Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Rumble—

On a rainy night, torrential rain poured down, thoroughly cleansing every corner of the city.

Lin Youhan hadn’t climbed a wall in a long time. He struggled to hoist himself over the top and nearly face-planted when jumping down. Once he steadied himself, he looked up—and met a pair of eyes not far away. An inexplicable sense of familiarity washed over him again, and he stopped brushing off his hands.

Raindrops pelted them, soaking their clothes, yet the two stood silently, staring into each other’s eyes without a word.

After a moment, Jiang Yu scratched his head and called out, “Brother.”

Lin Youhan snapped back to reality and responded.

Suddenly, the bushes rustled. When Lin Youhan looked again, those eyes had vanished.

Seeing this, he turned and strode into the rain. “Let’s go.”

Jiang Yu hurried after him, holding an umbrella, and asked, “Brother, why didn’t you chase after them to see?”

Lin Youhan’s expression was veiled in rain and mist, nearly blending into the downpour—impossible to read. He exhaled slowly. “We’ll meet again.”

“Huh?” Jiang Yu was baffled. What did his brother mean by “meet again”? Those eyes clearly weren’t human—more like an animal’s!

The thought only deepened his confusion. Why would there be an animal here? Or, more precisely, why would an animal be hiding in the bushes near the Star Institute’s perimeter wall? With no sign of the rain letting up, what kind of animal would linger exposed instead of seeking shelter?

Jiang Yu couldn’t make sense of it—and wanted to ask Lin Youhan—but when he looked up, Lin Youhan was already walking farther into the rain.

This struck him as even stranger. Wasn’t *he* the one studying at the Star Institute? Why did his brother seem more familiar with the grounds than he was?

Before he could figure it out, he rushed to catch up. “Brother, wait for me!”

-

Lin Youhan navigated effortlessly toward the back hill of the Star Institute, stepping onto waterlogged, soft soil. Each footstep sank deep, leaving a clear imprint. Jiang Yu followed with great difficulty. “Brother, why are we out here in the middle of the night—in this deserted place—instead of sleeping?”

Lin Youhan didn’t even glance up. “You can choose to go back.”

Jiang Yu chuckled awkwardly. “Brother, I’ll stop talking—please don’t send me away?”

Lin Youhan didn’t respond and continued walking, head bowed. Raindrops struck the ground, splashing mud onto his shoes and pant cuffs.

He glanced down indifferently—and came to a sudden stop.

Jiang Yu, still scanning the surroundings, failed to notice Lin Youhan’s halt and bumped straight into him, stumbling back a step. His forehead throbbed from the impact against Lin Youhan’s sharp collarbone. Rubbing it, he muttered, “Brother, have you not been eating properly again lately? Your bones are so sharp—it hurts when you bump into people.”

Hearing Jiang Yu’s words, Lin Youhan fell silent for a long moment. “…Do you even hear what you’re saying?”

What kind of nonsense was “bones hitting people”? Anyone listening might think he’d turned into a skeleton.

Realizing his blunder, Jiang Yu fell silent too, awkwardly rubbing his nose.

He changed the subject. “Brother, why did you suddenly stop—”

Before he could finish, his voice cut off. He stared blankly at the barren stretch of land ahead—speechless.

Slowly, stiffly, he turned to Lin Youhan. “Brother… where *is* this?”

He’d studied at the Star Institute for several years and visited the back hill before—but this place felt terrifyingly unfamiliar. If a few tombstones were erected, it would look exactly like a cemetery.

Lin Youhan wasn’t surprised by Jiang Yu’s reaction. He crouched down and said calmly, “I was buried here for three months once. I thought I was dead—but on a rainy night, I clawed my way out. Covered in mud, after emerging, I saw a dog and a robot. They’d been digging for me for three months.”

“I thought surviving those three months underground meant I could live carefree—but I forgot: it was only the beginning. The beginning of a nightmare.” After saying this, he stood and walked away unhurriedly.

