“You Belong to ‘Him’.”
///
Zhou Jiao felt that she might have gone too far.
Jiang Lian’s tentacle, as hard as steel, clamped around her waist and forcefully yanked her over.
The moment she was pulled over, it was as if she had fallen into the gaping maw of a pitch-black abyss. She could no longer see any images, nor hear any sounds.
What happened to her?
Did Jiang Lian wrap her up with his body again?
Zhou Jiao forcibly suppressed her panic and tried to activate the night vision function of her chip, but she still couldn’t see anything.
…How is that possible?
The chip was at the nanometer level, directly implanted into her cerebral cortex. Unless her cerebral cortex had suffered severe damage, it was impossible for her to be unable to activate the chip.
Severe damage to the cerebral cortex meant she had fallen into a deep coma and become a vegetative person.
So, had she played too recklessly and ended up… playing herself to death?
Even if she wasn’t dead, a human body in a persistent vegetative state was hardly any different from death.
Zhou Jiao closed her eyes—she wasn’t sure if she could still perform this action, but her consciousness told her that the action had been executed successfully. It was also possible that the remaining functions of her brain were deceiving her.
This wasn’t her first brush with death. After a brief moment of panic, Zhou Jiao quickly calmed down.
Although she had never been in a vegetative state before, she was certain this wasn’t it… Her brain functions should still be intact. As for why she couldn’t activate the chip, it was very likely related to Jiang Lian.
Where exactly had Jiang Lian taken her?
If he had trapped her inside his body, would she have to stay inside him forever?
Would she be digested by him?
Or would she be assimilated into another monster?
Countless doubts, speculations, shock, and fear crisscrossed through her mind like taut strings, making her temples throb with a dull ache.
However, the pain instead brought her a trace of security.
At least she could still think and still perceive pain.
…Which meant the situation wasn’t too bad yet.
The darkness erased the concepts of time and space.
She didn’t know how much time had passed or where she was.
Because she had lost the need to eat, sleep, and excrete, sometimes she even forgot that she was still a living person.
Finding amusement in suffering, Zhou Jiao felt that her psychological endurance was quite strong—an ordinary person in this kind of absolute darkness might have gone insane long ago, yet she could still maintain clear awareness. She was practically a prodigy.
Of course, it was also possible that Jiang Lian didn’t want her to go insane.
His goal was very clear.
He didn’t like her.
But he wanted to possess her.
How could a monster possess a human?
By keeping her captive within its own body.
From then on, only it could sense her existence, and only it could keep her alive.
This was Jiang Lian’s possessiveness.
Cold-blooded, twisted, terrifying.
Human love is about admiration, protection, and devotion.
Even the most obsessive love is merely exclusive, refusing to let one’s partner pay attention to anyone else.
Jiang Lian, however, took this exclusivity to the extreme.
To possess her, he completely isolated her in another world, as if locking her inside a narrow, enclosed, unnatural nest.
Wait, a nest?
Zhou Jiao remembered Jiang Lian once saying that he could build a nest.
She immediately “sat” up and “reached” out a hand—she wasn’t sure if she actually made these movements, but her consciousness told her she did.
She tried to perceive what was in front of her, but there seemed to be a thick, sticky film separating her perception from reality. It took two or three minutes before she realized there was a cold, slimy tentacle in front of her. Another two or three minutes passed before she felt that tentacle coil around her, rubbing against her fingertips with greedy ecstasy.
Good.
She was still a human with normal brain function.
Zhou Jiao took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm and composed. Her brain began to work rapidly once more.
She was likely being kept in Jiang Lian’s nest. Because she had lost all sense of time and space, her perception was delayed—or perhaps there was no delay at all, and it was just an illusion created by her brain.
She activated the night vision function of her chip again, this time patiently waiting for a long while.
Sure enough, after some time, she finally saw everything around her.
…But she would have preferred not to.
Unlike what she had seen in the cheap motel before, this time, the tentacles were thicker, denser, and even more terrifying and grotesque.
