ASFTB 21: They’re Coming Back

Jian Chengxi heard what the children said and had originally thought this Zerg invasion would drag on for many days, just like before.

That night, for the children’s safety, he brought them all into his own bed. He’d heard that the Zerg could possibly take on human form and even mimic abilities. Such a powerful enemy was not something he could take lightly.

Li Sui­sui and Li Chen, being little children, fell asleep quickly.

Jian Chengxi was woken in the morning by the chime of his comm terminal. He thought it was news of a change in the battle, but when he opened it, he saw the message:

【Dear citizens, hello. The Zerg army has fully retreated to 300 light-years outside our star system. All streets in every city and town are now open. This retreat by the Zerg is a strange signal. The Chief Archangel Guard reminds everyone to remain vigilant. If anything unusual occurs, please contact the Guard immediately.】

Jian Chengxi said in surprise, “The lockdown’s lifted?”

That was way too fast.

Weren’t they always sealed off for many days in the past?

The system spoke up: 【The Zerg retreating is indeed very unusual. Over the years, they’ve been pressing closer and closer to the planet. They’ve lived for ages near black holes without a proper home. Now, just when victory seemed within reach, they suddenly pull back—it’s quite strange.】

Jian Chengxi said, “Could it be a trap?”

The system didn’t dare make a firm judgment, so it could only say: 【The Zerg haven’t retreated in all these years, unless by the order of their Queen, or if something happened to their nest. But for so many years, no one has ever been able to locate the Zerg’s nest. If the Zerg were wiped out, life would be easier for everyone.】

Jian Chengxi said with a hint of delight, “So doesn’t that mean this is good news?”

The system replied: 【We can’t rule out that possibility.】

It assumed the host was happy because he was thinking about his husband, who hadn’t sent any word, possibly coming back. But instead—

Jian Chengxi’s smile was impossible to hide. “This is great! I was already running low on money. Without the Zerg, the inspectors from the supervision office will finally stop coming around to collect payments!”

System: 【…】

You really are something.

…

Since the streets were back to normal, the children had to return to school as usual.

After dropping the two kids off, Jian Chengxi went home to continue tending the orchard. Since the last harvest, quite a few new fruits had grown, but no matter how he looked at it, they weren’t as lush as the first batch. Even the yield had dropped noticeably. Last time he had picked a full four baskets, but this time, after stripping several trees, there were only two baskets.

Grandma Li, standing at the courtyard gate, said, “Fruit trees can’t keep producing forever. Over time, there’ll be less and less.”

After what happened last time, the two households had grown much closer.

As Jian Chengxi carried the fruit out, he said, “I planted some saplings over there using the pits from this tree’s fruit. Once they grow, things should get better. It’s just that they can’t be sold right now.”

Seeing his financial troubles, Grandma Li said, “You’re always fixated on selling fruit. Why not use your head a bit, other things can be sold too. That wild vegetable cake you made last time wasn’t bad at all.”

Jian Chengxi froze.

That cake had only been made because he couldn’t afford nutrient solution and didn’t want to eat up the sweet fruit, so he made it to fill his stomach.

“Would that… actually have a market?” Jian Chengxi asked hesitantly. “I’ve never seen anyone selling food on the streets besides fruit and nutrient solution.”

Grandma Li said, “That’s because other food tastes bitter. The cakes you made didn’t have that bitterness. Make some and try selling them. If they don’t sell, you can always just bring them back and eat them yourself.”

Jian Chengxi thought the old lady was right. His eyes lit up, and he happily ran over to give her a hug. “Got it—thank you!”

The old lady froze for a moment. In the indifferent, cold-hearted underground city, where everyone lived selfishly and numb, such a hug hadn’t come her way in a long time. She looked at Jian Chengxi, a bit unaccustomed to it, only to see a bright and genuine smile on his fair, delicate face. Under the dim, lightless sky, standing on this barren land, he was like a radiant sun, warm and blazing.

For a moment, she felt dazed.

She was reminded of her grandson from many years ago, who had gone off to join the army and never returned.

Jian Chengxi smiled and said, “Then I’ll have to borrow your pot for a bit.”

The old lady came back to herself and said, “Make a bit more.”

Puzzled, Jian Chengxi asked, “Afraid there won’t be enough to sell?”

“That’s not it.” She shook her white-haired head and smiled. “Leave some for this old woman.”

Jian Chengxi chuckled out loud, just like he had years ago when he took care of his own grandmother. Life was simple and good back then. “Alright!”

