There were fewer people in the lab now, but the staff were still busy. Compared to before, they walked with much more energy.
Zheng Ting was still quietly staying inside the experimental pod. Chen Dang stood at the entrance with two of the chief scientists.
The chiefs had probably just come out of the hibernation pods. They didn’t look too good—both sat on the chairs by the door, with an indescribable sadness in their eyes.
Qiu Shi was a little curious about these two humans who had been inside the hibernation pods. He wanted to go over and ask a few questions, but as soon as he took a step, Xing Bi tugged him from behind.
“What are you doing?”
“Just want to ask,” Qiu Shi turned around, “what it feels like.”
“You don’t need to know,” Xing Bi replied.
“My curiosity,” Qiu Shi said, “needs to be satisfied… Don’t worry.”
Xing Bi glanced at him and let go.
“Gentlemen, what does it feel like inside the hibernation pod?” Qiu Shi walked over and asked bluntly, without any courtesy.
“Go try it yourself,” Wang Hong said irritably.
Only then did Qiu Shi realize how his question might’ve sounded like mockery. He leaned against the wall. “Didn’t mean anything by it. Just asking. After all, you two are the first humans to go in.”
“De-definitely not the first,” Zhang Tan stammered. “We’re just the o-only two who’ve gone in… for now.”
“Was it uncomfortable?” Qiu Shi asked.
“It’s okay for short periods,” Wang Hong replied. “But the longer you stay, the worse it gets. It’ll definitely damage the brain. Our minds are a mess right now, our eyes feel weird, and it affects body functions too. After all, we’re not synthetic bioroids.”
“Mm.” Qiu Shi responded.
He couldn’t quite describe how he felt—there was a trace of disappointment, and a bit of relief.
“All right,” Curator Wu came over with a cart full of instruments and medicine. “Let’s begin.”
The pod where Zheng Ting was kept had never been lit with strong light—too much stimulation for his eyes.
He looked about the same as last time. When Qiu Shi saw him, he couldn’t help but think of that clone who had died in the research facility, sunk beneath the sea.
249 had used Zheng Ting very thoroughly—because Zheng Ting harbored stronger hatred, stronger emotions.
“This process is simple,” Curator Wu explained to Xing Bi. “No injections. We’ll start with gas to make the surface fungus fall off, and then proceed step by step.”
“Okay.” Xing Bi stood in front of the glass, looking at Zheng Ting inside.
Zheng Ting seemed to sense him and slowly raised his lowered head.
“Can he hear me?” Xing Bi asked.
“No, sound is blocked,” Curator Wu said. “Want me to turn it on?”
“Yes.” Xing Bi replied.
Zhang Tan pressed a few buttons on the nearby console.
“Zheng Ting,” Xing Bi called to him.
Zheng Ting slowly looked at him. He opened his mouth, but only a faint breath-like sound came out.
“249 is dead,” Xing Bi said. “He and the research facility were sunk into the sea. We brought Bai Zhan back. He’s been staying near the base.”
Zheng Ting let out another faint breath.
“We’ll begin treatment now. It’ll take time,” Xing Bi said. “Stay alive. No matter what, live. Live for real.”
Zheng Ting didn’t respond. He just moved his hand. His arm, covered in black fungus, shifted toward the glass dome and tapped it twice, then a few more times—some fast, some slow.
“Got it.” Xing Bi replied.
Gas began to fill the pod, hissing as it streamed in. White mist-like vapor quickly filled the space. Zheng Ting’s large, dark figure became obscured in the fog.
“How long will this take?” Xing Bi asked.
“Two days,” Curator Wu replied. “I’ll send you the detailed steps later.”
“Mm.” Xing Bi nodded.
After leaving the lab, Li Feng answered a call and turned to look at them.
“You two don’t live in the inner city, right?”
“Nope,” Qiu Shi said.
“Then come with me to the warehouse,” Li Feng said. “We’ll load your stuff onto the truck and drive straight to the shelter.”
“What stuff?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Luggage, supplies,” Li Feng replied. “You went all the way to the seaside and still don’t know to pack when heading out?”
“I never used to bring anything, even for a few days.” Qiu Shi said.
“Do you think you’ll be back in a few days this time?” Li Feng said. “Won’t be less than two months.”
“If it weren’t for your extra missions, I’d be back in a month,” Qiu Shi muttered.
