8: Lin Wei wants to have a son

After the Aptitude census, the life of Chen Jun's family changed drastically.

Li Goudan went to work at the factory as usual.

"Brother Dog Egg! Morning, Brother Dog Egg! Have you eaten? A new breakfast shop opened at the factory gate, and the shrimp dumplings are made with real shrimp! Should I bring you a steamer?"

Wang Laowu, who used to tighten screws on the assembly line with him and curse each other's mothers, was now fawning over him, almost jogging to keep up with Li Goudan, actually carrying a box of steaming shrimp dumplings in his hand.

Li Goudan, whom his coworkers now privately called "Master Li," was still at the same parts factory working as an assembly line technician, but his status was no longer what it used to be.

Workshop supervisor Old Liu, who used to yell "Li Goudan! What kind of crap are you adjusting!" at the drop of a hat, now put on a smiling face from afar whenever they met:

"Oh! Brother Dog Egg, no, Master Li! You're here? Not busy today, not busy at all! I had the second team take care of that rush order, you take your time inspecting, no rush!"

Once, even the factory's young master, the boss's son, actually approached him to offer a cigarette and asked tentatively:

"Brother Dog Egg, I heard... you are childhood friends with the father of that 'Innate Martial Body'? Grew up together in the orphanage? Best buddies?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Li Goudan took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, and made a few deep, thoughtful noises.

The young master's enthusiasm immediately doubled:

"Oh! That's an incredible big shot! At the very least, he'll be a War God in the future! Maybe even Planetary Level! Brother Dog Egg, when you hit it big, don't forget to help a brother out. Our factory is looking to take on some Defense Force orders recently, you see..."

All of this was simply because he was Chen Jun's only well-known, die-hard brother.

He would always inadvertently hear the gossip of his coworkers in private.

"A real Dragon has emerged from the District Seven shantytown! Her name is Chen Xi! Innate Martial Body!"

"I know! Old Chen's daughter! Her dad is named Chen Jun, he looks like a little old man, never thought his genes were so good!"

"More than good! It's Heaven-Defying! I heard the Federal Superpower Department took over directly!"

"Hey, do you guys know? That Chen Jun has a life-and-death friendship with our factory's Li Goudan! They grew up together in the orphanage!"

"Really? Li Goudan? The guy who adjusts the machines? I can't tell!"

...

Rumors grew wings, and Li Goudan's status rose accordingly.

He enjoyed this respect, but he knew clearly in his heart that all of this stemmed from his hard-luck Brother Jun.

He visited Chen Jun more frequently, and every time he went, he couldn't help but exclaim:

"Brother Jun, I feel like a big shot whenever I go out now; even my farts are considered fragrant to them! This is all thanks to you, damn it!"

Chen Jun's life changes were more substantial.

They moved into a detached villa in the Upper District arranged by the Federation, which was spacious, bright, quiet, and safe.

The allowance was enough for the whole family to live a comfortable life, and they no longer had to worry about their next meal.

He still looked old, but the heavy, suffocating feeling of being crushed by life between his brows had dissipated quite a bit.

He even had the leisure to joke with the intelligent robot responsible for security downstairs:

"Old buddy, your expression module is adjusted well today; you look a bit more handsome than yesterday. Did you secretly upgrade?"

The robot replied in a cold, electronic voice:

"Mr. Chen, my appearance has not changed. Have a pleasant day."

Chen Jun shrugged and said to the speechless Li Goudan beside him:

"See, the humor of artificial intelligence still needs improvement."

Materially, things were extremely abundant, and he no longer had to live a life of working three or four jobs a day.

The Federation's arrangements for Chen Xi came down quickly. After a series of complex evaluations and games between various factions, Chen Xi was finally sent to the "Juvenile Talent Cultivation Center" under the "Star Rail Group," one of the three top forces in the Federation.

The Star Rail Group was known for its technology and resource exploration, and their training System was considered to have the most advantages for the stable development of Innate Aptitude.

This meant Chen Xi had to leave home and receive closed-off elite education.

