Ruan Mei's slender back pressed against the cold door panel, the playful elegance she displayed when toying with her prey now utterly shattered, leaving only pure panic.
The seemingly ordinary fire poker in Daziel's hand now had its tip blazing with intense, twisting flames. Orange-red light danced wildly in the confined space, casting savage shadows. Light and shadow cut across Daziel's face, splitting it into contrasting halves of brightness and darkness.
The last trace of mockery in his eyes had vanished, leaving only an icy chill. The air distorted from the searing heat, the temperature rose sharply, and an oppressive feeling clung to everything.
The scalding poker, whistling through the air, lashed out precisely and mercilessly at Ruan Mei's meticulously maintained, curvaceous body.
"Ah—!" A piercing, short scream tore through the air.
Ruan Mei's delicate face, always wearing an expression of intellectual superiority, instantly drained of color, turning deathly pale. Her lips moved unconsciously, trying to say something, but not even a complete syllable could escape, only broken gasps.
Her vaunted intellect and composure were fragile and easily broken before this absolute attribute restraint. It couldn't be helped; she was a woman and an Ice attribute. One could only say that Jingliu and Ruan Mei were too unlucky.
If Herta hadn't already been "taken to bed," even the "Big Black Tower" (likely referring to Herta's true form or a more powerful puppet) would have probably received a couple of strikes. Not to mention, Daziel's own strength had risen a level after devouring Hulei's heart.
Those clear eyes, which once seemed to see through people's hearts and were as calm as autumn water, were now completely submerged in the most primal, purest fear. Her pupils constricted violently.
"You... what exactly do you want to do...?" Her voice trembled uncontrollably, every word laced with incredulous panic and despair. She had never imagined that the trap she had so carefully laid would backfire on herself. The prey had transformed into a man-eating beast.
Daziel didn't immediately respond to her trembling question, merely remaining silent as he took a heavy step forward. The scorching heat of the fire poker once again rushed towards her; Ruan Mei could even feel her hair slightly curling.
She subconsciously tried to turn sideways to dodge, but discovered in horror that her legs felt as if filled with lead, heavy and stiff, utterly unable to move, as if nailed to the spot by an invisible force.
"Do?" The corner of Daziel's mouth slowly curved into a very faint, yet bone-chillingly cold arc. That smile held no warmth whatsoever. "Naturally... to let you, this lofty genius, properly experience the taste of being treated as an experimental subject."
Under the flickering flames, his eyes were so sharp they seemed capable of peeling back her soul.
Just then, a familiar mechanical sound echoed in Daziel's mind.
"OT!"
[Scan successful!]
[New Target Acquired: Ruan Mei]
[Corruption Value: 0%]
[Mission: Raise Ruan Mei's Corruption Value to 50%]
[Mission Reward: Propagation Emanator Body Modification Plan]
[Propagation Emanator Body Modification Plan: An optimized version of Ruan Mei's research results, she will be interested in it.]
Daziel's mind stirred almost imperceptibly, his gaze once again sweeping over Ruan Mei's graceful body, which trembled slightly from extreme fear. This Corruption System , its mission timing was rather opportune.
"You seem... very adept at manipulating life, don't you, Ms. Ruan Mei?" Daziel's voice deepened, like a lover's whisper, yet it carried a hair-raising playfulness and cruelty. In this situation, Daziel was no longer concerned with his "partner of justice" persona.
"Using specially concocted drugs to control people's minds, treating others as cold experimental samples, deconstructing and shaping them at will, that feeling... does it fascinate you?"
Ruan Mei's pupils suddenly constricted, her body trembling violently as if struck by an invisible electric current, so intensely that the door panel behind her vibrated slightly.
"I... I was just... to explore the mysteries of life..." She tried to explain, but her voice was pale and weak, unable to convince even herself.
She tried her best to maintain a final shred of composure, but the uncontrollable fear, transmitted through her trembling voice, had thoroughly betrayed her inner collapse.
