The Gift

No matter where you were, the ceiling of every hospital room seemed identical, without exception. It was as if all dropped ceilings were manufactured by the same company—bereft of variation or aesthetics, uniform and frustratingly dull. The smell of disinfectant drifted through the air, while a bitter, sour tang of leftover medicine coated his mouth. An IV catheter was still taped to his wrist, equipment in the corner beeped rhythmically, and his entire body ached brutally, completely immobile. Worse yet, the afternoon sun beamed straight onto his face, dazzling and searing. Too bright! Nurse? Where was a nurse?! Could someone please pull the curtains? Unfortunately, there was no nurse. No gentle, kindhearted older sister, and no attentive, meticulous care. On the chair beside the bed sat only a familiar figure. Next to her rested a familiar thermos and puzzle ball, while she calmly read a newspaper with her head lowered. "Teacher?" Ji Jue croaked, stunned. "Hmm?" Ye Xian glanced back at him, giving an understanding nod. "Awake?" "Yeah." Ji Jue's voice was hoarse. "Any water? I'm parched." "On the table. Pour it yourself. If you can't, ring the bell." Completely devoid of warmth and as cold as ever, which actually brought Ji Jue a sigh of relief. If Professor Ye had suddenly turned gentle and fussed over him, he would have suspected he was trapped in some illusion. Yet the moment he moved his fingers even slightly, a piercing throb shot through him. Not just in his body, but in his soul. He lifted the cup of water, trembling so hard half of it spilled. And he couldn't even get it into his mouth! "Matrix overload. Perfectly normal. Rest a while and it'll pass." Ye Xian glanced at his pitiful state and flicked her finger. A straw made of air dropped into the glass, sparing him from washing his face with the cup any further. After an arduous effort, he finally managed a sip of water, only then noticing the rich floral aroma permeating the room. Looking around, he finally spotted the mountain of visiting bouquets and fruit baskets piled up inside the makeshift hospital room. The gilded ribbons were varied and colorful. Some bore the name of Tong Shan; some Tong Ting; others read Ji Liu, Ji Xue, and Xu Guan. There were ribbons from the Yacheng Security Bureau and the Chaocheng Security Bureau, and one signed by Lou Feng—written in handwriting that looked reluctant no matter how one looked at it. Another was from Lou Yanyue, with a fruit basket so enormous it could practically fit Ji Jue inside. There was one with no signature, the smallest and cheapest basket with two rotten fruits, inscribed only with 'Pay me back soon'—undoubtedly from Old Tom. Fine, you want your final payment, kid? Keep begging and pleading! And there was another bearing the message: 'From all colleagues of the Recycling and Disposal Department'... My brothers still remember me? And far more bore names Ji Jue had never even heard of, or people he had met only once. There were too many, almost frighteningly so. "Uh, isn't this a bit excessive?" "This is after clearing out more than half of them. Over the past few days, the fruit shops in the outpost were nearly bought bare. The shopkeepers are probably kowtowing to you in their dreams." "The Tong family and the Lou family both owe you an enormous debt of gratitude," Ye Xian said. "The Security Bureaus of both Yacheng and Chaocheng are awarding you commendations. Even the Association's commissioners couldn't sing your praises enough. If you weren't still an apprentice, they would have awarded you a Gold Ribbon. That's the one upside of showing off: from now on, when you step out into the world, no one will think of you as just someone's apprentice. They'll remember your name." "..." Ji Jue fell silent. After a long while, he gave a self-deprecating smile and looked back at Ye Xian. Ye Xian kept her head down, reading the paper, as indifferent and unreactive as ever. Finally, he plucked up the courage to ask: "Doesn't Teacher have any questions for me?" At that, the eyes behind the newspaper lifted to look at him, an eyebrow arching. As if staring at a fool. "Students ask teachers questions; whoever heard of a teacher consulting a student?" Professor Ye told him coldly, "A student is a student, and a teacher is a teacher. You signed the contract, so do your honest work like a beast of burden. Don't go filling your head with nonsense." "Huh?" Ji Jue stared blankly. "Also, if I were you, I'd watch my back when walking at night." Ye Xian looked back down, scoffing. "That old fossil Kanemoto is petty to the bone. No matter how free and easy he looked when he left, he's probably still pining after the fine jade that slipped through his fingers. Of course, if your heart truly lies with the Profound, I won't force you. I'll just fire you tomorrow." "Don't—please don't!" Ji Jue waved his hands in panic, wincing in agony from the pain. "Teacher, I'm scared! I'm genuinely terrified!" "Let's hope so," Ye Xian sneered, indifferent as ever. Silence returned to