Chapter 8: Breakfast

Chapter 8: Breakfast

Xie Chi immediately pulled up his smart-brain screen and typed out the name "Shi Peijue."

"Is this your name?"

Shi Peijue nodded blankly.

Xie Chi loosened his grip on the dagger in surprise.

During his time in confinement, he had memorized every file on Yan Wanqiu stored in his terminal. The name "Shi Peijue" was one Xie Chi knew all too well.

This was the person he had been looking for—Yan Wanqiu's right-hand man, a beta-class genius mechanic from Blizzard City.

Shi Peijue first made a name for himself during the Blizzard City freeze period, after Yan Baiyue and "Xie Chi" had set Yan Wanqiu up and he'd barely escaped with his life.

Even with thermal ore, the low efficiency and incompatibility with existing machines were still huge headaches. Plus, with the Night Owl Syndicate wiped out, Blizzard City lost all supply routes from Ice City and the main star, and that freeze season was especially brutal.

That was when Shi Peijue showed up at Yan Wanqiu's side.

He improved the thermal ore refining process and started retrofitting compatible machines. He not only got Blizzard City through the energy crisis but also reverse-engineered the electromagnetic gun to build a batch of new thermal-ore-powered weapons for Yan Wanqiu.

When war broke out and the Mechanical Alien Race invaded with their crushingly superior tech, Yan Wanqiu only held out as long as he did thanks to Shi Peijue's support.

In the end, they lost the war, and Shi Peijue died in Blizzard City's self-destruct.

Shi Peijue was an odd, solitary guy. Though he never appeared in public during his life, he left behind countless manuscripts on improving Mechanical Race tech. Later generations compiled and published them, and they had a huge impact. He became known as the "Father of Interstellar Mechanics."

Xie Chi had thought about tracking Shi Peijue down early, but the terminal's files didn't say how Yan Wanqiu had found him. His own biggest life-or-death crisis was still unresolved, and searching all of Blizzard City for one person was like looking for a needle in a haystack. So he'd never made a move.

So Shi Peijue had been captured and locked up by the Night Owl Syndicate all along. No wonder the Shi Peijue of history only showed up after the Syndicate collapsed.

Xie Chi looked at the trembling twenty-something in front of him. In just a few seconds, a flood of thoughts raced through his mind.

This future Father of Mechanics had no clue what was going on. He looked at Xie Chi, looking like he was about to cry. "I'm a law-abiding citizen of Blizzard City, big bro. Please don't kill me. Let me study this quantum gun for a few more days—maybe I can fix it?"

Xie Chi no longer had any intention of hurting him. He immediately suppressed his murderous aura.

"What are you talking about? Why would I kill you? I have the deepest respect for mechanics. I was rude to Mr. Shi earlier only because I had no choice."

As he spoke, Xie Chi took his hands out of his pockets and sat back down next to Shi Peijue with a big smile, and explained patiently: "This quantum gun's problem is actually pretty simple. I don't need it to connect to the network anymore. I need you to remove the networking module from the gun, and, if possible, add a compatible energy storage cell. This gun was originally made to auto-charge by receiving same-frequency beams through the star network. The star network in this era can't do that, so I need this gun to charge with this era's energy."

Shi Peijue found Xie Chi's smile creepy, his brain racing to process everything.

This time Xie Chi explained things more clearly, and Shi Peijue finally got most of it. He tried to recall the strange words Xie Chi had used, then asked in a shaky voice, "Big brother, what is a terminal?"

Xie Chi pulled the last spare terminal out of his storage ring and handed it over. "This."

Shi Peijue carefully took the terminal from Xie Chi's hands, staring in disbelief as it morphed into a pair of glasses in his hand.

"Put them on and see," Xie Chi said.

Shi Peijue did as instructed, putting on the terminal glasses. A moment later, his jaw dropped.

"This is... I—where did you get something like this?" Shi Peijue was already tripping over his words as he took the glasses off.

Xie Chi didn't answer and just repeated his question: "My terminal can't charge either—same issue as the quantum gun. So, with the charging mod for this terminal added in, can you fix it?"

Shi Peijue looked at the glasses and the gun, then shot Xie Chi a nervous glance and said quietly, "I can try, but..."

Noticing his hesitation, Xie Chi raised an eyebrow. "But what?"

