Chapter 150: Your Stigmata Is Actually in the Standard Position? - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

**Chapter 150: Your Stigmata Is Actually in the Standard Position?** The next morning. Xu Shi and Xia Wuyou slowly awoke after quite the tumultuous night... well, honestly, they barely rested at all and last night could even be described as a little wild. Perhaps it was a necessary release — the stress from the recent events involving Xia Ke'an had kept their hearts in suspense, and coupled with the awkward interruption earlier, once they had the chance to be uninhibited, it all felt perfectly natural. "Are you... satisfied?" Xia Wuyou, blushing, leaned into Xu Shi's embrace in her favorite position and carefully posed the question. Xu Shi, rather than responding verbally, simply gave her a peculiar look accompanied by a thumbs up. He was extremely satisfied. This was mostly thanks to Xia Wuyou's physical condition — as a combat specialist, her well-trained, agile physique could only be described as perfect. Xu Shi now understood why so many girls are fond of activities like yoga; it doesn't just maintain a great figure, but the developed flexibility allows for a greater variety of activities. The key was that she was obedient to a fault. It was clear that Director Su's philosophy of "obedience regardless of right or wrong" had deeply influenced her. She truly was willing to cooperate to any extent you wanted, and when she said "whatever you like," it came from this foundation. He only regretted not bringing more accessories — at the very least, a tail would have been interesting. Cough, let's not defile the sanctity of a hospital with such talk. And her gravity-controlling ability... Xu Shi had thoroughly appreciated it during the massage she once gave him, and its application to practical use was nothing short of amazing, truly elevating the experience to cloud nine. Could anyone else manage that? (doge) Xia Wuyou's eyelashes fluttered; it was her first time experiencing something like this, but the subconscious tension and unease didn't last long. Xu Shi was never rough and always guided her with a gentle touch. Internally, she was filled with joy. Although there was only a surgery separating them, the change in mindset was significant. To be fair, there had always been a tinge of obligation in her previous experiences influenced by her aunt's affairs, a sense that somehow all her flirting or advances had a bit of "sacrificial" essence to them. It had felt like she was acting for the sake of the white-haired loli, concerning Xu Shi, which, while trivial, always left her a bit unsettled. But now with that layer removed, their relationship seemed more pure. The past entanglements had vanished, and she was simply offering herself to him because she genuinely liked him. There was nothing left but to savor the experience. "Hold still." Amidst their tender moment, Xu Shi suddenly seemed to remember something and started searching carefully on her body. "Huh?" Xia Wuyou was puzzled, but quickly discovered a mark that had appeared on her body — what else could it be? Naturally, it was the stigmata of the "Entropy of Malignancy" completing its loop. In a notably dramatic fashion, Xia Wuyou's stigmata emerged precisely three inches below her navel, forming wing-like shapes, with simple feather lines in the center. "What the...? A standard position?" Xu Shi was mildly surprised and thought to himself how unexpectedly provocative it was... "What?" Xia Wuyou didn't understand what he meant, but after Xu Shi explained it to her, she hid her face in the sheets, embarrassed. "Why does something like this exist..." It seemed that, no matter who it was, the first time facing their stigmata would elicit this kind of reaction. It was understandable because it felt like being branded, and it's only natural to feel shy about it. Xu Shi never avoided explaining it to them—in truth, whether it was Jiang Chengcheng, Gu Yi, or Xia Wuyou, none could be completely unaware of the influence "Entropy of Malignancy" had on them. However, the ability didn't forcibly control their thoughts; it merely had an influence. He never forced anyone into anything... okay, maybe Gu Yi was an exception, but when he first met her and took her away, Xu Dong hadn't even awakened his ability. Moreover, with Xia Wuyou, the presence or absence of a stigmata seemed to make little difference. Her heart had long been with him... Naturally, there were benefits, as the increase in psionic ability can only be fully realized once it is looped. Xu Shi could feel that the limitations of A- were reaching their peak, and he was only a step away from achieving a true A rank. In the past, cultivation involved dual practice; now there is stigmata feedback. One could say that times are developing and progressing. "Then... do the others have it too?" After being silent in the sheets for a while, Xia Wuyou peeked her head out and murmured. "In comparison to mine... how are theirs?" She wasn't troubled by it for long. Truthfully, from the first time she met Xu Shi, she knew he had plans for her, but she had long since come to terms with it. Looking back at her previous struggles and rejections, they seemed rather insignificant. Thus, she was instead curious about such questions, knowing well she wasn't the only woman in Xu Shi's life. "I couldn't say for certain." Xu Shi pulled her into his embrace. "When there's a chance to gather together, we can give you a precise answer." That was the reasoning behind it. Jiang Chengcheng was charming, Gu Yi was adorable, Xia