the hospital room. Ji Jue closed his eyes, sensing his enfeebled soul and the dimmed radiance of his matrix. He had never been so weak before, as though on the brink of death. Yet amidst that frailty, the matrix's circulating glow seemed all the more resilient, its structure growing increasingly intricate. Like living growth, it had spread along his hands to his upper arms, nearly climbing onto his shoulders. And within his soul, right beside the blessings of Masterwork Nature and Primacy of Mind, a brand-new silhouette had boldly appeared, shrouded in an aura and seamlessly linked with the matrix. Instantly, all spiritus fell into orderly harmony. Every minute change grew crystal clear—the beating of his heart, the rhythm of his pulse, the circulation of his blood, and the firing of his nerves all felt completely under his command. He had become the master of himself... —Tianyuan Blessing: Sovereign Axis! Unbeknownst to him, this generous bestowal from Tianyuan had manifested within Ji Jue's soul. It arrived just like that, without even a greeting beforehand. Never asking if he agreed, it had simply shoved it into him, forcing it on him. Brother Yuan really didn't play by the rules! Now, the three blessings linked together, seemingly guided by the matrix into a brand-new structure. It propelled Ji Jue's soul and body onto a whole new level; everything had fundamentally transformed. After four and a half months, completing a Calling stage that could hardly be considered long, Ji Jue had breached the realm of Metamorphosis at a frightening speed, as if riding a rocket. Unfortunately, he lacked the energy at the moment to explore the changes in Deus Ex Machina and the effects of his new blessing. Recalling the turmoil in Quancheng, along with the endless mechanical monstrosities he had created with his own hands, Ji Jue couldn't help but sigh. Kanemoto's past words surfaced in his mind once again. In the end, what he was best at was still creating hell... What did that make him? "Teacher..." Ji Jue gave a self-mocking smile. "It turns out I might actually be a bad person." "I don't believe it." Ye Xian turned a page of the newspaper in her hands, casually looking up to glance at him, still as if looking at a fool. "How could a craftsman ever mistake their own material?" At that, Ji Jue smiled. He closed his eyes and sank into deep slumber. Free of worry. By the time Ji Jue had recovered enough to barely move about and return to Yacheng, more than a week had passed. Innumerable things had occurred during that time; the praises and commendations heaped upon him were enough to puff up a pig until it floated to the sky. There were more empty promises than one could stomach, and if the free platitudes could be converted into cash, he could have arrogantly challenged the Tong family's status as the wealthiest in Yacheng. After a long stretch of bustle, he finally returned to his own grounded life. Only, whenever he looked down at the silent wristwatch on his wrist, worry would creep in. Ever since the Celestial Rail ran that last time, his beloved Cousin had fallen silent, offering no response whatsoever. Even the spiritus reserve vault was completely locked, and the President was missing once again. All of it made Ji Jue wonder... had he messed around too much last time, squandering the bankrupt company's last scrap of rations and blowing the company to pieces? Oh crap, had he somehow bumbled his way into becoming the legal representative?! But this business was far too troublesome and sensitive. Even Professor Ye couldn't be bothered to listen, and he had no foundation to go on anyway. He certainly couldn't just grab random people and ask: "Do you know what happened to the Celestial Rail? Yeah, the one that went bankrupt over two hundred years ago..." All he could do was wait in vain. Every night, facing his silent Cousin, he couldn't help shedding tiny tears: "Once, a sincere part-time job was placed before me, but I didn't cherish it. If given another chance, I... might still need to think it over." But what about the President? Could something have happened to the President? Until one day, when he woke with a start from bed without warning, only to see a familiar face sprawled across his chest, chuckling foolishly as drool dripped down onto his cheek. "President?" Ji Jue's eyes widened in pleasant surprise. He grabbed it by both sides and lifted it up, inspecting it closely: "You're okay? Hmm, why does it feel like you've shed so much fur? Where have you been all this time?" The President jumped off the bed, crouched on the floor, whined softly, and looked at him. Sensing Ji Jue's utterly baffled expression, it lowered its head, opened its mouth, and dragged a large pouch out of thin air. Releasing the cinch, a heap of sound buttons tumbled out. "President. Has. To. Leave." It raised a paw, hurriedly tapping among the jumbled buttons: "Before. Violation. Made. Mistake. President. Bad. Celestial Rail. Lost. Control. Bad. President. Work. Hard!" "..." The smile froze on Ji Jue's