Chapter 38
On this planet, two-thirds of the day were shrouded in a ceaseless downpour. When the weather cleared, Qi Yan followed Lu Fenghan, exploring out of the conical formation that served as their temporary shelter. Although they still hadn’t seen any traces of life, this experience was quite novel for Qi Yan.
However, after two days, Qi Yan couldn’t walk anymore. He just picked up a few pieces of ore to study.
It was still raining heavily outside. Lu Fenghan casually tossed small pieces of stone the size of fingernails. “If this kind of ore isn’t listed in the Alliance records, you might be the first person to discover it.”
Qi Yan was busy documenting the external structure of this ore when he heard this. He looked up and asked, “What’s the point?”
“Of course, there is. If you discover a new ore or a new mining planet, the Alliance will reward the discoverer with a large sum of star coins. If the ore is very valuable, a portion of all profits generated by the Leto Consortium will be shared with the discoverer.”
Lu Fenghan knew a lot about miscellaneous matters. “So, many interstellar drifters like to drive a shabby small starship, equipped with a set of excavation and appraisal tools, to dig around on various barren planets. Sometimes, there are no results for months or even half a year, but once found, they might instantly become rich.”
When he was on the front lines during the ceasefire, many low-ranking soldiers also liked to do this. Lu Fenghan had always turned a blind eye to it. It was fine for them to go prospecting and mining, but they had to record the exact location of each planet, its surface ecology, atmospheric conditions, and gravitational state, and submit this information to their superiors.
Therefore, the starmap of the Southern Cross Region’s front line was particularly detailed and could be quite useful in critical moments.
Qi Yan listened intently. “Has anyone succeeded?”
Lu Fenghan recounted the tale with the flair of a seasoned storyteller. “Of course, there was someone I knew before. Their entire starship crashed onto the surface of a planet, creating a massive crater.” He gestured casually. “After they recovered from the shock, they found rare minerals exposed in the crater. The Alliance rewarded them with sixteen million star coins. But with over three hundred crew members on the starship, each person only received fifty thousand, which barely improved their food quality for a short period.”
Qi Yan nodded thoughtfully. “Fifty thousand star coins? That’s indeed quite paltry.”
Lu Fenghan fell silent for a moment.
If the Alliance hadn’t deposited his salary into his account on time, with all his current savings combined, it should be even less than “paltry”…
Perhaps one less zero?
Inadvertently, he was confronted by the stark reality of his poverty.
Qi Yan showed Lu Fenghan the ore in his hand. “Although there are no instruments to observe the internal structure, judging from its cross-section and the residue left after burning, it should be quite valuable.”
Lu Fenghan didn’t doubt Qi Yan’s words. “Then, take a guess at the reserves of this ore.”
“Very large.” Qi Yan pointed to the ground. “The rainwater falls directly and seeps through, without forming streams. There might be this type of ore everywhere underground.”
Without hesitation, he promised, “If the Alliance rewards sixteen million star coins, I’ll give you fifteen million.”
“Being so generous might not be in your best interest,” Lu Fenghan teased, while a vague sense of anticipation stirred in his heart. He intentionally asked, “Why give me so much?”
Qi Yan: “Because I am already quite wealthy.”
Lu Fenghan: “……”
It made perfect sense.
After studying the ore thoroughly, Qi Yan wrapped himself in Lu Fenghan’s coat, projecting the screen of his personal terminal into the air, his mind focused on refining the structure of “Pojun.”
Lu Fenghan noticed that although Qi Yan was delicate and demanding, his fussiness and demands were well-measured.
Moreover, his adaptability was remarkably strong, making Lu Fenghan think that they were still in the comfort of their home on Leto rather than beneath a few slabs of stone on a barren planet, awaiting a rescue that might never come.
Without disturbing Qi Yan, Lu Fenghan settled into the solitude, a state he was quite accustomed to. Drawing from habits cultivated on the front lines, he opened the simulation battlefield on his personal terminal, selecting a battle from forty years ago as the backdrop, immersing himself in a strategic game of warfare.
The rain continued unabated as the two of them took refuge beneath the towering conical formation, each engrossed in their own tasks.
Three days passed in this manner. Tearing open a packet of nutritional supplement for Qi Yan, Lu Fenghan swallowed his own portion in two gulps. “When we return to Leto, what’s the first thing you’ll do?”