Shi Peijue: "It'll cost money."

Xie Chi, flat broke: "..."

When Xie Chi didn't say anything, Shi Peijue worried he'd upset him, and quickly explained, "I've never seen a quantum gun like this in my life. I wouldn't dare mess with something this valuable without being careful. Taking it apart and fixing it means making new tools and parts, and that costs a lot."

Xie Chi's head started to hurt.

He actually had a few hundred quantum guns in his storage, but niche stuff like repair tools he really didn't have.

"About how much?" Xie Chi asked.

Shi Peijue did the math: "For the gun and the terminal, at least five hundred thousand, conservatively. I could also strip some of the Syndicate's electromagnetic guns for parts, which would bring the cost way down."

Xie Chi's head hurt even more.

Five hundred thousand. Unless that heartless Tyrant Yan Wanqiu suddenly went crazy and paid him three years' salary upfront, he'd have to rob the Night Owl Syndicate's warehouse.

But of course, he wouldn't let Shi Peijue see him sweat. He just nodded calmly and changed the subject: "Electromagnetic guns are pretty valuable in this era, right? If you just strip theirs for parts, aren't you afraid of getting in trouble?"

Shi Peijue smiled sheepishly. "That's exactly why no one would know—a few guns 'damaged beyond repair' just count as normal losses."

He pointed to the electromagnetic gun on the table.

"The guns the Syndicate got were mostly defective in the first place. Only that one on the table works properly. The guy who just brought the guns is the Syndicate's new Second Master, Shouhou. He came to me in private yesterday and told me to report half of whatever I fixed as losses. He plans to sell the rest on the black market."

Xie Chi was stunned: "That shady?"

Shi Peijue looked at him oddly. "You're not a local, are you?"

Xie Chi nodded.

Shi Peijue nodded in understanding. "That explains it. Big bro, Blizzard City has no laws. Shortchanging people is normal in the markets here, and with a big organization like the Night Owl Syndicate, what higher-up doesn't skim off the top?"

Xie Chi opened his mouth to ask, "Doesn't the terminal network keep an eye on this?"—then remembered this era didn't have an all-seeing star network AI yet, and shut up.

Fine. This was a side of life he'd never seen—he was just a killer who took orders and got paid.

"As long as you can fix it, that's all that matters." Xie Chi didn't dwell on it. "And don't bother fixing the Syndicate's electromagnetic guns. Their boss will be dead within three days. When things go to hell, just grab all the guns and get out."

Shi Peijue's eyes bulged: "Three days?!"

He'd known this guy was trouble, but he never expected him to be after Boss Ye—and planning to kill him in just three days.

Did this guy bring a whole army to flatten Wind Cliff Village?

Xie Chi nodded nonchalantly. "Might not even need three days. I checked the defenses on my way up—they're pretty loose. Where's Boss Ye staying? I could just go cut his head off tonight."

"Big bro! Wait! Don't!!"

Shi Peijue was startled when Xie Chi made to stand up and quickly grabbed his arm.

"What?" Xie Chi stopped mid-motion.

Shi Peijue blurted out in a rush: "Big bro, don't let Wind Cliff Village fool you—it looks like a small village, but every villager is a core member of the Night Owl Syndicate. Everyone's packing. They've got over a dozen of these electromagnetic guns. The hilltops are covered in gun turrets. Boss Ye's room has dozens of guards on rotating shifts. The village is a maze of interconnecting paths with hidden weapons all over. Anyone who doesn't know the terrain can easily get picked off by a sniper."

"Besides, the Night Owl Syndicate is backed by Ice City. Ice City's real power is unfathomable—they're the ones who sent those electromagnetic guns. Boss Ye's smart brain has an alarm system in it. The second it detects his death, it alerts Ice City's high command, blows up the whole village, and automatically uploads footage from twenty minutes before and after his death. Even if you kill him and somehow get out of Wind Cliff Village alive, you'd have all of Ice City after you!"

Xie Chi had been listening casually, but his expression finally turned serious at the mention of "Frostbite City."

Even if he wasn't entirely clear on the relationship between Frostbite City and Blizzard City, he could grasp the stakes involved.

"What a hassle..." Xie Chi tsk'd softly.

Killing Boss Ye and getting away clean wasn't the hard part—it was the cleanup that was way too much of a pain.