Wuyou was pure and versatile. Each had their own special qualities. "You... you want me to meet others...?" Xia Wuyou was taken aback, having never considered such situations before. In her mind, such matters were exclusive to two individuals behind closed doors. With three people...? Apologies, she couldn't fathom it... Moreover, what Xu Shi didn't know was that "the others" she referred to was actually a specific someone. She wasn't well-acquainted with Gu Yi and Jiang Chengcheng; realistically, their relationship was merely collegial, limited to recognizing their existence without an understanding of their ties to Xu Shi. In contrast, she knew quite a bit about Su Lin, having often compared herself with her in the past. Naturally, she thought of her first. In her mind, this rogue was clearly an experienced player, leading her to wonder about him and Director Su... Ugh. In her mind, she imagined Su Lin's usually unapproachable demeanor crumbling in front of Xu Shi, unaware that she was quite similar and even unaware that she preceded Su Lin in this respect... "But... there is a downside." Xu Shi, oblivious to her spiraling thoughts, mumbled to himself. "What downside?" Xia Wuyou asked out of curiosity. "We should have prepared another bed." Xu Shi said earnestly. "Huh?" Xia Wuyou didn't understand. Why would they need another bed? Was it some unusual indulgence she didn't understand... "You're overthinking it. Primarily, it's for separating wet from dry." Xu Shi replied with a mischievous smile. Captain Xia blinked, taking a moment to understand his implication. "There’s no need, really..." She rolled her eyes at Xu Shi, annoyed. Last night’s outburst was due to his intentional provocation, after all… it wasn’t her fault! "Moreover, do you plan on staying here indefinitely?" Xia Wuyou continued, "Once Aunt's recovery is complete, we should consider moving out." Indeed, this was true. Although the luxury hospital suite offers great service, generally residing in a hospital is not practical. "Have you thought about where to move?" Xu Shi, understanding her point, asked casually. "Not yet, but finding a place shouldn't be difficult." Xia Wuyou laughed. "I have a lot more resources on hand now and plenty of options to choose from." She wasn't about to consider that cramped rented room again. With much more financial freedom, she could certainly move to a relatively more comfortable place — after all, under normal circumstances, the salary of a "Serpent Ring" field leader was equivalent to that of a corporate manager. "I'll look for a three-bedroom apartment." She winked at him. "In that case... you could come over occasionally. Although, the rent might be a bit steep. Above District 15 might not be feasible, so perhaps District 14..." Xu Shi couldn't help but chuckle as Xia Wuyou's first concern was value for money, despite being the dignified daughter of "Optics." It made sense, thinking about it. Years of hardship had reshaped her mindset, away from her former life where it was unthinkable to split every coin in half. Once established, habits are hard to break. So, he offered a more economical suggestion, "Why not just move into my place? Save 100%." "Isn't that a bit much?" Xia Wuyou hesitated, then said, "Mainly, it might be inconvenient. If I remember right, Director Su lives with you too, doesn't she?" "I'm the actual owner, you know?" Xu Shi replied, rolling his eyes. Besides, you wouldn’t be the first to move in... "Are you sure there’s no rent?" With his proposal, her reluctance faded slightly, she asked half-jokingly. "If you're willing to pay, I wouldn’t mind." Xu Shi teased, giving her a playful pinch. "I'm more worried about a predatory landlord taking advantage of a tenant..." Xia Wuyou giggled softly, yet, initiated the embrace herself. She certainly had no objections—truth be told, she didn’t want to be away from Xu Shi. Otherwise, why rent an extra room for him? And if she actually moved to his place, they could spend even more time together. "Then let’s start with one deposit and three payments," Xu Shi teased, in disbelief at how smoothly she uttered such seductive remarks. Was she a natural flirt or just hadn’t realized her own allure? Yet, Xia Wuyou had more to say. “To be honest, are you sure you’re okay? It seems like your physical fitness is a bit lacking… even if you’re a chairman, you should exercise more.” This was relative, of course. High-intensity sessions didn’t faze Xia Wuyou; her missions were often more taxing. Not that Xu Shi was lacking—he maintained decent shape—but compared to Xia Wuyou, he fell short. Without using her abilities, in a bare-handed confrontation, he might not stand a chance. "Wasn’t it only last night you were asking for mercy?" Xu Shi fired up, rolling her beneath him. "The terms just changed to one deposit and six payments!" "No, I won’t stay then, is that okay…" Xia Wuyou pleaded with her mouth, but her eyes sparkled with amusement. Who knows if her earlier comment was to provoke him; she wasn't entirely innocent… "In your dreams, forced sale and purchase!" ... Thus, Chairman Xu finally achieved his ultimate vacation goal: indulging every day. With nothing tying them down, for these few days, the two were indeed uninhibited, as if making up for all previous regrets. It got a bit out of hand… and Xia Wuyou even found a nurse uniform from somewhere—even introducing a bit of uniform temptation. Her usual combat gear had now turned into a daring outfit. This, of course, was Xu Shi’s request. "I’ve wanted to do this since ten years ago," the shameless man