Chapter 60

Despite Hera's attempts to persuade him, Nash remained indifferent. His indifference angered Hera, who stormed out, her eyes red. Nash sighed helplessly.

Finding it early, he went to the bank to apply for a savings account, taking his ID card. Depositing checks totaling 300 million caused a commotion; the bank president, even in his pajamas, personally greeted him. The transaction completed late into the night.

After grabbing fast food, Nash returned to the villa and retrieved a bloodstained napkin from his pocket. Inside, he found two motionless, white Longhorn beetles—the largest he'd secretly kept from Mrs. Watson's surgery; one with feelers, the other with a single horn.

He used his cell phone to call a number.

"Oh, Nashy, did you call because you miss me?" a sweet, melodious voice responded. The voice was captivating, almost intoxicating.

"Cassie, do you know about the Longhorn beetle?" Nash asked directly.

Cassie Morkov, daughter of the Mallefic tribe's leader and experts in parasite breeding, answered. The tribe had once faced disaster due to a breeding failure; Nash's master had saved them during a world trip. The tribe's leader had wanted to marry his daughter to Nash, until Nash's master revealed his existing marriage contract.

"Longhorns, huh? You've come to the right person. My dad just taught me how to identify them!" Cassie chirped.

"How do you distinguish male from female? How do you raise them?" Nash pressed.

"Longhorns resemble rice grains. Females have feelers, males a single horn. Males emit a faint energy during courtship, attracting females from thousands of kilometers. Then they mate," Cassie explained.

"Ahem…" Nash interrupted.

"You just asked how to raise them!" Cassie giggled. She was seventeen now, six years older than when he last saw her.

"Hehe. Still shy, huh, Nashy?" Cassie laughed. "They mainly feed on fungus and bacteria in blood; they're adaptable and can survive on any kind of blood." She paused, puzzled. "Nashy, why are you asking? Do you have some?"

"No, I'm helping a friend. Bye!" Nash hastily ended the call.

Longhorns possessed a potent effect: preserving the last breath of a dying person. In critical situations lacking medical intervention, they could induce suspended animation.

Nash found an empty bottle in Hera's dressing table, cleaned it, placed the beetles inside, and added two drops of his blood. The beetles moved, the blood bubbling. He pierced small holes in the cap to allow bacteria entry, placed the bottle atop the closet, and clapped his hands in satisfaction.

At six the next morning, Stellar rang the doorbell.

"Come in!"

Stellar entered at Nash's invitation.