Interlude

"...And that's pretty much everything that happened. In short, there's no need to worry about that missile cruiser for now." On the official website of *Wasteland Online*. Ye Shi had spent a full hour posting a detailed update on the forums recounting everything that had transpired after the Burning Corps was struck by the neutron torpedo. His post covered Jiang Xuezhou spooling up the warp drive; the clone of "Luo Yi" hauling a second neutron torpedo in an attempt to stop them; how Ye Shi, while unconscious during their entry into the hyperspace conduit, had coincidentally encountered the crew of the *Orion* from two hundred and fifteen years ago who were also trapped in a "superposition"; the "Daybreak" plan they had agreed upon, and more... To tell the truth, as he typed out those thousand-odd words, even he felt a lingering sense of unreality. Judging by the calendar on his desktop and the buzzing threads across the forum, only a few hours had passed between the moment Fang Chang, Lao Bai, and the others were disconnected and when he logged off to report. Yet for him, half a month had gone by! Even though it sounded like sleep-talking nonsense, he knew with absolute certainty that the events of those two weeks were no illusion. He had truly lived aboard the *Orion* two hundred and fifteen years in the past for half a month—even if not the faintest trace of his presence remained aboard the starship today. Even if that journey could be rationalized as a dungeon, the bizarre discrepancy in the flow of time still left him awestruck. It seemed the tech behind *Wasteland Online* was far more absurd than he had ever imagined... Then again, was it really just a game? Recalling the sensation that lingered on his lips, Ye Shi felt his cheeks flush hot all over again. *Damn it!* *I'm a grown-ass man—why the hell am I blushing like a teapot?!* Glancing at his long, painstakingly typed post and seeing not a single reply, Ye Shi vented his tangled emotions onto the keyboard. "Holy crap! Give me some kind of reaction, will you?!" *Whenever I post clickbait just to bait replies, you bastards pile on dozens of comments in seconds. Now that I actually post serious stuff with zero clickbait, every single one of you turns into a freeloading lurker.* *Does that make any sense?!* Just as he grabbed the first floor beneath his own post and mashed F5, a flood of responses finally cascaded onto the screen, shooting up hundreds of replies in an instant. "Completely engrossed..." "Stunned." "My brain just fried, let me sort this out." "Holy crap! It's already resolved?!" "Tail's Star Wars plan just went bankrupt on the spot. (funny)" "I'm already in tears." "..." Staring at the hundreds of comments that suddenly erupted, Ye Shi was taken aback in his chair. *Holy smokes!* *How many damn lurkers were hiding out there?!* Just then, several familiar IDs caught his eye. Evidently, while he had still been logged in, his good brothers had been worried sick about him. Fang Chang: "Not bad, bro. I was just worrying you might do something stupid. Who would've thought this time it'd be your turn to carry? (smirk)" Ye Shi: "Heh heh, come on... I only did a tiny bit of humble work." Lao Bai: "No need to be modest, amazing job! Haha, looks like we were the deadweight this time. (grin)" Jieyan: "A comeback against all odds! Getting carried to a win feels so damn good, hahaha! (grin)" Brother Edge: "It's fine when Lao Bai says it, but when are you *not* deadweight? (roll eyes)" Jieyan: "Screw you! I pulled my weight too, alright?! (angry)" In Debt God: "Like working real hard playing a corpse? (wicked smile)" Jieyan: "@#%$!" The thread was alive with banter and laughter. Seeing his friends' replies, Ye Shi couldn't help but smile, though he still felt as if something was missing. As if in answer to his hopes, someone finally caught the detail he had casually dropped into the post. Kuang Feng: "Just finished reading... So you're saying you're currently in Alpha Centauri?" Ye Shi: "Heh heh, pretty much." Even though the guy's tone dripped with unmistakable smugness, the other players in the thread no longer cared about his bragging. The empty promise of a world five light-years away was real! An interstellar colony from the Human Alliance era! The instant they saw that confirmation, virtually everyone lost their minds! Tail: "!!! Are there three suns over there?! (excited)" Ye Shi: "Uh, probably, but I'm still inside the cabin. Haven't seen what's going on outside yet." Ye Ao Nai Wo He: "Lol." Elven King Fugui: "What, did your uncle run off to Alpha Centauri to become a super-soldier too? (surprised)" Jieyan: "Hahahahaha." Elaina: "Ye Ao: You're never gonna let that meme die, are you? (funny)" Kuang Feng: "Actually, I'm more curious about what the hyperspace conduit even is." Fang Chang: "In terms of lore, it's a gravitational tether between massive celestial bodies. As for a more technical explanation, I wouldn't know. But strictly speaking from the words themselves, hyperspace means multidimensional space, right?" Kuang Feng: "That's true. I'm just curious what you can actually see inside a hyperspace conduit within the setting of *Wasteland Online*." Ye Shi: "I didn't pay attention to that... When I entered the conduit in the game, I was inside a hibernation pod." Kuang Feng: "What about during the dungeon? Didn't you look outside?" Ye Shi: "Oh, I saw it then, but there didn't seem to be anything special—just ordinary starry space? Though according to Dr. Wu, our situation back then was that we were stuck inside the hyperspace conduit, meaning time was frozen. Normally, a white light is supposed to flash, the stars brighten up for a split second, and the ship passes straight through." Thunder King Professor Yang: "What the hell does 'passes straight through' even mean? (baffled)" Kuang Feng: "Dr. Wu?" Ye Shi: "Wu Xinghuan from Research and Technology, basically Department Five on the missile cruiser *Orion*... All that messy knowledge came from him. Honestly, my head was spinning too, but I could grasp the gist of it." Kuang Feng: "When you have time, you have to tell me the details!" Commander Spring: "Kuang Feng seems unusually interested in these technical trivia." Fang Chang: "Well, that's his field, after all. (smirk)" WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "!!! Kuang Feng researches warp drives?! Holy crap!" Meat Mountain Steamed Bun: "Giao! Why are you sounding more and more like Tail!" Tail: "!!! You stole Tail's lines! What is Tail supposed to say now?!" Kuang Feng: "Ahem, no way... I'm just interested in the theoretical principles, purely personal curiosity." In Debt God: "Actually, I'm way more interested in what happened next in the story. Heh heh, confess honestly: after you rescued Jiang Xuezhou, did anything happen between you two? (wicked smile)" Yaya: "Ew. How does something completely wholesome sound so perverted the moment it comes out of your mouth?" Sisi: "+1. Your ulterior motives are showing way too hard. (side-eye)" Construction Site Boy and Bricks: "In Debt God's reputation takes another hit. (funny)" Elaina: "What do you mean 'takes a hit'? His reputation is already set in stone! (funny)" In Debt God: "Damn it! I was just joking! What do you mean it sounds perverted coming from me? Besides, who on this server doesn't know this guy doesn't even have the equipment to commit the crime! (angry)" Fang Chang: "Pfft—" Jieyan: "Hahahahaha, holy shit!" Lao Bai: "You practically pulled Ye Shi's pants down with that one. (laugh)" Sitting in front of his monitor, Ye Shi nearly spat blood. Furious, he hammered violently on his keyboard. "Are your damn eyes glued to my crotch?! Who told you I don't have it!" He hit enter, but immediately felt a pang of embarrassment. In the game, that body of his really didn't have the gear. Yet admitting defeat was out of the question; anyone in their youth was as stubborn as a mule. In a rush of desperation, he hastily added another reply. "Besides, who says you need that thing for something to happen?!" He had merely meant to dodge the topic, but the moment that sentence went live, the entire thread exploded. Sisi: "???" Teng Teng: "Holy crap, the engine's revving already?!" Tail: "Ohhh! I never knew you were that kind of Ye Shi!" Makabazi: "Did a tire just roll right over my face?" Roller Hair Washing Machine: "Wait, what about Miss Teng Teng?" WC Really Has Mosquitoes: "Holy shit, two-timing?!" Teng Teng: "What the hell does this have to do with me?!!!" Ye Shi: "What the hell does this have to do with me?!!!" Just like that, the discussion about a world five light-years away drifted completely off-course, landing well beyond five light-years in an entirely different direction. As it turned out, the vast majority of players didn't truly care about a world five light-years away; they were far more interested in whatever entertainment was right in front of them. Gaia. Honestly, it was just too far. There might not even be a living soul over there, just an... uh, ancient orb that had survived who-knew-how-many years? Still, hearing that the planet Gaia five light-years away wasn't an empty promise and had actually been implemented into the universe of *Wasteland Online*, many veteran players felt deeply gratified. It