Chapter 26 Explosion

Chapter 26 Explosion

The Next Day

Monday

Ji Anzhi still got up at 6:30 a.m. to wash up and get ready. When he went downstairs, Jian Fuxu had already had the domestic robot make breakfast and was sitting down to eat.

Lu Yan seemed like he hadn't slept enough, his head nodding while eating breakfast, only to be mercilessly slapped awake by Qi Yanshen.

When he got to the classroom, Ji Anzhi, as usual, first explained the difficult or partially understood points to Andrew, then listened attentively during class. As soon as one class ended, he went to the next.

However, unlike last week, Jian Fuxu didn't join them for lunch.

Qi Yanshen: "He's been doing research the past few days and won't be coming back to the dorm at night. He'll be staying and eating in the temporary rest area of the lab."

So that's how it was. Ji Anzhi nodded in understanding.

He didn't pay it much mind, but during afternoon class, several relatively weak shockwaves suddenly came in through the windows. The ground shook for over ten seconds, followed by the dull, rumbling sound of an explosion.

For a moment, everyone ignored the ongoing class, whispering anxiously.

"What happened? Was that an explosion just now?"

"Most likely. If not an explosion, then some kind of large heavy weapon."

"Is it an enemy attack? Who dares to act at First Military Academy, and so blatantly too?"

"Don't know, but will we be okay? I don't want my parents to worry about me..."

"Don't worry, it should be fine. The teacher is checking messages now. As long as we're not told to go to the port or seek shelter, it's probably just a false alarm."

"I hope so..."

After a while of uneasy whispering, the teacher finally received an explanation and spoke up to reassure everyone: "No need to worry. It was an experiment in the blast chamber that caused an explosion. The school authorities have already gone to handle it. Everyone, please continue with the class."

All students: "..."

Who the hell is so awesome? Doing experiments or blowing up the military academy?

Because the teacher was watching, everyone sat quietly through the lesson, though their minds had already wandered off to who knows where.

As soon as class ended, the general channel buzzed with endless discussion.

" : Did you guys feel today's explosion?"

"Flying Blade: What explosion? I was lying around in the dorm."

"Di: I was practicing in the mecha field near the blast chamber area. The shockwave was so strong it almost flipped the mecha over."

"zxcvbnm: The teacher said there was an explosion in the blast chamber. I remember the school's blast chambers are of very high quality; something like this has never happened before..."

"Nan: I think so too. In the past, even when an Energy Cannon accidentally hit the wall of a blast chamber, it only dented it a little."

"Theorist: What do you guys think could have caused such a commotion?"

"War Wolf Hao: Probably some weapon with a large-scale explosion. Nine times out of ten, it's a research weapon from the Energy Department that exploded."

"...: I work part-time at the academic affairs office. Today, I heard from the logistics department soldiers who went to handle it that the explosion seemed to be in the academy's highest-level blast chamber..."

"Alpha Doesn't Deserve Love: Damn! The highest level! I remember that requires the principal's personal signature for approval, and hardly anyone gets it approved each year!"

"Oka: Leaving other things aside, just the fact that such a big commotion happened in the highest-level blast chamber... is the person doing the experiment inside even alive?"

"Ultimate Warrior: Good question. Even if they survived, they'd probably be lying in a treatment pod."

"Quantum Indeterminacy Theory: Not necessarily. Since they applied for the highest-level blast chamber, the experimenter probably anticipated the danger and should have taken personal protective measures."

"...: I hope so. Anyway, I'm curious about what exactly exploded?"

"An Gui: Don't know, but it's certain that the energy in the exploding object was definitely above 3000 energy units."

"An Gui: The military academy's highest-level blast chambers come with energy shields, and combined with their tough, high-ductility material, it takes at least 2000 energy units to breach them."

"An Gui: Also, the blast chambers are all located in wooded areas, and the teaching buildings are quite far from the blast chamber zone. Yet the shockwaves still reached the teaching buildings, proving the explosion's energy definitely exceeded 3000 units."

"RedSaltedFish: Thanks for the breakdown."

"Oka: +1"

"Insect Slayer: An explosion exceeding 3000 units... Could it be some teacher conducting research?"

"Starship Planet: Very possible. But I think it could also be Jian Fuxu."

"Flying Crow: Can the person above elaborate? Isn't that mythologizing Jian Fuxu a bit?"

"Starship Planet: Jian Fuxu didn't go to the cafeteria with Qi Yanshen and the others today."

"Weapons Master: I'm from Energy Department Class One. Jian Fuxu didn't come to class today, and the teacher seemed to know about it, probably he asked for leave."

"Nan: Could it really be him?"

