—If an individual’s presence stirs your emotions, your focus should be directed towards mastering your own feelings, rather than dwelling on the person who provoked them.
Ke Yiyi dared not linger. After a brief moment, she departed from the infirmary, apprehensive of Yagami Saichi awakening to find her there.
Should Yagami Saichi have raged at her, Ke Yiyi might have felt a measure of relief; her true fear was that Yagami Saichi would, as usual, respond to everything with an unsettling silence.
Ke Yiyi could vent her inner turmoil by shouting at Man Huai Zhi, yet Yagami Saichi was afforded no such release.
‘This world… it was simply too unfair…’
Ke Yiyi left the police station building without a word. The hour was late, and several tents had already been pitched in the plaza outside the station’s main entrance.
Theoretically, it was already past working hours, yet the police station remained brightly lit. Many tasks could not halt simply because night had fallen, especially the ongoing operations concerning the informants left behind by Xuanji Star.
Ke Yiyi overheard police officers discussing their rest arrangements for the night. As there were no proper police dormitories or similar facilities here, the takeover personnel were temporarily housed in what used to be the Xuanji Star Imperial Guard Bureau’s barracks. Xuanji Star had left not a single piece of furniture for Vega, meaning their ‘temporary stay’ amounted to little more than a crowd squeezing into empty rooms.
Even so, many of the personnel had no place to rest, compelled to spend the night crammed into their respective workplaces or vehicles.
Ke Yiyi had initially presumed that this ‘territory handover’ would resemble a typical work transfer: officials from the Xuanji Star Imperial Guard Bureau would stand at their posts, and upon the arrival of Vega police officers, they would systematically hand over their duties.
She had, however, overthought it. Setting aside the differences in their respective roles, the unhealed wounds of a war fought two decades prior had already forged a deep-seated animosity between the two sides. Unless absolutely unavoidable, Xuanji Star would never permit any direct contact between its personnel and those from Vega.
Ke Yiyi wasn’t sure if Li Yuyi was still there. She searched along the street’s trees but couldn’t find him.
Upon seeing the trees, Ke Yiyi felt a surprising sense of relief; at least Xuanji Star hadn’t uprooted them during their retreat, choosing instead to leave them for Vega.
She checked over a dozen trees, yet none concealed Li Yuyi.
‘Had he already returned?’
‘Right… my communicator is still in my pocket. Should I just…’
Sensing someone approaching, Ke Yiyi turned to find Li Yuyi, holding two bowls of instant noodles.
“Ke Yiyi, we’ll have to sort out our own dinner tonight.”
“Hm?”
Ke Yiyi looked utterly bewildered, unsure of the situation. According to the pre-arranged three-day withdrawal plan, Xuanji Star was to withdraw every other day. There was no withdrawal scheduled for tomorrow, meaning everyone should have gathered at the hotel in Worldly Affairs City.
“Some observers are still in Worldly Affairs City, awaiting tomorrow’s journey to the hotel in Sixty-One Workers City to prepare for the handover the day after. The other observers, however, left for Sixty-One Workers City tonight.”
Hearing this, Ke Yiyi felt a stone drop in her stomach. ‘Could it be…’
“Lan Xifang and the others have already departed for Sixty-One Workers City.”
“Ah? Then we must catch up immediately!”
Ke Yiyi hastily set down her instant noodles, convinced that her delay had caused the others to abandon her and proceed to Sixty-One Workers City. ‘I’ve made a terrible mistake…’
“She knew you’d be anxious to follow. Before leaving, she specifically asked me to tell you that the second withdrawal only begins the day after tomorrow. Driving at night isn’t safe; going tomorrow will be just as good.”
“Hm?”
Ke Yiyi halted, then lowered herself back down beneath the tree.
“My apologies… I acted impulsively again…”
“Are you afraid of being abandoned?”
Ke Yiyi fell silent, burying her head over the instant noodle bowl and eating mechanically. After several mouthfuls, she finally spoke.
“Perh… perhaps…”
“I understand. If you don’t keep pace with others, there’s a sense of being cast out by the world.”
From his pocket, Li Yuyi produced two small packets of pickled vegetables, two sausages, and two bottles of ‘Lanzhou’ mineral water. He placed them on the ground, dividing them into two portions, and pushed one towards Ke Yiyi.
“I also managed to get a few small items from the police squad. I’m giving half to Officer Ke, to ease the monotony of only eating instant noodles.”
“What monotony? This is already quite good; everyone else is eating the same.”
Ke Yiyi looked around, observing many police personnel setting aside their work to prepare dinner—though ‘prepare’ mostly meant simply taking out instant food and heating it up.
Having these provisions was already a blessing. Unlike the military, the police force lacked dedicated catering facilities or supplementary soldiers to provide various logistical support. What the police logistics department could manage was limited to this.
“Actually, there’s also this…”
Li Yuyi smiled, pulling a perfectly packaged bag of candy from his pocket. It bore the Xuanji Star emblem—a small flame—and was labeled ‘Xinhuo’ at the top.
“How do you have that?”
Ke Yiyi glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she whispered.
“This is a Xuanji Star product; Vega can’t get it. Where did you find it?”
“A child wanted to give it to me. After a moment’s thought, I felt it would be impolite to refuse, so I accepted it.”
Ke Yiyi frowned, instinctively looking at Li Yuyi. ‘How could he accept things from the public?’
