Chapter 106

Chapter 106

In the dim cell, Yi Ye turned around and gazed at the damp, mold-covered wall.

A calendar hung on the wall, torn at some point in time. The date should have stayed on the day the last prisoner died, but it didn’t; it stopped on July 1st.

—Today, right after midnight.

His eyes started to sting.

Yi Ye blinked away the moisture in his eyes, his breath shaky as he slowly extended his hand.

Behind the calendar, a small, vibrant puzzle piece was attached.

It was the elder’s parting gift to him, but on the surface of the puzzle piece, there was a small label with clumsy and cramped handwriting, enough to imagine the uncomfortable position the elder was in when he wrote these words.

But as soon as Yi Ye saw it, tears streamed down.

He said:

"The puzzle is complete, congratulations, you've won."

Tears fell in the silent prison, but at this moment, it was filled with a deeper warmth and tenderness than ever. They say the night before dawn is the longest and coldest, but Yi Ye found a match that would never burn out.

The match told him: Don’t worry, the night is almost over, and we will soon welcome the light.

So he stopped feeling the cold.

This night was warmer than any before.

...

During his five days in the Imperial Prison, Judge Ai Linya barred anyone from visiting Yi Ye, including Bai Chuan. The only people he could see were the prison guards and, occasionally, Ai Linya, who came to deliver things.

Although the Chief Justice’s temper was hard to predict, always seeming ready to arrest you under Imperial law, Yi Ye discovered that this man was inherently kind. In their few brief interactions, their relationship, though not intimate, became much more harmonious.

Yi Ye sometimes casually slung an arm around his shoulder, only to be met with a quick, disdainful glare from Judge Ai Linya, who would then meticulously wipe his shoulder with disinfectant wipes in front of him.

The process of assuming the Twelve Seats was nearly complete. On the fifth day in prison, Yi Ye lazily crossed his legs and signed off on the last document, then leaned back on the pillow.

"Mr. Ai Linya, can I leave today?"

"Yes." Taking back the documents, "Don’t rush to leave the main planet after leaving the prison; there are many meetings you need to attend. Regarding the handling of Dr. Anderson’s resources and the Mechanical Engineering Department, as well as the evaluation of your own abilities, including how to handle your identity at the Imperial Honor Military Academy in the future... a total of thirty-six meetings are waiting for you."

Yi Ye covered his face in distress: "How can there be so many meetings? Is your daily routine in the Senate just meetings?"

"A daily routine meeting is basic, in addition to a national affairs meeting every three days, a joint military and political discussion every five days, and—"

"Stop, stop, stop! Too much, can I get myself an assistant?"

"Yes."

"But the assistant can only be chosen from within the Senate. Apart from the twelve members of the Round Table, there are over a thousand councilors in the Senate; you can choose your assistant from among them."

"..."

This directly shattered his idea of choosing Bai Chuan as his assistant! Yi Ye could already imagine the tragic scene of himself falling asleep in one meeting after another...

After confirming that the signed documents were correct, Ai Linya packed them up and glanced at his watch: "Alright, you can leave now. The prison gate is currently surrounded by reporters, remember to go out the back door, or if you want to experience the feeling of being turned into a sieve by thousands of microphones, you can go out the front door."

Yi Ye chuckled, "Your sense of humor is something else. I’ll head out now."

...

Following the prison guard out through the back door, the fresh air hit him instantly.

As the prison guard walked away, Yi Ye stood alone at the door. He spread his arms, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. The air carried the scent of dew and flowers, along with the warm smell of freshly baked bread from a nearby house, wrapped in a layer of sugary sweetness... It was the first time since he got to the stars that he found the smell of bread so precious.

After taking one last deep breath, Yi Ye opened his eyes contentedly.

A figure in white came into view.

Yi Ye froze in place.

Ten meters away, Bai Chuan looked disheveled, as if he hadn’t taken care of himself for several days. His beautiful golden hair was messy and fluffy, with faint dark circles under his eyes.

Shaking off his surprise, Yi Ye smiled and waved, "Xiao Bai, look, I’m alive and out—"

Thud!

Before he could finish, he was abruptly pulled into a tight embrace, followed by hot tears soaking his shoulder. Bai Chuan’s body was cold, trembling uncontrollably, as if he was about to fall apart.

Due to their height difference, Yi Ye had to look up. He looked confused. He reached out awkwardly, hesitating before patting Bai Chuan’s back gently, once, then again.

"The first time we met, you were crying and hugging me too, even biting my shoulder like a little puppy. Now you’re a big dog, huh?"

"Stop joking around," Bai Chuan’s grip was so tight it felt like he was trying to merge Yi Ye into his own body, his voice was so hoarse it was barely audible. "I waited for you all night at the palace and then here for hours."