“Stop complaining,” Li Feng said. “Whether you complain or not, the missions are happening either way…”
“If I don’t complain, I’ll explode!” Qiu Shi said. “You think I’m actually happy about it?”
“Then go on, keep complaining,” Li Feng said.
“In your dreams.” Qiu Shi replied.
Xing Bi couldn’t help but laugh.
The Security Bureau warehouse looked the same as always, though it was clearly more crowded. Boxes were stacked all the way outside.
“Who’d you rob?” Qiu Shi asked. “Why so much stuff?”
“From Mr. Long at the top, to every branch chief,” Li Feng said, “anyone who’s taken from me—now they’re giving it back.”
Qiu Shi clicked his tongue but didn’t comment.
“Don’t worry. If you take from me, I won’t ask for it back.” Li Feng said.
“That’s because you still owe me,” Qiu Shi said. “And the price has never been fair, you bastard.”
“This time you’ll get enough,” Li Feng said. “There’s also a box of strawberries, put it in the front seat—didn’t want them squished in the back.”
“Where’d you get those?” Qiu Shi’s eyes lit up.
“Xu Jie sent them,” Li Feng replied. “Didn’t have time to stop in Xingchuan on the way back. I tried two—they’re really sweet.”
“You ate some?!” Qiu Shi immediately turned and glared at him.
“One whole box! I only had two!” Li Feng said. “Xu Jie probably did it on purpose. Sent just one box, specially delivered.”
Qiu Shi jumped into the front seat, opened the box, picked up a strawberry, and examined it for a long while. It was beautiful.
This was nothing like the little red berries they’d seen in the mountains. Much bigger, though the color was about the same.
Qiu Shi took a bite out of the ripest tip.
“Damn,” he said. “That’s sweet.”
“We’ve never gone to the south before,” Li Feng said. “The map we gave you is copied from the booklet you picked up near the research base—a tourist map. The rest of the info comes from nomad reports. Gives a rough idea but not detailed. Don’t go too far—safety first.”
“Mm, I know.” Xing Bi said.
“What was with your question about the hibernation pod today?” Li Feng asked.
Xing Bi glanced at Qiu Shi, who was in the front seat, eyes closed, eating strawberries. “He’s probably thinking. About life, death, lifespan…”
“Just live this life to the fullest,” Li Feng said. “No illness, no disaster, with hope—that’s enough. Didn’t you ask Lao Wu to run some tests for you? Once the comparison data comes back, if you’re likely to die around the same time, that’s best. If he dies first, then go in his place—look, listen, experience.”
“Do you ever feel lonely?” Xing Bi asked. “You’re always alone.”
“…I do. Especially when I can’t sleep,” Li Feng replied. “But life’s not perfect. There’s always something you have to endure.”
“Mm.” Xing Bi nodded.
“Later, hook up that trailer. Some small equipment and weapons—it’s safer to bring them along,” Li Feng said, before suddenly going off-topic, clearly a self-absorbed weirdo. “There’s a small briefcase with tokens from several major nomad groups. If you run into trouble, show them.”
“Will it work?” Xing Bi asked.
“No idea. I figure it’s like a lucky charm,” Li Feng said. “If it doesn’t work—just kill. Let them remember the mark of Yun City.”
“This is the third mission already, right?” Xing Bi asked.
Li Feng laughed and walked off to sort out the newly arrived goods.
When Xing Bi was about to get in the car and try a strawberry, Chen Dang, who had been leaning against a nearby cargo box, said, “Find a dog.”
“Huh?” Xing Bi didn’t catch it.
Chen Dang glanced over at Li Feng and said quietly, “He’s never seen a dog before. Wants to raise one.”
“…Any breed in mind?” Xing Bi asked.
“Let’s not get greedy,” Chen Dang said. “As long as it’s a dog, that’s good enough.”
“Alright.” Xing Bi nodded.
Among the books Qiu Shi found at the research institute, one had a foldout page. Xing Bi said it was an advertisement.
The ad was for a camper van—one you could sleep in, take showers, cook meals. It looked like a tiny house made for traveling.
Yun City didn’t have vehicles like that, but with a black car, a trailer, and all kinds of supplies packed on board, Qiu Shi suddenly felt like this vacation trip was becoming a lot more real.
By the time they set out, Qiu Shi had eaten more than half the strawberries, leaving the rest of the half-box for the greedy bunch back in the shelter.
