Chapter 11: Exchanging Contacts

Chapter 11 Communication Exchange

Inside the room, a warm and cheerful atmosphere prevailed.

Qi He was stewing creamy potato curry.

The kitchen was open-plan, directly facing the living room.

Mo Jiayan and the others were gathered around the sofa, with You Tianxing intently picking corn kernels from a sunflower.

A sound from the entryway announced Ye Yi’s arrival.

Mo Jiayan popped her head up: "Captain!"

Ye Yi walked over, placed a bag of apples on the table, and sat down. "Mm." She surveyed the room; some faces were familiar, others less so.

She paused, then spoke: "I ran into Colonel Yan on my way up."

Meng Yan nodded casually. "Oh, Brother Yan."

Zhou Ziqian chimed in cheerfully, "I ran into him too when I came. I even told him I’d go first—"

He cut himself off. A two-second silence fell over the living room.

"Wait, 'on the way up'?"

"What do you mean, 'ran into him on the way up'?" Meng Yan swallowed, looking towards the entryway. "He… didn’t come in with you?"

Ye Yi remained silent.

Everyone gasped: Could it be that Yan Chuanbai wasn’t invited?!

A row of eyes instantly swiveled—

Qi He looked up from behind the kitchen counter, *plop*, *plop* chopping carrots. "What’s wrong?"

Zhou Ziqian pondered. Given their relationship—Brother Yan had even personally picked Qi He up and brought him to the base—surely he wouldn’t be left out of a meal… He ventured cautiously:

"Who did you invite? Is everyone here?"

Qi He continued chopping carrots, *plop*, *plop*. "Didn’t check carefully, just mass-messaged my contact list."

"……"

An even heavier silence descended.

Could it be… they hadn’t exchanged contact information?

In the dead silence, Meng Yan suddenly let out an "Ah!" as if waking from a dream. You Tianxing was so startled he dropped the sunflower. Meng Yan straightened up and quickly smoothed things over: "I helped send the messages. I must’ve missed one by accident—"

She reached out, sighing. "Ugh, my clumsy hands!"

Everyone: "……"

Qi He, still chopping carrots: "……"

Meng Yan glanced over hesitantly. "Should we… invite him now?"

After all, they’d all run into him. It was fine if Yan Chuanbai didn’t know, but if he found out, it would be terribly awkward.

Qi He kept chopping carrots and nodded casually. "Invite him."

Everyone collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

But a new problem arose: They’d all been notified long ago, and only now thought to invite Yan Chuanbai—it would seem far too obviously like an afterthought.

Meng Yan knew the real reason for the "oversight." "Well, then, how should we phrase it?"

Qi He paused his actions, thinking briefly.

The system suddenly spoke up: [I’ve got a plan.]

Qi He listened attentively. "Go on."

The system, still trying to salvage the plot and character dynamics, said: [To embrace one person, embrace everyone. To invite one person, invite everyone. Just say you weren’t not inviting him—you saved him for last. He’s your final reveal, your unspoken intention.]

*Slice*—a small knife cut through a carrot.

Qi He admired, "So you’re Pang Tong." His hidden genius.

The system: [……]

Qi He addressed the living room: "Don’t bother messaging. Just say the food is almost ready, and ask him to come down and eat."

You Tianxing stood up, clasped his hands: "I have elevator access. I’ll go up and get him～"

With that, he drifted out the door.

-

Three minutes later, the door opened again.

You Tianxing led Yan Chuanbai downstairs.

A noise came from the entryway. Qi He looked up and met Yan Chuanbai’s gaze across half the living room. Yan Chuanbai’s gaze was intense, with a faint, ambiguous smile.

Qi He greeted him naturally. "Better to arrive at the right time than too early. The food’s just finished stewing. Wash your hands and get ready to eat."

Yan Chuanbai walked over and washed his hands at the sink next to Qi He, his back to the living room. His tone was light but pointed, mingling with the sound of running water:

"Thank you for making sure I arrived just in time."