Daziel suddenly lunged forward, the distance between them shortening until he could almost feel her breath. The flames at the tip of the fire poker nearly touched the beautiful silk hem of her qipao.
Ruan Mei let out another short cry of alarm, her body instinctively pressing tightly against the cold door panel behind her, as if wanting to merge into it to escape the imminent danger.
"Just what?" Daziel scoffed, his left hand lashing out like lightning. Five fingers, precise and powerful, clasped Ruan Mei's slender, fragile neck, tightening instantly, choking back all her subsequent unspoken explanations and pleas.
A suffocating sensation surged over her like a tide. Ruan Mei's eyes widened abruptly, instantly turning white. The instinct for survival made her struggle violently. Ruan Mei's hands clawed futilely at Daziel's iron-like arm, leaving faint red marks.
She tried to mobilize the Erudition Path energy within her body, but found it completely suppressed. Daziel's fire poker far exceeded her imagination, possessing a barbaric and unreasonable restraining power.
"Don't you enjoy observing the most subtle information flow of a lifeform through direct touch?" Daziel leaned down, his warm breath almost brushing her ear, bringing a strange ticklish sensation, but the words he spoke were as cold as a blade, each one piercing her heart.
"Then, today, let yourself... personally experience what it feels like to be thoroughly deconstructed by others."
"Aren't you passionate about creating life, viewing it as an art?" His voice dropped lower, carrying the seduction of a demon's whisper and an undeniable threat. "Have you ever thought that one day, you yourself... would become the one forcibly 'shaped' by others?"
"No... Let... go of... me..." Ruan Mei managed to squeeze out a few broken syllables from her throat, each word exhausting her strength. Ruan Mei managed to force out a few words.
Unprecedented humiliation and bone-deep fear intertwined madly. Hot tears, no longer controllable, streamed silently from her tightly shut eyes like broken pearl strings.
This genius scholar, who had always been aloof and regarded all living beings as research subjects, was now disheveled and helpless, like a lamb awaiting slaughter on an altar, stripped of all strength and dignity to resist.
Daziel didn't loosen his grip immediately, instead slightly increasing the pressure of his fingers, clearly feeling the frantic beating of her pulse and the struggle of her life force in despair. He watched her expression, a mixture of despair, humiliation, and helplessness, with great interest. This woman's self-righteous arrogance, her desire to control everything, had to be utterly crushed, making her never forget.
"Begging for mercy? Only thinking of begging for mercy now?" Daziel's tone carried a hint of mockery, "It seems... it's a little too late."
His other free hand, with an almost profane scrutiny, slowly slid down the graceful curve outlined by her qipao. This movement, devoid of lust, made Ruan Mei feel more shame and trepidation than any violation. His fingertips finally rested on her flat abdomen, pressing lightly.
"Your body, indeed, is also a perfect experimental sample." This sentence, Ruan Mei had used to describe Daziel not long ago. Now, Daziel returned it to her, word for word, with doubled sarcasm.
"It's just a pity... the owner of this perfect artwork is a bad woman who doesn't know her limits and likes to play with fire."
"..." Fresh air rushed into her lungs, inducing a violent and painful coughing fit. Ruan Mei's body went limp, sliding down the cold door panel and collapsing onto the smooth floor.
Her qipao, disheveled from the previous struggle, and her meticulously styled bun, now askew and loose, a few strands of dark hair stuck to her sweaty cheeks, bore no resemblance to her usual ethereal elegance and composure.
Daziel looked down at her, curled up on the floor. The flames at the tip of the fire poker still burned fiercely, the flickering light making the small staff lounge look like some kind of infernal judgment chamber.
He slowly squatted down, and with a thought, took out the Sensitivity Modifier. In the instant Ruan Mei was dazed from lack of oxygen, the modifier's faint light flashed over her body, silently adjusting her physical sensitivity to its maximum threshold.
Then, Daziel, using the metal end of the fire poker, which was no longer burning but still carried a scorching residual heat, lifted Ruan Mei's delicate chin in an insulting manner, forcing her to raise her head.