They resembled some kind of pitch-black, slimy serpents, carrying a sinister and eerie malice, invading every inch of her field of vision.
As if sensing that she could “see” them now, in that instant, she felt all the tentacles “look” toward her, their damp, sticky gazes slithering over her body like serpentine tongues, seemingly inspecting whether her physiological functions were normal.
—Brain function normal.
—Body temperature, heartbeat, respiration, and blood pressure normal.
—No need for food intake.
The captive human was in perfect health.
For now, there was no need to supply her with energy.
The inspection was complete, but the countless tentacles did not withdraw their gazes.
They had inherited the terrifying possessiveness of their master. They had to watch over the human before them at all times.
She smelled too good.
An irresistible allure to them.
Most crucially, she knew exactly how to wield this allure, driving them into an uncontrollable frenzy.
She was enticing, fragile, and dangerous all at once.
She had to be monitored and protected.
For how long?
Indefinitely.
She had to remain under their surveillance and protection until they were no longer enslaved by that terrifying attraction.
Zhou Jiao felt like prey being stalked by a top predator, a chilling and overwhelming pressure crashing down upon her. It took her a long time to regain her senses bit by bit.
A word surfaced in her mind—”Supreme.”
To humans, Jiang Lian was an indescribable supreme being.
No wonder he hadn’t appeared before her and had merely sent his tentacles to observe her.
He knew she couldn’t endure his possessiveness.
—She couldn’t even withstand the possessiveness of his limbs.
If he were to appear before her and unreservedly unleash his greed, she might directly lose her mind, plunging into an unimaginable madness, never able to return to her own dimensional space.
Regret?
Zhou Jiao asked herself.
A little bit.
But hadn’t she also enjoyed it?
And now, regret was useless.
The only option was to solve the problem actively.
Zhou Jiao attempted to open a webpage.
She stared fixedly at the semi-transparent webpage on her retina, never having wished so desperately for it to connect to the network… even a scam site would do.
The atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive. Under countless eerie gazes, Zhou Jiao slowed her breathing and heartbeat, trying to appear indifferent.
She hoped it was just her perception of time being off… and not that the internet had really become that slow.
She had no idea how much time had passed before the webpage finally connected—not to a search engine, but to a hastily constructed chatroom.
【Zhou Jiao, are you there?】
【Zhou Jiao, contact us immediately.】
……
【The one-week deadline has passed, and you didn’t bring Jiang Lian to Pier No. 7. Zhou Jiao, are you going to break the agreement?】
【Opposing the company is an extremely foolish decision. Your every move is under the company’s surveillance. The chip is in your brain. With just one command, we can make you explode or turn you into a vegetable. Think carefully—are you sure you want to go against the company?】
Zhou Jiao wasn’t surprised that the company could monitor her every move. Decades ago, someone had already exposed the federal government’s “PRISM” program, so it was entirely expected that the company would carry on this “fine tradition.”
She figured that Jiang Lian’s “captivity” had blocked some kind of electromagnetic signal, causing the company to lose track of her. That was why they were now threatening her with such barely concealed panic.
Yes, to Zhou Jiao, the company’s threats reeked of desperation.
It was obvious they had no other options left if they had to resort to playing the “chip” card.
However, Zhou Jiao was more interested in another piece of information.
…Damn, had Jiang Lian kept her captive for nearly five days?
Jiang Lian was a real bastard.
Pressing her throbbing temple, Zhou Jiao took a deep breath and replied: 【Something happened to me.】
The response came almost instantly: 【Zhou Jiao?】
【It’s me.】
【Glad you’re still alive, but unfortunately, we no longer need you. The company has synthesized your scent, and it will be deployed tomorrow. You are indeed very smart, even capable of escaping the company’s surveillance, but you’re no longer of any value to us.】
Seeing this message, Zhou Jiao’s spirits lifted. If the company could truly synthesize her scent, it meant one thing—she could escape from Jiang Lian!
