“Although some may think that the bees have an unfair social structure, they can’t deny it does help them operate in an orderly fashion. They all perform their duties faithfully and produce a steady stream of honey. Human society runs on a similar structure. Although it is more complicated than the bee colony, it runs on essentially the same concept.”
Mr. G took out a handkerchief and wiped off the remains of the dead bee on his finger.
“Is New Shanghai 0297 also a beehive capable of producing a steady stream of honey?” Zhang Heng asked.
“Good question. In my opinion, the companies, cities, and even the defunct national systems are part of the beehive. However, our social structure looks different from the outside.” Mr. G spread his hands and continued, “We humans have been working hard for thousands of years, looking for more efficient production and reproduction methods. From the use of basic tools to the numerous industrial revolutions, our productivity greatly improved thanks to the emergence of the global division of labor. Then, our lives have become more and more abundant. Take a look at the world around you. Our lives are so much better than the lives of our ancestors.
“At the same time, however, we are becoming more and more like our creation. The vast majority of people have lost their unique individuality. Just like these worker bees, they all look the same and are replaceable. We forget what our true desires are. Deceived by society, we gradually become the tools of production. We are put together with different responsibilities to make the world go round. However, the more productive we are, the more we appear like tools. Until the emergence of clones, everything had to be pushed to the extreme.
Mr. G paused.
“When the clones were born, someone predicted that humans would gain a more advanced and efficient production method. Do you know how much it used to cost to raise a child in ordinary families in the early years? Not to mention that when they get older, they would still receive social insurance when they quit the production link. That means they would continue consuming society’s resources. The emergence of human clones perfectly solves these problems.
“When they are still at their juvenile phase, you can raise them in large quantities like pigs. You only need to feed them to keep them alive, and you don’t need to provide them anything other than food. Then, when they grow up, just give them some fake memories. The false memories you give them mold them into the tools you need. Just like you, molded to be a bodyguard. A clone could also become a cook or a good employee, ready to work in the production line. When they get older and their efficiency drops, we can go ahead and destroy them. This is the perfect tool that could help us excel in productivity. They are like the new type of worker bee that needs neither food nor drink.”
As he spoke, Mr. G waved his hand at his bodyguard to lift the barrel with the honeycomb.
“Do you know what’s the problem that humans and bees share? In the beginning, these bees exist to keep their kind alive. However, after that, they’d forget their most fundamental purpose. They start to collect honey for the sake of collecting honey. And thus, honey overflows in their beehive. In the end, the beekeepers take advantage of them.
“Oh. I just talked so much without paying attention to the time. Forgive me. I went on and on about bees till I almost forgot about the real business. I came to you this time for the express delivery. The day to carry out the transaction has been set in stone. It’s the night after tomorrow. I hope you won’t be offended—I watched the clip of your previous battle, and I also saw how you singlehandedly protected my middleman from a group of bikers. This is why I’ve chosen you as my courier. However, I hope you can also understand that this transaction is very important to me, and I must make sure that nothing goes wrong.”
“What do you mean?” Zhang Heng asked.
Mr. G did not answer the question immediately. Instead, he watched his two bodyguards bring a table and two chairs, put a tablecloth on the table, arrange the tableware, and place a bottle of wine before he continued.
“Before you actually start working for me, I hope I can see what you are capable of doing with my own two eyes. I’d like to know whether the person I spent so much money hiring is reliable. Is this request too much?”
Mr. G reached out to Miss F. “And you, my beautiful fiancée, can you enjoy afternoon tea with me?”
Miss F frowned when she heard what he said.
“This is not what we agreed on.”
“Yes. This is the part I spontaneously decided on. I like our friend here as much as you do. Because of this, I don’t want him to have any accidents when he delivers for me the day after tomorrow.”
Miss F wanted to say more, but she heard Zhang Heng say,
“It’s fair. What’s the test?”
“Since your job is to help me to deliver the item, please help me deliver this honeycomb bucket to the storage room at the back of the garden. Other than that, bring my fiancée’s favorite croissant from the kitchen. Be careful. This garden holds many dangers. I planted lots of thorny flowers.
“Pay attention. You have only 20 minutes to complete the task. If you run out of time or lose your life during the mission, it’ll be considered a fail.”
Mr. G then set a countdown timer on his bracelet.
“Any other questions?”
“Can I borrow your sword?” Zhang Heng requested Miss F.
“Why? Don’t you like your blade?” Mr. G asked.
“My blade is too sharp. I’m worried I’ll hurt your men,” Zhang Heng said casually.
Mr. G smiled upon hearing this. “You needn’t worry about this. Your opponents are real bad guys. I don’t mind if they die. I’ve made an agreement with them. If they manage to kill you, all of their debts will be canceled. Even if they don’t die in your hands, I’ll kill them myself sooner or later. So please, be very careful. Oh, and you can give up and quit the test at any time.”
Having said that, Miss F still took off the sword on her waist and threw it to Zhang Heng.
“Take it; my sword is made of tungsten steel alloy. You should make good use of it.”
A strange look flashed in Mr. G’s eyes, but he said nothing. Instead, he just nodded at Zhang Heng and said, “Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
Zhang Heng took the sword, lifted the bucket of honey on the table, and walked towards the back of the garden.
After only walking less than twenty meters, Zhang Heng met his first enemy. A muscular man who had modified his left arm into a chainsaw was waiting for Zhang Heng under a palm tree. The moment he saw Zhang Heng, he turned on the chainsaw and charged.
Zhang Heng stood there and did not make a move. He waited until the muscular man came close enough before he swung his sword.
It was a quick slash.
From swinging the sword to keeping the sword away, the entire process took less than 0.2 seconds. The attack was so swift that it was almost impossible to catch a glimpse with the naked eye.
Later, the muscular man’s chainsaw slipped from his shoulder and hit his toe. The sharp spinning teeth instantly sliced off four of his toes, leaving the muscular man wondering if he should be more about losing his arm or toes.
