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墨書 Inktalez
Due to appearances or other reasons, London International Airport, after several expansions, has become the largest airport in the world. The crowds flowing in and out are incessant, but perhaps because the airport is built on such a grand scale, the crowds entering and exiting appear somewhat sparse.
"Learn from Chen Hao a bit more and stop being so mischievous. If you don't get into a good university, you'll have to join the army. It's fine for Menglu since she's a girl, but you, as a grown man, shouldn't be interested in this aspect. You really give me a headache," Yang Kai said with a wicked smile after having his way with his son's head at the airport entrance while chewing on a cigar.
He had always wanted to push Yang Xiaoyou into the army, claiming it was to inherit his legacy. Unfortunately, Yang Xiaoyou had shown no interest in that aspect before, and of course, he still wasn't interested now.
"Hmph, I got into Yuying on my own. Don't think about any tricks; I won't compromise," Yang Xiaoyou replied with a roll of her eyes at her father.
"Alright, I won't interfere with anything else. But you're seventeen now; it's time to consider dating. That's what youth is about. If you don't make any progress next time we meet, I'll personally help you find someone. Menglu is also..." At this moment, Qineng waved her hand and pinched Yang Xiaoyou's charming face.
Compared to ordinary parents who only focus on grades, the parents of Yang Xiaoyou, Qi Menglu, and Chen Hao are somewhat unconventional.
Perhaps due to their professions and their extensive social experiences, they care much more about aspects beyond just grades.
"Hey, come on! You're seventeen, not twenty-seven! I really don't know what to do with you two. Be careful while having fun outside; you still have a son to support," Yang Xiaoyou quickly darted into the airport after hearing their increasingly outrageous remarks.
"Hehe, it seems our son has really grown up quite a bit. He must have been through some physical training during this time; I wonder if it was arranged by Qiusheng. He looks much sturdier," Qineng said as she turned to her husband after watching their son disappear into the crowd.
"He has indeed become much sturdier; perhaps he's finally woken up. Alright, we should go pick up Boss now. I wonder how he's been doing these past few days," Yang Kai said with a hint of satisfaction in his eyes as he flicked the cigar and turned to leave with Qineng.
"I'm back!" At the train station exit, a student dressed boy dragging a suitcase suddenly howled without regard for the curious glances from passersby.
After venting with that shout, Yang Xiaoyou felt extremely relieved. This trip of over half a month had brought results far beyond his initial expectations.
At the same time, he had been worried about the negative effects brought on by personality assimilation; however, during these few days spent traveling with his parents, those concerns had been suppressed to a low point.
While he hadn't completely recovered yet, it was evidently much better than the occasional flare-ups he experienced along the way.
Due to the Virus Infection Incident, what was supposed to be a long break had now turned into Yang Xiaoyou's personal time off.
"That Chen Hao fellow, I wonder where he is now." Dragging her suitcase, Yang Xiaoyou couldn't help but think about how she had called Chen Hao several times before leaving, but he never answered. She didn't know if he was still around; he had mentioned he would come during the Mid-Autumn festival.
Now it was already Friday afternoon, and there was no point in stopping by the school, so Yang Xiaoyou decided to go home and drop off her things.
The solid foundation laid during the two-month summer vacation, along with some rapidly expanding channels over the past half month, meant that both Hive Security Company and Wasp would experience a stable and rapid growth period for a long time to come.
Her days of tossing aside her responsibilities could continue.
After arriving home, Yang Xiaoyou checked online to see what changes had occurred in the country. The top headline was naturally about the sh Virus Infection Incident.
Last time, when the incident happened in Kapa City, which was located in the middle of the Pacific, its impact on public opinion in the Chinese Empire was more of a casual topic of conversation, much like the 9/11 event.
However, this sudden outbreak in sh had truly ignited people's fears. Although the authorities responded relatively quickly to this incident and it was unlikely that any remnants of the virus would still be alive now, the negative economic impact over the past half month had still caused significant disruption. There were even voices calling for the lifting of gun control within the country.
At the same time, on another front, the Common Unity Party had completely stepped into the spotlight. Aside from labeling the Progressive Faction as a criminal organization and a Terrorist Organization, both the ruling party and other opposition parties ultimately acknowledged the status of the Common Unity Party.
Although almost everyone knew that the Progressive Faction was merely a branch of the Common Unity Party, it was difficult to expose them since they hadn’t left any incriminating evidence. Investigating them could easily lead to accusations of suppressing dissent.
