Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“The spaceship is about to pass through the atmosphere in three minutes. Please passengers, hold on tight and brace yourselves,” the system gently announced. Yang Jin asked Feng Mang, “Did your spaceship system used to sell tickets on buses?”

“You really have no sense of humor,” Feng Mang replied. When they had departed, he had been bound tightly like a zongzi ¹, but now he sat in the pilot’s seat. “Alright, kids, everyone sit tight. Today in Shacheng, it’s 37.2 degrees Celsius with 3% humidity. Remember to protect yourselves from the sun.”

Dalia requested, “Flight attendant, could I have a facial mask, please? Thank you.”

Yang Jin asked, “Are you all here for a vacation trip?”

As the spaceship passed through the troposphere, it experienced severe turbulence. The system activated anti-tracking mode, and before long, the spaceship landed smoothly at the designated location.

When the cabin door opened, a gust of yellow sand and dry air that seemed ready to ignite rushed in.

“Welcome back to Earth,” Feng Mang was the first to step out of the spaceship.

*Cough cough cough…* Dalia coughed for a while and complained, “Why is the environment here worse than the space factory?”

“The Stellari Desert. During the Low Tide Epoch, severe desertification connected several deserts into one vast expanse. Many civilized cities were buried under the yellow sands,” Yang Jin explained, looking out over the endless desert. “There are a few small towns still surviving in the desert, mostly as supply stations. Shacheng is the largest among them, with complete urban facilities.”

“Stop chatting and come help,” Feng Mang said. “Let’s quickly set up the temporary base. Do you want to dry up like fish jerky?”

Feng Mang’s spaceship had a semi-automated base mode. After the cabin opened, it revealed a considerably large space. However, space alone wasn’t enough. Feng Mang had brought out a lot of equipment from the laboratory, all needing manual installation. Fortunately, everyone was familiar with the process, and they soon completed the setup.

A small-scale base was finished.

“Won’t it be too conspicuous in the desert?” Bai Yunci asked.

Standing at the system console, Feng Mang quickly tapped away at the screen. When he pressed the confirm button, the entire base gradually turned a shade of ochre, blending seamlessly with the desert.

“My anti-tracking system is the most advanced in the world,” Feng Mang boasted with a smile. “No one can find us here unless we lead the enemy directly to us.” He flaunted his technology, though everyone quietly thought that Feng Mang had done too many shady deals and was afraid of being hunted down.

“Everyone, come in,” Yang Jin clapped his hands. “Let’s have a meeting.”

The six of them gathered around a table displaying a holographic map of Shacheng’s structure, with recent news events from Shacheng surrounding them.

“I came to the Stellari Desert a few years ago. Back then, Shacheng was just a small post station,” Yang Jin said, leaning on the table with both hands. “I never expected that in just a few short years, it would develop to this scale. It’s hard to imagine the amount of money and technology needed to build a city like this in a resource-lacking desert. I suspect this has a lot to do with the Sanctum.”

“This is likely one of their base cities,” Bai Yunci said, enlarging the map of Shacheng. “The city’s structure is very peculiar, divided into an outer city and an Inner City. The outer city consists of residential and commercial areas. The Inner City, enclosed by high walls at the center, contains the city’s supply system, including technology industries, medical facilities, and the city government…”

“Wait a minute,” Ying Si suddenly interrupted. “This godforsaken place has a tech industry? What could they possibly be researching?”

Bai Yunci asked meaningfully, “What do you think they could be researching?”

Yang Jin said, “Lao Bai, you really overestimate him.”

“The last mission’s engagement wasn’t here, but the intelligence we intercepted showed that the Sanctum has deeply infiltrated Shacheng, so much so that they didn’t want us to shift our battleground to Shacheng. They wanted to eliminate us midway,” Bai Yunci recalled. “So this time, we can’t act rashly.”

“I can send a probe to scout first,” Feng Mang offered.

“How much stuff did you bring?” Yang Jin asked.

“Uh…” Feng Mang thought for a moment before answering, “A lot.” He opened the door to a storage room, which looked like a small warehouse. After rummaging for a while, he excitedly exclaimed, “Found it!”

But no one saw anything until Feng Mang opened his palm. “This is my latest probe, about the size of a fly. It has a long flight range, very stable performance, and uses cutting-edge bionic technology. Even if you swat it thinking it’s a real fly, it’ll still have body fluids!”

“Wow, that’s really gross!” Ying Si exclaimed.

Dalia also said in disgust, “Please keep that thing away. It’s too gross.”

Yang Jin said helplessly, “The imagination of scientists is truly… boundless.”

The fly, shunned by everyone, took off from their base and quickly reached Shacheng, a hundred kilometers away. The clear images were transmitted back, and the six of them sat intently watching the screen.

“Whoa, the contrast is too much!” Ying Si exclaimed. “Is this a slum and a wealthy district?”

