Chapter 44: Sea Without Light
Kui Xin’s communicator received several messages one after another.
Lan Lan: “How are you feeling today, Xiao Kui?”
Jiang Ming: “I forgot to mention, your performance last night was incredibly brave! Thumbs up to you!”
Liu Kangyun: “If all goes well, you should be able to rejoin the team soon, right? Don’t put too much pressure on yourself; you’ve already sustained two serious injuries since you started this line of work. Make sure to rest well.”
Xueyao Shu: “Doctor Huang told me you’re fine; I’m relieved. Good luck with today’s Awakened qualification review; I believe in you.”
Kui Xin replied to each teammate with thanks, then suddenly remembered that she hadn’t contacted any members of Mechanized Dawn all night yesterday.
Returning to the First World felt incredibly lengthy, with so many occurrences; while others experienced only a night, she felt as if she had gone through seven days.
Now was not a good time to contact Silverface and Red; Kui Xin did not check her messages on the silver bracelet.
She changed clothes as Doctor Huang entered her room with an electronic medical record.
“Does the wound hurt?” he asked with concern.
Kui Xin rolled up her sleeve to show Doctor Huang her fully healed skin and said, “It doesn’t hurt; it’s completely healed.”
Doctor Huang observed her cheek carefully, noting that the wounds on her face had also entirely healed.
“Extraordinary abilities at crucial moments lead to miraculous healing, keeping you alive,” he mused. “I noticed yesterday that the wounds caused by the blood corrosion weren’t deep, which might be due to your recovery abilities. Blood didn’t reach your bones during the long journey from the coastal port to the headquarters; had it been someone else, they might have needed amputation by now.”
“Just a stroke of good luck, I suppose.” Kui Xin pulled down her sleeve.
Doctor Huang then conducted a full-body scan.
Looking at the scan results, he said satisfactorily, “Very good. The alloy skull I replaced for you has a high compatibility with human anatomy, and there’s been no rejection after your extraordinary ability awakened. You still need regular check-ups, though, because I don’t know how strong your extraordinary ability is. If your skull starts self-healing and pushes the alloy skull out, that would be quite a situation, and you’d need surgery again to remove the prosthetic.”
“That sounds pretty terrifying.” Kui Xin rubbed her forehead. “I quite like my iron skull; it blocks bullets on the battlefield, and I don’t want to change.”
“Indeed. I’ve made the same iron skull for several people in the Investigation Bureau, and they all say it’s great,” Doctor Huang said proudly. “I’m the top doctor in the Investigation Bureau.”
After Doctor Huang checked on other patients, at exactly eight in the morning, Kui Xin left her room.
She pressed the elevator button to go to Jiang Meimei’s office on the fourth floor.
The elevator stopped, and Adam said, “Please follow the green indicator light.”
The indicator light on the right side of the corridor flickered twice, glowing green. Following it, Kui Xin turned right and arrived at room 4069.
The metal door opened, and she walked inside.
“Good morning, Kui Xin,” Jiang Meimei said as she sat behind her desk, a cup of hot coffee beside her. She smiled, “Last night was quite thrilling. I heard your team leader say you almost lost your life… Don’t just stand there; have a seat. The qualification review for Awakened isn’t that formal; we can just chat.”
“I thought the Awakened qualification review would be more serious than an interview?” Kui Xin sat down in the chair. “If it weren’t for my extraordinary abilities, I likely wouldn’t have made it through last night. It was my first encounter with a Scythe Demon… it was terrifying.”
Jiang Meimei commented, “You might be the most unfortunate newcomer in the Investigation Bureau, getting so seriously injured during your internship.”
“I do feel a bit unlucky… but perhaps there’s a sliver of good luck mixed in?” Kui Xin replied. “For things that would have surely killed others, I’m still alive and well.”
“I like your optimism,” Jiang Meimei smiled.
