“No.” Shen Shanwu shook his head. “It’s good that you’re fine, Captain.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Huan’s expression softened even more. He affectionately ruffled Shen Shanwu’s hair, not minding that it hadn’t been washed in days. Yet, despite this, the corners of Jiang Huan’s lips never lifted into a smile.
Shen Shanwu suddenly realized that it seemed he had never seen Jiang Huan smile since their reunion in the Alliance. At first, he thought Jiang Huan was maintaining a serious demeanor to uphold his authority as captain, but now it appeared that no matter what situation or person he encountered, Jiang Huan would never show a smile. That was quite strange.
Since their meeting, Jiang Huan always seemed to carry a heavy heart. Shen Shanwu couldn’t help but wonder what had happened in the past four years that had changed him so drastically. This burden felt like a towering mountain pressing down on Jiang Huan’s heart. The child who once loved to laugh had transformed into a serious young man who rarely smiled.
The little incident during the night hadn’t caused much of a stir in the Shanhai Battle Unit. Aside from Xu Honglin being forced to stay in the second vehicle and hold it in, as if nothing had happened at all, everything seemed to carry on as usual.
Another day passed, and the scenery outside the car window gradually transformed into a familiar yet strange sight for Shen Shanwu. Zhang Xiaowen excitedly teased him, “Xiao Jiang Tong~ We’ll arrive at the coastal base before dinner today! Are you happy?”
“Ha—ppy—” Shen Shanwu drawled out the word in a dismissive tone, not even lifting his head as he flipped through the “Journey to the West” comic that Jiang Huan had specifically found for him. This made Yao Wuque laugh while wincing in pain from his injury, prompting Xiaowen to pout in dissatisfaction and say, “Jiang Tong, you’re really becoming less and less adorable.”
“Hmm?” Upon hearing this, Shen Shanwu immediately turned around, kneeling on his seat, and asked Jiang Huan, who was resting with his eyes closed in the back row, “Captain, am I cute?”
“…” Jiang Huan remained in his relaxed position, turning away from Shen Shanwu, too lazy to answer such a meaningless question. Meanwhile, Yao Wuque found the situation even more amusing, laughing heartily and teasing, “Oh no, little tattletale! No one’s here to back you up this time. What are you going to do, what are you going to do?”
Does your Brother Shanwu still need backup to mess with people? Shen Shanwu squinted slightly, pretending to be surprised as he covered his mouth with one hand. “Brother Wuque, I just remembered something. If we reach the base tonight, doesn’t that mean you’ll have to run six laps at the training ground early tomorrow morning? Do you think your body can handle it?”
Yao Wuque: “…”
Yao Wuque, on the verge of tears, replied, “I can’t handle it! Good Jiang Tong, quickly help me plead with the captain and ask him to let me rest for another two days!”
Zhang Xiaowen hurried over as well, pleading, “Little Tong Tong, I’ve been good to you these past few days, right? You should help Sister Xiaowen plead with the captain too and get rid of three laps for me. I’m just a logistics officer, delicate and weak, wuwuwu…”
In the front passenger seat, Zhong Yin struggled to maintain her composure. The veins around her temples throbbed for a long time, but in the end, she didn’t manage to say a word.
Perhaps because the destination was just around the corner, the team member driving worked hard, and instead of arriving around five as planned, the two imposing off-road vehicles received a radio call from the base at just before four, asking them to wait for entry clearance.
“Welcome back, friends from the Shanhai Battle Unit. Please exit the vehicle in order at the waiting area to undergo disinfection and security checks.”
The thick steel walls of the base opened four small gates for those coming in and out—two exits and two entrances. In between, there were clearly marked vehicle and pedestrian entry points.
After driving through the first gate, a disinfectant spray immediately descended from above and swept across the vehicle from left to right for a thorough disinfection. After waiting for 60 seconds, a neatly dressed guard mercenary opened the car door from the outside, followed by several staff members carrying various tools, ready to disinfect the interior of the vehicle.
Jiang Huan was the first to step out of the car. The fierce-looking mercenaries guarding the other vehicles seemed like tamed hunting dogs in his presence; not only did they salute him, but they also stood still to see the Shanhai Battle Unit off.
