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Chapter 36

"Beep-"

Somewhere, an instrument emitted a monotonous sound. However, another presence reverberated throughout the room.

"Thump."

The rhythm resembled the beating of a human heart, yet it wasn't authentic, as it filled the entire space, seemingly emanating from speakers hidden in the corners of the four walls.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from the far end of the room. Two humans were walking and conversing, as if documenting something.

After a brief interval, a series of concise dialogues echoed.

" Sector 4 is functioning normally."

" Sector 6 is normal as well."

" Subject 113 has ceased development."

" Continue monitoring."

" Subject 334 is abnormally proliferating. It must be terminated."

" The transplantation of 334 was premature."

"There's nothing we can do. The previous report for intervention wasn't approved, and the higher-ups are determined to use a high birth rate to offset the high anomaly rate."

"The incidence of anomalies in embryos has been escalating over the past two years. This is not a wise decision. Embryos need at least an additional month in the womb to ensure proper development."

"The maternal bloom period is too short. Extending it would compromise the birth rate."

"Why is it so difficult?"

"Stay optimistic. The overall number of children is increasing."

Footsteps faded away, leaving behind only the sound of heartbeats resonating throughout the room. The ambient light was dim and gentle, casting the space as a tranquil nest or a vast hollow organ. That powerful heartbeat seemed like a testament to life itself.

An Zhe slowly withdrew from the pipe, feeling slightly uncomfortable—this place seemed to emit some strange oscillations that affected his body. However, upon seeing the layout of a human room, he regained his sense of up, down, left, and right. He needed to head towards the outer part of the building.

After turning around in the pipes for a while, he found numerous vents that led to square rooms. It appeared to be the time when people were asleep; each room housed one occupant. He couldn't crawl out from under the bed to see, but he could hear breathing, faint and delicate, the breaths of the young ones. The windows were sealed shut, and there were cameras with red lights illuminating the ceiling. He couldn't escape through these rooms.

After a long while, An Zhe finally managed to locate a vent situated on the ceiling of a corridor.

He cautiously emerged from there, sprawling his body flat on the ceiling, using it to navigate the corridor—the cameras were pointed downward and wouldn't capture anything on the ceiling.

Each level of Eden had a similar layout, and he recognized this as a corridor used for miscellaneous tasks. It housed storage for indoor cleaning tools, daily supplies, food, and sundries.

A thrill of excitement stirred within him. According to the pattern, there would be a door at three-quarters of the corridor, leading to a small balcony—used occasionally for drying items and sometimes where staff would smoke.

Soon, An Zhe successfully located the door. He exerted effort to extend his mycelium, seeping through the crack in the door.

The daylight outside revealed that it was already daytime.

However, An Zhe hadn't had the chance to ponder this when his focus shifted entirely.

On the empty terrace, a small, white figure stood atop the concrete railing. It was a girl in a white dress, her back turned to An Zhe as she faced outward, slowly stretching her arms and leaning forward—she was about to fall.

An Zhe materialized into human form. Taking a few steps forward, he grabbed the girl's shoulders, pulling her down from the railing, and placed her gently on the ground. "You..."

The girl turned around.

An Zhe froze.

He had seen her before, just two days ago, when she dashed out of Eden towards the road, only to be stopped by Lu Fen and eventually taken away by Eden's staff. He wouldn't forget her.

Now, she glanced at him with an almost lifeless gaze, devoid of the vibrant spark that shone in the eyes of the children in An Zhe's class. For a moment, An Zhe felt as if the girl was an inanimate doll. He knew that his current appearance wasn't ordinary, clad in a fungal cloak that might resemble a human draped in a bedsheet—yet, normal humans wouldn't venture out dressed like that.

But this girl seemed to see nothing out of the ordinary. She didn't find An Zhe's attire particularly remarkable or his presence sudden. She also didn't seem to recognize him, or perhaps she didn't even remember his existence. After three seconds, she slowly turned back to face forward.

It was early morning outside, the aurora had just faded, and a thick white mist enveloped the dark-gray city, undulating upward like ocean waves toward the gray-blue sky. Half of the view was blocked by a nearby cylindrical magnetic field generator, towering over all other structures, resembling a mountain, a solitary island in the sea fog, or a spiral staircase connecting the heavens and earth. Streetlamps twinkled alongside the dawn stars, but they paled in comparison to this colossal presence.

The girl looked up at the boundless sky. "I didn't want to jump," she said in a tender yet distinct voice. "I wanted to fly."

An Zhe replied, "You'd fall down."

"I know," she responded, her tone strangely detached for someone her age. The morning breeze swept across, lifting her white dress and black hair with an unusual delicacy and softness that was absent in the women and girls outside. Du Sai possessed a similar quality, but this girl's was even more pronounced.

Standing behind her, An Zhe had just protected a human child, at a cost. His presence was now exposed to this girl, putting him in extreme peril. He couldn't afford any slips.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"There are moments when the surveillance goes haywire," the girl explained. "They haven't noticed yet. I came out to see the sky."