Jiang Meimei’s office was different from the conference room where Kui Xin had her previous interview. This office was slightly smaller, decorated more intricately, with various complex and detailed instruments piled in one corner. The bookshelf in the corner was filled with both electronic and physical books, and from the spines, it was evident that Jiang Meimei mostly read psychology-related material.
Under the bookshelf were a few hefty dumbbells.
Although Jiang Meimei was not part of the field operations team and theoretically belonged to a clerical position, those who worked for the Investigation Bureau had to have solid combat abilities. Kui Xin had learned during training that Jiang Meimei ranked among the top in shooting and hand-to-hand combat in the Investigation Bureau.
Noticing where Kui Xin’s gaze had fallen, Jiang Meimei laughed: “I prefer physical books; e-books can strain the eyes. I always wear protective glasses when reading e-books. Lifting dumbbells while reading helps me maintain focus. When I encounter difficult cases, I often think of breakthroughs while lifting dumbbells—it’s quite useful. I suggest you give it a try.”
“Exercising while enriching oneself is a good method. I’ll also get a set of dumbbells when I have the time,” Kui Xin agreed.
This meeting felt different from her last interview; she had already passed the preliminary review and was now a formal member, leading to a more casual attitude from Jiang Meimei.
Kui Xin felt she could slightly shift her dialogue and strategy, for instance, by initiating questions or trying to draw closer. She could assume a leading role in unimportant matters but mustn’t take charge on critical issues.
Jiang Meimei studied psychology and was sensitive to shifts in people’s attitudes, requiring utmost care in dealing with individuals like her; however, Kui Xin needed to avoid being overly cautious so that she didn’t come across as awkward.
“I thought the Awakened qualification review would be conducted by Team Leader Wei Zhi, as she’s our direct superior,” Kui Xin said, puzzled.
“Team Leader Wei has gone on a mission; I’m substituting for her during your review,” Jiang Meimei explained. “There’s not much to review; it’s just a routine procedure.”
With someone as challenging to read as Jiang Meimei, it was hard to tell whether she was stating facts or intentionally lowering the evaluation’s tension.
“The Investigation Bureau records and archives each Awakened’s identity, and the archived information will be filed in Adam’s core database. Once the review is complete, you’ll be a confidential figure in the Investigation Bureau. Data will be kept confidential, and the confidentiality level of your identity in the resident database will be elevated,” Jiang Meimei elaborated. “We primarily record your awakening level, extraordinary ability characteristics, and awakening environment.”
Kui Xin nodded, “I understand.”
“Let’s move on to the main topic,” Jiang Meimei said. “Your extraordinary ability grants you a formidable self-healing ability, which is quite difficult to test.”
“You can’t just stab me a few times during testing to assess my healing speed, right?” Kui Xin leaned back in her chair.
Jiang Meimei laughed: “Of course, we can’t use such a method; we don’t know if your self-healing ability has any flaws…”
“Flaws?” Kui Xin echoed.
“The Investigation Bureau previously had a case where a colleague awakened an extraordinary ability that accelerated self-healing, but he overextended his life force. He expended his life force to gain strong healing abilities; the more he used the ability, the faster his cells aged. Eventually, his body collapsed, forcing him to retire early,” Jiang Meimei said. “To prevent similar situations, we can’t blindly test your awakening abilities without confirming your extraordinary ability characteristics. Every Awakened is a treasure for the Investigation Bureau; they are valuable combat forces that need proper protection.”
Kui Xin’s expression grew solemn.
“I’ll accompany you to the research institute to draw some blood and obtain a small body tissue sample for study,” Jiang Meimei informed. “This is a necessary testing procedure.”
Kui Xin nodded, “Okay.”
“Have you felt anything particularly unusual after your body recovered? For example, fatigue or lack of energy?” Jiang Meimei asked.
“Hungry,” Kui Xin replied. “I ate more for breakfast than usual; I don’t usually feel this hungry.”
