Chapter 2

Seven or eight military vehicles stopped at the entrance of the welfare center. The director, accompanied by a group of administrators, greeted them warmly and escorted the visitors into the center.

In the past, people from Cloud Peak would occasionally visit the welfare center. Everyone would stand in the courtyard, waiting to be chosen, hoping that the officers would select one or two lucky children to take with them, while the rest would return to their dormitories disappointed.

But this time was different. Not only had the welfare center been rehearsing for half a month in advance, but so many vehicles and distinguished guests had also arrived. The children thought many of them might be chosen this time, so they put all their effort into their performances.

“Director Liu, it seems lively here,” remarked a young officer in his early thirties, walking on the far right, smiling at Director Liu.

Director Liu quickly responded, “Colonel Gu, the children have been eagerly anticipating the visit of Senator Wu, Senator Wang, Senator Chen, Colonel Gu, and Young Master Chu. Although the welfare center’s conditions are harsh, their enthusiasm for welcoming distinguished guests is unstoppable.”

“Yes, not bad, very lively and full of energy,” nodded Senator Wu, who was at the center of the group.

Everyone was chatting and laughing, except for the young man walking beside Senator Wu, who remained silent, his eyes downcast, focusing on a small patch of ground ahead.

The young man was handsome, with an air of nobility. His figure, tall and upright like a growing bamboo, was accentuated by a navy blue suit jacket layered with a woolen coat. He carried a small black leather bag and seemed uninterested in everything around him, his face devoid of expression, exuding a coldness that kept others at a distance.

“…That’s why we said that during this inspection of the Abyss, we must not only visit the mines but also take a look at Angel Welfare Center,” Senator Wu said, glancing at the young man beside him while addressing the others. “Chu Ya may be young, but he’s steady in his work. President Chu had important matters to attend to, so his son came to inspect in his place, much better than my son, who only knows how to play.”

“I’ve long heard that Young Master Chu is extraordinary, and seeing him in person truly lives up to the reputation.”

“Young Master Chu has already entered his differentiation period; soon, he will become either a Sentinel or a Guide.”

“No wonder he’s already so tall at twelve years old. I’m 170 cm, and he’s almost my height.”

“Entering the differentiation period is a big deal; no wonder President Chu has been in such a good mood lately.”

…

Despite the compliments, the young man showed no signs of joy but finally reacted to the situation.

He nodded slightly, his voice cool and polite, “Thank you, uncles, for your kind words.”

“Come on, don’t praise him too much. My cousin is shy and doesn’t like hearing these things,” Colonel Gu said with a smile, walking over and reaching out to pat Chu Ya’s shoulder. “Am I right, little Ya?”

Chu Ya moved slightly, as if wanting to avoid the hand on his shoulder, but he restrained himself, only frowning subtly.

The honor guard had already moved to the back of the queue. As Senator Wu and his party approached, they stood where the honor guard had been, smiling at the children who were still singing.

“…How happy our lives are, how loud our songs are, angels gather here, sowing hope… La la la, my warm home, la la la, the place where I grow…”

All the children sang earnestly, even the youngest in the small class. They hoped to perform well enough to be chosen and taken to Cloud Peak.

Shen Qianqian also wanted to go to Cloud Peak.

Standing in the front row, he sang with all his heart, closing his eyes and tilting his head back, singing with his face contorted, his head trembling. Before each line, he took a deep breath and then shouted out with all his might, making sure every word could be heard.

“La la la, my warm home…”

As he opened his eyes again, Shen Qianqian, still tilting his head and shouting, suddenly fell silent.

A figure appeared before him—a tall, strikingly handsome boy he had never seen before, standing right in front of him, looking down at him with a blank expression.

Who is this?

He’s so tall, and so good-looking…

Why is he here? Did he come from Cloud Peak?

Shen Qianqian momentarily forgot to sing, staring blankly at Chu Ya, his face red from the cold, his mouth slightly open.

A few seconds later, two streams of clear snot slowly dripped from his nostrils.

Chu Ya’s pupils contracted sharply, and his hands, hanging at his sides, slowly clenched before he quickly turned his face away, avoiding the sight.

It took Shen Qianqian a few more seconds to regain his senses. He inhaled sharply, sucking the snot back in, and, without taking his eyes off the person in front of him, continued singing loudly.

“La la la, my warm home.”

After Shen Qianqian shouted out, Chu Ya, who had turned his face away, closed his eyes.

“La la la—cough, cough, cough.” Because he had screamed with all his might, Shen Qianqian’s throat suddenly felt itchy, and he couldn’t hold back a coughing fit. “La—cough, cough—I grow—cough, cough, cough.”