"Di: After the military academy starts, except for mission internships, experiments, bereavement of both parents, or physiological/estrus periods, no other circumstances allow for leave or skipping class. If discovered, it's immediate notification and expulsion..."

"zxcvbnm: Damn! Someone please firmly tell me this is a coincidence!"

"Flying Blade: Wake up, person above. Just go ahead and assume it's Jian Fuxu. Anyway, I've already decided it's him..."

"zxcvbnm: ........"

"Kong: From the Medical Department. Just got called for emergency aid. Saw several big shots from the Energy Department and the Mecha Department, almost all injured. The worst had over a dozen comminuted fractures all over..."

"...: Don't scare me, person above. Those Energy and Mecha Department big shots... they weren't teachers, were they?"

"Weapons Master: !!!!!"

"Kong: I remember several of them were teachers at the academy..."

"Weapons Master: Damn!!!!!!!!!! Logging off, bye."

Ji Anzhi didn't read further after that. Instead, he quickly switched to his StarNet account and sent a message to Qi Yanshen asking about Jian Fuxu's situation.

"Ji Anzhi: Are you there?"

After waiting a few minutes with no reply from Qi Yanshen, Ji Anzhi didn't want to bother them, so he packed his things and went back to the dorm to wait.

A bit worried and wanting to ask Qi Yanshen in person, Ji Anzhi didn't go back to his room. Instead, he sat down in the living room, playing the recording from class while waiting.

He hoped Jian Fuxu wasn't in that blast chamber...

On the other side, at the blast-proof chamber:

Qi Yanshen and Lu Yan also sensed the commotion during class. In that instant, they surmised something had happened to Jian Fuxu—and the teacher’s subsequent announcement confirmed their fears outright.

So immediately after class, the two rushed straight to the blast-proof chamber. Though the forest area housing it had been cordoned off, Qi Yanshen and Lu Yan leveraged their parents’ status as Commanders, claiming they needed to enter in order to locate Jian Fuxu—and were granted access.

When they arrived at the blast-proof chamber—now reduced to a crater-like ruin—teachers and top-tier experts from various departments of the military academy were already gathered around. Deeply anxious about Jian Fuxu, Qi Yanshen and Lu Yan offered only a hasty nod before peering down into the pit.

At first glance, they spotted Jian Fuxu—his clothes torn, his body smeared with blood. He didn’t appear critically injured; he was still frantically sifting through the rubble.

Seeing him wounded yet still digging through the wreckage, Lu Yan’s fury erupted. He charged forward and slapped him.

A vivid red handprint instantly bloomed across Jian Fuxu’s strikingly handsome face, and the sudden blow left him momentarily dazed.

Before he could retaliate, the one who’d struck him roared, “Jian Fuxu! Are you out of your fucking mind?! Couldn’t you have waited to search for that thing?!”

Jian Fuxu instinctively bristled to shout back—but then he caught Lu Yan’s pheromones flooding the air: raw, unfiltered rage laced with profound anguish. He lowered his head in silence.

He’d never let his pheromones leak in front of Lu Yan—not even when enraged or deep in rut. He’d always maintained perfect control…

After a long pause, Jian Fuxu finally muttered, “Sorry…”

Seeing him finally relent, Lu Yan retrieved a specially formulated restorative serum—developed by Qi Yanshen’s father—from his Space Bracelet and administered it to Jian Fuxu.

Before injecting, Lu Yan assessed Jian Fuxu’s condition. Though no single injury was life-threatening, the sheer number of wounds had caused severe blood loss.

After the assessment, Lu Yan nearly slapped him again.

Did Jian Fuxu even realize he suffered from pheromone allergy? That condition meant he couldn’t receive blood transfusions—even beta-type blood would trigger extreme discomfort and endanger his life.

And here, amid such a dense cocktail of alpha pheromones in the air—why wasn’t he complaining *now*?

Lu Yan slowly finished the injection, then signaled Qi Yanshen—who’d followed him down—to help bandage Jian Fuxu’s wounds.

The teachers standing at the crater’s rim were stunned. No matter how hard they—a group of leading experts—had tried earlier to reason with the Jian family’s “Little Madman,” he’d ignored them completely. Yet after one slap from the Lu family boy, he submitted quietly to treatment. Should they just slap him next time something like this occurred?

Of course, everyone only thought it—not dared to act on it. If they actually did, the kid would likely dig in his heels and do exactly what he pleased.

Down below, once Qi Yanshen and Lu Yan finished bandaging Jian Fuxu, they crumpled their school uniforms into makeshift cushions for him to sit on and rest.

Earlier, Qi Yanshen had detected Jian Fuxu’s alcohol-scented alpha pheromones drifting everywhere. At first, he assumed the scent stemmed from blood loss dispersing pheromones circulating in his bloodstream—but after bandaging, the aroma grew even stronger.

