Chapter 63: Don’t Be Sad
Tang Yu’an, knowing they had been separated for years, didn’t expect to learn much about himself from Chen Fei. When asked, he didn’t mention his amnesia, simply saying the car accident was in the past, he was now a Bureau officer, and he was doing well.
“That’s good, that’s good…”
Chen Fei sounded lost, like someone who had climbed a mountain for years, only to find a barren wasteland at the summit.
His life had been too difficult, his sense of self lost.
Tang Yu’an changed the subject, asking if he had provided the B172 government with evidence of the corporation’s crimes. Wei Langxing had told him.
Chen Fei, slightly embarrassed, said he had simply told them what he knew, as repayment for their help.
He also said that since his name was cleared, he planned to start a new life, find a job on the main star, and settle down.
He planned to open a repair shop; he had some experience with that.
“I’ve already found a location, and negotiated the price.” He smiled, inviting Tang Yu’an: “Will you come to the opening ceremony?”
Tang Yu’an readily agreed, not knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep his promise.
After parting with Chen Fei, he returned to his room, and after some thought, took out the small mirror, activating it.
K spoke first, telling him directly that he had been deliberately sent to Planet B172, their itinerary leaked from within the Bureau, a plot to eliminate them both.
Although he had suspected it, hearing it so plainly still made his heart race.
K also warned him not to go out, that an attack was imminent.
“The Bureau will suffer heavy losses. There’s no need to warn them; they won’t believe you.”
[Beep—Detected final plot point. Congratulations, Host, on reaching the end of your tool-man journey! Please review the mission: Protect the protagonists during the Shadow organization’s attack and sacrifice yourself to strengthen their resolve, enhancing the tool-man character arc!]
Tang Yu’an almost dropped the mirror.
The final plot point had arrived.
Although he had experienced this many times, he still felt a mix of emotions.
The date was approaching. He felt a pang of regret; he had promised to attend Chen Fei’s shop opening.
But this mission also gave him a clue about K’s identity—
From the previous events, it was clear that the Shadow organization had a mole in the Bureau.
K knew their every move. Perhaps… he was a Bureau agent undercover in the Shadow organization?
But why not report to his superiors, instead contacting him secretly?
He couldn’t understand it, so he dismissed it, thinking that after he was gone, the protagonists would uncover the truth and defeat the villains. He was just a passing traveler in their lives, leaving no trace behind.
This thought calmed him, and he decided to enjoy his remaining time.
Who knew what awaited him in the next world? Perhaps he wouldn’t even have enough to eat, let alone candy.
Seeing Tang Yu’an’s increasing fondness for gummy bears, Wei Langxing felt he had finally figured out his preferences, a sense of pride swelling within him.
Tang Yu’an couldn’t resist anything bear-related!
He thought his teddy bear was too old, so he carefully chose a similar one online as a gift.
It arrived, and holding it, he felt it was almost identical to Tang Yu’an’s.
He nodded in satisfaction. Xie Cun, passing by, scoffed: “How old are you, still playing with teddy bears?”
He had been especially antagonistic towards Wei Langxing lately. Wei Langxing knew he was angry, but he didn’t want to argue, finding him childish. He had simply mentioned that his uncle was involved in organized crime, asking what he was planning, and Xie Cun had exploded, cursing him out.
But it was the truth! Pang Jin had even instructed him, as captain, to warn him, to prevent anyone from using it against him!
But the ungrateful brat treated him like an enemy.
Wei Langxing ignored him, walking away with the teddy bear.
Xie Cun, already irritated by his presence, seeing his smug look, wanted to punch him.
His uncle had been pestering him, saying the Bureau was a sinking ship, that he should join his local gang, claiming they had powerful backing.
He had refused repeatedly, even reporting it to Pang Jin.
He was being loyal, and Wei Langxing dared to question him?
Intolerable!
He kicked a nearby chair over in frustration.
Meanwhile, Wei Langxing happily put away the teddy bear, going out shopping with Tang Yu’an.
He noticed that Tang Yu’an was becoming less resistant to his presence, a welcome change.
