Today’s lecturer was Li Xia. Qiu Shi sat at the very back of the classroom, far from the dozen or so enraptured students at the front.
This class was mathematics. They had already moved on to multiplication. Honestly, Qiu Shi couldn’t understand any of it, though the others were enthusiastically chanting multiplication tables.
He considered going to another classroom, but next door was Song Heng’s science class. It baffled him that someone like Song Heng, who could’ve taken on a more “prestigious” job in the inner city, chose to stay at the school.
And what even was “science”? Just hearing the word was enough to make Qiu Shi realize he couldn’t comprehend it. He didn’t even know what it meant.
There wasn’t much point in switching classrooms anyway—one was for music, another for storytelling by Teacher Li Rui…
If it wasn’t for the desire to experience education a step above what he’d known in the refugee school, he wouldn’t have come here to endure these fifteen minutes at all.
When class ended, Qiu Shi stood up and greeted Li Xia, then quickly left the room and hurried down the stairs, afraid Li Rui would spot him attending class.
“Brother Shi!” Just as he stepped onto the playground, he heard Li Rui calling out from upstairs.
“Hmm?” He turned his head in response.
“I’m talking about Peach Blossom Spring later,” Li Rui said. “Want to come listen?”
“…I have a meeting,” Qiu Shi replied.
“Really?” Li Rui asked.
“Really,” Qiu Shi said.
“I’ll tell it to you later if you’re free,” Li Rui offered.
Tell it to my ancestors!
“…Mm.” Qiu Shi nodded.
He needed to maintain a composed image now—no cursing, no fighting, no causing trouble. Times had changed. Back then, he was known as the leader of the corpse collectors in the outer city, somewhat infamous among the refugees. But now, a lot more people recognized him.
Those who had survived the battle with Unit 249 knew his story. Among the mouths of refugees and drifters, his tale had started morphing into legend.
Outside the school gates, Li Feng’s car was waiting. Qiu Shi walked over and opened the door. “Picking me up?”
“Captain Qiu,” the driver nodded. “It’s almost time for the meeting.”
“I thought I’d walk back,” Qiu Shi said as he got into the car.
“Things are chaotic in the outer city right now,” the driver said. “There are skirmishes every day—not large, but people die every time. Out there, life is cheap.”
“Didn’t Chief Zhang send reinforcements?” Qiu Shi looked out the window. “Still can’t stabilize things?”
“They went soft,” the driver replied.
Qiu Shi glanced at him. This man had been with Li Feng for years, but Qiu Shi had barely spoken to him before. He hadn’t expected the man to casually chat like this—it was very much Li Feng’s style.
“Chief Li’s words,” the driver added with a smile.
Qiu Shi hadn’t lied to Li Rui—there really was a meeting today, and a big one at that.
But Li Feng didn’t call it a “meeting.” He called it a “gathering.”
Since Xing Bi had returned to Cloud City from his vacation nearly a month ago, the southern extension of “Tongtu” had basically settled on a route. Preparations were underway to clear the path and set up liaison stations.
Once the project started, it would take at least half a year to complete. So before that, Li Feng wanted to gather everyone for a headcount and update.
On the way, the driver detoured to the exhibition hall to pick up Xing Bi. Today marked the final stage of fungal clearance trials for a batch of voluntary symbiotes.
Zheng Ting had already completed two phases of recovery trials with good results. The research data screened by Cheng Gu from the base had helped immensely. The fungal overgrowths on Zheng Ting’s body had mostly disappeared. He could speak now, albeit with difficulty, but hope was on the horizon.
If Li Feng hadn’t kept a tight rein on Curator Wu, forbidding him from letting the Chief Researchers near the primary data, Zheng Ting might have already recovered completely. But Li Feng’s caution stemmed from his deep understanding of humanity’s past and the dangers hidden in these materials. Any hint of “thirst for knowledge” could destroy everything their generation had worked for.
“Is Zheng Ting attending the meeting?” Qiu Shi asked.
Everyone was present today—even Ji Sui and Xu Jie had returned from Xingchuan. The next time they’d all be in one room would probably be after the southern extension project was done.
“He is. The lab’s medical transport already left,” Xing Bi replied, then glanced at him. “How was the class?”
“It was fine,” Qiu Shi said. “Teacher Li Xia was thorough.”
“Mm.” Xing Bi kept looking at him.
“What does that ‘mm’ mean?” Qiu Shi looked at him. “Yes, I didn’t understand a word. Is that what you’re waiting to hear?”
Xing Bi laughed. “Sharp, partner.”
“You don’t even need to be sharp to get this. I know what you’re thinking.” Qiu Shi clicked his tongue. “Li Rui won’t leave me alone about that damn Peach Blossom Spring.”
