CR CH35

Chapter 35: Visitation Day

Jiang Tianji and Liang Chong returned to the lounge one after the other.

Jia Yun must have sensed the bizarre tension between them. The corners of his mouth curled upward in blatant, gleeful gloating. Adopting an “out of sight, out of mind” approach, Jiang Tianji closed his eyes the moment he reached his seat, pretending to be utterly deaf to whatever snickering came from the person beside him.

As it turned out, rumors about a person could only ever be half-believed. Judging solely by hearsay and combat performance, Jia Yun was indeed a ruthless, dangerous character. Yet no one knew that in private, he was also an absolute nuisance. Even if Alphas exhibited a meteoric growth rate after differentiation, it didn’t alter the fact that this brat was technically still a minor.

The average age for differentiation was around fifteen, with a two-year variance being perfectly normal. This meant that before his differentiation, Jia Yun might very well have been nothing more than a fresh little squirt.

Imagining a pint-sized version of Jia Yun paired with his current arrogant smirk, Jiang Tianji’s own lips began to twitch upward. The two sat side-by-side, each amused by their own thoughts.

_

The high-altitude energy defense grid opened, and by the time they touched down at the base, their teammates had already returned from their respective missions.

The group rested briefly in the dormitory, preparing for the evening training session. Jiang Tianji was zoning out in a daze—not out of sentimentality, but because earlier, when the squad was forming up inside the warship, a row of senior officers had happened to step out of the conference room.

One of them was a commander he had never seen before. Standing next to Irene, this officer—who seemed to have a decent relationship with Ling Kongmiao—had kept casting subtle, lingering glances at him.

Even though he knew he was supposed to dutifully stare straight ahead, Jiang Tianji hadn’t been able to resist looking back. To his surprise, this officer didn’t just watch him openly; he even leaned over to whisper with Irene, which eventually escalated to both of them casting highly nuanced, profound looks in his direction.

A sense of foreboding settled over him. Jiang Tianji had subconsciously glanced toward the striking, silver-white figure in the crowd, only to see Chief Ling calmly taking a communication device from You Li, looking entirely unfazed.

Before he could analyze whether there was a connection, a rustling noise nearby snapped him out of his thoughts.

_

Inside the dorm, amid the general chatter, Feng Huo utilized an array of deceptive maneuvers to stealthily arrive by Jiang Tianji’s side. He casually tossed a bag over, then spun around, scooped up a sock from his own bed, and threw a highly “intentional” jump shot straight into a basin a short distance away.

“Wow, a perfect shot.” Without turning around, his voice was filled with a meticulously calculated naturalness. “Bought extra nutrient fluids and compressed biscuits. If you don’t feel like eating real food but want to replenish your energy, help yourselves, guys.”

The dormitory fell silent for a split second. Feng Huo’s retreating back radiated a fragile vulnerability.

“…Can someone please say literally anything?”

Huang Qi laughed for a good while before finally sparing him. “Let me tell you, during the two days you were gone, this big guy was talking in his sleep, saying, ‘I still owe you, don’t die on me.’ In the dead of night, he was wailing and crying to us…”

Feng Huo executed a flying tackle, kicking Huang Qi along with his stool across the room. “Screw you! You were the one wailing and crying, and you were the one saying that if anyone was going to claim a life, they should claim my teammate’s!”

“Ah!” Huang Qi shrieked, sprawling on the floor while clutching his backside. “What kind of hero pulls a sneak attack… Look at you getting all anxious now that something happened. Weren’t you acting all tough earlier? Keep barking!”

“I… you coward, you’re all talk! You confessed faster than anyone in your sleep. Are you any better?!”

“That was a delaying tactic! Perfectly normal human behavior!”

Seeing the two tangling into a brawl, Jiang Tianji made no move to stop them. He sat nearby, slowly sipping his nutrient fluid while checking the flames. “We’re all teammates here. A couple’s quarrel is settled at the edge of the bed. Wrap it up, you two.”

“Who the hell is a couple with him—”

“Alright, cut it out.” Ji Yandong, who had remained silent the entire time, anticipated Feng Huo’s trajectory before he could crash over. He sidestepped to Jiang Tianji’s side of the room, looking over the latest updates on his device. “There’s an arena match tonight. Tomorrow is Visitation Day, so we get a half-day off. Evening training will proceed as normal.”

Jiang Tianji paused. “Visitation Day?”

“Yeah, the three-month mark visitation. Starting tomorrow, our personal devices will be officially returned to us.” Huang Qi pushed Feng Huo off with a heave, catching his breath before continuing. “But given our current situation, we probably won’t have much time to play around anyway. It’s mostly just for psychological comfort.”

