13

The next day, when it brought food, I didn’t sit in place blankly but chose to pick it up, sitting cross-legged as they liked, tilting my head towards it, taking small bites.

The Nanny’s antennae moved slightly. After three days, when it tried to touch my head, I restrained my disgust and remained still, continuing to eat. A week later, the Nanny brought another Insectoid.

After their tests, they concluded I no longer had self-harm or aggressive tendencies and could be tested for external exhibitions. Although risky, no one wants to miss out on money.

To be safe, I was starved for two days before the exhibition. When I was exhausted and taken out, placed in a crystal shell, any Insectoid could take a photo with me for ten gold coins.

I could get a small piece of sour green apple in the photo. That day, I ate a lot. My mouth was full of saliva, but I couldn’t stop. I was very hungry. Very hungry. When a person is very hungry, there is no dignity.

Some Insectoids grabbed my hand, leaned against my face, some secretly pulled out a strand of my hair as a souvenir. But I couldn’t move or resist. If I hurt a visitor, even in self-defense, my punishment would be severe.

For instance, I saw an old man with no value left, who had all his teeth pulled out.

Because of my cooperation and obedience, my reputation quickly reversed. More and more came to take photos with me.

But it wasn’t enough; I needed to be more popular to get closer to Brianna and others.

Now, all my food depended on those who took photos with me.

But eating sweet potatoes and green apples every day was unbearable. On this day, the Soft-hearted Insectoid Big Brother who brought me back to the base reappeared. It didn’t seem affluent, having queued for half a day, it only bought a small piece of green apple.

When it handed over the green apple, I reached out to take it, and inside was a piece of meat.

I didn’t know what kind, but it was cooked, something I had often eaten at the base. I looked up, and Soft-hearted Insectoid Big Brother made a clicking sound, a sound it only made for me.

I used this as its code name: Click. I grabbed its antennae, causing other Insectoids to exclaim, but seeing I only rubbed Click’s hand, they got excited. Through my close interaction with Click, I regained popularity.

Finally, I got the chance to interact with Brianna. Now that Brianna was so popular, she might have more information about where we had an accident, maybe some useful clues.

14

The Rare Exhibition Hall was excited about this meeting. The Insectoids always thought humans had some intelligence.

But over the centuries, with internal and close-relative marriages, genetic issues became severe. The surviving humans had not only low intelligence but also health problems. They couldn’t even recognize their kind.

But we were different.

From the beginning, we showed incredible intelligence, making us the darlings of the Insectoid world. To get one to improve their human babies’ genes, they paid hefty rental fees and signed various strict agreements. When I approached Brianna, she just stared at me, her belly slightly bulging, not sure if she was fat or pregnant.

She cautiously approached me, telling me the information she got. “We can’t get out now, it’s better to adapt and live well.”

“You call this living well?” I asked her.

She smiled bitterly, “At least now there’s no survival burden, food and accommodation are provided. They quite like me, don’t they?

Much more popular than I was at school.”

 A beast is never enslaved unless provided food and shelter. Seeing me stare at her bulging belly, she smiled relievedly, “Being loved comes at a price.”

“Whose is it?” Brianna shook her head, “I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter.”

“Do you want your children to live like you?” Brianna didn’t care. She had thought it through or had her logic, “This life isn’t bad. At least I don’t have to worry about living expenses and work like before, even counting every meal with you guys…

You guys, the well-fed don’t know the hungry’s hunger. After graduation, your family is into animal research, paving the way for you, getting you office work.

The Class Belle has a meal ticket early because of her looks, and the Class President doesn’t worry about his future with good grades.

What about me? After graduation, I have two parents who can’t help and need my money. I can only rely on myself, go to the wild, to barren mountains, earning a living. I’d rather be a pet here than a beast out there.

At least we are equal here, right?”

I was stunned, never expecting Brianna to think this way. “But, but…”

“But what? Freedom? Dignity? Dignity here at least earns money, does it there?” She sneered, turned and left. After two steps, she turned back.

“Rachel, you always said wild animals shouldn’t be captured and kept, with a look of freedom and compassion. I couldn’t refute then, but now I tell you from experience. Being captive is truly wonderful. Being ruled is really worry-free.”