In their view were various small, earthen houses. Cars kicked up yellow dust as they drove down narrow streets. The streets were crowded with people, and from the shop stalls along the way, it seemed their lifestyle had just emerged from the Low Tide Era. However, looking up, the quality of the buildings increased from the outskirts towards the center. Beyond the towering walls of the Inner City, it seemed like a different world.

Highly modern buildings lined the inner streets, immaculate and resembling an ivory tower.

“This must be the oasis in the desert,” Yang Jin said. “Look, there’s an open gate there, likely for entry and exit.”

“Why don’t we just go inside and check?” Feng Mang directed the probe to fly in, but just as it was about to enter, he stopped.

“What happened?” Yang Jin and Bai Yunci asked simultaneously.

“They have jamming signals here,” Feng Mang said seriously. “And they’re very strict. Unverified machines can’t get in. No, to be precise, no signals or frequencies can penetrate.”

Yang Jin crossed his arms, his fingers lightly touching his lips, and said, “Interesting.”

Bai Yunci said, “Have the probe scan the entire structure of the outer city, including the corners, and then return.”

“Got it,” Feng Mang nodded.

The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is extreme. It was scorching hot during the day, but at night, the temperature dropped close to freezing.

Feng Mang had brought ample supplies, but being a pampered young master who never handled such things, he had no idea how to prepare them. In the end, the task of cooking fell to Bai Yunci.

His hands, long accustomed to being stained with blood, were well-maintained. His fingers were long and strong, each nail trimmed to the perfect curve. They should have been performing high-precision surgeries or playing melodious tunes on an exquisite instrument.

Instead, here he was, forcefully opening cans.

“Why are they all canned goods?” Bai Yunci grew impatient after opening the sixth can.

“Canned food is convenient for storage,” Feng Mang explained. “And my cans are high-quality, okay? Natural foods and meats, not those synthetic products you can buy anywhere.”

“Rich people really have it good,” Yang Jin sighed. “Hurry up, Lao Bai, I’m starving.”

Despite cooking for six people, Bai Yunci worked swiftly. Once the meal was on the table, Yang Jin said, “I plan to visit Shacheng tomorrow.”

“Didn’t you see enough today?” Feng Mang asked.

“Did your dead fly gather any useful information?” Yang Jin said. “Sanctum’s laboratory should be inside the Inner City. Why else would such an inconspicuous little town in the desert have such high-level security measures?”

“More importantly, the people in the city don’t seem to think anything is amiss,” Bai Yunci said.

Yang Jin said, “Who knows if the city is filled with their people?” He nudged Feng Mang with his elbow. “Hey, Crazy Blind Man ², you’ve done business with Sanctum before. Do you know anything about this?”

“Just ordinary trades. How would I know?” Feng Mang said. “And what’s with ‘Crazy Blind Man’? Can you stop giving people random nicknames?”

“Just for fun,” Yang Jin said. “It’s not important.”

The three adults sometimes argued more than three children. Bai Yunci asked, “Do you want me to go with you tomorrow?”

“No, you stay here,” Yang Jin thought for a moment. “I’ll take Dalia. A girl will attract less suspicion.”

Dalia scoffed, “Now you remember I’m a girl? What were you thinking before? I’ll go with you only if you kneel and beg.”

“Lao Bai, help me blow her head off,” Yang Jin said calmly.

“Hey!” Dalia shouted.

“It’s settled,” Yang Jin said. “Although Shacheng is the largest city in the Stellari Desert and has some outsiders, the desert is inherently isolated. New faces always draw extra attention, so you better keep quiet tomorrow. The rest of you stay here and be on standby.” He paused and added, “Fan Fan.”

“What?” Fan Fan asked.

“Make us a new set of identities,” Yang Jin said.

Fan Fan seemed to be genuinely thinking before asking, “How about a gigolo father abandoned by a wealthy woman and his troublesome daughter with a serious illness team up?”

The air froze instantly.

The next second, everyone burst into laughter. Ying Si slapped the table and said, “Fan Fan, you really have an imagination! Hahaha! I love this setup! I can donate one yuan!”

“I could invest in a TV series,” Feng Mang couldn’t help but laugh as well. “I know people in the entertainment industry, but I think Yang Jin should star in it himself. Think about it, how about becoming a big star after retirement? With your looks and body, there really could be a rich woman willing to sponsor you.”

“I think you all are really here for a vacation,” Yang Jin said, exasperated. “Fan Fan, if you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll turn you into a match-3 game.”

Fan Fan said, “Crazy! Unbelievable!”

“…” Yang Jin thought it was better to wash up and go to bed.

Those left at the base had no urgent tasks. When they woke up naturally, Yang Jin had already left with Dalia. Just to be safe, they didn’t bring any equipment, going purely as ordinary passersby. It made everyone else marvel at their sheer audacity.

Who needs protection when two super powerful fighters can dismantle a city with their bare hands?

