Chapter Thirty-Two: Settling Into the Base

Zhou Yi understood that when one is under another's roof, one must bow one's head; a humble attitude could at least spare him unnecessary trouble. With no power to resist, groveling was the surest way to survive. With this in mind, Zhou Yi dropped to one knee, placed his right hand over his chest, and spoke with deference, "Greetings, Lord. My name is Zhou Yi."

This form of address softened Valdenay's expression; his brows relaxed and, with a slight wave of two fingers under his chin, he signaled for Zhou Yi to rise.

"Very well. I must hurry to Time City. Sophia, take Zhou Yi to familiarize him with the base. Explain the rules to him, as well. As for the slave you brought..." Valdenay paused, glancing over the assembled crowd below, then waved his fingers again. "You may assign a code or designation for him as you see fit—he'll be placed under Zhou Yi's command. Have them sign a spiritual contract, but there's no need to erase his memory for now. From this point on, Zhou Yi and his slave will be referred to as Team Eight."

With that, Valdenay's wheelchair wheeled off to the side. A door appeared in the wall. Everyone bowed their heads slightly, and then all eyes turned to Sophia.

Sophia ascended the steps and gazed at the crowd below, all dressed in blue or black form-fitting uniforms. "Return to your cabins and rest. As Lord Valdenay has instructed, carry out your missions in shifts. Be on guard and beware of hunters—several nearby bases have lost many Chosen and slaves. I hope that while completing your tasks, you'll also protect yourselves."

The crowd responded in unison before dispersing. Zhou Yi and the fat man remained where they were. As the group passed Zhou Yi, only those in blue regarded him with scrutiny, while those in black left like automatons, eyes fixed forward.

Carter, the white-robed servant who had attended Valdenay, hurried to Sophia's side, offering her a careful, ingratiating smile. "Miss Sophia, we've already checked all the teleportation devices. That previous incident was likely deliberate sabotage."

Sophia merely lifted her eyelids and shot Carter a cold glance; his fawning grin earned him no favor. "No need to explain to me. As long as Mr. Valdenay does not pursue the matter, that's enough. Should there be losses among the slaves, your own servants will fill the gaps. Life or death needs no further explanation—you understand better than anyone. Just make sure I never catch you plotting anything. Now, get back to work!"

Carter lowered his eyes, concealing whatever emotion might have flickered there, and retreated humbly, leading the other white-robed attendants out.

Now, only the three of them remained in the conference room. The fat man stood obediently by Zhou Yi's side, not daring to blink. He understood his place—second only to the white-robed servants. The less he said, the safer he'd be.

Sophia's expression was cool, lacking the warmth she had shown in the shelter. She gestured for them to follow her. "I'll show you around the base. Do exactly as I do. If you stray into forbidden areas, no one will be able to help you."

Zhou Yi nodded and, with the fat man in tow, followed Sophia toward the door they had entered through. A white-robed servant stood waiting, handing Zhou Yi a badge. Zhou Yi took it, and the servant quickly bowed and withdrew. Zhou Yi instinctively hung the badge around his neck.

The fat man, evidently, received no such treatment. The three followed the corridor and turned in front of a glass door. Sophia gestured, and a display screen appeared before them, indicating for Zhou Yi to step forward.

A woman's projection, lifelike and almost tangible, appeared before their eyes. She wore a tight-fitting white combat suit much like Sophia's, her figure striking, golden curls quivering, a bright smile on her face. "Welcome to Rest Cabin 72. Natasha is delighted to serve you."

"Natasha, initiate verification protocol," Sophia commanded.

"Certainly, Miss Sophia," Natasha replied.

A scanner extended from above the screen, performing a 360-degree scan of Zhou Yi, followed by a needle that pricked his finger. Finally, the device paused before Zhou Yi's eyes.

Moments later, data filled the screen—everything from height and weight to genetic lineage, astonishingly comprehensive.

