Chapter Fifty-Two: Loving in One’s Own Way

“I think that’ll work,” David interjected at just the right moment.

Chen Ming nodded his agreement as well.

Li Daoran glanced at Tam, who was so inconspicuous that his presence was almost invisible. Tam wasn’t much of a talker and always played the role of the “ghost” among the five of them. Now, with Li Daoran’s eyes on him, Tam flashed a toothy grin and nodded.

Li Daoran rolled his eyes and said, “You people represent the powers of all humanity, but when you talk about anything it’s always about cheating, stealing, or just taking by force. Is that how you all do things?”

They exchanged glances and burst out laughing, the room filling with a boisterous energy.

Natasha spat disdainfully and said, “You men are all the same. When it comes to girls like us, all you know is how to cheat or grab. Hmph.”

Li Daoran scratched his head. “Well, that’s what you said. I never planned to do any of that. If it doesn’t work, then just forget it.”

The other five answered in unison, “No way.”

“The gene serum is too important to humanity,” Chen Ming explained in detail. “Other things haven’t yielded clear results, but the gene serum has truly improved the baseline quality of the entire human race. According to statistics, even basic viruses like the common cold can no longer harm the human body. The immune system is greatly enhanced, and many incurable diseases have healed on their own. Even congenital conditions like paralysis and ALS are steadily improving with time. The ongoing medical miracles are the main reason for the stability of human society. So, this isn’t something we can take lightly.”

“What about you all? How does it feel?” Li Daoran was genuinely curious how the gene serum affected these people, who already stood at the pinnacle of humanity—especially since, up to now, he hadn’t been able to see the limits of Chen Ming’s abilities.

The five exchanged glances, then looked away, deflecting the question without answering directly.

Li Daoran rolled his eyes again. “Alright, keep your secrets. I won’t ask. If this won’t work and that won’t work, what do you suggest? I’m not going to knock Liu Meng out, no matter what.”

Natasha couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth. “Finally, some sense! At least you care about your dear sister. They’re just teasing you—do you really think they’d let you knock Liu Meng out?” She glanced around, but everyone avoided her gaze, leaving her a bit embarrassed.

“Forget it, I gave you all too much credit.” Natasha thought of Pluto, Glutton, and Gentleman—names renowned on the international stage. If a woman could really get in their way, they wouldn’t have survived this long; Black Widow would have finished them off ages ago.

Truth be told, Natasha’s own methods were no less formidable than the others. As the saying goes, “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”—in this room, aside from Li Daoran, not one could be considered a “good man” in the traditional sense.

“Seduce him.” Tam, usually silent, suddenly spoke up, startling everyone.

The other five turned their eyes to him, as if trying to confirm that what he meant by “sleep” was the same as what they were thinking.

“In bed. Conquer her, seduce her. Make her yours,” Tam said with certainty.

Natasha smacked her forehead—she hadn’t expected anyone could be even more outrageous.

“Daoran, don’t learn from them,” Natasha said earnestly. “They’re not human.”

“But for some bitches, you do need to follow their advice,” she added.

Li Daoran, an inexperienced young man, felt as if his entire worldview had been upended.

“It’s been ages—are you still not done?” He felt the conversation had gone far enough; any more and he might hear something even more mind-blowing.

“Want to go back? If you want to go back, then go. We just lost our heads for a moment, but on second thought, there’s not much we can do. Let things take their course. The main thing is to calm the public. Sudden upheavals can shock society and need time to buffer. It’s almost sorted out now. Honestly, you don’t need to do much more,” Chen Ming said.

Li Daoran tensed slightly. “It’s fine, I’m not in a rush. Is everyone calm now? If not, I can stay a little longer. Is there anything I can do?”

“Don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. People are united now—it’s gone much better than expected, so it’s been surprisingly easy to handle,” Chen Ming replied with a smile.

“It’s all thanks to your talent with mechs, Daoran. Many people are waiting for you to make a name for yourself on the battlefield. The calls for your return are getting louder by the day. Do your best out there,” Charles encouraged.

“Alright, I will,” Li Daoran said, rising and heading back into the room.

“No need to say more. Daoran, you still have us. Don’t worry,” Charles said loudly.

Li Daoran waved a hand, closed the door, and lay on the bed. He soon found the resonance frequency and entered the Daoran World. By now, he had learned how to enter that world at will, rather than passively seeking it.

He jogged against the flow of people to Liu Meng’s door, opened it without knocking, and went in.

Liu Meng stood at the window, gazing at the crowds coming and going on the sports field.

On the table was a small suitcase. As soon as Li Daoran entered, Liu Meng tossed the case to him and said, “Take it and go.”

Li Daoran caught the case with both hands. It was so light, he had no idea what was inside. He hefted it and asked, “What’s this?”

“Gene serum. I’m putting it on your tab—bring it back to me when you return,” Liu Meng replied.

He didn’t open the case and stood there, unsure what to say, about to leave with it in his arms.

“Are you an idiot? Hug her! Go hug her, for goodness’ sake! I could kick you to death,” Natasha’s exasperated voice sounded in his mind.

Startled, Li Daoran glanced awkwardly at his hands. Gritting his teeth, he strode over in three quick steps and wrapped his arms around Liu Meng’s waist from behind. In the reflection of the window, he saw tears gliding down Liu Meng’s cheek.

“Kiss her. Fool, turn her body, lower your head and kiss her,” Natasha instructed, step by step, guiding the hapless novice.

But Li Daoran didn’t do any of that. Instead, he said quietly, “I’ll come back. I’ll repay this debt.”

He let go of Liu Meng. Her legs gave out and she slid to the floor, while Li Daoran ran toward the mech hangar without a backward glance.

“Heartless man, betrayer, ingrate,” Natasha’s voice echoed endlessly in his ear.

“That’s enough,” Li Daoran replied, his voice edged with anger and impatience.

“You idiot—you don’t understand what a woman wants at all,” Natasha pressed on, relentless in her criticism.

“Shut up, Natasha,” Li Daoran said, his tone uncharacteristically harsh for the first time.

Until now, whenever Li Daoran communicated with the Water Blue Star, he was always the passive listener, humbly accepting their words. But this time, he finally spoke for himself.

His thoughts were simple: what if he never came back? In that moment, he felt as if he’d finally become a man, truly falling for a woman from another world. Natasha claimed she didn’t want her friend to be lied to, but in his eyes, that was the real deception. Maybe Natasha knew exactly what Liu Meng wanted, but Li Daoran stubbornly believed that was just another lie. He chose to love in his own way.