Parasitic Child: Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Raising a son is not as good as raising a dog.

Lao Wang gently groomed the husky’s fur with a comb.

Its gray and white coat was soft and dense, feeling as smooth and delicate as satin to the touch. The more he combed, the more he couldn’t put it down.

This is the gift I want to give to Liang Liang—

Its blue eyes were purely beautiful, captivating even someone as unromantic as Lao Wang for a moment. Its eyes resembled the ocean he’d seen on television…

Lao Wang had never been to the seaside. Ever since he left his rural hometown and came to this city, he had spent decades busying himself among the garbage piles. The idea of traveling for leisure had never crossed his mind. At first, he just wanted a small place to rest in this city, but later it became about raising his son to adulthood.

His son was someone the neighbors praised, always giving a thumbs-up when they mentioned him. His son had been so adorable and obedient as a child. Lao Wang worked hard and saved every penny to raise him, and he watched as his son gradually thrived—first becoming a student at a prestigious university, and now he was a junior manager at a large company.

He still remembered the last time he saw his son. His son was sharply dressed in a suit, looking clean and energetic, and it filled Lao Wang with joy. But he didn’t know when it started that his son no longer looked him in the eye.

“Can’t you dress a bit better when you come to see me?! What do you want me to do with my face?!” 

Indeed, to save money for the mortgage, his clothes were all old garments he’d picked from the trash, always gray and ill-fitting. Even after multiple washes, they still smelled faintly of garbage. 

After being scolded like that, Lao Wang felt increasingly ashamed in front of his child. An old man who collected garbage seemed to torture his son’s pride every minute he stood before him.

Even now, he felt lost and helpless. How had that good boy, whom everyone praised, turned into this? He remembered his son during middle school, how he would come home early after class to help Lao Wang sort through the rubbish, never complaining about being tired. He would earnestly tell him, “Dad, you’ve worked hard your whole life. I’ll make a lot of money in the future so you can live in a big house.”

They used to squeeze into a makeshift shack beside the garbage dump. Though the shack was dark and dingy, Lao Wang felt bright and hopeful inside at that time. 

“Dad, after I graduate from university, I’ll take you abroad to see the world. We’ll go to the Mediterranean. Do you know, Dad? The sea there is especially blue.”

Lao Wang had never seen much of the world, and he never dared to dream of the Mediterranean. But he had seen it on TV, and indeed, the sea there was very blue.

That beautiful, bright blue was just like the eyes of this husky. Thinking of this, tears began to fall.

The tears landed on the husky’s fur, and the dog looked up at him.

Lao Wang felt increasingly sad, and he thought it was embarrassing to cry in front of a dog, so he turned his head to wipe his tears, but they just kept flowing.

This was the son he had worked so hard to raise.

The husky leaned closer to him, looking at him with its pure blue eyes. In those clear pupils, there was a reflection of Lao Wang, but it seemed like he saw Liang Liang.

I still have Liang Liang. Lao Wang told himself.

He hugged the dog; yes, he still had Liang Liang.

Because this dog was a gift from his beloved grandson, Liang Liang.

It was a present from his most cherished little grandson, Liang Liang.

That day, Liang Liang whispered in his ear, “Grandpa must be very lonely, so I brought you this dog.”

“Silly child, as long as Liang Liang comes to see me, Grandpa won’t be lonely.”

“But Liang Liang can’t always be by Grandpa’s side, so Liang Liang gave you this dog. It’s just like Liang Liang, so Grandpa must take good care of it.”

“Of course, I will. Grandpa promises Liang Liang.”

Right, this dog represents Liang Liang’s feelings. He would take good care of it and would never let it get lost.  

He would definitely protect it.

This dog was his heart and soul.

Bang!!  

The door suddenly slammed open.

Lao Wang jumped in surprise.  

A burly man rushed in, glaring fiercely at the husky.

This man… had he come by before?

“Who are you?? What do you want?”

The man didn’t look at Lao Wang; he only stared menacingly at the husky and said, “Did you just mess with my brain?”

“Who are you? What do you want?” Lao Wang shouted.

The man seemed to ignore Lao Wang’s question and declared to the dog, “Don’t think there will be a next time; you won’t escape today!”