Qi Yan answered without hesitation, “Take a bath.”
Lu Fenghan chuckled, pinching his cheek. “Ah, indeed a cleanliness fanatic.” Then he remembered, “I only brought a day’s worth of medication for you. It’s been two days in Leto time since you last took it. Will there be any problems?”
“Fortunately,” Qi Yan paused for a moment, “I can’t distinguish which memories are real and which are not from these three days. Different events from different times are all jumbled together, but my emotions are stable.”
Lu Fenghan frowned. “What’s the purpose of the medication?”
After asking this, Lu Fenghan thought, perhaps it was because there were only the two of them on this planet. With only each other for company, questions that once felt out of bounds, due to social etiquette or other hesitations, now flowed naturally between them.
“Mainly to eliminate negative emotions like fear and anxiety, allowing me to calmly and rationally distinguish between true and false memories, with some additional auxiliary effects,” Qi Yan mumbled while nibbling on the nutritional supplement. “But I’ve gotten used to it, it’s fine.”
However, Lu Fenghan didn’t think it was “fine.” “When we get back, you’ll take the medication, and I’ll make sure you do.”
Qi Yan nodded, not finishing the nutritional supplement in one gulp but instead savoring it slowly, while continuing to refine the structure of “Pojun.”
After writing several lines of code, he asked Lu Fenghan, “If, hypothetically speaking, you were a soldier on the front lines, would you want an artificial intelligence to chat with you, telling you jokes or small stories?”
“If such a feature existed, it would be nice. Sometimes, relaxation is needed.”
“What about small stories?”
“That would be good too.”
“Do you prefer someone who talks a lot or someone who talks less?”
Lu Fenghan pondered for a few seconds. “Someone who talks a bit more, otherwise it’s too lonely.”
Taking Lu Fenghan’s preferences into account, Qi Yan quickly entered commands, adding a “can sing” feature, allowing “Pojun” to sing to Lu Fenghan at appropriate times in the future.
Not fully comprehending Qi Yan’s questions, Lu Fenghan watched as he continued to pore over the pages of code after asking his question. Lu Fenghan then turned his attention back to his strategy game.
Later that night, Lu Fenghan awoke from a shallow sleep. Instinctively, he covered Qi Yan, who was resting against his legs, with his coat. As he looked up, a beam of light appeared in the pitch-black sky.
He whispered to awaken the sleeping figure, “Looks like the rescue team is here.”
Although he said so, he didn’t rush to the open space to signal for help.
Qi Yan rubbed his eyes, sat up, and wrapped himself in the coat, remaining silent.
Only when the small starship landed near the escape pod and it was confirmed that the approaching figures were wearing rescue suits did Lu Fenghan lead Qi Yan out from beneath the towering conical formation.
They confirmed each other’s identities, then, before departing, Qi Yan even grabbed a piece of ore.
As the starship gradually ascended, Qi Yan noticed that the planet they were on was entirely covered by a brownish surface, devoid of oceans or lakes. The only feature was a massive river that traversed the landscape like a long line, giving the planet an overall wedge-like shape.
Qi Yan speculated that all the water should eventually seep through the layers of ore and converge underground.
When he finally came to his senses, he heard Lu Fenghan inquiring about the starship accident.
A rescuer, with deep brown curls, said with a smile, “You’re really lucky! Although it happened in the wormhole, the escape pod held up without damage. Now that we’ve found you and the remaining five, we can wrap up.”
“Only five left?” Lu Fenghan keenly caught the key detail. “How long has it been since the starship accident?”
“Forty-three days, according to Leto time. Today is December 12th.”
Lu Fenghan and Qi Yan exchanged a glance.
They had only spent five or six days on that barren planet.
The brown-haired rescuer nodded knowingly. “Did you notice the difference in time flow? Many passengers we’ve found experienced the same thing. Some thought they were only missing for three or four days, but it turned out to be over two weeks. Some drifted in space for nearly half a month, nearly starving to death, only to find out it had only been a week in reality.”
Lu Fenghan understood. “Because of the wormhole?”
“Yes, and the planet you were on also had an effect. Time dilation occurs due to the difference in gravitational pull. It’s clear that you spent a longer period in the wormhole, causing your planet’s time to flow faster compared to the outside universe,” the rescuer quipped with a familiar saying, “The universe is full of wonders!”
“What about the space pirates who hijacked the starship?”
