Chapter 5 The Fool Has Nothing (5)

Chapter 5: Fools Possess Nothing (Part Five)

Xu Jiu felt utterly satisfied, as if he had settled a major life issue, and flopped back into his chair lazily.

Unfortunately, lost in his triumph, he accidentally bumped his wrist halfway down, the pain contorting his face in agony and nearly making him scream.

"Holy crap...!" Xu Jiu's face turned white, then green, but fearing he might wake the neighbors in the middle of the night and get reported to the supervisor, he gritted his teeth and endured, writhing wordlessly in the chair for a long while.

Once the pain subsided, he carefully unwrapped the filthy bandage and mustered the courage to glance at the wound on his wrist.

It was worse than he thought—the festering area had long since turned to pus, the deepest part nearly revealing bone, while the edges of the wound were even ringed with glistening blisters. The back of his hand was swollen an angry purple-red.

Beyond description in its horror.

How was he still alive?

Xu Jiu gaped at his left hand, stunned. The worst parts had gone numb from pain, and when he wiped away the oozing pus with an iodine-soaked cotton ball, he hardly felt anything.

After disinfecting the wound, he sat on the floor, soaked in sweat, gasping. Turning his head, he noticed the little jellyfish still on the table, silently facing his direction.

"What is it, Number Six?" He forced a weak smile. "You did this to me..."

The little jellyfish gave no reaction, and Xu Jiu couldn’t tell if it understood. But in an instant, Number Six launched itself from the table like a specter, a wisp of a ghost, covering the two or three meters in a blink before landing squarely on Xu Jiu’s knee!

The speed was beyond what the human eye could track. By the time Xu Jiu realized what had happened, a chill of terror shot through him.

He didn’t know what this little monster intended, but in that moment, one thing had never been clearer to him: resistance—or even the chance to resist—was impossible.

The jellyfish’s body pressed against his work pants, and Xu Jiu’s heart felt like it was anchored by ice.

He swallowed nervously. The little jellyfish had no eyes—at least, none that Xu Jiu could see—but right now, he could distinctly sense that it was "studying" him, sizing him up carefully.

That cold, emotionless observation made Xu Jiu’s entire muscles lock. A predator, all instinct and no humanity, was staring him down.

Even if the predator was weirdly adorable and small...

Soon, the little jellyfish moved.

Xu Jiu flinched as he watched it ooze forward like a slug, leaving a damp trail on his clothes before finally stopping beside the wound on his left wrist.

What was it doing? Xu Jiu’s heart pounded, his muscles locked.

Was it going to start eating him from here?

The little jellyfish slowly crawled onto the wound, settled down, and wrapped itself around Xu Jiu’s wrist.

The pus, toxins, and infected blood... all of it was siphoned through its body and out its tendrils. It was like a tiny, ultra-efficient purifier, cleaning the horrific wound.

Like magic, in less than fifteen minutes, his injury had nearly returned to normal, shrinking back to the size of a coin. Only the edges remained slightly swollen and white, while the deepest part of the wound had turned a healthy shade of red.

Though not fully healed, it was no longer life-threatening. Xu Jiu felt refreshed, his left side felt weightless, almost airy, as if freed from a heavy burden.

Having done its work, the little jellyfish seemed exhausted. It slowly slid down and sprawled on his pants, motionless.

Xu Jiu stared at it blankly. For some reason, his nose stung, eyes prickling.

"You..." he couldn't help murmuring softly, "You're really nice to me..."

Xu Jiu thought for a moment, then quickly scooped up the round little thing and fetched a washbasin. The daily water supply at the polar station was lightly treated glacier water. He poured half a basin in and placed Number Six inside.

Number Six perked up, slowly extending its tentacles and swaying back and forth. Xu Jiu watched curiously for a while before fetching water to clean up the mess on the floor, finally feeling worn out.

The events of the day had been so unbelievable that Xu Jiu felt as if he were dreaming. He reapplied medicine and fresh bandages to his hand. The fever had lasted a while, and now that he had a moment to rest, his head still felt heavy and groggy. He yawned twice, fighting sleep, and peered into the basin at it before finally, utterly exhausted, crawling into bed.

"Goodnight," he whispered, and the moment the back of his head touched the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, the alarm blared loud enough to wake the dead, jolting Xu Jiu out of bed. He rolled clumsily, landing in a tangle, then stumbled to his feet, still half-asleep.

"I’m gonna be late!"

His brain was still foggy, but his body moved on reflex. He quickly slipped on his shoes, grabbed his coat with one hand, and reached for his toothbrush with the other. He went to rinse his mouth—then realized there was no water in the cup.

Where’s the water...? Did I forget to pour it last night?

His thoughts slowly sharpened, and Xu Jiu finally recalled the series of events from the past few days—the man-eating giant jellyfish, the lab building being destroyed, finding the tiny jellyfish, his hand miraculously healing...

Snapping fully awake, Xu Jiu rushed to the basin to check on Number Six.

How is it? Is it okay? Is this dump even livable for it? Could it get sick?

His thoughts raced wildly as he reached the basin, only for his heart to sink instantly.

The basin was empty. Only water remained.

He panicked.

No way—it was here yesterday! Where’d it go?!