declared. "Were we even acquainted back then?" Xia Wuyou rolled her eyes. "Weren’t we just not familiar with each other?" Xu Shi countered. At that time, "Optics" was still around, and "Serpent Ring" was at a secondary stage. Some business interactions were necessary, and it was impossible that there was no contact among contemporaries. At that time, neither did he pay attention to Xia Wuyou, nor did her eyes stray from Shen He. Now... thinking back, it was all quite wistful. "Hehe, we’re certainly familiar now," Xia Wuyou pursed her lips, smiling as she kissed his cheek. "You two should really tone it down a bit..." Amidst their intimate display, someone was less than pleased. Xia Ke'an now only wanted to be discharged immediately — with days like these, she couldn't stand it. The two troublemakers had zero intention of avoiding her, spending less time with her. At the very least, could they air out the room? Hmm? The pervasive scent of osmanthus flowers wasn’t helping the patient’s recovery! "Okay, okay." Xu Shi rolled with laughter, thinking it was deliberate payback for this troublesome old lady interrupting their fun... yet he maintained his restraint, letting go of Xia Wuyou. "Why don’t you take her out for some fresh air? I'll go talk business." "Alright." Xia Wuyou nodded obediently, carrying Xia Ke'an out. "Aunt, don’t be mad, sis is taking you out for some fun..." "Xia Wuyou, if you call me that again, you're in for it!" ... After tidying up, Xu Shi headed to the director's office where Xie Qing Yan was patiently waiting. Seeing him arrive, she wore a scornful expression. "Chairman Xu finally has time to visit me? Just a reminder, excessive indulgence can ruin your health." "Then perhaps I should drink less in the future," Xu Shi heeded the advice, sitting across from her. "Come to think of it, are you the director? I thought not." "The director’s position is one I secured," Xie Qing Yan retorted with a sidelong glance. "Have you played enough now to tell me about this great benefit you mentioned earlier?" "It’s just some simple insider information." Xu Shi stretched lazily, "The 'Feather Pen' is planning to team up with 'Dragon City' to develop the livelihood of Sin City. Would you consider that a great benefit?" "Are you serious?" Xie Qing Yan stood up abruptly, enlightened — the potential benefits here were enormous. Organizing the chaos of eleven major districts into a clean state transformed it into a massive cake—or eleven smaller cakes. Even a few bites could yield substantial gains. Not only could this filter out more talent, but more importantly, if this continued, the barriers between Night City and Sin City would gradually dissolve, eventually allowing them to establish a rightful presence... Not to mention the sheer profits from those basic infrastructure projects. If this isn’t a boon, then what is? Granted, it’s a long-term project not immediately profitable, but few worldly gains come instantly. It's not a problem. Realizing this, she understood the significance of securing District Ten. Before development commences, the more secretly controlled territories within Sin City a consortium has, the more advantageous it will be. Most crucially, she had been oblivious — evidently, this was something 'Feather Pen' and 'Dragon City' conducted covertly... who would've imagined it? Their relations were such that it's impressive they're not at each other's throats, let alone collaborating. But with Xu Shi revealing it himself, there was no way she wouldn’t believe it — Old Master Wen is his grandfather; clearly, he had known all along, with full discretion on if, to whom, and how he shared it. So he's been laying it all out? "Seems I don’t need to elaborate much?" Knowing she’d grasp it instantly, Xu Shi only advised, "But my suggestion is not to overextend—claiming too much territory benefits no one." That's true, because this differs from any previous venture. Continuing with the cake analogy, they're still at the mixing phase, haven’t even bought the flour yet; diving in now wouldn’t be sweet and would only create a mess. This is why, upon learning of it, he hadn’t aggressively leveraged it against others. His grandfather’s wishes were one factor, but the uncertain situation, Dragon Team's unclear stance, and if everyone involved, things would completely deviate. Small moves suffice; too much commotion would backfire. "You don't need to say, I understand," Xie Qing Yan agreed seriously. "Is this enough to warrant Director Xie personally performing surgery?" Xu Shi joked. "…Barely." Xie Qing Yan feigned a bit of arrogance. "Also, I must ask that Chairman Xu doesn’t get too unabashed. This is a hospital; some activities should be kept for home." She was aware of Xu Shi and Xia Wuyou’s relationship, and recalling her last ward rounds, if they were also… What a situation. Watching this scoundrel smooch with others was infuriating enough, but having to assist them too— Xu Shi, are you courting death? "Alright, alright, it seems about time for discharge anyway." Xu Shi replied nonchalantly. "Been here over two weeks, I imagine certain people must be urging me home too..." No sooner had he spoken than the communicator on his wrist rang. The caller, of course, was Miss Su Lin, tasked with hard labor as punishment. "Young Master, aren't you... coming back?" Director Su's tone was undoubtedly filled with resentment. "There’s an issue with the engineering department. It would be best if you came to take a look." "Whose issue?" Xu Shi pretended ignorance. "It’s naturally... Lin Wen Hua’s issue." (End of chapter)