“Using your extraordinary abilities accelerates energy consumption, which can lead to hunger,” Jiang Meimei pondered for a moment, tapping the table. “Your extraordinary ability reminds me of the Heterogeneous Blooded; each of them has such strong self-healing capabilities, but they gain their powers through Divine Blood.”
“I don’t find powers gained through Divine Blood reliable at all; they not only have distorted, deformed bodies, but their minds are completely deranged… Team Leader Shu said they are unlikely to live beyond a month,” Kui Xin remarked. “Having such self-healing abilities is great; it can save my life. I’m really glad I’m different from the Heterogeneous Blooded and that I don’t have to use Divine Blood to gain such abilities.”
“Kui Xin, let’s make a hypothesis,” Jiang Meimei suggested. “If you found yourself in a dire situation and faced with two choices: consume Divine Blood to survive or wait for death… which would you choose?”
Kui Xin was silent for a long time: “I don’t want to consume Divine Blood; the horrific conditions of the Heterogeneous Blooded in prison are vivid in my mind. I absolutely cannot follow in their footsteps. If I became one of them, I’d undoubtedly be locked away, right? I can’t accept the body distortion. I want to die as a human, not as a monster. But if I were truly in such a dire situation, facing the choice of life or death… I fear I wouldn’t be able to hold my ground, though I sincerely wish to… Perhaps only in such dire straits would I be able to make a final choice.”
Jiang Meimei’s voice softened slightly: “You’re an honest and genuine person, Kui Xin.”
That was incorrect, Kui Xin thought. She was actually a hypocrite who could lie without batting an eye.
Contrary to her inner thoughts, Kui Xin replied: “I’m a pragmatic person. Do what needs to be done, and do my own tasks well—that’s been my motto all along.”
“I can see you’ve been practicing your motto,” Jiang Meimei noted.
During this Awakened qualification review, Kui Xin performed at a normal level, saying what needed to be said without revealing what shouldn’t be.
“Although the awakening of an Awakened involves some random factors, there are also certain patterns to observe,” Jiang Meimei explained. “The Federation Government has been searching for these patterns, and we need more Awakened.”
“What are these patterns? I’ve never looked into this kind of stuff before,” Kui Xin inquired.
“According to the data and information provided by the authorities, about eighty percent of Awakened experience their awakening amidst intense emotions, and sixty percent are in their developmental years,” Jiang Meimei said. “Emotions and physical factors are key to awakening. We’ll set this issue aside for now, as we haven’t confirmed your specific awakening time yet.”
“Haven’t confirmed the specific awakening time?” Kui Xin echoed.
“Yes. Your extraordinary ability manifests in self-healing; perhaps your awakening time wasn’t last night but rather you awakened long ago, just without sustaining any injuries, thus keeping it from showing,” Jiang Meimei suggested. “I’d like you to carefully recall if you have noticed any physical abnormalities during this time.”
Kui Xin furrowed her brow, pretending to think hard: “I obtained my extraordinary ability after the skull replacement surgery. If I’d awakened earlier, I wouldn’t have needed that surgery to get the iron skull… My awakening period started after the surgery, and during the time before last night, I haven’t sustained any serious injuries.”
“Well, that makes it a bit difficult to pinpoint,” Jiang Meimei considered. “It’s possible you awakened due to the severe injury to your head… In this uncertain situation, let’s record your extraordinary ability discovery time for now and indicate ‘awakening time: unspecified.'”
She said: “Adam, please provide Kui Xin with an electronic form.”
A light screen popped up in the office, and Adam said, “Please fill out the form truthfully.”
Kui Xin glanced at the form, typing on the projected keyboard to complete it.
The form’s content was extensive and detailed, which startled her slightly; it even required some information about her parents. Fortunately, Kui Xin had memorized the relevant information, so she filled out the form accurately.
Once she finished, Jiang Meimei turned the screen around and read Kui Xin’s information carefully.
“Your parents have passed away?” she asked.