And Tang Yu’an simply thought, since he was leaving, and they would forget him anyway, there was no need to maintain distance.
As they walked past the toy section in the supermarket, Wei Langxing paused, looking at the teddy bear keychains.
Should he buy a few more?
Just as he was thinking this, Tang Yu’an approached: “You like these?”
Not wanting to spoil the surprise, Wei Langxing immediately shook his head: “No, let’s go.”
Tang Yu’an scoffed inwardly, thinking that even the protagonist had his pride, unwilling to admit his fondness for cute things.
Liking teddy bears wasn’t shameful. He himself couldn’t live without his.
But since the protagonist was interested, he decided to lend him his own teddy bear for a while.
So, back at the building, he retrieved it from his storage space, placing it on the table for Wei Langxing to see when he returned from his spaceship inspection.
But Xie Cun returned first.
Having just blocked his uncle’s new number, he was already irritated, and the sight of the teddy bear on the table only fueled his anger.
He looked closer. It was even used!
Wei Langxing was such a weirdo, treasuring such a worthless thing.
The thought of his condescending tone made him furious, and the teddy bear became a convenient target for his anger.
He took out a pair of scissors, cutting open the soft fabric, the stuffing spilling out.
There were wires inside? Whatever, he cut them too.
After a few minutes of destruction, he looked at the mangled teddy bear, feeling as satisfied as if he had actually beaten up Wei Langxing.
He didn’t care about the consequences. It was just a teddy bear. If Wei Langxing made a fuss, he would just buy him a new one.
He had plenty of money.
He put away the scissors, humming, and left.
Wei Langxing, having finally removed the strange programs Xie Cun had uploaded into the spaceship’s AI, returned three hours later.
He entered the building to find Zuo Tinghan pinning Xie Cun to the floor, beating him up, and Xie Cun wasn’t even fighting back.
Wei Langxing: “?”
What was going on?
As captain, he had to intervene. He pulled them apart, demanding: “What is this? What happened?”
Zuo Tinghan’s face was icy, his gaze fixed on Xie Cun, as if saying, You know what you did.
Looking at his expression, then at Xie Cun’s guilty demeanor, he knew he had done something wrong.
Had he perhaps replaced his stealth suit with a fluorescent one?
That seemed excessive.
Wei Langxing, playing the mediator, told Zuo Tinghan to calm down, then asked Xie Cun to explain.
He adopted a responsible captain’s tone: “Tell me what happened, I’ll be the judge. If you did something wrong, just admit it. Fighting is unacceptable.”
After hearing Xie Cun’s hesitant explanation, he regretted his words.
He wanted to hit him too.
But looking at Xie Cun’s swollen eye, he knew punishment could wait, there was something more important.
He asked through gritted teeth: “Where’s Tang Yu’an?”
Xie Cun said he was in his room, refusing to talk to him, no matter how much he apologized.
Wei Langxing rushed upstairs to Tang Yu’an’s room.
The door wasn’t locked. Xie Cun and the others hadn’t dared enter, afraid of angering him further, but Wei Langxing was bolder. He wouldn’t be stopped by a closed door.
He knocked gently, calling Tang Yu’an’s name, but there was no response.
He cleared his throat, speaking slightly louder: “Can I come in?”
No answer meant yes.
He opened the door. Only a small light was on.
He recognized it; it was the one he had given him on Yu Liao’s behalf.
Tang Yu’an hadn’t forgotten him, and he still treasured his beloved teddy bear.
Wei Langxing felt a pang of guilt.
He approached the bed slowly. Tang Yu’an sat with his legs crossed, his back to him.
He then saw the mangled teddy bear in his arms, the stuffing spilling out.
He forgot to sit down, saying immediately: “Xie Cun went too far this time, I’ll teach him a lesson… Don’t be sad, I’ll buy you a new one, any teddy bear you want, or we can have one custom-made, an exact replica…”
The light was dim, and with Tang Yu’an’s head lowered, he couldn’t see his expression.
But he saw it clearly now, his voice catching in his throat.
In the dim light, a tear slid down Tang Yu’an’s cheek.