“You should hear it,” Xing Bi said. “That kid genuinely loves books. He’s read everything in the institute’s library. He was heartbroken when they got damaged.”
“Next week we’re getting another shipment,” Xing Bi added.
“No thanks,” Qiu Shi said. “Not an excuse—I just think I need to hold on to that part of me from when I was still a corpse collector.”
“I get it,” Xing Bi said, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
Qiu Shi had been to the company’s conference room before, but this time, it was packed.
Besides Mr. Long and a few department heads, Li Feng and Curator Wu were there, as well as General Yu and Chief Zhang. Alongside the human officials were quite a few bioroids.
The entire elite Stealth Guard unit was present. This was the first time Qiu Shi had seen all five of them outside the lab.
It felt strangely awe-inspiring.
After all these years, after all that had happened, the original five stood together once more.
Bo Zhan stood by the wall, silently watching them. His gaze never wavered.
Next to him, Sang Fan didn’t seem as affected. As a newly developed bioroid who hadn’t lived through the “ancestor” era, his attention was fully on the new weapon projected on the whiteboard.
As Qiu Shi was about to find a corner seat, he heard dogs barking.
Fierce barking.
But the two dogs that ran in didn’t match the bark—they were tiny. Since Qiu Shi and Xing Bi brought them back to Cloud City, they hadn’t grown at all. Xing Bi had claimed puppies grew fast—should be twice their size in a month—but these ones were barely bigger than shoes.
“Bringing dogs to a meeting? What nonsense!” Curator Wu scolded.
With Li Feng spending half his day in the lab due to the fungal experiment, the dogs were left to wander. Curator Wu had been suffering for it.
“Guard dogs,” Li Feng said as he entered. “Security.”
“One careless step and they’d go flying two meters. Security?” Curator Wu scoffed. “We’re lucky they don’t trip anyone.”
“Long time no see, everyone,” said Li Feng, who seemed well-rested today, even refraining from yawning. “We’re all familiar here, so no need for introductions. Today’s not about anything critical—mainly just updating Mr. Long on recent progress and coordinating between departments…”
Qiu Shi glanced at Mr. Long, who sat silently and solemnly at the head of the table. His expression revealed nothing, but it didn’t seem pleasant.
“A brief…introduction might be helpful,” Director Liu said, glancing at Zheng Ting.
Cautious by nature, Director Liu thought it was proper to reintroduce someone of Zheng Ting’s level—even if everyone already knew who he was.
“Zheng Ting—everyone’s heard of him,” said Li Feng, bracing himself against the table. “Former captain of the base’s strongest Stealth Guard team, now captain of the current strongest team.”
Zheng Ting raised a hand in greeting and then sat down with his head lowered.
“Mr. Long,” Li Feng said softly beside him, “Shall we begin?”
Mr. Long looked at him. “Begin.”
“From the inside out,” Li Feng said. “Let’s start with the situation in Cloud City. Chief Zhang—outer city deaths every day…”
“I know,” Zhang Qifeng frowned, clearly unhappy about being called out first. “It’s not like I’m killing them. Those drifters don’t follow rules. We’re professional soldiers and guards…”
“They follow rules,” said Li Feng. “Just not our rules. So let’s find some unofficial rules to get them on board—then bring in ours.”
Zhang Qifeng looked at him. Everyone knew what rules the drifters followed.
“We are now in a period of peace,” Li Feng said. “If you want to stay in Yuncheng, you have to follow Yuncheng’s rules. Everyone must understand that protection comes at the cost of adhering to these rules.”
“Bai Zhan should stay in the outer city for now,” Lin Sheng glanced back at Bai Zhan. “Take a few people with you. You’re familiar with how to deal with the nomads.”
“Agreed,” Li Feng said. “Thank you for your hard work.”
“No problem,” Bai Zhan leaned his head back against the wall.
Qiu Shi reclined in his chair, half-closing his eyes. Apart from reporting on the matters concerning Longtan, nothing else was currently his responsibility. In the past, he would have already fallen asleep by now. But at this moment, he just wanted to rest his mind while still listening to every word.
Perhaps because he had given too much, he was no longer the same corpse collector he once was. He didn’t need to participate in discussions or complete tasks anymore, yet he still instinctively wanted to stay informed.
He had changed, after all—the corpse collector.
Something brushed against his leg under the table.
“Fuck,” Qiu Shi abruptly sat up straight.
“Communications with all Yuncheng stations along the Eastern Passage have been established…” General Yu, who was speaking, paused briefly before continuing, “Over the next month, all personnel and daily supplies will be in place. Security along the route will be handled by Xu Jie and Ji Sui’s teams. Additionally, Song Heng will need to further coordinate with the bioroid organizations there regarding collaboration matters.”
“Chen Dang can assist Song Heng with that,” Li Feng said.
“Mm,” Chen Dang nodded.