was the fulfillment of a long-held wish. The discussions across the forum gradually shifted from the crushing defeat of the Burning Corps to praising the top-tier veterans. It seemed the server wouldn't need to shut down after all. Medical Miracle was still asking around for ways to play dumb and infiltrate the Enlightenment Society. Meanwhile, the Battlefield Atmosphere Group was still trying to explain to him that those two goals were mutually contradictory. As for Fang Chang and Mole, they threw out their earlier predictions for the next patch and began shifting their analyses from pessimistic to optimistic. So long as little brother Ye Shi kept carrying them and flew that nuclear arsenal from the Era of Prosperity back to geostationary orbit, they could blast the Lagrange point space station into dust in no time. Of course. That was only in theory. The premise was that they could actually pilot it back, and that the Celestials didn't have any other cheats aside from a few androids. After a long while, In Debt God, who had gone quiet at some point, suddenly piped up again. "Holy shit... Did Ye Shi actually get a girlfriend?! (shocked)" He had only been teasing the guy. Who could have guessed the kid had actually made a move?! Wait— On what grounds?! No, I don't want that! ... "These damn bastards are so bored." Watching the thread derail completely, Ye Wei shook his head and clicked the mouse in the upper right corner to close the browser. After browsing the forums for so long, his stomach began to rumble. He stood up, pushed open his bedroom door, and stepped into the living room. Just as he expected, Jiu Jiu was sprawled across the sofa playing mobile games, with takeout boxes sitting on the coffee table beside her. The moment this girl got into college, she completely let loose, gaming so hard she even forgot to eat. He had no idea what went through her head. She already had access to the world's most incredible fully immersive virtual reality game, yet she remained obsessed with mobile games on tiny screens. Then again, that was probably one of the reasons why Brother Mole's games sold so well in Ideal City. The essence of joy was dopamine secretion. And triggering dopamine didn't necessarily require anything complex. The threshold for happiness would continually rise, but once it reached a certain height, simple pleasures became novel once more. Jiu Jiu was still young, after all... She had only owned her own smartphone for a couple of years, and it was one he had bought for her. Thinking about it that way, the gaming helmet and the smartphone might well feel like new inventions from the exact same era to her, whereas his own perspective was entirely different. As his thoughts drifted, Ye Wei suddenly realized he wasn't young anymore; in a few years, he'd be an old timer too. Hearing the sound from the doorway, Jiu Jiu tapped her screen and tossed out a greeting without looking up. "Bro? You're awake. I didn't order any takeout for you, by the way." Ye Wei rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks." "Hehe, you're welcome." Ye Jiu gave a cheeky reply before frantically jabbing at her screen with renewed ferocity. Just as Ye Wei pulled out his phone to order food, his little sister, still sprawled on the couch, suddenly dropped an unexpected remark. "By the way, who would've thought? I always figured your heart belonged to Miss Teng Teng, but in the end, you ended up with her." The corner of Ye Wei's mouth twitched. "What kind of weird nonsense are you talking about..." "Mm-hmm, am I wrong?" Meeting her teasing gaze, Ye Wei couldn't help recalling what had happened two hours ago, and his eyes darted away involuntarily. "...Not really." Seeing her brother blush, Ye Jiu instantly perked up. Tossing her phone aside, she sat up straight on the couch, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Tell me, what actually happened?" Her gossip radar had fully activated. Ye Wei scratched the back of his head and ultimately ended up telling his sister what had taken place. He wasn't afraid of being laughed at—it was his first time in a relationship, after all, and he was curious about how girls thought. Perhaps this was human double standards at work. In the past, he had constantly joked about 2D anime waifus, but now that he was actually in a relationship, he couldn't view Jiang Xuezhou as just some fictional character anymore. Instead, he found himself fretting over every little thing. As for Ye Jiu. The girl had always viewed the characters in *Wasteland Online* as real people, so she didn't tease him about that aspect. After listening intently to her brother, Ye