Currently, it was an extremely prosperous time for the Common Unity Party. Thinking about this made Yang Xiaoyou breathe a sigh of relief; she had no interest in getting involved in the power struggles between those factions. Both sides were equally unsavory.
However, she did carry a mark identifying her as an outer member of the Common Unity Party. Now that they were starting to operate more openly, she didn’t have to worry too much about her identity as a 'party member' being exposed. The only tragic part was that under the occasional guidance from Liang Wuxuan, that particular President, aside from her identity as a party member, she had also been caught up in various other issues. Although these weren’t directly related to her other identity, they were still quite troublesome.
"Well, this is life." After tossing her noticeably plumper pet into its bed, Yang Xiaoyou took a shower and changed into fresh clothes.
He had just made a call directly to Chen Hao's home and learned from his mother that he was currently not in school. Due to Chen Hao's excellent physical condition and outstanding performance at school, he had been granted a lot of leniency regarding his vacation approvals.
Yang Xiaoyou was well aware of this.
With Elder Josen's successful development of the anti-lock electromagnetic interference field, it had become inevitable that radar-guided missiles would lose effectiveness against some advanced weapon platforms.
In this situation, the development of Humanoid Combat Weapons had also been placed on the agenda of various countries. When Yang Xiaoyou's own memories ended, both China and the United States had already produced one or two experimental models. Although there was still a long way to go before they could be deployed in actual combat, this trend was gradually becoming evident.
The anti-lock electromagnetic interference system had completely surpassed the current technological scope, leading to the emergence of somewhat distorted equipment like the humanoid combat weapon platforms.
In the future, Chen Hao would become the exclusive pilot of the Chinese Empire's second experimental mech, designated as 00, specifically for testing piloting capabilities.
In a hazy memory scene:
“Ha ha! Xiao You, you don’t need to say more. I received a strict order from my old man. If I can’t save you, don’t go see him again. In this lifetime, we are brothers; if I’m gone, my sister can still fulfill my filial duty. But your family only has you left! Even for Uncle Yang and the others, you must live on!” The tall yet agile experimental mech 00 suddenly charged into the arena, breaking through the encirclement. Chen Hao’s carefree voice echoed through the external speakers.
Seeing him return and sneak out with the experimental mech, Yang Xiaoyou, whose heart was nearly dead inside, felt a pang of sorrow.
However, being an experimental model meant it had many imperfections; its energy consumption was too rapid. Ultimately, after the energy of mech 00 was completely exhausted, a blood-colored figure surged forth with terrifying speed and strength from the mech's joints. With a few leaps, it reached the cockpit, and a silver-gray spear shot through the cockpit door and instantly pierced inside, splattering blood everywhere.
Witnessing this scene, which seemed predetermined, an inexplicable surge of strength suddenly erupted from within Yang Xiaoyou’s nearly exhausted body. In a frenzy, he tore apart the blood-colored figure that had failed to kill him multiple times, leaving behind only remnants of flesh and viscera that stained his hands.
As he turned to see Chen Hao pinned inside the cockpit by that silver-gray spear—his pupils devoid of life yet his lips curling into a faint smile—Yang Xiaoyou's already hoarse throat emitted a low sob.
What he thought was a completely dead heart now felt a tearing pain once again.
Chapter 96
"Yoh, I'll just stay here for a bit. I'm going out to buy some groceries, and we'll have dinner here tonight. Chen Hao should be arriving soon," said a gentle middle-aged woman as she led Yang Xiaoyou inside, smiling before preparing to change her shoes and head out. It was Chen Hao's mother.
"Thank you, Auntie," Yang Xiaoyou replied with a sheepish smile, scratching his head. The last time he visited, he hadn't really explored Chen Hao's home, mainly because Chen Hao's sharp-tongued sister had intimidated him a bit.
He remembered that she had come during the Mid-Autumn Festival as well, but she was now away at school.
After Chen Hao's mother left, Yang Xiaoyou glanced at the family portrait in the living room, feeling an inexplicable pang in his heart.
In his memories, Chen Hao's father had always suffered from old injuries sustained on the battlefield and was often away on business, which led both his and Qi Menglu's fathers to intentionally keep things from him.
When he finally saw Qi Qiusheng return with a severed arm and heard about his father's death, he had blamed himself for being powerless and fell into a deep depression.
