Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Feng Chen took another look at the real-time map on his wristwatch and decisively jammed the energy pedal, then stood up to pack the luggage.

"Yan Bubu, there are pressure-resistant diving suits in the storage locker, go get them and put them on."

"Okay," Yan Bubu immediately sprang into action.

Heilong joined Feng Chen in packing the items inside the vehicle, while Binunu shouldered its backpack.

As Yan Bubu was putting on his pressure-resistant diving suit, he noticed Binunu standing motionless, staring at him. He said, "You don't need this. You can't want everything you see."

Feng Chen, collecting Lishi stones, added, "That suit is too big for you anyway. I'll make you one that fits later."

Satisfied, Binunu then turned away.

Feng Chen took out an inflatable bag, stuffing it with everything possible from the vehicle. Besides essential Lishi blankets and clothing, he even packed the Lishi stove and kitchenware, filling the bag to the brim.

"Did you pack all your stuff?" Feng Chen asked Yan Bubu, who came over to help.

Yan Bubu nodded, "All packed."

"Sure?"

"Sure," Yan Bubu answered decisively.

Feng Chen, busy with his hands, didn't look at him, "Get the scrolls and homework hidden in the locker. I'll put them in the inflatable bag."

Yan Bubu stiffened for a few seconds, then rummaged in the locker for the scrolls and homework books, handing them over to Feng Chen with an embarrassed smile.

Feng Chen packed everything they could carry. They left the food behind, as there would be plenty of mutant species on the shore to eat.

Both in their diving suits, Feng Chen opened the car door, holding Yan Bubu's hand as they stood at the doorway.

The ice under the vehicle was nearly transparent, turning the entire glacier into an inky blue sea. The vehicle's tracks splashed through the water, making it look as if they were driving on the ocean.

Yan Bubu, led by Feng Chen, felt his heart pounding.

Even though he knew he was safe with Feng Chen by his side, he still felt nervous.

A few minutes later, Feng Chen checked his watch. As the crisp sound of cracking ice rang out and the vehicle suddenly sank, he pushed the inflatable bag into the water, shouted "Jump!" and pulled Yan Bubu into the sea with him.

Despite wearing a pressure-resistant diving suit and having enough oxygen, the moment Yan Bubu was submerged in the icy sea water, he felt suffocated and gasped for air.

He turned to look at their track vehicle, watching it slowly sink to the sea floor, and saw Heilong circling the vehicle, also following it down.

Just as Yan Bubu was about to ask what Heilong was doing, he heard Feng Chen's slightly distorted voice through the communicator, "Binunu is still inside the car."

"Ah! What's it doing in there?"

"Don't know, let's check."

Feng Chen, pulling Yan Bubu, caught up with the vehicle and saw Binunu sitting upright in the driver's seat, its small paws on the steering wheel, calmly sinking with the car.

Yan Bubu hurriedly swam to the window, knocked on it, and shouted at Binunu, "Let’s go, move, don't just sit there."

"It’s not wearing a diving suit; it can't hear you."

"I'll go pull it out." Yan Bubu wanted to swim around to the other side to enter through the door, but Feng Chen stopped him, "No need."

He tapped repeatedly on the driver's side window, and when Binunu looked over, he mouthed the words: "Buy, new, car."

By then, Heilong had already swum into the car and bit Binunu's backpack. Binunu let go of the steering wheel and relaxed, allowing Heilong to pull it out of the car.

Not all of the ice surface had broken, some parts were still intact. Yan Bubu, led by Feng Chen, swam under the ice layer, looking up at the sky through what seemed like frosted glass, blurred and unclear.

"Are you cold?" asked Feng Chen.

Even though the diving suit insulated against the cold, the freshly melted sea water was bone-chillingly cold, and Feng Chen worried that Yan Bubu couldn't handle it.

Yan Bubu replied, "Not cold."

Anyone who lived in extreme cold for years would develop a certain resistance to it.

It took about half an hour to swim to the shore, and during that time, Yan Bubu never stopped talking.

"Brother, imagine if a giant sea monster suddenly emerged from the sea, opened its mouth, and bit at us, would you be scared?... Never mind, don't answer, don't make a sound."

"I feel so bad about our car, just like that, it's gone."

"I read about something called thalassophobia, the psychological pressure from deep, bottomless waters... Do I have it? Ah... I can't look down, I feel dizzy, hold me tighter."

"Look at Binunu swimming in the front all the time, doesn’t it get tired? Maybe it’s also inflatable? Hahaha."

Feng Chen occasionally replied, but mostly he ignored the chatter.

After about ten minutes of swimming, Yan Bubu, running out of breath, panted, "Let Sasaka carry me."

"No," Feng Chen said.

"Why?"

Feng Chen glanced at him, "We haven’t trained for the past few days, consider this physical training."

"...But didn’t you say I need to train in agility and movements?"

"Agility and movements alone aren’t enough, you need to keep up your physical strength."

Yan Bubu continued swimming forward, looked up at the sky, and noticed the rain on the ice had stopped and the sun peeked through the clouds.

