“Chapter 68”

"Chapter 68"

"After school in the afternoon, while eating dinner in their room, Yan Bubu, with a mouthful of fish, asked Feng Chen, 'So, have all the Kanze lizards and their babies been caught now?'"

Feng Chen replied, "Yes, they're all caught. You don't have to be scared of going to the bathroom at night anymore."

Yan Bubu hesitated for a moment, then remained silent, quietly chewing on his fish.

Feng Chen immediately said with vigilance, "Don't use this as an excuse to wet the bed."

"No, no, not at all," Yan Bubu quickly shook his head in denial.

Watching him eat, Feng Chen asked, "Haven't you grown tired of fish after eating it for so many days?"

The fish was somewhat dry and bland in taste, and he wondered how Yan Bubu could still find it so delicious, meal after meal.

"The meat is tasty," Yan Bubu said, spooning another bite into his mouth.

Feng Chen flicked his forehead with a finger, teasing, "Pig."

Yan Bubu giggled, "Besides meat, I love eating other things too."

"Go ahead and eat, just don’t overdo it."

Feng Chen verbally teased but felt a sense of relief in his heart.

Being able to eat was good; picky eating, refusing this and that, was a real worry.

The next day was the school-wide commendation ceremony.

On the deck of D Hive, a large tarp had been set up, with students from three classes standing underneath. Opposite them was a long table, behind which stood Captain Su, Lin Fen, Yu Yuan, and the school teachers.

A burst of military drums and bugles sounded, and after a few soldiers finished a march, Captain Su took the megaphone handed to him and quickly glanced at the densely written notes in his palm.

"Dear students and teachers, the sea is merciless, but it cannot wash away the passion in our hearts. Torrential rain cannot extinguish the fire of hope that burns within us. Yesterday, an incident occurred at our school, which I believe you've all heard about. Several students from the junior classes, with their bravery, wit, and fearlessness, collaborated with a senior student to capture and kill the Kanze lizards that threatened our lives..."

Captain Su’s opening speech flowed endlessly until Lin Fen gave him a cold glance, prompting him to cut short his increasingly tangential remarks and loudly announce, "The commendation ceremony begins now! Will the following students please come to the stage: Qin Shen, Fan Renjing, Yu Ke, Wang Suizi..."

As the military music resumed, Yan Bubu eagerly broke rank, walking towards the table with a few junior class students, glancing back at Feng Chen as he went.

Seeing Feng Chen standing motionless among his class, Yan Bubu thought he hadn't heard and hurriedly waved at him.

Feng Chen remained stoic, prompting Yan Bubu to call out anxiously, "Brother, brother..."

The younger classmates joined in, chanting, "Brother, go up, brother..."

Feng Chen, unable to pretend he hadn't heard, reluctantly went on stage, standing at one end of the long table. Yan Bubu quickly joined him, standing together.

"We now invite a representative of the commended students to speak," announced Captain Su.

Seeing a soldier extend the microphone towards him, Feng Chen subtly stepped back, and after a brief pause in mid-air, the microphone was passed to a beaming Yan Bubu.

Yan Bubu, a mix of excitement and nerves, held the microphone for a few seconds before suddenly chuckling.

"Say a few words," the soldier encouraged softly, smiling.

Yan Bubu's voice echoed through the speakers, "Say what... what... what..."

"Just say anything about the Kanze lizard incident."

Puzzled, Yan Bubu paused to think for a moment, then turned to glance at Feng Chen.

Feng Chen, looking down at the deck, showed only his upturned lips from Yan Bubu’s angle.

"Uh... we squashed the babies... uh... squashed them... hahaha..."

The crowd on the deck couldn't help but join in the laughter.

Captain Su quickly interjected, "The representative's speech is concluded. Let's move on to the next part of the ceremony, the distribution of awards."

During the distribution of prizes, the young children each received a set of stationery. Yan Bubu, wearing a small red flower, received a bag containing the stationery from Captain Su. His smile was so wide it almost split his face as he immediately opened the plastic bag to show Feng Chen, "There are new crayons, and five pencils..."

Feng Chen also received a slender box.

The box felt heavy in his hands. He didn't open it immediately but waited until after the commendation ceremony ended and they were back in the classroom.

