Chapter 136

Chapter 136

After paying the stall owner, the trio boarded a bus back to the checkpoint. Before they reached the inspection point, they heard continuous gunfire.

"What's happening?" Without stopping, they moved to the front of the bus to look, with Binu also following and standing beside Yan Bubu.

There were no panicked pedestrians running or crying on the streets, and Chen Wenchao said, "Don't panic, it doesn't seem like anything serious."

A few minutes later, they got off the bus and ran towards the sound of gunfire, seeing a group of soldiers gathered at the checkpoint's left side, shooting downwards. The Jujin metal net in front of them was lifted, revealing a machine making a rumbling noise.

Binu, hearing zombies howling amidst the gunfire, was about to leap forward but was held back by Yan Bubu, "Don’t bother with them; you’re wearing such a pretty hairpin, no need to stoop to their level."

They watched for a while, assuring themselves that it wasn’t a zombie attack, and then confidently proceeded to the checkpoint.

As Yan Bubu scanned his identity chip, a soldier nearby shouted, "It's okay, go ahead. A pillar fell down here; the military is welding it back in place."

Chen Wenchao also yelled, "How did it fall?"

"Don't know, seven or eight pillars have fallen in the last few days, all broken cleanly at the base. Can’t find the cause yet, probably the zombies did it."

Reaching the second floor, with no bus route to the academy or welfare institute, the trio and their quantum beast had to walk back slowly.

Binu, wearing its new hairpin, stopped to admire its reflection whenever they passed a reflective surface, like smooth stones or tiles.

Although it couldn't see its body and only the floating hairpin in the reflection, it didn't diminish its joy.

Yan Bubu kept taking the necklace box out of his pocket, opening it to take a quick look, and then closing it with glee.

Not content with just that, he would run about ten meters ahead, place the box on the ground, then stroll back, pretending to discover it and exclaim in surprise, "Oh, look over there, what's that?"

"I don't know, could it be a treasure?" Wang Suizi played along.

Yan Bubu would pick up the box, open it, and both would dramatically cover their mouths, "So beautiful, oh my, wow, we found something amazing, it's definitely a treasure..."

Chen Wenchao, unusually tolerant of their childish antics, walked with a preoccupied mind. As Yan Bubu opened the box again, marveling with Wang Suizi, he looked at the necklace and said, "Something about this just doesn’t feel right."

"What's wrong with it?" Yan Bubu quickly tucked the box back into his pocket, defensively, "You said it yourself, if he could engrave it, you'd add two hundred credit points. You can't back out now, even if you wanted to."

"I'm not reneging on the credit points," Chen Wenchao replied.

Reassured by his response, Yan Bubu took out the necklace again for a closer look, "Then what feels off to you? Is there something wrong with the engraving?"

"The engraving is fine. It's just that beetle capable of softening Jujin metal that’s unbelievable," Chen Wenchao stopped walking, "I'm thinking about what that soldier said earlier, about the Jujin metal pillars breaking off mysteriously in the last few days, with no apparent cause."

Yan Bubu paused, realizing, "You mean... right, if there were many of those beetles, they could soften the joints of the Jujin metal pillars, allowing the zombies to break them."

Wang Suizi also caught on, shivering, "They said they couldn’t find the cause, right? Maybe it really was those beetles breaking them."

"Whether it is or not, we need to report this to the academy," Chen Wenchao hesitated, "But then we can't hide the fact that we skipped class."

"What’s the punishment for skipping class?" Yan Bubu asked.

Wang Suizi said, "The instructor will make us run ten kilometers with weights."

"Let's just run then, but we mustn't let my brother find out," Yan Bubu declared.

Wang Suizi: "Are you afraid your brother will beat you? I don't think he will. After all, you're going to buy him a gift. How could he possibly hit you?"

"No, it's not that. If he finds out about this necklace, wouldn't it ruin the surprise for his birthday?"

Wang Suizi: "That's true, we can't let him find out about this necklace."