"Tell me, Ms. Ruan Mei, how do you feel now?" His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. The slightly hot touch of the metal made the skin on Ruan Mei's chin tingle, and an indescribable, strange sensation spread throughout her body.
"Do you still feel... that everything in this world is under your control?"
Ruan Mei lifted her tear-blurred eyes and looked at the man before her. Fear, like a vine, tightly wrapped around her heart, making her unable to breathe. She opened her mouth, her throat dry and tight, wanting to say something in rebuttal, or to continue begging for mercy, but in the end, she only managed a few broken, desperate sobs.
"It seems, just this, is not enough to teach you a lesson." Daziel put away the fire poker and took out the baseball bat instead.
He reached out, his movements rough, grabbing Ruan Mei's arm and dragging her, who was almost limp and devoid of strength, from the cold floor. The disparity in strength was too great; Ruan Mei couldn't resist at all and was easily dragged to the center of the room.
That set of comfortable-looking soft sofas now seemed so offensive to Ruan Mei, as if it were an execution platform awaiting her.
Daziel threw her onto the sofa without any tenderness. The soft sofa didn't cushion much of the impact. Ruan Mei cried out in pain, her head spinning.
She struggled, instinctively wanting to get up and escape this dangerous man, but felt a weight on her calf. Daziel's hand strength made her unable to move.
"Don't be hasty," Daziel slowly sat down on the edge of the sofa, looking down, his gaze sweeping over her disheveled body inch by inch. "Our 'research' has only just begun."
"You tried to control me with drugs, to explore my body's secrets. So now, it's my turn to properly 'study' you."
He pinched Ruan Mei's ankle; the delicate skin was cold. Because of the modified sensitivity, she shivered uncontrollably.
"Let me see, what exactly is different about this Genius Society member's body."
Ruan Mei closed her eyes in humiliation, her body trembling slightly from fear and anger. She had never thought that she would one day fall into such a state, like fish on a chopping block, at the mercy of others, without any power to resist.
All her pride and dignity were utterly torn apart and trampled underfoot at this moment, leaving only boundless shame and bone-chilling despair.
"This is called, giving a taste of your own medicine."
Halfway through the procedure, Daziel's fingertips paused at the edge of her qipao's slit, gently caressing it. This slight touch made Ruan Mei's body tense even more.
"Now, it's my turn to ask questions." Daziel's eyes suddenly sharpened, like a hawk locking onto its prey. "Tell me, Ruan Mei, that giant cultivation tank you secretly set up in the Master Control Zone, what exactly are you cultivating inside?"
This question, far more direct and fatal than all previous physical contact and verbal teasing, struck at the deepest secret of her heart.
"You... how could you... even know about that?!" Ruan Mei's heart tightened, subconsciously wanting to hide it.
That was the core secret of her research plan, about creating an Emanator from scratch... It was a matter of great importance, she absolutely could not... absolutely could not tell this dangerous man before her.
"I... I was just... doing some routine life cultivation experiments..." Her voice was dry and hoarse as she tried to cover the truth with lies, but her panicked eyes and trembling voice had already exposed the turmoil in her heart. But Daziel's gaze seemed to pierce through all falsehoods; she had completely lost the composure befitting a genius.
"Routine experiments?" A cold sneer escaped Daziel's lips, his fingers clutching Ruan Mei's ankle suddenly tightening.
A suppressed groan of pain escaped Ruan Mei's throat, fine beads of cold sweat instantly covering her smooth forehead, her body uncontrollably curling up.
"It seems you still haven't learned your lesson." Daziel stood up, looking down at the woman curled up on the sofa. "Since gentle persuasion is useless, then I can only switch to a method that will leave a deeper impression on you."
This almost barbaric method, Daziel felt, was perfectly appropriate for dealing with this woman who dared to repeatedly provoke and try to manipulate him.
"Are you ready, Ms. Ruan Mei... to accept a true 'life deconstruction'?"