Inside, on a navy blue velvet lining, lay a dagger. Its sleek cutting line extended to a perfectly formed spearpoint tip. The dark blade, made of military-grade material, was understated yet sharp and sturdy.

The handle of the dagger was slightly long, with its center of gravity at the neck, balancing the weight on both sides. The sheath wasn't brand new; the deep brown leather showed signs of age, and the stitching was a bit frayed. It was evident that it had been frequently worn at the waist and was a cherished possession.

Feng Chen picked up the dagger and noticed a piece of paper inside, with a line of words written in a bold, flowing script.

"An old blade I used in my youth, named Wu Yu. Despite the passage of time, its edge remains sharp. Now I gift it to you - Lin Fen."

Feng Chen stared at the note for a while before placing the dagger back in and slowly closing the lid.

After school in the afternoon, Yan Bubu immediately took out the prize bag upon returning to their room, laying out each piece of stationery on the small table.

"Brother, look, there are so many! One pencil, two pencils, three pencils... An eraser, one shaped like a flower..."

Yan Bubu delightedly examined the pile of stationery, his gaze falling on the box next to it. Recognizing it as Feng Chen's prize, he curiously opened it.

"Wow, a dagger," Yan Bubu exclaimed loudly as he took out the dagger, "This dagger looks so cool."

Feng Chen, leaning back on the bed reading a book, kept his eyes on the pages: "Don't take the knife out, just look at it like that."

Yan Bubu examined the dagger from all angles, then sat next to Feng Chen, "What about the one I bought for you? Let me see that."

Feng Chen took out the sheath holding the dagger from behind his waist and tossed it onto the bed.

Yan Bubu compared the two daggers side by side, starting to grumble, "Look at the small knife I bought for you, its sheath is all shiny with gems. This prize dagger looks so old, its sheath is almost broken. And the knife I gave you, the uncle who sold it said it had killed a dragon and helped fight off a dark wizard. That's the best and finest dagger."

After saying this, Yan Bubu noticed Feng Chen didn't respond and looked at him alertly, "You can't use that knife. You have to use the one I gave you."

Feng Chen turned a page of his book, "I'm somewhat reluctant to use the one you gave me. I'm afraid of knocking off the gems on it or breaking the blade."

Yan Bubu quickly replied, "It's okay, if they fall off, I'll buy you another one later."

"No, a replacement wouldn't be the same," Feng Chen put down his book, speaking earnestly, "Since it's a birthday gift from you, I must treasure it."

"Oh, I see…" Yan Bubu, both surprised and touched, hurriedly added, "Then, be careful when you use it in the future."

"No," Feng Chen shook his head, "Such a precious dagger should be properly kept. I'll use this prize dagger for everyday things, like killing a mutant or something. If it breaks, it breaks. I won't be upset."

Yan Bubu found this reasonable and offered, "I'll keep it for you, in my cloth bag."

"Good, keep it safe," Feng Chen said, "And don't lose any of the gems on the sheath."

Yan Bubu nodded seriously, "Don't worry, I won't."

Feng Chen smoothly took the dagger called Wu Yu and tucked it behind his waist.

Days passed peacefully; Yan Bubu didn't get sick again, and the beehive corridors remained tranquil without any terrifying mutants.

However, during this time, one of the patients isolated in the fever ward evolved into a sentinel.

The person who had a fever and didn't turn into a zombie but became a special forces soldier – this news quickly spread through the beehive ships, causing much discussion.

Feng Chen heard about this and had even seen the sentinel at the military headquarters.

She was a girl of about eighteen or nineteen, petite and delicately featured, sitting in Yu Yuan's office while a medical officer examined her. Beside her was a formidable brown bear quantum beast, taller than her when it stood up.

Since the girl was of age, she naturally joined the Western Union Army. As she followed the soldiers to get her military uniform, Feng Chen stared at her retreating figure, unaware of the envy in his eyes.

If only Yan Bubu could do the same, how wonderful that would be...

As Yu Yuan passed by, he patted Feng Chen's shoulder and whispered, "Everything will get better."

During this period, the ship repair work was in full swing. No one had asked Feng Chen to dive for machinery parts, but whenever he had the chance, he would visit the shipyard and dive into deeper waters with a few sentinels to search.

