After the water surface patrol concluded, the group returned to the station. The safety officer on duty, upon seeing them, said in a grave tone, "Another disappearance case. Kaios and the others have gone to handle it."
Walking at the front was Chai Yuan, the team leader for Liang and Xi. Hearing this, her brow immediately furrowed as she asked, "What happened?"
"Same as before," the duty officer shrugged, a note of helplessness in his voice. "An adult male Omega living in District Twenty-Three. Registered occupation is a maintenance worker, mainly involved in infrastructure and old city equipment upkeep. Simple family situation—parents passed away early, no spouse, no children, few friends. His only long-term contact is a cousin, but she's always lived in the outer districts and was only listed as a formal contact during routine population checks. Neighborly relations were distant; surrounding residents had limited knowledge of his routine. The report didn't even come from a relative—the community system automatically triggered the missing person protocol after detecting no signs of activity for a full month."
He spoke rapidly, rattling off the case details with the fluency of someone who had recounted this many times before. Chai Yuan sighed and asked, "Still the Pheromone Inducer?"
"Eighty percent," the duty officer said. "We'll know for sure once Kaios and the others get back."
"Do these cases happen often?" another trainee from the same team asked an extra question.
"Two or three a month," the duty officer said. "And that's just the ones we can detect."
Cangshan City sat close to the Forbidden Zone, with many gray areas that couldn't be precisely managed, let alone monitored with community systems. Yet the people living in those places were no fewer than those in the city center, and their social connectivity was even lower than the Omega just described. If these disappearances served some hidden purpose, there were clearly many more suitable targets than those living within monitored communities.
"Can't they be traced at all?"
Chai Yuan shook her head and picked up the thread. "The only commonality across most of these cases is residual Pheromone Inducer at the scene. There's no way to trace that substance."
Because it was too easy to make—just a bit of hallucinogen combined with high-concentration pheromone concentrate from an Alpha or Omega. Even with the best isolation suppressant patches, there was still a chance of falling victim. Symptoms like hallucinations and dizziness would quickly set in, and victims could even be confused, compelled or lured into leaving on their own or walking into a specific place.
Someone asked, "Are the missing only Alphas or Omegas?"
"Betas too, though somewhat fewer," Chai Yuan said. "Same method as the Pheromone Inducer, just a different formula—high-concentration hallucinogens instead."
At these words, the group exchanged uneasy glances and fell silent.
This place was not only more polluted than they had imagined, but also more antiquated, and more dangerous.
Xi Yan and Liang Qiao exchanged a look but said nothing—regardless of the circumstances, the serial disappearance cases that had gone unsolved for years throughout Cangshan City had little to do with trainees still in their evaluation period. Even if someone wanted to get involved, they lacked the standing and authority to do so.
"Let's go." After more than a month of working together, the two had grown quite familiar. Xi Yan had figured out her personality and would even help her respond when others took the initiative to greet them.
The days that followed were filled with patrols, reports, and one video call after another from Chu Hui. One day, Liang Qiao returned from the water as usual, but was stopped by the duty officer just as she walked in.
"Liang Qiao, someone's looking for you."
She paused and asked, "Who?"
He pulled up the surveillance feed on his light screen and glanced at it, saying, "At the south gate. A man. He's been waiting for you for two or three hours."
Xi Yan, standing nearby, asked, "Not your boyfriend, is it?"
At that guess, the calm in Liang Qiao's eyes instantly crystallized into a hint of coldness. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she turned and strode out the door without hesitation.
She didn't think it was Chu Hui, but she feared that one percent chance, so she hurried to the south gate. What came into view was a back that was both unfamiliar and familiar.
"Sister Qiao." The young man outside the gate heard her footsteps and immediately turned around, offering her a shy smile and raising one hand in a small wave.
Liang Qiao slowed her pace.
"How did you know I was here?" The person before her, completely unexpected, could barely be counted as her younger brother. His biological sister had died in the same accident that had taken Liang Qiao's adoptive parents. The two orphaned youths had been sent by the organization to a local welfare institution. The difference was that Liang Qiao had only stayed there for a few months, while he had remained for a full four years.
"The address on your donation this time showed Cangshan City," Percy said softly. "I knew you'd definitely sign up for the Security Bureau assessment."
Liang Qiao asked, "Is something the matter?"
"…No." It had been too long since they'd last met, and Percy was still readjusting to her coldness. "I got into Langria… um, I wanted to let you know."
"Congratulations."
Three years had passed since their last meeting. He had grown much taller, slightly different from the image in her memory. Liang Qiao had once looked after him like a younger brother, but now she still felt a sense of unfamiliarity. After a moment of silence, she took the initiative to ask, "You came all this way just to tell me that?"
