"Ja is your private property; you naturally have full rights of disposal."
The black core-species replied, beginning to play a game of verbal Tai Chi, evasively parrying the points. They were like two negotiators, each harboring their own ulterior motives, neither willing to place themselves at a disadvantage.
"A liar without a single word of truth."
The silver-grey female shook his head and stood up.
"Part of your character is far too upright—so upright it doesn't befit a Zerg. At the same time, your arrogance makes you accustomed to frontal confrontations. Even when at a disadvantage, you find it difficult to adopt the posture of a true subordinate to please the one who holds your fate."
Gazing calmly at Sakti, Clark let out a soft sigh.
"Ill-timed mercy, righteousness that contradicts our nature, a keen eye for speculation, sufficient strength, anger, arrogance, ambition—these are the elements that constitute all that you are."
"To be honest, I should simply erase you."
A second pair of grey pupils snapped open.
In an instant, a sense of crisis struck the crown of Sakti’s head.
He realized that the other's words indeed contained a kernel of truth. He had been in a high position for too long, swept forward by the press of time. Although he had experienced several battles since waking up, he had generally remained undefeated. This had thoroughly numbed his vigilance, leading him to subconsciously believe that things would always work themselves out.
But reality was unreasonable.
If Clark truly wanted to act, neither he nor Gera would be able to leave the battleship today.
The other didn't walk around in a permanent state of alienation like Katra, but his level of danger far exceeded that of the red female.
With his body scales not yet fully recovered, Sakti simply couldn't overpower the healthy core-gene species before him, let alone the armed squad and the massive fleet of warships standing behind Clark.
"You said it yourself: 'should'."
Sakti likewise looked directly at the difficult fellow before him, whose status as friend or foe remained uncertain.
The moment Sakti’s body tensed, Gera released his grip on Sakti’s arm to avoid hindering the imminent struggle.
Sakti quietly adjusted into a ready-to-strike posture, his pitch-black whip-tail coiling the male behind him.
"We... we have no intention of fighting."
Gera spoke up, stammering. His tail was nearly knotted with nerves, and his wings were pressed tightly against his body.
"You naturally hold the highest and most complete authority over Ja. Katra took our companions away; we only want to survive."
"As far as I know, Katra neglected the management of all Angon and ignored the production on Ja. You could tolerate an unqualified, barbaric Zerg wasting resources on Ja, yet you are unwilling to accept a more responsible manager?"
Clark glanced at him.
Though there were no leaking pheromones, instinct made the male nearly tremble.
"This is the proper posture of a subordinate," Clark said, addressing Sakti. "I do not know where you learned your habits. But if any other high-ranking member of my race had set foot on this energy planet and you had shown such resistance upon meeting, your head would have fallen from your neck."
"Don't be so quick to anger."
the second pair of pupils slowly closed, as if signaling the dissipation of murderous intent. The silver-grey female turned and picked up a container filled with honeydew, the amber liquid swaying slightly.
"Before you have acquired sufficient power, you easily expose your contempt and resistance. Winning against Katra emptied your head, giving you the gall to bare your fangs at a high-ranking core-species you don't even understand."
"Your partner asked me why I am unwilling to accept a more responsible manager. Do not misunderstand; I do not fear ambition. Slaughter and struggle are written into our genes. To gain everything through fighting and to die in the struggle are what we deserve."
"But if you cannot even control your own rage, I would rather choose a fool like Katra to place on Ja as a decoration."
"You are still unable to shoulder the full weight of pressure, yet you refuse to lower your limbs and drop your wings. You saved those weaklings, yet you place your tribe in danger for the sake of unrealistic pride. This makes you look like a martyr for your own ideals... like a..."
His words took a gentle turn, his grey eyes staring at the other without any emotion.
"—Human."
Sakti felt the scales at the back of his neck silently cover the surface of his skin.
This female was truly uncanny.
This was no longer in the realm of physical attacks; it was pure psychological warfare.
Even Gera, with his extraordinary mental perception, couldn't step on every sore spot with such precision.
"Your method of sarcasm is quite unique."
Sakti’s golden-brown pupils did not waver; in this situation, retreating could mean death. Although the other had retracted his oppressive aura, Sakti did not relax in the slightest.
"It has been an eye-opener."
"It wasn't meant as sarcasm. You can take it as... half a compliment."
Clark still wasn't angry. He simply refilled a cup of honeydew and handed it to the male who had been extremely tense until now.
"Rest assured, we are just having a casual chat."
The latter half of the sentence was directed at Gera. When he handed over the cup, he maintained a distance that wouldn't bring further pressure to the other.
Gera glanced at Sakti. The black core-species nodded slightly and stroked his head.
Clark's movement served as a signal of de-escalation.
The male had been terrified just moments ago. He took the cup and sipped the amber liquid in small gulps, as if this action could soothe his unease. Sakti’s tail pressed against his white scaled tail, coiling together to give him silent comfort.