Kui Xin lowered her gaze and replied, “I have a somewhat unfortunate family.”
“I’m very sorry,” Jiang Meimei said apologetically. “You see, the identity of the Awakened’s family is also included in the record to guard against certain unexpected events. There have been cases where extreme terrorist organizations have kidnapped the families of Awakened to force them to act; we take such matters very seriously.”
After reviewing the data, Jiang Meimei stood up from behind her desk, “Let’s go, Kui Xin. We need to go to the underground research facility to take your blood samples and body tissue samples.”
Kui Xin got up to follow her, and the metallic door of the office opened as they entered the elevator together.
“Adam, to the fifth basement floor,” Jiang Meimei instructed.
Adam responded, “The floor lock has been lifted.”
As the elevator descended, they could see the brightly lit research facility bustling with personnel.
Kui Xin and Jiang Meimei changed into dust-proof clothing before entering, heading to the research station at the far left.
Upon seeing Jiang Meimei, the researcher in a white lab coat nodded at her and looked at Kui Xin, asking, “Is she the one?”
“Yes, it’s her. Let’s draw blood for some tests first,” Jiang Meimei said.
The researcher gestured, “Please have a seat and roll up your sleeve.”
Kui Xin sat down and rolled up her sleeve, watching the researcher tie a band around her arm and insert a needle to draw blood.
When a tube was filled, the researcher placed a drop of blood under a microscope, muttering, “Does not match the blood characteristics of the Heterogeneous Blooded, shows no significant differences compared to normal human blood.”
After stepping away from the microscope, the researcher picked up a syringe containing anesthetic, saying, “Let me give you a local anesthetic; I’ll need to take a small piece of body tissue from your arm.”
As he spoke, the anesthetic was already injected into Kui Xin’s arm, and as soon as her arm felt numb, the researcher deftly took a small piece of flesh and placed it into a prepared glass container.
The small cut on Kui Xin’s arm healed within three seconds, leaving only a small stain of blood on her skin.
“Uh, the difference is quite apparent,” the researcher noted, examining Kui Xin’s flesh, “The body tissue of the Heterogeneous Blooded remains active outside their bodies and even moves, like severed octopus tentacles. This security officer’s tissue, however, is different—it behaves like cold, fresh pork after being cut, quiet and compliant.”
Kui Xin remarked: “You truly are a master of metaphors.”
“Thank you for the compliment,” the researcher straightened his back and adjusted his glasses. “It is certain that she has no relation to the Heterogeneous Blooded.”
“Alright, thank you for your help,” Jiang Meimei said. “We can leave now, Kui Xin.”
After taking off their dust-proof clothing, they entered the elevator. Jiang Meimei said cheerfully, “The review can stop here; your information will soon be officially added to the core archive.”
Kui Xin pondered, “Does this mean my salary can start to increase too? Will it be effective from this month?”
Jiang Meimei laughed, “Yes, that’s correct.”
“Thank you, Team Leader Jiang,” Kui Xin felt relieved.
Jiang Meimei replied, “Not a bother. The reason I’m serving as your reviewer besides Team Leader Wei’s mission is a bit special; those above like to give these tasks to me—more capable people have more responsibilities. If you reward me with a bit more salary, I won’t complain.”
The mention of “salary” resonated with Kui Xin: “That does make sense…”
“Don’t you want to ask why the higher-ups like to assign me these tasks?” Jiang Meimei asked with a smile.
“Isn’t it against protocol to ask about secrets?” Kui Xin hesitated.
“What an honest child,” Jiang Meimei paused suddenly and said, “My extraordinary ability is lie detection.”
Kui Xin: “…Huh?”
She just revealed that?! Kui Xin stared blankly at Jiang Meimei.
“Are you surprised by my extraordinary ability?” Jiang Meimei asked.
