Fu Tianhe left the clinic with his head full of a beautiful, heart-wrenching fantasy about Jiu Yue’s background. And the more he thought about it, the more exaggerated and embellished it became.

His eyes were misty as he boarded the bus, absentmindedly choosing a random seat. After a fifteen-minute ride and quite a bit of walking, it suddenly hit him—the scenery looked… off.

He glanced around.

Rows of run-down apartment buildings stretched on either side, the overhead rusted pipes had all been replaced with new parts where they’d once leaked. The ground was still dirty, but the pools of standing water were gone.

Only then did Fu Tianhe realize—

He hadn’t gone back to his own shabby little shack.

He’d somehow ended up at the nearest station to Jiu Yue’s home.

Fu Tianhe: …………

He was both amused and exasperated by his own nonsense. Slapping both cheeks to shake himself awake, he turned to leave—

Only to see the Omega youth standing right behind him.

Those amber eyes peeked out from beneath his mask and cap, silently staring at him.

Poof. Fu Tianhe’s face flushed red in an instant.

He opened his mouth, instinctively trying to explain that no, he wasn’t some creep who’d intentionally come all the way here… But his brain failed to organize the words, and all that came out was a flustered “Ah—uh—ah…”

Chen Ci’s eyes dropped to the crossbody bag slung at Fu Tianhe’s waist. Though it was buckled shut, the outline clearly revealed a wrench and some parts.

So it really was him fixing things around the neighborhood…

“You’re not at work today?” Chen Ci asked.

“Finished early this afternoon,” Fu Tianhe mumbled, his face still red. “I, uh… didn’t mean to come this way on purpose…”

Chen Ci didn’t understand why Fu Tianhe was acting so bashful. He stared at the Alpha for a few seconds. His face was unusually red—even his eye rims were faintly flushed.

Was he overheated? Or feeling unwell?

Chen Ci asked, “Are you sick?”

“Huh? No no no, I’m fine!” Fu Tianhe waved his hands frantically, trying to calm down. But his heart was pounding hard enough to hear, and he could almost feel his blood rushing through his veins.

Since Fu Tianhe said he was fine, Chen Ci didn’t ask further. He had originally planned to find the Alpha anyway.

Well, this saves me a trip.

“I probably won’t be coming to study for the next few days,” he said bluntly.

Fu Tianhe looked surprised. “Not coming? Do you have something else going on?”

“Mm.”

His heart, which hadn’t calmed down at all, suddenly dropped a few degrees. Fu Tianhe’s voice tightened. “Can you tell me what it is?”

He had just started to learn more about Jiu Yue. Was he now going to stop seeing him every night?

Jiu Yue clearly liked mechanics. He had just picked up a new book yesterday. What could possibly make him set that aside? Was it because of that guy from the junkyard yesterday? Had he scared him off?

“I just want to go look around,” Chen Ci said before Fu Tianhe’s imagination ran any wilder. “See more of Chensha.”

So… just sightseeing?

Fu Tianhe sighed in relief. Jiu Yue had always liked to wander. Back when they first met, he’d thought Jiu Yue was new to the 13th Information Processing Zone.

If Jiu Yue wasn’t coming to the shack anymore, it meant he couldn’t see him every day.

Without hesitation, Fu Tianhe said, “Can I go with you?”

Chen Ci looked at him. “Don’t you have work?”

Fu Tianhe grinned. “I’m a temp worker. Get paid weekly. I’ve only been in Chensha for a few months—used to work elsewhere. Hard to find anything permanent.”

“You’ll lose income.”

“It’s fine. I’ve got some savings. I’ve been wanting to explore anyway. If we go together, we can look out for each other—and it’ll be cheaper too.”

He really looked eager to join.

It was true—Fu Tianhe worked hard every day, constantly scavenging parts in trash heaps and fighting over scraps. Wanting to take a break made sense.

As for any hidden motives… Chen Ci couldn’t be bothered to guess. He didn’t care.

When Chen Ci didn’t answer, Fu Tianhe softened his voice: “Come on, let me tag along. It’ll be safer, and we can split costs.”

Chen Ci almost said he didn’t need the help—he had tens of thousands in his account.

But when he saw the Alpha’s hopeful gaze, he kept his lips sealed.

Fu Tianhe was a head taller than him, looking down with puppy-dog eyes, his face still tinged pink. That black eye of his reminded Chen Ci of the beagles from the lab—pressing their noses to the bars of their cages, looking at him just like this.

He’d passed by such gazes countless times, silently, leaving their quiet whimpers behind.

“Whatever you want,” Chen Ci said at last.

“Yes!” Fu Tianhe lit up instantly, all previous awkwardness forgotten. “I’ll head home and pack. When are we leaving?”

“Tomorrow. Or the day after. I’ll message you.”

Fu Tianhe started calculating their budget. He’d have to quit his job, but he’d just made a big profit selling the Samuelton component, and after repaying the clinic, he still had plenty left. With a bit of restraint, it would be enough for both of them for at least a month.

He didn’t know that Chen Ci was practically a little rich kid now.