“Don’t worry, Officer Ke, I didn’t just take it. I exchanged it for a packet of ‘Neon’ candies.”
Li Yuyi tore open the candy’s outer packaging, shaking out ten individually wrapped pieces. He separated five and pushed them towards Ke Yiyi.
“Even the individual wrappers of these candies have text printed on them. Seeing them would inevitably make some Vega citizens uncomfortable, so exchanging them wasn’t a bad idea.”
Ke Yiyi didn’t take the candies. She instinctively picked up the outer wrapper, her gaze drawn to the glaring text on its back: [‘Thank you for your purchase. Every packet of ‘Xinhuo’ candy you buy contributes 1 dao to the glorious cause of restoring the Blaze Clan.’]
‘Dao’ was the currency of Xuanji Star: ten ‘bei’ equaled one ‘dao,’ ten ‘dao’ equaled one ‘bu,’ and one hundred ‘bu’ equaled one ‘quan.’ Although she had no prior direct dealings with Xuanji Star, Ke Yiyi was familiar with its currency system; one ‘dao’ held purchasing power roughly equivalent to one ‘Xinu Coin’ from Vega.
However, that particular phrase… Ke Yiyi admitted that after her encounter with Man Huai Zhi, seeing such words made her deeply uncomfortable.
Yet, it wasn’t the child’s fault; in this place, they could only purchase items from Xuanji Star.
Ever since the collapse of Qiming Star, Vega had detached itself from the Qiming Star trade system. Its economy had been severely impacted, with constant price fluctuations and drastic currency devaluation. The old ‘Greater Xinu Coin/Lesser Xinu Coin’ system was no longer viable, and compounded by the ongoing world war, even the pensions for fallen soldiers had to be paid in goods rather than currency.
Vega’s current ‘Xinu Coin system’ consisted of new currency issued in the year 222 of the New Era. In fact, Ke Yiyi still carried a single Lesser Xinu Coin in her pocket, a relic of the past. Although the government had recalled old Lesser Xinu Coins after the new currency’s introduction, a substantial number still circulated among the populace. Their denomination was now so minuscule that they could buy nothing at current prices, making them widely regarded as mere mementos of a bygone era.
“Why aren’t you eating? No appetite? Or do you just not want Xuanji Star’s stuff?”
“Thank you.”
Unwilling to let the moment grow awkward, Ke Yiyi nodded her thanks and tucked the candies into her pocket.
“You…”
She had intended to ask something, but it felt somewhat awkward to voice. She didn’t ask it. Li Yuyi cast a glance her way, his eyes seeming to invite any question she might have, yet she ultimately abandoned her hesitation.
“Have you been here all along?”
“Yes, I was, until you woke up.”
“When I… chased out to shout at Man Huai Zhi… were you already nearby then?”
“Yes.”
“Wh-why didn’t you stop me then…”
At this, Ke Yiyi gulped down a mouthful of noodle soup, then, composing herself, continued.
“What if I had actually drawn my blade and attacked him? That would have caused a serious diplomatic incident.”
“Because there was no need to stop you.”
Ke Yiyi froze, while Li Yuyi began putting away his instant noodles and other items. He was unaccustomed to removing his mask in front of others, unless absolutely necessary.
“Had I stopped Officer Ke, I fear you might never have severed this knot.”
“A knot?”
“An emotional entanglement.”
Ke Yiyi’s face flushed crimson, leaving her momentarily speechless. Li Yuyi, however, remained serene, speaking earnestly.
“Have I embarrassed Officer Ke?”
“No…”
“Then I suppose I spoke too directly…”
Li Yuyi gazed at the sky, as if lost in thought.
“Officer Ke needed an outlet, and also needed to sever certain vague illusions within her heart. Rather than having others force her hand, it was better for Officer Ke to persuade herself.”
“You cannot forever live beneath the shadows of the past, nor can you remain eternally trapped in someone’s shackles. The light of Shell City’s freedom can only shine brightly upon this vast earth; should it merely hover in the sky, it would become but a cold, solitary star.”
Ke Yiyi was momentarily at a loss for words. His metaphors were rather peculiar, making her feel as though he were a poet, yet simultaneously sensing he was far from one.
“Ultimately, it’s still me…”
“Officer Ke, there’s no need to blame yourself. Since I’ve known you, every choice you’ve made has been entirely rational, without any transgression.”
Li Yuyi rose, gathering his food, preparing to depart.
“If even you question your own actions, you will swiftly find that everyone around you begins to question them as well. Every choice is the right choice, and every moment is the correct moment.”
Ke Yiyi looked up at Li Yuyi, pondering his words.
“Are you leaving?”
“I’m not accustomed to revealing my mouth in front of others. You know, it tends to frighten people.”
“It’s fine, I’ve seen it already. I won’t be scared. Just sit and eat here!”
“Alright, but when I sit on the other side of the tree to eat, I hope Officer Ke won’t look back.”
“I promise.”
Li Yuyi turned and walked behind the tree against which Ke Yiyi was leaning. He set down his items and slowly leaned against the trunk, deliberately aligning the center of his body with the tree to avoid any incidental contact with Ke Yiyi on the other side.
“What happened to your mouth?”
“Nothing major.”
“Is it inconvenient to talk about?”
“Just an accident.”
Li Yuyi removed his mask, tore open a candy wrapper, and placed a piece into his mouth. He savored it slowly; it was still the familiar taste—that distinct, industrial saccharine flavor of Xuanji Star.