"You’re welcome. Thoughtfulness is just one of my many virtues."

Yan Chuanbai lifted his eyelids and let out a soft laugh.

Qi He speculated, "You seem to have some issue with me."

The water turned off. Yan Chuanbai dried his hands casually. "Overthinking it. What issue could I possibly have with you?"

"Good, if there are none."

A pot of stewed potatoes was handed over. Qi He said, "Since you arrived just in time, do me a favor and take this over."

Yan Chuanbai glanced at it, said nothing, took it, and carried it to the living room. Meng Yan also came over to help, and together with Qi He, brought the remaining dishes over.

Everyone gathered around the table in the living room.

Ingredients were limited, but the spread was still colorful, fragrant, and delicious.

You Tianxing reminisced, "Since the apocalypse began, we’ve hardly had a full table of 'normal' food like this."

Mo Jiayan took a bite of potato and then said in surprise, "...It's actually delicious."

Ye Yi gently stepped on her foot.

Qi He chose to ignore the word "actually" and accepted the praise: "I picked up this skill after living alone." He remembered that the original owner had moved out to live alone after reaching adulthood, so that part wasn't suspicious.

Yan Chuanbai also took a bite.

It was indeed delicious, and whether it was the knife work or the handling of the ingredients, it was all done skillfully and effortlessly.

He chuckled lightly, "You've picked up quite a few skills since living alone."

Qi He shook his head, "People always have to grow up fast."

Yan Chuanbai, he said, "Just like how I took over Base I."

"..."

An understanding passed between them.

You Tianxing sat to the side, smiled without saying anything, seeing through but not saying anything. Zhou Ziqian, after thinking it through in his simple way, had an epiphany: "Oh right, Brother Yan originally wanted to go to headquarters, didn’t he? I wasn’t there that day because I had something to do, but I heard all about how you captured Ying Zhen—"

He happily slapped his thigh, "So, Brother Yan being able to stay at Base I is because of you!"

Everyone: "..."

The three who were in the know: "..." That's one way to put it.

Zhou Ziqian then changed the subject, "But Brother Yan, why were you so set on going to headquarters? With your personality, so laid-back, shouldn’t you want to stay away from constraints?"

Several pairs of eyes turned toward him.

Yan Chuanbai lowered his gaze and was silent for a couple of seconds.

He disliked constraints, yet he needed to be constrained.

He vaguely sensed his own latent obsessiveness, so he had long deliberately suppressed his desires and didn't let emotions control him. He sometimes felt he wasn’t quite normal and needed something to rein him in.

Qi He was sitting directly across from Yan Chuanbai.

He could clearly see a shadow in the latter’s eyes. Yan Chuanbai’s hand, resting at his side, lifted slightly as if automatically going for a cigarette, but he held back and placed it back on the table.

The next moment, Yan Chuanbai returned to his usual easygoing attitude.

"Not necessarily, I just wanted to."

Zhou Ziqian regarded him with newfound respect, "There aren’t many straightforward people like you left."

"........." The whole table went quiet.

Qi He stood up and refilled Zhou Ziqian’s empty cup, "So that’s why—it was empty." The water level had dropped so much it couldn’t even see his reflection anymore.

Zhou Ziqian, "Huh? Thanks?"

Yan Chuanbai didn’t want to watch any longer, "Let’s eat."

-

After the meal was finished.

Qi He started clearing the table. Ye Yi and the others wanted to help but were stopped, "Just stay seated."

Just then, Yan Chuanbai stood up. With a long reach of his arm, he scooped up the used dishes.

"I'll take care of it."

Qi He glanced over and didn’t refuse this time. "Appreciate it."

The System: [Why are you playing favorites?]

Qi He carried a stack of dishes to the counter, turned on the water, and prepared to wash them. "Didn’t you want me to get closer to Yan Chuanbai?"

Yan Chuanbai came over and stood beside him.

The System was shocked: [Your idea of *'getting closer'* is just *'standing close to him'* while washing dishes!?]