Once he started coughing, he couldn’t stop. After forcing out a few more words, he finally gave up, coughing so hard that he was out of breath, and tears welled up in his eyes.

Although the others were far away, Chu Ya could clearly hear what was happening and turned his head back, looking at Shen Qianqian with a detached expression.

Shen Qianqian, with teary eyes, stared back at Chu Ya. But now, not only was his throat itchy, but it also felt dry, as if the walls of his throat were sticking together. Unable to hold back, he let out a dry, gagging cough. “Ugh…”

Chu Ya, who had been staring at Shen Qianqian, suddenly froze, and a faint crack appeared on his usually calm and cold face.

Fortunately, Shen Qianqian finally managed to calm down, only panting without coughing anymore, and by this time, the choir performance had already ended.

“Now, let’s welcome Senator Wu to speak. Everyone, please give a warm round of applause.”

“Next, let’s welcome Senator Wang to speak. Everyone, please give a warm round of applause.”

…

As the long speeches continued, the light gradually brightened, but the temperature remained very low. The children, breathing out white puffs, clapped with their hands, red from the cold, trembling slightly.

Shen Qianqian continued to stare at Chu Ya, his curiosity unhidden.

This person looks so good, even better than Shi Khelang Wang Zhusheng’s older brother, better than the best-looking child in the welfare center.

He’s so tall, he must be really good at fighting, and probably great at grabbing food too.

He’s wearing a cloth band around his neck like an adult—it looks so nice. If I had one of those, I’d tie it the same way.

“…The children are living happily, which makes us very pleased. With everyone’s efforts, the Abyss will definitely be built into something even better…”

Though Chu Ya stood quietly, he couldn’t suppress the annoyance bubbling up inside him. He knew it was due to the emotional fluctuations of his differentiation period, so he looked over at Colonel Gu, who was standing on the other side.

Colonel Gu met his gaze, gave a knowing smile, and then leaned over to speak a few words to one of the administrators. The administrator nodded repeatedly and then walked over to Chu Ya.

“Young Master Chu, please, come this way. You can rest in the lounge for a while.”

Chu Ya immediately followed the administrator to the rest area. Just as he stepped onto the platform, a thunderous round of applause erupted behind him. He instinctively turned his head and saw the speaker smiling broadly, while those around him nodded in agreement.

Uninterested, he looked away, only to notice that the little boy was still staring at him, with two long trails of snot hanging from his nose.

Chu Ya’s gaze lingered on the boy for half a second before he saw the boy suddenly raise his hand and wipe his nose with the back of it, leaving a shiny layer of mucus on his left cheek.

Chu Ya stumbled slightly, and the administrator quickly cautioned, “Be careful, Young Master Chu.”

He quickly turned back, took a deep breath, and hastened his steps.

The lounge in the welfare center was warm, with soft sofas, paintings on the walls, and fresh flowers from Cloud Peak on the coffee table. It was clear that the welfare center had gone to great lengths to prepare for their visit.

After the administrator left, Chu Ya hung up his coat on the rack, took a small medicine bottle from his leather bag, swallowed a pill, and then pulled out a small brush to dust off his coat, despite there being no visible dirt.

He was a germaphobe and disliked being touched by others.

Especially that dirty child, who had shouted so loudly at him that he could see the little tongue trembling in his throat. He had coughed at him like a machine gun, probably spraying who knows how many droplets of saliva. He suspected that if he had been a little closer, that child would have wiped his snot on him.

Thinking of this, Chu Ya meticulously brushed his coat again before taking out a small bottle of disinfectant from his bag. He rubbed his hands together, spraying both his coat and himself. Finally, he removed his tie, folded it carefully, placed it in his coat pocket, and slowly walked over to the window.

Outside the window was the playground. Through the thick glass, the applause and speeches sounded distant, and all he could see were the children still standing obediently in the cold wind, occasionally raising their hands in unison to clap.

Chu Ya looked out into the gray, hazy distance and then tilted his head up.

In his field of vision, the sky was still murky and gray, but high above, he could vaguely make out the outline of a black object, like a tiny celestial body.

That was the floating city above the Abyss, the place where he lived—Cloud Peak.

Knock, knock, knock.

The door opened, and Colonel Gu walked in.

“These people just go on and on. I can’t stand it, and I know you can’t either.” Colonel Gu closed the door behind him and walked over to the coffee table with a thermos cup in hand. “It’s so cold and damp, this weather is terrible.”

He picked up the thermos and poured water into the cup, asking, “Did you take your medicine?”

