Volume 3: Deep Blue Sea
Shu Xun was contemplating the promotional image of “Deep Blue Sea” when, at some point, Ye Jian walked up behind him. Looking at the information on the screen, Ye Jian said, “In the past thirty years, over a hundred warships, spacecraft, and transporters have gone missing while passing through the Water-Blue Starfield. It was only recently that the Alliance pinpointed the location of the disappearance to be on one of the planets, the same planet where ‘Deep Blue Sea’ is set to be developed. The rotation and revolution speed of this planet follow the Universal Calendar, which means a twenty-four-hour day and a twelve-month year. Ninety percent of its surface is covered by seawater, hence the name Deep Blue Sea. It seems the promotional image for the game hasn’t been fully displayed yet, and the announcement was made earlier than scheduled. Looks like something unexpected happened.”
Shu Xun lifted his little head to look at Ye Jian, knowing that this information should be internal military news not yet disclosed to the public. “Is it okay for you to tell me?”
Ye Jian patted Shu Xun’s small head. “It’s okay; this information will be gradually disclosed. I don’t have any special privileges; I just happened to know some information earlier than others.”
Shu Xun immediately understood. Although the military might have its channels to obtain information in advance, the game developers would also maintain the balance of the game. In the end, the amount of information available to ordinary players entering the game would be roughly the same as that obtained by the military. As for the changes mentioned by Ye Jian, Shu Xun was somewhat curious.
Soon enough, Shu Xun learned about the changes Ye Jian mentioned. On this evening, as Shu Xun sat on the sofa, eating grapes and watching cartoons on the light screen, he was completely immersed in the world of anime. Yes, even now, there are still entertainment programs in animated form, and the visuals are exquisite, and distinct from real-life scenes. Shu Xun found it particularly enjoyable.
Holding a grape, eyes glued to the screen, fully absorbed in the world of 2D animation, Shu Xun was oblivious to the sudden appearance of a figure outside the window. It wasn’t until a knocking sound reached his ears that Shu Xun turned his head with a somewhat blank expression, only to see a familiar face. It was Bai Ya, the same person Shu Xun had encountered in “Winter’s End”, a member of the human military professional team.
Bai Ya practically pressed his whole face against the glass, staring at Shu Xun on the sofa, who was holding a grape and munching away. The posture seemed like he wanted to break the glass and jump in directly.
Shu Xun, with a face that said he saw nothing, turned his small head back, continuing to nibble on grapes, concentrating on the screen.
Outside the window, Bai Ya: “…”
In the study, where Ye Jian seemed emotionless while handling official matters through the light screen, he observed the scene outside the window and couldn’t help but smile inwardly. After waiting for a moment, Ye Jian generously opened the access, and Bai Ya, who was initially lackluster, instantly became spirited. He immediately headed towards Shu Xun, who was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons. As he caught sight of Ye Jian near the study door, Bai Ya abruptly stopped, seemingly frozen in place. “Boss, I just wanted to sit for a bit.”
Ye Jian spoke in a cold tone, “Sit.”
Bai Ya immediately sat upright on the sofa as if receiving an order. Shu Xun silently nibbled on his grapes, feeling like he had just witnessed a remarkably obedient large dog, finding it oddly amusing.
“What’s the matter?” Ye Jian continued with his indifferent inquiry.
Bai Ya, who was trying hard not to turn his neck towards Shu Xun, immediately regained focus. “According to the latest information, the official beta testing for ‘Deep Blue Sea’ has been advanced. It was decided by StarPlay Entertainment an hour ago, and they’ve also modified the entry conditions. It’s expected that the initial entry requirements will be stricter than those of ‘Winter’s End’, and the specific reasons are unclear.”
After finishing, Bai Ya endured for a while but eventually couldn’t hold back. He extended his hand towards the small person on the sofa. “Hello, my name is Bai Ya; we’ve met before.”
Shu Xun looked at the offered hand, put down the grape he was munching, and shook Bai Ya’s index finger up and down with his two claws. “I’m Shu Xun; I remember you.”
Bai Ya instantly looked delighted and then turned to Ye Jian, blurting out, “Boss, how did you manage this? Is he a robot? Otherwise, why would he be here? It’s amazing; he remembers me, he can shake hands, and he even eats grapes…”
Shu Xun: “…” He released Bai Ya’s hand, puffed his bun-like face, and asked with a certain affirmative expression, “You’re definitely not a robot, right?”
In an excited state, Bai Ya nodded immediately. “Yes, yes, yes! How did you know?”
Shu Xun spread his two chubby palms, expressing helplessness. “Because you’re too stupid; your intelligence is obviously subpar.”
Bai Ya: ??? He felt like he was being looked down upon by a robot. “Boss, this is amazing; he’s actually mocking me! And I can’t think of a way to counter it. Boss, what should I do?”
Ye Jian: “…”
Shu Xun: “…”
“Anything else?” Ye Jian continued his indifferent questioning.
Bai Ya, “No, nothing else.”
“Oh.” Ye Jian indicated his understanding and then approached with large strides. Shortly after, Bai Ya was grabbed by the collar, dragged out of the room, and then stuffed into a spacecraft. Ye Jian even thoughtfully set a travel route for Bai Ya and initiated the launch.
Having sent Bai Ya off in a “friendly” manner, Ye Jian returned to the room to prepare dinner. Shu Xun also turned off the light brain and ran to the kitchen to help.
