Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 47

Chapter 47

“…” Zhan Feng’s eyes shifted. “Are you suspecting there’s something wrong here?”

“Hard to say,” Yang Jin replied. “At the time, I thought Wan Hong was just angry, lost his mind, and sent me to Nu Feng. I went back once in the middle for a meeting and saw Yelena. Yelena mentioned that the Prometheus Lab was researching the batch of antimatter we seized from the Sanctum. Then came the midterm exams, and Guan Jincheng, who almost never leaves his lab, unexpectedly came to the school. But I didn’t think much of it at the time. After the exams ended, the explosion happened.” He paused, speaking softly, “I don’t know if anyone survived.”

Zhan Feng patted Yang Jin’s shoulder. “These are the secrets waiting for us to uncover.”

Yang Jin tilted his head and asked Zhan Feng, “I remember that mission wasn’t as difficult as I initially expected, and I recall the mission setup being significantly over-equipped for its level. Do you think it’s possible the Sanctum deliberately wanted to hand that antimatter over to Qianfan?”

“For what reason?” Zhan Feng asked. “Why hand over something so valuable to the enemy? What would they gain?”

“Maybe it was to cause that explosion,” Yang Jin countered.

“Why the Sanctum and not Guan Jincheng?” Zhan Feng questioned.

Yang Jin stared into Zhan Feng’s eyes. Eight years had passed, and the brightness of those eyes was long gone. No matter how calm Zhan Feng’s mood seemed, there was always an indescribable shadow clouding his gaze. Yang Jin chuckled and said, “That’s a good question. But I don’t have an answer either, so let’s not discuss it. Peaceful moments like this are too rare for us—let’s not waste them.”

“Mm, no more discussing,” Zhan Feng sighed, flopping back and pulling the covers over himself, turning away. “Sleep.”

Yang Jin lay in the darkened room, his gaze bright as it lingered on Zhan Feng’s back. He murmured softly, “Good night, Xiaofeng.”

—

The next morning, after breakfast, Shi Yixi lied, saying he had other tasks and needed to leave with his friends. Shi Rong didn’t mind, but Fu Youqin was reluctant to see her son go. Shi Yixi promised he’d come back to say goodbye before leaving Chunming City, and only then did Fu Youqin let him leave.

“Where do you want to go?” Shi Yixi asked the two.

“Anywhere fun?” Yang Jin asked.

Shi Yixi began seriously thinking, which made Yang Jin laugh. “You’re really treating us like tourists?” Shi Yixi realized this and looked a bit flustered.

“Stop teasing him all the time,” Zhan Feng said to Yang Jin. “Does joking around amuse you?”

Yang Jin shrugged and said to Shi Yixi, “Just take us around. I’ll pull up the map.” He raised his arm, and his wristband projected a map of Chunming City in front of them, centered on their current location. Yang Jin, who had gone over the map multiple times on the way to Chunming City, said, “Chunming City is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with a reservoir on the other side providing its basic water supply. The city layout and road planning are very simple, with distinct residential and commercial zones. The population is only 160,000… Unless Guan Jincheng or someone else we don’t know about is here, I can’t see what’s special about this place.”

“Special?” Shi Yixi asked. “What do you mean by special?”

Yang Jin said, “Special energy sources, specialized industrial manufacturing, or something else other regions don’t have.”

Shi Yixi said, “My dad once told me that their workplace had a radio transmitter in the early years. He said it was the largest radio transmitter on the eastern coast of Asia, but it was shut down because of reservoir renovations and because the radio transmitter wasn’t very useful anymore.”

“Radio transmitter?” Yang Jin asked in confusion, “What’s it used for?”

Shi Yixi shook his head. “I don’t know, he never said… It’s on the mountaintop east of Chunming Reservoir. It’s not easy to find. When I was a kid, my dad took me there to play, but later, we weren’t allowed to go anymore.” As he spoke, he gestured, “That radio transmitter is really, really big.”

Yang Jin exchanged a glance with Zhan Feng. Zhan Feng said, “Wanna check it out?”

“A dark night with strong winds, perfect for killing and arson,” Yang Jin quipped. “Let’s contact Feng Mang and see if there’s any new intel, then head out tonight.”

Yang Jin wasn’t a technical expert and didn’t know much about the capabilities of industrial devices like radio transmitters. Zhan Feng wasn’t familiar with the specifics either. After a quick reconnaissance of Chunming City, they returned to the base outside the city. Yang Jin reached out to Feng Mang for advice.

“Radio transmitter?” Feng Mang asked. “What kind of radio transmitter?”

