Chapter 29

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Chapter 29: No One Bows Down to Anyone

Luo Yu and Zhu Huai had a fierce struggle in the small storage room, exchanging blows in a way that seemed evenly matched. Seeing that she couldn’t persuade them to stop and afraid to intervene and get hurt herself, Ying Zhao hurriedly turned around and dashed out to seek help.

Mo Chuan and the others hadn’t gone far; they were in the adjacent lounge sipping tea. When they saw Ying Zhao rush over, saying that the two were fighting, they all stood up and followed her to the storage room.

By the time everyone arrived, the two were still grappling on the floor. One had a firm grip on the other’s thigh, while the other twisted the first’s arm, both locked in a judo hold, neither backing down.

Mo Chuan approached and effortlessly separated the two, grabbing each of them by the scruff of their necks like kittens. “What are you two fighting for? Calm down, calm down,” she said, looking at them.

Seeing that they didn’t seem inclined to continue fighting, she set them down. Luo Yu adjusted her collar and walked grimly out of the storage room, while Ti Ran hurried to catch up and softly comfort her.

Zhu Huai wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and shot a glance at Ying Zhao. “Ying Zhao, seems like you’re the fierce one.”

Ying Zhao was at a loss, “That’s not what I meant! I really just misspoke!”

Zhu Huai walked over and patted her shoulder. “No need to explain, no need to explain.” After that, she headed outside as well.

Mo Chuan didn’t understand the details of what had happened, so she sent the two to separate lounges while she and Ti Ran talked to them individually to prevent further conflict.

On the other side, two communication experts also called for the nursing robots to come and examine their injuries.

Before long, two nursing robots entered the lounges and conducted a scan. Both had minor injuries; they hadn’t used lethal force, just some bruises and sprains. The nursing robots turned on the light therapy mode, extending a large lampshade from the back panel to soothe their injuries.

Ti Ran realized that their fight stemmed from the issues surrounding their return journey and the incident with the time capsule falling unexpectedly. Understanding that they had been under a lot of emotion these days, she recognized that their conflict erupted after speaking with Zhu Long.

Without making any remarks about right or wrong, she gently encouraged Luo Yu to calm down and served her a cold drink, allowing her to relax under the light for a while.

After speaking, Ti Ran quietly stood up and walked out. At the door, she happened to see Mo Chuan and Ying Zhao entering. She informed them that Zhu Huai was in the next room with light therapy, and they had come to check on Luo Yu. Ti Ran turned back and waved, smiling as she said, “I’m going to check on that one next door.”

Luo Yu reclined on a large soft chair in the lounge, with the nursing robot stretching a large lampshade over her head. The gentle warm light enveloped her, making her feel very comfortable. The pain from her injuries seemed to gradually fade away, and the discomfort was slowly disappearing.

When Mo Chuan and Ying Zhao came over to see her, she was almost dozing off. Sensing someone sitting beside her on the soft cushions, Luo Yu opened her eyes slightly to see Ying Zhao leaning in with concern, asking, “How are you feeling?”

“Super comfortable.”

Mo Chuan also sat down next to Ying Zhao and smiled at her. “After letting it all out, you feel a bit better, right?”

Luo Yu sighed, smiling, “Yes, I’ve been tense for days; it’s really exhausting.” She finished speaking and rubbed her hands on her face. “Zhu Long shouldn’t have news so soon. The time channel allows for some leeway, so I won’t dwell on those matters. Right now, I just want to rest.”

Mo Chuan nodded. “Exactly, one needs to rest well to think clearly.” After that, she stood up and patted Ying Zhao. “Let’s step outside and give her some time to relax here.”

Once they left, Luo Yu certainly fell into a deep sleep under the lamp. When she woke up, she saw the shadows of trees dancing on the floor of the lounge, elongated and shifting in the air filled with tiny dust particles, moving slowly in the threads of slanted sunlight. She sat up and gazed out at the lush greenery outside, captivated by the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

“Detection of awakening complete. Light therapy session has ended,” announced the nursing robot behind her. She looked up and realized that the lampshade had been removed at some point, and she no longer felt pain. Raising her hand, she stretched lazily.

Just then, the door to the lounge gently made a sound twice. Luo Yu turned to see Ying Zhao peeking inside. “Awake? Are you hungry?”