Clark watched for a moment before shifting his gaze away with disciplined etiquette.
"Until your head is clear, the proposal regarding the energy planet will be temporarily shelved."
"Tidy up the Great Sacrificial Grounds of Angon, then open your eyes and look at your tribe, at your partner. You can be as angry as you like, just as Katra once was, but I will not sit by and watch this tantrum-like fire burn my private property."
It was a polite version of a project rejection notice.
Sakti wasn't surprised by this. With such a massive change, if the other had nodded before seeing a detailed plan, Sakti would truly have doubted whether the female before him was sane.
"Do you know the situation in Angon?" Sakti asked an equally cold, seemingly unrelated question. "You knew Katra was an unqualified, tyrannical leader, yet you still allowed him to control the entire Great Sacrificial Grounds for several Great Cosmic Cycles."
"Katra was merely a transition; one day, he would have been replaced."
The light grey eyes lifted, sweeping over Sakti.
"Before finding a suitable manager, putting a not-so-bright fellow there is far better than choosing one who thinks he's clever."
"I don't quite believe in everything regarding the Great Sacrificial Grounds. Those stories of the old era are too distant; few among the core-gene species believe them. No more King Zerg will be born in this universe. We have already chosen a new direction for evolution; everything of the past will eventually become the past."
This statement was quite characteristic of pragmatism. Clark’s fingertips tapped twice on the tabletop.
"Angon is more like... a discarded, empty King's nest. Its formal significance outweighs anything else. Katra was the victor of the Great Sacrificial Grounds, but he also had no right to interfere in matters related to the energy mines."
"On this point, I must add a clarification to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding on your part—"
"Katra will be replaced. But not because he is naturally cruel, but because of his incompetence."
At this moment, the silver-grey female looked like a very representative member of the core-gene species. There were no ripples in his gaze; all traces of mercy or sympathy had vanished, leaving only coldness.
His elegantly lined wings and whip-tail hung around his sides, allowing his non-human nature to be fully revealed in this instant.
"Your way of thinking is unlike any Zerg. This will cause you to suffer a great loss when dealing with other Zerg in the future."
"Since the era of the King Zerg, we have slaughtered one another. The losers turn into the blood and mire on the path of evolution, while the victors lead the tribe toward the next node."
"That is why we have traveled further on the road of survival than any other species. Calamities cannot destroy our race; alien pollution sources fear our nesting grounds; even humans have no choice but to coexist with us."
"Ill-timed pity is cheaper than a handout."
"I truly wonder in what environment you grew up, and how your kin raised you."
"You are very much like a human I know."
At the end of his words, the silver-grey female once again revealed a faint smile.
"But his attitude was nowhere near as prickly as yours."
What an absurd topic, what a strange way of putting it.
The first sentence had set off alarm bells in Sakti’s head; for a moment, he thought the other had once fought him, and had recognized him even in this new skin.
However, the second sentence immediately put him at ease. The old him would have spoken far more cuttingly than he did now.
His curiosity was nearly ignited by the thought of "You actually know a human?"
But Clark clearly had no intention of providing any further explanation, giving a slight wave of his hand to indicate the conversation was over. This left the habitually inquisitive black core-species feeling like a fish hooked by curiosity.
"The armed squad will escort you back to Angon."
The silver-grey female sat back down. The second pair of grey pupils closed completely, making this high-ranking species appear as steady and peaceful as before.
"Ja has always been under my watch. Once you have cleaned up your newly acquired Great Sacrificial Grounds and leveled the obstacles that keep your emotions fluctuating, we will talk again about the energy stone refining production and the new trade routes you are interested in."
Understood. A probationary period.
If he did well, he’d get a promotion and join the core project team; if not, there wouldn't be a next time.
This uncanny female certainly knew how to dangle a carrot and work his employees.
Sakti and Gera stood up together. Sakti maintained a sense of novel observation toward his new boss—well, half-boss; now he was actually thinking of turning the other into a partner.
Clark was completely different from what he had imagined, a type he hadn't encountered before. Sakti was a "fake" Zerg, while the other was an atypical high-ranking species.
But none of this prevented him from taking what he could get.
"Is there any more honeydew?"
There was no such precious and rare trade item on the energy planet, but the male truly seemed to love it.
Thus, he looked at the core-gene species who had just issued the dismissal notice and asked a sincere question.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 避重就轻打太极 | Playing verbal Tai Chi | A metaphor for being evasive or non-committal in a negotiation. |
| 大宇宙循环 | Great Cosmic Cycle | A unit of time measurement in this setting. |
| 翘嘴 | Hooked by curiosity | Literally "warped mouth," often used to describe a fish being hooked or a smug/intrigued expression. |
| 画饼 | Dangling a carrot | Literally "painting a cake," meaning to make empty promises or offer future rewards to motivate someone. |