The words Chen Hao had said to him—"If you don't rescue Yōu, don't come to see me"—had become their last exchange. Now that Chen Hao had successfully helped him resolve his biggest trouble and carved out a path for him, he still couldn't bring himself to see his father.
"Ahhh! Why do I keep thinking about sad things? This time, nothing like that will happen!" He knocked on his own head to shake off the thoughts. To distract himself, Yang Xiaoyou's gaze landed on a beautiful maiden in the family portrait.
Although the girl smiled sweetly, seeing her in the photo still sent shivers down Yang Xiaoyou's spine. She was Chen Hao's sister, who was four or five years older than him. She had always been the object of admiration among their group but never played with them. Instead, she treated them like annoying little pests—either brushing them off or bullying them.
Though she was quite pretty, she was also a pure poison-tongue who showed little regard for him or Chen Hao. Now studying at university in Shanghai, she was nearing graduation and aspired to become a celebrity manager; she had already started interning.
Back when she returned from abroad right after summer vacation, he had been too intimidated to visit Chen Hao’s house first.
"What is that rascal Chen Hao up to? Is he trying to flirt with girls?" After waiting for a while without any sign of Chen Hao, Yang Xiaoyou thought to himself with some annoyance.
Compared to his former nerdy self, Chen Hao was almost a completely different person. Handsome and sunny, he was cheerful and optimistic, excelling academically. During their first year of high school at Yuying, he was a true standout, more energetic than Zhao Chen, who was the Vice President of the student council and usually a bit low-key.
Anyone who knew about their relationship would find it hard to believe that two people with such vastly different personalities could become best friends.
Due to their differing abilities and personalities, there were many times when the three of them relied on him to step up and solve problems, which also honed his adaptability in social situations.
One reason for Yang Xiaoyou's introverted nature was that he had gotten used to leaving everything to Chen Hao after spending so much time together.
Because of this personality trait, Chen Hao had always been quite popular with women. He had already changed girlfriends three times since entering the Imperial Capital Aviation Academy through the Special Recruitment program after his journey as an ancient war god.
However, Yang Xiaoyou, having memories of the future, knew that it wouldn't be long before Chen Hao would meet someone who could completely tame him and make him settle down.
Chen Hao's future wife would be considered above average in looks but not as attractive as some of his previous girlfriends. However, she would be exceptionally gentle, embodying the unique sweetness typical of the Jiangnan water towns—a perfect soft girl.
Like himself, Chen Hao had developed a strong desire for soft girls, likely influenced by Qi Menglu and his older sister.
As Yang Xiaoyou pieced together some fragmented memories, he found himself lost in thought until the sound of the door opening snapped him back to reality.
"You're back! How was Europe? Did you see Uncle Yang and the others?" Chen Hao walked in with a sunny expression, speaking in a polite tone that lacked the familiarity typical of long-lost friends. With glasses that made him look somewhat refined, he appeared quite scholarly.
As a pilot in the Special Recruitment program, his eyesight was naturally fine; those glasses were likely more for protection than anything else.
To an outsider hearing their polite conversation, it might seem like their relationship was merely average. But Yang Xiaoyou understood that this was just Chen Hao's way—he liked to be serious and carried himself accordingly.
Huang Wei, another friend, was casual enough with Yang Xiaoyou that they seemed like best buddies. But when push came to shove, he wasn't reliable. Although Chen Hao maintained a serious demeanor most of the time due to his personality traits, he was absolutely dependable when it truly mattered.
"Of course I saw you, but why is your phone off?" Yang Xiaoyou casually leaned back on the sofa and rolled her eyes.
"I rarely get a moment of peace, so I turned it off. Otherwise, those three girls would be calling me and causing a ruckus," Chen Hao replied in a nonchalant tone.
However, upon hearing his words, Yang Xiaoyou instantly felt a pang of imbalance. "Three girls? Am I not one of them? Are you really dating three girlfriends at the same time?"
"Well, something like that. Uncle Yang and the others should be urging you by now," Chen Hao teased with a smirk after adjusting his glasses.
Hearing this, Yang Xiaoyou looked at him with a face full of grievance.
Faced with Yang Xiaoyou's expression, Chen Hao didn't mind at all; he seemed to remember something and said, "By the way, Ming Menglu is going to participate in Taekwondo training, right? Should we go see how she’s doing? She seems to really admire her coach."
