It rained all day.
Chen Nian took a short rest in the afternoon, and went out for a walk with an umbrella before it got dark.
He used to live in an underground city and had no chance to contact the outside world, let alone walk in the rain.
The Veterans' Hospital is hidden among the green plants and is shrouded in rainy days, becoming a solemn golden-gray color amidst the deep green.
In the afternoon, the soldiers paid collective tribute to Chen Wei. The bouquet of kapok flowers presented by Chen Nian was surrounded by more branches and placed in front of the tomb.
Chen Nian stood far away holding an umbrella, not seeing the familiar figure, and asked the staff of the Veterans Affairs Academy: "Where is General Goodes?"
"The general came in the morning and left soon after."
Chen Nian nodded. Goodes holds a high position in the military, so he should be very busy. After all, this is not a peaceful time.
After personally paying homage to his father and visiting his former residence, Chen Nian became even more curious about Chen Wei.
His mother's side never showed up from beginning to end. Chen Nian had read many of Chen Wei's manuscripts, all of which were military-related. He was like a workaholic.
For an officer like this, what would his significant other be like?
Can you tolerate that he puts too much energy on work to the point that he doesn't remember anything about his emotions and even completely ignores himself?
What a gentle and virtuous saint he must be!
Although Chen Nian has never experienced true love, based on his experience of being between different parties, he believes that true love should be full of possessiveness.
Chen Nian could not tell from the information left by Chen Wei who he had unusual feelings for.
Although his unreliable guess was blasted by Shafla, Chen Nian thought about it and still felt that if he had to find someone to be in love with Chen Wei, it should be the emperor.
After all, the two were very close. Shafley said that if this was true, he and Chen Ci would be brothers and be engaged. But what if Shafley was not the emperor's biological child? Wouldn't that explain it?
The situation was getting more and more outrageous, so Chen Nian stopped talking immediately.
I can't think about the emperor anymore. My thinking is so limited that I can't guess anything.
What if it is your father’s colleague or subordinate?
Chen Nian carefully considered the possibility of pretending to be an A in military school. In this era when Omegas can also go to military school and become soldiers, it is completely unnecessary.
There are so many Omega generals, why do you have to use the Alpha identity?
Putting aside other things, just the high-intensity physical training alone will completely expose your identity through the pheromones carried in your sweat. No matter how powerful the inhibitor is, it cannot remove the pheromones from your body fluids.
There was no way he could have escaped the military's rigorous physical examination.
It could be that the father had an Omega or female subordinate who gave birth to a child, but for some secret reason, the identity of the child could not be made public.
But in this era, is it necessary for spies and secret agents to exist? All human beings have united to fight against primitive creatures!
Could it be that this fucking creature is a primitive being disguised as a human? That's too wild!
Chen Nian really couldn't find a credible direction, so he might as well say that he and Chen Ci jumped out from the cracks in the rocks. After all, in this era when organisms can combine with machines to become primitive creatures, nothing is impossible.
As for Goodes, since the probability of Chen Wei being an Omega was close to zero and he was also an Alpha, the two men would not be able to have a child no matter what.
They are just a relationship between generals and subordinates.
Chen Nian wiped away the non-existent cold sweat. If Goodes really had any relationship with Chen Wei, then he would be too rebellious. Although he had wild sexual preferences, he had no plans to engage in an incestuous relationship for the time being.
Chen Nian looked from afar as disabled soldiers came to Chen Wei's tomb one after another.
Flowers are a luxury nowadays, so they use electronic flowers instead. The white petals are pure and full, emitting particle effects in the rain and floating in the air, which is not like the human world.
Feeling a little depressed again, Chen Nian turned around and wandered around somewhere else.
Chen Nian went out alone without telling Shafla.
After he suggested resting in the Marshal's former residence tonight, Shafley asked the staff to clean up the room next door so that he could accompany Chen Nian.
Shafley should be in the next room playing games or watching the forum.
In the first few days of contact, Chen Nian thought that this man was addicted to games all day long and ignored Chen Ci, and was a complete otaku and scumbag.
After spending more time together, he could probably understand Shafley. Strictly speaking, Shafley was not addicted to games. He would only take time to watch the game to relax when he had finished the things at hand, and he would not let the game interfere with his real life.
Chen Nian stood in the courtyard and looked up. From here he could see the window of Chen Wei's room.