Before, she had less than a ten percent chance of success in breaking free from Jiang Lian. Now, her odds had risen to nearly fifty percent.
As a former company employee, she was well aware of the level of their technology.
—Perhaps in the near future, humans would fully become machines, with brains, skin, organs, and even blood being detachable and replaceable.
This was no mere fantasy. Some of the company’s top executives had already extended their lifespans beyond human limits by replacing their biological organs with bionic ones. If not for the current technological constraints preventing zero-loss modifications, these executives might have already achieved immortality.
She trusted the company’s technological capabilities and had no doubt they could create an even more alluring “Zhou Jiao.”
When that happened, she could retreat completely.
Suppressing her boiling excitement, Zhou Jiao calmly replied:
【But you still need me to bring Jiang Lian over.】
【You can’t contact Jiang Lian. You don’t know where he is. The multi-billion-dollar surveillance system has failed, hasn’t it?】
The company representatives fell silent.
—Yes, the surveillance system in Yucheng had been down for several days.
Even though they had successfully created another “Zhou Jiao,” they had lost track of Jiang Lian.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have stationed personnel in the temporary chatroom 24/7, ready to respond the moment Zhou Jiao appeared.
What they hadn’t told Zhou Jiao was that during the long, hopeless wait, some elite employees had begun to entertain an absurd idea:
The city-wide surveillance failure was simply because Jiang Lian didn’t want them to see her.
“He” had isolated her in another world.
Only “He” could see her.
The company meticulously monitored every individual’s electronic devices, collecting, analyzing, and manipulating their big data—just like the angels in the New Testament, covered in eyes inside and out, watching everyone without the slightest movement.
No one could escape the company’s surveillance.
Yet, due to the monster’s possessiveness, they had completely lost track of Zhou Jiao.
In modern society, this was nearly impossible.
—Even if you never used electronic devices or internet services, could you guarantee that the people around you wouldn’t?
Wherever there was a network, the company had its eyes and ears.
Zhou Jiao had once told Jiang Lian that the company was a “god” in another sense. She hadn’t been trying to scare him—it was simply the truth.
And yet, Jiang Lian had made Zhou Jiao disappear from modern technological surveillance.
Could a human’s scent really drive a monster to such madness?
The company had no choice but to accelerate their research. A week later, they had finally synthesized pheromones similar to Zhou Jiao’s scent—at a concentration hundreds of times stronger than her natural one.
Even if Zhou Jiao were to open her major artery and let her blood flow freely, she wouldn’t be able to reach such a high concentration.
The bait and trap were ready.
Now, all they needed was Zhou Jiao to lure Jiang Lian into the trap.
But would Zhou Jiao really help them?
Would she willingly give up her control over Jiang Lian?
What they didn’t know was that Zhou Jiao had already realized Jiang Lian was uncontrollable.
She had fully experienced what it felt like to tame a beast—intense and exhilarating.
She had also paid a steep price for her impulses. Now, it was time to walk away and watch coldly as the company and Jiang Lian fought to the death.
She patiently waited for the company’s response.
Losing track of time was truly maddening.
As she waited, all she could feel were the cold, slick, snake-like tentacles coiling around her feet again and again.
After what felt like dozens of times, a message finally arrived:
【What do you want?】
The tentacles seemed to sense that she was communicating with someone else. Like countless dead hands, they densely layered over her, covering her completely.
They “stared” at her coldly and dangerously, coiling around her with jealous obsession, emitting a low, eerie hum:
“Who are you talking to…”
“Who are you trying to contact…”
“Are you trying to escape…”
“You belong to ‘him.'”
“You belong to ‘him.'”
“You belong to ‘him.'”
As if trying to erase her thoughts of escape, the humming noises acted directly on her auditory ossicles, making her dizzy and nauseous. A violent urge to vomit surged from her stomach to her throat.
Without any hesitation, Zhou Jiao opened her mouth and bit down on the wound in her palm.