“Hey!! I’m calling the police.”

The husky suddenly jumped up and dashed out the door.

The man followed closely behind, turning to Lao Wang before leaving, saying, “You’ll forget anyway; humans just need a good night’s sleep.”

Lao Wang shouted, “What are you going to do to my dog!”  

He stumbled out of the alley, calling for his husky, but the night streets were empty, with only a nearby stray yellow dog lying around in boredom.

*****

The husky raced ahead while the man chased after it relentlessly.

He was a Gnusian from a distant galaxy, now disguising himself as a human and hiding on this planet.  

The man believed he would capture this “husky” tonight. He pulled out a lightweight web gun and aimed it at the “husky.” This gun could automatically track fast-moving creatures and generate webs to capture its prey.

The husky leaped into the air, making an unbelievable turn to dodge the web projectile that shot out. The man clicked his tongue softly and fired a second shot at the husky.

Bang! A clear tearing sound echoed in the air.  

The web projectile exploded instantly. The shattered webs scattered everywhere, and a cat jumped down to the ground.

The cat announced in a clear voice, “Gnusian, this prey is mine.”

A cat? It could talk; it must be an Aeltian.  

The man frowned, “Has the bounty guild fallen so low that even Aelter cats can get involved?”  

“Better than brainless Gnusians,” the cat retorted.

The man angrily said, “Listen, I discovered it first. You foolish cat, you’ll pay for your arrogance.”  

“What else can you do besides roar threats?” the cat shot back. “When was the last time you brushed your teeth? Even with that optical disguiser making you look like a human, the stench from your few steel teeth is unbearable.”  

“Shut up! You’ll die!”

Xiao Zhen said, “It seems Mr. Mao has successfully attracted that Gnusian’s attention.”  

Captain Ban agreed, “Exactly, it has an unparalleled talent for angering others.”

The cat and the man entered a heated verbal battle.

Hiding around the corner, Xiao Zhen signaled to Captain Ban. Just as the husky dashed to the intersection, Chicken swooped down and delivered a powerful blow to the husky.  

Bang! The husky was sent flying. Captain Ban enhanced his wings, capable of striking down an adult leopard. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Zhen threw out a binding net, capturing the husky tightly.

“You’re cheating!!”

The Gnusian, furious, abandoned his argument with Mr. Mao and stormed up to Xiao Zhen.  

Xiao Zhen pulled in the net and smiled at him.

The Gnusian glanced at the husky in the net, then sized up Xiao Zhen. He said, “You’re a local human?” Then he turned to Mr. Mao and roared, “You violated the Independent Civilization Code!! You actually brought a local human for the mission? You’ve broken the rules!!”  

Mr. Mao calmly replied, “He’s my local assistant, registered with the bounty guild. Sorry, but this husky has been captured by us.”

The Gnusian pointed at the chicken and angrily shouted, “Why is there a chicken here?? You not only captured a local, but you also brought in a chicken!!” He raised his voice, “Why did you capture a chicken???”

The chicken retorted, “What’s wrong with a chicken? Do you have a problem with chickens?”

Mr. Mao said, “Regardless, we’ve caught this target. You should just give up.”

“Bullshit!” the Gnusian exclaimed angrily. “I’ve been tracking this target for three whole days! It’s mine!”

Mr. Mao chuckled, “Oh? You’ve found it for three days and still haven’t caught it. The human who adopted it is a frail old man, and yet you couldn’t capture it. Let me guess why you haven’t completed the capture by now.” The cat tilted its head and said, “How many times have you been brainwashed in the past three days?”

“Shut up!!”

“Just from what I’ve seen, it’s been once. It definitely wasn’t the first time. Was it three times? Or four? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be carrying a mental defense device.” Mr. Mao sighed and shook his head, “I’ve heard of the Gnusian’s fearlessness and madness, and it really is as rumored—your brain is thin as mush.”

The chicken cackled with laughter.

“You don’t know when to live or die ¹!” The Gnusian’s face turned pale, and he drew his gun, aiming it at Mr. Mao.

At that moment, the net suddenly lit up. The husky was enveloped in a strange blue light that spread like mist, shrouding them all.

A few seconds later, the blue light faded.

