Exit

Somewhere in the Lower District, Guan Xiaohui and Zhen Ping had arrived at the designated pickup point. Fearing they might miss it, they had set out very early and had already been waiting here for quite some time. Fortunately, this location had been specifically chosen by the resistance organization; it was both remote and secluded. The main reason was that nearly all the sun vines and their derivative organisms in the area had been destroyed. People in the Lower District relied on light in their daily lives, and dark environments could harbor unpredictable enemies and dangerous creatures, so virtually no one ever came here. After waiting for about half an hour, with the agreed time with Lutong Logistics fast approaching and still no movement, Guan Xiaohui grew slightly anxious. "Sister Zhen, could he have failed to find this place?" Zhen Ping comforted her, "Xiaohui, don't worry. The people from Lutong Logistics know the Lower District inside and out. They won't fail to find us. At most, they're just running a little late." Guan Xiaohui gave an "Mm." After waiting a few more minutes, just as the appointed time arrived, they heard the distant rumble of two-wheeled motor vehicles. A piercing glare shone in from the opposite corner, and three two-wheeled motor vehicles rode into view in a triangular formation. Zhen Ping told Guan Xiaohui to stay where she was while she went forward to meet them alone. Upon spotting her, two of the riders halted in the distance, while one drove his vehicle toward her. A thick package could be seen strapped to the rear rack of the motorcycle. He pulled up in front of Zhen Ping and asked, "Your package?" "Yes, our package," Zhen Ping replied. The man dismounted, walked around to the back seat, took out the item, and handed it to her along with a receipt slip. Zhen Ping took it, signed her name on the slip, and handed it back before taking the parcel. The man glanced at the signature, promptly got back on his bike, gave her a wave, and with a roar of the engine, rode off to join the two riders behind him. They quickly departed. Zhen Ping looked down at what was in her hands. To prevent the biological field from spreading, the object was firmly sealed, making it impossible for her to inspect it. In truth, she still was not certain whether what the organization had entrusted them to escort was truly a split sub-body. She walked back, handed it to Guan Xiaohui, and said, "Xiaohui, take a look. Is this it?" "Let me try," Guan Xiaohui said. According to the organization, having undergone implant surgery, she should be able to sense the split sub-body's field from a close distance, even if it was isolated. She reached out and placed her hand on it. At first, she felt nothing, but moments later, a powerful field resonance surged forth. In that instant, she felt her ability to receive field signals magnified dramatically. All sorts of field information—even the faint impressions emitted by living organisms themselves—flooded into her senses. She felt the implant at the nape of her neck flare with heat, while her pulse and heartbeat quickened. Hurriedly, she made adjustments according to the methods taught in her training, which finally screened out the flood of extraneous field information. Panting twice, she looked up and said, "Yes, that's it." "That's good." Zhen Ping felt a wave of relief, but a spike of tension immediately followed. Having the organization entrust such an important item to them for transport weighed heavily on her mind. She said, "Team Leader Yu told us to deliver this to a member named Xiang sent from the organization above. It's said he was dispatched directly from headquarters. Once it's in his hands, our mission will be complete." A faint gleam appeared in Guan Xiaohui's eyes. "I've never met anyone from headquarters before." "Mm. Now that we have the package, let's not delay. Let's get moving." Zhen Ping strode over to the two-wheeled motor vehicle parked to the side and mounted it, while Guan Xiaohui took the rear seat. Checking the map Team Leader Yu had given her beforehand, Zhen Ping started the engine. With a roar, the vehicle sped off toward their destination. About twenty minutes later, the two arrived before a blocked-off tunnel. Zhen Ping slowed down, dismounted, and walked forward to inspect the markings on it. "This is the place." She stepped forward and began clearing away the haphazardly piled rocks and debris. As the rubble shifted, a swarm of unusually large bugs scuttled out, but she was unfazed. From behind, Guan Xiaohui nimbly lit an incense stick and waved it left and right in front of them. The insects immediately scattered like receding tide water. Once the debris was cleared, a rust-covered iron grate door was revealed behind it. Zhen Ping gripped it with both hands and twisted with force. With a few sharp screeches of metal, the grate buckled and deformed, and she tore it completely free with one wrench. Tossing the door aside, the two walked through. Within a few steps, they heard running water. Zhen Ping checked the map and said, "Xiaohui, this is it. We just need to follow