…

It took him the whole morning to make the cakes, and by noon he went out to set up his stall.

He hadn’t been out for several days, and the other villagers were chatting away excitedly. Jian Chengxi found a familiar spot and overheard everyone talking about the Zerg army’s retreat today:

“How come it was only one day this time?”

“Really strange.”

“Could something have happened?”

“I saw a lot of battleships flying across the sky today.”

“Scary stuff…”

Jian Chengxi carefully set up his stall, arranging the cakes and fruit while listening to the others chat. He had just finished when someone came running over excitedly and said, “You finally opened your stall, give me two of those fruits.”

It was a dwarf.

Jian Chengxi took two fruits from the box, bent down to hand them over, and said, “Here you go, that’ll be one coin in total.”

Even though he had only just opened, an old customer had already rushed over. His sweet fruit always sold quickly, and since the price was reasonable, it was quite popular.

A beastkin girl also came over and said, “Could you get me two as well?”

“Sure,” Jian Chengxi replied with a smile. “Thanks for supporting me.”

The dwarf, biting into a fruit, said, “Your fruit is the sweetest in the whole market. And after eating it, my headaches are gone.”

Jian Chengxi was taken aback.

The long-eared beastkin girl quickly added, “That’s right, that’s right. My mental power was damaged before, and I could never sleep at night. But after eating your fruit, I’ve been sleeping wonderfully.”

Everyone started talking over one another.

Jian Chengxi just smiled, chalking it up to a placebo effect. “Thank you all for your support. Today I’m running a promotion—buy three fruits and get a cake for free. If you like, you can give it a try.”

People in the underground city hated eating vegetables.

They were bitter and astringent, like chewing wax. It’s nothing like the pleasant taste of fruit.

At his words, everyone turned to look at the cakes. They were green but fried to a crisp, giving off a fragrance, and looked like nothing they had ever seen before. They hesitated.

Jian Chengxi said, “It’s part of the promotion, it’s free for everyone to try.”

The rabbit-eared beastkin girl pressed her lips together shyly and said in a small voice, “Then I’ll buy one. I like eating grass.”

Jian Chengxi, gentle and patient, replied, “Alright. The cakes are a bit oily and might get your hands dirty, so I’ll wrap it in colored paper for you.”

He deliberately chose a pink piece of wrapping paper suited for a girl. Unlike other stalls that were always set up carelessly, Jian Chengxi’s table was always spotless, and the food was washed clean and neatly packaged in boxes. He always greeted customers with a smile, and even though he wore plain clothes and no makeup, his delicate, handsome face and refined, gentle demeanor made him especially appealing.

The rabbit-eared girl took the cake and said, “Thank you.”

Jian Chengxi smiled. “Of course. I hope you’ll come again.”

She took a bite, chewed, and in an instant, the ears hanging behind her stood straight up. Her round eyes widened, her expression brimming with delight.

The dwarf asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

The rabbit-eared girl eagerly finished the cake. “This grass tastes great, there’s no bitterness at all.”

The dwarf looked doubtful, but handed over some money, figuring it was a freebie anyway, and bought an extra fruit. “Then give me one to try too.”

Jian Chengxi hadn’t expected there to actually be a market for it. He took the money, wrapped the cake, and handed it over. After one bite, the dwarf’s expression also turned to surprise. He immediately pulled out his wallet. “I’ll take all of these cakes!”

??

Jian Chengxi had never imagined that the cakes he meant as freebies would be the fastest to sell.

“But I only made these to give away, so I haven’t even thought of a price yet,” he said with some hesitation. “How about this—tonight I’ll think it over, and I’ll be back tomorrow to sell. You can come then.”

The dwarf was a bit disappointed, but didn’t press the matter. “Alright.”

The rabbit-eared girl shyly asked, “Could you save some for me tomorrow too?”

Jian Chengxi smiled. “Of course.”

After sending off the two customers, more kept coming in an endless stream. Jian Chengxi hadn’t expected business to be this good. He was so busy he barely had a moment to breathe. Across the market, the other stalls had little to no business, while a crowd gathered in front of his.

In the middle of selling, a voice suddenly came from above his head. “I’ll take all of these fruits.”

?

He looked up and met a face that seemed somewhat familiar but one he didn’t want to be familiar with.

Wang Zhe stood in front of him and said, “Why are you spacing out, Xiao Xi? Don’t you recognize me?”