After Bai Ya, who had left in a daze, came to his senses, he found himself already halfway across the city. He instantly regretted not asking the most important question: Where could he buy this type of dumpling robot?
As night fell, blackness intensified with time. In the deep night, in the bedroom, both Ye Jian and Shu Xun had already sunk into a deep sleep. However, the pitch-black room suddenly lit up with a faint azure glow, emanating from both individuals.
The azure glow continued to intensify, and eventually, a lifelike ice-blue butterfly pattern gradually emerged on Ye Jian’s forehead and the corner of his right eye. The butterfly seemed to be spreading its wings, presenting a translucent ice-blue color that looked exceptionally beautiful and dreamlike in the dark night.
On the side of Ye Jian’s pillow, Shu Xun underwent the same transformation. Due to his smaller size, the radiance was weaker, and the outlined blue butterfly wasn’t on his face but rather in the middle of his back. However, the outlined area was much larger than Ye Jian’s, almost spreading across the entire back.
The two individuals in their sleep seemed completely unaware, sleeping even more soundly than usual. The blue glow persisted for a full two hours. Suddenly, the outlined blue butterfly patterns on their bodies moved, detached from their forms, and truly transformed into blue butterflies. One landed at the corner of Ye Jian’s eye, gently fluttering its wings, while Shu Xun’s landed on his back, fully spreading its wings, nearly as large as Shu Xun himself.
The two ice-blue butterflies rested quietly for a moment before spreading their wings and flying. In the bedroom, they gracefully danced as if exploring an unknown world, filled with curiosity about everything. After circling the bedroom for a few rounds, the blue butterflies quietly tested their flight out of the bedroom, heading towards the broader living room. The ice-blue glow traversed the bedroom and flew into the living room, like newborn children, full of a desire to explore the outside world.
The next morning, the ice-blue butterflies, active throughout the night, finally chose their respective places to rest, seemingly ready to take a break. The room cleaner was still operating, and the quietly settled butterflies were once again awakened, hovering around the cleaner for a moment before departing once more.
Quickly, one butterfly, after dancing briefly in the living room, headed towards the kitchen and landed on the handle of a pot. Flapping its wings open and closed, its speed gradually slowed, as if falling asleep. The other butterfly, visibly more lively, circled the house a couple of times before settling in the bathroom, landing on the wide-mouthed cup Shu Xun used for bathing.
In the bedroom, the two individuals who had slept through the night finally stirred. Ye Jian furrowed his brows slightly, seemingly puzzled by the uninterrupted and restful sleep from the night before. Shu Xun, on the other hand, was oblivious, yawning lazily, wishing a good morning, neatly folding the small blanket, and following Ye Jian’s steps out of the bedroom.
Ye Jian turned around to look at the little figure following him, feeling a soft and light mood, putting aside any trace of the unusual from last night. Just as he thought he might have had an illusion, Ye Jian immediately noticed the semi-transparent ice-blue color resting on the handle of the frying pan. His steps halted for a moment.
Following closely behind, Shu Xun, still yawning, accidentally bumped into Ye Jian’s foot. Rubbing his eyes anxiously, Shu Xun went around Ye Jian and continued heading towards the bathroom.
As Ye Jian observed the drowsy little figure walking towards the bathroom, he glanced at the kitchen and finally walked towards it. Standing next to the frying pan, Ye Jian finally confirmed that the butterfly perched on the handle was the blue butterfly from “Winter’s End”. Its size appeared slightly larger, and when its wings unfolded, they were slightly larger than an adult’s fist.
Ye Jian refrained from making any rash movements. He couldn’t fathom why the blue butterfly appeared in his home. Strangely, he felt a subtle sense of familiarity or connection with the butterfly resting on the handle. This feeling was delicate, almost intangible, suggesting the existence of some link, yet both were independent entities. Contemplating whether to find a container to capture the butterfly, a tender and youthful voice suddenly echoed from the direction of the bathroom.
Ye Jian immediately rushed into the bathroom at lightning speed, and the butterfly perched on the handle seemed to be awakened as well. It spread its wings, leaving a blue arc in the air, closely following Ye Jian into the bathroom. In the blink of an eye, Ye Jian was already in the bathroom and saw another identical blue butterfly calmly resting on Shu Xun’s head. Shu Xun, who seemed a bit disoriented, hadn’t noticed the blue butterfly earlier. Completely unaware of what was on his head, he was running around the edge of the washbasin in fear. Seeing Ye Jian’s tall figure, he froze on the washbasin, softly saying with a nervous tone, “There’s a bug! There’s a bug! Feels so big! On my head! Feels like its feet are grabbing me.”
The blue butterfly seemed to find the situation amusing. Even its antennae curled up excitedly. After Shu Xun stopped, it even brushed its antennae against Shu Xun’s little chubby face. Shu Xun immediately screamed again and started running on the washbasin.
Ye Jian: “…”
Author’s note:
What exactly is the former third? Why do so many people recommend reading it to Lao Xuan? But it sounds like a tragedy; Lao Xuan is afraid of crying like a dog. Uh, although not crying is also a single dog, for the sake of Lao Xuan’s eyes, let it be. What if Lao Xuan cries and goes blind?
Also, is the daily routine enough? Can we start a new plotline? Lao Xuan is ready with his brain.
