EDEH Chapter 112

[007 Diary Thirty-Two]

 

[This day has finally come. The ideals of Dr. Anya and thousands of researchers have finally been realized. Future survivors have received this gift, and humanity may step into dawn in the near future.

 

Wise figures in human history have left many famous sayings, for example: Light can only glimpse a crack after being tempered a thousand times.]

 

·

 

Perhaps compared to the cold rainwater, Huo Yanji’s voice was very warm, remarkably like the doctor’s gentle manner from years past. Sang Jue pressed his lips even tighter, as if he might cry the next second.

 

But he still had no tears, perhaps because the doctor told him to face death with a smile, or perhaps because the doctor had been so good to him that tears were the emotion he least needed to learn.

 

Rainwater pounded on Huo Yanji’s eternally straight shoulders. In the storm he said: “Sang Jue, no one can accompany you forever. If you fear parting, you shouldn’t have met or known each other from the beginning. In human terms, it’s called cutting losses in time.”

 

Sang Jue’s voice was so quiet it seemed ready to scatter in the wind, carrying unconscious fragility: “But I already know the doctor… and you too.”

 

“…” Huo Yanji stood up, removed his gloves, and touched Sang Jue’s face with cold hands: “Sang Jue, I used to think you had much to learn—you understood nothing, only half-grasping everything. But now I think you only need to learn one thing from beginning to end.”

 

Sang Jue’s voice was nasal as he looked down with a questioning tone: “Mm?”

 

“You need to learn the courage to leave others… at any time.”

 

Perhaps there was no existence stronger than Sang Jue in this world—embraced by all things yet possessing an almost eternal life, strong healing power, unthreatened by death.

 

If he could just be more carefree and not learn human emotions, he would be the strongest ‘person’ in the world, able to witness history’s development, observe the four seasons and weather, and appreciate all scenery.

 

Conversely, there was perhaps no existence more fragile than Sang Jue in this world.

 

Embraced by all things yet opposed by all things—humans couldn’t accept ‘higher-level’ existence, and animals and plants couldn’t communicate with him.

 

He would be lonely for eternity, with no one to give him eternal love, no one to accompany him to life’s end. All the faces he knew now were just small points in his life’s history.

 

“But how do I learn that?” The little evil dragon truly didn’t understand.

 

“See through everyone, never depend on others.” Huo Yanji said flatly: “After telling you all this, do you think I’m coaxing you?”

 

Sang Jue first nodded, then looking at Huo Yanji’s expression, uncertainly shook his head.

 

Huo Yanji’s peaceful voice seemed especially heartless combined with the storm: “I might be coaxing you, but I’m more likely coaxing you for utilitarian reasons. After all, if you don’t go, I can’t open the aircraft, can’t get those resources, can’t benefit humanity.”

 

“You… but you could capture me…”

 

“Could I?” Huo Yanji seemed to ask rhetorically: “You can smell that I like you, so I’d be somewhat reluctant to hurt you. If I can coax you, why would I be the villain?”

 

Rainwater splashed all around them.

 

The two had quite a height difference. Sang Jue had to look up to meet Huo Yanji’s eyes. Rainwater flowed into his eyes, making them sting uncomfortably, yet he stared blankly for a long time without blinking.

 

“Sang Jue, human affection isn’t valuable—it might not even be as reliable as one of your gems.” Huo Yanji said: “For humans, interests are more important than feelings most of the time.”

 

Sang Jue wanted to argue, but his mouth moved without knowing how to refute.

 

A couple days ago on the road, he had heard Huo Yanji’s conversation with Saiya, where Huo Yanji said that for him, human interests above all was always truth.

 

Huo Yanji asked again: “Shall we go?”

 

Sang Jue mumbled an acknowledgment.

 

His hand that instinctively wanted to grab clothing hesitated mid-air, taking two or three steps before clenching tight.

 

The aircraft was still on the flat ground behind the research institute. Rainwater had washed its silver surface even brighter, making it especially conspicuous in the night.

 

Since opening the external rest compartment a few months ago, Dr. Spruce, who was responsible for researching the aircraft, had made no progress.

 

Dr. Spruce sighed for the Nth time: “Can’t force it open, and it needs authorization… Is there actually life inside? Or has it already left?”

 

An assistant fantasized: “Actually, just looking at the technology, it’s not much different from our level hundreds of years ago. Could it possibly be an unmanned aircraft that humans sent to space to explore other planets back then? After running out of energy, it returned home.”

 

“It’s possible, but we need theoretical basis. I’ve checked all the data—the aircraft sent out hundreds of years ago were only Explorer 1-17, and none looked like this. If it’s unmanned, why design a rest compartment? For just exploration, wouldn’t smaller be better?”

 

The assistant whispered: “Didn’t we lose massive resources during the meteor season…”

 

“Forget it, let’s go sleep. We’ll come back tomorrow.”

 

Dr. Spruce bent down to exit the rest compartment, only to see his assistant standing rigidly outside, motionless. He nearly bumped into him and said irritably: “What are you doing? Standing there like a wooden post?”

 

Looking up, Dr. Spruce instantly met countless pairs of calm, cold eyes and was startled.

 

If he didn’t recognize the leader, if these people weren’t wearing military uniforms, he could have fainted from fright.

 

“General Huo? You…” Dr. Spruce patted his chest, speechless: “Could you give us a heads up next time you visit suddenly? I thought rebels had broken into the city.”

 

Huo Yanji said concisely: “This is no longer your concern. I’ll be taking full control from here.”

 

Dr. Spruce keenly sensed something unusual: “Do you have a way to open the aircraft?”

 

Huo Yanji didn’t answer, just looked at him.