“They’re all dead, couldn’t be deader. Blown to ashes! But this incident made headlines in the Leto Daily for four or five consecutive days, causing quite a stir. General Klimo accused General Nie Huaiting of lying to Alliance citizens. The space pirates that had been wiped out by General Lu Jun are now causing quite a commotion at the doorstep of Leto. Clearly, they weren’t ‘wiped out’ as claimed.”
Lu Fenghan: “What does General Nie say?”
“General Nie believes that the rebels have joined forces with the space pirates. He thinks the Alliance should act swiftly, concentrate its forces, and cripple the rebels.”
The rescuer chuckled. “We’re not entirely sure what’s going on, but the Leto Daily was buzzing for several days with all sorts of confusing news. Let me give you a heads up, so you’re not overwhelmed when you get back.”
Lu Fenghan, gazing out the porthole, casually asked, “And you, which viewpoint do you support?”
The rescuer manipulated the microstarship. “Me? General Lu Jun sacrificed so much over the years. How can anyone make things clear about what happened back then? But Admiral Klimo does make some sense. Besides, after years of fighting, each blown-up starship cost a fortune. I’m not saying we shouldn’t fight the rebels, they’re a menace for sure, but maybe it’s time for a ceasefire.”
After listening, Qi Yan glanced at the side of Lu Fenghan’s face.
He had thought Lu Fenghan would be upset, disappointed, or angry, but beneath the myriad of lights and shadows, this person showed no hint of emotion, remaining steadfast, like a mountain after the rain, unaffected by the clouds and mist.
By the time the two crossed countless light-years back to the capital star, Leto was already cloaked in deep night, the familiar twin moons quietly adorning the sky.
Qi Yan’s personal terminal connected to the Starnet, receiving hundreds of messages, which he confirmed one by one. When he returned home with Lu Fenghan, the first thing he did was to take a bath. Before leaving, he asked Lu Fenghan to check if there was anything important in the messages he received.
When Qi Yan descended the stairs wrapped in a black silk nightgown, Lu Fenghan had already prepared the medication and water.
“Good news or bad news first?” Lu Fenghan asked.
Qi Yan sipped from his cup. “In chronological order.”
“There are a few encrypted ones, so I can’t see the contents. From what I can see, Professor Fu knows you’ve safely returned to Leto and reminds you that you’ve missed over a month of classes. He urges you to catch up on the missed coursework, assignments, and the research group’s tasks as soon as possible.”
Qi Yan paused, processing the information.
Despite his speed, the workload was substantial, causing Qi Yan some concern.
Lu Fenghan continued, “Ye Pei mentioned that she and Mondrian returned early and have already completed the research group’s tasks for you, so there’s no need to worry.
“Xia Zhiyang said he took notes for your classes and recorded lectures. He’s already sent them to your personal terminal. If you need them, you can use them to catch up on your studies.”
Qi Yan nodded. “Anything else?”
“Blaine said she’s already back on Woz Star, and if there’s time, she’s waiting for everyone to visit Woz. She also expressed apologies for what happened.” Lu Fenghan scrolled down. “The rest are greetings and concerns from people you know. Xia Zhiyang sent fifty-seven messages during this time, Chen Mingxuan sent thirty-one, and Xu Min sent thirteen. Xavier is quite attentive. He sent sixteen messages.”
Qi Yan didn’t understand why Lu Fenghan singled out Xavier.
Lu Fenghan added, “Yesterday, Xia Zhiyang also sent a message saying Jiang Yunyue and Jiang Qi have been released on bail. The Qi family paid a hefty fine, and both of them are restricted from leaving Leto for the next year.”
“Released on bail?” Qi Yan didn’t pay much attention. “Hmm, noted.”
Lu Fenghan raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you afraid Jiang Yunyue and Jiang Qi will retaliate against you?”
Those two, narrow-minded and conceited, might not cause any major trouble, but they were annoying nonetheless.
“Not afraid. Those matters can be easily resolved.” Qi Yan sat on the sofa, his hair tips slightly damp. “And if they can’t, I’ll let you handle them.”
Lu Fenghan couldn’t help but chuckle at this slightly childish remark.
Seeing Qi Yan gazing at him with unwavering trust, Lu Fenghan raised his hand lazily and flicked the end of Qi Yan’s hair. “Yes, yes, whoever dares to bully our Qi Yan, I’ll take care of them.”
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