Deus Ex Machina: Chapter 50

Chapter 50

“Uh…”

This time, Yang Jin’s fall was particularly hard, especially with Shi Yixi pressing down on him. At the moment of impact, he felt like his guts were about to spill out.

“It’s morning, wake up.” Yang Jin flicked Shi Yixi on the forehead. Shi Yixi stirred and, realizing he was lying on top of Yang Jin, looked at him in confusion.

“Did the fall knock you silly?” Yang Jin asked. “Not very bright to begin with, and now even duller?”

“No,” Shi Yixi replied. “I… I just feel a little dazed, like I’ve been falling endlessly.”

“Snap out of it.” Yang Jin helped Shi Yixi sit up. He checked his wristband—it hadn’t been damaged. Moving his body slightly, he confirmed that apart from the soreness in his bones from the impact, there wasn’t any other discomfort. The wristband emitted a faint glow with a soft hum, illuminating the two of them.

“Can you move?” Yang Jin asked.

Shi Yixi nodded.

Yang Jin forced himself to stand and used the light to survey their surroundings. He placed his hand on the wall and said, “This place feels very similar to where I entered the first time—cold and damp.”

Shi Yixi recalled, “The place Xiao Feng and I were in was dry. There was a large room full of machines.”

Yang Jin said, “ZZ or Fanfan, are either of you still online?”

“I’m here,” ZZ responded.

“Then it’s you,” Yang Jin said. “Locate us.”

ZZ replied succinctly, “The signal interference is stronger than before. The gravitational wave radio transmitter has entered a pre-microwave state, making it impossible to pinpoint the exact location. However, based on environmental analysis, the geological conditions here are very similar to the first location.”

“At least it’s on the same plane,” Yang Jin remarked. “The person who designed this place certainly had a unique vision.”

Shi Yixi asked hesitantly, “Wasn’t this place built by Sanctum?”

“Probably not,” Yang Jin said. “They wouldn’t have the time to create such a hidden base inside an entire mountain. Plus, there’s a distinct sense of age here. I suspect this place is connected to the gravitational wave radio transmitter or… to some other secret.”

Shi Yixi said, “Could those machines be control panels? I asked Xiao Feng about it, but he didn’t tell me anything. We didn’t have time to do much before that man, Luan Chen, appeared. Xiao Feng seemed a bit surprised.”

“What? Are you trying to defend him? To say he might not have known either?” Yang Jin asked. “Don’t bother. He admitted it himself. I never waste energy speculating whether someone has hidden motives.”

Shi Yixi shook his head.

“Then what are you trying to say?” Yang Jin asked. “Afraid I’ll leave you here alone?”

“Not afraid.” Shi Yixi never lied, but this time his “not afraid” felt less convincing. He wasn’t sure how to describe his feelings when Yang Jin made that choice earlier. Was it fear? If so, it was a truly awful emotion.

Yang Jin raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

Shi Yixi nodded firmly, then asked softly, “Why did you treat Xiao Feng like that? I feel like what he said wasn’t entirely wrong.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing.” Shi Yixi wasn’t keen on discussing the earlier events with Yang Jin. He had listened to every word of the conversation between Yang Jin and Zhan Feng. The care and absolute trust Yang Jin had shown Zhan Feng all along—were they all fake? If that was the case, then how was one supposed to distinguish between what Yang Jin said that was true and what was false?

Yang Jin asked, “Do you think I’m heartless?”

Shi Yixi remained silent.

Yang Jin continued, “But overly emotional people really can’t handle this kind of work. During my time in Qianfan, every single day was a confrontation with death. Watching teammates die, enemies die, innocent people die… The satisfaction of completing a mission can never fill the void created by all that death. Over time, you either break down or grow numb. Why do you think I could so calmly decide to shoot Zhan Feng? Because I’ve already watched too many teammates die right in front of me. Sometimes, they were only a fingertip away. They weren’t entirely gone yet, and if someone had come, they might have lived. But I was lying in ambush, unable to move, forced to watch them die little by little.

“Honestly, I don’t feel much anymore. Saving the world… it’s really just about calmly watching people die, die, die in front of you—or dying yourself—and being utterly powerless to change anything. Don’t you think the name ‘Qianfan’ is a bit passive at times? A sailboat can only follow the waves and the wind, with no real choice of its own on the vast ocean.”

Shi Yixi said, “But at the academy, you taught us so many things… about trusting and helping teammates.”

Yang Jin chuckled. “Did I? I don’t remember. Maybe I was just fooling kids. It’s good for children to hold on to some fairy tales in their hearts, before adults crush them bit by bit.”