the current out." Having confirmed their route, the two immediately changed into waterproof suits and slipped into the water. Yet they had only swum a dozen or so meters when Guan Xiaohui seemed to notice something. She grabbed Zhen Ping and said, "Sister Zhen, wait." Her voice was filled with unease. "Someone is behind us... about a kilometer away. They're moving fast." Zhen Ping instantly curbed her aura. She flashed a hand signal to Guan Xiaohui, who nodded in return. The two hurried back onto the bank and ducked back into the original tunnel to hide. Upstream in the current, Che Gaoyi and Number Nine were wading through. As he passed the tunnel entrance Zhen Ping and her companion had used, Che Gaoyi seemed to sense something and cast a glance in that direction. He spotted damp, wet footprints on the ground, indicating someone had passed through there moments ago. He stared for a moment, then retracted his gaze and kept moving forward. His primary mission was to escort the split sub-body. As long as no one attacked him, he wouldn't meddle. Judging by the watermarks, there were only two people, and their strength was nothing remarkable, posing no real threat to him, so there was no need to pay them any mind. Guan Xiaohui and Zhen Ping waited until he and Number Nine had passed before finally emerging from their hiding spot after quite a while. Both let out huge sighs of relief. Guan Xiaohui, in particular, looked somewhat pale; the pressure radiating from the field information of those two had been extraordinarily intense. Even from a distance, it had left her feeling suffocated. She said with worry, "Sister Zhen, those two who just went by seemed really formidable. Should we wait a little longer before leaving?" Zhen Ping thought about it and said, "No need. They move much faster than we do. We can just follow behind at a distance. Xiaohui, you can detect what's happening around us in advance, right?" Guan Xiaohui nodded. Through the split sub-body in hand, even using her implant in its normal state, she could maintain an alert perimeter of at least one kilometer. Zhen Ping said, "Then we'll be able to react beforehand. Let's go, and let's be as careful as possible." Guan Xiaohui agreed and slipped back into the water with her, keeping an eye on the two ahead while cautiously moving forward in their wake. Above this subterranean river, the armored car Chen Chuan was riding in was navigating through winding tunnels. Lan Xinnan said at this moment, "Below this road is an underground waterway. Both routes lead to the perimeter. The underground river route is reserved for extreme emergencies, and it reaches the outside faster than the path we're taking. "However, we don't have to wade through water here, so it's a bit easier to travel. It's just that the road ahead was excavated later on; people can pass, but vehicles can't. Once we reach that point, we'll need to walk for about a kilometer. The exit leads right to the edge of Center City." Chen Chuan nodded. About ten minutes later, the vehicle came to a stop in front of a tunnel with a damaged opening. Lan Xinnan said, "We're here." Chen Chuan took a look and said, "Captain Lan, you should head back. Everything that follows has nothing to do with you." Lan Xinnan agreed. She knew he was looking out for them. Whether it was the Disposal Bureau or Lianwei Heavy Control, both were colossal entities to them, and getting entangled with either would bring no good. She leaned forward and said to Chen Chuan as he stepped out of the vehicle, "Brother Chen, do be careful." Chen Chuan gave her a nod. Straightening his overcoat and holding the Xuejun Saber, he walked toward the narrow passage. Outside the tunnel exit, Che Gaoyi walked out carrying the briefcase, with Number Nine trailing a few paces behind. He looked around. They appeared to be beneath an earthen slope; the vegetation was lush and thick, and daylight shone bright above. He could confirm they were out of Center City, because at a glance, no flickering fissures were in sight, nor were there many of those annoying insects. Yet before his expression could relax, a voice drifted down from above: "Are you the delivery people? Wait, that's not right. You're not those two young girls." Che Gaoyi turned his gaze toward the voice and saw a man who looked to be in his thirties standing on the trunk of a distant tree. With hands tucked into his pockets, he wore a short-sleeved shirt left unbuttoned, revealing an undershirt printed with the pattern of an eye underneath. The man's hair looked dark and stiff, and his expression carried a hint of cynical detachment. Stroking his chin, the man murmured to himself, "Hmm, or maybe you stole their package. Whatever, since you came out from in there..." His eyes flicked to the briefcase in Che Gaoyi's hand. "...and you're carrying something suspicious, I can't just let you leave easily." The moment Che Gaoyi laid eyes on him, he sensed this person was no ordinary character. Offering no explanation, he immediately commanded, "Number Nine, go up and take him out." Although they had emerged from Center City, that