Chapter 32: Heartbreak
Kai went back to his daily life after Wang was released from prison. He threw himself on making the perfect low level puppet army that doesn't need to have refined human souls trapped inside them to follow his every command.
Seeing him immense himself in the puppet like manufacturing process, the artifact spirit sent him a manual on puppetry and puppetry refinement. It is a cruel process where a humans soul is trapped inside an item and then his or her memories are erased completely.
A magic seal will be drawn using soul power and a series of gestures which will make the soul eternally subservient to the master. If the master who is a puppeteer find superior materials, they can make the puppet more powerful and even help it in gaining magic powers.
Puppeteering is as notorious as necromancy and is also just as feared. Kai read it but is not planning on making something so taxing on the soul anytime soon.
Seeing he is not interested in puppetry, the spirit did not force it and let him be. The spirit can speak to him now and bring him into the library but chooses not to. As the world is too peaceful and therefore their current pace is sufficient for now.
"Are you sure it was him?" Wang Chen asked sitting down as if all the strength on his body has left him.
"Yes. I am sure. The Huo family knows too." Wang Yan said taking a large sip on his drink.
"He helps us and we expose him to danger again. Typical." Wang Chen said with a bit of self blame.
"Maybe I was wrong about him. But it is too late now. He will probably be taken to some underground lab and be imprisoned there to make them Payne batteries forever." Yan said darkly.
"I will warn him. At least he can try to save himself." Wang Chen stood up.
"We'll see." Wang Yan doesn't think it worth the shot.
A while later, Kai opened his door to find Wang Chen and Wang Yan standing there looking nervous.
"Hello. Something on your mind?" Kai asked them when a sound caught both their attention coming from inside.
"Kai you're in danger..." Chen hasn't finished talking when the door is opened all the way and a figure seated at the dinning table is revealed. His cold eyes starring straight at the two people.
Wang Yan pulled his son so he will stop talking. When Wang Chen saw the person at the table he became stunned and feared for his family's safety now that he is seen warning Kai.
"Since you have a guest, we will leave you to it. We can talk another time." Wang Yan didn't wait for a reply and left pulling Chen with him.
"Huh? Weird." Kai shakes his head and closes the door. He turned to face Huo Jun with a silly smile on his face.
"I love your surprise visits. What do you have for me?" Kai pointed at the large sacks of ore Jun had brought with him. He is already running out of materials.
Huo Jun noted that Kai is actually more happy about the materials than with seeing him. "I heard you use this one and you call it space stone?"
Jun took out a small stone showing it to Kai. "Can you make items with it? Space artifacts?"
"That's too much work for a single sack of ore." Kai raised his eyebrow.
"I will give you however many you want."
"You want me to make you a piece of jewelry? I want you to take me out on a date." Kai pouted.
"That is not going to happen." Jun said firmly.
"But I like you, don't you like me?" Kai blinked.
"No." Again with the very firm answer.
"Whatever." Kai walked to the sack and found three kinds of ore.
Special metal ore that is normally used to make speed boats and flying swords. "Ow my...this is very precious." He looked at Huo Jun strangely "I thought you don't like me?"
"I don't, I am only giving you this material because no matter how much fire we use, it won't melt." Huo Jun explained himself.
"You need soul fire of at least level 7 to refine wenghu ore." Kai said
"Soul fire?"
"Those fire types ability users or a fire spell infused with soul power or mental power to control the flame and the ore." Kai lifted up the metal ore with shining eyes.
"What sort of items can be made with this ore?"
"High level rune weapons, flying swords and other flying artifacts." Kai answered honestly. This metal ore is easy to be controlled with mental power and skill after refinement.
"Can you make them?" Huo Jun sounded the same but is had a feeling that he is excited by the prospect of flying swords.
"No." He shot him a bored look.
"Then you don't need these materials." Jun said making Kai raised an eyebrow. Is he threatening to take away the ore if he doesn't promise to make him an artifact? Child play.
"You're the boss." Kai said nonchalantly.
"What about the others?"
"This is sand stone. If you use it with a few other ingredients it can be made into weapons of at least medium grade. These weapons are easier to carve runes into their bodies. The sand stone is a conduit of power better than bronze."