"Hey? Didn't you just go check it out? The official Black Belt Seventh Dan should be quite strong," Yang Xiaoyou understood Chen Hao's intention.
"We're not going to challenge anyone; we just want to see the girl's training environment. Sigh, leaving you here to take care of her makes me a bit uneasy. Although you're quite attentive most of the time, there are some aspects where you're just too carefree," Chen Hao shook his head helplessly at Yang Xiaoyou's expression.
"You’re the one who’s carefree." After being lectured by Chen Hao, Yang Xiaoyou felt a bit disgruntled but decided not to argue further; she would just go with him.
Deep down, whether it was her past self or her current self, she felt somewhat at a loss when it came to taking care of others. Clearly, after gaining those memories, she had resolved to pay more attention to Qi Menglu, but unfortunately, she didn’t know how to go about it. Whenever they met, they would still bicker or fight as usual.
Just then, her phone rang again with an attention-grabbing ringtone—it was Liu Lianyue's name. She couldn't help but smile wryly; how did that sister know she was here?
Chapter Ninety-Seven: Complaints
"Are you there?" came Liu Lianyue's voice from the other end of the line, sounding somewhat distracted as if she were either in class or with someone nearby.
"Big Sister, how did you know I was here?" Yang Xiaoyou asked weakly while signaling Chen Hao to keep quiet. Due to the recent leak of the H Virus, the Common Unity Party had managed to turn things around; the lingering effects of that shooting incident had been minimized significantly.
Liu Lianyue, who had been low-key for a while, seemed to be getting involved in activities again. It was uncertain whether she would drag herself into some kind of parade; if that were the case, it would be a hassle, but not too much of a bother, though it would waste her time.
"You made a scene at the train station, didn't you? Baldy was there making some extra cash and saw you," Liu Lianyue's response made Yang Xiaoyou want to slap herself. If she had known better, she wouldn't have been so flamboyant upon arriving.
It was Friday afternoon, and the weekend was supposed to be a time to relax. However, she had been caught by that sister right away, which felt somewhat tragic. There was no doubt that Liu Lianyue would call her not just to ask if she had arrived but for something else entirely.
"How was it? Did you have fun with your parents? You extended your vacation during such a long break; your homeroom teacher isn't too pleased with your behavior," Yang Xiaoyou had prepared herself for whatever instructions or demands were coming next. However, the seemingly concerned tone from Liu Lianyue made her feel a bit embarrassed.
But then alarm bells went off in her head. This sister, who could rival the Best Actor, suddenly being so sweet-talking wasn't a good sign. So, Yang Xiaoyou could only force a couple of dry laughs without engaging further.
Sure enough, after some small talk, Liu Lianyue's true intentions came out. "Now that our Common Unity Party has been legalized, it's quite a fortunate thing. So, what do you think? Are you interested in joining our faction? If you agree, I can arrange for you to be included in the party induction speech."
"No way! Absolutely not; that's my bottom line. It was fine before," Yang Xiaoyou replied without hesitation upon hearing this topic.
Liu Lianyue on the other end seemed somewhat disappointed by such a firm response. During their time together, Yang Xiaoyou had performed quite well as a fellow; she occasionally offered useful advice. Unfortunately, she was too afraid of trouble and too timid. Now that the Common Unity Party had become more visible, Yang Xiaoyou still refused to join the armed Progressive Faction.
"Alright, let's put this aside for now. I'll help you reconnect regarding your delayed party induction ceremony. With the Common Unity Party becoming more prominent now and many more people joining, you can't let those juniors surpass you. If you flake out again this time, just wait and see how I deal with you," Liu Lianyue said with some frustration after being rejected again.
"As long as it’s not about joining the Progressive Faction, that's fine. Just let me know when," Yang Xiaoyou readily agreed as long as Liu Lianyue didn't bring up dragging her into anything.
After hanging up the phone, Yang Xiaoyou fell into deep thought. Liu Lianyue's eagerness to recruit her into the Progressive Faction likely stemmed from the fact that with the Common Unity Party stepping into the spotlight, their own environment within the party had become less favorable.
The Common Unity Party's rise had come much earlier than she remembered. At this point, the Progressive Faction's strength seemed significantly weaker than in her recollections. Coupled with their poor reputation and exclusion by officials, it was likely that differing opinions about the Progressive Faction would emerge within the Common Unity Party as well. The difficulty of attracting fresh blood into their ranks would probably increase considerably.
