Above Destiny

Chapter 554 Hello World
For regions that are perpetually shrouded in gloom, the sun's rays may be a blessing and a mercy. But for coastal areas and even ships sailing on the open ocean, the scorching sunlight that stings and peels off the skin has become a commonplace torment and punishment.

The brutal sun that festers the skin, the dampness that makes you want to scratch your crotch off, the constant jolting, the endless chores, the rust that never stops, and the endless filth.

Air conditioning and beer were privileges reserved for captains and high-ranking officers. The dark-skinned sailors could only curse and sweat profusely as they busied themselves, barely managing to get by with a couple of puffs of a half-smoked cigarette.

From the noisy, stuffy cabins to the sun-baked, oven-like decks, I gradually got used to it amidst the torment.

Especially for these smuggling ships, they also have to keep watch from time to time to avoid being searched and investigated by the coastal defense, and even be double-crossed by their own kind. They are always ready to risk their lives to stage a dramatic escape.

The crackdown is intensifying, investigations are becoming more stringent, the professionalism of our peers is declining, and life is getting harder and harder.

And we also have to serve one, no, two old men who snuck onto the ship...

Such is the nature of a life full of twists and turns.

Everyone couldn't help but ask themselves – is this treacherous life only this difficult when smuggling, or has it always been this way?

At this moment, when the distant coastline finally came into view, I was almost moved to tears.

Inside the cabin, in front of the bridge, the captain, who was smoking with his legs crossed, spat and turned around to glance at the uninvited guest behind him: "Well, we've arrived. Get lost."

"Isn't there still a section left?"

The skinny boy with dry, yellowish hair grinned and pleaded, "This distance is too wide for the two of us to swim across. Uncle, since you're so kind, could you make it a little closer?"

The boy who was speaking was thin and bony, clearly suffering from malnutrition for many years. He also had a limp, walking with a stagger, and looked as if he could be blown away by the wind. But his eyes were dark and bright, and when he looked over, they were so sharp that they made people feel uneasy.

It was like a beast in human skin, sending chills down your spine.

It's especially unsettling when this beast stands on a bundle of detonators and high explosives, and talks to you while holding a self-welded detonator in his hand!

“You don’t understand the rules of Huangji. We’ve bought Master Mi’s money, so this boat can only go to Chaocheng. If we’re caught and have to dock near Yacheng, and someone weighs us, that’s considered betrayal, and we’ll get three cuts and six holes.”

The captain shook his head without hesitation: "We all rely on the rules to make a living. Once things start going wrong without rules, the best outcome will be for me to take it."

"Then give me a small boat." The boy seized the opportunity, "I can row across myself."

"You really have the nerve to say that."

The captain laughed in exasperation. "You really think I can't do anything to you?"

"Hey, my worthless life is nothing, but wouldn't it be troublesome if I delayed your business?" The young man smiled indifferently, "Why not just treat us brothers like a fart and let it go? Wouldn't that save you some trouble?"

Even so, his hand remained gripping the detonator.

Since boarding the ship, I haven't had a moment's rest.

Not only that, all the food and water were brought by themselves, and in order to avoid going to the toilet, they hardly ate anything. For three whole days, they didn't close their eyes.

Be prepared for a desperate last stand.

Encountering someone like that is like encountering a ghost.

Four days ago, three hours after setting sail from Qicheng in the middle of the night, they discovered that someone had sneaked onto the ship. It wasn't a fellow thief trying to steal from them, nor were they refugees trying to smuggle themselves across the border; it was a kid strapped with explosives, accompanied by his younger brother who was in a wheelchair and barely alive.

After being discovered, he didn't panic or run away. Instead, he took a sailor hostage with a homemade pistol and forced him to come find the captain.

I don't want money or goods, I just want a ride. I beg the captain to spare me the five pounds of explosives... or we can all just blow it up and be done with it.

It can only be said that they didn't do good deeds in their past life, and in this life they're working for Huangji and getting stuck with this kind of awful thing.

What bad luck!
The captain glanced at the brat in front of him, then at the child wrapped in a blanket who was fast asleep beside him. After finishing his cigarette, he waved to the second mate.

"Give them a sampan."

He looked at the kid with a half-smile: "So, do you want me to give you another ride next?"