"How do you know all these?" Huo couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"I read." Kai said moving on to the next ore.
"This one seems interesting." Kai said looking at the brown orange with fire red flame inside. "Each stone has concentrated fire?"
"Yes. It is too strong to use on anything, it is also very hard to open it." Huo explained.
"It's just an element stone. It needs to be refined before it can be absorbed by those with fire spirit root." Kai didn't touch the stone.
"How to refine it?" Huo Jun asked.
"I don't know. I will ask someone when I get a chance." Kai said thinking about his invisible helper.
"I see." If you find lightning elemental stone let me know." Kai smiled at him.
"You may keep all these materials." Huo Jun feel that he has gained a lot by coming here.
"Thanks." Kai smiled. He took out healing pills blood recovery pills and a small jar of burn paste. He explained how they work and Huo Jun took them as payment.
"That concludes our business now do you care for a drink with me?" Kai went back to flirting.
"I must leave. Thank you for your hospitality. But there is something I would like to understand, why did you help the Wang family against the government?"
Kai is not surprised that he deduced this after spending time with him. Kai is not disappointed that he was discovered.
"The same reason I do other things, because I wanted to."
"Willful."
"I don't deny it."
"Do you understand the hell they can unleash on you if they ever find out?"
"Hehe..." Kai looked at Huo Jun "Let them come." His voice laced with psychic power that dazzled Huo Jun. It made Jun feel like he was facing a beast with a will of steel.
"In any case, that battery is not something that can be coveted by just anyone. Humanity can not be trusted with the means to destroy itself." Kai said going back to being normal. Like the scary tone from before did not come from him.
"What about you? Aren't you also human?" Jun asked.
"I am different."
"How?"
"I have no ambition for conquest nor desire to see others worship me. Humanity is of little interest to me." He said these words with nonchalance.
"What about the world? Don't you want to make it better?" Huo Jun asked.
"The world is better now than it was a century ago. This pace of development is okay with me. Unless something special happens, I don't see a need for my interference." Kai answered.
"I don't believe that. Fat brain." Huo Jun looked into his eyes but only saw amusement in Kai's eyes.
"But what if I told you that something evil is coming? Something that will set the development back by at least several decades?" Huo Jun sounded serious.
"That is why I don't want my things in their hands, they will use them to lord over others and oppress them."
"So you know about it?"
"I can smell it."
"Right. I forgot about the stench." Jun said.
"So what will it take for you to give up the methods of production?" Huo Jun felt like he knows what this boy will ask for.
"I want you to be my boyfriend." Kai held his hand and put it on his cheek. "I like you, so I will pamper you with whatever you ask of me." He smiled a doting smile.
Huo Jun pulled back his hand and took a step back. "Didn't you just make a speech about not wanting your things in the hands of others?"
"I don't mind if it is you. Besides, it was the domineering way they coveted my things that bugged me." They were going to ruin an entire family just for one battery formula.
Jun became amused. Kai is still just a teenager after all. He was annoyed by the other party's aggressive approach. Cute.
Huo Jun wanted to slap himself for thinking Kai is cute. "What if I use it to oppress people?"
"My family's Jun Jun can do whatever he wants." Kai said seriously.
"Are you hearing yourself? That's human lives!" Huo Jun frowned.
"They are of little interest to me." Kai said honestly.
"That is an absurd thing to say when we have only just met." Jun said but inside, his heart flutters.
"It was love at first sight." Kai saw Huo Jun's expression get ugly.
"Okay I am joking. About the green flag on oppressing people. Are you happy now? Can I get a hug?" Kai blinked pitifully.
"No. Why are you sure you like me?" Jun asked.
"I am attracted to the cold breath on you. I want to get close to your body whenever you are around. I can't get enough of hearing your voice and I have kissed your lips several times in my dreams. You also smell really good for me."
"That's just being lustful." Jun said.
"So?" Kai is confused.
"So that kind of attraction will quickly fade after you've held me or kissed me." Jun explained.
"How do you know?" Kai doesn't believe it.
"That's how lust operates."
"How can I not like you after you've kissed me? That is not possible." Kai said firmly.