“Yes.”

“During the differentiation period, it’s common for emotions to be unstable. In the first six months of my differentiation into a Sentinel, I broke five punching bags, and even medication didn’t help,” Colonel Gu said as he walked over to Chu Ya, handing him the thermos. “Here, drink some hot water.”

Chu Ya didn’t respond immediately, so Colonel Gu added, “I know you like cleanliness. I haven’t used this cup today, and it was washed before.”

Chu Ya glanced at the cup briefly before turning his gaze away. “I’m not thirsty.”

The smile on Colonel Gu’s face stiffened momentarily, and a shadow flickered in his eyes. His features, already leaning towards a more delicate and feminine look, now appeared somewhat cold and sinister.

But his expression quickly softened again as he took a sip from the thermos, joking, “You, Young Master Chu, were raised with such care. It’s natural that you would find your cousin unsatisfactory, refusing even a clean cup that I prepared. I’ll remember that… So, what were you looking at earlier?”

“I was looking at Cloud Peak,” Chu Ya replied.

Colonel Gu looked up as well. “I know you dislike it here, but just hold on a little longer, and we can go back.”

Chu Ya remained silent, his face reflected in the window glass. His features, sharp and newly emerging, were softened by the blur of the glass, giving him a clean and handsome appearance.

Applause erupted from the playground again.

“…With Cloud Peak’s governance, the children of the Abyss can grow strong, with everyone having enough food and clothing…”

Chu Ya lowered his head and saw that the person holding the microphone was now Director Liu, indicating that the speeches were nearing their end. His gaze naturally fell on the front row, looking for that dirty little boy.

The boy’s gray cotton coat was too large, with a small neck poking out of the collar. The coat’s hem nearly reached his calves, revealing short legs in gray corduroy pants. He wore a gray cotton hat, with flaps covering his ears, giving him a silly and somewhat ridiculous appearance.

Chu Ya noticed that although the boy stood upright, he was fidgeting. His hands were clasped behind his back, with two fingers tapping alternately, as if rhythmically striking something. The child standing behind him was also tapping his thighs with his hands, hanging by his sides, in a left-right pattern.

Chu Ya unconsciously speculated about their actions, while Colonel Gu, casually spinning the thermos in his hands, remarked, “Who wouldn’t be fed up with this place? This is the Abyss, filled with cold, dirt, despair, and rot.”

Chu Ya pulled his thoughts away from the dirty boy, steadied himself, and replied earnestly, “Actually, I’ve always been curious about what the Abyss is like. I don’t know, and neither do my classmates at the military academy. Yesterday, my father suddenly called me into his study and said I should come and see the Abyss for myself, so I came. I’ve imagined the Abyss many times and knew life here wasn’t as good as Cloud Peak, but still…”

“But still, it exceeded your expectations?” Colonel Gu interjected.

Chu Ya frowned. “We went to the mines in the middle of the night. The ore that the miners extract is the energy needed for the levitation engines that keep Cloud Peak afloat. But they don’t even have enough to eat—”

“What can be done?” Colonel Gu interrupted, raising a hand. “Because of changes in the soil, the Abyss is unsuitable for growing crops. Now all the food is produced on Cloud Peak. But how big is Cloud Peak? The fact that it produces enough to feed so many people is already impressive.”

Chu Ya’s face remained cold. “But no one on Cloud Peak ever goes hungry or cold.”

Colonel Gu’s pale eyes locked onto Chu Ya. “This world is survival of the fittest. The strong ascend to Cloud Peak, and the weak remain in the Abyss. Don’t think it’s unfair. Look at the people in the Abyss. Give them a bowl of food, give them a little hope, and they’re obedient, satisfied. They may live in ignorance, but they’re happy.”

Chu Ya pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing, his gaze fixed on the outside through the glass.

Colonel Gu continued, “The conditions in the Abyss are indeed poor, and there’s a gap between it and Cloud Peak. But we’re trying to change that; otherwise, we wouldn’t be here inspecting. You’re the son of Chairman Chu, born into privilege. There’s no need to concern yourself with these matters—”

Before he could finish his sentence, Chu Ya abruptly turned around without any warning and strode toward the door.

Colonel Gu paused mid-sentence. “Where are you going?”

Chu Ya took his coat off the rack, put it on, grabbed his bag, and walked out the door without a word.

His footsteps quickly faded down the staircase, leaving the room empty. Colonel Gu lifted his thermos cup, gently blew away the steam, and then turned to look out the window.

The pale light above cast shifting shadows across his face, adding an inexplicable chill to his expression.