face in sheer bewilderment. He felt like he vaguely grasped some of it, but more than half made no sense. Yet hearing that the dog he'd grown so attached to was suddenly leaving home, he froze where he stood. "Leave? Why?!" The smile was gone; he glared in indignation. "I put my life on the line for this company, and you're laying me off? Are you even human? Wait, even if you aren't... you..." "Gift. For. Good. Employee." "Employee. Happy. No. Be. Sad." The President padded over, opened its mouth, and deposited a box into his lap. Grinning once again, its ears perked up: "President. Likes. You!" "..." Ji Jue stared blankly, subconsciously gripping the box. He watched as the President lowered its head, snatched up the pouch, gathered its buttons, and turned to leave. He had long wished for the day when he and the Celestial Rail could part ways and pursue their own dreams; he had been terrified to death of it thrusting more work on him and dreading the colossal trouble lurking behind it. Yet now, watching the solitary President walk away with its tail drooping, he couldn't hold back any longer and called out. "Hey, President!" The President turned back to look at him. "Well... if you've got work to do, go do it. I know you've got lots of trouble, and there's the Celestial Rail and everything... What I mean is, I... actually have plenty of free time." Ji Jue hesitated for a long while before finally steeling his resolve. "Will you come visit me again?" He bent down, pulled out a box from under the bed that he had prepared long ago, and displayed the unsent gift inside: "I even bought you a new bell. It'd be a shame to waste it, right?" "..." In the silence, the President stared at him blankly. Gradually, its eyes widened. It couldn't speak, but a myriad of sparks brighter than any words lit up in its eyes, shimmering like starlight, dazzlingly brilliant. Suddenly, it leapt into the air. It threw itself into his embrace. Its tongue eagerly licked his face as it nuzzled into him, its wagging tail knocking ornaments, pens, and paper off the desk, leaving a mess across the floor. *I really do like you that much!* In the end, the President still left. Holding its head high with the brand-new bell around its neck and wagging its tail, it vanished. It never said when it would return. Just like any boss who vanishes after pitching grand promises. Leaving Ji Jue behind to look at the room thoroughly wrecked by the President's wild scurry, sighing helplessly with drool still smeared across his face. He looked down at the small box in his hand. The bow was tied crookedly, one loop big and the other small. A gift. "What's this?" Ji Jue opened it, leaned in close, and peered at the oddly styled key inside. He couldn't help scratching his head: "What is this... a car key? What do I need a car for?!" If Little Niuma found out, wouldn't it go on a hunger strike for a month or two just to spite him? Leaving it behind to run wild for so long had already made it hard enough to coax! Please, spare me. He gave a wry smile and tossed it in his hand a couple of times. Suddenly, the key dissolved into a stream of light and sank into the dormant wristwatch. In an instant, a crisp chime sounded. Intricate patterns and insignias materialized out of thin air on the watch face, and the long-lost panel unfolded once more. Only this time, every error pop-up was gone. At the very front of the panel, a brand-new button had appeared, completely blank and bearing no markings. Purely out of subconscious impulse, curiosity, or itchy fingers, Ji Jue pressed it. And then, literally, everything went black before his eyes... It was as if an invisible door opened before him. Guided by the spiritus circuits within the wristwatch, his consciousness surged upward, crossing an unimaginably vast distance in an instant. Breaching the containment and veil of the mortal realm, he arrived in an unforeseen void. Beyond the glorious radiance of the mortal realm, within an infinite cosmic darkness, countless Border Realms large and small revolved around the mortal world. Gleaming silver rays stretched like a web, covering everything, flashing into view for only a fraction of a second. And within Ji Jue's perception, a familiar outline emerged from a tiny corner of that immense darkness. From eternal, lifeless silence, a magnificent whale song resonated once more! "Holy shit..." In a split-second shift, everything before him transformed again. Ji Jue turned his head blankly, taking in the driver's cab, the battered instrument panel, the familiar layout, the colossal interior space and furnishings, and the engine humming in high gear as though roaring a warm welcome. This was undeniably that Doomsday Express from before! Why on earth had they just casually handed this thing over to him?! As wave after wave of black-out dizziness washed over him, Ji Jue's knees went weak, and he collapsed onto a worn cushion, unable to get back up. Oh, I'm screwed! Now even if I say I'm not the legal representative, nobody's gonna believe me...