The Gnusian’s expression became somewhat confused as he looked down at the gun in his hand and holstered it. “What am I doing here?” he muttered, scratching his head as he turned to leave.

The chicken watched him go and said, “See? That guy got brainwashed and sent away again.”

“The target is trying to drive away any creatures that threaten it,” Xiao Zhen said, looking at the husky in the net. “Just now, my brain told me that I was just out for a nighttime stroll to buy drinks and that I should immediately drop the dog and head to the convenience store three streets away.”

Mr. Mao jumped to the edge of the net. “What popped into my head was that I was patrolling my territory at night and had just had a fling with a beautiful female cat. Why was such a bizarre scenario set? I don’t even know that female cat.”

Captain Ban said, “The female cat is probably your host’s dream girl. It modifies the existing memories in your brain. My brain is convincing me to look for some delicious bugs instead of standing here staring at a dog.”

Xiao Zhen sighed, “What an impressive ability. It’s definitely worth 10,000 credit points.” Unfortunately, for the Heart-devouring Demons, they are completely immune to this kind of mental attack on their host’s brain. If it were any other bounty hunter, they would probably end up like the poor Gnusian, brainwashed again and sent away.

“I’m really curious why your owner keeps you,” Xiao Zhen said, looking at the husky. “Generally speaking, anyone would dislike having their memories altered, right?”

The chicken replied, “Because this one, ah, let’s just call it a husky. Its trait is to modify the memories of other creatures to benefit its own survival. Usually, the adjustments are quite subtle or not very harmful, and it has ways to resist, which is why it hasn’t attracted the lethal orders of the Supervisory Eye. For example, if someone adopts it, it would set itself into the owner’s true memories, fabricating some wonderful memories between the owner and itself to gain the owner’s affection.”

“That’s disgusting enough for an intelligent creature,” Xiao Zhen said. “I know the Terrans; even harmless adjustments are unforgivable.”

“It’s said that it adjusts things in a positive direction to make the owner feel better. Some people get addicted to psychedelics, and there will be others who keep such pets to feel better,” the chicken cackled. “That Gnusian is back again.”

“Back again? Looks like his mental defense device is working,” Mr. Mao said. “Though the delay is quite significant.”

Then, the blue light flashed.

The Gnusian left again. The Gnusian came back again.

The blue light flashed.

The Gnusian left again. The Gnusian came back again.

The Gnusian left again. The Gnusian came back again.

The Gnusian left again. The Gnusian came back again.

Xiao Zhen, Mr. Mao, and the chicken silently watched him go back and forth.

The Gnusian stomped back in with heavy strides, each step seeming like he wanted to crush the ground beneath him. Even though he was currently disguised as an ordinary human using optical camouflage, his anger still twisted his face into a deformed expression, resembling the furious and brutal Gnusian beast that Xiao Zhen was familiar with.

“How many times have you woken up from brainwashing?” Mr. Mao asked, suppressing a laugh.

“I’ve had enough!” the Gnusian gritted his teeth and said. “This dangerous thing must pay a price!!”

“Calm down. This is the target of the gold master.”  

“Yeah, the gold master wants it alive.”  

“It must be taught a lesson!” The Gnusian roared, his sharp, long claws glinting as he swung them toward the husky on the ground.  

“Wait!”  

The Gnusian’s distinctive claws sliced through the air, leaving a trail of white light. Blood splattered as a body collapsed to the ground.  

But it wasn’t the husky, nor was it Xiao Zhen.  

Lao Wang fell back, staring at the sky. A large gash had been cut into his abdomen, his intestines spilling out, blood flowing uncontrollably.  

He murmured, “Don’t think about hurting the dog that Liang Liang gave me.”  

The Gnusian stepped back in shock. “This human suddenly jumped out!”  

“Oh my God, why is he here?”  

Xiao Zhen squatted down, pressing his hand firmly against Lao Wang’s wound. “Is your claw poisoned? I can’t handle this wound.”  

The Gnusian shouted, “I just wanted to scare that husky! I didn’t mean to hurt the local human!”  

*******  

Lao Wang had chased out of his house. That was his husky, a gift from Liang Liang. He had promised Liang Liang to take good care of it.  

But the husky had suddenly been scared away by a stranger.  

