After living here for a week, Cheng Jin finally began to adjust to the cold climate. The house assigned to them was a two-story wooden building, fully furnished with a living room, dining room, reception area, bedroom, and storeroom on the first floor. The second floor had three bedrooms, providing ample space for their family of three. The house also had a small courtyard, which included a moderately-sized hot spring pool.

The first time Cheng Jin soaked in the hot spring, he felt so relaxed that it seemed as if his entire body had melted. Bathing in the hot spring amidst the icy snow was incredibly enjoyable. If possible, he would have loved to sip a small cup of wine while soaking. However, stepping out of the hot spring was another story. The cold was unbearable, and even with the heating inside the house, the temperature hovered around ten degrees Celsius. Cheng Jin often shivered at night when he slept alone.

With no regular food supply, they had to rely on a daily bowl of nutritional soup. While it met their basic dietary needs, its bland taste made it difficult for Cheng Jin to swallow. Without a light screen, all forms of entertainment seemed to have come to a halt. He lacked materials to make clothes, leaving him feeling idle during that first week, unsure of what to do with himself.

There were chores to be done, though. Without the help of small household robots, they had to handle all the housework themselves—cleaning, washing clothes, tidying up rooms. Cheng Jin had never done these tasks before, so at first, they seemed quite difficult. But if he didn’t do them, they would be even harder for anyone else.

For example, Cheng Xu should never be allowed near fire. He nearly set the house on fire while trying to boil water. Due to the insufficient gas supply, they often had to collect firewood or buy coal for heating. Cheng Xu, unable to handle delicate tasks, would collect firewood with the neighbors and then stack it in the backyard for heating or boiling water.

Compared to Cheng Jin and Cheng Xu, their brother Cheng Zheng adapted the fastest. He made several friends on the second day and joined their movie club, often returning home only after dark.

A week later, the brothers went to the local market for the first time. The population on this geothermal planet was scattered, though not as widely as on the Imperial Planet. The settlements were divided into towns, with considerable distances between them, so the market was held only once every five days. Having missed the previous one, they made sure to arrive early this time.

“I need to buy materials for making blankets and sweaters, along with some small items. I’d also like to get a light screen, or at least a computer that can connect to the internet,” Cheng Jin said, counting on his fingers and looking slightly worried. “I hope after buying all this, I can get some orders. Otherwise, I’ll have to set up a stall at the market, but I won’t be able to charge too much.” He had asked around about local prices, and they were pitifully low. Even under ideal conditions, a finished product might sell for only a twentieth of its original price.

Cheng Xu rubbed his head. “Don’t worry too much. We still have funds to last over two months. We won’t run out that fast.”

“But we don’t have much left, right?” Cheng Jin asked, feeling a bit discouraged. “It was my poor planning. I should have remembered to exchange some paper money.”

Cheng Xu smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll have a job soon.”

Cheng Jin was surprised. “What job? When did you start looking for one?” He had only seen Cheng Xu busy collecting firewood lately.

“We’ll talk about it once it’s settled. Come on, let’s go into the market.”

The market was enclosed and heated from the ground. Although the temperature inside was about ten degrees Celsius, it was much warmer compared to the outdoor temperature of minus twenty or thirty degrees. This was Cheng Jin’s second time at the market, and it looked very different from those on Planet Sunshine. He was amazed by the variety of goods and immediately rushed over when he spotted a yarn shop.

With very little money, he managed to buy a large amount of raw materials, which made him quite happy. He then dragged his brother to buy other items and visited a shop that sold electronic products.

This shop was more luxuriously decorated than others, but when they asked if any light screens were available, the owner shook his head. “High-end products like that don’t get sold on our small planet. Honestly, I’ve only seen them in newspapers or on TV, or in the hands of the manager at the Sunny Hotel.”

“Sunny Hotel?” Cheng Jin was surprised. “The chain hotel that Yan Qi runs? He always bragged about opening branches worldwide. I thought he was exaggerating, but there’s really one here?”

Cheng Xu’s expression paled but quickly recovered. He asked the owner, “Do you have other types of computers?”

