Chapter 327: Male Zerg Celebrity × Arms Dealer (14): Ravens Bared His Powerful Arms and Waist, Turned Back Under the Sunlight, and Called Him Male Lord

The announcement from Shamir’s studio was very simple.

First, Shamir’s contract with the entertainment company would expire in one week, after which he would regain his status as a “free Zerg.”

Second, it responded to several recent topics of heated discussion.

As for his rank, Shamir was currently B-rank. When he had first signed his contract, he had been C-rank. The studio also posted his test reports from both time periods.

He was not A-rank as everyone had guessed.

A Zerg’s looks were generally proportional to rank, but it was by no means absolute.

First of all, beauty was a highly subjective thing. Second, many things could affect how attractive a Zerg looked: temperament, makeup and styling, physical condition, expressiveness, speech, and so on. Genes and rank could not determine everything.

There were simply some Zergs who were only B-rank, yet in the eyes of many Zergs looked even better than A-ranks, were more attractive, and inspired even more fondness and longing.

There was no rule in the entertainment industry requiring celebrity Zergs to publicly disclose their physical data and rank. It was just that Zergs worshiped strength, so in order to attract more fans, many celebrities and studios chose to do so.

When Shamir first signed, his rank did not give him any advantage in that regard, so the studio chose to conceal it, creating a sense of mystery and encouraging Zergs to pay more attention to Shamir himself rather than his rank.

Later, audiences began assuming Shamir was A-rank, and eventually even speculations that he was above A-rank appeared. That had gone somewhat beyond the studio’s expectations. Even antis did not believe Shamir had originally only been C-rank.

If they came out to explain at that point, it might instead have produced the opposite effect, so the studio chose to remain silent and make no response, allowing the matter—which benefited Shamir’s career development—to continue fermenting on its own.

After Shamir learned about it, he felt tremendous psychological pressure.

The studio’s attitude represented Ravens’s attitude. In the early years, Shamir had little say in the company and could not go against a company that was supposedly “doing it for his own good.”

The only thing he could do was work even harder and put more effort into raising his rank.

For ten years, outside his packed work schedule, he devoted all of his remaining time to training and tempering his Psychic Power.

He hoped he could live up to his fans’ expectations.

He hoped that when everything was finally exposed under the light, he would not disappoint them.

Over ten years, he rose from C-rank to B-rank.

But it was still far from enough.

His fans’ expectations had risen along with him, from A-rank all the way to above A-rank.

Across the entire Zerg race, the number of above-A-rank Male Zergs could be counted on one hand. Reaching such a goal was obviously impossible.

A-rank was already extreme difficulty mode.

Above A-rank was hell mode.

Shamir felt deeply guilty about it.

He could not match his fans’ expectations.

As for retiring from the entertainment industry, that was indeed something Shamir had decided long ago.

His contract with Mr. Ravens and the company was only for ten years. After ten years, regardless of whether Ravens allowed him to remain with the company, Shamir had always planned to leave.

He had failed his fans’ expectations and disappointed them.

He was no longer suited to stay.

He had already experienced the dazzling, intoxicating life of Capital Star’s entertainment industry. He had spent nights and days filming, traveling back and forth between countless events and programs.

He had been exhausted.

He had fought hard.

He had played enough.

Experiencing such a fast-paced, high-pressure life once was enough.

He did not intend to remain in it forever.

In the end, he had only ever been a passerby.

Once the dream ended, he should return to his own world, to the land that had raised him.

Perhaps there was another reason too.

He did not want to stay somewhere so close and watch Mr. Ravens take a new lover.

That was something he could not bear.

And something he was unwilling to admit or put into words.

He had decided to leave.

...

The fans had no idea about all the twists and turns behind the scenes.

All they knew was that Shamir was leaving.

He was retiring!

One stone stirred up a thousand waves.

At first, when they saw the studio’s statement saying Shamir’s contract was expiring and he would regain his status as a “free Zerg,” they had actually been happy and excited. Even if they had some hidden worries, they were minor.

There was no fan in existence who was completely satisfied with their celebrity’s studio or company. There were always all kinds of complaints.

For example, they gave Shamir too much work and exhausted him, yet never arranged fan set visits so fans could interact with him.

Even smaller matters—some piece of jewelry Shamir wore, some styling choice, or even an unflattering camera angle—could become a black mark against the studio.

They thought their baby Shamir had suffered terribly.

The studio’s styling choices swung between divine and demonic. If their Shamir had not been handsome enough to carry them, those bizarre looks would have ruined any other celebrity countless times over.

And as for complaints like taking on overly niche roles, making Shamir film dangerous battlefield scenes, refusing to shoot genuinely intimate scenes, or constantly using that abstract arthouse director...

There were too many to count.

The fans had endured this studio for a very long time.

If it were not backed by Ravens Group, with genuinely excellent resources and enormous influence in the industry, the fans would have wanted to replace that trash company and trash studio long ago!