Ruan Mei looked at the undisguised malice in his eyes, and a certain fanaticism that made her blood run cold. An unprecedented sense of fear, like an icy tide, instantly engulfed her. She clearly realized that what awaited her next was likely an experience a thousand times more humiliating and terrifying than mere death.
"..." She let out an almost desperate cry, her voice hoarse, broken, and thick with a nasal tone.
However, Daziel ignored it, not even a flicker in his eyes, merely slowly, with a judgmental air, extending his hand...
Time seemed to have sunk into a viscous mire, each passing second accompanied by silent screams and suffocating oppression.
On the sofa, Ruan Mei's body trembled minutely, not from cold, but from a fear and humiliation that seeped from the depths of her soul. Those eyes, always as calm as autumn water, were now tightly shut, her long eyelashes trembling like frightened butterfly wings, stained with crystalline tears.
Her fair skin flushed an unnatural crimson, her breathing chaotic and rapid, mixed with suppressed sobs. Her pride and composure, which she regarded as life itself, her transcendent attitude of looking down on all beings and treating everything as experimental material, were being ruthlessly stripped away, crushed into powder, under Daziel's cold, absolute, and merciless control.
Just then, a miniature communication device on her wrist lit up with a soft, untimely prompt. That light, like an ice pick, instantly pierced Ruan Mei's taut nerves.
The meeting! The regular tripartite meeting with Herta and Screwllum! The appointed time... was almost here!
This realization struck her chaotic consciousness like a thunderbolt. To appear before those two in such a disheveled, mentally almost broken state... No! Absolutely not! That was more unbearable than any physical torture, an ultimate shame that could utterly destroy her!
Maintaining the dignity and elegance befitting a "genius" was almost an instinct carved into her soul! An incredibly strong desire for survival instantly overwhelmed the fear, humiliation, and physical discomfort.
She abruptly opened her tear-blurred eyes, using all her strength to look at the figure beside the sofa, who was like a god of control, coldly looking down at her.
"Wait... wait..." Her voice was hoarse and broken, each word seemingly squeezed out from the depths of her throat with great difficulty. "The meeting... I must attend the meeting..."
She was incoherent, her eyes unfocused, yet she desperately clung to this last straw.
"Please... temporarily... just temporarily... let me go..."
Daziel looked down at her. Her exquisite qipao was wrinkled and slightly disheveled from the previous struggle, its collar even soaked with sweat. Her meticulously styled hairpin was askew and loose, a few strands of damp dark hair clinging messily to her flushed, hot cheeks and slender, fair neck.
Those deep eyes, which once held the mysteries of life and the laws of the universe, now only contained the purest panic, pleading, and an almost overflowing, thick despair.
Truly... A delightful sight.
The corner of his mouth curved into a playful arc, and he didn't respond immediately. His fingertips traced lightly, almost imperceptibly, over the skin of her trembling calf, clearly feeling that extreme vulnerability and sensitivity on the verge of collapse.
"Oh? A meeting?" He drawled, as if savoring the two words. "It seems our Ms. Ruan Mei is still very concerned about her image in front of her companions."
Ruan Mei closed her eyes painfully, more humiliated tears silently falling, soaking the sofa fabric beneath her.
"..." She pleaded again, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
Daziel seemed to have finally had enough of appreciating her movingly wretched state. As if suddenly showing great mercy, he released his hold on her.
"Alright." He stood up, dusting off non-existent lint from his clothes. "Seeing your 'sincere' plea, and in the spirit of humanitarianism, I'll temporarily give you a chance to tidy up and maintain your so-called 'genius dignity.'"
Daziel leaned down slightly, close to her ear, his voice audible only to the two of them: "However, Ms. Ruan Mei, you must remember..."
"Our 'research' on creating life is merely paused, far from over."
The undisguised warning and threat in his eyes, like countless cold shackles, once again wrapped around Ruan Mei's frightened, fragile heart, making her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
Ruan Mei struggled, almost scrambling, to get up from the soft sofa that felt like an execution platform. Her legs were weak, her muscles aching from excessive tension and fear, almost unable to support her body's weight. She stumbled and nearly fell again.