"You can watch the sky during free time too," An Zhe pointed out. "What floor and class are you in?"

Determined to fulfill his role as a guardian, he couldn't allow the young one to remain in such a hazardous spot.

She said, "I'm in Eden."

An Zhe responded, "Which floor and class are you on in Eden?"

"I'm not on any specific floor or class," she replied. "Boys are the ones who have those."

An Zhe patiently explained, "There are girls in the classes too."

In his own class, there were plenty of girls, like Jisha — although they dressed similarly to the boys and didn't wear skirts or have shoulder-length hair like this girl.

"These girls aren't real girls," she turned to look at An Zhe. "Only those above the twentieth floor are genuine girls."

An Zhe asked, "Why is that?"

"Don't you know that?" she asked.

An Zhe admitted, "I don't."

Indeed, he knew very little about this human base.

For the first time, a sentiment other than detachment flickered across the girl's face. The corners of her lips curled up, hinting at a subtle smugness. "Then you must not know about the 'Rosaceous Declaration' either."

An Zhe: "What is it?"

The girl turned around and leaned against the railing. The sun was just beginning to rise on the horizon.

"You can't possibly be unaware of bacterial infections?" she asked.

An Zhe: "I'm aware."

He was familiar with the disaster that had wiped out ninety percent of the human population.

"Only those with superior genes survived," she said.

An Zhe: "Mm."

The virulent mutated bacteria were resistant to human treatments. Survival depended solely on one's innate immunity. If someone's genes were strong enough to resist the disease, they would live.

"After that, those who survived found that very few children were being born into the world," she brushed her hair back, pausing for a moment as if gathering her thoughts before continuing, "The girls who made it through the infection, their fertility was compromised. Only a select few had less severe impairments."

An Zhe didn't respond. She scrunched her nose and continued, "Scientists would conduct genetic tests on them. Those with scores below 60 would completely lose that ability, while those above 60 might give birth to normal children. That's when the Rose Petal Declaration came into existence. Since you're a boy, it doesn't concern you."

An Zhe asked, "What is the Declaration?"

"We just recited it," she said. "Do you want to hear it?"

An Zhe replied, "Sure."

With a calm tone, she recited, "Out of twenty-three thousand, three hundred and seventy-one women with a fertility rating of sixty or above in Human Base Four, zero objections were recorded to the following declaration: I voluntarily dedicate myself to the fate of humanity, undergoing genetic experimentation and embracing all forms of assisted reproduction to strive for the continuation of the human race throughout my life."

"That's it," she said. "That's why I'm on the twentieth floor, and you're below. Now you know."

"Thank you," An Zhe said. "But you still shouldn't come to such a dangerous place."

"I won't jump," she assured him. "I come here every week, and so do you, don't you?"

She looked at An Zhe again. "I wanted to see the sky, so I came here. Why did you come?"

An Zhe answered, "I couldn't find my way back."

"I know the way," she said. "I have a secret passage."

An Zhe pondered. "I don't have any clothes to wear either."

"I also know where the laundry room is," she offered.

An Zhe inquired, "Would you be willing to tell me?"

But instead of responding directly, she asked, "Are you a student from the lower levels?"

An Zhe replied, "I'm a teacher."

"Promise me something," her eyes seemed to gleam with a newfound determination as she addressed An Zhe. "Promise me this, and I'll find you some clothes. Then, I'll lead you out through the secret passage."

An Zhe asked, "What is it?"

"Go to the sixth level and look for a boy named Si Nan," she said. "Tell him that I've been injected with a tracking agent and can't go out to play with him anymore." She continued, "Come back here next week at this time and tell me what he says."

An Zhe fell silent.

The girl looked at him and asked, "Can't you do it?"

"I..." An Zhe met her gaze. She blinked, and for the first time, she appeared like a normal child.

In the end, An Zhe said, "I might not be able to."

She replied, "You can find him. He's on the sixth floor."

An Zhe didn't respond.

Seemingly growing anxious, she pushed open the terrace door and said, "I'll go get your clothes."

Before An Zhe could stop her, her white skirt disappeared behind the door.

If the Si Nan she was referring to was the one An Zhe knew, then he was no longer in Eden but at the Lighthouse. However, An Zhe didn't know how she would react if he told her this truth. He understood that human emotions could bring pain.

Thus, he hadn't found the right words to say even when the girl returned, led him through the dim and deserted corridors, and finally stopped in front of a half-opened door hidden among clutter.

"Once you go in, you can get down to the first floor," she pointed at the door and said.

The door was ajar, technically speaking, no longer sealing tightly due to years of neglect and wear. A rusty metal chain still hung from one side, embedded in the wall on the other, allowing only a narrow slit for passage – just wide enough for a child to squeeze through sideways.

An Zhe said, "I'll give it a try."