This lounge, based on its setup, seemed more suited for relaxation and conversation. Seeing Ying Zhao motion toward the door, Luo Yu stood up from the soft chair and walked outside with her.

The communication station was built on a flat expanse of land, featuring a circular two-story rock structure in the middle that housed various communication research labs. Surrounding the central communication base station were transparent-roofed halls filled with trees and flowers.

Here, thirty uniquely styled lounges provided the staff of the communication station spaces to eat and rest during breaks.

Luo Yu and Ying Zhao walked through the transparent-roofed corridor bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun and arrived at another lounge. As they opened the door, they saw a large round table in the center where Mo Chuan, Ti Ran, and two communication experts, along with Zhu Huai, were already seated.

Zhu Huai sat at the far end, flanked by Ti Ran and one of the communication experts. When she noticed Luo Yu and Ying Zhao entering, she merely glanced up for a moment, her expression unreadable.

Seeing that Zhu Huai still had a faint bruise on her left cheek and a spot of red at the corner of her mouth, Luo Yu figured her own face must be similarly marked. She shook her head slightly, feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

Mo Chuan waved them over, smiling and inviting them to sit, treating the atmosphere as though nothing had happened, and called the Serving Robot to come and take their orders, saying that the others had ordered already.

The dishes and drinks rose directly from beneath the round table to each person’s side. Mo Chuan picked up her cup, and Luo Yu looked at her, expecting her to say something to lighten the mood. To her surprise, Mo Chuan tilted her head back and drank half the cup for herself, then clicked her tongue in appreciation, saying, “This tastes good.”

It seemed there was no drinking culture here. After finishing her drink, Mo Chuan set the cup down and smiled at Luo Yu and the others. "In the research room, the two experts set up the monitoring program this afternoon. You can now receive updates on any movements from the satellite network and space station. In my opinion, there won’t be any new developments in the short term, so you two should relax for the next couple of days. We’ll deal with future matters later." She lightly tapped the table. “Enjoy the present; that’s what matters most.”

Luo Yu also picked up her glass and took a small sip. The fruity aroma was rich. She put down her cup and smiled at Mo Chuan and Ti Ran. “You’re right, enjoying the present is the priority.”

Today marked the first time they formally dined with people from this world since arriving. The meal was served family-style, allowing everyone to select their favorites, with appetizers, main courses, and desserts served in three segments.

The warm summer breeze flowed gently through the soft glass, and a circular band of lights on the table illuminated the moonlight surrounding them. Above, the stars twinkled in the sky, while the sounds of insects chirping from outside added to the pleasant ambiance of the meal.

Luo Yu drank several cups of wine that evening, feeling much more relaxed as she temporarily set aside her worries and attentively listened to Mo Chuan and Ti Ran share various summer activities and customs unique to this place.

As they ate, drank, and chatted, they stayed in the hall until the full moon rose high, before getting up to leave the communication station. Mo Chuan pointed to a river flowing to the east and said to Luo Yu and the others, "If you walk upstream along that river, you’ll reach the ninth cliff dwelling in about half an hour. We can stroll back and stretch our legs while we’re at it.”

Ti Ran had also had quite a bit to drink that night and had returned to the aircraft with the two communication experts, leaving only the three of them to walk with Mo Chuan towards the river.

It was a moonlit night, with the moonlight brightening the landscape. The winding river shimmered beneath the moon, looking like a silver silk ribbon splattered with diamonds, casually sprawled across the wilderness.

The four of them strolled along the riverbank, casually chatting while Zhu Huai was unusually quiet today.

After walking along the river for about fifteen minutes, Zhu Huai walked over to the riverside, saying she wanted to wash her face. Coincidentally, Mo Chuan also felt thirsty, so she stopped and tapped her wristband. In no time, two mini aircraft arrived, delivering several bottles of clean drinking water to them.

Luo Yu took two bottles, planning to hand one to Zhu Huai, and then walked towards the riverbank. Ying Zhao wanted to catch up to them, fearing that the two might end up arguing again in private, but Mo Chuan laughed and stopped her. “Let them talk for a bit. I don’t think they’ll fight again.”