He saw that the window of the next room was open, and Shaflay was leaning over and looking down at him with his arms folded on the windowsill.
Shafley took off his suit jacket, revealing a white shirt with the fabric bulging out at his upper arms. His sturdy body made him look very secure. His hair, which he had fixed with hairspray in the morning, was a little messy, perhaps because he had been lying in bed, and was slightly curled and swept across his forehead.
Meeting those violet eyes, Chen Nian couldn't help but be surprised.
He thought Shafley would continue to browse game forums to kill time after returning to his room.
How long had Shafley been watching? Had he been wandering aimlessly in the cemetery the whole time, in Alpha's sight, being watched by him?
Chen Nian felt a little uncomfortable when he thought that Shafla might have treated him as a piece of scenery.
He doesn't mind being seen by Alphas, and will even pretend to be someone special in front of more people, becoming a unique person that they can't take their eyes off, and he enjoys it.
But when facing Shafulai, the situation changed completely. Ever since he learned that Shafulai was not a scumbag who deliberately ignored Chen Ci and flirted with other women, he lost the desire to seduce Shafulai.
After all, I had done that to help Chen Ci win back Shaflay's heart, but now that I know he's a pure virgin, there's no need to do those things.
As for why he felt uncomfortable... maybe it was because Shaflay was his brother-in-law.
Chen Nian knew that Chen Ci was currently traveling with another Alpha, and they were even staying in the same tent at night, but Chen Nian didn't think there was anything wrong with it, and even wanted Chen Ci to try harder and meet a few more different Alphas.
For an Omega like his brother who is both strong and good-looking, there should be nothing wrong with choosing the most suitable person among several Alphas and following the laws of the jungle.
Chen Nian raised the umbrella on his shoulder to cover himself completely.
He walked forward a few steps until he was at a position under the eaves where he could not be seen from the window, then he stopped and put down the umbrella.
Chen Nian waited for a while, and thought that Shaflay should leave the window before he decided to go for a walk in the courtyard again.
But then I heard the familiar sound of steady footsteps behind me.
Chen Nian turned around and saw Shafulai coming towards him. He had a suit jacket draped over his arm and another umbrella in his hand.
"Are you still going for a walk?" Shafley came up to Chen Nian and asked.
Now that Shaflay had come down, he couldn't drive him back.
Chen Nian nodded, and the two of them held up their umbrellas and stepped back into the rain.
After a whole morning of rain, the rain didn't let up but got heavier. The raindrops hit the umbrella, bringing continuous weak pressure to the hand holding the umbrella.
The rain flowed down the ribs of the umbrella, almost forming a line, splashing small water drops on the ground, wetting the uppers of shoes and trousers.
The dull rumble of thunder rolled from afar, passed overhead, and then rumbled in another direction. Lightning flashed quickly, so fast that the naked eye could not capture the light at that moment.
Chen Nian chose to step on places with water, watching the angle and arc of the water splashing up, and ripples appearing on the water surface. He stepped in with a "pop" sound, and then listened to the light "splash" sound when the water receded.
This was a game he loved to play when he was a child, but the accumulated water in the dungeon was mostly dirty. After realizing that this would increase Jiang Dai's housework burden, Chen Nian became obedient and never did it again.
Now his clothes are cleaned by artificial intelligence, so he doesn’t have to worry so much and can finally regain the joy of his childhood for a short while.
Shafley automatically moved away to avoid getting splashed with water. If he were still eighteen years old, he would probably play with Chen Nian.
But he is already twenty-four.
Chen Nian was treading water by himself, and suddenly turned around and asked, "Has my brother ever walked outside when it rained?"
Shafley nodded. "Yes, I have done that with him before, but he almost never talks to me on his own initiative, and he doesn't play like you do."
Chen muttered in amazement. He and Chen Ci had completely different personalities. Even if they were brought up in different environments, there was no way to fully explain it.
Can the personalities of mirror-image twins be so different?
It was a rainy day and it got dark early. Chen Nian played until his shoes were all wet, so he went back to his room.
He took off his shoes and socks, put on the slippers found by the staff of the Veterans Academy, and spent the rest of the night in Chen Wei's bedroom.
Chen Nian sent a message to Chen Ci, saying that he had paid tribute to his father at the Veterans Hall today, but he did not receive a response for a long time.
