Requests Xu Le to remove the backpack from his shoulders politely, as the cold metal detection stick approaches the back of Xu Le's neck rudely. The identity data verification is completed instantly. The soldier responsible for inspection looks at the information on the small illuminant shield on Xu Le's elbow, smiles, and says, "So, you're Senior Brother. You look young, though."
Xu Le smiles somewhat reluctantly, his lips curling naturally a few times. He adjusts the backpack on his back and says, "You've been squatting in the latrine pit all day, unable to see the sunlight. You should be glad to be out here."
The Eastwood garrison has limited services and personnel, but the most difficult and bitter job belongs to the mine tunnel maintenance army. The soldiers refer to themselves as "squatters in the latrine pit." The soldier pats Xu Le's shoulder with a smile and says, "Senior Brother, you had worse luck before. Isn't it better now? You're retiring and waiting for the ship. Our former class leaders retired and waited at the garrison command for half a year until the Ministry of Defense sent the spaceship."
After a few jokes, the soldier releases Xu Le reluctantly, waving him through as there are many passengers waiting for inspection. Xu Le takes a few steps forward and remembers to say a word of thanks. He performs his actions with extreme normalcy. However, as he boards the Grayhound bus, he realizes that his back is drenched in cold sweat, soaking his clothes.
Taking a gentle breath, Xu Le exhales the anxiety within him and wipes away the beads of sweat from his forehead. He sits exhaustedly on the soft chair, relieved that he passed the crucial inspection. But he can't help but think about what would happen if he were ever checked by the fictitious mine tunnel army.
The fact that Xu Le can pass the inspection has nothing to do with luck or ease. The entire federation has relied on the convenience, speed, and accuracy of the federal electronic surveillance network for countless years. The human body chip has replaced personal documents, except for certain important regions where fingerprint and iris identification are still used. For the majority of status confirmation, the human body chip is relied upon. Since the day every federal citizen came into existence, they have been covered by the brilliance of the first charter, subconsciously believing that the electronic surveillance network never makes mistakes.
Indeed, for countless years, the central computer in the Charter Bureau and the widespread federal electronic surveillance network have never made mistakes, except for... the machine repair master and the present time.
...
Twenty-three days later, in the capital of Lucky Jizhou, the day is gloomy, and Xu Le's heart is cloudy. He sits in a corner of a fast-food restaurant, staring at the beef noodles in front of him without any appetite. Occasionally, he looks up and anxiously gazes at the construction work in the distant avenue, feeling a sense of heaviness. He chose to have his lunch here because this fast-food restaurant is closest to the Lucky Jizhou Court of First Instance, where he can immediately inquire about the progress of today's trial.
A police vehicle with flashing lights passes by the restaurant, the siren turned off, sending a chilling feeling through the air. Xu Le looks out of the window, and in that moment, as if by some divine intervention, he instinctively lowers his head and buries his face in the bowl of soup. At that moment, he feels like he sees Li Weihe's face on the police vehicle, the orphan who helped him escape the attack at the second station house.
For some reason, the trial of the case was arranged in the Lucky Jizhou Court of First Instance. The actions of the federal elimination of machine repair are highly classified, so it was impossible to accuse the Bell Tower Street orphans of colluding with treason. In the end, Li Wei received a one-year prison sentence simply because he had just turned 18.
Although this outcome is considered favorable, Xu Le still feels it is unfair to Li Wei. Not only did Li Wei suffer the calamity of imprisonment, but now the federal government knows about Xu Le's existence as a machine repairer through him. Most importantly, Li Wei must believe that Xu Le has already died.
"Young man, why do you look so distressed?" The old man sitting across from Xu Le, also enjoying his noodles, looks at the young man's anxious expression and smiles. "At such a young age, pretending to be lonely and despairing. That's unbearable."
The old man, who casually eats noodles on the street, can offer such profound words. Xu Le suddenly feels that the heavens have quite a sense of humor, bringing him together with such peculiar individuals. Somehow, he feels the urge to confide in someone, to share his secrets that he has kept hidden. He looks at the old man with deep wrinkles on his face and opens his mouth to ask, "Old man, what major problems have you encountered in your life? What made you very sad?"
The old man simply replies, with the spirited vigor of an Eastwood resident, "None." He continues, "In this world, there are things that can't be avoided. If you really can't avoid them, that's your life. Who can fight against life? We Eastwood folks have experienced hardships without complaining to the federation. We live happily and are stronger for it."
"But I just want to live honestly. Yet troubles keep finding their way to me, even great injustices."
"Don't be too honest in your life," the old man licks his lips, savoring the soup nearby. "Like these noodles, they taste better when they're chewy. But boiling water can make them soft and easy to swallow, so you won't be bullied in society."
The Eastwood Grand District is rich in stone, just like the silent and optimistic old man, and its people possess a tenacious character like weeds. Xu Le suddenly realizes that the people he encounters in his life have a calming effect on him. With a sudden revelation, he thinks of the past few days, when he was overwhelmed with exhaustion, anxiety, and sadness.
That explosion from many years ago happened once, and the boss survived. But why did he survive this time? Maybe the boss has exchanged his chip, posing as a senior professor at a university, deceiving young female students who are full of youthful enthusiasm. Or perhaps the boss has taken on a new identity, becoming a rising star in business, toying with him and his empty pockets. Maybe, at this very moment, the boss is somewhere, mocking his misery and sorrow.
Xu Le looks at the old man across from him and says, "Aren't you surnamed Feng?"
The old man is not surnamed Feng, and he looks at the earnest young man, sighs, and gets up, taking his bowl of noodles with him. Xu Le watches the old man leave, feeling as if he was awakened by a divine revelation. He lets out a laugh and realizes what kind of person he should be in the future. Like the noodles in the bowl, he must persevere and maintain inner strength, but this resilience takes on a new form...
Perhaps the boss is dead, or perhaps he is alive but unable to meet. A figure dressed in white drifts away in the distance. Is this reality? What does it matter, anyway? The key is his own future.
A smile spreads across Xu Le's face as he silently encourages himself in his heart. In this moment, the mindset of this sincere and simple-minded young man undergoes a subtle change, like a ray of sunlight penetrating his heart. Finally, the gloomy weather over lucky Jizhou clears up, revealing a blissful sunlight.
The young man leaves the restaurant and whistles at a young girl hurrying up the street. After adjusting his backpack, he walks in the direction of the garrison command.