The bell for the last class rang, and Feng Chen packed up his books and walked out, but didn't see Yan Bubu waiting at the classroom door.

He went down the stairs and saw students from the guide class leaving their classroom, so he stood aside on the staircase and waited quietly. However, even after all the students from guide class three had left, he still didn't see anyone, not even Wang Suizi or Chen Wenchao.

The last to leave the classroom was the instructor of class three, who recognized Feng Chen and asked, "Looking for Yan Bubu? He's not here; he should be in the dean's office."

"In the dean's office?" Feng Chen's expression tightened slightly. "Did something happen to him?"

Instructor: "No, no, don't worry. He and two other students found some issues on the first floor and came to report to me. But it's a serious matter, and the dean called them over after hearing about it."

The instructor's explanation was vague, but Feng Chen, knowing that Yan Bubu was safe, calmed down.

"Thank you, instructor. I'll go check at the dean's office." Feng Chen thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you know why he went to the first floor?"

After hearing this, the instructor's expression turned odd. He picked up his water cup, took a sip, and mumbled, "Well... Ah... There, you'll know once you get there."

Feng Chen didn't press further, quickly descended the stairs, crossed the playground, and ran towards the building where the dean's office was located.

He reached the third floor and hurried towards the dean's office, bumping into a sentinel student coming from the opposite direction.

This sentinel student seemed to have just come out of the dean's office and looked somewhat familiar, probably a student from the class next door. Feng Chen quickly apologized and was about to move on when the student said, "Feng Chen, you're Feng Chen, right? Happy early birthday."

Feng Chen paused, hesitated for a few seconds, and then replied, "Thank you."

The student smiled at him and then turned to go downstairs.

Several sentinel soldiers in formal military uniforms were stationed at the entrance of the dean's office. Although Feng Chen didn't know what Yan Bubu had discovered, the involvement of the military suggested it was something significant.

The soldiers stopped Feng Chen: "Cadet, the military is handling an important matter, and entry is currently not permitted."

Feng Chen replied, "I am the brother of the person being questioned inside."

"Oh, you're his brother..." The soldiers' expressions relaxed, no longer as stern as before, "He'll be out soon; you can wait here."

Knowing the military's protocols, Feng Chen didn't insist further and simply stood on the balcony waiting.

Facing the playground outside the balcony, he could sense the soldiers eyeing him and exchanging glances.

Although their attitude wasn't hostile, like the instructor, they had a certain oddness about them, which only deepened his confusion.

It was very quiet around, and the sound of conversation from inside the dean's office drifted out. Feng Chen listened discreetly.

"Let me see that necklace," a stranger's voice said. "There were too many people earlier; I didn't get a good look."

"I want to see it too," said another voice.

A moment of silence followed, evidently as the people inside took turns examining the necklace. Then someone spoke: "Thank you for reporting this important information to the military. We'll check on it immediately. As for this necklace, since it's made of Gigantum metal, we need to take it with us."

"That's not possible, it's a birthday gift I'm giving to my brother. You can't take it," Yan Bubu's voice suddenly rose, causing Feng Chen to subtly shift his feet.

"It's a military regulation; private trading or circulation of Gigantum metal is not allowed," the person stated.

Yan Bubu argued, "But I've already told you, right? You all know about it now, so it's not a private transaction."

"Public trading isn't allowed either."

After a few seconds of silence inside the room, Feng Chen heard Yan Bubu firmly utter two words: "Not giving."

Kong Siyin's voice emerged: "Children, you know, when they find something pretty, they want to give it to someone they like, without caring what material it's made of. However, their alertness is commendable; even a mere ornament didn't escape their notice, and they reported it promptly to the military. I think, in some cases, exceptions can be made..."

"...Since Dean Kong has spoken thus, let's forget about the necklace... consider it a reward from the military, but remember not to privately hoard Gigantum metal items in the future."

Yan Bubu joyfully replied, "Yes."