This departure from Yun City was unlike their past missions. Vacation. Travel. Reasons for leaving that had never been part of their lives before—and that got everyone a little excited.
“It’s just like when I used to go exploring,” Qiu Shi said. “No need to get so excited. I’m not even taking you guys.”
“That’s not it,” Zhao Lü laughed. “Exploring isn’t the same. Exploring was to find things we could trade, for survival. Every time you went out, we never knew if you’d come back alive.”
Qiu Shi clicked his tongue.
“This time’s different. This time it’s mostly safe,” Zhao Lü said. “There’s no mission we absolutely have to complete. No need to risk your life every second. If there’s danger, you can run. And if you can’t run, you’ve got the war god with you.”
“…War god?” Qiu Shi said.
“Li Rui’s words,” Zhao Lü replied. “War god Xing Bi.”
“Too many books rotting his brain,” Qiu Shi said.
“Let us know when you get to Xima,” Zhao Lü said. “We won’t be able to reach you after that, right?”
“We’ll still be reachable,” Qiu Shi said. “We brought some kind of wireless thing. Once it’s set up, we can contact Li Feng and the others. If you want to reach me, just ask Li Feng.”
“Troublesome,” Zhao Lü muttered. “Li Feng’s officially a director now, but under the surface, things run deep. Best stay away from him to be safe.”
He was right. At least staying away meant they wouldn’t get assigned any missions during vacation.
In the past, once a vehicle left the southern exit of the shelter, it was all wasteland.
But now, driving south, they passed through Yun City’s “new district,” and a school that looked pretty good.
The school’s entrance already had its sign hung up.
“Yun City Academy, Outer City Campus,” Qiu Shi read the characters on the sign. “What a weird name.”
“You can actually read all of that?” Xing Bi said.
“You still don’t know me well, partner,” Qiu Shi replied. “Not only can I read it, I can write it too.”
“Ugly though,” Xing Bi commented.
Qiu Shi didn’t respond. He tossed out a little pet drone, projected a small screen on the windshield, and started writing in the air with his finger, stroke by stroke.
Your ancestor.
Then he slid the projection in front of Xing Bi.
Xing Bi burst out laughing. “At least the handwriting on these three characters is neat.”
The car stopped in front of the school. Qu Shen walked out from inside.
“Teacher Qu?” Qiu Shi got out of the car and looked inside.
“No,” Qu Shen smiled. “Just here to help.”
“Is Teacher Li here?” Qiu Shi asked.
“In the classroom building,” Qu Shen said. “I’ll go get him—”
“No need.” Qiu Shi put two fingers to his lips and blew a sharp whistle. Far off, a face appeared in a second-floor window of the teaching building—it was Li Rui.
“You guys came!” Li Rui came running out of the building, shouting as he ran, “I thought you’d already left!”
“Had to say goodbye to Third Master before we go,” Qiu Shi said.
“When will you be back?” Li Rui asked.
“Two months, probably,” Qiu Shi replied.
“In time for the semester to start,” Li Rui said.
“Get lost!” Qiu Shi snapped.
“Teacher Li’s in charge of admissions now,” Qu Shen said.
“Recruit someone else,” Qiu Shi said. He pulled out the tablet Li Rui had given him, along with a charger. “Here.”
Li Rui paused. “I told you that was a gift.”
“Give it to me when you’re dead,” Qiu Shi said. “The charger works, by the way. I tested it.”
Li Rui hesitated a second, then took the tablet, turning his head to sniff quietly.
“You were so tough when we first met,” Qiu Shi said. “Now you’re always tearing up. Go become sworn brothers with Hu Xiaoling, so you’ll have a crying buddy.”
“Do you ever stop roasting people?” Li Rui said.
“We’re off,” Qiu Shi said. “Good luck with admissions, Teacher Li.”
“Safe travels,” Li Rui replied. “Send me a postcard!”
“A what now?” Qiu Shi gave him a look, then turned to Qu Shen.
“How do I explain this…” Qu Shen smiled and looked at Xing Bi.
“He wants you to write something on a little card at each place you visit and find someone to bring it back to him,” Xing Bi explained.
Qiu Shi stared at Li Rui for a while, then said, “Get lost.”
