Insectoids: The Job of the Males

Chapter 50.1

An Odd Resonance

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

“Your new comic was really creepy! What kind of comic is that?” It is already early March when Zhou Luoluo is once again visiting in person, schools are still shut, though.

Cheng Zhaoci hasn’t even restarted studying, in fact.

Mr Liang has become depressed. Lu Yao has said that he is in terrible condition. His xiongzhu is still missing, and he is a demi without the physical aptitude to drive mechas to save him. With most of the adult shemales and demis of the family confirmed dead, there are still teenagers and his xiongzhu‘s still-unconscious second son still in the family.

Lu Yao brought Cheng Zhaoci along to visit Mr Liang once, and Cheng Zhaoci saw how badly Mr Liang was doing. He could barely manage a smile seeing Cheng Zhaoci visit.

“It’s fine. Everything’s fine. He’ll be back when the pirates are defeated,” Mr Liang said. Perhaps it was to reassure Cheng Zhaoci; perhaps, it was to reassure himself.

Cheng Zhaoci simply sat with him. No words can soothe a lost soul thus traumatised. Lu Yao advised Mr Liang that he could apply for special aid from the government, and the amount is no joke – Lu Yao explained that the law was passed just days ago, and the details would probably make it onto the news in a few days.

In any case, Cheng Zhaoci didn’t feel quite like his usual cheery self when he left with Lu Yao.

Sure, he is far away from war. In fact, he’s living the good life here. Yet the tension in the atmosphere, and all the bottled-up feelings in the air, still make themselves known often.

Lu Yao could see how down Cheng Zhaoci was, so he put his hand on his shoulder, and told him, with his wrinkled, but still firm and imposing face, “there’s no denying this is all terrible. It’s like a deep swamp with all the ugly things hidden in the mud. Even so, there will always be insectoids who work themselves to death trying to drain it. You might call it madness, but it’s true that just seeing them at their work, brings us hope.”

Cheng Zhaoci doesn’t know who Lu Yao is referring to, exactly, but he thinks he would know in time.

“Cheng Zhaoci!” Zhou Luoluo is shaking his hands in front of Cheng Zhaoci’s face, “what’s wrong? You look distracted.”

“Huh?” Cheng Zhaoci reins his thoughts in. Zhou Luoluo, and Zhou Xiaobao, sitting behind him, are looking at him, confused. Zhou Luoluo asks, biting his lips, “that’s weird. You don’t usually fall this silent when I’m talking to you.”
“I was asking you about the genre of your new comic,” Zhou Luoluo repeats himself, seeing how confused Cheng Zhaoci also looks, and realises he didn’t hear a single word from him, “but what were you thinking about?”

“Nothing, really,” Cheng Zhaoci pats Zhou Luoluo’s pawing hand away, “it’s episodic, themed around redoing things. Well? Want to try detailing it?”

“Yes!” Zhou Luoluo is visiting in person for exactly that, “that art style was awesome!” Although really, Zhou Luoluo has yet to show that there is an art style he doesn’t approve of, perhaps except Zhou Xiaobao’s early comic style.

“Me, me too!” Zhou Xiaobao immediately adds, raising his hand too, “I really like it!”

It might be a common ailment of creators that they love to try out different styles. Perhaps a creator enjoys sweet everyday slice of life comics in private, but can’t help drawing everything to tragic conclusions when they are drawing. Or, in this case, an artist focusing on something akin to shoujo comics still can’t stop himself drooling over jagged, mysterious noir-type style when he sees it.

Ah, the plight that befalls the creative!

“Sure, I’ll start as soon as I get the first story’s plot sorted out, then I’ll send you the draft. We’ll split the earnings the same as before.”

“By the way, haven’t you noticed something’s been different recently?” Zhou Luoluo suddenly says, so Cheng Zhaoci asks, “what?”

“Zhou Xiaobao’s readers are no longer dragging your comic into his comment sections,” replies Zhou Luoluo.

… Um, right. He doesn’t read Zhou Xiaobao’s comic for fun. He has PTSD when it comes to contrived dog-blood plots.

That said, does Zhou Luoluo actually read the comic while dissing it the whole time, every single chapter? Why would he know?

Unaware of his crumbling image in Cheng Zhaoci’s mind, Zhou Luoluo explains, “you know Xiaobao publishes his comic under his alias, you know, that MachoInsectoid name. Some keen-eyed detective realised he’s the one detailing your comics.”

It’s like some wave of enlightenment suddenly washed over the extremely pugnacious comment section. Everyone was calm and civilised, and even the younger keyboard warrior fans aren’t yelling about being the best comic anymore and angering others. Well, it still happens, but nowhere as distressingly frequent.

Zhou Xiaobao might not speak much outside of his comfort zone, but the more arguments there are, the more frustration he builds up, the worse the contrivances and craziness emerge in the plot. Now the protagonist demi’s child is already born – a grade S shemale the moment he’s born.

In insectoid society, while the shemales’ and demis’ aptitude test could be conducted earlier and more simply compared to males, given their differences, but it normally takes place after ten years’ old! What in the world do you mean ‘a born grade S’? And also, his personality is already ‘cold’ and ‘ruthless.’ As a baby.

This actually reminds Cheng Zhaoci of He Huaijian a little. He was still a dumb optimistic kid, but he also didn’t smile that much when he was young. It made him look stiff and weird whenever he genuinely or deliberately tried to smile as he grew up.

That only discouraged him smiling any further.

But he digresses. Really, don’t judge a Zhou Xiaobao by his cover. A simple socially awkward male he may appear on the outside, but the more the comments stabbed his heart, about how his story is full of plot holes and senselessness, the worse Zhou Xiaobao’s retaliation comes in the form of even more contrivances.

What an insectoid!