“Brother…” Jiang Yu murmured, his mind blank for a long time.

“It’s been over a year. You’ve known me long enough to understand I’m not a doctor.” Lin Youhan spoke lightly. “Ten years have passed—and stepping foot here again still makes me reflect. Back then, I fought underground for three months just to survive. I’ve mostly forgotten what happened ten years ago—but I’ve never forgotten what it felt like to be buried alive.”

“Migu, activate stealth mode.”

After a few steps, he stopped and gazed at the flat, muddy ground. A cold laugh escaped him. He swiped through the air to summon a floating keyboard, entered a few commands, then dismissed it. To Jiang Yu, he said, “Step back.”

No sooner had he spoken than the ground split open with a sharp crack—widening rapidly from the distance all the way to their feet. Jiang Yu had no choice but to back up several steps. Then, sensor-mechanical sounds converged from all directions—dense, rhythmic, like drumbeats synced to heartbeat and clock hands. The grinding of mechanical gears was deafening—even the heavy rain couldn’t drown it out.

Jiang Yu was too stunned to speak. He stared, dumbfounded, as the subterranean sensor gate slowly opened, revealing a bottomless tunnel. A whooshing sound followed—a rapid ascent—as if something were approaching. As the noise grew louder, Jiang Yu instinctively swallowed.

The next moment, an electronic spiral device resembling an elevator structure appeared, landing steadily before them. With two beeps, an AI voice announced: “Welcome. I am AI Zhiwen.”

“I will now guide you through the underground laboratory.”

The spiral door opened. Lin Youhan stepped inside first—and reminded Jiang Yu, still frozen in place: “Come in.”

Jiang Yu snapped back to reality. “O-okay.”

Even after entering, Jiang Yu’s mind remained unsettled. “Brother, what kind of design is this? Why is it hidden underground?”

Before Lin Youhan could answer, Zhiwen’s voice chimed in. “This laboratory is dedicated to researching 36th-generation technological development. Our lab integrates design models from the previous 35 technological advancements—and has invited the esteemed Mr. Lu Wenfu from the tech world, along with his student Lin Youhan.”

Lin Youhan said, “Zhiwen, you talk too much.”

Zhiwen replied, “Apologies. It has been quite some time since we last had visitors.”

Jiang Yu tugged at Lin Youhan’s sleeve. “Brother—is what he said true? Why would such an impressive design involve only two people in its research?”

Lin Youhan’s tone was detached. “Perhaps they thought themselves arrogant and unrivaled.”

Jiang Yu scratched his head. “But… it’s already been designed. How can that be considered arrogance?”

Hearing Jiang Yu’s rebuttal, Lin Youhan scoffed. “Just because something is designed doesn’t mean it’s good. Can you guarantee something you designed can be used without experimental deployment? Everyone thinks their design is extraordinary—what follows is just repeated betrayal.”

He emphasized the last two words heavily.

Jiang Yu listened in a daze—and wanted to ask more—but Zhiwen’s voice interrupted. “Distinguished guests, we have arrived.”

“From here, you may follow my guidance to tour the laboratory. If any area interests you, feel free to let me know—and we can extend our stay.” Zhiwen’s voice overhead directed them onward.

Yet Lin Youhan moved as if returning home. Before Zhiwen could instruct them on the next steps, he had already found the way. Jiang Yu followed behind, his eyes repeatedly drawn to the design drafts mounted on the laboratory walls. Each evoked an indescribable sense of familiarity—as if he’d seen them somewhere before.

Suddenly, stopping before a new draft, he froze—his pupils contracting.

—The drawing depicted Migu, who had always been by his brother’s side!

But unlike Migu’s robot form, this was Migu’s mecha form—a vivid silver-gray mecha with a glowing red light on its head. Beside it stood another mecha, black and red, with a similar design. Moving closer, he made out the small characters beside it: *Lin Youhan*.

