounds? Would he end up lightly injured, seriously injured, or… dead?

Wu Zian spat on Li Hao’s face.

“Seriously… a traitor in our own nest.”