I stepped forward, “What about them? Do they think the same?” Brianna shrugged, “I don’t know. They didn’t cooperate much, some were sent away. But besides me, someone else is here this time.” She pursed her lips, “It’s for breeding.

You better hope it’s the Alaric or the Class President, at least they look decent.” Since they were already here, the base had another purpose: breeding.

For normal human reproduction, at least ninety-eight people are needed, with no fewer than forty men.

But now, the total number of captive humans is only about seventy. Many are relatives, with insufficient initial genes. Inbreeding and biological screening made surviving humans’ intelligence almost like cats and dogs.

Expanding gene diversity was urgent. The Insectoids’ methods now were almost identical to how humans treated endangered animals.

One was the rewilding experiment, hoping captive humans could find hidden wild humans to expand gene diversity.

The other was using existing resources for species breeding. There’s nothing new under the sun. The pairing scheduled six months late was back on the agenda. After being weighed, I was sent to a special room with many fresh, soft flowers, petals on the ground.

15

When I was put down, I saw the man standing in front. I didn’t expect it to be Chandler. “Where are the Class President and the Alaric?”

Chandler was a bit embarrassed, wrapping his waist with flower branches. “The Class President… is very busy now.” He smiled bitterly, “Because of his overall outstanding appearance, he’s busy with work everywhere.”

He used the word ‘work’, but everyone knew what the Class President was doing. “What about the Alaric?” He looked good and had a strong body, even better than the Class President.

“The Alaric has chest hair and isn’t white enough, not fitting their aesthetics, so he’s being modified. Last time I saw him, he was in a sterile room in a Glacier Exhibition Hall up north, with some drug making his chest and armpit hair gone, even his eyebrows.”

A pet’s beauty and status depend on the owner’s preferences. “The Class Belle is kept separately, no news, probably about to give birth.” “John is very popular, exhibiting everywhere like Brianna.” “

“The Celeste is still at the base, also about to give birth.” Then he looked at me, “Rachel, how are you? You are the most human among us.”

Two Insectoids outside were observing our compatibility and status.

Chandler said, “They are observing our match compatibility and status.” “What if we aren’t compatible? Forced relationships don’t work well.” Chandler suddenly smiled bitterly, “Anyway, they won’t give up. This time, a lot of money was spent to come to this Rare Exhibition Hall.”

“They won’t let go of this money easily,” he said, looking at me with a mixture of fear and determination. Chandler, usually gentle and somewhat dazed, wasn’t someone I was particularly close to, but he tried to offer a comforting smile. “We are classmates and fellow townsfolk. If you don’t want to, I won’t force you.

I reached out my hand, showing him the scars, and told him how I had successfully resisted the last time. Chandler’s eyes flickered with a glimmer of hope, then dimmed. He shook his head slowly, “But, there won’t be a second chance.”

“Really? I don’t think they gave us any drugs this time.”

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately said nothing. It was only the next day that I found out what he wanted to say.

16

I was anesthetized. When I woke up, a stabbing pain radiated from my lower body. The cold Operating Room was empty, except for an Insectoid doctor wearing a Crystal Necklace, tidying up his tools. A numb sensation spread from my ankles to my entire body. I had been artificially inseminated by the Insectoids.

The source of the insemination was Chandler, who had been electrocuted to extract his sperm. After countless harrowing experiments, the procedure had become disturbingly routine and efficient. To ensure success, they inseminated me multiple times.

This time, I became pregnant with my first child, not knowing its gender.

Due to past experiences, where the Class Belle ruined her body by having multiple pregnancies at once, the Exhibition Hall performed Fetal Reduction Surgery on me, leaving me with quadruplets. My belly swelled within two months.

The Base Chief responsible for the Exhibition Hall was pleased and celebrated for several days. According to the agreement, if there was only one child and both human parents were from the same place, the child would be sent back to their original home.

But if there were three or more, one could be kept. After communication, the Base Chief obtained custody of two children. But in the end, only one child survived, and even that weak son died within the same month.