While the two were away, the others kept themselves busy. Ying Si was always following Feng Mang, studying some bizarre blueprints. The two were quite alike in this respect, always exclaiming excitedly upon discovering something new before settling down to study it seriously.

Bai Yunci continued his experiments, but no one knew what he was working on, and no one dared to ask.

Only Shi Yixi had nothing to do, sitting at the door in a daze.

He seemed unusually captivated by the desolate and empty scenery.

In the evening, he saw two figures approaching from a distance. It was Yang Jin and Dalia, looking like travelers returning from a long journey, dusty and weary.

“You’re back?” Shi Yixi asked.

“Yeah.” Yang Jin took off his jacket and handed it to Shi Yixi naturally. He wiped the dust off his face and saw Dalia clinging to Shi Yixi, whining, “The dust outside is terrible, my hair’s all tangled. Xixi, help me wipe my hair.”

“Okay.” Shi Yixi wet a towel with water and patiently wiped the dust from Dalia’s hair.

“You’re an adult and still need help?” Yang Jin asked.

“I’m willing and Xixi is also willing, so why do you care?” Dalia retorted. “Is your lousy attitude, which can’t even find a girlfriend, feeling very sour?”

Yang Jin said, “No relationships within the team.”

Shi Yixi asked, “Why?”

Everyone was stunned by his question. Shi Yixi actually asked why instead of arguing? What did this imply? Everyone’s gossip radar immediately went up.

This could only mean that Shi Yixi’s brain circuit was different from everyone else’s. He only thought linearly, thus missing many underlying meanings in sentences. He was simply asking Yang Jin why, rather than questioning on the basis of acknowledgement ³.

But just this question made Yang Jin’s expression falter.

It was as if the chips he confidently used to provoke someone without error suddenly shifted to the opposite side.

“Because it would be very troublesome,” Bai Yunci suddenly said with seriousness, “it’s an unwritten rule in Qianfan.”

“Like how many companies prohibit office romances?” Feng Mang asked curiously.

“No,” Bai Yunci shook his head, “think about it. If you and your wife were teammates and you were executing a very difficult mission together, and both she and your other teammates, or ordinary civilians, were simultaneously in life-threatening danger, whom would you save first? Regardless of whom you save, your conscience would face significant condemnation. Instead of dealing with such complications, it’s better not to establish such connections from the beginning.”

“That’s not right,” Ying Si said, “aren’t feelings developed with teammates whom you spend day and night with? Choosing between a teammate and a civilian is also a dilemma, right?”

A smirk appeared on Bai Yunci’s lips as he chuckled, “Would you sleep with your teammates?”

Ying Si instantly blushed.

“My young friend, friendship and love are two completely different emotions,” Bai Yunci pointed at Ying Si’s forehead with his finger, “they trigger different chemicals in your brain. Even if you’re too foolish to distinguish between them, your body instinctively knows how to distinguish them clearly for you. When it comes to deciding life and death, how would you choose?”

Ying Si stared at Bai Yunci, his breathing slightly accelerated, seeming nervous and unsure how to respond to Bai Yunci’s question.

He felt unfamiliar with this kind of emotion.

After Bai Yunci finished speaking, he turned to Yang Jin.

“Are you done?” Yang Jin asked. “If you’re finished, I’ll talk about what I observed in the city today.”

“What is it?” Bai Yunci asked.

“There’s a lot of information,” Yang Jin said, “but the situation is far more complex and serious than we imagined.”

If you're enjoying the story don't forget to support the author! You can also support me on KOFI for site maintenance, raws purchase or as an energy boost~ 

 

AFFILIATE AD

Want to develop your career or work on a new hobby but don't have the financial resources? Check out these courses encompassing all aspects and topics. Want to build your own website or app, but don't even know what <!DOCTYPE> is, how about these IT Courses. Don't want to keep waiting for slow translators to update? 别担心！中文课程来拯救你了! Did you just become a Teacher and have NO idea what the f*ck you're doing? Early Childhood Education For Dummies 101 is in session! Lied on your CV that you can work under pressure but are now hiding in the bathroom playing ostrich? You still have to come up for air anyways so how about taking a Self Development course to manage stress and improve mental health. Whatever you're interested in, at the click of a button. And the best thing it's all for free! And...you can get an accredited certificate! START LEARNING BEFORE YOU'RE TOO OLD TO RETAIN ANYTHING OR GET FIRED FROM YOUR JOB! Or if you are fired, Build A New Resume to reel in the next one~

 

 

Translator Notes

1. Glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves.[↩]
2. Feng Mang’s name has the following characters: 封(Fēng- surname/seal/bestow a title) and 盲(Máng-Blind). While the nickname YJ calls him has the following characters: 疯(Fēng – crazy/wild/insane) and 瞎子(Xia zi – blind person). YJ’s is using a play on words.[↩]
3. He is not asking because he’s in a relationship or wants to be in one with someone from the team. He is simply asking why because he doesn’t know the reason and would like to.[↩]