Chen Ci should still be busy. Yesterday he said he met a scavenger named Matchstick and agreed to help him deal with the campsite affairs.
Chen Nian had heard a long time ago that there were constant disputes among the scavengers near the recycling station. Now that Chen Ci wanted to intervene, it must be no small matter.
It was raining in the abandoned suburbs, and I wondered how Chen Ci was doing.
Chen Nian was a little worried, but not particularly worried.
He believed in Chen Ci's ability. After all, not just anyone could deal with such strong mental power.
It’s just that the rain is so heavy, I hope brother doesn’t get wet and doesn’t catch a cold.
After having dinner in the cafeteria, Chen Nian sat obediently at Chen Wei's table and continued to read the manuscript left by his father.
He couldn't help but think again of what Shaflay had said to him.
Chen Nian certainly knew that people need to have goals, but how could he have the capital to pursue them before? After receiving his salary, he just wanted to buy some delicious food for Uncle Jiang to show his filial piety.
His world was very small, so small that under the sky sealed off by steel, there was only enough space for him and Uncle Jiang.
If conditions permit, who doesn't want to realize their own value and become a useful person to society?
But for the poor, ideals are luxuries and it is good enough to just live a good life in the present.
Now, he can think about it seriously.
Chen Wei learned drawing in military school, so his depiction of primitive biological forms is quite standard. This is not painting in the general sense, but a reproduction of the original form from as many angles as possible.
On the day of taking class with Shafley, Chen Nian drew a lot of doodles on the virtual tablet with a stylus, and Shafley praised him for his good drawing.
Chen Nian has loved painting since he was a child, and the walls of the corridor in his home are all covered with traces of his childhood paintings.
Could he try to do his father's job?
Chen Ci's mental strength is very strong, and as Chen Ci's brother, he should not be much worse. If he can receive long-term systematic training like his brother, he will also become stronger.
Chen Nian pondered, turned on the virtual screen of the terminal, picked up the stylus, and bought some drawing software first.
He copied Chen Wei's manuscript and painted two strokes on the canvas.
Although the general shape could be sketched out, Chen Nian's hands were shaky and he was not very good at using the various functions of the software.
You still have to study systematically...
Chen Nian was not in a hurry. This kind of thing could not be rushed. He would wait until tomorrow to talk to Shafulai about his ideas. At least he had a goal.
Today, I successfully paid homage to my father, took a walk in the rain for the first time, and stayed in my father's room in the Veterans' Home. I also made a preliminary decision on my future goals. Chen Nian was very satisfied.
Will he get better and better in the future? Of course he will.
He has such an outstanding brother, so outstanding that he feels ashamed of himself. Now that he has the resources, he must seize the time and try to get close to Chen Ci. Otherwise, it would be bad if he reveals his identity later and others wonder how the prince's wife's brother looks like this.
There are some small activities at the Veterans Hall in the evening for the military personnel to have fun.
Chen Nian leaned on the railing and watched everyone play ball. The court was quite lively. The physical disability did not prevent them from enjoying life.
At 10:30 in the evening, after Chen Nian finished washing up, he locked the doors and windows and lay down on Chen Wei's bed with peace of mind.
The bed was soft and exuded a very clean smell. There was no pheromone left. Chen Nian sank into the pillow, listening to the sound of rain outside the window.
Unlike the annoying sound of water drops hitting the plastic sheet outside the bedroom window in the dungeon, the falling rain is a natural white noise that follows a certain frequency and only makes people feel calmer.
The evening breeze stirs the treetops, like nature's steady breathing.
This is indeed a holy place for therapeutic health, far away from all the noise and so quiet that Chen Nian can hear nothing except the sound of wind and rain.
Many, many years ago, did Chen Wei, who had an injured left leg, also lie in bed like this and fall asleep every peaceful night?
After experiencing the most thrilling war, he suddenly returned to peace. What would he think? Would he want to recover as soon as possible and return to the battlefield, or would he cherish this rare rest time?
Chen Nian turned off the bedroom light and closed his eyes, his heart feeling unprecedented peace.
There is no need to think about how to further improve work performance, no need to sort out how the relationships with the many customers have progressed today, no need to worry about the dwindling balance in the account, and no need to worry about Uncle Jiang's increasingly weak health.