So when they saw Shamir’s contract was expiring, they had barely gotten a few seconds to celebrate before they continued reading and found out Shamir intended to leave the industry.

The fans instantly exploded.

The announcement had been written by the studio, and it deliberately avoided using an absolutely final phrase like “retiring from the industry,” something that would leave no room to turn back.

But the meaning between the lines was obvious.

He was going into retirement.

Under the nuclear bomb of Shamir leaving the industry, things like his rank and contract expiration suddenly did not seem nearly as important.

This retirement was clearly not an impulsive decision.

Thinking back on Shamir’s gradually decreasing endorsements and all the events and invitations he had declined or rejected over the past few years, it was obvious he had prepared for this long ago.

If the noise and popularity outside had not recently grown so overwhelming that the studio had been forced to release a statement, Shamir might have quietly disappeared from public life without a sound.

His fans might not have discovered he was gone until they realized they could not find him anywhere and there was never any new news about him.

Of course the fans refused to accept it.

Shamir was at the peak of his popularity right now!

Last year he had starred in the blockbuster film <School Heartthrob>. This year he had collaborated with An-shen again to promote the new version of <Virtual Zerg Romance>.

Among all the celebrities on the StarNet, who was hotter than him right now?

How could he retire at the height of his popularity?

They did not understand.

Was it because of his rank?

[Baby Shair, don’t go. B-rank is great too. (crying)]

[Exactly! We only thought A-rank was the best because we thought you were A-rank. Now that we know you’re B-rank, B-rank is obviously the best.]

[Our Shair is B-rank and still better-looking than A-ranks. (throwing flowers) Who dares question Shair’s looks or acting?!]

[Going from C-rank to B-rank in ten years, without even counting a physiological awakening, is amazing!]

[That part really is incredible, especially with such a packed work schedule. Everyone knows increasing rank is difficult, especially for Male Zergs. If a Male Zerg can rise by even one rank over his whole life compared to when he hatched, that’s already considered good. Shamir went from C to B in ten years. That’s enough to start a whole course sharing successful experience. I’m just a passerby and I’m about to become a fan.]

[Exactly! Shamir, don’t go. We love this kind of long-term raising-and-accompanying route. Raising a little C-rank celebrity into B-rank gives such a sense of achievement, okay? Come back! We’ll regroup! Next goal: A-rank!]

[Are you a demon? What kind of fans did this rank increase attract to Shamir? Female Father and Male Father fans who push their hatchlings? Students preparing for exams? Or military Female Zergs who have evaluations and assessments every day?]

Across StarNet, Shamir’s fandom descended into chaos.

Many readers, novel fans, and random gossiping passersby joined in too.

Shamir’s fans cared more about their idol leaving the industry.

The gossiping passersby were curious about the rank change.

The readers, meanwhile, started worrying about what would happen next in the novel.

If Shamir retired, what would Ravens do?

While the entire StarNet was in complete chaos, An-shen updated.

That was it.

Readers, fans, and gossiping passersby all flooded in at once.

The studio had stopped responding after releasing its statement. Shamir was rarely active online in the first place, and there was no new information anywhere else.

Only here.

Everyone was desperate to know what happened next.

Each Zerg came carrying their own thoughts and complicated emotions, and together, they began reading.

...

[A week had passed since the livestream.

During that time, Shamir still occasionally logged into the game and did some ordinary farm tasks with Ravens. He simply no longer livestreamed it.

Shamir had not expected Ravens to actually like the game quite so much.

Every morning and evening, Ravens logged in for a while, helping him harvest crops, plant seeds, feed the animals, and tend the farm, as though it had become part of his everyday life.

And so Shamir stayed too.

For one week, he played alongside him, the two of them experiencing the full, peaceful rhythm of farm life together.

The most outrageous time was when Shamir took him right there in the farm field.

Originally, it should have been called “servicing” him.

But Ravens had rolled up the sleeves of his work clothes, exposing powerful, well-defined arms and a strip of waist. Under the sunlight, he wiped away his sweat, turned his head back, and called him Male Lord.

Shamir must have completely lost his mind.

His head heated up, and before he knew it, he had pushed Ravens down into a field filled with sunward flowers and done something like a wild Zerg.

Fortunately, Mr. Ravens had a good temper and did not hold it against him.

Even after being thoroughly messed up, with grass clippings and dirt stuck all over his body and his clothes stained by the juices of flowers and plants, Ravens did not get angry at him.

The way he looked at Shamir remained gentle, radiating warmth like the rising sun, enough to make a Zerg’s whole body heat up.

And when he hoarsely called Shamir Male Lord, it made Shamir want to do it again right there.

For a few moments, Shamir almost believed it was real.

That the two of them were simply an ordinary married couple living together on a farm.

But dreams always had to end.

As early as a week ago, after the livestream ended, Shamir had discussed things with the studio and jointly released the statement.