This situation contrasted sharply with her memories when the Progressive Faction served as an important bargaining chip for the Common Unity Party; now things were fundamentally different.
“Big Sister? Huh, who is that?” Chen Hao seemed a bit surprised. He hadn’t expected that in just a few months away, Yang Xiaoyou would have made a girlfriend who would actively call him, and it was clear that this person was not Qi Menglu.
“Oh, she’s a bit of a troublesome fellow. Sigh, it’s complicated,” Yang Xiaoyou began to vent his frustrations to Chen Hao.
Chen Hao was one of the few people he trusted the most in the world. Although he couldn’t complain about the significant changes to his body, he could definitely share his grievances about being coerced into joining the Common Unity Party.
“The Common Unity Party, huh? Well, that’s not too big of a problem now. Just don’t do anything to make Menglu sad; otherwise, I’ll have to beat you up,” Chen Hao said, having learned about the current situation of the Common Unity Party during his military training.
Hearing this made Yang Xiaoyou twitch his mouth in amusement. He couldn’t help but laugh as he replied, “How did I get dragged into this with Menglu again? Come on, you guys can’t possibly think—pfft, no way! No way! We just end up fighting whenever we meet. Well, never mind.”
Regarding the issues hinted at by his mother and Chen Hao, Yang Xiaoyou found it somewhat amusing. His relationship with Qi Menglu was indeed far beyond that of ordinary friends; it was even much better than typical romantic relationships. However, changing their bond from growing up together to something romantic was significantly more challenging than usual.
The possibility of marrying her in the future did exist, but thinking about it always felt strange.
At that moment, the door swung open again, and Chen Hao's mother entered with a familiar figure—a vibrant ponytail, a beautiful oval face, fair skin, and lively eyes sparkling with mischief. It was Qi Menglu, whose long and graceful figure could drive any man crazy and added an alluring charm to her presence.
“Uh, what are you doing here?” Yang Xiaoyou felt a bit awkward after just being schooled by Chen Hao and suddenly seeing Qi Menglu.
“Hmph! What do you mean by that? As if you’re the only one who can come here! Were you two just talking bad about me?” Qi Menglu huffed at Yang Xiaoyou’s tone and then looked at both of them with suspicion.
Given their history together, at times like this…
“Yeah, we were discussing you and your future,” Chen Hao adjusted his glasses and smiled as if it were no big deal.
“Future! Who has a future with him? Go die!” Upon hearing Chen Hao’s words, Qi Menglu’s face turned bright red from bottom to top, almost steaming. She immediately showcased her Taekwondo training results by kicking Yang Xiaoyou onto the sofa without any ladylike restraint.
However, this time she didn't leap onto him to tug at his cheek; instead, she huffed, "I... I'm going to help Auntie. I can't be bothered with you guys."
With that, she followed the smiling figure of Chen Hao's mother into the kitchen.
Yang Xiaoyou, who had just gotten up, felt a pang of frustration. Why was it Chen Hao who spoke, but he was the one getting hit?
After having dinner at Chen Hao's house, Yang Xiaoyou bickered with Qi Menglu while walking her home. However, when Qi Qiusheng opened the door and saw him, her face twisted into a terrifying expression as if she wanted to devour him, which left Yang Xiaoyou feeling quite annoyed.
She didn't even invite him in for a drink or anything. Instead, taking advantage of Qi Menglu's mom not noticing, she kicked Yang Xiaoyou out of the house, wearing a look that screamed "keep away from my daughter."
This state of affairs, worse than usual, made Yang Xiaoyou suspect that his own mother had called her about something strange.
"Ugh, are we really going to that dojo tomorrow? I don't see what there is to worry about." Regarding Chen Hao's sometimes scatterbrained comments, Yang Xiaoyou felt a bit disgruntled. Ever since he gained those memories, he thought he had been considering things more comprehensively. Wasn't it better to give Qi Menglu some freedom? Being overly controlling would only make her resentful.
Having been given so much freedom for a long time, Yang Xiaoyou had always thought this way.
After pondering for a while, he strolled through the quiet night city towards Monsoon Shrine. He hadn't actively visited Feng Lin during the two months of summer vacation; this time he couldn't forget.
Leaving behind the city's clamor and climbing the tranquil stone steps, he soon saw a graceful figure dancing with a sword before him, exuding an ethereal beauty.
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