didn't mean they were completely safe. He could not afford to linger here. Upon receiving the order, Number Nine charged at the man without a word. Che Gaoyi surged with full speed, sprinting forward with the briefcase in hand. Yet after covering barely over a kilometer, a figure blurred, and the man from before appeared right in front of him. Lifting his chin, the man asked playfully: "Where do you think you're going?" Che Gaoyi's heart skipped a beat. He glanced back and saw Number Nine embedded in the earthen slope behind them, looking as though he had been forcefully driven into the soil. He realized he had run into a formidable opponent. Cautiously, he asked, "Who are you?" "Me?" The man straightened up and patted his chest. "Senior Officer of the Resistance Alliance Front, Xiang Tiancheng." Right around dinnertime, just as Chen Chuan sat down, his uncle Nian Fuli spoke up out of nowhere: "Chen Chuan, you've graduated from middle school now. We don't have any higher education institutions here in Yangzhi City, and on my constabulary salary, I can't afford to send you to study in that high-class place, Center City. Have you given any thought to where you're going?" The dining table fell silent. His aunt Yu Wan looked at Chen Chuan with worry, while his two young cousins clutched their bowls, their little heads turning left and right. Nian Fuli said, "If you haven't made up your mind and have nowhere to go, I'll arrange something for you. Don't complain about hard work, and don't cry about being tired. If you don't want to do it, say so early on and find your own way out." Chen Chuan looked at Nian Fuli and smiled faintly. "Little Uncle, are you in such a rush to kick me out?" Nian Fuli glared at him. "Uncle is just uncle. Drop the 'little'." Habitually reaching for his jacket pocket, his fingers brushed against the cigarette pack, but glancing at his young son and daughter, he pulled his hand back. Frowning, he said, "Stop grinning like that and give me a straight answer. Your elder cousin has made something of himself, so I don't need to worry about him. But your younger brother and sister are still small, and in just a few years they'll be in school. Family expenses will only grow. You're already sixteen. I don't expect you to repay me for anything down the road; as long as you can support yourself, that's enough. Isn't that fair?" Chen Chuan nodded. "You're right, Uncle." He pondered for a moment before adding, "Uncle, I was thinking of making my own way." "On your own?" Nian Fuli looked at him for a moment. "Fine. Doesn't school usually give you a two-month break? Then I'll give you two months. After two months, you'll establish yourself independently, and I won't have to manage your affairs anymore." His aunt Yu Wan hesitated, looking as if she wanted to speak. Chen Chuan said, "All right. We'll do as you say, Uncle." Nian Fuli looked him up and down. "A man keeps his word." He picked up his chopsticks and said, "Eat." Only when he moved his chopsticks did the rest of the family begin eating. Chen Chuan also reached for his chopsticks. At that moment, sensing something, he raised his head. Standing right beside the wall was a youth who looked identical to him, gazing at him faintly. His uncle's family ate with their heads down, completely unaware; it seemed only Chen Chuan could see him. He naturally drew back his gaze and contemplated the future as he ate. Before he knew it, he had finished his last bite of rice. His aunt had been keeping an eye on him the entire time, and she hurried to say, "Leave it there, Auntie will wash it. Focus on your own plans first." Chen Chuan looked at his aunt, then at the expressionless Nian Fuli. Putting down his bowl and chopsticks, he said, "All right. Uncle, Auntie, I'll head back to my room first." Nian Fuli picked up a morsel of food, chewed slowly, and said nothing. After Chen Chuan left, Yu Wan murmured, "The child is still young." Nian Fuli snapped in annoyance, "Young? How is he young? He's already sixteen! When I was his age, I was already on the battlefield!" "Fine, fine, we know how capable you were." Seeing that he had finished eating as well, Yu Wan stood up from the table, brought over a bottle of yellow rice wine, and poured him a cup. "I'll go check on the child." "Go on, go on," Nian Fuli waved a hand impatiently. He took a sip from the wine cup, feeling instantly soothed, though he muttered under his breath, "This kid is a little different from before..." "Dad, will you kick me out when I'm sixteen too?" Nian Fuli turned his head and saw his younger son, Nian Mo, looking up at him with wide, pleading eyes. His three-year-old daughter, Nian Lu, chimed in with her babyish voice, "He'll definitely kick you out! You eat the most meat!" "I... I don't eat that much! Dad..." Nian Mo clutched his bowl, looking pitifully at Nian Fuli. Nian Fuli chuckled heartily and patted the back of Nian Mo's head. "Silly boy, you're my son. How could I leave you out in the cold? I'm saving the seat under my butt for you. Go turn on the radio." "Okay!" Nian Mo jumped happily off his stool and pattered over to