"…Cangshan is very close to Qianshai," Percy said, wanting to convey that he hadn't come specifically for her but not knowing how to phrase it. He pursed his lips, then asked instead, "I've never been to Landu, so I wanted to find you… um, could I go with you when the time comes?"
Liang Qiao understood what he meant. She paused, then said bluntly, "Are you short on money?"
"No, no, no—not at all." Percy hadn't expected to be misunderstood and quickly waved his hands in denial. "Auntie said I could come find you. If it's inconvenient for you, I can go on my own."
The auntie he referred to was named Zhang Jian, a colleague of Liang Kuo's. She was the one who had found a sponsor for Liang Qiao back then, allowing her to continue her studies and life after leaving the welfare institution.
So upon hearing that name, Liang Qiao's coldness softened slightly. She said, "It's not very safe here, and I don't have time to look after you. Go back to Qianshai for now. I'll let you know when I return to Landu."
"Okay!" Percy nodded and took a box out of his bag, handing it to her. "Auntie and I made this together… she asked me to bring it to you."
It was a box of malt candy cookies.
Liang Qiao reached out and took it, saying, "Stay right here and don't move. I'll go back to let them know, then take you to the terminal."
Percy quickly said, "No need, I can go by myself…"
Before she could finish, Liang Qiao had already turned and walked away. Percy watched her retreating figure, feeling a mix of sadness and excitement. He looked down at his toes, then edged a little closer to the door again.
…
On the way to the docking yard, Percy filled her in on the situation in Qianshai City. To put it simply: the equipment had been upgraded, the staff was stable, and the pollution in Qianshai District One had lessened. He also mentioned that donations over the past two years had been substantial, and told her not to work too hard.
"…And don't go to dangerous places either."
Liang Qiao glanced at him.
"Du Ling-jie told me," Percy said, a little afraid of her. Every time she gave him a simple look, he'd blurt out everything without hesitation. But once the words were out, he felt it wasn't quite right, so he added by way of compensation: "I asked Du Ling-jie to tell me… Don't worry, Qiao-jie, I haven't told anyone else. Auntie hasn't either."
Liang Qiao said nothing more, silently staring out the car window. Percy glanced at her profile, curled his fingers, and picked at the fabric of his pants, not daring to speak again.
A dozen or so minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance to the docking yard. Liang Qiao walked with him a short distance and said, "Take care of yourself."
"I will, Qiao-jie," Percy said. He couldn't tell at all whether she was happy or upset to see him, or whether he'd said something wrong again to make her unhappy. After a long pause, he added, "You too."
"Mm." She turned and walked away.
Because of Percy, Liang Qiao returned to the dorm an hour later than usual. Chu Hui had sent her several messages asking if something had come up. When she didn't reply, he stopped texting, only saying that if she had time, she should give him a call. He followed it with a pitiful emoji and the words: I miss you.
Later that evening, Liang Qiao finally made the call. She hadn't expected Chu Hui to have just gotten out of the shower—he was standing naked in front of the mirror, drying his hair. Hearing the sound, he poked his head out to look, then called out in a syrupy voice, "Wifey~"
"…Put some clothes on."
"I just got out of the shower, I'm not dry yet." He deliberately carried his pajamas out of the bathroom and, right in front of her, fumbled around for ages without managing to put them on. Liang Qiao said helplessly, "Alright—"
"What, you don't even want to look at me now?" Chu Hui paused mid-motion, his expression turning dangerous as he stared at her. "Got tired of looking, have you? We've only been apart two months!" As he spoke, his gaze shot toward her like a sharp blade. "I'm standing here naked and you don't even react!"
Liang Qiao drew her knees together and said, "Don't look around."
"Can't even look now? If you won't let me look, who else are you saving it for?" Chu Hui's tone was thick with possessiveness. "Turn on your Terminal video feed—I want to see if there's anyone else in your dorm."
"…"
The gloom that had weighed on her earlier was stirred into nothing but a mix of amusement and exasperation by his few words. Liang Qiao lay back on the sofa, instructing the robot to turn on the Terminal video feed and walk a full circle around the dorm, inside and out.
Chu Hui watched without blinking, occasionally issuing a command: "Check the closet."
"Why aren't you wearing the clothes I brought you?"
Liang Qiao said, "I have a uniform."
He ignored her and asked again, "Are you hiding in the bathroom?"
"If I catch you, you're dead, Liang Qiao."
"…"
"There's a bit of dust under the bed."
"What about the kitchen?"
"The corner on the left."
A palm-sized robot scurried left and right, completely at his command.
"Check the fridge too."
"…"
Where could she possibly hide someone—in the fridge?
"Alright," she said, reopening the holographic projection mode and centering the view on herself. "Stop playing around. Let me look at you."