"That would be wonderful!" The boy beamed, grasping his hand as if moved to tears. "I knew we were kindred spirits!"

If you think you're so compatible, then just let go!
The captain cursed, dusted himself off, got up, and gestured for him to follow.

Twenty minutes later, the sampan docked at a shallow beach.

Nothing happened; all was calm.

A miraculous amicable parting.

The thin, dark-skinned boy struggled to carry his unconscious younger brother on his back, skillfully tying him to his body and securing him in a knot. Finally, he said goodbye, "Thank you, Uncle!"

The captain, puffing on his cigarette, asked with a smile, "Want me to lend you some more money for the journey?"

"No need," the boy waved his hand.

"Then get out of here!" the captain said, his face darkening. "Are you waiting for me to take you?"

"Give me your phone number, Uncle."

The boy looked up at him, the smile on his face finally disappearing, but his expression was unusually serious: "I will pay back the money I owe."

The captain laughed, whether from anger or amusement, but when he saw those eyes, he fell silent for a moment for no apparent reason.

"Okay, I'll wait for you to pay me back!"

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a gun, and tossed it over, saying, "Here you go. I went through all that trouble to bring you here, you little bastard, don't fucking die out there for no reason."

"Thank you."

The boy caught the gun, skillfully checked and operated it, and then stuffed it into his pocket.

And so, they turned back and walked away.

Even though it was my first time in this country, it felt as if I had already found my destination, without any hesitation or doubt.

The captain on the sampan remained silent for a long time.

"These kids these days are all so weird, each one more outrageous than the last."

He sighed, started the engine, and returned to his own boat.

The waiting crew members were slightly taken aback when they saw the empty ship and the captain's clothes, which were spotless.

"No, you really let him go?"

"What else? Go explode together with him?"

The captain waved his hand, looking uninterested: "The guy who runs straight to Xinquan as soon as he gets ashore isn't worth arguing with, he's a lunatic."

Besides, this kind of thing... isn't the first time it's happened!

He used to think it was just rumors and gossip among his peers, but he never expected to encounter something so outrageous.

This is really weird.

Why are all sorts of strange and monstrous things flocking to Xinquan these days?

After crossing the desolate foreshore, bypassing the edge of the swamp, and climbing over two mountains, we stepped onto the dusty main road, where cars came and went, their horns constantly blaring.

Luckily, I flagged down a junkyard worker's car. With my "bomb ticket" and "bullet pass" in hand, I declined the invitation full of local flavor and took another ride.

More and more shacks are appearing in the wilderness.

Gradually it became noisy and bustling.

Finally, they stood in front of an unfamiliar gate. A line of modified cars with license plates were waiting to pass through the gate. They lined up at the back, waiting quietly.

Behind them, the sleeping child seemed to finally wake up, staring wide-eyed in confusion, but unable to see clearly: "Brother, where is this?"

"Xinquan, the place where we will live in the future." The boy thought for a moment, then smiled: "Our...home."

The child paused for a moment, then asked softly, "Will there be a home here?"

"It will happen, it definitely will!"

The boy made a firm promise, stepped forward, and said to the people inside the factory gate, "I'm looking for Mr. Ji. We made an appointment!"

"you?"

The security guard raised his eyebrows slightly, glanced at the boy's appearance, seemed slightly surprised, yet also seemed used to it, and led them to the lobby next door, where someone was already waiting with a list in hand.

Undeterred by his age, the clerk adjusted his glasses and asked, "Young man, what's your name?"

"Yan Fei".

The boy raised his head: "The color of color, the wrong of right and wrong."

"Ah, I found it. It's definitely on the list, and quite high up." The clerk flipped through the forms in her hand and smiled slightly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ji isn't in Xinquan right now, but he mentioned you, and I've already given instructions."

As she spoke, she rummaged through the shelf next to her for a while and found a bunch of things: "This is a meal card, this is the key to your dorm room, for double rooms, and this is... uh, a bomb-proof box."

Yan Fei was taken aback, then asked in confusion, "Explosion-proof what?"

"Ahem, explosion-proof box."

The clerk coughed awkwardly twice: "I don't really understand either, but he said it might be useful. Well, what he said was: 'You little brat should be able to understand.'"

"..."

Yan Fei fell silent for a long time. After hesitating, he took out a bundle of explosives from his pocket and put it inside.