Empty your mind and body, and just feel the nature and yourself that are so close to you.
My consciousness quickly became dull, and between being half asleep and half awake, I seemed to feel a faint light shining through my eyelids, bringing a faint sense of light.
Chen Nian is not the kind of person who can't fall asleep at the slightest light or noise, which is completely different from Chen Ci.
But he still noticed the unusual light sensation, which was strange; he had clearly turned off all the lights, so how could something be lit?
Whether out of vigilance or curiosity, Chen Nian resisted the gradually deepening sleepiness and opened his eyes.
Something is indeed bright.
The light source was under the table beside the bed. It was a faint blue-purple light with a fluorescent texture.
Chen Nian suddenly became alert.
It's really scary to do this kind of thing in the middle of the night!
This was the room Chen Wei lived in more than 20 years ago. It must have been checked after he left, and there has always been someone cleaning it. There shouldn't be anything strange in it!
Chen Nian plucked up his courage and leaned over to take a look.
It seemed to be coming from the board under the table.
Chen Nian lay in the quilt and waited quietly for a few minutes, but the light did not disappear.
This little light was nothing to him, but the scene was really a bit scary.
There is a martyrs' cemetery outside, and there are so many soldiers living in the building. The sun is strong and the air is full. There shouldn't be any strange supernatural phenomena, right?
Even the sounds of wind and rain outside the window became weird.
Chen Nian held his breath and concentrated, but finally lifted the quilt.
He climbed up very quietly, as if he was afraid of disturbing some monster hiding in the dark. The boy's toes first touched the floor, and he shrank back in fright at the cold. Then he carefully tried again to find where his slippers were.
Chen Nian put on her slippers, not even bothering to put on her coat, and moved quickly and quietly to the door, opening the locked door.
It was already lights-out time at the Veterans Home, and the corridor was dim, with only two emergency lights left on.
Chen Nian knocked on the door of the next room.
The boy was wearing pajamas and shorts, and he felt a little cold standing in the corridor, so he couldn't help shivering.
Cinnabar is located on the Pamir Plateau and is surrounded by sea water, showing a very obvious marine climate. Summer does not arrive until August, and May is considered early spring, not to mention that it is still raining outside.
Chen Nian shrank his shoulders and touched his arm hard, letting the friction create heat.
After about half a minute, the door opened in front of him.
Shafley was bleary-eyed and had obviously fallen asleep, but was woken up by Chen Nian again.
Seeing Chen Nian wearing only pajamas, with her arms and calves exposed and her body huddled, for a moment, Shafley felt as if he were in a manor in an old fairy tale.
On a rainy night, the desperate boy knocked on the door. He was soaking wet, his lips were frozen white, and he looked up at him with eager eyes, hoping to be taken in.
Without saying a word, Shafley turned around, took the coat hanging behind the door, and put it on Chen Nian's shoulders.
After putting clothes on Chen Nian, Shafulai asked, "What's wrong?"
Chen Nian wrapped his coat tightly and said in a low voice: "There is something glowing in my room!"
"Is there something shiny?" Shafley was stunned for a moment, "I'll go take a look."
The two returned to Chen Wei's room. Through the gap in the door, Chen Nian clearly caught a glimpse of a lavender light, appearing under the table like a ghostly lamp.
With Shaflay's courage, Chen Nian was no longer so scared and asked in a low voice, "Did you see it?"
"Where?"
Didn’t you see this?
Chen Nian simply closed the door. Without the light coming in from the corridor, any light in the dark room was so obvious.
I can't ask this anymore, can I?
Chen Nian waited for Shafla to speak, but Alpha remained silent beside him.
After more than ten seconds, Shafley said, "Am I blind?"
Chen Nian: “Ah?”
He was no longer afraid, and his mind was full of questions: "No, it's clearly under the table, and it's purple."
"I see nothing." Shafulai frowned, and his mental power quickly probed to the location Chen Nian mentioned. Under the table... was just ordinary plywood.
Chen Nian: “………………”
Shafulai had no reason to lie to him. Chen Nian raised his hands and rubbed his eyes hard. When he let go, he still saw the purple color.
"That's strange, but I clearly saw it."
Shafley stopped arguing with Chen Nian about whether there was a problem or not. He squatted down, held the edge of the table with one hand, and leaned under the table to check.
Nothing.