Chu Hui said, "I haven't finished checking yet. Is she in the fridge or not?"
Liang Qiao fell silent, simply watching him without a word.
Only a single wall lamp was lit in the dormitory, casting its light diagonally from afar—not particularly bright. What illuminated her silhouette was more the borrowed light from his side. Chu Hui adjusted the brightness up a few notches, and her face brightened accordingly: sharp, defined features, dark eyes, fine lashes veiling the night like a curtain, trembling like butterfly wings in motion, lending her an added softness.
Chu Hui looked for a few moments, then suddenly reached up to touch his slightly damp hair, deflecting the topic: "Do you think I should grow my hair out?"
Liang Qiao said, "Whatever you like."
Chu Hui said, "Then I won't cut it for now."
"Mm."
She lay there quietly, tilting her head slightly to listen to him speak. Chu Hui leaned in a little closer and asked, "Miss me?"
Liang Qiao didn't answer, but she didn't deny it either. After a long pause, she finally said, "Go to sleep."
Chu Hui finally finished putting on his pajamas, turned off the light, and slipped under the covers. "I can't fall asleep without you kissing me."
"Mm," Liang Qiao said. "I'll make it up to you when I'm back."
…
With Liang Qiao keeping him company, Chu Hui quickly fell asleep. Her gaze drifted loosely across his face, her thoughts beginning to wander.
It had been a long time—ever since she'd come to Landu, she'd almost never thought about those people again. But today, because of Percy's appearance, the memories had started to resurface. The first thing she recalled was from when she was six years old—the first time she'd unlocked the door and run out of the house, catching the sweet scent permeating the air.
Even to this day, that smell seemed to linger at the tip of her nose. What the people of the Old Third District called "Grey Breath" had the scientific name NX-17 Residual Aerosol Compound, originating from the not-so-distant era of the old Federation.
—Vast quantities of unrecovered industrial materials, experimental byproducts, and sealed devices had been directly buried or discarded in the strata of the Old Third District and Forbidden Zone 3. As the strata deteriorated, water networks seeped through, and temperature differentials cycled, these substances gradually underwent structural disintegration, generating a class of volatile compounds never before systematically recorded.
The olfactory signature of NX-17 was not strongly irritating—on the contrary, it was highly deceptive. At low concentrations, it smelled like a blend of damp metal and cold dust, carrying a trace of unnatural sweetness. Early-exposure individuals rarely felt alarmed at first. And six-year-old Liang Qiao had been exposed to that air for over three hours before Liang Kuo, returning home, finally found her.
By then, the sky had already darkened. Beneath the gray, overcast heavens, only her small figure wandered by the riverbank. Liang Kuo's panicked voice rang in her ears, crying out in disbelief: "Xiao Qiao!"
In that barren world where nothing grew—only scorched black earth—the red-shell protective suit, representing the highest danger level, was the single splash of color.
…
After being brought home by Liang Kuo that time, another lock was added to the front door. The sensor lock couldn't stop her—a six-year-old was at the age of curiosity, and she was clever, often finding all sorts of ways to crack it. In the end, they had to resort to a crude solution: adding a key lock on the outside of the sensor door. Once the door was shut, no matter how strong she was, she couldn't open it.
She could no longer run out, so she had to play by herself. When she felt restless, she would lie by the skylight in the attic of her room and look outside, watching the sunset glow shift in strange and wondrous ways, suddenly transforming, thunder rumbling, dark clouds rolling and racing across the sky, leaving only a thin line of golden light at the horizon that hadn't yet been covered.
Rain pattered against the skylight, streaked with a murky black tint.
It wasn't until evening that Liang Kuo and Huo Qingran returned. They came up to check on her, found her asleep, and carefully retreated.
Childhood passed by, years flowing like one unbroken stretch, almost never changing. The Old Third District likewise sank day after day, year after year into gloom. Clear rivers and green mountains were things that could never exist here—whether you went to the dump, the landfill, or the incinerator, you'd come back covered in dust and grime.
The sky hung over the city like a sheet of rusted metal foil, perpetually tinged with a terrifying rust-red and scorched yellow, turning into an unfathomable black at night. She remembered once when Xi Yan asked her, "Have you ever seen stars in the Old Third District?"
"No."
"Have you ever seen a blue sky?"
"No."
"Has the air always smelled like this?"
"It's a bit better than before."
"Look."
What she showed her was a 24-hour live feed of the Extraterrestrial Ring City, with one window dedicated to observing the starry sky.
Without the gentle filter of the atmosphere, the stars lost their haze. The Milky Way, no longer diluted by Earth's glow, spread like smeared, brilliant paint, exploding across the entire firmament, dazzling to the point of savagery.
This was the universe's most magnificent arm, yet they had never looked upon the same sky.