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"What do you suggest we do?" Liu Xuan still felt reluctant. "Or perhaps you could agree first and we can discuss it later."
Xu Yicheng lowered his head, furrowing his brows seriously as he said to Liu Xuan, "Liu Xuan, my life trajectory has already been altered. I can never go back. I am not like you young people, full of passion and willing to defy fate. Since I am here, I can only accept the arrangements of destiny. However, the reason you need me is not because of my wisdom or reputation, but because you need a summoner—Aibo—and I am the only one who can summon him. If I cannot summon him, then I have no value to you, right?"
Liu Xuan wanted to argue but was silenced by a glance from Xu Yicheng. "Now let's talk about Aibo. You might think that having me accompany you and summon Aibo is enough, but it is not so simple. First of all, unless absolutely necessary, I will never summon Aibo in a social environment. This not only goes against the creed of the Aibo family but would also cause great panic in society. As the summoner, I would have to bear all the responsibility. Although Aibo has appeared before the public, everyone has witnessed the terrifying destructive power of the Titan Giant; both Aibo and I hope that was the last time. Secondly, the Stone Giant Clan is inherently peaceful and gentle, loving nature and possessing a kind disposition. Only a very few individuals have tried to break this norm, causing chaos in the past. Now that humanity wants to actively ally with them and participate in war, it is nearly impossible. This is due to their nature, and since the Stone Giant Clan began living alongside humans in this world, they have always remembered Yuan Zun's teachings and quietly contributed their land for human expansion. They have already sacrificed enough for human development; now you want Aibo to abandon his family and get involved in human wars?"
"I have said what needs to be said, Liu Xuan; you should think about it." Xu Yicheng crossed his legs and turned his attention to the computer screen to prepare for work, leaving Liu Xuan deep in thought across the table.
Xu Yicheng was right; The Celestial Warriors Alliance's logistics team was already sufficient. His own value should shine in the public technology sector of the country. Even though Xu Yicheng had come to M City Military Base, he was ultimately a scientist and could not go to the front lines with everyone.
Liu Xuan struggled with this dilemma while Xu Yicheng focused on his work. He had no choice but to stand up politely and end this invitation.
After hearing Liu Xuan's report, General Jiang reassured him, "It's fine; Dr. Xu is a once-in-a-century talent for our country. Scholars like him should be left undisturbed in their lives; he has his own thoughts about life."
"Are we just going to give up?" Liu Xuan asked in confusion. "There must be other ways to persuade Dr. Xu."
"No need to force it, Liu Xuan," General Jiang replied. "Respect his choice."
Just when it seemed that Xu Yicheng's situation would pass without further incident, a few days later he came seeking their help. Due to his mysterious disappearance for a period of time and returning with such significant issues, reporters flocked to City M hoping to extract secrets from Xu Yicheng. Initially, he patiently explained his "real experiences"—he could not reveal the existence of the Titan Clan—but soon someone online connected various events that occurred during Xu Yicheng's disappearance and pinned them on him, deliberately labeling him as a "human impersonator of a mysterious race" to satisfy everyone's so-called curiosity. The incident grew increasingly heated; some even intertwined Cthulhu mythology with Chinese folklore regarding him. No matter how patient or kind Xu Yicheng was, he could no longer tolerate such fabrications; public opinion pressure had overwhelmed his upright character, leading him into deep self-reproach: What was more important—human curiosity or the faith and promises of the Titan Clan? Or who was right? He could no longer distinguish.
His former life had completely vanished; the university clearly stated that if Xu Yicheng did not clarify things for society soon, they would have every reason to dismiss him. Even though Xu Yicheng's status was unquestionable, a university could hardly withstand immense public pressure. As he watched the environment he had lived in for over twenty years count down to reclamation, Xu Yicheng reluctantly sought help from M City Military Base, where some individuals were aware of and accepted his secret.