His chest went as empty as the basin.

This little living thing had shared his room just yesterday. He’d even given it a name, and now it was gone... Xu Jiu’s chest tightened painfully, making it hard to breathe.

He dropped to his knees, searching under the desk, chairs, bed, and shelves, scouring every nook and cranny of the cramped, ten-square-meter dorm. Finally, with little hope left, he returned to the basin and plunged his hand in, stirring the water frantically to see if it was truly gone.

Then, unexpectedly, his fingers brushed against something round.

Disturbed from its rest, Number Six changed colors in displeasure, shedding its camouflage and emerging from the water.

Just when all seemed lost!

Xu Jiu broke into a cold sweat from the shock. Without thinking, he lifted Number Six and scolded, "Number Six! You nearly scared me to death! Why didn’t you make a sound when I got close? I know you can talk!"

Number Six sagged in his grip, its cap wrinkled like an old man’s frown. After a moment, it disdainfully blew a bubble at Xu Jiu’s face.

Xu Jiu yelped and danced in place, fuming, absolutely furious. But beneath the anger, his heart swelled with the joy of having found what was lost.

It’s still here... It didn’t disappear.

He sighed, a tired sadness shadowing his face.

"Don’t do that again, okay? I was afraid you’d run off and get spotted by someone else, understand? It’s dangerous out there. If you go somewhere I can’t see, how am I supposed to find you? I’m just a nobody—people walk all over me. I... I can’t protect you."

Number Six stopped blowing bubbles and settled quietly in his hand.

"But I’m glad you have this ability," Xu Jiu said, his melancholy fading quickly. Soon, he smiled faintly again, cradling Number Six more gently in his palm.

"Sometimes the inspectors would burst in without knocking or warning. They're vile and terrifying, so you absolutely must not be seen by them. If you see anyone but me, you have to become invisible immediately, okay?"

Number Six lay still in his palm. Xu Jiu took its silence as agreement and carefully placed it back into the basin.

About to be late, Xu Jiu turned back for one last reassurance: "While I'm gone, you absolutely must not wander off. Wait for me to return. I'm going to..."

He paused, then chose a phrasing more suited to coaxing a wild thing: "I'm going... hunting, understand? Hunting brings food, so you'll have something to eat. So wait here for me, be good, alright?"

At the mention of "food," Number Six jolted awake, stirring excitedly in the water.

Xu Jiu chuckled.

Humans were truly strange creatures. Twelve hours ago, he couldn’t have imagined forming any emotional bond with a little monster he’d suddenly found. But now, he’d happily crouch by the basin all day, happy just to watch the jellyfish blow bubbles.

Still, Xu Jiu reluctantly dashed out of the dorm, locking the door securely behind him.

With the lab completely destroyed and four members of his team dead, Xu Jiu had been reassigned under the supervisor’s command. He barely made it to the assembly point on time. The supervisor immediately noticed his last-minute arrival and ached to pummel him, but two researchers stood nearby, deep in debate.

Punishing a cleaner was one thing, but disrupting the researchers’ train of thought would be disastrous. Similar incidents had happened before—a manager, eager to assert his dominance, had once publicly thrashed an employee in front of deep-thinking scholars, only to vanish without a trace the next day when the scholars, furious at the disturbance, made their displeasure known.

The supervisor, wary of consequences, could only shoot Xu Jiu a venomous look before quietly assigning tasks, ordering them to join the reconstruction team and clean up the ruins.

Perhaps happiness truly came from contrast. After enduring two days of illness and severe hand injuries, Xu Jiu now felt freer than ever, moving with newfound ease.

He worked cheerfully, puzzling his coworkers with his unusually bright mood. At lunch, Xu Jiu received his usual ration—a portion of protein paste, nutrient gruel, and a compressed biscuit. Staring at the meal, a strange warmth surged inside him.

It wasn’t exactly responsibility, but he felt an unprecedented warmth surging in his chest. The words he’d used to coax Number Six that morning seemed to have formed an unseen bond, binding his heart and hands.

*I’m not alone anymore*, Xu Jiu told himself. *I made a promise—I’ll raise Number Six, let it grow safely with me... I’m no longer by myself.*

The thought was like a seed with limitless promise. Just keeping it in his heart and revisiting it now and then filled Xu Jiu with fresh motivation and courage.

*Is this what it feels like to be a parent?*

He couldn’t help but wonder.

*When I was born... did my parents feel the same way I do now?*

Shaking off the thought, he edged closer to an older cleaner.

"Hey, bro," he asked with a grin, "How about I help you with your work this afternoon, and you share some of your biscuit with me?"

The man paused mid-bite, eyeing Xu Jiu curiously.

Xu Jiu flashed an ingratiating smile. "I just... get hungry faster than most."

"Oh, it’s you." Recognition dawned on the man’s face. "I’ve seen you eat. You really can put it away."

Most workers here saved their appetite for the hot meal at dinner. Compared to that, the bland, rock-hard biscuit was no prize. After a moment’s thought, the man broke off half and tossed it to Xu Jiu.

"Sure. Work hard this afternoon."

Xu Jiu caught the rock-hard biscuit eagerly and stowed it carefully into his pocket.