Footsteps echoed inside, and the door opened. More than ten military officers, from both the Eastern and Western Alliances, filed out.

Feng Chen stepped aside to make way, and after the officers passed, Kong Siyin paused next to him, appearing hesitant to speak.

Feng Chen didn't know what he was going to say and remained inwardly alert. After a moment, Kong Siyin simply stated, "The beauty of writing lies in its subtlety. Being too direct can ruin that beauty, and have the opposite effect." With a nod, he then followed the group of officers downstairs.

Feng Chen: "......"

Feng Chen didn't understand the meaning behind his words, but sensed it related to the necklace. Before he could ponder further, he saw Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi exiting the room, followed by Yan Bubu.

"Brother!" Yan Bubu ran over happily, instinctively reaching to hug Feng Chen's waist.

Feng Chen pried his hands off: "Stand up straight." Then he asked, "What exactly happened? And what's this about a necklace?"

The other two remained silent, while Yan Bubu stammered, "It's nothing serious. The necklace... it's Chen Wenchao's."

Chen Wenchao stared at his own toes and coughed softly.

As they walked downstairs together, Yan Bubu explained the situation to Feng Chen, omitting that the necklace was intended as a birthday gift for him and claiming it was purchased by Chen Wenchao.

"You saw a green beetle?" Feng Chen inquired.

"I didn't see it; Chen Wenchao did. And it was the same kind I saw last time at the mine," Yan Bubu responded.

After listening, Feng Chen slightly frowned and advised the three, "Uncontrollable incidents often occur on the first floor. If you plan to go there for anything in the future, you can invite me to join you."

"Okay."

"Understood, thank you, brother."

Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi responded.

It was dinner time now, so the four headed towards the cafeteria. Before reaching the entrance, they encountered Zhao Cui, who was making faces and signaling with her eyes.

Yan Bubu and the others were perplexed, but Feng Chen, without showing any reaction, glanced behind and saw the instructor approaching. He whispered urgently, "Run."

"Run?" Wang Suizi and Chen Wenchao were confused by the command, pausing for a moment. Only Yan Bubu, obeying without hesitation, dashed towards the left and disappeared into the bushes like a rabbit.

"Yan Bubu, Wang Suizi, Chen Wenchao," the stern voice of the instructor called out from behind.

Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi stiffened and slowly turned around.

"You left the school this afternoon without permission, which will be treated as skipping classes. Now go change into combat gear; ten kilometers with weight, starting in five minutes." The instructor looked around, "Where's Yan Bubu? Wasn't he just here?"

Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi shook their heads in unison, and Zhao Cui also added, "Instructor, you're mistaken; I didn't see Yan Bubu."

The instructor glanced at Feng Chen and said, "Fine, then you two go now. No dinner until you finish the run."

10 p.m.

Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi slumped on the sofa at Yan Bubu's home, listening to the sizzling sounds from the kitchen.

"Lucky you got us food, or we'd be starving tonight," Wang Suizi said weakly.

Yan Bubu sat on a small stool in front of the sofa, massaging their legs: "Didn't my brother tell you to run? Only I ran, while you two didn't move an inch."

Chen Wenchao leaned back on the sofa with his eyes closed: "We're normal people; anyone would need a moment to process when told to run suddenly."

"Are you implying I'm not normal?" Yan Bubu hit him on the knee, causing Chen Wenchao's leg to jerk, "Go easy... I was praising you, praising you for listening to your brother."

Feng Chen brought out two bowls of hot food and placed them on the coffee table: "Eat."

Chen Wenchao and Wang Suizi sat up straight in surprise, noticing Feng Chen watching Yan Bubu massage their legs. They quickly brushed his hands away, saying, "Thank you, brother."

"You guys eat; I'm going upstairs," Feng Chen said naturally.

"Okay."

After dinner, Wang Suizi and Chen Wenchao left. Yan Bubu returned to his bedroom upstairs and flopped heavily onto his bed.

