Chapter 43 The Long Vacation_1

It was clear that Fu Yi had some understanding of her father's line of work, which made her look at Huai Shi with an odd expression, "Did you get into trouble during the summer?"

"… Yes."

Huai Shi nodded, unsure of what to say.

Fu Yi did not press further but only said, "There's no need to be afraid of him, he is just used to being rough, that's all, not knowing a bit of… subtlety.

Perhaps it's the same with all who have been on the battlefield, no matter how well-intentioned they are in their heart, they are not always likable."

After loafing around for a while, she received a message about a student council meeting and left, having regained her composure and ladylike demeanor.

Huai Shi stayed alone in the piano room until the evening self-study period.

Following Raven's instructions, he took his medicine and then practiced piano for several hours while completing his daily meditation.

He felt as his body grew, the fluctuations of the Source Substance within him grew richer, and he anticipated that he would soon reach his peak, right?

Soon, after the growth spurt, he could start preparing for the Stigma. Raven had said he would choose a Genealogy and type that would be a perfect match for him.

That would surely cost a hefty sum of money again…

Thinking about this made Huai Shi feel a bit of a headache, but it seemed that he had gradually gotten used to this heavy daily routine.

Practicing piano, chatting with classmates, slacking off, dealing with teachers' inspections, making some mistakes, facing some reprimands, meditating, sharing silly pictures, playing mobile games without spending a dime, doing homework, taking exams, squeezing in time for work at the Astronomical Society, reading records from the Book of Fate, preparing for the college entrance exams…

When you actually count all the tasks, it's overwhelmingly many.

Despite many imperfections and seeming unnecessary things, this was the precious life he had earned through his own efforts up to this point.

Even if it was tough, he relished it.

And then, he left the evening self-study session early.

Just kidding, now that he finally had some privileges, was he supposed to stay up past nine o'clock every day, miss the last bus, and ride a shared bike home as he used to?

Now he was a man who could afford a bus pass!

Huai Shi, carrying his violin case and humming a tune, deliberately circled in front of the teaching building, walking out of the school gate with grand swankiness amid the envious and resentful gazes of his classmates.

And then he was stopped by the gatekeeper.

"You're Huai Shi, aren't you?"

The uncle playing with his phone at the gate had a little impression of him and pointed to the gatehouse, "You've got a parcel… don't take this as a precedent, okay? This place is not a collection point, next time I will just notify your class teacher to pick it up."

"What?" Huai Shi was taken aback, looking toward the corner of the gatehouse where a pile of delivery boxes was stacked.

For some reason.

His hairs stood on end.

As if a tangible chill was climbing up from his heels to the back of his neck, tap-dancing on his shoulders, then stomping on his eyebrows to reach the top of his head, pulling at his hair and cackling as it circled, whispering a cold wind of laughter in his ear.

He nearly lost his balance and stumbled backward.

"What's wrong?" The gatekeeper glanced at him, then shook his head, "Never mind, I'll bring it to you."

"Wait!"

Huai Shi Stretch reached out and grabbed the man's wrist, causing the uncle to pause mid-step, astonished. He turned his head to look back, surprised that a "Little Brag" had managed to pinch his arm painfully.

"Sorry, I can handle it myself."

Without much politeness, Huai Shi stopped him in his tracks, took off the violin case, and walked into the gatehouse. He crouched down to examine the package bearing his name.

Amid the chaotic noise from the television on the wall, he faintly heard a ticking sound coming from inside the box.

So crisp.

Huai Shi sat on the ground, motionless. He remained silent for a long time until the gatekeeper, growing impatient, urged him several times. Then he slowly stood up and, almost roughly, dragged the gatekeeper outside, ignoring whatever he was saying. Huai Shi took out his phone and called Director Fu.

"Hello? This is Huai Shi." Huai Shi looked up at the monitor outside the gate, "Director Fu, you can see me, right?"

"What the hell are you thinking?" The middle-aged man's voice was full of anger. "Do you think a Director of the Special Affairs Department has nothing better to do than to watch surveillance all day and spy on you?"

"Forget it." Huai Shi sighed, "Just come to the school, and bring people with you. It would be best if you have a bomb disposal expert... The school is about to blow up, literally."

"What's going on? What the hell? What are you up to?!"

Director Fu was immediately alarmed, his "Third Question" coming at him fast and furious.

As he came to his senses, he heard a cacophony on the other end of the line: "Ten minutes! Wait for me! Stay right there, don't move!"

The call ended.

Huai Shi then called Ai Qing to inform her of his situation and quietly waited with the gatekeeper about ten meters outside the gatehouse.

Of course, whether the gatekeeper uncle was willing to wait was another matter. In the meantime, their action seemed to have drawn quite a bit of attention, including from the patrolling security and teachers about to go to their self-study sessions.

Soon, the clamor came to an abrupt halt before a procession of pitch-black vehicles.

A group of hunky men armed to the teeth poured out of the vans, followed by Director Fu, wearing a bulletproof vest. He walked straight toward Huai Shi.

"Where's the thing?"

Huai Shi pointed in the direction of the gatehouse. Without further ado, Director Fu waved his hand, and two figures, clad in bomb disposal suits, pushed a cart with a bomb disposal sphere into the gatehouse.

Soon, the walkie-talkies relayed some unfortunate news.

Director Fu's expression grew even darker, and with a glance at Huai Shi, he signaled for everyone to move back a significant distance again.

It wasn't long before two experts emerged, taking off their helmets, their messy hair sticking to their foreheads and sweat dripping from their chins.