There was no mirror in the room, but she could imagine how wretched she looked now. Her face was still flushed, her eyes filled with lingering panic, her clothes utterly disheveled and needing careful adjustment.
With the fastest speed possible, relying on muscle memory, she used her still trembling hands to gather her scattered hair, barely securing it with the simple hairpin that had fallen into a crevice of the sofa, and tried hard to smooth out the conspicuous wrinkles on her qipao.
Every subtle movement was accompanied by that substantial, aggressive gaze from behind, making her feel like she was being pricked by needles, a sense of shame washing over her crumbling nerves like a tide.
Finally, exhausting the last shred of her strength, she managed to regain some of her usual composure, though beneath that deliberately maintained elegance hid a turbulent storm.
"Click." Daziel opened the heavy alloy door of the lounge for her, a crisp unlocking sound.
"Please, Ms. Ruan Mei. Don't keep your companions waiting." Daziel stepped aside, his tone carrying a perfectly "considerate" air, which, however, sounded more like extreme, silent mockery to Ruan Mei.
Ruan Mei bit her lower lip so hard that her delicate skin almost bled, leaving two deep indentations from her teeth. She lowered her head, using all her strength to control her trembling body, and walked out with unsteady, almost fleeing steps.
Core area of the space station, meeting room.
Cool-toned lights illuminated the smooth metal walls and tabletop, creating a solemn and efficient atmosphere.
A huge holographic projection hovered in the center of the conference table, flickering with complex data streams.
Herta's puppet was already seated in a hovering chair on one side, her posture lazy, her slender fingers unconsciously, rhythmically tapping the smooth, cold tabletop, making soft "tap-tap" sounds.
Screwllum arrived punctually, his silver metal face reflecting an inorganic, cold luster.
The moment Ruan Mei pushed the door open and entered, her steps faltered almost imperceptibly; she almost subconsciously wanted to retreat.
But she forced herself to straighten her almost bent spine, squeezed out what she thought was a natural, albeit slightly stiff smile, her voice also sounding somewhat ethereal due to deliberate control.
"Sorry, I was handling some private matters, I'm a little late."
Screwllum's electronic eyes flickered, his logic core rapidly analyzing her physiological state.
"Detecting abnormal fluctuations, Ms. Ruan Mei."
Screwllum's gentle voice was as steady and unwavering as ever, like the most objective machine reading out a detection report.
"Facial skin temperature is 3.7 degrees Celsius above the normal baseline. Heart rate frequency exceeds the resting state baseline by 37.2 percent. Respiratory rate, compared to the database model, is slightly rapid and irregular. The body is accompanied by slight, non-autonomic muscle tremors."
"According to the health management protocol, is it necessary to initiate an emergency health status assessment procedure?"
Ruan Mei's heart suddenly clenched, almost stopping.
She subconsciously pressed her legs together, her hands crossed tightly over her lower abdomen, trying to conceal those uncontrollable, damned subtle reactions of her body.
"No... no need, Mr. Screwllum, thank you for your concern."
Her voice struggled to remain steady, yet still carried an imperceptible tremor.
"Perhaps... perhaps I was just walking a bit fast from the lounge, got a little... a little hot."
She avoided Screwllum's inquiring gaze and looked at Herta.
Herta's puppet's cunning purple eyes were keenly darting back and forth across Ruan Mei's face, which was filled with panic and forced composure, observing her subtle expressions.
The corner of her mouth curved into a subtle arc, a half-smile.
"Really? Just a little hot?"
Herta's tone was tinged with teasing.
"I thought you ran into Daziel."
With a "boom," Ruan Mei felt the temperature of her cheeks instantly rise several more degrees, as if about to burn. She forced herself to look away, her voice dryly responding.
"Ms. Herta is joking, I didn't see him."
The meeting officially began in this extremely strange, undercurrent-filled atmosphere.
Screwllum meticulously reported various data and parameter adjustments for the Simulated Universe, discussing whether new geniuses needed to be added.