“You…” Shi Yixi was left speechless, staring blankly at Yang Jin.

“You’re still so easy to fool.” Yang Jin ruffled Shi Yixi’s hair.

“Will he be heart-broken?” Shi Yixi asked. “I mean, Xiao Feng.”

“I’m not him. How would I know?” Yang Jin replied. “But based on what I know of him, probably not. Not that it matters. We’re no longer friends now.”

Shi Yixi said, “Then are you enemies?”

“Not necessarily,” Yang Jin stretched. “Alright, we should get moving. We can’t stay here chatting about life forever, can we?”

Shi Yixi smiled faintly. “Sounds appealing, anyway my life’s pretty boring.”

Yang Jin said, “My life… never mind. There’s so much I can’t even remember myself. Nothing worth talking about.”

There was only one path forward. Yang Jin picked a random direction and led Shi Yixi onward. In the darkness, their nerves were on edge, heightened to an extreme. Neither of them spoke as they walked, observing their surroundings closely.

“ZZ, check the gravitational waves,” Yang Jin said.

ZZ replied, “Still in pre-microwave state, no sign of immediate activation.”

“Strange,” Yang Jin muttered. “ZZ, can you contact Feng Mang?”

ZZ operated silently for a moment before saying, “I’m afraid not. The satellite signals are completely blocked.”

Yang Jin snorted coldly.

“Sanctum… are they trying to find aliens?” Shi Yixi asked. “Xiao Feng said humans have the right to yearn for worlds beyond the stars. Could it be they’ve discovered something?”

Yang Jin said, “And what if they have? From the looks of it, knowing about those civilizations only makes our own stupidity more glaring.”

Shi Yixi said, “Being deceived isn’t scary. What’s scary is knowing the truth, realizing you’ve been deceived, right?”

Yang Jin laughed. “You’ve summed it up perfectly.”

“Then… can I know one truth?” Shi Yixi asked.

Yang Jin asked, “What?”

Shi Yixi said, “Why did you choose me?”

Yang Jin replied nonchalantly, “Because you’re the least likely to die.”

Shi Yixi had been following closely behind Yang Jin. When he heard this, he stopped in his tracks, a little dazed. He was somewhat oblivious when it came to certain emotions, especially sadness or distress. Part of this dullness stemmed from his ability to self-soothe, to find reasons to make peace with things that would usually trouble others deeply. He could take things lightly, but being able to move on didn’t mean he could handle the overwhelming flood of information he sometimes faced.

Especially when it all converged, suddenly bursting within his ideological framework.

It took Shi Yixi some time to process Yang Jin’s words and their meaning. Yang Jin’s decision wasn’t based on any emotional consideration. Instead, it was a cold, rational choice. He claimed to feel no guilt toward Zhan Feng but still gave him the chance to leave. Yang Jin had no way of knowing what dangers awaited in the collapsing world ahead, but there was bound to be some unknown risk. So, he sent Zhan Feng back while he descended further, taking Shi Yixi with him.

Because he knew he wouldn’t die. And Shi Yixi… probably wouldn’t either.

It was simply because both of them could survive—not because one was more important than the other.

Shi Yixi took a deep breath. He understood that Yang Jin’s approach was logical, aligned with his principles of maximizing benefits. Yet, he couldn’t stop a ripple of emotion within him, as though he’d wandered into a dark labyrinth and, no matter how much he tried to console himself, couldn’t find his way out.

He began to feel that, to Yang Jin, he wasn’t very important.

If it weren’t for his sudden awakening of abilities, Yang Jin likely wouldn’t have valued him at all, would’ve seen him as dead weight, and wouldn’t have kept him close.

“Hard work” was just a fig leaf ¹. Without potential, no amount of effort would matter.

Yang Jin protected him only because it was Yang Jin’s responsibility.

Shi Yixi stood there, his breathing shaky. Slowly, he crouched down. He was startled by his own strange thoughts—why was he feeling this way? That sour, bitter sensation was so unfamiliar to him. He…

Yang Jin, walking ahead, suddenly felt a jolt of unease. He turned back to find Shi Yixi far behind, no longer following. Seeing Shi Yixi’s crouched silhouette, he grew concerned and walked back a few steps. “Yixi!” he called out. “What’s wrong?”

“I…” Shi Yixi wanted to say he was fine, but the words wouldn’t come out. He felt as if the oxygen around him had thinned, leaving him with a suffocating illusion. This feeling of suffocation made his breathing short and rapid, as though he couldn’t catch his breath. His face flushed red.

