Insectoids: The Job of the Males

Chapter 68.1

A Popular Bachelor

Translated by boilpoil
Edited by boilpoil

Cheng Zhaoci didn’t know his admitting he was all pretending would spook the Zhou brothers so much that they’d stop visiting at all for half a month.

But thanks to his exceptional memories, he’s able to recall this detail when he realises they haven’t visited or contacted him much, and realise what they were talking about when they say he was ‘gentle’ and ‘polite.’

Right. They must have been worried he’s become an emotionless troublemaker.

So he has to actually call Zhou Luoluo to explain that he didn’t get what they were talking about back then, not knowing the Federation has already released juicy details on grade S males and so did not realise what he was asking about. Finally, after cooperating with a few rather insultingly offensive tests, Zhou Luoluo is relieved.

Thank goodness he hasn’t lost his capable assistants when he still has more updates to draw.

A short time after he made up with the Zhou brothers, more things have come to pass. For one, Evan’s movie, also named ‘In a Tiny Flicker’ after the comic, is released. Next, the President has helped arrange his invitation to the new school he’ll be studying in, where suitable grade A (and above) males end up studying after their aptitude tests.

Fortunately, it’s not a boarding school, so Cheng Zhaoci is still able to go home every day – well, to Grand Marshal Lu’s mansion, at least.

Meanwhile, ‘In a Tiny Flicker’ is a massive hit as a movie as well. After Cheng Zhaoci has been revealed to be the only living grade S male of the generation, there was an unprecedented increase to his following. As the first animated movie of his works, ‘In a Tiny Flicker’ was guaranteed to garner attention.

Especially when insectoids now know of the many grade S males who seem destined – cursed – to be victims of their own fates, at the hands of shemalesm etc., and turn misanthropic and shemale-phobic.

Cheng Zhaoci is quite different in that respect.

The times being what it is, the movie was probably going to cause massive headaches by being influential and also exposing lots of societal issues driving the genders apart. If enemy polities took advantage of the chaos, the insectoids might end up in a civil war without intervention.

Yet they were also aware that the way the current laws exhibit clear favouritism to males would only give rise to more and more Jin Yues, until a trigger threshold when it all blows up in their face no worse than a civil war would.

That’s why the movie was released, because there is a twist – that the content’s original creator is male, and the director who adapted this into a movie, is also male.

In the Readers’ Gala, Cheng Zhaoci attended with male friends – one of whom is the comic artist behind an infamous yet popular contrived comic.

Cheng Zhaoci is a grade S male that is different from known grade S males. He’s not as emotionless.

His works past and present are what he dedicated time and effort into. He poured his heart out.

This is also what gave those comics the ability to resonate with other insectoids. His passion has, in turn, lent other insectoids the drive to keep damning him and return the favour.

Recall the Gala, when after his happy introduction to all present that he was indeed male, he wrote a status update asking for the insectoids who were all blabbering about marrying him and buying up prime advertisement space to do so, or who were all proclaiming they’d come beat him up. He was quite looking forward to meeting these brave souls, he says. It feels awkward when they’re all suddenly so quiet.

Well, the replies didn’t come as quickly as usual, but one soon broke through the silence.

[FreeXiongzhuForReporters: tch! you, awkward? shameless! if you told me you were grade S, I wouldn’t have said anything about the sad plot or slow updates. great, now I don’t have a grade S male xiongzhu. damned comic artist is ruining my childhood, again]

This opened the floodgates to waves of complaints, and a renewed surge in eye-bleachingly awkward graphics asking for more frequent updates.

So what if he’s male? Look at all the endings thus far! Oh, their poor, poor babies! They are filled with the determination to beat BombIn up once more.

Oh, and what’s with a male naming his alt ‘BombInMyPants’?! He should’ve gone with ‘PinkUndies’ or something! And his friends? MachoInsectoid? Lonely Eagle? Those dispel whatever aura of mystique a grade S male brings. Instead, they can clearly see his punchable, goofy face he’s making underneath that cold and distant façade.

Cheng Zhaoci is quite happy seeing his viewers return to normalcy – that is, angrily lashing out at him. Cheng Zhaoci is even replying to a few of them. Apparently, this has completely relieved the readers, who are now asking for updates with renewed vigour.

Hey, his updates are regular and weekly already, ok?

Soothing his fanbase has certainly helped when his movie’s trailers and stuff were out. Of course, extremist and reactionary comments would always be there, but it was at a degree quite manageable, which helped President Bai sigh in relief for sure.

Cheng Zhaoci’s first day of school happened to coincide with his movie’s first day of showing. He went to school, of course, where he was received by a familiar stranger – his second half-brother related by blood, Lu Su.

Calling it ‘friendly’ would be a lie, but Lu Su is a professional at ‘appearing professional’ when he’s in his MP garments. He had a friendly smile when he said, “hello, Mr Cheng Zhaoci. There are things you need to know about beforehand.”

“… Oh, ok,” Cheng Zhaoci saw guards around, and he could guess Lu Su was sent specifically on command from higher-ups.

They sat at the back of their transport, and Lu Su did not waste time talking about their relationship at all. He explained, “the President’s plans are as follows. First, information on the political makeup would be publically released in steps. That would be followed by the information on the First Research Institute, which would be done at the same time as the legislature pushes for amendments to slowly revoke the clauses on male privileges.”
“You would not be asked to do much. We expect you might have to come take a seat for the public to see occasionally. The President also wishes to expedite your studies to the same end,” Lu Su pauses, then asks, “I apologise, but I’m curious about how the awakening affected your emotions. Was it dramatic?”

“Somewhat,” Cheng Zhaoci thinks about it, and explains. Awakening did not force him to constantly relieve his memories, but he could control whether he wants to access it, and he could recall in no time. This was not inconveniencing in the slightest.

The effect of his Awakening was much more pronounced on his analytical side. He had much better attention to detail and appreciated a macroscopic view more than he did. Emotionally, there was only the occasional time when his rationale would stop him from doing something on a whim.

He then thinks and adds, “in general, I’m less brash than before, but I do not feel as emotionless or singlemindedly driven as other grade S males were documented to be.”

For example, he still felt quite guilty when he saw his dad sick with worry as he returned from the frontline. The guilt and shame were not purged by his Awakening.

Now, though, he’s certainly become much better academically. He could remember knowledge he only heard but not listened to in class in his past life. He even thinks he could easily become the top one student of the entire Gaokao if he had this brain back in his past life… Assuming he didn’t screw up subjective evaluation on understanding passages and writing essays, etc.

And really, achieving top marks with what is basically a cheat is quite unfair to the many students who have studied away their lives for it that year.

Since he can now remember the questions of his year’s Gaokao down to each and every single word.