Sunlight pierced through the ice layer, illuminating the sea, turning it from inky blue to a clear sky-like blue. Yan Bubu felt as if he was in a vast expanse of blue amber.

"Brother, look."

"Yeah, I see it."

Heilong, with the inflatable bag’s rope in its mouth, swam under Yan Bubu and lifted him up. He lay on his back on Heilong, quietly looking at the sky through the ice, the sea around, and Feng Chen beside him.

Feng Chen’s face under the hood was illuminated by the sea water, every line perfect and flawless.

"Why are you staring at me?" Feng Chen asked without turning his head.

Yan Bubu's voice, slightly distorted through the communicator, said, "Brother, do you know how handsome you are?"

"I know," Feng Chen replied.

Yan Bubu asked, "How do you know that?"

"Because you keep staring at me," Feng Chen said indifferently. "Turn your head back."

"No, not unless you compliment me too."

Feng Chen also turned over to lie down, stretching his hand around Heilong's neck to let it carry him forward, his half-closed eyes resting on Yan Bubu's face.

"Compliment me, come on, do it." Yan Bubu laughed, light dancing on his face and in his eyes like sprinkled golden glitter.

Feng Chen silently withdrew his gaze, looking at the clear blue sky.

"Not bad, you have a nose and eyes."

Although Feng Chen only said "not bad," Yan Bubu knew that for Feng Chen, this was high praise, and he burst into a bigger smile.

Binunu, unnoticed, had also swum up beside Feng Chen, its dark eyes quietly watching him.

"You’re not bad either, you have a nose and eyes," Feng Chen added.

Binunu, satisfied, swam ahead.

Although everyone had fallen into the sea and even lost their vehicle, there was little sadness or despair. They continued to talk and laugh as usual, and half an hour later, they swam ashore.

Calling it ashore was a bit of a stretch, as the water was waist-deep. The perennial snow had finally melted, forming rivers that flowed into the sea.

"Hold on tight, don't get swept away by the water." The current was strong, and Feng Chen led Yan Bubu forward with difficulty.

The temperature was now 19°C, and they had both removed the hoods of their diving suits. Heilong, carrying the inflatable bag filled with items, followed behind, with Binunu sitting atop its massive head.

After walking for a while, they saw several continuous mountains. The mountains lacked any greenery, only showing cold, hard black rocks.

"Let's go up the mountain and find a place to rest."

The slope wasn't steep, and the two easily climbed up the rocks, quickly finding a flat spot to rest.

Yan Bubu took off his bulky diving suit, enjoying the warm sunshine on his body, breathing in the moist air that now had a hint of warmth.

"So this is what it feels like to have the sun on your face..."

Feng Chen stuffed their diving suits into the inflatable bag, looking at his wristwatch, "According to our original route, we would have reached the central city in a week. Now, without the car and needing to detour, it will take twice as long."

"It's so comfortable, twice as long is fine..." Yan Bubu sprawled out on the rocks, eyes closed, basking in the sun.

Feng Chen glanced at him for a moment, then lay down as well, closing his eyes.

"Brother, will the weather keep getting hotter, turning back to how it was before?" Yan Bubu reached for Feng Chen's hand, scratching the back of it.

Feng Chen clasped his hand in response, "I don't know."

"What if it does get hotter?"

Feng Chen nonchalantly said, "We’ll figure something out. Like digging a hole to stay in temporarily, sleeping during the day, coming out at night for food. The extreme heat won’t last long, just endure it for a year or half."

"Just a year and a half," Yan Bubu muttered, lost in thought about that scenario, and suddenly burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Feng Chen asked.

Yan Bubu replied, "That way, I feel like we are like moles."

"Have you ever seen a mole?" Feng Chen asked, resting his hand on his forehead, his tone relaxed.

"I've seen them on TV," Yan Bubu bit his lower lip with his front teeth, "Look, like this."

Feng Chen turned to look at him, "That's a mouse."

Yan Bubu was confused, "A mouse? Bunu, what does a mole look like?"

Bunu, sprawled on the Black Lion's back sunbathing, turned its head, squinting at Yan Bubu and stretching its mouth.

"Oh, I see now," Yan Bubu said.

After everyone had enough sun, they got up to continue their journey. Feng Chen caught Yan Bubu, who was lazily drooping, "Stand up straight. The sooner we get to the central city, the better. Let's avoid being moles if we can."

The air was let out of the inflatable bags, turning them into luggage bags. The Black Lion shouldered the bags again. Although they were large and heavy with many items, the weight was negligible for it.

"First, we'll cross this mountain. Bi Nunu will scout ahead, and Sa Sa will carry the luggage..."

For the following week, Yan Bubu and Feng Chen traveled by day and sought shelter for the night.

The vitality of plants is always the strongest. With the warming temperatures in just a few days, the once barren ridges were dotted with green, like unintentional strokes of paint on a canvas.

By the eighth day, that green spread wildly, splashing the entire canvas with a thick, lush green as far as the eye could see.

The animals, no longer hibernating, began to emerge from their dens.

After enduring a nine-year harsh winter, the surviving animals were mostly mutated species, which made hunting easier for the Black Lion.