“You all head back to the team first; I’ll take Jiang Tong to register.” Jiang Huan took Shen Shanwu’s hand. This was originally something Zhang Xiaowen was supposed to handle, but Jiang Huan insisted on personally taking Jiang Tong.
As for Xu Honglin, who was not involved, she was asked to get out of the car the moment they entered the coastal base. From then on, she would go her own way, and the Shanhai Battle Unit would no longer be at her service… Of course, the final payment still needed to be settled.
Inside the base, every citizen was equipped with an ID card, allowing them to enter with a swipe and security check. New arrivals, however, had to take a different route. It was similar to the Central Alliance, with long lines forming at the four registration counters, and progress was extremely slow. Every unfamiliar person wanting to enter the coastal base would undergo a rigorous examination, covering everything from their family lineage and what they did before the supernova explosion, to how they survived after the apocalypse, all the way down to what they ate that morning, why they chose that food, and whether their bowel movements had been regular lately.
But there are always exceptions. As soon as Jiang Huan stood at the entrance of the registration office in his conspicuous white cloak, the registration officer, who had been casually snacking on sunflower seeds with his legs crossed, immediately emerged with a ‘kind and amiable’ demeanor.
“Oh, isn’t this Captain Jiang? We’ve been hearing that the Shanhai Team would be returning to the base these days, and everyone has been looking forward to it. How did the mission go?”
“Thank you for your concern.” Jiang Huan nodded slightly, pushing Shen Shanwu, who was following him, forward. “I’d like to register this child as a new citizen.”
The director was taken aback for a moment, perhaps subconsciously thinking that the child brought by Jiang Huan was his illegitimate son, but the age seemed completely off. Half a second later, he quickly plastered a smile on his face and said, “Of course, of course! Captain Jiang, please come this way.”
The perks of being part of the privileged class were evident here; they bypassed the external inspection windows, saving several hours, and went straight to the director’s comfortable office to sit down. The director even politely poured them two cups of tea before finally taking off his mask and opening the registration software.
“Register it under my name,” Jiang Huan said as he settled into the sofa. “In the children section.”
The director’s hand visibly trembled for a moment, but fortunately, being well-experienced, he suppressed the urge to scream the shocking news to the world. Of course, he also didn’t dare to spread gossip about the Shanhai Team everywhere, as he valued his life. Maintaining his smile, the director replied, “Alright, Captain Jiang, what is your son’s name?”
“…” This time, it was Jiang Huan who fell silent, leaving Shen Shanwu to look at him curiously. Jiang Huan quietly met his gaze; even without the mask, Shen Shanwu found it hard to decipher his thoughts from his indifferent expression.
Perhaps he thinks this is something I should say myself? Shen Shanwu cleared his throat and confidently declared in a way that wouldn’t embarrass Jiang Huan, “My name is Jiang Tong, with ‘Tong’ as in the tung tree.”
“Alright.” The director immediately switched to a coaxing tone, fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard. Unexpectedly, at that moment, Jiang Huan suddenly spoke up, “Shen Jiang Tong, with the surname Shen, given name Jiang Tong.”
“…” Even the director, despite his vast experience, couldn’t help but show a slightly constipated expression. A suddenly appearing child who looked at least ten years younger was being registered under Jiang Huan’s children section, yet he didn’t carry the Jiang surname but rather Shen. The name itself included “Jiang,” making it seem like a combination of the parents’ surnames with a single-character name.
Could it be that this child is the offspring of Captain Jiang’s long-time crush, a goddess with the surname Shen? But it should be Jiang Shen Tong instead of Shen Jiang Tong, right? Could it be that Captain Jiang, deeply in love, preferred to put the woman’s name first? Goodness, just one name could evoke a whole dramatic backstory of tragic romance…
The director subtly took a deep breath, drawing on years of professional experience, and flashed a standard eight-toothed smile. “Alright, Shen, Jiang, Tong.”