“Dog,” Sang Fan, sitting behind Qiu Shi, called out softly. “Dog.”
Since they weren’t primary speakers, non-essential personnel like Feng Zhi, Sang Fan, and Bai Zhan sat behind Xing Bi and the others.
Hearing Sang Fan’s voice, Qiu Shi immediately swept his leg under the chair, trying to shoo the dog back under the table. Though he doubted anyone here would be afraid of dogs, the two dogs were quite ugly and might startle someone.
But his foot didn’t hit the dog—instead, it bumped against someone else’s foot.
He looked down and saw a boot adorned with a finger bone, a distinctive nomad ornament.
He turned his head. Bai Zhan was staring at him, having slid halfway down his chair with his legs stretched out.
This irregular bioroid was trying to hook the black dog out from under Qiu Shi’s chair with his foot.
“Help me grab it,” Bai Zhan whispered.
Qiu Shi didn’t respond.
“Brother Shi,” Bai Zhan added.
“Since when are you so sweet-tongued?” Qiu Shi muttered. “Poisoned or something?”
Bai Zhan smirked.
“Keep dreaming if you think I’ll catch it for you,” Qiu Shi turned back around.
“Qiu Shi,” Bai Zhan clicked his tongue.
Just as Qiu Shi was about to reach down to help, Xing Bi suddenly bent over and grabbed the little black dog.
“Don’t hit it, don’t, don’t—” Bai Zhan hissed urgently. “Brother Bi, no, no—”
Xing Bi glanced at him and handed the dog to Sang Fan.
“Thanks,” Sang Fan cradled the dog in her lap.
“You’ve become… so terrifying now?” Zheng Ting, who had been silent and motionless, spoke with difficulty.
“Yes,” Lin Sheng said. “Extremely terrifying. Much scarier than back in the day.”
Xing Bi smiled but didn’t respond.
“Now, let’s discuss another priority issue,” Li Feng glanced at Mr. Long. “The black market in Longtan.”
“Isn’t it quite far from Yuncheng?” Mr. Long asked.
“Quite far,” Li Feng said. “But it’s on the necessary route for the Eastern Passage. It’s a key junction—unavoidable. We’ll have to deal with it sooner or later.”
“Mm,” Mr. Long nodded and said no more, as if merely setting the stage for Li Feng.
“That place has bioroid, nomads, refugees,” Li Feng projected a map of Longtan onto the whiteboard. “It’s large-scale, not your typical settlement black market. It seems to have been around for a long time.”
“I’ll take people there,” Bai Zhan said.
“You need to stay in the outer city first,” Li Feng said. “Yuncheng’s stability is the top priority.”
“Xu Jie and Ji Sui can lead a team there,” Lin Sheng said. “General Yu can provide some armed support.”
“Do we need to mobilize the military?” Li Feng asked.
“That area is along Yuncheng’s critical passage,” Lin Sheng said. “We need to show them Yuncheng’s strength from the outset—crush them in one go.”
“Mm,” Li Feng nodded, then turned to Curator Wu. “We can also take the spray药剂 this time… is the timing feasible?”
“It’s tight,” Curator Wu frowned. “The lab is short-staffed. Mass-producing the药剂 for large-scale use isn’t possible yet. The first batch was already allocated to Yuncheng and the areas around Donglin and Xingchuan.”
“Speed it up,” Li Feng leaned back in his chair. “There are countless loose ends, all part of the first step. Everyone here has witnessed Yuncheng’s journey. No one understands our sacrifices better than we do. What we want, why we’re doing this, how far we still have to go—you all know. Many things, whether we’re willing or not, must be done… and have been done.”
“I haven’t had the chance to say this until now,” Li Feng stood up and bowed to everyone in the room. “Thank you all for your trust and support. You’ve worked hard.”
After the meeting ended, most people left, but Qiu Shi, Xing Bi, and a few others remained seated.
Li Feng walked over and sat down. “Let’s go to the base.”
“Still not done?” Qiu Shi looked at him.
“The base’s遗留物品 have all been cleared. Most non-Yuncheng-affiliated bioroid will likely choose to return to the base,” Li Feng said. “Someone needs to check it out.”
“Zheng Ting will go,” Xing Bi said.
Zheng Ting, who had been keeping his head down, looked up at Xing Bi.
“Once the final phase of medication is complete, he can go,” Xing Bi said. “Right now, only his speech is still affected. The rest of his condition has recovered decently.”
“Mm,” Zheng Ting acknowledged.
Li Feng didn’t speak, seemingly deep in thought.
“That place is home,” Xing Bi said.
“What does Zheng Ting think?” Li Feng turned to Zheng Ting.
“Okay,” Zheng Ting’s reply was brief.
“Then it’s settled,” Li Feng said. “Report any issues to Lin Sheng.”