The clerk nodded, flipped through the notes in his hand, and relayed Mr. Ji's words: "Who are you trying to fool? Anything else?"

"..." So, Yan Fei hesitated for a moment, then took out a small bag and reluctantly put it inside, annoyed: "Is this okay now?"

The clerk started wiping her sweat, waved to her colleagues, and immediately someone carried the box out. Soon, the roar of an explosion could be heard in the distance.

Even after seeing all sorts of amazing feats these past few days, I still get a little creeped out. Where did this explosion maniac come from?
"Wait a moment. These, these, and these are all things that Mr. Ji specifically instructed you to give. No one else has them."

The clerk brought out box after box, piling them up on the table into a small mountain: "It's okay if they're hard to carry, someone will help you deliver them later."

"Come on, sign here and accept this."

Yan Fei's eyelids started twitching wildly.

Instinctively, he had a bad feeling, especially when he opened a box and found it full of textbooks and test papers, he started sweating.

broken……

I've jumped into a fire pit!
"Can I refuse?" His expression twitched, a futile resistance.

The clerk remained silent, only smiling.

Only after Yan Fei painfully signed her name on the paper did she deliver the final, devastating news with a forced smile: "Mr. Ji said that when he returns, there will be a spot check—'You should understand the consequences of failing, right?'"

Therefore, Yan Fei wanted to die even more.

There is no love in life.

But in the end, what was handed over was a medical card.

"And this one, Secretary Yu just organized a consultation recently. You can see it by turning right ahead. Just go directly to Dr. Xie. He's tall and thin, very conspicuous."

The clerk finished giving his final instructions and waved goodbye.

Only Yan Fei looked down, staring blankly at the medical card in her hand, and after a long while, she finally came to her senses.

Temporarily forgetting the mountain of textbooks, he happily carried his younger brother on his back and headed in the direction he had indicated, his steps light and quick.

"You see!"

Turning back, she couldn't help but smile smugly at her younger brother: "I told you long ago, Mr. Ji never makes a mistake!"

"Mr. Ji must be very capable, right?"

The child, in a daze, murmured softly.

Yan Fei raised her head: "Of course, I've already told you!"

"No, it's just a feeling, it's different from what you said, brother..." The child thought for a moment and said firmly, "It can't be that fierce, nor that scary."

He strained to lift his head, trying to make out the blurry scene: pedestrians and vehicles coming and going, the bustling and chaotic market, haggling, queuing, shouting, and yelling—everything seemed ordinary and unremarkable.

But it is also different from other places.

When I open my eyes, I can't see clearly, but when I close my eyes, everything becomes so clear.

"Everyone seems to be smiling."

In a hazy, half-awake state, the child sighed softly, "Just like my brother."

It turns out that smiles also exist in the world beyond dreams.

"Okay, I understand. Alright, then let Ashu and Lao Gou handle it. You can decide the rest yourselves."

I still have some things to take care of here, and I'm afraid I won't be able to finish them until next month. Also, have Yan Gong keep an eye on that kid, and make sure he doesn't cause any explosions..."

Under the same scorching sun, Ji Jue hung up the phone and strolled among the ruins.

Under the scorching sun, a thin mist seemed to still linger in the air, emitting an eerie rainbow glow that made one dizzy if stared at for too long.

A massive amount of polluted spiritual energy still lingers on this land, turning it into a forbidden zone for life, a barren and mutated demonic realm.

Southwest of the Thousand Islands has completely lost all its value, a remote place forgotten by everyone.

—Punabantu!
But now, this desolate and ravaged land has welcomed new pioneers.

Silver mist danced in the sky, descending in wisps, and under the purification and dispersal of Isis's hand, it once again opened up a brand new realm.

Through the transit of the Doomsday Special Train and the transport of the Prosperity Express, a large amount of supplies flowed in, and brand-new factories and buildings sprang up from the ground, but no living people could be seen except for Ji Jue.

Only strange creatures, each less than half a person tall, roamed in groups between the ruins and the construction site, cleaning up garbage, mixing ash and mud, and cooperating with each other to complete many complicated tasks.

With these Creation Spirits derived from the Fly Lords, Isis no longer needed to do anything herself. She only needed to issue commands, and these lower Creation Spirits would diligently complete all the work.