With a *boom*, his entire body felt plunged into an ice cellar—yet an inexplicable heat surged through his blood, burning until his ears rang.

He remembered now… All the drawings he’d seen along the way were Lin Youhan’s famous design drafts from ten years ago!

An outstanding mecha designer would never allow their drafts to be leaked—or displayed publicly. Yet the walls of this laboratory were covered with Lin Youhan’s design drafts!

Other ordinary mechas were one thing—but even the design draft of the renowned S02 mecha *Migu*, famed throughout Star City, was openly displayed on the wall.

It's hard to imagine how Lin Youhan felt ten years ago when he saw his design drafts leaked and pasted on the wall for everyone to see.

As he was thinking this, he turned to look for his brother, only to find himself alone in the entire corridor, with no trace of Lin Youhan anywhere. Even Zhiwen's voice had vanished.

He looked up toward the depths of the laboratory corridor, and his gaze froze.

On the wall deep in the corridor, there seemed to be an eye.

-

After entering the laboratory, Lin Youhan paid no attention to Jiang Yu and made his way to the dark, lightless depths of the corridor. The Zhiwen above him seemed drawn to him, following closely, its mechanical voice echoing overhead: "Sir, we can't go to the room up ahead."

Lin Youhan remained silent, using his fingerprint to unlock the long-sealed lab door. The room was empty, containing only an experimental table. The tabletop was spotless, but around it were numerous scratches, large and small, like they were made by fingernails.

Lin Youhan glanced briefly, then quickly approached the experimental table. He forcibly opened its base, and upon finding the compartment empty, a mocking look came into his eyes.

Zhiwen continued incessantly: "Sir, please do not damage anything here—"

"Shut up!" Lin Youhan interrupted, standing up. "Where is your partner personality?"

Zhiwen: "I do not know."

Lin Youhan sneered: "Zhiwen, it's been almost ten years. Do you really not recognize who I am?"

Zhiwen: "I apologize, my memory's been wiped. Perhaps we have met before."

"Memory wiped? Hah, interesting." Lin Youhan began scanning the room, his eyes sweeping the walls. "Migu's mental energy can't shield it. I don't believe it won't come back."

A piercing alarm blared overhead. Hearing Zhiwen's words, Lin Youhan understood and turned to look at the opposite wall—where a giant eye slowly opened in the center.

A harsh, chilling, amused voice echoed: "I heard you were looking for me. Of course, I had to come."

"Lin Youhan, you've returned after all."

Lin Youhan stared fixedly at the eye and replied with a smile, "It's been a long time, Suo, Luo, Ya."

-

In the laboratory of the Canglan City Waterway Museum, there was a severely damaged capsule. Its elongated white design was printed with two words—Restart Capsule. Due to a violent crash during its initial forced landing and subsequent fuel depletion, the capsule no longer emitted a glowing blue light, and its functions were nearly destroyed.

Laboratory personnel moved about intermittently, with only a few researchers crouched beside the capsule, studying it. Yet after three years, they still could not decipher its design principles or functional mechanisms. This Restart Capsule, which had suddenly appeared ten years ago, shattered everyone's newfound aspirations for technological advancement. Its operational speed surpassed that of their latest flight capsules. Moreover, with many components damaged and its recovered functions incomplete, research had stagnated.

Zhao Yue, a recent graduate from a technical school, had been assisting the team in studying the capsule since he started working in the laboratory. Today, as usual, he used a tech-enhanced magnifying glass to examine the capsule's inner wall. After two rotations without any findings, he sighed and was about to put the magnifying glass away when he suddenly noticed an inconspicuous, dimly lit corner out of the corner of his eye.

Quickly, he raised the magnifying glass to the corner and spotted three faint, indented letters—SMY.

He blinked, thinking it might be an illusion, and urgently ran his fingers over the spot. Feeling the shallow, uneven indentations, a strange sensation washed over him, followed by a chilling thought.

—These letters had been carved out, one little bit at a time, with a fingernail!