"My body wants you, but I am refreshed and happy when you're around. My heart is in pain whenever I see you, it's painful because you don't smile at me or treat me warmly. You always say 'no' with such confidence that it shatters my own confidence but I still want to see you in hopes that you will one day smile at me, look at me softly and say yes to me. Even if it is just once. It is painful but I want you to want me so it is a bitter sweet kind of pain." Kai ranting caught Jun off guard.
"How can that be taken away as soon as we kiss? If you kiss me this feeling I have for you will not go away, it will intensify which is why I can wait...I will wait for you to want me back." Kai said with conviction.
"Aren't you a little young to be so intense?" Huo Jun asked feeling amused.
"I don't know about that. I am probably intense because I am young." Kai walked and stood in front of Jun, they are almost the same height.
He looked into Jun's cold eyes intently. There is little distance between them, Kai can practically inhale the cold breath into his burning meridians. It cools him off a bit.
He is not uncomfortable with his power. The effect of grasping a cooling breath in the air is relaxing and opens his pores making him feel refreshed. He wants more so he leans in to take a whiff of his neck.
Huo Jun is not so cold, feeling the warm breath around him. He wanted to lean in too. But reason told him that is not the way to do things, it will just give false hope to Kai.
"I don't like you Kai, you and me can never happen." He said bluntly..."Do you understand?" He hardened his eyes.
"I understand." Kai said looking at him in the eyes, his earlier intense flame now extinguished. He did not show weakness nor did he become upset with him. Kai just took a few steps back and pointed at the sack.
June appeared out of nowhere and started growling at Huo Jun. Feeling the threat, Huo Jun moved away a short distance.
Kai patted June and tried to calm himself. Magical artifacts are mysterious. Even a sword will react when it senses the masters intent to battle. His army is no longer just electronic especially June who is always surrounded by his breath.
"Then next time send the one in the may not have shown it but his psychic powers are all over the place. He is upset and his army can feel it. He had bonded with the commander artifact. His mental power is connected to the army and June, including the cameras he made at that time.
Huo Jun saw that Kai's warm breath became colder. Jun is sorry but he thinks it is best that Kai knows this now rather than having false hope.
When Kai came back out he seemed to have calmed down a bit. "Well, since there is nothing else you should probably go home."
His phone rang and Kai answered. Song Qingyu's figure became visible as if he is standing right in front of them. He looked around in curiosity.
"Kai, my niece is having a birthday party and she wants a smart bracelet and to meet you in person."
"Why? The only apps it can use are the already existing ones. Facebook is not going to suddenly be in a literal sense." Kai said in mockery.
"The bracelet doesn't lose the signal no matter what." Qingyu said while staring at Huo Jun.
"Oh yeah. That will do it. Anyone else who wants? it so we don't have the same conversation on your sister and wife's birthday." Kai gave him a bored look.
"Hey don't be upset with me. You are the one who is not putting the bracelet on sale."
"Is this Huo Jun of the Huo industries? He is more handsome in person."
"Hello, I am Huo Jun. Thank you." Jun said seeing the other man's eyes not leaving him.
"I can give you three bracelets at most and I won't come to the party."
"No she wants to meet you. You can't refuse the man who helped keep you out of jail Kai."
"Don't flatter yourself. If I come to that party I will buy her a pair of earrings." Kai rolled his eyes.
"My wife wants to meet you." He sighed.
"Why?" Kai frowned.
"She is the head of Iowa communications. She wants to help you sell the bracelet and find the suitable apps for it. You said this can be used in outer space right?"
"Theoretically yes."
"This is the ultimate too for communication Kai, imagine the possibilities."
"I have which is why it is not going on sale. Have you decided what you want for your niece? My attendance or the bracelet?"
"How about I take you out for a few drinks tomorrow at Liuwi's bar?"
"Fine." Kai dropped the call and looked at the time. It's pretty late. "Are you not leaving?" He frowned.
"Did you make the smart bracelet yourself?" Huo asked with a serious tone.
"Yes. I did."
"You should really be careful about who you tell your secrets to." Huo seems uncomfortable.
"Okay." Kai agreed. Jun saw that Kai's gaze on him is not like before, he can't tell exactly what is different. Leaving, he gave Kai one last look, didn't see anything different but he can feel it.
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