Now his contract had expired.

It was time for him to leave.

Without realizing it, he had already stayed at Mr. Ravens’s home for an entire month.

Only when Shamir began packing did he realize how many of his belongings had accumulated in the room.

Clothes.

Shoes.

Pet merchandise bought online.

A sunward-flower cup.

Bow ties.

Belts...

Shamir’s emotions were complicated as he packed each item away one by one and put them into his spatial button.

Mr. Ravens was home today too.

This month, he had worked from home unusually often.

Seeing Shamir pack, he held the gem dragon egg and helped from the side, cradling the egg in one arm while using the other to hand Shamir things.

From time to time, he would say a few words and chat with him, talking about things like how many more days it would be before the dragon egg hatched.

He looked extraordinarily busy all day.

His arms were never empty.

Sometimes he held the dragon egg.

Sometimes he held a fluffball beast.

Sometimes a pair-wing bird brought back from the woods perched on his arm...

He kept moving around in front of Shamir like that, his presence impossible to ignore.

Several times Shamir lifted his eyes and happened to see him.

Even Shamir had not expected Mr. Ravens to like the pets this much, constantly carrying them around and never putting them down.

That made his feelings complicated.

He trusted Mr. Ravens to take good care of them, so there was no need for him to worry about the pets.

But if Mr. Ravens was the only Zerg caring for them, perhaps he would be too busy and unable to manage everything.

Shamir suggested that Mr. Ravens hire some Zergs specifically to look after them, or buy a machine Zerg designed for pet care.

Ravens held a fluffball beast in his arms and stared silently at him for a long time.

Only after a while did he say, “I’ll consider it.”

He looked very much like he did not intend to consider it.

Shamir sighed inwardly.

Although he was worried, he did not want to interfere with Ravens’s decision.

He stroked the pure-white fluffball beast in Ravens’s arms, picked it up, rubbed it, then could not resist burying his face in its fur and taking a deep breath.

He held it reluctantly for quite a while, speaking softly to it as he said goodbye, before finally giving it back to Ravens.

Actually, there was another Zerg he wanted to hug.

But he could only borrow this method to satisfy himself a little.

Shamir looked at Ravens and forced himself to put on a bright smile.

“I’m leaving, Mr. Ravens.”

Ravens looked at him.

He understood that Shamir had made up his mind.

He knew he could not keep him here.

Not even if he added the pets into the equation.

His eyes lowered slightly, carrying a trace of loneliness.

Still, he pulled himself together and asked, “Are you planning to return to your hometown?”

“Mm. I haven’t been back in a long time. It’s about time I went home and had a look.”

The mention of home brought a little more nostalgia and longing into Shamir’s expression.

Once he started talking, he could not help saying more.

He told Ravens:

“My family has a farm too. A real farm. I’m going back there to live out my retirement farming life.”

It sounded utterly absurd for such a young Male Zerg to talk about going home to retire.

But after experiencing those things inside the game, Ravens actually understood what he meant.

He wanted to run a small farm with Shamir too.

During the day, Ravens would work, managing and tending the farm.

And Shamir would fuck him too.

In the fields.

On the bed.

Or anywhere else.

Their pets would run wildly across the farm, chasing each other, playing, and making endless noise.

The milk-can beasts in the pen would join in, calling impatiently for him to change their feed and milk them.

And Ravens would first have to crawl out from under Shamir...

Of course, he could not say any of that.

So Ravens could only follow along with Shamir’s words and ask:

“Could I come experience life at your farm sometime? I long for that kind of life too.”

“Of course!” Shamir answered instinctively, genuine surprise and delight appearing on his face.

Only afterward did he remember that perhaps this was merely polite social talk between Zergs.

He should not take it too seriously.

Shamir felt a little troubled by his excessive excitement just now, like a fool who had taken a polite courtesy phrase seriously.

He restrained his smile somewhat, then said with reserved sincerity:

“You can come anytime. You’ll always be welcome.”

Regardless of whether Ravens had only been polite or whether he would actually come, Shamir genuinely welcomed him.

And that was all Ravens wanted to hear.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He said to Shamir seriously:

“Alright. I’ll come.”

“I hope you won’t mind if I bring quite a few visitors with me.”

As Ravens spoke, he lowered his eyes toward the quiet fluffball beast in his arms and stroked its fluffy body.

Shamir saw it too.

If he meant these little ones, then of course Shamir would not mind.

It would be more accurate to say he was looking forward to it immensely.

Of course, even if Ravens wanted to bring some business partners along for a visit, Shamir would host them properly.

His family farm already had lodging where Zergs could vacation and recuperate.

Guests could also experience farm life there by paying money to work.

That was another new farm-management model.

In short, there was absolutely enough room.

No matter how many Zergs came, they could all be accommodated.

There was only one condition.

Ravens could not bring any other Male Zergs with him.

Otherwise, Shamir’s heart would break.

...]