Ji Yandong nudged Feng Huo lightly with his finger. “What about you? Any plans?”

“None.” Feng Huo turned around to pour himself a cup of water, his tone devoid of any particular emotion. “I already talked to the instructor beforehand. Told my younger siblings not to come. Too much of a hassle.”

Ji Yandong nodded understandingly. “Same. I’m no rookie either, no need to make my family travel all this way.”

Sipping his nutrient fluid, Jiang Tianji felt the room grow quiet. He slowly raised his eyes. Unsurprisingly, three pairs of eyes were locked onto him.

“A few of my roommates will definitely show up. They have this bizarre infatuation with the military base. As for my mom… she’s a busy woman. I’m not counting on her.” Jiang Tianji’s tone held a touch of melancholy before he shifted the topic. “About the arena match tonight…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Ji Yandong’s communicator chimed. He looked down, pulling up the latest bulletin board.

Ji Yandong: “Perfect timing. The arena match roster is out.”

Jiang Tianji: “Is Jia Yun on it? He annoyed me a bit today, I want to go watch the show.”

“Oh right, I heard Captain Ling dragged you away from the bottom of the research institute?” Huang Qi asked.

Jiang Tianji nodded, keeping it brief. “Yeah, just a mop-up mission.”

“Then—”

“He is,” Ji Yandong interrupted, scanning the list to give a definitive answer. Then, he raised his eyes. “But I don’t think you’ll be watching from the sidelines.”

The trio’s unspoken chemistry peaked at that exact moment. They crowded together to look at the roster. Upon seeing Jiang Tianji’s name paired right next to Jia Yun’s in the third column, everyone went dead silent.

“What are you waiting for? Forfeit right now!” Huang Qi tugged at Ji Yandong. “He literally just came back alive, and now he’s heading straight to his doom? Why is his life so bitter?”

Ji Yandong didn’t answer immediately. Feng Huo grabbed Huang Qi, saying hesitantly, “Actually, I think…” Maybe he should give it a shot.

The chaotic brawl they had experienced that day gave Feng Huo a sneaking suspicion that this kid wasn’t nearly as fragile as he let on.

“I’ll forfeit,” Jiang Tianji said without much hesitation.

Outside, the assembly bell began to ring. Huang Qi sighed, slinging an arm around Feng Huo’s shoulder as they headed out. Ji Yandong smoothly submitted the forfeiture request, and the group quickly rushed downstairs.

When they assembled in the main sector, Jiang Tianji spotted Jia Yun from a distance. The man’s gaze remained fiercely mocking as he mouthed two words to him: “You coward.”

The faint remnants of the twilight clouds in the sky looked like a dying ember, reflecting softly in Jiang Tianji’s eyes. He didn’t respond, standing quietly at the very end of the line.

_

Time passed faster than expected, and the long-awaited holiday breathed some warmth back into Z01’s rigid atmosphere.

The visitor rest area was opened, packed with waiting family members and friends. Having grown accustomed to the monotonous black and gray of Z01’s training uniforms, looking at the vibrant array of civilian clothing in the lounge caused a momentary daze among the recruits. After exchanging brief greetings, everyone scattered toward their loved ones.

In the sea of people, Jiang Tianji instantly spotted three familiar figures. A wave of warmth and complexity washed over him—until his eyes focused on the custom, floating virtual banner hovering above their heads.

Rendered in a tacky, bolded font complete with little heart emojis, it read: ~ Tianji Support Squad ~

Jiang Tianji: “…”

He spun around, intent on walking right back out, only to run straight into Huang Qi and his older brother. Both were notoriously helpful souls.

“What’s wrong? Can’t find them? …Hey! Isn’t that them right there?” The surroundings were loud, so Huang Qi bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Hey! Over there! The Tianji Support Squad! Jiang Tianji is right here!”

Huang Qi’s brother joined in: “Tianji Support Squad! Over here!”

The trio across the room grew ecstatic. “We see him! Thanks, brothers!”

Seeing Jiang Tianji remain frozen and mute, Huang Qi clapped him on the shoulder. “Go on, go on! What are you being shy for? Don’t be so bashful.”

Huang Qi’s brother agreed: “Yeah, hold your head high!”

Jiang Tianji was silent for a long moment. “…Thanks, brothers.”

“Xiao Tian! We made it!”

“This base is freaking huge! We’ve officially fulfilled our lifelong dream!”

After bidding farewell to the Huang brothers, Jiang Tianji was pulled into a suffocating bear hug by his three roommates, nearly squeezing the breath out of him.

Luo Yang: “How’ve you been holding up here? You must be bored to death.”