“A human lie detector… I had an inkling. Team Leader Jiang, you’re in charge of the criminal investigation team; you must often interrogate criminals, right?” Kui Xin remarked. “That ability must be very convenient.”
“Now that you’re an Awakened, some of the Investigation Bureau’s confidential information can be disclosed to you; your permissions are entirely different from before. You will be informed about the identities of other Awakened within the Investigation Bureau, and if you have opportunities in the future to collaborate on missions, you’ll come to understand their respective abilities,” Jiang Meimei explained. “I appreciate honest individuals, Kui Xin. Each formal member interview and Awakened qualification review has a layer of assessment involved; that’s why higher-ups like to send me as the interviewer and reviewer… As a human lie detector, I never make mistakes; even the most advanced lie detection instruments can’t match my extraordinary ability’s accuracy.”
“That… is understandable,” Kui Xin replied.
“Due to the uniqueness of your extraordinary ability, it’s currently difficult to determine your awakening level,” Jiang Meimei continued. “There’s no need to rush regarding this; we’ll need to confirm your awakening level and extraordinary ability characteristics through repeated tests and observation reports. The work in the Investigation Bureau is very tight right now, and since you are still with the Coastal Security Team, once you are transferred to headquarters, we’ll conduct Awakened training for you.”
Kui Xin said, “I understand.”
With a ding, the elevator doors opened.
Jiang Meimei said, “This is your floor; go ahead Kui Xin, you have passed the review and tests.”
She gently patted Kui Xin’s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.
Kui Xin stepped out of the elevator and said to Jiang Meimei, “Goodbye, Team Leader Jiang.”
The elevator doors closed.
Kui Xin stood frozen for a few seconds.
In this Awakened qualification review, the primary focus was on the origin of her extraordinary abilities, as her identity and purpose had already been questioned in her prior interview as an official member.
She had successfully passed both tests, which was a cause for celebration.
What seemed like an ordinary Q&A contained many traps; a careless misstep could lead to disaster.
Each of her responses was carefully considered, and she had to think cautiously even about using subjects, avoiding a drawn-out process that might hint at something amiss.
Communicating with Jiang Meimei left Kui Xin utterly exhausted. Reflecting on their interaction, she realized Jiang Meimei was also skilled in dialogue. Kui Xin couldn’t give vague responses every time; it was best to affirm or deny appropriately, showing her naiveté to make her lower her guard.
“Adam, what’s my work schedule for today?” Kui Xin flipped through her communicator but found no work emails.
“You were on the night shift last night, and now it’s daytime; it’s your time to rest,” Adam informed. “You can head home now, and whether you’ll participate in tonight’s coastal patrol depends on your physical recovery and Team Leader Shu’s arrangements.”
“I feel dizzy from work,” Kui Xin mumbled.
Less than a minute after leaving the elevator, she re-entered, this time heading to the first floor to leave the Investigation Building and take the electric tram home.
Last night, Kui Xin had a good rest, sleeping from around 1 AM to 7 AM; her night shift felt like it didn’t happen, so she could catch up on sleep during the day and be back to normal for patrol in the evening.
While waiting at the station for her tram, she sent a message to Xueyao Shu: “Team Leader, Team Leader Jiang said I passed the qualification review. I’m getting ready to go home and rest. What’s the plan for tonight’s patrol?”
To her surprise, after sending the message, Xueyao Shu called her directly.
“Hello?” Kui Xin held the communicator to her ear. “Team Leader, why haven’t you rested after the night shift?”
“I’ll sleep soon. Kui Xin, congratulations—you’re the first Awakened in our Seventh Squad,” Xueyao Shu said. “Are you sure your body is fine?”
“I feel good now, and I don’t feel fatigued at all,” Kui Xin replied. “The injuries I sustained have completely healed, so I should be able to participate in tonight’s patrol work.”
“How about this: you don’t need to patrol tonight; just sit in the office and handle communications,” Xueyao Shu decided. “Take care of your health; I’m worried your extraordinary abilities could have side effects.”