The Black Lion would bring back these mutated species he caught. Feng Chen would then cook them in a small Lishi stove. The meat of a mutated type of Ushan Sparrow was particularly delicious. Yan Bubu loved it, so the Black Lion stopped catching other species and focused on the Ushan Sparrows.

In the afternoon, as the sun was about to set, Feng Chen prepared a cave with blankets. When the Black Lion returned with the caught Ushan Sparrows, they would start making a fire and cooking.

"Brother, do you want a massage?" Yan Bubu asked.

Feng Chen, leaning against a rock and resting with his eyes closed, replied without opening them, "Tie my hair up again."

Feng Chen's hair tie had loosened, and his hair fell around his cheeks. Yan Bubu knelt behind him and retied his hair.

"I want to go play nearby," Yan Bubu started to make a request.

Feng Chen lifted his eyelids to glance at him, "Don't go too far, be safe, and take Bi Nunu with you."

"Got it." Yan Bubu turned excitedly to poke the resting Bi Nunu, "Let's go and explore."

Bi Nunu stood up and headed out of the cave, with Yan Bubu following close behind.

Although the hillside lacked tall trees, it was covered with green grass and interspersed with some unknown small flowers.

Both Yan Bubu and Bi Nunu were thrilled to see these flowers, squatting down to examine each one closely.

"I've seen these flowers in a book; they're edible," Yan Bubu said, gently touching a petal. "Should we pick them to eat?"

Bi Nunu shook its head.

Yan Bubu laughed, "I also think we shouldn't eat them. They look so beautiful here. Come, touch them too."

Bino placed his small paw on the petal, but he didn't anticipate the flower's fragility, and it snapped with a crack.

Seeing Bino stiffen, Yan Bubu said, "It's okay, it's already broken, I'll just eat it."

He picked up the flower, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed a few times, and said, "Not tasty."

Bino turned around and spotted something in the bushes, staring intently. Yan Bubu moved closer and saw two mushroom-like things growing in the bushes.

"These are mushrooms! I've seen live mushrooms!" Yan Bubu exclaimed excitedly, "Bino, these are mushrooms. I ate them as a child, I still remember the taste, they are delicious and savory when stewed with meat."

He picked the two mushrooms and found more ahead, big and small, crowded together like clusters of colorful little umbrellas.

"So many mushrooms, I’ll pick them all for brother to cook, they'll be perfect for stewing with mountain quail soup..."

Bino helped too, and soon they had picked all the mushrooms, which Yan Bubu carried in the hem of his sweater, preparing to return to the cave.

Playing with the mushrooms, he saw the smallest one, the size of a fingernail, very pretty in bright red.

"Bino, look at this, isn't it pretty?" Yan Bubu picked up the mushroom and swallowed, "This one is so small, I'll taste it first."

Under Bino's watchful eye, Yan Bubu bit the cap of the small mushroom and chewed slowly.

"Maybe because it's uncooked, the taste is a bit strange, but there's a fresh aroma... I don't want to eat the stem though... Let's go, back home."

As Yan Bubu continued back, he only walked a few steps before feeling the scenery before him start to sway and the ground under his feet felt like cotton, making him unsteady.

"Is it an earthquake? Is this an...earth...quake? No, there's no earthquake..."

Yan Bubu heard his own voice elongate, and the air in front of him warped strangely, with colorful ribbons floating around.

"What is this... so many bubbles, like soap bubbles..."

He saw Bino flying up, hovering in front of him, splitting into seven or eight duplicates, each Bino's head adorned with fresh flowers, holding hands in a circle.

"Bino, you look like a big flower... Hahaha, so many of you, fly, fly fast..."

Bino glared at Yan Bubu, who was lying on the ground talking nonsense, his angry expression gradually giving way to one of shocked uncertainty.

Crouching down, Bino nudged Yan Bubu, who burst into laughter: "I'm flying too, with so many Binos, let's fly together... I'll fly to find brother, and take him with us..."

Bino watched Yan Bubu for a while, growing increasingly panicky. He ran back, then, worried about leaving Yan Bubu alone, returned, standing beside him, at a loss.

Yan Bubu twirled his fingers in the air as if picking flowers: "This one for brother, this for Bino, this for Sasaki..."

Watching Yan Bubu, Bino seemed to realize something, his panic replaced by a look of struggle, as if wrestling with a thought.

"Pick another for brother, to put in his hair..."

Moments later, Bino, as if resolved, took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Yan Bubu, lying on the ground, suddenly stopped laughing. His eyes fixed on the sky, his back arched, hands spasmodically clutching the ground.

His bright pupils suddenly lost their luster, turning an intense black, quickly spreading across his eyes. His porcelain skin also turned a bluish hue, with web-like veins rapidly surfacing.

In just a few seconds, Bino opened his eyes. Simultaneously, the blackness in Yan Bubu's pupils receded like a tide, and the greyish web vanished into his skin.

"Hey, little umbrellas, umbrellas everywhere..." Yan Bubu resumed his silly laughter.

Bino kept watching Yan Bubu, now understanding that he was not seriously harmed, his expression calming down.