Today, Wang Zhe looked different from last time. He was wearing an official’s uniform, a black suit that should have looked imposing. But since Wang Zhe was also a dwarf, he was actually a bit shorter than Jian Chengxi. His facial features were well-proportioned, yet somehow, when put together, gave off an oddly sleazy impression.

Jian Chengxi ignored him, keeping things strictly business. “I already made myself very clear to you last time.”

“I don’t mind that you were throwing a tantrum with me before,” Wang Zhe said, stepping forward and handing him an ornate gift box, his tone one of condescension, like coaxing a pet. “This is a present I brought you from Sky City. Go on, take it.”

The Jian Chengxi of the past would have accepted it with great excitement.

But now they were in the middle of the market, and the surrounding glances, subtle yet assessing, were turning his way.

Jian Chengxi took a deep breath and said seriously, “I can’t accept rewards I haven’t earned. Thank you for the thought, but please take this gift back. If you’re here to buy fruit, I can pack it for you right now. If not, then please don’t stand here, you’re affecting my business.”

The smile vanished from Wang Zhe’s face.

Jian Chengxi’s sudden coldness was slowly wearing away his patience, especially with so many people around.

The gift box was pushed back toward him, and Wang Zhe took the opportunity to grab Jian Chengxi’s wrist, pulling him a little closer. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he said, “I’m giving you face here, so don’t push it too far. Our relationship isn’t something you can just end with a word. Everyone in this underground city knows the name Wang Zhe—without me, making money with your little stall is nothing but a dream!”

Jian Chengxi’s brow furrowed tightly.

The painful grip on his wrist made his lips tremble, leaving him unable to speak. Forcing back his tears, he glared fiercely at Wang Zhe.

Wang Zhe kept hold of his hand, his voice turning gentle again. “I’ll give you time to think about it, don’t make me wait too long.”

Summoning all his strength, Jian Chengxi wrenched his hand free, and through clenched teeth, choking back the pain, forced out a single word. “Get lost.”

Wang Zhe’s expression shifted, but in the end he held back from lashing out. With a cold snort, he picked up the gift box and left. The whole scene had been witnessed by the people on the street, and soon they were whispering among themselves. The underground city was divided into the north and south districts, and the southern side was entirely under the Wang family’s control. There truly wasn’t a soul who didn’t know Wang Zhe, the pleasure-seeking wastrel.

After such a commotion, most of the customers at the stall had already dispersed.

Jian Chengxi no longer felt like doing business. His wrist throbbed painfully, though at least most of his goods had already sold. The auntie from the neighboring stall pulled his hand over and asked, “Are you alright?”

Even with just that light touch, his pale, slender wrist was flushed an angry red. It was a shocking sight.

Holding back his tears, Jian Chengxi shook his head. “I’m fine.”

Normally, the auntie didn’t think much of him, but now she couldn’t help saying, “You’d better stop going against him. Otherwise, you might not even be able to keep this stall running.”

This little stall was the family’s livelihood.

Wang Zhe was ruthless when he turned on someone, and he wasn’t easy to deal with.

Jian Chengxi took the kindness to heart and told her, “I understand. I’ll think it over carefully.”

Only then did the auntie help him pack up his things so he could head home.

On the way back, Jian Chengxi didn’t even bother carrying the basket. His hand hurt badly, and his mind was working quickly, turning over strategies to deal with the situation. He also planned to stop by the clinic for some anti-swelling medicine, so the children wouldn’t notice when he picked them up later.

But when he pushed open the clinic door, he found the atmosphere inside was strange. A group of people were watching the projection screen on the television, visibly excited.

Some even covered their faces, crying, while the doctor, usually sharp-tongued and merciless, couldn’t hide a smile.

Jian Chengxi froze for a moment and asked, “What happened?”

The doctor saw him come in, took his hand, and pointed toward the cosmic star map on the screen. It was just released as breaking news worldwide. Her voice trembled. “The signal, do you see it? That nebula region is showing a signal. It’s from our vanguard fleet three years ago. They’re coming back!”

Jian Chengxi’s eyes widened. In the boundless stretch of the starry sky, where the galaxy had no end, at the far reaches of the endless universe. In a nebula of black holes, a single red signal point was flashing. It was the beacon tied to countless hearts, the signal of more than two hundred thousand soldiers who had vanished into space three years ago. After all these years, it had appeared again, brilliant and dazzling, like a radiant light of hope.