"It's done."

They helped each other out of their bulky protective gear and showed the box rested inside the bomb disposal sphere to Director Fu. The box, which had been sliced open, revealed the diabolical contraption made of dense cables and circuit boards inside; the countdown had stopped at an hour and a half.

"It looks like a pretty common design."

Without looking closely, Director Fu carelessly reached his hand in to take it out, weighing it in his hand, making Huai Shi hold his breath in terror.

It was Ai Qing.

She sat in a wheelchair, fiddling with the dangerous object that could send her sky-high: "What type of trigger is it?"

"Two types, a mix of impact and timer-based. Opening the box or letting the timer run out both would trigger the explosion. The explosive is common mining explosive, relatively low power—probably only enough to level this gatehouse."

The expert caught his breath, then sat on the ground and lit a cigarette, "If it had been opened in a classroom or somewhere like that, the consequences would have been worrisome."

"..."

Director Fu stood with his hands clasped behind his back, not speaking, the veins on his hands bulging.

"It has turned into a malignant public safety incident," Ai Qing rubbed her brow with some annoyance, "Who delivered it?"

Soon, the surveillance footage on the street displayed the deliverer's traces on the screen.

A man wearing a cap and stooped in his gait, clothed in an old uniform from a northern delivery service. But however you looked at him, he didn't seem like a delivery man, his steps a bit staggered, limping as he walked.

He kept his face hidden under the brim of his cap from beginning to end, indistinct, and after handing the item to the guard, he rode away on his bike.

Only before he left did he seem to provocatively, lift his head to look at the surveillance camera.

Revealing that twisted face with the severe burn scars.

Retaining a vague remnant of his past amiable appearance.

Grinning cheerfully.

At everyone present.

There was no need to recall; just by seeing that face, everyone present who had experienced the turmoil of half a month ago could recognize him.

That was the nominal leader of the Savior Association in the past...

"King Ocean?!"

Director Fu's eyes widened unbelievingly, "He's still alive?"

"As it appears now, he is indeed alive and well," Ai Qing coldly glanced at that smug smile on the screen, "and he even has the energy to send us a challenge letter."

Soon, the brief discussion ended.

There was no doubt that this was a provocation aimed at the Special Affairs Department and the Astronomical Society, a remnant of the Savior Association who now dared to attack brazenly in Xinhai, dancing a New Treasure Island right at the entrance of Sea Trench Prison—a blatant ignorance of death.

By now, aside from grinding those bastards to dust, there was no second option.

From this moment on, the Special Affairs Department was already in full swing, and their informants planted in every corner of Xinhai would begin searching for any trace of King Ocean. Once they found any spider silk or horse track, a group of eager men brandishing weapons would descend from the sky to teach him a lesson.

Throughout, Huai Shi sat on the steps, his expression calm.

He said nothing.

Only silent.

It was as if he were daydreaming until, after a long while, he snapped out of it and turned to Ai Qing beside him: "Is it over?"

"It may have just begun."

Ai Qing shrugged, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Someone from the Special Affairs Department will take you home first. Rest well tonight, and I'll inform you if there's any news."

"Okay."

Huai Shi nodded, then, after taking a couple of steps, seemed to remember something and turned to ask, "By the way, could you help me with the leave of absence procedures?"

"Hmm?"

Ai Qing was startled for a moment, then sighing as she looked into his eyes and nodded.

"Thanks."

Huai Shi smiled, said nothing more, picked up his violin case, and took one last look at the school returning to its calm, as well as the lights in the distant piano room.

It seemed from that window he saw the silhouette of Fu Yi, watching him from afar, so Huai Shi waved to her.

Waving goodbye.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and turned to leave.

.

.

"I'm back."

Amid the sharp noise of the door latch, Huai Shi pushed open the gate of the Stone Marrow Pavilion, and although there was no one in the courtyard waiting for him, he still called out as if coming home.

The iron gate closed slowly behind him, as if responding.

Just as he entered, he saw in the hall, Raven standing beside the boiling Crucible, flapping its wings at Huai Shi.

"Sir, time for your potion."

"Haven't I already taken one this morning?" Huai Shi walked over, picked up a test tube from the table, and downed it in one gulp.

"An extra dose, which I adjusted slightly in the potion's formula to suit your current condition," Raven explained. After the explanation, it didn't pry further but curiously tilted its head, examining Huai Shi as if noticing something interesting.

"What's wrong?" Huai Shi was puzzled.

"No, I was just thinking—if it was a regular day, you would have responded to 'Sir, time for your potion', right?" Raven asked, "Did something happen, Huai Shi?"

Huai Shi remained silent.

After a long time, he slowly shook his head and turned toward the upstairs bedroom.

"Nothing happened," he said in a low voice, his back to Raven, "I'm going to sleep, goodnight."

He closed the door, removed his coat, kicked off his shoes.

Huai Shi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the cracks on the wall, as if lost in thought, then, after a long while, buried his face in the pillow with regret.

"Damn, I'm so weak..."

.

Raven, perched on a tree branch outside the window and witnessing all this, did not go in to offer any comfort.

"Looks like you've taken quite the beating."

She squinted her eyes, "The collection of Stigmata Materials needs to be prioritized..."

Musing over the plans and preparations to come, she returned to the table in the hall, jotting down notes and sketches in a notebook.

Then came the long night.

The new term for Huai Shi, and the peaceful life he longed for, came to an abrupt end.

He was on leave.