Chapter 52: Two Choices for You

Moyu pushed the freshly filled basin of vegetables toward her and said, "You must be hungry. Here, eat something first to recover your strength."

Alice gave no response.

Moyu picked up a carrot, brought it close to Alice's lips, and tried to push it into her mouth.

Alice turned her head away in refusal.

Relentless, Moyu poked her a few times with it.

Embarrassed and angered, Alice suddenly bit the carrot in half, spat it out, and snapped, "Who eats this kind of stuff? Give me meat! I want meat!"

Moyu caught the half-carrot and said, "Don't waste it! Food on the space station is very precious."

Alice immediately seized upon the keyword and asked, "What space station?"

"Be a good girl, eat it, and I'll take you for a tour." Moyu offered the half-carrot again.

The two stared each other down.

After struggling internally for half a minute, Alice finally compromised. She reached out, took the half-carrot, and took a vicious bite, chewing with a loud crunch.

Moyu nodded with satisfaction.

Her taking a step back was a good beginning.

He stood up, opened the door of the containment room, and motioned for Alice to follow.

The two wandered around the space station.

Moyu explained the current situation to Alice.

Alice's expression was murky and unreadable.

After a complete tour, the two stopped at a gantry walkway and looked through the glass window at the debris of the destroyed planet outside.

Alice remained silent.

Moyu was not in a rush to speak either.

They stood quietly together in the stillness.

After pressing against the glass to observe for a long time, Alice suddenly shouted, "You really are a despicable and shameless bastard!"

Moyu shrugged.

Suddenly, Alice lunged forward, knocked him to the ground, straddled his hips, and wrapped her hands around his neck. Her slender fingers shifted back and forth, tightening and loosening intermittently.

Moyu offered no resistance.

Alice was hardly skilled in close-quarters combat. If she truly intended to launch an attack, she wouldn't have chosen a method like this; she was merely venting her emotions. This also signified that she had accepted the current situation, reined in her murderous intent, and chosen cooperation.

The two stared at each other from extremely close range.

Alice said, word by word, "I really want to kill you."

"Then why aren't you doing it?" Moyu asked with a grin.

Alice fell silent. She sighed, her rabbit ears drooping, and released her grip as she said, "Why did you go to such lengths to bring me here?"

"Naturally, because I have taken a fancy to you," Moyu replied.

Alice put on an expression that clearly said, *I totally believe you.*

Moyu sat up.

Alice naturally slid downward, landing in his lap in a rather compromising position.

Face-to-face, Alice immediately began to struggle.

Moyu wrapped his arms around her slender waist, pulling her so close they nearly kissed.

"You can manufacture all sorts of monsters and are well-versed in biotechnology. Cultivating high-yield crops and animals and building an ecosystem shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

"Ha? Who are you looking down on? Isn't that as easy as snapping my fingers?" Alice retorted sarcastically, breaking free from his embrace.

Moyu said excitedly, "Splendid! The greenhouse construction and ecosystem restoration work will be entrusted to you."

Alice raised her voice. "Hey! I never agreed to cooperate with you!"

Moyu replied, "The Gaia Space Station doesn't feed idlers. If you want to be useless, that's fine too—you can live on nutrient paste every day and warm my bed every night. The current resources are more than enough to support a freeloader."

"In your dreams!" Alice stamped her foot in anger.

Moyu smiled without a word.

Calming down, Alice said, "We can cooperate, but we need ground rules."

"Let's hear them," Moyu prompted.

Alice stated, "You cannot harm me, I have veto power, I only do what I want to do, and you have no right to interfere with or command me... Also, you are not allowed to do perverted things to me—even thinking about it is forbidden!"

Moyu rolled his eyes. "Are you making a wish to a genie here?"

"Then there's nothing to talk about!" Alice put her hands on her hips and shouted at the top of her lungs.

Moyu chuckled lightly. "I know what you're thinking: play along to steady me, seize the station's highest authority, find a way to escape back, and once that's done, you'll kill me."