Where is it? Where is it?  

Lao Wang searched the night streets in a daze. That was Liang Liang’s gift, the only connection he had with his son and Liang Liang.  

Ah, such a well-behaved dog, how could he lose it?  

He had to find it back. Even if it cost him his life, he had to get his husky back.  

Because this husky was a gift from Liang Liang.  

Then, he found it.  

At a street corner not far away.  

His husky was trapped in a net.  

The stranger who had broken into his home was about to attack his husky.  

“Liang Liang can’t always be with Grandpa, so Liang Liang gave this dog to Grandpa. It’s just like Liang Liang, Grandpa must take good care of it.”  

“Liang Liang loves Grandpa the most.”  

“Grandpa, you’ll take good care of Liang Liang’s dog, right?”  

Yes, I will protect it with my life. It is my heart and soul.  

Without any hesitation, he charged forward.  

Lao Wang fell to the ground, feeling weak in his limbs, his whole body growing light. A boy was desperately pressing down on his wound. He saw his blood gushing out, he saw his intestines.  

“Great, you can explain this to the Supervisory Eye!”  

“I didn’t mean it! He suddenly rushed over!”  

“Your claws are poisoned! His whole body is convulsing!”  

“That’s right, this is their amazing racial skill! This kind of nerve toxin probably can’t be treated on this planet!”  

“Are you deliberately trying to draw the Safety Committee here?”  

“He jumped out on his own!!”

Voices filled his ears, speaking in words he couldn’t understand. In a daze, he saw the husky struggling to climb out of the net and licking his face. Its eyes were so blue…

“Dad, do you know how blue the Mediterranean is? I’ll definitely take you to the Mediterranean in the future.”

“Grandpa, this is a gift from Liang Liang. Look how beautiful its blue eyes are.”

“Liang Liang loves Grandpa the most!”

“Liang Liang… Grandpa will definitely take good care of it,” he murmured.  

The world turned dark and void.

*******

Xiao Zhen sat on a chair in the hospital corridor.

He was looking at the bill that Boss Han had sent him, which included costs for detoxification, medical care, and other follow-up expenses. Although it was that foolish Gnusian’s fault, the aftermath was still counted against them. After submitting the task, the 10,000 credit points were reduced to less than 1,000 after deducting various follow-up fees.

Boss Han explained it thoroughly: they had to detox and treat the wounds, ensuring the locals didn’t find out it was a nerve toxin that didn’t exist on this planet, and disguise it as an ordinary traffic accident. Every penny had to be spent.

Xiao Zhen looked at Boss Han’s bill again. According to Boss Han’s calculations, he should be crying tears of joy for not losing money on this trip. He had long known the nature of the fox merchants, but this time was yet another painful lesson.

“Yan Zhen?”  

Xiao Zhen looked up. It was Director Li from the neighborhood committee; he had just finished speaking with the doctor.

“Thank you so much for calling in time to get Lao Wang to the hospital. I can’t imagine the consequences otherwise,” Director Li said. “The doctor said there’s no major issue now.”  

“It’s nothing, I just made a call,” Xiao Zhen replied. “Hasn’t his family come?”

“Hah.” Director Li snorted through his nose. “He does have a son. I called him, but he immediately made excuses, saying he couldn’t find the driver responsible and that he was on a business trip.”  

“Can’t he come over?”  

“Haha, he just doesn’t want to pay for medical expenses or put in any effort to take care of his father. This son is as good as not having one,” Director Li said angrily. “He has a grandson, but Lao Wang has never met him. He said the grandson is afraid Lao Wang is dirty and might get sick. What’s the use of raising a son like that??”  

“Ah…”

“It’s been so many years! Lao Wang has never met his grandson! His daughter-in-law is no better!”  

“…”

Director Li stood up. “Speaking of which, Lao Wang is confused too; he even told me that his grandson gave him a dog. He has never met that grandson.”  

“What kind of dog?”  

“It’s that big yellow dog that was wandering at his door. Well, it’s good; he’ll have a companion after he gets out of the hospital,” Director Li said with a hint of resentment. “In this day and age, raising a son is not as good as raising a dog.”

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Translator Notes

1. Acting recklessly[↩]