“You were coming to find me, right?” Fu Tianhe asked. “Since we’ve already run into each other, want to go buy some stuff for the trip together?”

“Sure.” That was exactly what Chen Ci had planned.

They caught a bus to the nearby commercial district, sitting side by side in the back.

Chen Ci glanced at Fu Tianhe, who had acted so impulsively. “Are you really okay quitting your job?”

“I never planned on staying long-term. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have just picked up a basic mechanic job.” Fu Tianhe’s easy tone put Chen Ci at ease.

He didn’t want to cause trouble for others.

Normally, he wouldn’t even ask such things—what others did wasn’t his business.

But perhaps remembering the quote on the engineering book’s first page, he asked, “You were somewhere else before?”

“Yeah. I only came to Chensha a few months ago from another beacon.”

Fu Tianhe glossed over it casually, then started enthusiastically describing other things:

“If you’re into traveling, you have to try sea voyages. There are islands at the tops of ocean ridges, each one with completely unique scenery. If you’re lucky, you can even make landfall.”

This was the first time Chen Ci had heard Fu Tianhe talk about his past.

Jiu Yue might’ve seemed shrouded in mystery, but to Chen Ci, Fu Tianhe was just as much of a puzzle.

The closest beacon to Chensha was Blue Alum, on the Arabian Plateau—nearly 7,000 kilometers away. It’d take eight hours by aircraft, or eleven to twelve days by sea.

What could’ve driven an Alpha to cross oceans alone just to come here?

If it were Chen Nian sitting here, he’d probably be trying to pry answers out of him by now.

But Chen Ci didn’t care to guess. He wasn’t the curious type. The fact he’d asked even one extra question was already a miracle.

Fu Tianhe described his journey across the sea. The ocean that swallowed the world was deceptively calm on the surface but hid countless dangers beneath.

Primitive lifeforms now fused with remnants of human machinery, turning into terrifying, unimaginable hybrids—no longer the fish and shrimp people once caught in the distant past.

These creatures attacked humans with intense aggression—or perhaps, they were simply drawn to the mechanical parts of ships, craving them as nourishment.

Anyone who valued their life wouldn’t risk open-sea travel. Only the desperate did.

For Fu Tianhe to have survived a two-week journey to reach Chensha—it was no small feat.

He clearly had rich travel experience. Having him as a travel companion—someone dependable and not annoying—was actually a pretty good deal.

They soon arrived at the commercial district and headed straight for a store specializing in outdoor exploration gear.

“What kind of trip are you planning? Just sightseeing, or something more adventurous?”

“Something exciting.”

Fu Tianhe wasn’t surprised. He still remembered how Jiu Yue had insisted on riding the mine cart over and over at the amusement park.

Beneath the quiet, introverted Omega exterior was a heart that craved freedom and thrill.

Fu Tianhe bought all the necessary survival gear—climbing rope, multipurpose knife, fire starter, tent, sleeping bag, moisture mat. He had flashlights at home, so no need to spend extra there.

Chen Ci browsed the shelves of food supplies. The array of picnic cans and compressed meals dazzled him.

He picked a few canned goods and a set of nutrition packs—deliberately avoiding the strawberry-flavored ones labeled “for Omegas.”

While Fu Tianhe was off asking the clerk about a vaporizer stove, Chen Ci went ahead and paid for everything at the counter.

Beep. His terminal buzzed. Transaction complete.

He calmly began stacking the cans.

Fu Tianhe returned with the stove in hand. “This should be the last thing we need.”

The clerk scanned it and said, “The rest has already been paid for.”

“Already paid?” Fu Tianhe blinked.

Just then, Chen Ci stepped forward and paid for the stove too.

“Let’s go,” he said simply.

It took Fu Tianhe a second to register what had happened. “Wait—why’d you pay for everything?”

Chen Ci gave him a strange look. “It’s stuff I need for the trip. Shouldn’t I pay for it?”

The logic was so sound, Fu Tianhe couldn’t even argue.

He had saved money, yes—but he’d also lost his chance to be useful.

So he could only carry the two massive bags and follow Chen Ci out of the store.

After a few steps, Fu Tianhe finally mumbled, “This stuff must’ve cost a lot… You don’t need to feel bad. I can earn money pretty easily. You’ve still got family to take care of, and you have to—”

He never finished the sentence. “You have to save up for medical bills.”

Because Chen Ci raised his wrist.

Delicate and pale like porcelain, his wrist bone was gently defined, skin smooth, faint blue veins barely visible underneath. Even the texture of his skin was clearly seen in the light.

Its structure was more intricate than any machine.

Fu Tianhe stared dumbfounded at the image, until he realized Chen Ci was showing him the screen on his terminal.

He quickly looked—and saw a number.

It started with a 3, followed by four zeroes. Over 30,000 Augis.

Fu Tianhe, with barely a third of that in his own account: ???

Fu Tianhe, who thought Jiu Yue was barely scraping by and couldn’t even afford bus fare once: ………………

So he was the only one who was broke?!?!