Zhu Huai had just washed her face at the riverbank. Standing up, she turned to see Luo Yu approaching with two bottles of water, extending one towards her. She glanced at Luo Yu, took the water wordlessly, and didn’t say anything.

“I know you’ve had a thorn in your heart about the team leader change last year,” Luo Yu said.

Zhu Huai seemed surprised by the sudden mention of this subject. She frowned and merely took a sip of water, remaining silent.

Since the establishment of the Shan Hai Jing, Zhu Long had personally served as the team leader until last year when the Bureau issued a transfer order, designating someone else to take over the Shan Hai Jing Execution Team.

At that time, Zhu Huai was the most experienced team member, having served as a senior engineer in the maintenance team since the Shan Hai Jing was founded. Everyone believed it was a done deal that she would become the next team leader. However, a week later, the Personnel Department of the Time Bureau announced that the new team leader would be Luo Yu, who had only been transferred from the air defense forces to serve as the main pilot.

What everyone thought would be a promotion for Zhu Huai turned into a shock when she saw someone who joined the team two years later take her spot. Angered, she took half a month off and upon returning, constantly provoked Luo Yu in front of everyone, and their conversations often carried a sharp edge. Only after Zhu Long intervened and spoke to the two of them several times did their relationship gradually improve, but it remained only superficial.

“Actually, Zhu Long initially recommended you for the team leader position, but the Bureau Office rejected it.” Luo Yu took a few steps forward, looking down. “She fought for you, but the Bureau Office never budged, and that’s why I ended up taking over.”

As Luo Yu and Zhu Huai walked along the shallow riverbank stepping on pebbles, small fireflies danced around their feet. Mo Chuan and Ying Zhao followed a distance behind on the riverbank.

Zhu Huai remained silent, her brow tightly knitted.

Luo Yu didn’t look at her, lifting her cup to drink before continuing, “The Bureau Office has a personnel control team that has listed individuals from each execution team, assessing their defection risks. You’re on the list, and so is Ying Zhao, all because of the incident last year.”

In early last year, a team leader from an execution squad had killed other team members while on a mission in a historical time period. He forcibly stayed behind in that time period and was later captured by the Inspection Department when they tracked him down, discovering that he had severed ties with his family, which led him to wish to remain in another time period.

After hearing Luo Yu’s words, Zhu Huai remembered this incident. As for family conflicts, she had finished a lawsuit with her biological father last year and signed a severance agreement, relieving herself of any obligation to provide support.

Luo Yu looked up at the moon. “That’s why the Bureau Office chose me as the new team leader. I have family waiting for me, and my niece has a congenital genetic disease that requires monthly blood transfusions. I’m the one with the lowest risk of defection. You all can choose to stay, but I can’t. I didn’t want to share my family circumstances with my colleagues, but today I feel it’s necessary to be open about it. If you seriously want to stay, I won’t oppose it, but I still have to take the Shan Hai Jing back home.”

Zhu Huai took another sip of water. Since last year, she and Ying Zhao had not been assigned to frontline tasks, but as the chief engineer, it wasn’t strange not to be in the field. She hadn’t thought much of it.

However, after hearing Luo Yu’s words and that Fuxi had called her and Ying Zhao for this mission, she understood that it had to be related to that list. In that case, accusing them of bringing back the recovery panel as a defection would indeed seem justified.

Thinking of this, she squeezed the water bottle in her hand.

At that moment, they could see the ninth cliff dwelling ahead. After walking for a few more minutes, they arrived at a small stream near the cliff dwelling, and Mo Chuan and Ying Zhao caught up to them.

Seeing that Luo Yu and Zhu Huai were chatting in harmony, even though she didn’t know the specifics of their conversation, it seemed they weren’t going to fight again. So, at the entrance of the cliff dwelling, she bid them farewell and drove off in an aircraft that was parked there.

“Go ahead; I have something to take care of,” Zhu Huai said lightly at the entrance.

Ying Zhao asked, “Where are you going at this hour?”

Zhu Huai walked in a different direction. “I’m going to the hangar to check on the progress of the power compartment modifications.”

Luo Yu turned to say, “We still have time; we’re not short on one night.”

Zhu Huai didn’t look back. “Mind your own business.”

Luo Yu watched her retreating figure and clicked her tongue. “What a person! Can’t even say something nice.”