Lin Wei was proud of her daughter, but also full of reluctance. This emotion was mixed with the sense of unreality brought about by the sudden change in life, as well as... a rekindled, burning desire.

Another night, Lin Wei had just finished bathing, her body carrying warm, moist steam and a sweet, cloying fragrance.

She wore a brand-new silk nightgown, the fabric clinging softly to her body, outlining curves that had become much fuller. She walked behind Chen Jun, who was sitting on the edge of the bed reading electronic news, her soft arms wrapping around his neck like vines, her warm body pressing tightly against his back.

"Brother Jun..."

Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying obvious hints, her lips almost touching his earlobe, warm breath blowing into his ear canal.

"Xi Xi is going to 'Star Rail' next month... Once she goes, I'm afraid it'll be a long time before she can come back..."

Her fingers were restless, drawing circles on his chest and sliding slowly downwards.

"Yao Yao and Lu Lu are asleep too... The villa's soundproofing is really good..."

Her voice became lower and more seductive.

"Life is good now, and you don't have to be so tired... I... I want you..."

She lightly bit his earlobe, her body twisting like a water snake, rubbing against him:

"Let's have another one... Okay? Give me a son... and add a little brother for Xi Xi and the others... Hmm?"

Her movements were bold and full of temptation, her eyes shimmering with lust and anticipation. If it were before, Chen Jun might have already fallen.

But now, feeling the warm, fragrant, soft jade behind him, Chen Jun felt as if he had been doused from head to toe with a basin of ice water, his whole body instantly stiffening! Every cell was screaming, sounding an alarm!

I'm doomed!

She's coming for my life!

"Uh... Wei Wei... wait!"

As if scalded, he sprang up from the bed, his movement so large that it almost knocked Lin Wei over.

He stumbled back two steps, squeezing out a smile on his face that was uglier than crying, extremely flustered.

"That... that what! Today... the weather is nice, huh!"

His eyes drifted, not daring to look at his wife's instantly stunned and hurt face, randomly pointing at the starry night sky outside the window.

"Ah! That's right!"

He slapped his forehead as if he had remembered something huge.

"I promised Old buddy... that is, the robot downstairs, that I would teach it tonight how to correctly understand Blue Star... ah no, Ancient Earth's cold jokes! Yes! Cold jokes! It always fails to get the point, and this relates to the major evolution of artificial intelligence, it cannot be delayed!"

The seductiveness and blush on Lin Wei's face quickly faded, turning pale.

She watched her husband's incoherent, obviously bullshitting appearance, her eyes changing from confusion to disbelief, finally filling with tears.

"You..."

Her voice trembled.

"Are you unwilling to even touch me now? Chen Jun? Is it... is it because I'm old and withered now, and you look down on me? Or... do you have someone else outside?"

Her tears rolled down like broken beads, and the previous charm all turned into endless grievance and self-pity.

She suddenly grabbed the pillow and threw it hard at Chen Jun, crying out:

"Get out! Go teach your shitty robot to tell jokes! Don't touch me! Anyway, I can't give birth to a son!"

Chen Jun caught the pillow in a panic, watching his wife's heartbroken appearance, his heart aching like it was being cut with a knife, but he couldn't say a single word of explanation.

Could he say "Wife, don't be like this, if I sleep with you once, I'll lose ten years of my life"?

The System was his biggest secret!

He could only hold the pillow, like a child who had done something wrong, his already old-looking back hunched, fleeing the bedroom in a wretched and aggrieved manner, and gently closed the door.

Outside the door, he slid down against the cold wall, buried his face in the soft pillow, and let out a repressed, tearful wail:

"What a sin... what the hell is this..."

In the bedroom, Lin Wei threw herself onto the bed, buried her face in the quilt, and sobbed sadly, not understanding why her husband had become so cold, only feeling that her full passion and desire had been ruthlessly trampled.

Separated by a door, two worlds.

One was wallowing in self-pity, sad and heartbroken.

The other was in fear and despair, aggrieved and speechless.