The soldiers, seeing his youth and knowing the water in the shipyard wasn't very deep – something D and C class sentinels could handle – hadn’t assigned him to dive. But he was always the first to change into a diving suit, showing such eagerness that they let him join.

Today was Sunday, and school was out. After lunch, Feng Chen left Yan Bubu with homework – writing an essay and solving ten math problems – before heading to the shipyard.

Just as he was about to leave, Yan Bubu stopped him and mysteriously pulled out a notebook, saying, "Brother, I've finished my drawing."

Feng Chen knew this drawing had taken a long time and filled half a notebook, so he took it and praised, "Not bad, especially the house you've drawn."

Yan Bubu, initially beaming, slowly lost his smile, "That's not a house."

"Oh… it’s a road with cars on it."

"It's not a road, it's the sea, and those aren't cars, they're our ships."

Feng Chen glanced at him and then back at the drawing, "This sea is quite vast, with many different kinds of fish."

Yan Bubu pouted, "That's not the sea, it's the sky, the sky with stars."

Feng Chen coughed twice, looking earnest and focused, "Right, there are people on the ship too, these two I can't mistake, it must be us, with round heads."

Yan Bubu followed his pointing, looking at the two small circles, shocked, "How can these be people? They're pickle jars placed by the ship’s side. Don't you recognize pickle jars?"

"Who said I didn't recognize them? Can't I just pretend?" Feng Chen's finger moved to point at two more circles on the roof of the cabin, "These are also pickle jars."

Now Yan Bubu was even less pleased, mumbling with downturned eyes, "Those aren't pickle jars, they're us..."

Feng Chen choked up, looking more closely at the two circles that hardly resembled people, but nodded, "Yes, I see now, it's us."

"It’s after the rain stopped, us two sitting on the roof of the cabin, watching the stars," Yan Bubu said with a hint of hurt in his voice.

Feng Chen replied, "The rain never stopped, so I never imagined us sitting on the roof watching the stars. That's why you can't blame me for not recognizing it."

"Okay then, I can't blame you for that," Yan Bubu took back the notebook, saying, "Actually, the birthday gift I want most right now is this."

"A drawing?"

"No," Yan Bubu shook his head, "I wish for the rain to stop so you can take me to see the stars. I've almost forgotten what stars look like."

Feng Chen was silent for a moment, then pinched his cheek, "It will happen. The rain will stop, and we will see the stars."

Yan Bubu rubbed his cheek against Feng Chen's palm, "Yes, a sky full of stars. We'll watch them together."

Feng Chen turned to get a raincoat from the cupboard, saying, "I’m heading to the shipyard. I'll be back soon. Remember to write and do your math problems."

"How long will you be gone today?" asked Yan Bubu.

Feng Chen replied, "Half an hour."

"Last time you said half an hour, but it actually took forty-two minutes," Yan Bubu remembered precisely.

Feng Chen asked, "How did you know the time?"

"I asked the uncle in the cafeteria."

Feng Chen said, "Anyway, I'll be back in less than an hour. Don't keep bothering people to ask the time."

"Oh."

Even though Feng Chen’s trips to the shipyard were always less than an hour, Yan Bubu still felt reluctant to part, escorting him to the door and wanting to follow, but Feng Chen stopped him. So, he stood in the hallway until Feng Chen’s figure disappeared before returning to his room.

Remembering Feng Chen's instructions, Yan Bubu took out his writing book and began to write.

"Flower, insect… oh no."

Annoyed at the mistake in his writing, he turned to grab the eraser, only to find it wasn’t beside him but on the bedside table.

Not wanting to move, he stretched out his hand towards the eraser, muttering softly, "Ah woo bang ga ada uxia…"

Then he watched as the eraser flew towards him.

Lately, Yan Bubu felt his magical powers growing stronger and his proficiency in using them increasing.

To fetch something, he no longer needed to get up; just a stretch of his hand and a muttered incantation were enough to make the object fly towards him.

For instance, to drink water, he would extend his hand towards the cup and chant a spell. The water bottle would open its cap and pour water into the cup. When nearly full, the cup would float towards him and settle steadily on the table.

If he wanted a tissue, an entire roll wouldn’t fly over; instead, a segment would tear off by itself and float to him.

Even when drawing, he didn’t need to recite spells. Whichever crayon his eyes settled on would lift itself out of the box and land in his palm.