switch on the vintage radio. A crackle of static drifted out. "...Reports from the railway maintenance department state that due to the mudslides at Mount Xie, repairs on the section originally scheduled for completion in early June will be delayed once more..." "A group of convicts has escaped from Qiguang Prison. Wanted notices have been issued. The primary fugitives are as follows: Fang Dawei, male, thirty-five years old, muscular build, responsible for multiple home invasions and street shootings; Tong Baitao, male, twenty-seven years old..." "A gang clash erupted between the Blood Mark Gang and the Iron Chain Gang at the intersection of Xinqu Park and Micang Street. Several residences were damaged in the conflict, leaving dozens dead or injured..." By this time, Chen Chuan had returned to his room. This combined study and bedroom measured roughly eight or nine square meters. The windowsill and aged red-lacquered wooden floor were spotless, and the furnishings were arranged in neat order, clearly cleaned and tidied every day. Several movie posters were plastered on the wall. When his eyes swept over them, their titles naturally surfaced in his mind: *The Solitary Swordsman*, *Highland Beast*, *The Final Conquest*... Treading on the creaking floorboards, he walked over to the window. In a corner of the semi-worn desk stood a picture frame enclosing a photograph of a young couple. The woman was young and beautiful, the man tall and handsome, both dressed in exquisite, finely tailored clothes, smiling back at him. To the right of the desk stood a bookcase over two meters tall, packed with books. A glance revealed that aside from some old textbooks, most were extracurricular reading, such as *The Great Expansion*, *The Fifteenth Year of Jianzhi*, *The Mysterious Machu*, and the like. He could not help muttering to himself, "Too bad there's no *Dual-Use Talents for Military and Civilian Purposes*, *Militia Military Training Manual*, or at the very least a *One Hundred Thousand Whys*." "Why what? Chan'er, can Auntie come in?" Yu Wan's voice came from outside the door. "Chan'er" was the childhood pet name given to him by the parents of this body. Aside from Yu Wan, only that annoying cousin of his called him that all day long now. Chen Chuan said, "Come in, Auntie. It's nothing, I was just thinking through some problems." "You've already graduated from middle school, yet you're still studying so hard, Chan'er." Yu Wan walked in. She was not yet forty, with fair skin and ordinary features. Chen Chuan, on the other hand, had delicate, handsome features, fair lips, white teeth, and a tall frame. Standing side by side, their blood relation was only faintly discernible in the contours around their brows and eyes. Yu Wan said, "Chan'er, don't blame your uncle for what happened today. He has his difficulties. Don't be stubborn and push yourself too hard. I'll talk to him again later." Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Auntie. I'm not just being stubborn. I really have plans of my own." Yu Wan hesitated, then ventured tentatively, "Chan'er... are you planning to go look for that Meng family girl?" Hearing that reference, the image of a young girl involuntarily surfaced in Chen Chuan's memories. He shook his head. "I'm not going to see her." Yu Wan said, "It's for the best. Her family comes from high standing, and the people around her carry their chins in the air. You've had a stubborn streak since childhood; childhood sweethearts or not, you wouldn't get along as adults." Chen Chuan said, "You're right, Auntie. Things from childhood don't count. Nowadays, she's followed by housekeepers and attendants wherever she goes. Why would I go look for humiliation?" Hearing him say that, Yu Wan was greatly relieved. Cupping a bundle wrapped in a handkerchief, she unfolded it layer by layer before Chen Chuan, revealing a stack of ten-yuan Jianyuan notes. The bills featured a greenish landscape pattern, with a circular dome and square earth on the front, while the reverse depicted stalks of rice and wheat pressing down upon an imperial nine-tasseled crown. The watermark was a felt hat. Taking Chen Chuan's hand, she pressed the money into his palm. "Take this. Use it when you need to, and don't pinch pennies. If it's not enough, Auntie still has more." Chen Chuan did not close his fingers around it, asking, "Does Uncle know?" "This is money Auntie saved for you," Yu Wan said, lightly swatting his arm. "And don't call him 'Little Uncle.' He hates hearing that." Chen Chuan chuckled, accepted the money, and said earnestly, "Auntie, consider this a loan. I will repay you." "Oh, we're family. What's this talk of repaying? Just keep it safe." Only when Chen Chuan had stowed the money away properly did Yu Wan feel at ease. "Then Auntie will leave you be. You've graduated now, so don't overwork yourself. Remember to turn on the light when reading; don't ruin your eyes." "All right." After giving a few more reminders, Yu Wan left the room. Chen Chuan shut the door, pulled the light cord beside it, and a small ceiling lamp clicked on, casting a pale yellow glow. He