Feng Chen, having finished his shower, walked out of the bathroom, drying his wet hair, and said, "Go take a shower, don't fall asleep first."

Yan Bubu murmured an acknowledgment with his eyes still closed.

Feng Chen lightly kicked Yan Bubu's leg hanging off the bed, "Did you hear me? You've been running around all day. Don't go to bed without changing; go take a shower."

"Okay." Yan Bubu then got up and walked towards the bathroom. As he passed by Feng Chen, he noticed his pajamas were unbuttoned, revealing a firm chest. Yan Bubu reached out to touch it before staggering into the bathroom.

"Throw your dirty clothes out. I'll take them downstairs to wash," Feng Chen said, then added, "And don't open the door fully. Just toss them through the gap."

"Alright."

Feng Chen finished drying his hair and was about to take out clothes for them to wear the next day from the closet when he heard Yan Bubu shout from the bathroom, "I'm throwing out the clothes now."

"Okay."

Feng Chen turned around to see the bathroom door wide open, with Yan Bubu's bare upper body peeking from behind it, laughing loudly, "Haha, I actually opened the door."

Then he slammed it shut: "I closed it."

And opened it again: "Now I've opened it completely."

"Aren't you bored?" Feng Chen asked calmly.

Yan Bubu, his lower half hidden behind the door, replied gleefully, "Not bored at all, haha... to embarrass you."

"Embarrassed? Me? Don't you feel embarrassed?" Feng Chen inquired.

"Not at all."

Feng Chen, with a stern face, picked up the dirty clothes from the floor and headed downstairs. At the stair's corner, he heard Yan Bubu still laughing playfully and paused, shaking his head in a mix of amusement and resignation.

There was no bathroom downstairs, so he took the basin of dirty clothes to the kitchen to wash. As he sat on the sofa watching TV, Binunu, who was draped over the armrest in its floral skirt, tossed it into the basin he was holding.

"Got dirty too?" Feng Chen asked it, "Did you go to the first floor today as well?"

Binunu nodded and brought its head close to his eyes for inspection.

"A new hair clip, huh? Nice, it matches your skin tone and stands out at first glance," Feng Chen commented, touching the hair clip on its head.

Binunu then gestured for Heishi, the black lion lying on the sofa, to come over, and it slowly got up and approached.

Seeing the hair clip on Heishi's left ear, Feng Chen's expression froze for a moment before he nodded approvingly, "That's nice too, complements your fur color, making it look glossy and dark."

After sending away the two satisfied quantum beasts, Feng Chen carried the basin to the kitchen. While sorting through Yan Bubu's military uniform pockets, he suddenly felt a small square box.

He took out the box and weighed it in his hand, then casually opened the lid.

Inside, nestled on a piece of dark blue velvet, was a black thin leather cord with a diamond-shaped dark metal block attached to the end.

It was a necklace.

He lifted the necklace up, and the pendant swayed gently before his eyes, revealing the engraved letters on it.

Feng Chen watched the pendant expressionlessly for a moment, then placed it back in the box, covered it, and set it on the side table. He started to fill the basin with water and added laundry detergent.

He began scrubbing a piece of clothing and then suddenly stopped halfway, letting out a soft chuckle.

As Feng Chen was nearly done washing, footsteps thudded down the stairs. Yan Bubu rushed to the kitchen doorway, anxiously asking, "Brother, have you seen my necklace—the necklace box from Chen Wenchao?"

Feng Chen, without looking up, responded, "That was a necklace box? I thought it was some empty, unwanted box and just casually put it on the counter."

Yan Bubu hurried over, picked up the box, and asked tentatively, "You didn't open it, did you?"

"I told you I thought it was empty. Why would I open it?"

"Really?"

"So secretive? Now I'm curious. Show it to me," Feng Chen said, extending his wet hand.

Yan Bubu studied his expression, seeing his face frank and seemingly honest, and quietly breathed a sigh of relief.