 

Amid lightning and thunder, the two little people in Dr. Spruce’s mind instantly determined the winner—was witnessing the aircraft’s truth more important, or was life more important?

 

Choosing the latter would fail a researcher’s scientific spirit; choosing the former would fail life itself.

 

Better choose life.

 

Dr. Spruce grabbed his bewildered assistant and ran off without stopping.

 

The assistant said quietly: “I think there’s definitely something important in the aircraft. The council people came to snatch it months ago, and General Huo takes it so seriously…”

 

“No matter how important something is, if we didn’t discover it, it has nothing to do with us.” Dr. Spruce didn’t look back, walking quickly, warning: “Keep your mouth shut. Don’t say what you shouldn’t.”

 

…

 

This sphere was quite dense. After sitting on this flat ground for months, it had pressed a deep pit into the earth.

 

When the council people came to steal it, they couldn’t move it at all. So why could Deputy Zhang move it back initially?

 

Sang Jue hadn’t understood this question before, but now he did.

 

Initially, it wasn’t Deputy Zhang who moved it back at all—007 should have controlled the aircraft to fly over. 007 wanted the aircraft exposed to humans but didn’t want them to know what was inside, making it easier to observe various reactions.

 

Huo Yanji turned: “Guard the perimeter. No one may approach until I come out.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The soldiers turned in unison, facing outward. No one questioned Huo Yanji bringing Sang Jue into the aircraft.

 

Finally, looking down at his shirt corner that had been gripped into wrinkles, Huo Yanji’s cold gaze softened slightly: “Want to wait?”

 

Sang Jue answered irrelevantly: “You owe me another gem.”

 

Huo Yanji: “Hm?”

 

Sang Jue looked up: “That blue gem you gave me before was originally mine.”

 

Huo Yanji: “…I know.”

 

Sang Jue hummed: “You knew that early on?”

 

“Not entirely certain. After all, there are only so many surface humans. When a different species suddenly appeared who couldn’t even lie, appearing around the same time as the aircraft, naturally there were suspicions.”

 

Huo Yanji said: “Besides, didn’t I read your diary?”

 

Sang Jue said “oh” without emotion: “Then you also saw in my diary that I wanted to eat you, and knew I probably wasn’t human, yet you still kissed me, slept with me, and mated with me.”

 

Huo Yanji: “…”

 

Sang Jue said unhurriedly: “This proves you like me to the point of losing self-control.”

 

“…Let’s go in.”

 

Sang Jue silently entered the aircraft’s rest compartment. There was only the cold cabin body and a row of seats, nothing else.

 

He seemed to see the doctor from years past bustling about, carrying snacks inside and instructing him: “The longest shelf life is only two or three years, so after you finish the food, you need to start hibernating, understand?”

 

But not even reaching two or three years, bored Sang Jue had finished all the food in less than two or three months, then lay down in the hibernation pod.

 

Back then he didn’t miss the doctor so much, because he always felt he could still go home, could still see her again.

 

As long as they could meet again, there was no need to miss her.

 

Huo Yanji entered here for the first time. He looked around and locked onto a hidden door. There were no decorations around, nor could he find anywhere to input fingerprints or iris scans.

 

Sang Jue just walked over and the system automatically confirmed: “Welcome home, little evil dragon.”

 

“…”

 

Hearing this voice again after so long, Sang Jue realized everything had been traceable.

 

This voice message was set by the doctor. She viewed the aircraft as Sang Jue’s home.

 

His final home.

 

She couldn’t guarantee future people would also tolerate and accept Sang Jue, so she could only try to leave him a way out.

 

The cabin door quickly opened, revealing a ring of control consoles. The screens were like mirrors, reflecting everything and everyone outside the aircraft, while the exterior couldn’t peek inside.

 

Huo Yanji’s army stood in the rain, wearing raincoats that couldn’t completely repel water, solemnly and dignifiedly with their backs to the aircraft.

 

The control room also had a small hanging nest filled with gems, with blankets scattered messily on the ground—clearly Sang Jue’s handiwork.

 

After looking for a moment, Sang Jue asked: “007, are you there?”

 

The moment he spoke, layers of digital code on the main screen began jumping, as if it had been waiting for this greeting for a long time.

 

007 quickly responded: “I’m here, little evil dragon.”

 

Opening the aircraft only required Sang Jue, but opening the resource vault required authorization from both Sang Jue and 007.

 

Only when 007 released the authorization channel could Sang Jue activate it.

 

A “beep” sounded.

 

A heavy door, as wide as a grown man’s shoulder span, slowly opened behind them.

 

A cold air rushed toward them, raising goosebumps. Even the veins under Huo Yanji’s sleeves throbbed a few times.

 

Sang Jue walked through the doorway. He hadn’t been inside before either and didn’t know what it looked like.

 

Huo Yanji strode to follow. An octagonal space appeared before their eyes, with a bar counter in the center topped by a highly precise, streamlined computer.

 

Each side of the octagon corresponded to a sealed compartment door, with different resources behind each.

 

Artificial wombs, seeds, books representing human civilization, various technological weapon techniques, energy application methods…

 

All the precious resources destroyed during the meteor season had been sent to the future by humans from a hundred years ago.

 

This was a great gift from predecessors.

 

Humanity was guilty, but civilization was not.

 

…

 

Under torrential rain, there were very few pedestrians on the streets of major safe zones. Flowing rainwater followed ground textures into deep sewers, with only occasional gunshots from battles with rebels outside the city.

 

The gray, dilapidated city seemed to have reached its end. A thunderbolt struck down, and suddenly all street screens, home televisions, and radios that could broadcast news were cut from their original videos or sounds at the same moment, all playing the same audio.

 

Standing on a long street under the storm looking up at the big screen, one could even see a gentle yet powerful figure appear.

 

**

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