Liu Xuan met with Xu Yicheng again, but this time not on campus; they sat together in a private room at a reserved restaurant, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of carefree children accompanying an unemployed father for drinks. Liu Xuan also tried to comfort Xu Yicheng, but he only focused on drinking from a small cup which he quickly emptied into a bowl.
"Take care of yourself, Doctor," Liu Xuan said as he took away the last two bottles of alcohol from him. "General Jiang has instructed me that we are not going to force you; this is your own choice. If you decide to accept it, we will always be here for you—just speak up."
Xu Yicheng removed his glasses and sighed. "Okay then; contact your side and I'll prepare."
Upon receiving news of this decision, General Jiang immediately arranged matters at the base. Colonel Gao, who had participated in Fierce Eagle operations at Military Base in City S, called Xu Yicheng expressing hope that Dr. Xu could take a chance—even if Aibo was unwilling—Xu Yicheng as "China's Edison" was still a world-renowned genius who could excel anywhere.
After five days of processing matters, Xu Yicheng successfully boarded a transport vehicle heading for City M. However, during this time there was an incident where Colonel Gao's unauthorized collection of Xu Yicheng's personal information was reported but quickly suppressed again. Jiao An informed General Jiang about this as an insider; although there was no clear evidence left—this was what puzzled everyone most about this person; they could never grasp his true nature. General Jiang stroked his beard silently until Jiao An left.
On the night when Xu Yicheng was picked up, Liu Xuan brought An Xiaotian along to meet Dr. Xu Yicheng; an armed convoy surrounded their car as they drove towards City M.
In the vehicle, An Xiaotian kept trying to find topics to discuss with Liu Xuan; however, Liu Xuan responded vaguely as if he did not want to talk much with An Xiaotian at all. He pointed at Dr. Xu Yicheng who was gazing out at the scenery through the window; An Xiaotian nodded silently without saying anything further.
Liu Xuan gently patted Xu Yicheng on the shoulder: "Doctor, there’s something I feel I need to clarify with you."
Xu Yicheng tossed what little remained of his cigarette into the wind and asked, "What is it?"
"The Stone Giant Titan clan has indeed sacrificed greatly for human development quietly; however if Stone Giants truly enter battle, they would no longer be offering themselves selflessly for humanity." Liu Xuan pointed at the night sky where stars slowly moved toward the car window as they traveled together. "Just like them—like Earth—they are one star among many in the universe; we are part of a shared destiny community. The wars on Earth are challenges faced by all advanced life forms standing here together; I believe all Stone Giant Titans including Aibo understand this point too well. We love peace as well; however peace also requires violence for its maintenance—peace does not mean retreating or yielding. Even cornered rabbits will bite back; how much more so us? Everyone has their limits—so does civilization—this is not just a social law but also a universal survival law."
Xu Yicheng remained silent as he listened quietly while gazing at the stars above lost in thought.
"If prophecies are true..."
He then lowered his head and slightly rolled down the car window. The wind outside blew in through the gap, whistling in a chaotic manner.
"It’s true, everything will come. Sometimes what happens is hard for us to accept, but we must face it. That’s why we must defy fate instead of passively accepting it."
Xu Yicheng took off his glasses and wiped the lenses, staring at the front seat for a long time before finally squeezing out three words: "Maybe so."
"These truths were once told to me by An Xiaotian. I hope this can help you and give you strength."
Liu Xuan did not speak again; he took out his headphones and continued listening to his favorite old song, "Heading North."
There were simply too many traffic lights in the city. After all the commotion, they arrived at the Military Base gate just past four twenty in the morning. An Xiaotian had already spoken with General Jiang several times to confirm the return time, but each call only extended their return time. An Xiaotian felt helpless; during the last call, he advised General Jiang's team to go back and sit for a while instead of waiting for them in the cold wind. Ironically, before General Jiang and his team could get comfortable, Liu Xuan and the others arrived. By the time An Xiaotian approached General Jiang, he felt somewhat embarrassed.