Back in the organization, he only needed to handle the kill neatly; what happened after a kill wasn't the assassin's problem.

Now, with no organization to cover for him and no client to take the fall, Xie Chi couldn't just take the fall for this huge mess himself.

Having just escaped the beheading crisis from Yan Wanqiu, then having Frostbite City come after him too would be a bit too miserable.

Maybe he should head back and ask Yan Wanqiu what he thinks?

Seeing Xie Chi lost in thought, Shi Peijue let out a sigh of relief.

If Boss Ye died and this out-of-town assassin vanished without a trace, he'd be the prime suspect—the only other outsider.

Close call. He'd almost been dragged into it.

"So where does Boss Ye live?"

Xie Chi spoke up again.

Shi Peijue almost choked on his own breath: "You're still not letting this go?!"

Xie Chi sighed helplessly: "I can't let it go—I've got a wife to feed."

Shi Peijue fell silent for a moment.

He definitely didn't buy Xie Chi's excuse; the assassin looked way too young to have a wife.

But even if he refused to say, the guy could find his way over on his own. Shi Peijue knew when to back down, and reluctantly pointed at the map: "It's right here—the last house in Windcliff Village."

"Thanks," Xie Chi said politely. "I'll go think it over and figure out how to take him out clean."

Shi Peijue pointed at himself: "And me?"

Xie Chi patted his shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll definitely bring you along. Hold onto the terminal for now—pack your stuff tonight. I'll hit you up on it a few days before I come, and we'll leave together."

With that, Xie Chi put away his quantum gun and headed for the door: "I'm gonna scope out Windcliff Village first—you don't need to tag along. Oh, and don't even think about pulling anything funny."

Xie Chi smiled at Shi Peijue.

"After all, I can't guarantee there isn't something special installed in that terminal."

Shi Peijue shuddered and instinctively stood at attention: "I wouldn't dream of it!"

Watching the man reach the door, he tentatively asked, "Mind if I ask what I should call you, big bro?"

Xie Chi didn't look back: "Xie Chi."

Shi Peijue immediately replied: "Got it! Brother Xie, don't worry—my lips are sealed!"

His answer was the barely audible click of the door closing.

Shi Peijue stared at the shut door, then at the terminal glasses in his hand, and finally collapsed back onto the bed, completely drained.

"What a damn mess..."

Shi Peijue couldn't help but sigh.

First, he'd been hauled in by the Night Owl Syndicate to fix these electromagnetic guns he'd never even seen before, and then some assassin showed up at his door.

The assassin was young and good-looking, but he talked big—claiming he'd off Boss Ye within three days, and whipping out weapons even more advanced than the Syndicate's electromagnetic guns.

Where the hell were these people getting all this stuff?

Shi Peijue scratched his head, frustrated.

Xie Chi was a mystery, throwing around phrases like "your era"—clearly no ordinary guy. Shi Peijue naturally didn't dare call him out.

At this moment, he felt like an NPC who'd wandered into the main plot without a script—totally lost.

"Wait—"

Something hit Shi Peijue, and he shot upright.

"I forgot to charge him for the repairs!"

Outside, on the roof, Xie Chi guiltily looked away.

Didn't hear a thing.

As for the repair fee, he'd deal with it after killing Boss Ye.

.

Windcliff Village wasn't big, and Xie Chi spent over an hour scanning and logging the whole place with his terminal.

Shi Peijue hadn't lied—Boss Ye's place had even more guards than the Night Owl Syndicate's warehouse. Afraid of tipping anyone off, Xie Chi only snuck into the Syndicate's warehouse for a quick look.

To his disappointment, the warehouse only had a bunch of gunpowder weapons—even more outdated than electromagnetic guns.

There were plenty of them, but to Xie Chi, who carried weapons from three thousand years in the future, they weren't worth a second look. Besides, without black-market connections, he couldn't easily unload such flashy goods, so he reluctantly gave up on swiping anything and left, disappointed.

He'd set out at midnight, and between traveling, lurking, and running into Shi Peijue, it was already 5 a.m. by the time he was done.

Seeing dawn approaching, Xie Chi didn't hesitate—he quickly descended the cliff and headed back.

As for Shi Peijue—

Xie Chi glanced at the backup terminal feed on his device; Shi Peijue had already adjusted the terminal's form into a thin necklace and was sleeping uneasily with it on.