Jiang Tianji: “Honestly, it’s fine. It’s actually been pretty thrilling.”

Jiang Jun spotted an empty space and dragged Jiang Tianji over to claim the seats. “Then you have to give us all the juicy details later. And look at these muscles… holy crap, I’m jealous! How did you build such a good physique behind our backs?”

“For real? Let me feel.”

“Get away from me.” Jiang Tianji swatted away the hands trying to grope his torso.

Liang Shaoqun cautiously scanned the perimeter. Confirming their target individual wasn’t in sight, he leaned his head inward. The four of them instinctively huddled close to avoid being overheard in the crowded room.

Liang Shaoqun: “That bastard Liang Chong hasn’t been causing you trouble, has he?”

Jiang Jun: “I thought you were insulting yourself for a second.”

Liang Shaoqun: “Screw off, I said that bastard. Liang Chong, that absolute bastard!”

Luo Yang clicked his tongue. “Stop interrupting, we’re talking about serious matters here.”

Jiang Tianji sighed. “He’s still the same as always. His skills haven’t evolved at all—just a bunch of underhanded tricks.”

“I knew that bastard would—”

Jiang Tianji briefly summarized the rumors and their recent restroom confrontation. Instantly, a colorful array of elegant insults erupted from his roommates’ mouths, clearing the air.

Liang Chong was Liang Shaoqun’s cousin. After Jiang Tianji and Liang Chong had completely cut ties, Jiang Tianji had met Liang Shaoqun at a banquet. One was a younger cousin who had been sabotaged by Liang Chong since childhood, and the other was an unfortunate soul who had been backstabbed by his former best friend. The two had hit it off immediately, quickly forging an exceptionally resilient friendship.

Luo Yang and Jiang Jun were a different story. Back during Jiang Tianji’s rebellious phase, he had skipped classes and flown to a remote planet to play the role of a melancholy youth. There, he had run into these two idiots. They had also snuck out to play but had absolutely no sense of direction, ultimately relying entirely on shamelessly tagging along behind Jiang Tianji. In a vast universe, two idiots had crossed paths with one smart egg, and from that moment on, the gears of destiny began to turn.

“Give me two years. Once I’m back, I’ll treat you guys to an absolute feast.”

“No rush on that.” The three exchanged glances before Liang Shaoqun spoke up. “A wallet crisis for you is inevitable, but… are you seriously just planning to coast through these two years?”

Jiang Tianji didn’t look up. “Otherwise?”

“This is such an incredible opportunity,” Luo Yang said. “We’re all Betas, we don’t get that kind of genetic luck. Why don’t you reconsider?”

Jiang Tianji: “I was originally a Beta too.”

“Stop being so dramatic!” Hearing the dip in his tone, Jiang Jun smacked him upside the head. “Because of you, I literally spend every single day fantasizing that I’ll suddenly differentiate into an Alpha, rank up all the way, and make it into the Special Assistance Team!”

“But I’m just a standard zero-awakening ordinary human who has to pray to the heavens just to not fail my finals.” Jiang Jun shook his shoulders vigorously. “Can you stop faking it, I beg of you? You were directly recruited into the Z01 system, and you get to interact with Chief Ling from a literal hair’s breadth away… Let me ask you! Is Chief Ling exceptionally handsome in person? Like, way better than the posters?”

Luo Yang pointed to the virtual banner above their heads. “Yeah, we custom-ordered this banner specifically for you. Looks great, right? We follow the Z01 behind-the-scenes vlogs every single day. But brother… shouldn’t you try to endure a little bit? How come you’re either getting penalized or provoking your superiors in every single clip?”

Jiang Tianji jolted, snapping his head up. “How do you guys know about that?”

Liang Shaoqun pulled out his device and opened the Z01-A1 Daily Highlights vlog he had been following. “You’re practically viral lately! The professor even played this clip during class. Now, the moment you step out of the dorms, you can hear people talking about your name. The three of us feel incredibly proud, you know!”

Jiang Tianji looked down. The video playing on the screen was precisely the footage from his first day, where he had arrived late and been pinned to the ground by Ling Kongmiao for a “massage.” The dense, overwhelming swarm of bullet comments flashing across the screen made it slightly hard for him to breathe. He didn’t dare read the text, slamming the device shut with a swift motion.

Beside him, his three roommates continued to chatter excitedly.

“Why’d you shut it? You haven’t answered our questions yet! Is Chief Ling exceptionally handsome in real life?”

“Yeah, give us the details! Are Chief Ling’s hands big? Are they warm?”

“You must have been ecstatic during this scene, right? You were literally grabbing Chief Ling’s thigh—how did it feel?”

Jiang Tianji: “…”