Relying on his vague memories, Shi Yixi described it to Feng Mang, who pondered for a moment before saying, “Based on the description, it sounds like a gravitational wave radio transmitter. Many years ago, when humans were exploring space, they built several gravitational wave radio transmitters on Earth. These were used to explore broader areas of space. However, after humans lost interest in the universe, the radio transmitters were repurposed to survey nearby celestial bodies to determine their suitability for industrial development. Eventually, this task was replaced by more portable and cost-effective detectors from space factories, and all these gravitational wave radio transmitters were decommissioned.”

“Gravitational waves…” Zhan Feng murmured thoughtfully. “Someone looking for something?”

“It’s possible,” Feng Mang replied. “But what could they be looking for with gravitational waves?”

“Either something in space or something on Earth,” Zhan Feng said. “It’s just those two options. What are they doing, digging three feet into the ground to find ghosts?”

Feng Mang chuckled. “Not entirely out of the question.”

Yang Jin said, “That assumes our guess is correct and that the radio transmitter can even be activated. We’ll check it out tonight and hope for some luck. Feng Mang, do you have any other information?”

Feng Mang replied, “Not much. Things are calm here in Aurora. As for us… Dr. Bai and He Xun are tinkering with something mysterious. I wish I could join them.” He shifted slightly, revealing Ying Si and Dalia sitting at a table behind him, doing something unknown. Feng Mang added, “Ying Si is bored and making some mechanical… uh, toys.”

“That’s it for now. Let us know if anything comes up.” Yang Jin wasn’t in the mood for chatting and ended the call. Then, he activated ZZ to retrieve information on gravitational wave radio transmitters. In this area, ZZ was much more reliable than Fan Fan.

“The gravitational wave radio transmitter should have a control base nearby, but according to the map, there’s nothing around except the reservoir—no buildings or defensive structures,” Yang Jin said. “ZZ, can you locate it?”

“Unable to locate,” ZZ replied. “The gravitational wave radio transmitter is listed as decommissioned in the Intercontinental Alliance’s records. Extensive construction and renovations were carried out during the reservoir’s development. To be precise, even if there was something, it has likely been buried.”

Yang Jin was speechless.

“Why don’t you just blow the place up and see what’s there?” Fan Fan suddenly popped up.

Yang Jin said, “How about I blow you up?”

Fan Fan retorted, “Bleh bleh bleh.”

Unwilling to argue with Fan Fan, Yang Jin focused on the gravitational wave radio transmitter’s structural diagram in front of him, comparing it to the reservoir’s structural diagram. After a while, he said, “Xiaofeng and I will go tonight. Yixi, you stay here.”

“Can’t I come?” Shi Yixi asked. “I’m very familiar with that place.”

“You…” Yang Jin initially wanted Shi Yixi to stay back since they couldn’t be sure what dangers lay ahead. Just as he was about to reflexively refuse, he remembered what Bai Yunci had told him earlier. With a sigh, he said, “Alright, you can come with us. ZZ, you’ll be in charge of battlefield command.”

ZZ said, “Okay.”

Fan Fan asked, “What about me, what about me?”

Yang Jin said, “Go to sleep.”

At nightfall, the three of them quietly arrived at the hilltop on the eastern side of the reservoir.

Shi Yixi had only been here when he was a child. At that time, there wasn’t much greenery on the mountain. Shi Rong carried him slowly up the hill, turning left and right before finally reaching the transmitter.

The transmitter was massive, like an umbrella turned upside down and planted into the ground, with an antenna in the middle reaching straight into the clouds.

But that was a long time ago. Over more than ten years, the mountain had become covered with vegetation. Artificially cultivated plants wound tightly around the transmitter, concealing it entirely.

Yang Jin kept his eyes on the navigation system on his arm, taking uneven steps.

“This place is completely different from when I was a kid,” Shi Yixi said. “Too many trees.”

Zhan Feng, leading the way, swung his knife to clear away excess branches. He said, “Chunming City’s climate is so dry—how could so many trees grow here?”

Yang Jin said, “What if it was intentional?”

“You mean…” Zhan Feng paused mid-swing, staring at a neatly cut branch in front of him. He lowered his voice and said, “Someone’s been here.”

“Then it seems we’re getting close to our destination,” Yang Jin said with a smile.

They moved cautiously forward, and the range indicated by the navigation system grew smaller and smaller. Finally, when Zhan Feng slashed away the last bundle of obstructive leaves, a massive structure came into view.

“There it is!” Shi Yixi exclaimed.

Yang Jin looked up along the enormous antenna, which was densely wrapped in vines. The surrounding trees were tall, blending into the dark of the night. The antenna pierced through the canopy and pointed directly at the brightest star in the night sky.