"Where is Dr. Xu?" General Jiang asked An Xiaotian, who was carrying Dr. Xu Yicheng's luggage.
"He seems to be sleeping quite soundly," An Xiaotian said apologetically. "Sorry, General, I misreported the situation."
General Jiang smiled and gently patted An Xiaotian on the back: "As long as he arrives safely, I'll go wake him up."
Not one for much exercise, Xu Yicheng swayed as he got out of the car after sitting for too long; his vision kept going dark. General Jiang stepped forward to support him, offering a warm greeting.
"Welcome Dr. Xu Yicheng to M City Military Base!"
As Xu Yicheng regained his composure, he saw a banner illuminated by lights in the distance and felt a surge of emotion. He looked up at the banner, experiencing a rare sense of fulfillment that he hadn't felt in a long time.
Under General Jiang's guidance, Xu Yicheng arrived at his room. General Jiang turned on the lights; there was a white mattress, brilliant lighting, a spacious living room, and even a second floor. Xu Yicheng could tell that everyone had put in considerable effort for his arrival. Once everything was settled, he looked around his room with satisfaction while holding the Summoning Stone given by Aibo in his palm. He wished he could tell Aibo about his experiences in human society as if writing a diary—reading it aloud like an innocent child with endless stories to share with loved ones. However, Aibo had not responded to him for over a month now. Xu Yicheng couldn’t help but think and worry excessively until all that remained were faint sighs escaping him. Had he known returning to society would be like this, he suddenly realized that living in the wild with Aibo might not have been such a bad thing after all.
Are you… no longer needing me?
With this thought, Xu Yicheng's eyes revealed great disappointment as he rubbed the Summoning Stone between his hands, feeling an urge to crush it. This wasn’t the first time he had been abandoned; although Sister Hua had left him, he found it somewhat understandable. He placed the Summoning Stone into the drawer and spent his first night at M City Military Base.
It’s worth mentioning that Lu Sha and Xu Yicheng arrived at M City Military Base around the same time—just two weeks ago when Lu Sha had just come here.
Lu Sha hardly slept that night either; having heard that one of China’s greatest scientists had settled into the base, she wanted to see him for herself. When Xu Yicheng got out of the car earlier, Lu Sha quietly stood on the rooftop watching—she did not come to welcome Dr. Xu Yicheng or declined General Jiang's invitation to join in welcoming him.
She didn’t know why she refused; perhaps it was because she wasn’t quite used to it yet—during her few days here, she had been going about alone.
The next day
The sunlight had been waiting by Xu Yicheng's bedroom window for quite some time. He took a deep breath and instinctively reached for his glasses on the right side of the nightstand but found it empty instead.
Xu Yicheng then remembered that this was no longer home; his nightstand was now on the left side, and the clock showed it was already noon.
"Should we wake him up?"
Jiao An asked Liu Xuan and An Xiaotian, who were squatting on the ground; they had been entangled in this question for over an hour now. Their task was to take Xu Yicheng to the command room before one o'clock. Now it seemed that hope was dwindling.
"Uh, let me give it a try." An Xiaotian couldn't wait any longer and stood up to knock on the door.
"Dr. Xu, you..."
"I'm up, just give me ten more minutes!"
An Xiaotian simply sat down on the floor: "Wow, this old man really can sleep."
Jiao An chuckled quietly: "Just don't let him hear you."
"This room is great, but the soundproofing is a bit poor!" Xu Yicheng shouted from inside.
Standing outside, Liu Xuan and Jiao An exchanged teasing glances at An Xiaotian, who widened his eyes in confusion, his expression twisting into a big question mark.
Xu Yicheng came out, looking more spirited than usual. He smiled at An Xiaotian and asked, "Ready to go? Where to?"
"To summon your Aibo," Liu Xuan blurted out as she pulled An Xiaotian along.
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