walked over to the bookcase, casually pulled out a volume, sat down on the edge of the bed, and flipped through it with keen interest. Much later, he heard the clock outside chime ten times. Since he had serious business to attend to tomorrow, he returned the book to its shelf, washed up briefly, turned off the light, and went to sleep. In the pitch-black darkness, the youth who looked identical to him stood beside the bed, still watching him quietly. In his dreams, he seemed to return to his past life. After working for a few years, he had gone on a hiking trip. While passing through a city's museum, he had visited an exhibition of antique mirrors. Driven by curiosity, the moment he entered the main hall, his eyes immediately caught a dome mirror suspended overhead. At that exact moment, the reflection of himself within had also looked over. The instant their eyes met, his vision blurred. His body seemed to revert to that of an infant, growing from birth into a child, and from a child into a youth—until one day, the blurred silhouette of a teal car entered his sight, and as the roar of the car receded, everything snapped into utter darkness. Bright morning light filtered through the slit between the curtains, tearing apart the night's haze. Chen Chuan opened his eyes. He turned his head toward the alarm clock on the nightstand: 5:50. Shaking his head, he got out of bed, got dressed, and stepped out to brush his teeth and wash his face. Nian Fuli was on duty at the constabulary and had left early in the morning. His two younger cousins were still asleep, while Yu Wan had gone out to buy groceries, having prepared breakfast for him before leaving. After finishing his breakfast, he returned to his room and put on his only set of formal student attire. Made of woolen fabric in dark charcoal gray, it was sharply tailored and looked remarkably crisp on him. Buttoning his collar and putting on his student cap, he straightened himself up in front of the full-length mirror attached to the wardrobe. He then took down a gray canvas satchel hanging behind the door, packed a filled water bottle inside, strapped it on, and went out to the front yard to fetch his bicycle, wheeling it past the gate. Looking at the morning sun rising in the sky, he thought to himself, "For now, I'll stick to the original plan." Swinging onto the bike, he flicked the bell with his thumb, ringing out a crisp, clear chime. Pumping the pedals, he rode out of the residential alley and, after just two turns, hit the main road. Nian Fuli was a patrol captain at the constabulary branch, and this area was inhabited by constables and their families, so public security was quite decent and the roads were wide. Plane trees lined both sides of the street, their deep green foliage mingling with the late May sunshine to lift one's spirits. After cycling along the main road for half an hour, he entered the Central Square. The tallest buildings in Yangzhi City were clustered here, mostly constructed during the Great Expansion roughly sixty years ago. Because conditions were tense back then, the materials used were exceptionally solid, lending a solemn weight to their cool tones. Waiting for an overhead-cable trolleybus to pass, he spotted seven or eight shabbily dressed ruffians walking over from the other side of the road. One among them seemed sensitive to being looked at and suddenly snapped his head around with a fierce glare. But upon noticing the satchel Chen Chuan carried, he merely cursed something under his breath, spat at Chen Chuan's departing back, and turned away. Crossing the square, Chen Chuan turned onto the north-bound avenue to his left. About five minutes later, an impressive flying eave came into view on the east side of the avenue. As he drew closer, the grand gate of a college revealed itself: three wide archways spanning a hundred paces across, with a stone plaque above the central gate bearing the five characters "Wuyi College" carved in vigorous regular script like strokes of iron and silver hooks. Splendid motorcars could be seen passing in and out of the gate from time to time. Squeezing the brake levers, Chen Chuan planted one foot on the ground and stopped before a stone stele beside the entrance. Engraved upon it was a brief history of the college: "Wuyi College was established in the fifteenth year of Jianzhi and officially renamed in the thirty-fifth year of Jianzhi. Its founding president was Cheng Yunbai..." The college gate faced a flat, open plaza. The morning sun at seven or eight o'clock shone brightly upon the gate and the buildings flanking it, bestowing an aura of dignity and elegance. His gaze wandered as if searching for something. After a moment, he spotted an inconspicuous sign near the side entrance reading: "Admissions and Registration This Way." He let out a breath and dismounted. Glancing to the side, he noticed that figure identical to himself standing by the gate, looking right back at him. Chen Chuan withdrew his gaze, gripped the handlebars with a natural demeanor, and wheeled his bicycle through the side gate into the college grounds. ... ...