He hadn't deactivated the backup terminal account he'd given Shi Peijue. The main terminal always held higher authority than the backup, so as long as Xie Chi wanted, he could monitor the man's movements at any time—or even detonate the terminal.

That was why Xie Chi felt comfortable leaving Shi Peijue behind.

The young man was far too timid; at least within three days, he wouldn't dare make any rash moves.

By the time he returned to camp, the first light of dawn was breaking.

Xie Chi hadn't slept all night and had climbed the cliff barehanded twice—now he was both hungry and exhausted.

After returning the flight vehicle, he yawned as he headed toward the mess hall, planning to grab some breakfast to tide himself over.

"I wonder exactly where Ji Chou works in the mess hall..."

Xie Chi muttered to himself.

Just then, he spotted a familiar figure hovering around the cafeteria entrance in the distance.

Xie Chi froze for a second, then hurried over: "Uncle Nie, what are you doing here?"

Nie Huaiyi, holding a lunchbox, smiled and said, "Someone just asked me to bring this to you. I went by your dorm but couldn't find you, and since I was worried the food would get cold, I figured I'd keep it warm in the cafeteria for a bit. Didn't expect to run into you right as you got back."

Xie Chi, pleasantly surprised, took the lunchbox: "Who sent this?"

Nie Huaiyi gave a mysterious smile: "That's a secret."

Cafeteria. Breakfast time.

Ji Chou happened to be working there too.

Xie Chi couldn't help but make a bold guess, and his heart started racing.

He was wide awake in an instant. He hugged the lunchbox close and said to Nie Huaiyi, "Thanks, Uncle Nie. I need one more favor—please let me know when His Highness wakes up. I have something important I need to discuss with him face-to-face."

Nie Huaiyi hesitated for a moment, then said with a strange look on his face, "Alright."

Xie Chi smiled, still holding the lunchbox: "Thanks."

Assassins were used to going it alone, living and dying on their own terms—this was the first time he'd ever felt what it was like to be cared for.

Nie Huaiyi, still feeling guilty about having betrayed Xie Chi, waved his hand awkwardly: "It's nothing, Captain Xie, no need to be so formal."

Xie Chi was in a great mood. After saying goodbye to Nie Huaiyi, he hurried back to his dorm, lunchbox in hand.

Since he'd turned off the combustion furnace before leaving, the temperature inside had dropped below freezing.

Worried the food would get cold, Xie Chi quickly added thermal ore to the furnace, set the lunchbox on top to keep warm, then stripped off his thermostatic suit and took a quick lukewarm shower without waiting for the water to heat up, before changing into clean clothes.

By the time he was done, the room had warmed up.

Freshly washed, Xie Chi carefully set the lunchbox on the table and opened it.

The lunchbox had three tiers: the top one had stir-fried baby bok choy, tender and vibrant green; the middle was packed with sliced braised beef; and the bottom had thick, smooth, golden millet porridge.

Maybe because he was in a hurry, the breakfast Ji Chou sent was simpler than last night's snacks, but it was clear he'd put real thought into the meal.

And just being able to get fresh greens in Blizzard City was no easy feat.

Xie Chi was deeply touched.

Sniffle, it's so great to have a wife—even if they can't see each other, she still remembers whether he's eaten.

He was going to love his wife for the rest of his life.

The lunchbox lid came with utensils. Xie Chi had just picked up the chopsticks to eat when he suddenly stopped.

The two chopsticks were clearly different in weight.

These were two identical aluminum alloy chopsticks—even with manufacturing tolerances, the difference couldn't be this crazy.

Unless—

Xie Chi stared at the chopsticks for a moment, picked out the lighter one, looked it over, and gave it a tentative twist.

A gap and threads appeared at the top third of the chopstick.

Xie Chi twisted it a few more times, and the entire chopstick came apart.

It turned out to be a hollow chopstick, and inside was a rolled-up, thin strip of paper.

Xie Chi pulled out the paper and unrolled it, revealing neat handwriting.

"Brother Nie told me about your mission. I've been asking around for information. The Night Owl Syndicate is deeply entangled with Icecold City and possesses a secret weapon. Don't act rashly, or it could easily bring trouble to Blizzard City. It's best to exchange intelligence with His Highness beforehand. Safety above all."

"—Ji Chou"