Zhan Feng surveyed the area. The transmitter’s base was a massive stone buried in the soil. In one corner, he noticed some plants growing differently from the rest. Squatting down, he brushed aside the short grass and found a carving at the stone’s base.

It was a pentagram.

“Did you find something?” Yang Jin called from a distance.

“Nothing,” Zhan Feng stood up and said. “Nothing at all.”

Yang Jin didn’t suspect anything. Placing his hand on the base, he said, “ZZ, scan the surroundings for anything notable.” A layer of blue light rippled out from his wrist, and ZZ immediately scanned the area within a five-kilometer radius, reporting, “The transmitter’s internal structure is intact, but it requires a control console. There are no suitable devices within a five-kilometer range.”

Yang Jin was a bit disappointed, unsure if he was on the right track. Reluctantly, he asked ZZ, “Is it possible to activate it without a control console?”

ZZ said, “It is possible, but the cost would be high.”

“We’re not considering costs.” Yang Jin said, “ZZ, check if there are any enclosed spaces nearby.”

Soon, ZZ replied, “The reservoir.”

“The reservoir?” Zhan Feng moved closer in confusion. “The reservoir is indeed an enclosed space, but with such high water pressure, how could…” He stopped mid-sentence, staring directly at Yang Jin.

Yang Jin said, “Looks like you’ve figured it out too.”

“No, I think my idea might be a bit absurd,” Zhan Feng shook his head.

Shi Yixi didn’t join their conversation. He circled the base, running his hand over the coarse stone surface covered in vines. Yang Jin and Zhan Feng’s voices faded into the background. Shi Yixi looked up at the antenna pointing at the brightest star, then down at the ground.

“What are you doing?” Zhan Feng noticed Shi Yixi’s actions and quickly walked over to ask.

“No shadows,” Shi Yixi pointed at the ground. “It’s too dark here—there are no shadows.”

Zhan Feng shone his flashlight on him and asked, “What do you need shadows for?”

“I don’t know,” Shi Yixi said. “My dad told me that when I grew up, I’d understand what shadows were for. All I remember is that when I was a kid, he did the same thing and told me to always remember Sirius’s position.”

“Sirius?” Yang Jin also walked over. Remembering the conversation between Shi Rong and Shi Yixi on the balcony the previous day, he asked, “What exactly did he say?”

Shi Yixi said, “The last time my dad brought me here, it was in the evening. Since it was getting dark, my mom urged us to hurry back. My dad was reluctant to leave. He circled the base like this, then said regretfully, ‘It’s a pity the sky isn’t dark yet. There are no stars. If there were stars, there’d be direction.’” He lowered his head, watching the long, narrow shadow cast by his body stretch into the woods. Without saying anything, he walked forward.

Zhan Feng kept his eyes on Shi Yixi’s retreating figure. Yang Jin seemed lost in thought, looking up at the sky.

The sky was so serene, with the stars twinkling, blinking as if watching the people on the ground.

Shi Yixi had a feeling in his heart, as though he was approaching something. His heartbeat quickened. He walked to a patch of weeds, stopped, and stared blankly at the ground.

“What did you find?” Zhan Feng followed behind him and asked.

Shi Yixi shook his head. “Just a feeling.”

Zhan Feng asked, “Do you trust your intuition?”

Shi Yixi looked up at Zhan Feng.

Yang Jin was some distance away from them. When he snapped back to his senses, he realized that Zhan Feng and Shi Yixi were no longer within his sight, which gave him a bad feeling. He hurriedly walked over.

Shi Yixi said to Zhan Feng, “Sometimes, I don’t even know what intuition is. It’s just that I feel like I should do this, like something is guiding me.”

“You’re very different,” Zhan Feng said. “Yixi, your intuition is always correct. You’re very unique. Trust yourself.”

Shi Yixi took another step forward. The firm ground, covered with soil, suddenly disappeared beneath his feet, and his foot stepped into emptiness.

“Ah—”

Zhan Feng was startled. Without thinking, he lunged forward and grabbed Shi Yixi. “Don’t be afraid! I’ve got you!”

Shi Yixi’s body hung in the air, and below him seemed to be a bottomless abyss. He looked up at Zhan Feng, whose arm muscles tightened as he said, “I’ll pull you up…”

Before he could finish speaking, the soil beneath him started to loosen, and he too began to tilt and sink downward.

“Don’t be afraid…” Zhan Feng, unwilling to give up, thrust his other hand deeply into the soil. However, the increasing tilt and weight made it impossible for him to muster any strength. He could only shout, “Yang Jin! Ah—”

Hearing the shout, Yang Jin rushed over, only to see Zhan Feng being dragged into the abyss by something.

“Xiao Feng! Yixi!” Yang Jin couldn’t grab Zhan Feng in time and jumped in after them.

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