Shaflay reached out and touched it. He touched every inch carefully, but the smooth texture didn't reveal any problem.
"Is there really light?"
Chen Nian's tone was inevitably anxious: "Really, I lied to you that I was a puppy."
He didn't want Shafley to think he was lying.
Schaffray: "Where is the light source? Describe it to me in detail."
Chen Nian also squatted down beside him, finally daring to take a closer look.
He stuck his head in and found that the light source was not a single point.
"It's a rectangular board, a little to the left of your hand. Yes, a little to the left."
Shafulai pressed the position Chen Nian mentioned, but his mental power still could not detect any abnormality.
He lifted his head slightly and felt a noticeable pressure.
There are layers inside.
Chen Nian squatted beside him, hugging his knees. He was wearing a Shable jacket, and he looked like a small black mushroom growing at night.
He listened to Shafley fiddle with it for a while, and the light began to shake up and down unsteadily. With a slight click, Shafley said, "Turn on the light."
Chen Nian stood up and turned on the light.
The sudden light made Shafley squint his eyes. He crawled out from under the table, holding a rectangular board in his hand.
"There is a compartment." Shafley put the board on the table, straightened up, and said, "I just don't know why I can't see the light."
"I can't be the only one who can see it." Chen Niancun stepped forward to observe the rectangular board. "There are always people coming to clean this room. If everyone can see it, it's so obvious. There's no reason why it wouldn't have been discovered before."
Shafley: "Maybe few people come here in the dark?"
Chen Nian: "But if you clean up at night, there is a process from entering the door to turning on the lights, and you will definitely be seen."
As they talked, the two picked up the things on the rectangular plate.
It's a drawing.
The paper had obviously been specially treated, retaining its original color over the years, and was painted with some special architectural patterns.
The shape is not very detailed, just a rough outline, roughly looking like a long cylindrical space extending in all directions.
On the far right, familiar handwriting reads "Vault 41".
Shelter?
Chen Nian asked, "Have you heard of this place?"
Shafley shook his head, frowning as he tried to find some clues in his memory: "When the flood disaster first occurred, humans did build many shelters around the world, but they were soon abandoned because the water level rose too high."
"There is not much land left, and all places suitable for human habitation have been used. I have no impression of Shelter 41."
"What about searching?" Chen Nian asked.
He used the terminal of Chen's speech, and all browsing history would be monitored and only Shaflecha could check it.
Shafley searched for keywords without saying anything.
The entries that pop up are nothing more than contents from novels and games, and there is nothing related to reality.
"No..." Chen Nian thought for a moment, "Take a picture of it first and send it to my new terminal. Gui Zhiqi studied architecture. When we meet, I will ask her privately if she knows."
"Okay." Shafley agreed. He also had some friends he knew, but his identity was sensitive and asking would easily attract attention, so it would be more appropriate to let Chen Nian do it.
The two people with different expertise couldn't figure out anything from the blueprint, so they turned to study the board that glowed purple in Chen Nian's eyes and looked ordinary to Shafulai.
"I don't feel anything unusual about the material. It should be a special coating on the surface. Wait for me for a moment."
Shafley went back next door and came back with a multi-purpose military knife and a small plastic bag.
He scraped off a layer of powder from the board with a saber, put it into a plastic bag, and sealed it carefully.
"I'll have someone do a test tomorrow to see what's going on."
Shafley turned off the light to test it. Chen Nian clearly saw the transparent bag in his hand emitting a purple light: "The thing is in there."
Shafley nodded, the problem was solved. He turned on the light again, put the board and drawings back to their original places, and put a piece of cloth on them to prevent the light from disturbing Chen Nian's rest.
The problem was solved, and Shafley said softly, "Have a good rest, we'll talk tomorrow if there's anything else."
Chen Nian nodded. Shafulai took the saber and the plastic bag, checked the window for Chen Nian, and was about to leave. "Good night. If you need anything else, come find me anytime."
"Good night." Chen Nian sat on the edge of the bed and watched Shafulai walk out of the room.
The door locked with a click.
The raindrops fell on the bed, and the water flowed in winding paths, blurring the vision.
Chen Nian was no longer afraid.
He was about to turn off the lights and go to sleep, but he found that Shafley's suit jacket was still on him. It was already warm and made him feel warm all over.
With a light, sweet aroma of sherry.