The silence was passed from Jiang Huan to Shen Shanwu, who half-opened his lips in disbelief, staring blankly at Jiang Huan. Shen Jiang Tong? He couldn’t help but realize that the “Shen” in the name came from himself. What did Jiang Huan mean by this? Did he think that “Jiang Tong” and “Shen Shanwu” were somehow connected? Could he have figured out his true identity? No way; that was completely beyond what a normal person could comprehend about the anomalies of a mutant. Unless he saw it with his own eyes, who could ever think that far?
Shen Shanwu’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, causing him to miss everything that followed in the conversation. When the director asked for his age, he stammered and couldn’t say anything coherent. Given his smaller body, he could only give a rough estimate but couldn’t point to a specific age. In the end, Jiang Huan made the decision for him and wrote down 11 years old.
Soon, the registration process concluded. Shen Jiang Tong’s ID card would be personally delivered to the Shanhai Battle Team’s doorstep by the registration staff in two days. This was undoubtedly a privilege of their status; for everyone else, it would take about seven days, and they would have to pick it up themselves.
The director issued a temporary identification certificate for Shen Shanwu, stamped it, and handed it to Jiang Huan. The three of them said their goodbyes, leaving the director alone in the office, questioning life as he quietly processed the overwhelming amount of information.
After a manual review, Shen Shanwu’s temporary pass was quickly cleared. The key was Jiang Huan, who stood nearby like a cold, imposing giant of ice. The inspection personnel were practically eager to open all the green lights, treating Shen Shanwu with the utmost reverence as if he were an ancestor being honored.
“Captain.” Since Shen Shanwu couldn’t make sense of it himself, he simply asked Jiang Huan directly in the car on the way back to the team, “Didn’t you name me Jiang Tong? Why has it changed to Shen Jiang Tong now? Is it related to that Shen Shanwu mentioned by Bellona’s captain earlier? Who is he, and why should I have the surname Shen?”
“…” Jiang Huan didn’t respond immediately. He lowered his gaze, unsure if he was unwilling to answer or simply formulating his response.
The vehicle gradually slowed down, and Zhang Xiaowen, standing at the entrance of the administration building, brightened up and called out to those behind her, “The captain has arrived!”
At the same time, Jiang Huan looked down at Jiang Tong and said, “I’ll explain this to you later. For now, you’re still Jiang Tong, okay?”
“…Got it.” In front of others, Shen Shanwu was always obedient, knowing well to vent behind their backs, especially since the surname Shen was likely related to him. He personally didn’t want anyone else to know.
The welcoming team for Jiang Huan’s return, besides Zhang Xiaowen, included two or three unfamiliar faces. They were clearly other team members who had come specifically to greet him. The person at the front beamed as soon as he saw Jiang Huan.
“Jiang Huan! Everything go smoothly?”
“Mm.” Jiang Huan nodded, and the newcomer patted his shoulder in a friendly manner.
Shen Shanwu stepped out of the car and looked up at the newcomer’s face, immediately recalling his identity—Lu Jingzhi, Jiang Huan’s first friend at the coastal base. He knew about Jiang Huan’s status as a mutant, and they had interacted several times. Shen Shanwu had even asked him to relay messages to Jiang Huan.
Lu Jingzhi, both puzzled and excited, asked, “I heard from Xu Ye that you decided on a whim to adopt a son while you were in the Central Alliance? Where is he? By the way, what were you thinking, suddenly…”
Lu Jingzhi’s chattering abruptly halted the moment Shen Shanwu stepped out of the car and stood still. His lips, which had been flapping, froze at half-open, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
Jiang Huan seemed to have anticipated this reaction. He waved to Jiang Tong and introduced, “This is Uncle Lu Jingzhi. He’s Jiang Tong, my adopted son.”
“…” Lu Jingzhi remained frozen, with only his eyes moving mechanically to follow Shen Shanwu’s advance. Jiang Huan sighed and asked Jiang Tong to go in with Zhang Xiaowen, while he stayed at the entrance, waiting for Lu Jingzhi to regain his composure.
After a moment, Lu Jingzhi finally regained his basic ability to speak and exclaimed a phrase that could express any human sentiment: “Fuck!”