Yang Jin ran back toward him, but just then, his wrist communicator began to beep urgently. The piercing sound resembled an alarm. ZZ said, “There’s a strange wave detected—synchronized with the reservoir’s frequency.”

“What?” Yang Jin exclaimed. “What’s going to happen?”

ZZ replied, “The water’s energy is being released. The reservoir is collapsing.”

No sooner had ZZ finished speaking than a thunderous rumble echoed in the distance. Yang Jin cursed under his breath and dashed to Shi Yixi’s side. Just as he grabbed Shi Yixi’s wrist, a torrent of water surged toward them like a dragon, flooding the entire corridor.

In an instant, Yang Jin covered Shi Yixi’s nose and mouth, took a deep breath, and the two were swallowed by the raging water.

“What’s going on?” Luan Chen asked.

“There’s a sound,” Zhan Feng said, turning to look at the calm surface of the reservoir. “Didn’t you hear it?”

Luan Chen brought up a screen and said, “The reservoir’s bottom layer collapsed due to a strange wave, but the automatic emergency system has been activated. This strange wave…”

“Bishop activated the gravity wave radio transmitter?” Zhan Feng asked worriedly.

“Not yet,” Luan Chen replied. “Without Checker’s explicit permission, he’s still hesitating.”

“How ridiculous,” Zhan Feng said. “Who would have thought that the interior of the terrifying, domineering Sanctum would be so fragmented?”

Luan Chen said, “Didn’t you not believe it at first? You were shouting about killing us. But to truly understand a person, you have to look at what they do, not just what they say. Don’t you still recognize our cause now?”

“Your words sound better than your actions,” Zhan Feng said. “I wish you’d shut up.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Luan Chen said. “We’re all tired of this highly unified world, where no matter the color of one’s hair or eyes, their bloodline or culture, people have no choice from birth. They must speak the same language, learn the same knowledge, and accept the same rules. It’s so boring. Aren’t people supposed to be unique from the moment they’re born? Why erase individuality?”

“Resources,” Zhan Feng said. “There’s a limited amount of material, and the environment is so harsh. If a group of people doesn’t become one, it’s just too hard. Everyone has their own opinions, and no one can convince anyone else.”

“Special times can’t be helped,” Luan Chen said, looking up at the stars. “But those people… they’ve become addicted to the feeling of controlling the world.”

Zhan Feng fell silent.

“Queen, while you were gone, Bishop’s actions have become more and more radical,” Luan Chen continued. “We want to achieve self-rescue with our own strength, but Bishop believes we need an outside civilization to save us. What do you think? Has he gone mad?”

Zhan Feng asked, “Has he found it?”

“No,” Luan Chen chuckled. “So he’s still looking.”

“We…”

“We can’t let him find it,” Luan Chen’s expression became serious, a rare cold seriousness that Zhan Feng had never seen before. “If he doesn’t find it, the world will be safe.”

You’ll never know whether the strangers bring roses or artillery.

Zhan Feng stood silently by Luan Chen’s side. The vibrations from the reservoir had ceased, and only then did the frown he had been wearing loosen. Luan Chen smiled and asked, “What’s wrong, worried about Yang Jin?”

“He’s no longer my concern,” Zhan Feng replied. “I didn’t bring him. This time, I lost. What do you want me to do?”

Luan Chen laughed loudly, and the sound annoyed Zhan Feng, making him feel as if he were being mocked. He turned his head away, but Luan Chen grabbed his chin and forced him to face him, saying with a smile, “Don’t be too nervous. I’m not going to eat you.”

Zhan Feng slapped Luan Chen’s hand away and took a step back.

“Then answer me one question,” Luan Chen said.

“What?”

Luan Chen asked, “Why didn’t you tell Yang Jin that the explosion at Qianfan had nothing to do with Sanctum, and that the explosion at Aurora had nothing to do with Sanctum either?”

Zhan Feng countered, “Why should I tell him?”

“You’re so heartless.” Luan Chen sighed, his gaze lingering on Zhan Feng’s face before noticing the wound on his forehead.

To be precise, he noticed the change in the wound.

Luan Chen stepped forward, but Zhan Feng resisted Luan Chen’s approach, pushing him away. “What are you doing?”

“Your wound seems to be infected,” Luan Chen said with a grim face. “After you’re done with the business with Bishop, you should return to headquarters and rest up. Don’t go out for now.”

Zhan Feng replied, “I’m not injured.”

Luan Chen glanced at him, his eyes sharp and unyielding. Zhan Feng couldn’t bring himself to say anything in response, and a cold chill ran down his back.

TN:

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Translator Notes

1. Cover-up (for something shameful or contemptible). [↩]