“Okay, I’ll be careful,” Kui Xin said. “Did anyone else get hurt last night? Did any of the other patrol teams encounter an attack from xenomorphs?”
“No, you were just unlucky enough to come across it,” Xueyao Shu sighed deeply. “I reported the situation at the port to Team Leader Wei; she said she would send more personnel to the port.”
Sending more personnel likely wouldn’t be favorable for Mechanized Dawn’s operation.
Kui Xin said, “Let’s hope there are more people to prevent any further xenomorph appearances. Killing that Scythe Demon was purely a matter of luck; if my luck had been a bit worse, I would have died there.”
“The Scythe Demon is a high-risk xenomorph. You’re its bane; the specimen museum can add another specimen now, and your name will be marked on the specimen jar as ‘The Executor, Kui Xin,'” Xueyao Shu noted.
“Sounds pretty cool,” Kui Xin shifted the conversation, “Team Leader, now that I’m an Awakened, will my identity and treatment be similar to yours? Am I still considered under your command?”
“Yes,” Xueyao Shu assured her. “You’re a newcomer, so your promotion won’t come that quickly. You’ll be on par with me once you become the captain of your own squad. Why do you ask?”
“I thought that since I’s awakened and you haven’t, maybe I could get promoted before you,” Kui Xin joked.
“Wanting to be my superior? Maybe after gaining a couple of years of experience,” Xueyao Shu laughed, “Anyway, I need to sleep now, so you should hurry home and rest as well.”
With the call ended, Kui Xin boarded the hover tram.
She didn’t like work at all; nobody likes work. Isn’t slacking off better? But if she didn’t work at the Investigation Bureau, she would have to spend more time dealing with Mechanized Dawn. Compared to the latter, the Investigation Bureau was easier to manage; at least she had established a more mature relationship with her teammates, finding her footing here.
Taking a random seat on the tram, Kui Xin expressionlessly activated her silver bracelet, checking to see if any members of Mechanized Dawn had sent her messages.
Generally speaking, messages from Red were the most important, so she checked his first.
00:23
“The port data has been analyzed and sent back to headquarters; the goal is to complete the bomb installation within the next three days.”
Just one message.
Thorn Rose hadn’t sent any messages, and Ambereye Black Obsidian, being under Red’s management, also hadn’t sent any.
Finally, there were the messages from Silverface.
As soon as Kui Xin opened the message interface, she unsurprisingly saw that Silverface had sent the most messages.
“Uh? It’s already six in the morning; you should be off your night shift, so why haven’t you gone home yet?”
“Why haven’t you even replied?”
“Red said there were gunshots at the port last night; it’s under lockdown. Is that what delayed your return?”
“You haven’t gotten into any trouble, have you?”
“Please tell me you’re alright!”
“Are you still alive?”
Kui Xin: Seven messages? That’s surprisingly few.
She typed back, “I’m alive and well, will be home soon.”
Silverface responded immediately, “What’s the matter with you?!”
“I sustained some minor injuries and stayed overnight in the hospital, didn’t have time to reply,” Kui Xin explained.
Silverface: “Minor injuries? What kind of minor injuries require a hospital stay?”
Kui Xin replied, “I’ll tell you when I get back.”
Silverface: “Alright… I’ll contact Red; he scolded me.”
Kui Xin asked, “What did he scold you for?”
Silverface rattled on, “He told me not to bug him with questions, that I was annoying. I said I messaged you, but you didn’t reply, and Red yelled at me, saying I was dumb for messaging you and that you’d reply whenever you saw it… I asked what if Lady Fortune died, and Red said there was no helping it; if it were that case, I shouldn’t message you, to avoid having your bracelet seized and your identity exposed… He told me to message you less in the future.”
Kui Xin felt a strong weight in her heart from Red’s words: “You should listen to him; he’s right.”