“He, he… he looks just like him! He must be Shen… Brother Shen himself, right?” Lu Jingzhi pointed at the already departed Shen Shanwu, still in shock. He lowered his voice and added, “This has to be Brother Shen’s illegitimate son, no doubt about it, or maybe his brother. I refuse to believe there are two people in this world who look so much alike!”
“He said he’s an orphan… but whatever. I don’t think it’s important whether he’s related to Shen Shanwu or not,” Jiang Huan said. “I will take good care of him.”
“True, with such a resemblance, it doesn’t really matter if there’s any blood relation,” Lu Jingzhi raised an eyebrow. Jiang Huan had a feeling that what he was about to say wouldn’t be anything good, but he was too late to stop him. Lu Jingzhi leaned in and said ambiguously, “Having a younger one has its perks; you can play the nurturing role. By the time he grows up, you’ll only be thirty…”
Jiang Huan pressed a hand against Lu Jingzhi’s mouth, pushing him away with an icy glare. “I’ve never thought of it that way, and I absolutely won’t. Don’t ever bring this up again.”
“…” Lu Jingzhi’s mouth fell open slightly, realizing Jiang Huan was genuinely angry. He quickly lowered his gaze, feeling regretful. “I’m sorry, I misspoke… I forgot how devoted you are to Brother Shen…”
After apologizing, Lu Jingzhi still felt somewhat aggrieved. He raised his head and said, “But Jiang Huan, think it through. Brother Shen has been dead for four years; he never even knew you liked him. Why do you have to hold on to that? Even if you can’t let go of Brother Shen for the rest of your life, it’s rare to find someone who looks so much like him. Who knows, he might look even more like him when he grows up. You could at least treat him as an emotional substitute.”
“…”
“To put it bluntly, it’s like finding a stand-in. You’re raising him yourself; you can shape all his habits to your liking. If you liked Brother Shen’s type, you could raise him to be like Brother Shanwu, and he just happens to be ten years younger. Isn’t that fate?”
“Is he Shen Shanwu?” Jiang Huan asked calmly, but the more composed he seemed, the more turbulent emotions bubbled beneath the surface.
“…No.”
“Since he’s not, then it doesn’t matter how much he looks like him,” Jiang Huan said, lowering his gaze. “I’ll treat him like a brother, like a son, like a junior. I’ll treat Shen Shanwu as an older brother, as a lover, as a partner. When it comes to feelings, I’ve always been very clear about the distinction.”
“…” Lu Jingzhi obediently closed his mouth, signaling that he was persuaded, and even raised a hand to vow that he wouldn’t bring it up again. Jiang Huan was indeed more mature than him; at fifteen, while Lu Jingzhi was still foolishly bullying the daughter of Jiang Huan’s family’s housekeeper, smudging her new clothes with sweat and dirt, Jiang Huan had already recognized his true feelings and understood that his affection for the ten-years-older brother was love.
If it were just early maturity, that would be one thing, but Jiang Huan was also extremely obsessive about feelings—so obsessive that he had driven himself to illness. Before Shen Shanwu died, he was shy and unwilling to openly express his feelings, keeping his admiration deeply buried, thinking that he would confess his feelings to Shen Shanwu once he grew up and had the ability to do so.
Little did he expect that just a year later, with the formation of the Shanhai Squad, which had recruited seven or eight passionate and reckless youths, Shen Shanwu would die, and Jiang Huan would completely lose the opportunity to confess his feelings.
Because of death, because of regret, because of powerlessness,
he hated all the emotions he could have developed, he hated the affections that could be expressed in words, he hated the feelings that could be conveyed to him.
Because the deepest bond he held had barely begun to blossom before it came to an end without resolution.
Before he even realized it, it was already too late.
In his heart filled with love and youthful joy and anxiety, he realized that he had already lost the only person he could confide in forever.
The author has something to say:
35: Can you please keep your spoilers down a bit? Do you know how much effort the author has to make in order for me, a mutant, to not hear a single thing in the next chapter?
Cub Huan: …
![The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/image_2021-09-11_143139.png "The Rebirth of the Last Days and Return to [Fang] Hao")