I stared, numb and hollow, at the tiny corpse, a tumultuous blend of grief and hollow relief washing over me. A month later, I saw Chandler again. He looked even thinner, with a pale face. He came with a mission again, as he was the only one who had successfully matched with me. The same familiar room, even the petals on the floor seemed unchanged.

He brought good news. The Alaric’s health had improved significantly. Although now hairless and black, making him unseemly, he could come out. Last time, his Nanny had shown him a video of the Alaric. Now the Alaric had been relocated to another Exhibition Hall in the southern region, where the conditions were much better than in the north.

“I heard that the average lifespan of captive humans is less than forty years. But that Green Exhibition Hall has the longest-lived human, who is almost fifty. All the Insectoids are eagerly waiting for him to turn fifty.”

Chandler, the youngest and most helped in their dorm, had a particularly good relationship with the Alaric. He seemed genuinely happy for the Alaric. Human adaptability is endless; hope can always be found in despair.

Although the Alaric can’t be exhibited and we can’t see him, the better conditions there are good for his recovery. As long as there is a chance, we will meet again. The future is long, and there will always be opportunities.

He reached out and squeezed my hand. “As long as we draw breath, hope flickers in the darkness.” Then he let go of my hand. Electric shocks were familiar to him, very painful, but… not unbearable.

“I won’t force you.” His pale face bore an awkward and sad smile. “This is all I can do for you.”

But this time, I reached out and held his hand. Born human, we cling to each other for survival.

I buried my face in his chest. Chandler’s whole body stiffened. He slightly turned his body, blocking the view of the Insectoid Nanny beside him.

“I’m sorry.”

17

A year later, I was pregnant again, this time with twins. Unfortunately, the weaker child died at birth, and the one left with me was a lovely daughter.

This time, according to the Insectoids’ observations, because I could take good care of my daughter, I got the opportunity to raise her.

I didn’t know how long I could raise her, but this child who came from my body seemed to be naturally connected by blood.

I could hardly help but love her. She was a small, soft bundle, and she was inherently gentle and well-behaved. At one year old, she called out “Mom” for the first time. Tears streamed from my eyes.

I loved her existence and hated myself for giving her life. One morning, when she could talk, I woke up from a long, strange sleep, and my daughter was gone.

I hadn’t even had time to name her before she was taken away. According to the agreement, she was sent back to the base.

The next month, I saw Chandler again. He looked even more haggard than last time.

Though only twenty-five, he looked like he was thirty.

He had been sent from the base, accompanied by various medicines and supplements. On the way, he had even undergone emergency surgery.

The frantic extraction of sperm and the constant travel had nearly destroyed his body.

Worse still, there was another terrible piece of news. He sat limply on the ground like a puppet with its strings cut: “Rachel, the Alaric is dead.”

The Alaric died because of Chandler. But not entirely. Before this, he had been sent to the Green Exhibition Hall, where there was a nearly fifty-year-old captive human.

To break the lifespan record for captive humans, the Alaric, as a Parasitic human, had been forced to become a mobile “Living Blood Bank,” repeatedly giving blood to extend the life of that star pet.

It did indeed break the captive lifespan record.

To the profit-driven Insectoids, the Alaric, who had lost his beautiful fur, was unattractive and, as a Parasitic human, was less important than the local pets. His body rapidly deteriorated from repeated blood extractions. Coincidentally, the base staff visiting the Exhibition Hall this time needed to pass by the Green Exhibition Hall. Given Chandler’s poor physical condition, they wanted to take him along as a backup.

And indeed, he was used as a backup. When Chandler fainted, the Alaric gave his last drop of blood.

Chandler buried his head in my hand, tears soaking my palm. “Aren’t we treasures? Why? Why did this happen?

Wasn’t the Alaric the most precious treasure they talked about!” He mumbled. “We were supposed to go back to the base together. Together.”

I shook my head, already numb: “Treasure? What’s precious about forced, unrespected, imposed value? If they like you, you’re a little treasure. If you’re in the way, you’re a dead beast.” Chandler lifted his head from my hand, his face covered in tears. “Rachel, was I wrong? I shouldn’t have—”