Yi Ye felt deeply apologetic, "I’m really sorry, Xiao Bai..."

"I don’t need your apology," Bai Chuan said hoarsely, "I just..."

He just wanted Yi Ye to always take him along, even if it meant going to prison together, or even dying together. But this person always instinctively chose to face danger alone, leaving him with nothing but trust.

During the days Yi Ye was locked up, Bai Chuan sat in an empty room, feeling like the world had lost all meaning. There were many things he could do and many goals he wanted to achieve, but at that moment, they all felt pointless.

In such a chaotic world, without Yi Ye, what was left for him to hold onto?

But Bai Chuan couldn’t express these overwhelming emotions to Yi Ye. He looked into Yi Ye’s eyes, caressed his cheek, and all the words he wanted to say came out as a dry whisper:

"I just missed you so much."

I can’t even describe how much I’ve missed you, down to my soul.

Hearing this, Yi Ye gave a soft smile, touching Bai Chuan’s face, but only seeing it as a younger brother missing his older brother.

"I missed you too, Xiao Bai."

"It’s not the same at all."

"Why isn’t it the same?"

"I..."

Bai Chuan only said one word, instinctively tightening his grip on Yi Ye’s hand.

"I was so worried about you."

"Don’t worry, I’m safe and sound now, aren’t I?" Yi Ye said with a grin.

"Look at you, your hair's a mess," he muttered softly. "What kind of hero looks as messy as you?"

Bai Chuan remained silent, sniffing the scent on his body.

He had showered before coming home, but he rushed over without taking the time to clean up properly. Feeling embarrassed, he lowered his head, "...Do you think I'm dirty?"

"I didn't say that! Don't accuse me!"

"..."

"Should we go back and shower?"

"..." Bai Chuan looked at him, about to speak.

Yi Ye recalled some unpleasant memories and quickly explained, "Not together! Separate showers!"

Bai Chuan's mouth twitched slightly.

On the way home, the brothers caught up on the past few days. Yi Ye got the gist of the public's reaction to him and Anderson after the broadcast. Mostly positive, though some speculated he had a mastermind. They also dug up his past, shocked to find he, a Beta, had ties with top Alphas, and spread rumors he rose by his looks.

Yi Ye wasn't mad; he just nodded thoughtfully, stroking his chin. Bai Chuan expected something profound, but the next moment Yi Ye agreed, "Good taste, they said I'm handsome."

Bai Chuan: "..."

Bai Chuan: "Sure."

*

Back home, Yi Ye cleaned up and changed, then gathered all the puzzle pieces.

The completed puzzle was an abstract bouquet of yellow daffodils. But it was so abstract, Yi Ye wouldn't have recognized it as a flower without Bai Chuan's help.

It was really ugly.

He grabbed Little Orange and stuffed the puzzle pieces in, but nothing happened on the screen.

"Is it broken?" Yi Ye asked.

Bai Chuan thought for a moment, "Let's try next door."

They hadn't been to Dr. Anderson's as guests.

After Anderson's conviction, his house was under surveillance. Judge Ai Linya told him he was lucky not to have broken in, or he'd have been arrested.

But after the trial, the surveillance system here had been completely dismantled.

Little Orange was thrilled to be back, making noise as soon as he entered. Bai Chuan climbed in through the window first, then turned to help Yi Ye down.

The house was filled with traces of mecha production and research, with nothing else unusual. Yi Ye searched around, came out of the study, and thought of taking a look in the bedroom, but found Bai Chuan standing in front of an empty picture frame.

Yi Ye walked over and only noticed upon closer inspection that the material of the frame was the same as the puzzle pieces.

"Put the puzzle here."

Yi Ye: "Okay."

The puzzle pieces were quickly placed, and when the last piece was complete, a click sounded. Immediately, the two felt the ground begin to tremble slightly, exchanged glances, and quickly turned towards the source of the sound.

On the floor beside the bed in the bedroom, a hidden door leading underground suddenly appeared.

Yi Ye exclaimed, "Wow, Xiao Bai, I feel like I'm on an adventure!"

"Yi Ye's Miraculous Adventure."

Bai Chuan had even come up with a name for it.

"Ha ha ha!"

Before he could finish laughing, Bai Chuan had already gone ahead to scout the path, and Yi Ye quickly followed with Little Orange.

As they went down the stairs, futuristic blue lights flickered on, instantly lighting up the expansive underground space. The walls around them were a gleaming pearly white, with blue light beams crisscrossing overhead. Quantum computers and various high-tech equipment were neatly arranged on research tables, humming softly as they operated.

Several cool, four-to-five-meter-tall miniature mecha stood inside transparent cylindrical chambers, all in a stealthy white design, reflecting the unique luster of special metal materials under the intelligent lighting system.