Silverface replied with a hint of grievance: “…”
It was no wonder Silverface had only sent seven messages during her absence; Red had given him a scolding. From Silverface’s words, it became clear that Red had caught wind of the xenomorph attack at the port. She should send him a message to provide an update.
“Red, last night there was a Scythe Demon lurking at the port, and I encountered it during the patrol.” Kui Xin sent half a message, not mentioning the handling of the incident or her awakening of extraordinary abilities, probing for his reaction.
A minute later, Red replied: “As soon as Silverface said you were missing, I felt something was off; are you okay? Were you splattered with blood?”
“I got splattered,” Kui Xin replied.
“Seriously? It shouldn’t be too dire; you wouldn’t be so calm replying if it was,” Red deduced.
“Not too dire, but not entirely fine either,” Kui Xin clarified. “My body healed under the influence of extraordinary ability.”
Red paused for a moment: “Did a healing-type Awakened treat your wounds, or did you awaken? I’ve never heard of any precious healing Awakened in Hei Hai City’s Investigation Bureau, so it must be the latter, right?”
“Yes,” Kui Xin simply replied. “An extraordinary ability that enhances self-healing.”
“Congratulations, your awakening timing is just right; you’ll attract attention from the high-ranking officials in the Investigation Bureau, which will make accessing confidential intelligence more convenient,” Red commented. “The boss trusts you the most; he wouldn’t feel safe with anyone else as an undercover operative.”
Kui Xin’s brow relaxed, then knitted together.
Aside from congratulating her on awakening, Red showed no other extraordinary reaction, which was excellent; it meant her ploy to disguise her awakening was successful. However, Red’s words further hinted at her status within Mechanized Dawn—she was trusted deeply by the leader.
Kui Xin shut off her bracelet, quietly gazing out the window.
She had returned to the Second World again, where towering buildings stood like iron giants beneath the sky, dark gray and pitch-black outlines visible as the commuter rush hour had subsided. The entire hover tram was empty except for her.
Quietly reflected, she got off the tram as it announced its arrival.
Walking down the familiar Peaceful Street, Kui Xin felt a sense of disconnection, as if she had returned from a different world.
The street was still the same, but this time when she walked through, it was not with the confusion she felt on her first visit. The last time she was here, she didn’t know if she could return to the First World, so she tried to accept the reality of the Second World with unease.
Now Kui Xin clearly understood that after seven days, she would return to her familiar First World. She lingered in the two worlds, belonging fully to neither, which made her wonder how long this existence would last.
Passing by the convenience store run by Xi Liang, Kui Xin hesitated for a moment, planning to buy a bottle of milk while checking on Xi Liang’s situation.
Xi Liang was sitting in a wheelchair by the register.
As soon as he saw Kui Xin enter, he grinned: “Senior, long time no see, here to buy something?”
“It hasn’t been that long,” Kui Xin remarked while selecting a bottle of milk and placing it on the counter for facial payment.
“One day apart feels like so long,” Xi Liang laughed awkwardly and said earnestly, “By the way, Senior, I’m planning to accept the talent development program from Rick Technology Company. Thinking about it, it’s pretty good; I can work for the company right after graduation, and I’ll get a discount on installing mechanical limbs… Although I might lose my freedom to choose jobs, it’s better than being stuck in a wheelchair, relying on my parents for everything. I’m at the age where I can’t afford to lose face…”
“Make sure you’ve thought it through, and don’t regret it,” Kui Xin said. “Did you carefully consider making this decision?”
“Yes,” Xi Liang replied. “I thought it through very carefully! The doctor said continuing to be paralyzed could lead to various infections and complications, and just one misstep could be fatal. Switching to mechanical limbs is a permanent solution. My first priority is to survive; living allows for more possibilities in the future!”
“That’s good; remain optimistic, and life will gradually improve,” Kui Xin said after paying. “Goodbye, Xi Liang.”
“Goodbye, Senior,” Xi Liang smiled back.