Grabbing Jian Fuxu’s wrist, Qi Yanshen inspected his pheromone-isolation bracelet. As expected, it was shattered beyond use—and the three embedded Insect Crystal Shields were missing.

Qi Yanshen removed the ruined bracelet and pulled out a brand-new, unused Pheromone Isolation Ring from his Space Bracelet, helping Jian Fuxu slip it on.

Once secured, he asked, “What were you looking for?”

Jian Fuxu replied hoarsely, “The Energy Tank wreckage.”

Lu Yan stared, incredulous. “Even now—there could *still* be wreckage?”

Jian Fuxu fell silent. Lu Yan realized he’d probably already guessed there wouldn’t be any—but searched anyway, just in case.

Lu Yan’s anger flared anew. He clenched his teeth. “You little madman—do you think you’ve lived too long? You’d better behave for the next week—or I’ll release my pheromones daily just to drive you crazy.”

Jian Fuxu chuckled softly—but said nothing.

Qi Yanshen contacted the nearby medical team, requesting they bring a stretcher down to transport Jian Fuxu to the treatment room.

Soon, the medical team carried Jian Fuxu away—and Lu Yan, deeply worried, followed closely behind.

Qi Yanshen remained at the blast-proof chamber to inquire about the incident with the teachers. Only Vice-Principal Kang Yunan was present on-site; Principal Lin Dusheng was inexplicably absent.

Vice-Principal Kang Yunan replied, “Nearly everyone from the Energy Department and Mecha Department who came here sustained injuries—several remain unconscious—but none are in life-threatening condition. Don’t worry.”

Qi Yanshen apologized. “I’m sorry for causing such a disturbance.”

Kang Yunan waved dismissively. “It’s fine. The Energy Tank Jian Fuxu was studying was originally assigned to him by the research institute precisely because they couldn’t decipher it. When we prepared to hand it over, we anticipated possible explosion—but never imagined the blast would be this powerful. Even three shields failed to contain it.”

Kang Yunan smiled faintly. “By the way, we owe you thanks. Without you, we wouldn’t have received an Energy Tank with such extraordinary energy storage capacity.”

Qi Yanshen shook his head. “No thanks needed. It’s simply our duty.”

“By the way—did you manage to uncover anything?”

Kang Yunan offered a bitter smile. “There *is* a recording—but the equipment was destroyed. We’ll need the Information Engineering Department to assess whether it can be salvaged. If not… we have nothing.”

Under the explosion’s extreme heat, it was impossible for the Energy Tank to leave behind recognizable wreckage. Any remnants would be fused into shapeless metal beads or blocks.

Qi Yanshen hadn’t expected such news—and fell silent for a moment.

After expending so much effort and resources, if they truly gained *nothing*, Jian Fuxu would never let go of this regret.

Kang Yunan knew the boy had attempted to dismantle the Energy Tank within a week of receiving it—proof of how deeply he cared.

Today’s dismantling attempt had drawn observers who were all leading experts—half of whom held teaching posts at the academy. This would severely disrupt next week’s class schedules.

Especially the elders from the Energy Department—the most severely injured—would require a full month’s rest to recover.

Kang Yunan sighed and asked Qi Yanshen to comfort and reassure Jian Fuxu—not to dwell excessively on the incident or spiral into obsession. Once the recording was restored, they’d send him a copy immediately.

Qi Yanshen nodded. “Then goodbye, Vice-Principal. If the treatment serums prove ineffective later, feel free to ask my father for more. He won’t refuse.”

Kang Yunan patted Qi Yanshen’s shoulder with a smile. “Thank you. Alright—you’re dismissed. The academy will handle cleanup here, so don’t worry.”

Qi Yanshen bid farewell to Kang Yunan and the other teachers and experts present before hurrying toward the treatment room.

Kang Yunan watched Qi Yanshen’s retreating figure—and sighed.

*Sigh… How much will this cost?*

The Insect Crystal Shields for the three youths—Qi, Lu, and Jian families—would need replacement by the research institute. More critically, the Energy Tank’s explosion had far exceeded expectations…

Three Insect Crystal Shields—plus four brought by the Energy and Mecha Departments—and one energy shield personally authorized by the principal: eight shields in total—yet *everyone* was still injured.

Moreover, aside from the existing shields surrounding the blast-proof chamber, the principal had specially allocated a small starship-grade shield. Even with all that, containment failed—triggering such massive disruption…

It seemed this Energy Tank wasn’t merely about ultra-high energy storage. Its internal structure also possessed self-amplifying destructive properties.

Kang Yunan gazed down at the crater—eyes sharp, dangerous.

They *must* find its creator.

At all costs.