On its angular body are two short arms and legs, as well as a tail made of a charging cable, which swings nimbly.

Diligent, capable, hardworking, and incredibly efficient.

The only slightly odd thing is the design!
Who knows if it was some kind of Easter egg left by Hua Xu Jun? Despite being a creation spirit with a weak sense of self, it has a strong obsession with the two pointed horns on its head that look like cat ears. It can't live without them, and it even meows when it communicates with them!

Occasionally, when there are no orders, they will run in groups to bask in the sun and take a nap.

Perhaps this is the trace of resentment that the Lord of Dreams left for Ji Jue—since you like cats so much, why don't you just raise a litter yourself!

The little calf and horse, who hadn't been able to run around freely for a long time, also revealed their true forms, excitedly running back and forth among the mechanical cats, squatting and jumping around, inviting them to play games, and even catching one to lick it, and secretly taking a couple of bites when Ji Jue wasn't paying attention, just to taste it.

Then, when Ji Jue looked over, he turned around and spat it out.

Wagging its tail, it looked docile.

The orderly construction site was bustling with activity amidst a chorus of meows, and brand-new foundations had been erected once again in this place that no one had ever cared about.

The research and experiments that were not feasible to conduct in Xinquan can then be gradually transferred here.

Moreover, the local conditions are more suitable for recruiting new members and providing reinforcements.

It is foreseeable that in the near future, the old employees in the underground workshop will also be able to welcome new workstations and environments, and will be able to bask in the sun. This is truly a cause for celebration!

The future looks brighter in every sense of the word!
"Everyone has a bright future."

Ji Jue put his hands on his hips and exclaimed in admiration, full of anticipation.

Isis sighed helplessly, "Sir, why is it that whenever you make that sound, I feel the richness and diversity of the human species?"

"Hmm, maybe it's not the richness and diversity of humankind."

Ji Jue thought for a moment, shrugged, and sincerely sighed, "Perhaps, I've inadvertently strayed a bit from the scope?"

In that instant, under the blazing sun, he slowly raised his palm.

Extend forward.

As the five fingers contracted, a crisp sound rang out from the palm, like steel rubbing against steel. The color of flesh and blood rapidly faded, replaced by a gray-black iron sheen.

It spread upwards rapidly.

It engulfed him completely.

In the blink of an eye, everything old vanished. Human faces and weaknesses disappeared without a trace, replaced by a cold and solemn metal structure with jagged edges.

By flicking your fingers and feeling the hydraulic structure and expansion and contraction inside your arm, and by moving your body, you can hear the deep echo of the engine inside your chest.

The spiritual energy, like flames, flowed within countless cables, with tiny sparks and electrical flashes constantly flickering in the metallic nerves and brain.

It was as if they had been freed from invisible shackles, and had achieved a final sublimation from everything that was old.

In this powerful rhythm originating from the soul, bones transform like steel, and blood flows like mercury.

What I felt was an unprecedented freedom.

There is no need for unnecessary concealment or painstaking pursuit, nor for being troubled or confused. Just let the essence be revealed naturally!
The true self, the true form of the soul, the most complete posture of the chosen one.

This is the reborn form that comes after waking up from the dream!
"I'll leave the rest of the work to you, Isis."

Ji Jue waved his hand and stepped forward: "I'm just taking a short break, I'll be right back."

The sound of steel rubbing against each other rang out again. Under the control and interference of Fei Gong, steel wings unfolded from Ji Jue's back. Amidst the flow of mercury, they coalesced into a vector engine structure, with flames surging and bursting forth!

A deafening roar, and a blast of air.

Ji Jue has already soared into the sky!

Emerging from the hellish realm of demons, shimmering like stars, it pierced through the mist of spiritual matter and mercury, streaked across the clear blue sky, broke free from the shackles of gales and clouds, and once again soared into the heavens!

Looking up, under the blazing sun, in the endless expanse of green, the sky covers everything.

Looking down, the dancing waves rippled across the azure sky, stretching towards the distant horizon.

Ji Jue hovered silently in the sky, as if he had fallen into another ocean.

Between the vast sky and the sea, it is so tranquil that if you close your eyes, you can almost feel the waves and the sky singing.

Like a dream.

He waved to everything in front of him.

--【Hello World】

(End of this chapter)