Now, as he reached for the eraser, it obediently flew towards him.

Yan Bubu watched the eraser, ready to catch it as usual, but at that moment, his vision blurred, and he saw a massive black object in the middle of the room.

This occurrence didn’t surprise him; he often experienced blurry vision lately and would see large black masses, which usually cleared up with a rub of his eyes.

However, after rubbing his eyes this time, to his shock, the vision didn’t improve; the huge black object became even clearer.

...A massive black head, a black body, along with four paws and a tail...

Yan Bubu: !!!

He hadn’t forgotten his encounters with the Kanze lizards. Suddenly feeling a tightness in his scalp and his blood running cold, he froze on the spot.

As the black figure approached, Yan Bubu remained rigid, hand still outstretched, with only his eyes moving.

His gaze traveled down from its long mane to the chilling amber eyes of the beast, and further down to its paws tightly clutching the carpet.

Each claw was sharply curved, resembling the blade of a knife.

Is this a tiger?

No, that can't be right. He had seen tigers before, and they weren't pitch-black, nor did they have such long hair.

This is… this is…

Yan Bubu suddenly remembered an animal show he had seen on television.

This was a lion.

Yan Bubu was no longer sure if he was still breathing, watching the black lion approach him, then open its mouth.

It's going to eat someone!

Finally regaining his senses, Yan Bubu gasped, ready to scream and run, but before he could make a sound, he suddenly felt something in his hand.

The black lion didn't pounce to bite him but instead closed its mouth and lazily lay down beside him.

Trembling, Yan Bubu looked into his palm and found an eraser.

Staring at the eraser for a moment, he then slowly turned his eyes back to the black lion, whispering tentatively, "Lion, lion, lion..."

As soon as he spoke, the black lion, which had been lying lazily on the carpet, suddenly lifted its head and looked at him.

Yan Bubu shuddered at the lion's sudden turn of head, his eyes widening in shock.

But the black lion's eyes were even wider, filled not with ferocity but with the same astonishment, its amber pupils void of any aggression.

As Yan Bubu and the black lion held each other's gaze, realizing it had no intention to bite, he gradually calmed down, his mind racing with thoughts.

He remembered once while writing, he had seen a black shadow, likely this very lion. And then there was that night he wanted water; could it have been this shadow that poured it for him…

Neither the boy nor the lion made any move. It was Yan Bubu who first composed himself, cautiously asking, "Lion, how did you end up in my room?"

The black lion remained silent.

"Can you talk?" Yan Bubu asked.

The black lion shook its large head.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The lion hesitated but eventually nodded.

Yan Bubu thought for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to eat me?"

After asking, he held his breath nervously.

The black lion shook its head again, this time more emphatically, its mane swinging as if about to take flight.

Yan Bubu sighed in relief, "Good, as long as you don't eat me. Don't worry, I won't eat you either."

After saying this, Yan Bubu continued to gaze intently at the black lion, his look gradually becoming peculiar and his eyes starting to gleam.

The brightness in Yan Bubu's eyes was so intense that the black lion seemed reluctant to meet his gaze, quietly shifting its focus away.

Yan Bubu scooted closer to the lion and asked, "Did you escape from a zoo? I've seen tigers escape from a zoo before, but they were fiercer than you, probably not your friend."

The black lion's eyes stayed on a small patch of the carpet, simply shaking its head.

"So, where did you come from? Did you swim here from the sea, like Bino Bino? There was an episode where Bino Bino swam across the sea to find his dad, quite impressive…"

Yan Bubu's hand had already reached the lion's head, gently stroking its fur, "What's your name? Do you have a name?"

The black lion lay down completely, burying its face in its front paws.

Yan Bubu's fear of the black lion had completely vanished, replaced by sheer delight. Fondly stroking its mane, he chattered non-stop, "Oh, you're so handsome, really handsome. Do you have a home? Probably not, right? Why don't you stay with us then? This is my and my brother's home. He's at the shipyard now, but when he comes back, I'll ask him to let you stay, okay?"

Seeing no reaction from the black lion, Yan Bubu moved in front of it, squatting down to continue persuading, "I can share my meat with you every day. If you don't have a name, I'll give you a nice one. If you want a dad, I can be your dad."

The black lion's body suddenly trembled, slowly lifting its paws and flattening its upright ears, covering them.