The scent of blood spread.
All the humming noises abruptly vanished.
While forcing more blood out, Zhou Jiao gagged once.
Damn idiot Jiang Lian…
Go play with the “Zhou Jiao” the company made!
It took a long time before Zhou Jiao, panting heavily, managed to regain her composure. She typed her reply, one word at a time:
【My request is simple. I bring Jiang Lian to you, and you let me leave. If you’re worried, you can alter my scent. I won’t object.】
Perhaps because all the tentacles were drawn to her blood, her perception of time returned to normal. This time, the company responded quickly:
【You’re truly willing to give up your scent?】
Only the company would think that controlling Jiang Lian was as simple as using a scent.
Zhou Jiao’s expression turned strange: 【Yes. Do you need me to sign an online agreement?】
After a long pause, the company replied:
【We accept your terms, but we don’t know your or Jiang Lian’s location.】
Zhou Jiao had a plan, but it was extremely dangerous.
She wasn’t sure if the company was trustworthy.
At that moment, as if realizing that her bleeding was merely a stalling tactic, the countless tentacles let out an enraged hum and swarmed back over her.
They were as slick as snakes, as cold as ice, and as heavy as steel.
“You belong to ‘him.'”
“You belong to ‘him.'”
“You belong to ‘him.'”
“What are you thinking?”
“Do you think you can escape?”
“No matter where you run, ‘he’ will always be able to scent you.”
“You will never escape ‘his’ pursuit.”
The tentacles hovered greedily and obsessively around her lips, seeming as if they wanted to slip inside but were forcefully halted by some terrifying constraint. Instead, they coiled relentlessly around her neck.
So fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant.
Stay by ‘his’ side.
Be watched by ‘him.’
Be protected by ‘him.’
Being sniffed by “him.”
Being possessed by “him.”
Possession, possession, possession, possession, possession, possession, possession, possession, possession.
You will always belong to “him.”
The cold and violent humming nearly devoured her sanity. For a few seconds, Zhou Jiao almost truly believed she was Jiang Lian’s.
…If she wasn’t Jiang Lian’s, then whose could she be?
She was Jiang Lian’s possession.
No identity, no dignity, no soul.
She was born to be sniffed by Jiang Lian.
She should always be watched by Jiang Lian, always remain within his sight.
She should even grow glands, be marked like livestock by him.
That way, everyone would know she was his, she was his… she was his…
The supreme voice erased her consciousness forcefully, her gaze gradually losing focus. She seemed to turn into a blank sheet of paper, waiting to be written on and controlled.
—Bullshit!
Zhou Jiao’s vision sharpened, her molars clenched tightly, jaw set so hard that the contours of her face became rigid and sharp.
She would never lose her identity, soul, or dignity.
No one could strip her of herself.
Not the company, and especially not Jiang Lian.
She was simply at a temporary disadvantage.
As long as she still held Jiang Lian’s leash, she had a chance to turn the tide.
Fueled by sheer, terrifying willpower, Zhou Jiao sent two messages to the company:
【Next, I will use the chip to put myself into a deep coma.】
【Jiang Lian will take me to you.】
This was a high-stakes gamble.
She was putting her life on the line.
If Jiang Lian didn’t take her to the company, even if she managed to wake herself up with sheer willpower, her fate would still be the erasure of her identity by Jiang Lian.
If Jiang Lian did bring her to the company but got controlled by the fabricated “Zhou Jiao,” whether she, now devoid of any value, could escape remained uncertain.
But this wasn’t her first time walking a tightrope.
No matter what, death loomed.
Rather than losing her autonomy and becoming a mere possession, she might as well go all in and mock the so-called “god” one last time.
Ever since Jiang Lian revealed his true nature, a primal, dark impulse had been awakened within her. Even if life and death hung in the balance, she would chase after that exhilarating madness.
She was certain that, when the time came, Jiang Lian would feel that same madness, too.