The raindrop grew larger and larger, increasing in anxiety, as it pounded the outskirts of Hexi Province in the task of Qiulin. It sounded like ancient battle drums on a battlefield, rhythmically urging people to move forward bravely, advancing again and again.
In soaked Qiulin, rainwater dampened the withered leaves on every tree trunk, seeping into Xu Le's body. His gaze was fixed on the chip in the bracelet, resembling a small star, as a complex mix of emotions resurfaced within the young man.
Exchanging the old chip for a brand-new one symbolized an entirely unknown future, a completely new life, severing all ties with the past. No more friends, no more family members—though he had very few to begin with. Farewell to Hexi Province coffee, Hexi Province beer, Hexi Province Bell Tower Street, the longing for Hexi Province, the mine tunnel operations, Xianglan Main Road repair shop, the state university library. Would all these irreplaceable memories be bid farewell to like this?
Xu Le's finger trembled incessantly. He knew that once the thin, hair-like metal thread pierced his own neck, everything would change. Perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse—no one could say for sure.
Facing life's most difficult and simplest choice, Xu Le displayed an uncharacteristic calmness for someone his age. It took him just a little over ten seconds to make up his mind. The dim blue light in the rain gradually reminded him that the federation's electronic surveillance would eventually find him again. To continue living, to live freely, he could no longer be Xu Le.
Wiping away the rainwater relentlessly dripping down his face, revealing clean skin beneath the dust, Xu Le softly read a few broken words, his expression growing increasingly calm. His hands no longer trembled. With exceptional stability, he steadily extracted the tinsel from the bracelet and aimed it at the back of his neck, preparing to puncture slowly.
Xu Le had learned from the faint light screen that had appeared on the bracelet about the chip's exchange. However, this young man's behavior was still considered fearful and absurd, far beyond his comprehension. He had never heard of anyone implanting a chip into their own body, evading the brilliance of the first charter. He lacked great confidence, but his hand remained steady, albeit unusually slow.
This was the quality that machine repair master Feng Yu appreciated the most in him—his innate control over the metal mechanical chip. Regardless of the difficulty and danger he faced, this young man always managed to stay calm, even if it was only on the surface.
To exchange the chip within his body without the aid of any relevant instruments, one needed the steadiest hands and the steadiest heart in the world. Xu Le possessed both. Even if he were on the verge of collapse, hungry for a glimpse of brightness, his eye sockets would still be tinged with a sad redness after being washed by rainwater. But his hands remained steady. Perhaps it was because Feng Yu believed in this young man's ability that he entrusted him with such a precious legacy.
The extremely thin metal thread remained stably positioned 0.5 millimeters above the skin. The rainwater in Qiulin gently brushed against the tinsel, without disturbing anyone's knowledge, silently performing a task that would shock the entire federation.
Then, at that moment, something strange happened. The previously steady tip of the tinsel suddenly trembled, as if it had caught a whiff of an incredibly delightful and blissful scent. It shivered.
The tip of the tinsel began to vibrate rapidly within the smallest range, its speed increasing by the second. It became invisible to the naked eye, blending into the wind and rain. It seemed to sense something, persistently seeking, adhering to it like a magnet seeking an energy source, like a tiny electric charge hovering above, and it found its target on Xu Le's exposed neck... Xu Le's neck developed a small bump, and despite the rain washing over it, it remained motionless, not daring to move. It lasted for an unknown amount of time until a faint clicking sound was heard, signifying that the trembling tinsel had completed its task. It had entered a state of absolute stillness.
The tinsel remained in a peculiar curved position, its tip aimed at the flesh on the back of Xu Le's neck. In the stillness amidst the wind and rain, a faint blue electric current began to accumulate. It resembled a sheathed sharp sword, ready to be drawn!
The electric light illuminated the dark suburban sky amidst the wind and rain, and thunder resounded throughout the world. Like a lightning bolt, it left its mark on the sky, carving a different kind of path. For a moment, Qiulin was illuminated, and in that sudden burst of light, the form of the kneeling young man became stiff in the rain.
The trembling tinsel extended itself by three centimeters on its own, effortlessly piercing the nape of Xu Le's neck. The tinsel trembled desperately, resembling a sword relentlessly breaking through the defense of armor, like a lightning-quick venomous snake biting its prey, injecting venom incessantly, aiming for the fatal strike!
If someone were present at that moment, they would surely notice the young man kneeling in the wind and rain, trembling in pain. They would observe the flesh on the back of his neck seemingly turning transparent, while the calm blue electric current continued to roam and flicker in his cervical vertebrae, struggling.
In the wind and rain of Qiulin, a faint scent suddenly filled the air, catching Xu Le's slightly opened eyes. The pain engulfed his entire being, and he knelt in the rain, feeling an indescribable agony and sensation that caused his body to bend. Then, in the midst of the pain, he cried out to the storm-ridden sky!
The rainwater hit his face, causing an incredibly sharp pain that coursed through his body. Kneeling in the rain, he still felt a burning sensation all over, as if his blood were about to boil. The pain in his neck, in particular, made him deeply sorrowful. However, the weak electric current kept flowing into his body through the tinsel, directly connecting to his nervous system, forcing him to endure this unbearable suffering with clarity.
Whether it ended quickly or failed didn't matter anymore. At this moment, Xu Le, who had been resolute and unwavering, finally reached his limit. He felt as though his blood was about to boil, his body was on fire, and the pain resembled being struck by lightning. Just as he was about to give up, he heard a sound coming from the nape of his neck, as if he were hearing the familiar sound of a successfully set circuit chip, as if a cherished sword was being sheathed once again.
The storm raged on in Qiulin, drenching the world. The thin and pained form of Xu Le trembled, his finger weakly releasing the tinsel, and he knelt on the rain-soaked forest floor, experiencing an indescribable pain and emotion, causing his body to bend. Then, he called out to the storm-filled sky in anguish!
The rainwater continued to fall, dirty leaves scattered in the rainwater as his weary and defeated mind succumbed to the darkness.