“Mm,” Zheng Ting acknowledged.
Curator Wu checked the time and walked over. “We need to return to the lab now.”
Zheng Ting stood up. As he left, he lightly tapped the table a few times with his fingers.
Almost simultaneously, Xing Bi and the others tapped the table or their chairs in response.
The默契 of the elite潜卫 team.
Qiu Shi didn’t understand the message, but witnessing this默契—unchanged by time or experience, requiring no warm-up, context, or prior agreement—suddenly made his eyes sting.
“What did that mean?” Li Feng asked.
“Leaving,” Xu Jie replied.
“That’s it?” Li Feng smiled.
“Mm,” Xing Bi said. “We’ve had many work situations where verbal communication wasn’t possible.”
“Why send Zheng Ting to the base?” Li Feng asked. “Care to explain?”
“Zheng Ting isn’t suited for living among too many humans, especially where you’re involved. Returning to the base would be better for him—at least for now,” Xing Bi said.
“That’s quite a statement,” Li Feng chuckled. “Am I some kind of terrifying human?”
“In a way, yes,” Xing Bi said.
“You don’t trust him?” Li Feng asked.
“I do,” Xing Bi said. “But until he fully adjusts, we can’t give him any opportunity to revisit what No. 249 said about humans.”
“Then,” Li Feng pondered, “does he trust you?”
Xing Bi smiled. “He has to. We’re the optimal solution.”
Li Feng stretched. “Fine. You two can do whatever you want—leave the work to others… or go on a relaxing trip somewhere…”
“We’re just errand boys, huh?” Qiu Shi asked.
“A real vacation, no missions,” Li Feng laughed.
“I’d sooner believe those two ugly dogs can talk than trust you,” Qiu Shi said.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Li Feng whistled. “They’re not ugly.”
Dog barks sounded from outside the meeting room.
Li Feng whistled again.
The dogs barked but didn’t come running over as usual.
“Where are my dogs?!” Li Feng called out, stepping quickly toward the door.
“Here,” Sang Fan stood in the corridor outside, holding a dog in each arm.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Li Feng stared at her.
“Don’t you have other dogs?” Sang Fan asked.
Li Feng immediately understood and turned to Xing Bi. “Can someone control her?”
“No more, just these two,” Chen Dang said. “You can’t have them.”
“Let Bai Zhan find some for you,” Ji Sui said. “Spread the word among the nomads. Two? He could get you ten.”
Sang Fan looked at Bai Zhan.
“I’ll look, I’ll look,” Bai Zhan said. “But the dogs stay with Director Li.”
Sang Fan set the dogs down. “They didn’t want to come with me anyway.”
“It’s been a month. They’ve imprinted,” Xing Bi said.
“Can you find ones like these?” Sang Fan asked Bai Zhan.
“Ones this ugly? Hard to find,” Bai Zhan said. “Prettier ones, maybe.”
“Way to talk,” Xu Jie said. “One sentence, and you’ve offended half the room.”
Bai Zhan clicked his tongue and walked away.
After leaving the company building, Qiu Shi and Xing Bi didn’t take Li Feng’s car, opting to walk back to the shelter slowly.
The inner city was bustling, filled with vehicles transporting goods—where to or from, it wasn’t clear, but the busyness was undeniable.
Amid this chaotic yet reassuring activity, walking the narrow streets felt more grounding than ever. The only discomfort came from being recognized by passersby, but otherwise, everything felt right.
“Don’t you want to return to ‘home’ and see it?” Qiu Shi asked. “Don’t most bioroid have a special attachment to the base?”
“Emotions are complex,” Xing Bi said. “Hard to explain.”
Qiu Shi thought of Jiang Cheng. Li Ruizhi had requested leave next week, saying he wanted to visit Jiang Cheng, who had chosen to stay in Benquan City with no plans to leave.
“We’ll visit another time,” Xing Bi said. “Right now, we need to start stepping back. Lin Sheng and the others can handle the workload. If I’m around, people will instinctively rely on me.”
“Does Zheng Ting really want to go back?” Qiu Shi asked.
“His happiest memories are there,” Xing Bi said. “They outweigh the pain.”
Qiu Shi sighed softly. “Sometimes I think someone like him just needs to live long enough to accumulate new good memories…”
He paused, then turned to Xing Bi. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”
“Mm,” Xing Bi acknowledged.
“Did Curator Wu tell you the test results?” Qiu Shi asked.
“No,” Xing Bi said.
“They should be ready by now, right?” Qiu Shi was taken aback.
“They are,” Xing Bi said. “He asked if I wanted to know. I told him I no longer care.”
Qiu Shi fell silent, studying him before smiling faintly. “Is that so?”
Xing Bi slung an arm over his shoulder. “I never realized before—time can feel so long when two people are together.”