“Yes, of course! This model here is one of our best-sellers. It has an LCD screen and a powerful dual-core processor. The response time for opening web pages is 0.01 seconds, provided the internet speed is good. Plus, it’s light, only five kilograms with the case.”

“Only five kilograms?” Cheng Jin murmured under his breath. “That’s pretty heavy…”

The owner laughed. “It can’t compare with high-end products, but it’s the best we’ve got on our planet, and the price isn’t too high.” Physical computers, nearly obsolete on the Imperial Planet, were considered high-end here. Cheng Jin was surprised, but not entirely. He had visited the relatively backward Planet Sunshine before.

While Cheng Xu bargained with the owner, Cheng Jin wandered around the shop, fascinated by items he had never seen before—radios and record players, things that had been integrated into the most advanced light screens, making these objects seem ancient.

As he explored, he suddenly heard the name “General Lu Tao” on the corner TV but didn’t react at first. When he did, his body froze. He quickly turned toward the TV, just in time to catch a glimpse of Lu Tao before the screen switched to another scene. Cheng Jin stood there, distressed, as he realized the news was about the Indira incident.

The scandal involving two generations of Eastern Ministers of Civil Affairs conducting human experiments had shocked the world. Though the issue had been exposed before, it had been suppressed until the military intervened, revealing everything. After losing power, Indira ordered his subordinates to take hostages in a desperate attempt to force the president to sign an agreement making the experimental planet independent. Fortunately, General Lu Tao’s forces arrived in time to capture Indira, rescuing the hostages and test subjects.

This major case, spanning a century, left the world stunned. The sight of those transformed into “monsters” by the experiments sparked protests on many planets, with calls to reinstate the death penalty to ensure Indira and his accomplices would face justice.

The news anchor, a beautiful woman, spoke with a slightly mournful tone: “In this rescue operation, we lost one hundred and thirty soldiers, and fifty-three hostages tragically died. Moreover, the bodies of nine hostages have yet to be found. Experts speculate they may have been thrown into folded space, never to be recovered.” The names and ages of the deceased soldiers and hostages scrolled across the screen.

Seeing his father’s, brother’s, and his own name on that list, Cheng Jin froze. He suddenly realized how easily their unconventional rescue could have been misunderstood.

Did Lu Tao now think he was dead?

Cheng Jin’s mind went blank as he stood there for a few more minutes. The news had ended, and a drama from some unknown planet began to play. Slowly, he walked back toward his brother.

Cheng Xu had finished negotiating a good price and bought what he called the “most high-end” computer available. While waiting for it to be packed, he noticed his younger brother’s troubled expression and quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“Not really.” Cheng Jin’s voice faltered. After a moment, he told his brother what he had just seen on the news, expecting Cheng Xu to be surprised. However, Cheng Xu appeared calm, as if he already knew. Cheng Jin couldn’t help but ask, “Did you already know?”

“I saw it in the newspaper earlier,” Cheng Xu admitted.

“But our names are on the death list, and that’s a mistake…” Cheng Jin stammered. “Shouldn’t we clarify it?”

“Why clarify?” Cheng Xu asked, his tone calm.

Cheng Jin was taken aback. “I mean, we’re still alive…”

“Who cares? We left the Imperial Planet to cut ties with our past. What’s the point of clarifying it now?” Cheng Xu’s voice wasn’t sharp, but his words weighed heavily on Cheng Jin. “Do you think Lu Tao would be sad?”

“I… I don’t know…” Cheng Jin had wanted to clarify it, partly out of concern for Lu Tao. But when his brother questioned him, he realized it might not matter.

After all, Lu Tao probably wouldn’t care whether he was alive or dead.

Seeing his brother’s dejected look, Cheng Xu gently ruffled his hair and spoke softly, “There’s no need. Let them think we’re dead, and we’ll just live our lives. It’s better this way.” He had tried not to think about how Yan Qi would react to seeing the death list. Even now, he avoided the thought.

He had freed himself from that person and was no longer bound by them.

And it pleased their father, which was an added benefit.