Ruan Mei, however, was somewhat absent-minded. The report content flowed past her ears like water, unable to leave any trace in her mind.
She forced herself to concentrate with all her might, responding to Screwllum's occasional professional questions, but every time she spoke, her throat felt dry and tight.
The residual fear, shame, and that feeling of being utterly dominated, like maggots gnawing at her bones, tormented her nerves incessantly, making her restless.
She could even feel Herta's playful gaze landing on her from time to time, especially when her body trembled involuntarily, or when she tried to adjust her posture.
That gaze seemed to penetrate all disguises, seeing through everything she had just experienced.
Every minute, every second, was agony for Ruan Mei.
Finally, the meeting ended.
"Based on the above analysis, all agenda items for this regular meeting have been discussed. The meeting is adjourned."
Screwllum announced.
Before his voice faded, Ruan Mei almost reflexively shot up, moving so quickly she even knocked over the hovering chair behind her, which made a harsh "clang," appearing somewhat flustered.
"I... I have some urgent research data on my end that needs immediate processing, so... please excuse me!"
She blurted out this almost incoherent sentence, and without even waiting for Herta and Screwllum's reactions, she almost stumbled out, fleeing this suffocating meeting room without looking back.
In the cold, empty metal corridor, lights flickered, elongating her fleeing figure.
She leaned against the wall, gasping for breath, trying to calm her turbulent emotions and physical discomfort.
Her steps were unsteady, as if walking on cotton.
Extreme fatigue mixed with lingering fear made her just want to find a place to hide as soon as possible.
Just as she turned a corner, a figure, like a ghost, silently leaned against the cold wall.
It was Daziel.
He was watching her leisurely, a faint smile on his face, his calm gaze falling on her disheveled figure.
"Truly unqualified, Ms. Ruan Mei."
His voice was clear and slow, each word like a needle piercing her ears.
"You didn't hide it very well; the other two geniuses saw your abnormality."
He paused slightly, a hint of undisguised mockery flashing in his eyes, his tone abruptly turning cold.
"This is what you 'taught' me before, to hide one's expressions and true intentions when encountering matters, right?"
"Now it seems, Ms. Ruan Mei, you yourself... didn't learn it very well."
Ruan Mei's body suddenly stiffened, all the blood in her body seeming to rush to her head in an instant.
Humiliation, anger, hatred...
All sorts of emotions erupted like a volcano.
She suddenly raised her head, those eyes, usually calm as autumn water, now bloodshot, glaring deadly at the man before her.
"..."
Hoarse, broken sounds escaped her throat. She wanted to scream, to curse, to cast aside her genius identity and pounce on this bastard who had brought her endless shame, to tear him to pieces!
But her remaining sanity told her she couldn't.
The absolute crushing disparity in strength, and her current unspeakable predicament, made her realize that any resistance was merely a futile struggle, which would only invite deeper humiliation.
She could only bite her lip hard, her nails digging deeply into the palm of her hand.
Her body trembled violently from extreme anger and shame, yet she couldn't utter a sound.
Daziel admired her appearance, burning with anger yet helpless, the smile on his face deepening.
He completely ignored her venomous gaze that seemed to want to devour him alive, his tone abruptly changing, becoming cold and sharp.
"Alright, idle chat is over."
"Next, shouldn't we go and see for ourselves that... astounding masterpiece you left behind in the Master Control Zone?"
"That... so-called Propagation Emanator you painstakingly cultivated, is probably about to lose control, right?"
These words, like a thunderbolt, struck deep into Ruan Mei's soul!
The anger, shame, hatred on her face...
All emotions instantly faded, leaving only a deeper, purer shock and fear. Ruan Mei's eyes widened abruptly, her pupils contracting sharply, her face losing all color, pale as paper, as she stared at Daziel in disbelief.
"You... how... how do you know?!"
Her voice was dry and hoarse, filled with incomprehensible horror and panic, as if she had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.
____________
There wasn't much to add in this chapter. I'll go into more detail with the 18+ scenes when things get spicier, like sex, blowjobs, etc.
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