He approached the door and leaned slightly forward.

It was impossible for an adult to pass through this opening, but he, after all, was a mushroom. Concealed by his clothing, his body briefly transformed into mycelium, freeing him from the constraints of human bones. With ease, he slipped through the gap.

"The way you move is so soft," the girl remarked.

"I have a request as well," An Zhe said. "Could you not mention that I've been here to anyone?"

The girl replied, "If you come back here next week—"

Her voice trails off.

"Lily?" A feminine voice called out.

"You're here again," the voice chided gently.

An Zhe moved aside. He heard Lily say, "I'm sorry, Ma'am."

"The one who found you this time is me," the woman referred to as 'Ma'am' spoke gently. "If it were them, you would've been locked up again."

Lily replied, "I won't let that happen again."

Then came footsteps. It seemed they were leaving. Through the crack, An Zhe saw Lily being led by a lady in a snow-white dress. Their figures faded into the dim corridor.

Lily's words were left unfinished, but he knew what she meant. He had seemingly reached an agreement with her. Next week, he would return and tell her Si Nan's response.

Burdened with thoughts, he looked around. The surroundings were dim, and the damp air hit his face. He vaguely saw peeling walls covered in gray-green mold, and the floor was scattered with powdery debris. It was a narrow and steep stairwell, clearly unused for many years.

Finding the handrail, An Zhe descended step by step. There were no windows, making it even darker than night. This place wasn't much better than the pipelines.

There were 20 steps per floor. As he walked down, counting the levels, a gap about the size of a door appeared on the sixth floor. He slipped out and arrived at a storage room on the sixth level.

Bright lights illuminated him. The clothes Lily gave him were standard Eden staff uniforms, a pristine white shirt—no different from his previous attire. He stepped out and glanced at the clock in the hallway. It was seven o'clock. If he were to go to the training base from Eden for work—he was already late.

So, An Zhe hastened his pace down the stairs towards the exit. The bright red slogan "Human Interests Above All Else" on the white wall in the lobby was particularly striking. Staff in white uniforms moved across the polished floor, and sounds of children echoed from afar. Everything was distinct from the gloomy and winding pipelines. He felt as if he had been reborn.

The glass doors of the hall swung open, and he collided with someone head-on.

An Zhe: "…"

Lu Fen.

Behind Lu Fen was Selan.

He saw Lu Fen's eyes narrow, sensing a hint of danger from this gesture.

Sure enough, Lu Fen's deep voice rumbled, "Why are you here?"

In front of this person, An Zhe's mycelium seemed to be on the verge of erupting.

He shouldn't be in Eden right now; he should be at the training grounds with Colin.

"I…" He looked up at Lu Fen.

Those cold, emerald-green eyes gazed back at him, as if to say, You can start weaving your tale now.

An Zhe said, "… I took the wrong turn."

Indeed, he had gone the wrong way and was utterly lost beneath the city. If not for stumbling upon Eden by chance or locating that terrace in time, he might've remained trapped there, losing his humanity and never being able to escape.

And...

As for that wicked Lu Fen, he would have nothing to do with An Zhe from now on.

Lowering his gaze slightly, An Zhe couldn't help but feel that the colonel wasn't as detestable as before.

Selan spoke gently, "It's time to head to the training base today. Didn't you realize the location has changed?"

An Zhe remained silent. The sun rose beyond the artificial magnetic pole in the distance, casting golden rays of dawn upon the silver buttons of Lu Fen's uniform.

His voice was a bit hoarse, "I'll be late."

Lu Fen didn't respond, nor did he make things difficult for An Zhe. Given how much Lu Fen knew about his intelligence, An Zhe believed Selan's explanation was convincing enough. He shifted to the side, attempting to bypass Lu Fen and leave.

Suddenly, Lu Fen's voice came from beside him, "I'll give you a ride."

Lu Fen drove smoothly and swiftly, at least twice the speed of the shuttle bus. When he pulled up at the entrance of the training base, the dashboard clock read precisely 7:25 AM, leaving a five-minute buffer before the official start of work – no tardiness here.

Nonetheless, as An Zhe alighted from Lu Fen's car, he felt that everyone else heading to the base for work gave him a glance.

It wasn't the first time he was being stared at, so An Zhe approached the card scanner at the gate. One by one, people walked over, swiped their ID cards, and entered the compound.

An Zhe paused – he had noticed something.

Footsteps sounded behind him, and he turned his head to see Lu Fen standing very close behind, raising an eyebrow as he gazed at An Zhe.

An Zhe: "…I forgot my card too."

A soft tut escaped Lu Fen's lips.

With slender fingers, he held up a blue ID card against the sensor, triggering a beep as the gate swung open.

Lu Fen had used his own ID card to let An Zhe through.

Simultaneously, the colonel's voice, laced with subtle disdain, whispered in An Zhe's ear.

"Foolish to the extreme."

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