"Unranked Chosen: Zhou Yi. Male. Physiological age: 25. Gene type: I=M170. No parasites, infectious or hereditary diseases. Rating: 172. Overall evaluation: Grade A. Data entry successful. Congratulations, Mr. Zhou Yi, on becoming a member of Base 72!"

Zhou Yi stepped back; his information had been fully recorded. Now, wherever he went within the base, his data would be accessible.

Sophia waved at the fat man, who, imitating Zhou Yi, stepped before the display.

"This is a new slave. Natasha, record his information as well. Designation: Fatty."

The fat man was momentarily taken aback. Zhou Yi's name had been registered directly, while Valdenay had explicitly said Sophia should assign him a code. Why couldn't he keep his own name? Besides, Sophia knew his real name was He Yuntian—was she making things difficult for him?

Despite his inner protest, the fat man dared not utter a word and obediently stood before Natasha.

Again, the scanner swept over him, and a needle drew blood from his finger. Even more information appeared this time, causing Sophia to frown slightly.

"Slave ID 20150314, designation Fatty. Male. Physiological age: 33. Gene type: O=M175. No parasites, infectious or hereditary diseases. Rating: 81. Overall evaluation: Grade D. Data entry successful. Spiritual contract binding with Chosen Zhou Yi completed. Fatty, you need to lose weight. Although your rating is passing, your health indicators are seriously above normal!"

The fat man's face darkened; he wanted nothing more than to silence Natasha. He was well aware of his own condition, but what did physiological age 33 mean? He was supposed to be younger than Zhou Yi—did that mean he had the body of a twenty-year-old and the heart of a sixty-year-old?

As Natasha announced the completion of the spiritual contract, Zhou Yi suddenly sensed the fat man's location—not by sight or sound, but an innate awareness. Perhaps this was the power of the contract.

He wanted to ask whether the fat man could ever be freed from his status as a slave, but now was certainly not the time.

With a wave of her hand, Sophia seemed to press something, and Natasha bid them farewell before vanishing.

At that moment, the glass door slid open, revealing an even narrower passageway. The floor and walls were made of some metallic material, with dozens of numbered doors lining both sides.

At the end, in front of door 1072, Sophia raised her wrist and tapped on a device the size of a cellphone, unlocking the door.

Inside, two sleeping pods stood on either side, with a bathroom and a full set of fitness equipment. Though it resembled a well-appointed dormitory, Zhou Yi felt it was more like a cell—albeit with better conditions than the prison of 2020.

Sophia closed the door and demonstrated the use of the sleeping pods. "Once inside, you enter a kind of hibernation. Nutrient solution and oxygen are automatically supplied, temperature is regulated, and there's even an automatic cleaning function. The bathroom is mainly to accommodate human habits. For missions, you must go to the operations hall. Natasha will notify you of your assignments and direct you to the relevant hall. Here, take this control device—like a wristwatch. It receives notifications and task assignments. Rest now; I’ll escort you to your first mission briefing."

With that, Sophia took her leave, the door closing behind her.

Each man donned a wristwatch-like control panel. All around the room, devices began to beep, as if confirming their binding.

The fat man glanced at Zhou Yi, fully aware that without Zhou Yi, he would never have been assigned to this section. Most likely, he would have been forced to live with the other slaves. He winked at Zhou Yi, a little embarrassed. "I’ll try out the bathroom first."

Zhou Yi nodded, surveying the room. There were no windows, and he had no idea what lay outside the base. Every area they’d passed through was sealed—perhaps, like a space station, this place floated outside any known world.

He glanced at the cabinet beside the sleeping pod. His wrist device flashed, displaying the words "Bound." The cabinet opened, revealing two sets of blue jumpsuits. Zhou Yi frowned at their tight fit; they might flatter a woman's figure, but on a man, the effect was less than aesthetic—yet there was no choice.

He took one down just as the fat man emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a towel and looking excited. "Zhou Yi, this bathroom is great! Every kind of shower you can imagine—jet spray, acupuncture, pressure point massage. You have to try it!"

Before Zhou Yi could reply, an alarm blared from the bathroom, and the room's lights began to flash red.

"Is this an alert?"