The car rolled past the edges of Yun City—its borders had expanded quite a bit since before. Outside the windows, refugees in ragged clothes moved between rows of neat little houses. A kind of struggling vitality.
“That postcard thing,” Qiu Shi frowned, “how did that used to work?”
“You’d go on a trip, and there’d be these little cards printed with photos of that place. You’d write a message and an address on it,” Xing Bi said. “Then the postal workers would deliver the card to that address.”
“Li Rui’s out of his damn mind,” Qiu Shi muttered. “Asking me for something like that.”
“It’s not impossible,” Xing Bi said. “We can adapt the idea.”
“How?” Qiu Shi asked.
What used to be a long drive to “Dushi” now felt much closer to Yun City.
When the car stopped beside the rock, it felt like they’d barely left Yun City.
“Come on,” Xing Bi got out of the car, tossed out the little pet drone, and stood in front of the stone, waving. “Let’s shoot a video.”
“Huh?” Qiu Shi walked over and stood beside him. “How?”
“Just say something. Anything,” Xing Bi said.
“Hello everyone, I’m Li Datou,” Qiu Shi blurted out.
“Want me to send you back to school?” Xing Bi said.
“Hello everyone, I’m Qiu Shi,” Qiu Shi corrected himself.
“Hello everyone, I don’t know this idiot next to me,” Xing Bi said.
“Fu-ck off,” Qiu Shi laughed. “Retake.”
Though he’d watched those videos by Zhang Sihai, growing up outside the city meant the only other videos he’d really seen were the ones left behind by Unit 249.
Facing a camera, he really didn’t know what to do.
“No need to say anything,” Xing Bi said. “A photo will do. Smile.”
Qiu Shi smiled at the blinking light on the little pet drone.
“Alright, let me see.” Xing Bi projected the just-taken photo onto the stone. “This human’s pretty photogenic.”
“Not bad,” Qiu Shi said modestly, though his eyes were on Xing Bi in the photo.
This bioroid really was good-looking.
Xing Bi wrote four characters under the photo: Sunlight on Dushi.
Beneath those four characters, there was another line:
To Teacher Li Rui, Outer Campus of Yun City Academy.
“Send this to Director Li and have him pass it on to Teacher Li,” Xing Bi said. “Every time we get to a new place, we take a photo like this and ask Director Li to send it over.”
“Isn’t Director Li going to go mad?” Qiu Shi asked.
“We’re out here running around and working hard—can’t he at least handle a bit of logistics?” Xing Bi replied.
“Then when we get to Xima Town, we’ll need to take some photos too,” Qiu Shi said. “Also at Xiniu Village, and Xiyang Village…”
Xima Town hadn’t changed much. The buildings looked pretty much the same, though the town was more populated and had a more orderly appearance.
The biggest change was the tall signboard erected just outside town.
Yun City Station.
Below that were smaller words: Xima Town, with arrows pointing to Shidi and Zhuyuan.
Apparently, similar signs had already been put up in those places too.
“A good number of your people chose to stay here in Xima Town,” Xing Bi said as he drove into town—not through the center but along a small side road. “They’ve always been active in this area. It’s what they’re used to.”
“What do you mean my people?” Qiu Shi still hadn’t gotten used to that phrasing.
“Black Blood followers,” Xing Bi said as he stopped the car.
Zhao Yi and Long Hao appeared out of nowhere beside the car.
“We knew you were around from the moment you entered the village,” Zhao Yi said. “Here to inspect the place?”
“Inspect? Just passing through,” Qiu Shi replied as he got out. “You two on patrol?”
“Yeah, routine patrol. Things have been peaceful lately,” Zhao Yi said. “We’ll be training new recruits later.”
“Where are you headed?” Long Hao asked. “Another mission?”
“Heading south. Not really a mission,” Qiu Shi said. “Just scouting.”
“South of here is still follower territory. It’s safe,” Zhao Yi said. “They recognize Qiu Shi as their leader.”
Qiu Shi didn’t respond.
Leader. This time, the so-called leader was carrying disinfectant, planning to wipe out their sacred artifacts. Who knew how the followers would react if they found out.
Xima Town, being a key passage southward, was not only part of Yun City’s territory—it was also the place Qiu Shi wanted to revisit to see the old man.
Since leaving Xima Town the last time, he hadn’t seen him again.
Deng Yeye had settled the old man in a nameless, abandoned village further south from Xima. Few people passed by, and the surroundings consisted only of Xima’s vegetable fields.