Underneath the small, rundown house, there was actually such a breathtaking world hidden. Yi Ye touched the tabletop, a mix of emotions welling up inside him.

"Welcome back, Dr. Anderson."

Suddenly, a graceful female voice came from the terminal system above.

"It has been 279 hours and 12 minutes since we last met. How have you been during this time?"

Yi Ye and Bai Chuan both fell silent, only Little Orange continued to bark happily.

"The puzzle piece was the key to the basement... Was Anderson's final purpose to bring me here? But I don't understand."

"I think it's because of this."

Bai Chuan looked at a key on the table with a label that read "For Yi Ye Langley." He handed the key to Yi Ye, then turned towards the far end of the underground lab. In the futuristic space, only there was a door that could be opened with the key.

"Brother, let's check it out."

Yi Ye grasped the key and nodded to Bai Chuan.

With Bai Chuan watching, he walked step by step to the door and used the key to open the final place Dr. Anderson had guided him to.

With a click, the door slowly opened.

The room was clean, with no decorations on the four walls, only a cozy chair. Yi Ye instantly recognized it—this was the place from Anderson's video.

That chair was where he had once sat, but now it held a mechanical flower bouquet and a diary.

Yi Ye walked over and picked up the flowers and the diary. At the same time, the graceful voice from above spoke again:

"Face recognized, triggering the system's underlying program. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Yi Ye Langley."

Yi Ye was slightly stunned: "He always knew I'd come here... So these flowers and the diary, were they also left for me?"

"Yes."

"He believed that only mechanical flowers could be eternal and discussed with me which flower would be more suitable as a blessing. After 49 trials, Dr. Anderson and I both agreed on the daffodil design. Daffodils have multiple meanings in the empire, one of which symbolizes rebirth and vitality, which is the blessing he left for you."

"As for the diary, I cannot understand why humans enjoy writing diaries, but I believe this is the best way for you to understand Dr. Anderson."

"He planned for everything," Yi Ye said, both amused and touched.

"Dr. Anderson has always been a thorough and wise man. Well, the time is now yours. Dr. Anderson instructed me not to disturb the atmosphere while you read the diary."

With a beep, the system fell silent.

Yi Ye sat down on the chair, cradling the heavy bouquet, and opened the diary.

Each page was brief, documenting the mundane and concise daily life of a scientist—new ideas that emerged, meetings attended, and the absurd and foolish remarks made by certain individuals during those meetings... Such everyday occurrences were haphazardly recorded by the elders on paper, more like a revenge notebook where he jotted down whatever crossed his mind.

It wasn’t until the last few pages that the content began to change.

"Month X, Day X: Caught a black-haired kid on the military academy league livestream. He’s quite the show-off, huh, but nowhere near as handsome as I was in my youth. Back then, hundreds of Omegas were secretly in love with me... (Here, a ten-thousand-word essay reminiscing about the past is omitted)... Anyway, this kid’s not bad. Worth observing."

"Month X, Day X: Alynya met with them. She did alright, but there’s no fiery pride. What’s the deal with this kid? Where’s the passion of youth?"

"Month X, Day X: They’ve been noisy since the first day they moved in, making it impossible to rest. -1000 points!"

"Saw them treating the neighbors to watermelon. Not bad, but not as kind as I was in my younger days. +2 points."

"Month X, Day X: They smashed my window! -10000 points!"

"But then they saved me. Alright, +250 points."

...

"Month X, Day X: Hahahahaha! That damn church of theirs finally got blown to bits. Serves them right! The Holy Church deserves to be wiped off the face of the earth with a nuke!... Why did those two kids come back so late? Something’s fishy."

"Month X, Day X: The bread’s terrible, and the milk’s just as bad. Just +20 points."

"Why does Little Orange like this kid so much? It’s even more attached to him than to me. Next time, I’ll program it to act like a vicious dog... +50 points."

...

"Month X, Day X: The time has come... Let’s take a gamble. Don’t let me down."

After this page, it was almost entirely blank, indicating that Anderson was arrested and taken to the imperial prison on that day. But Yi Ye stubbornly flipped through page after page, one after the other.

Until finally, his hand abruptly froze in mid-air.

On the back cover of the entire book, a sentence was forcefully etched with a ballpoint pen:

"Kid, did I pull it off?"

The faint hum of the terminal system cycled on and on. In the stark, bare room, a short laugh rang out.

Yi Ye tilted his head back, and the laughter lasted for nearly ten minutes before he finally bent over, struggling to stop, but covering his face, unsure whether it was happiness or sadness.

"Of course, you won," he said, word by word.

"Dr. Anderson, congratulations to both of us," he said, tears like pearls in his eyes, his brows curved like a moon, stunningly beautiful. "We’ve pulled off a huge win."