Jiu rubbed her chin, nodded, and blurted out, "I knew it. You really do like girls who take care of you." "What stupid nonsense are you spouting? When has she ever been the type to take care of someone? I'm the one who takes care of people, alright?" Ye Wei mumbled self-consciously, having completely lost his usual swagger in front of his sister. Ye Jiu, on the other hand, watched her bashful brother and let out an amused smirk. "Mm-hmm, is that so?" Ye Wei fell silent for a moment. This time, he uncharacteristically refrained from arguing back, merely muttering, "...Fine, you win." He suddenly recalled things from before. Not just aboard the missile cruiser *Orion*, but it seemed it had always been that way. Whenever he was in danger, she grew more anxious than anyone else. Hearing he liked someone made her sulk and get jealous, yet she still helped him afterward. Of course, he had helped her plenty as well; the two of them had always looked out for each other. So from that perspective, Jiu Jiu wasn't entirely right—she was only half-right. Calling it a half-win was more accurate. Watching her brother examine his own feelings, Ye Jiu curled her lips in satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad. Looks like even a stubborn mule has learned to lower its head for a carrot." Ye Wei glared at her crossly. "What carrot? You're the carrot! Bah, you're the stubborn mule! How am I stubborn?" "Oho, look at you getting all protective! Bro! I'm your flesh and blood—how could you take an outsider's side!" Ye Jiu put on an expression of utter heartbreak, her large eyes growing watery as if she had genuinely been wounded. Ye Wei didn't buy it for a second, waving his hand as if shooing away a mosquito. "Shoo, shoo, cut the crap." "Hahahaha, but your reaction is too funny... Ah, right, right." Grinning cheekily at her brother, Jiu Jiu suddenly seemed to remember something and dropped her playful tone. "By the way, it's just the two of you on that starship, right?" Ye Wei blinked, looking at her. "What about it?" Jiu Jiu wore a serious expression. "I don't really have a concept of how far five light-years is... but is it really okay to leave her all alone in a pitch-black place like that?" Ye Wei froze instantly, though words tumbled out of his mouth on reflex. "The reactor's power has been restored... It shouldn't be dark." Ye Jiu pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. "Are you an idiot?" Actually, by the time he had uttered those words, guilt had already washed over Ye Wei's face. Just now, he had suddenly remembered that before logging off, he had told her he'd only be gone for two minutes. Yet more than two hours had passed. Glancing at the wall clock, his face drained of color. "Holy shit!" Without a second of hesitation, he snatched the unopened takeout box off the coffee table with lightning speed and bolted back toward his room like a tornado ripping through a parking lot. The instant he slammed the door shut, he heard her wail echoing through the crack. "That's my takeout! Damn it!" "You eat mine!" In three bites, Ye Wei shoveled the food into his mouth. He swiftly placed an order on his phone for Jiu Jiu's favorite pickled fish, then grabbed the helmet off the desk and pulled it over his head. *Wasteland Online—* *Launch!* As Ye Shi rushed back into the game, Ye Jiu sat in the living room wearing a helpless expression. "Sigh, that guy." Whatever. She had ordered that meal for him anyway—his favorite pork trotter rice. Her mindset was fairly open. Their parents might care about carrying on the family line, but she didn't particularly care whether her sister-in-law was a real human or a cybernetic one. Weren't there rumors circulating online all the time? Claims that *Wasteland Online* was actually a game developed by aliens, and that the world inside was a genuine reality. Quite a few people believed those rumors, especially after *Wasteland Online* blew up in popularity. Some players were even among the believers, solemnly compiling whole lists of evidence. Though she thought those so-called experiments were silly, who was to say it wasn't a real world after all? Few people could distinguish that "existence" and "proving existence" seemed like the same question, but were actually problems on two completely different dimensions. That wasn't something textbooks taught. In any case, seeing her brother alive and kicking was enough to set her mind at ease. Her biggest worry had been that he might never wake up and end up abandoned, leaving her to change his diapers for the rest of his life. All in all, so long as he was okay, that was all that mattered.