Alice fell silent. She could not refute the truth; that was precisely what she had been thinking.

"All of that is in vain, because..."

Moyu snapped his fingers.

The restriction band activated.

Alice instantly lost control of her body and collapsed limply.

"What did you do? Why?!"

Alice was alarmed, desperately trying to move her body and release her psychic abilities, but to no avail.

Moyu squatted down, pinched Alice's small cheek, and explained, "Find a way to break through my ability first, before you start dreaming of freedom."

"Now, I'll give you two choices."

"One: work for me, obey my arrangements, and I can agree to certain conditions, such as guaranteeing your quality of life and human rights. As long as you demonstrate sufficient value, I will grant you sufficient freedom. I won't bully you or harm you, but I hold absolute sovereignty. I am your master."

"Two: become a plush toy, and the day I grow tired of playing with you, I'll dispose of you."

Alice was silent. She could not fathom what kind of ability Moyu possessed, but she was acutely aware that she had completely lost the initiative.

Moyu was in no hurry. He lifted Alice's restrictions, giving her time to think.

Gritting her teeth, Alice said, "Fine, I'll work for you. You'd better keep your word; otherwise, I'd rather drag you down with me in mutual destruction."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Moyu smiled broadly and extended his hand.

Alice grabbed his hand and squeezed with all her might.

Moyu merely applied a gentle counter-pressure, and Alice let out a startled cry of "Ow!", instantly dropping to her knees. She shrieked, "Let go, let go!"

Moyu released her hand.

Puffing out her cheeks in anger, Alice rubbed her right hand.

"How is it that you were able to accept time-traveling into the future so quickly? And why didn't you choose to attack me?" Moyu voiced his confusion. Compared to Iris, Alice had accepted the current reality almost instantly, before he had even explained most things.

Alice provided an unexpected answer: "I read my mother's research notes on time. You entered a derivative timeline and brought the two of us here, didn't you? Time is unidirectional. Since you brought me to this spacetime, it was destined that I could never go back."

The girl actually possessed some knowledge of temporal theory.

Moyu said, "Welcome aboard the Gaia Space Station. Come, let me give you a formal tour."

The two walked around the station and finally arrived at the dormitory area. Moyu assigned Alice the room directly opposite his and issued her a set of new clothes.

Alice went into her room to change.

A moment later, Alice emerged.

Her face was gloomy, and she looked thoroughly displeased.

Moyu was delighted.

A white-haired, twin-tailed bunny-ear maid... simply fantastic!

Alice also had severe reservations about this outfit. She pinched the hem of her skirt, looked herself over, and said, "What is the meaning of this outfit? Are you planning to use me as a maid? And where are the undergarments?"

"Supplies on the space station are scarce, so make do for now. The next time I venture into a derivative timeline, I'll bring back some nice clothes for you," Moyu replied.

Alice: *Stare~~~*

Moyu coughed, pushed open his own bedroom door, and beckoned, "Come in for a second."

"What for?" Alice retorted with a fierce tone and an unfriendly attitude, but she stepped into the room anyway.

The door closed behind them.

The little white rabbit had walked right into the jaws of the big bad wolf.

Alice turned around only to see Moyu sweating profusely as he covered his crotch. She placed her hands on her hips and adopted a disdainful expression. "Ha? What's the meaning of this? Are you afraid I'll launch a sneak attack?"

Moyu replied, "N-nothing... your teeth are very sharp."

Alice: "?"

"Let's go. I'll take you to see the greenhouse. The quality of our meals depends entirely on you." Moyu pulled the door open and walked out.

Alice was the type who would rather shatter as jade than remain intact as tile; if anyone dared to bully her, she really would drag them down with her. Even when she looked broken and lay motionless on the table, she could suddenly turn vicious and bite a carrot in half.

Moyu had developed psychological trauma from that; he couldn't let Alice eat random things anymore.

Alice's defeat CG: Acquired.