Qi He smiled contentedly.

There were two sinks on the countertop.

Yan Chuanbai, beside him, had already squeezed soap onto the plates and rolled up his sleeves to start washing. Qi He took the washed dishes from him and rinsed them under the water.

The sound of running water mixed with the soft fizz of suds.

Yan Chuanbai’s voice sounded beside him: "By the way, in a few days, the Class S Supers will be holding a meeting. Heads up."

Qi He rinsed a plate. "Why 'heads up'?"

The reply came casually from beside him: "In case we don’t run into each other at the base these next few days and I can’t notify you."

Qi He paused for a beat, narrowing his eyes.

Then, as if unaware of the underlying meaning, he nodded amiably. "True, you’re quite thoughtful."

"..."

The scrubbing stopped next to him, and the sound of bubbles quieted for a few seconds.

Then, Yan Chuanbai let out a quiet laugh. "Heh..."

He wiped his hands on a towel and held out a communicator in front of Qi He. Qi He turned his head and saw Yan Chuanbai looking down at him. "Add me to your contacts?"

Since he was being so direct, Qi He responded generously.

He took out his communicator and added him. "Sure."

...

After the meal, everyone in the room headed back.

There were missions to handle at the base. Over the next couple of days, everyone was busy with their own work, and Qi He and Yan Chuanbai didn't actually run into each other.

On the third day, things were a bit more relaxed.

Qi He rested in the morning. In the afternoon, just as he stepped out to pick up a mission, he noticed the patrol guards outside seemed to be in a hurry, and a team of people hurried past from the direction of the research institute.

He paused. ...What’s going on?

Just then, his communicator chimed twice.

Qi He opened it—it was from You Tianxing. Before he could answer, the call ended abruptly. The next moment, a voice called out from ahead: "Qi He!"

He looked up and came face to face with You Tianxing.

You Tianxing’s eyes lit up when he saw him. He rushed over and grabbed him: “Perfect timing, I was just looking for you!”

Qi He staggered slightly, “What’s wrong?”

“The base station outside the base is down.”

You Tianxing’s expression grew serious. “There’s no signal in Ring East Zones Ⅱ and Ⅲ. The Superpowered individuals sent out have temporarily lost contact. We’ve urgently recalled those still in Ring East Zone Ⅰ.”

Ring Zones Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ refer to the areas divided into concentric rings spreading outward from the base.

The base station is located between Ring East Zones Ⅱ and Ⅲ.

Qi He asked, “What’s the problem?”

“Not sure, that’s what we need to find out.” You Tianxing said, “With the signals down, sending a Class S Superpowered individual with technicians is our safest bet. Yan Chuanbai is out on a mission and not at the base, probably outside Zone Ⅰ, so he’s also lost contact.”

Qi He wasn't worried about Yan Chuanbai, but the signal issue was urgent.

Qi He understood, “I’ll head out now.”

He didn’t ask why Yu Jiang, the other Class S Superpowered individual, wasn’t going.

Looking around, he saw: lush, unpolluted greenery, clean water sources, cultivation research facilities…

He had realized it from his first day at the base. Only a Class S water-based Superpowered individual could maintain the purification of the entire base’s water system, from the surface to underground.

Even if You Tianxing were sent out for combat, Yu Jiang would never be sent out.

She was the “lifeline” of the entire base.

You Tianxing nodded, “I’m counting on you.”

…

Three technicians were quickly gathered.

Qi He said, “I’ll drive.”

He slammed the heavy car door shut! After thinking for a moment, he took out his communicator and sent a message to Yan Chuanbai:

『The base station is down. Contact me once communications are restored.』

He put away the communicator and started the car.

The modified off-road vehicle rumbled out of the base gate, heading toward Z City, with a mountainous forest looming behind it. The sky was heavy and low, as if pressing down from the horizon.

Qi He gazed up at the sky through the car window.

A storm was coming.

Author's Note:

Qi He: The storm is coming, and the waves will stir again.