Xing Bi didn’t go inside. He stayed out in the fields taking travel photos. Qiu Shi carried a box of supplements into the house.
The old man looked well, sitting in a wheelchair and hugging a small heating device.
“New product from Yun City,” Qiu Shi said. “They even come in different flavors. Brought you some.”
“Where are you heading this time?” the old man asked.
“South. No specific destination yet.” Qiu Shi sat down and looked at him. “You getting used to life here?”
“It’s alright. Just not as fun as Dayan used to be,” the old man replied.
“Nothing left to eavesdrop on, huh?” Qiu Shi said. “If you miss Yun City, I’ll take you back when I return.”
“Forget it.” The old man waved him off. “No one left in Dayan, they’re all dead. Nothing there for me anymore. Let’s just stay here. I spent twenty years eavesdropping on walls—it’s time for a lifestyle change. This place is decent for retirement.”
“You feel old?” Qiu Shi asked.
“Aren’t I?” the old man laughed. “You’ve been calling me ‘Old Man’ for over twenty years.”
“Wei Yuan,” Qiu Shi called him by name.
“Hmm?” The old man looked at him. “I almost forgot that was my name.”
“Doesn’t Deng call you by name?”
“She calls me ‘Old Man’ too, like you.”
“How long have you lived?” Qiu Shi asked.
The old man didn’t respond. He just looked at him.
“You don’t remember?” Qiu Shi asked again.
“A long time,” the old man said. “Why ask?”
“Just wondering,” Qiu Shi replied.
“I watched you grow up,” the old man said. “I know what’s going on in your head.”
“Then why bother asking?” Qiu Shi gave him a sidelong glance.
“After I underwent enhancement,” the old man said, “I’ve lived quite a while. All in all, I’m over a hundred years old now.”
Qiu Shi said nothing.
“Can’t compare to bioroids, but it’s still longer than a normal human lifespan,” the old man said. “In my experience, the earlier the enhancement, the slower the aging process.”
“What’s the point of all this talk?” Qiu Shi looked out at the vegetable field.
“Didn’t you ask?” the old man chuckled.
By the time Qiu Shi came out of the house, Xing Bi had already brought the car around, parked by the road out of town.
Qiu Shi got in the front seat and waved back toward the house.
“Ready to go?” Xing Bi asked.
“Let’s go,” Qiu Shi looked ahead.
The car pulled out, following the side road due south.
In the distance, the blackened forest left behind by Nest 249 and the old camp was still faintly visible, like an aged scar—fading slowly into the past.
“Did you find your answer?” Xing Bi asked.
“What answer?” Qiu Shi reclined his seat, opened a map, and leaned back, gazing out the window.
“About the things time takes out of our hands,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi glanced at him. “Since when do you write poetry?”
“Just embracing some ancestral influence,” Xing Bi said.
Qiu Shi gave a little laugh and eventually sighed. “Some things don’t have answers.”
“Remember what you once said?” Xing Bi said. “Not every question needs an answer.”
“Yeah,” Qiu Shi murmured.
“Or maybe,” Xing Bi said, “the answer only comes at the end of the story.”
“Right. So, I’ll find out when I’m about to die,” Qiu Shi said.
Xing Bi laughed. “Honestly, you don’t need to go back to school. This is pretty good.”
“Now that’s something I like to hear… Forget all that mess,” Qiu Shi said, rolling down the window. “Let’s take a photo of us with the car from the outside.”
“Okay.” Xing Bi tossed the little drone out.
The photo came out nice. Both of them were smiling toward the road ahead. They looked kind of silly, but it definitely gave off vacation vibes.
“I’ll write the caption,” Qiu Shi said.
“Go ahead,” Xing Bi replied.
Qiu Shi projected the photo onto the windshield. After thinking for a moment, he wrote:
Start O Trip.
“You forgot how to write the character for ‘trip’?” Xing Bi asked.
“Shut up,” Qiu Shi said. “Tell me—can you understand it or not, even missing that one stupid character?”
“I can,” Xing Bi laughed. “It means ‘start the trip.'”
“Exactly,” Qiu Shi said with a happy stretch. “Let’s start the trip, partner.”
“Let’s go, partner,” Xing Bi said.
__
Author’s Note:
Ah, that’s the end of the main story!
