Chapter 73
Number Two…
Thinking about the footage of that pitifully cowardly “big cat,” Su Ci couldn’t help but feel an itch in his hands.
He extended his spiritual sense to scan Number Two’s room and saw the fiery tiger sprawled out on the floor, fast asleep. Then, he reached out to rub Fang Ze’s head.
“Don’t worry, he’s fine.”
Although the caretaker seemed the same as always, Lang Ze felt a subtle shift in his feelings after the events of last night.
For example, when Su Ci ruffled his hair, he no longer felt even the slightest bit of resistance. Instead, his large tail behind him wagged uncontrollably.
Lu Jiao watched this with a tinge of envy.
He wanted his head patted too, but he was too shy to say it out loud. He also couldn’t be as casual as Lang Ze. After witnessing the caretaker’s formidable strength, he found it hard to maintain the same level of closeness with Su Ci.
After all, the caretaker was so strong…
Faced with such a powerful figure, Lu Jiao couldn’t help but feel awe, even though the caretaker remained as warm and kind as before.
Does the caretaker also have a beast bloodline? During his transformation, his eyes were a pale gold… What kind of animal could that be?
Lu Jiao pondered silently.
Su Ci withdrew his hand and glanced at Number Five, who stood hesitantly in place, afraid to approach. Then, he turned his gaze toward Number Six, who was lingering near the toy area.
The little monkey visibly flinched when Su Ci looked his way. He quickly turned around and pretended to be engrossed in choosing toys.
Even Zheng Xing, when Su Ci’s gaze swept over him, instinctively shrank back like a startled kitten. His small hands clenched tightly around the bamboo flute.
However, unlike Number Six, Zheng Xing didn’t try to hide.
Su Ci observed the cubs, aware of their fear, but chose not to comfort them. Instead, he turned to Lang Ze and Lu Jiao and said, “I have things to take care of. I’ll teach you the flute this afternoon. Make sure to practice in the meantime.”
With that, he called out a greeting to 4586 and left to handle his business.
Fang Ze stared after him, his mouth slightly open, but in the end, he didn’t voice any complaints.
Well… teaching them in the afternoon would be just as good. They could practice on their own for now. With his ears drooping slightly, the boy consoled himself with this thought.
At that moment, he felt someone tugging on his clothes from behind.
Lang Ze turned around and saw Number Five standing behind him, clutching the hem of his shirt with her small hands.
Her eyes were still a little red and swollen from all the crying over the past few days. She tilted her head up, looking at him timidly, her actions and demeanor carrying a faint sense of reliance.
With her brother absent, the only ones in the rearing facility who treated her well were the nanny robot and Number Eight. Over the past two days, Fang Ze had seemed more reliable to her, and she couldn’t help but start to see him as a stand-in for her brother.
The thick-headed Fang Ze, however, didn’t notice this shift. He bent slightly and asked, “Number Five, what’s wrong? Do you need something?”
“Brother is in danger…” Number Five said softly. “Let’s go save him… okay?”
Fang Ze froze. “Number Four is in danger? What happened? Isn’t he in the medical office?”
Number Five shook her head. She didn’t know what had happened to her brother. She didn’t even know where he had been taken or what his current condition was.
Seeing Number Five stammer and unable to provide any useful information, Fang Ze scratched his head and asked, “So, what do you want to do?”
Number Five reached out and pointed toward the door.
Fang Ze followed Number Five’s pointing finger and saw only the caretaker’s figure slowly entering the elevator. He lowered his head to look at her and asked, “Do you want to tell the caretaker and ask him to help us?”
Number Five nodded.
“Then why didn’t you say anything when he was just here?” Lang Ze asked curiously.
Number Five dropped her head, her voice small as she murmured, “I was scared…”
Not to mention the incident where she had fallen out with the caretaker, even last night, she had brought the “monster” upon them. Just now, while protecting 4583, she had also used her ability on the caretaker…
She still remembered how he had warned her on the day of their fallout.
The little girl’s lips quivered, and tears started welling up in her eyes again, making her look especially pitiful.
Seeing her about to cry again, Lang Ze felt like his head was going to split in two. He quickly said, “Okay, okay, I’m here, so there’s nothing to be afraid of. If you keep crying like this, you’re going to go blind!”
The dark circles under her eyes were already very noticeable. He genuinely worried that if Number Five kept crying, she might end up like Zheng Xing, whose eyes had mysteriously lost their vision.
He still didn’t know how Zheng Xing’s eyesight had failed or whether it could ever be healed…
Number Five sniffled, trying hard to hold back her tears.
Lang Ze scratched his head and said, “If Number Four is really in danger, we can’t wait any longer. We need to tell Su Su right away.”
Even though the caretaker was supposed to teach them the flute in the afternoon, Lang Ze felt that saving someone was more urgent. If they delayed, it might be too late.
At that moment, Lu Jiao finally spoke up.
“Do you think the caretaker is so strong that he already knows what we’re talking about?” he reasoned.
However, Fang Ze shook his head and replied decisively, “The caretaker is only super strong when he’s woken up, right? Look at his eyes—they’re black.”
Just like when they entered a berserk state, they became much stronger than usual. Now that he wasn’t in that state, his strength wouldn’t be the same.
Lu Jiao furrowed his brows. He felt like something about that explanation wasn’t right, but he couldn’t help but be convinced.
“Also…” Fang Ze continued, “even if Su Su really does know, he’d probably want us to offer something in exchange before helping us.”
Lu Jiao blinked, recalling how Lang Ze had suddenly pulled the caretaker out of his room. After they returned, the caretaker had agreed to teach him the flute…
He turned to Lang Ze and asked softly, “So, what did you offer to get Su Su to teach me the flute?”
Fang Ze: “…”
He thought back to the “traumatic” experience of having his tail petted by the caretaker.
“No way!” The young boy averted his eyes and firmly denied it. “Why would I let Su Su touch my tail? Su Su agreed to teach you the flute because… because he thinks you can learn it, that’s why! That’s all there is to it!”
Lu Jiao: “…”
Number Five: “…”
Seeing Fang Ze still trying to convince them, Lu Jiao nodded in reluctant agreement, all while sighing internally. Lang Ze was far too easy to get information from…
No, it wasn’t even interrogation—he spilled everything before it even started.
Of course, Lu Jiao didn’t think he was stupid anymore. Instead, he felt lucky to have such a friend.
“So, how do we save Number Four now?” he asked considerately, shifting the topic on his own.
Fang Ze breathed a small sigh of relief. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed 4586 facing them and immediately shut his mouth. He tugged Lu Jiao and Number Five into a corner, near Zheng Xing.
Sensing more unfamiliar presences approaching, Zheng Xing stiffened. After a moment of internal struggle, he decided to stay put. When Fang Ze casually plopped down beside him, he quietly relaxed.
Meanwhile, Fang Ze had already begun whispering his plan. “To save Number Four, we still need Su Su. Only Su Su can help us.”
Number Five looked at him. Although she also felt they should ask the caretaker for help, she couldn’t help but notice how completely different Fang Ze’s trust in Su Su was from her own doubts.
Could the caretaker… really be trusted?
“Even though Su Su went out, he told Xiao Luo Tuo to wait for him in the lobby earlier, so he should still be in the nursery facility. If we go to him right away, there’s still time!”
At that moment, Fang Ze revealed a rare flash of strategic thinking.
“You’re right,” Lu Jiao agreed. “Su Su walks slowly, so he probably hasn’t reached the lobby yet. If we want to catch him, we need to act quickly.”
He offered a plan. “I can distract 4586 while you two run downstairs.”
The activity room was only on the second floor, so running down the stairs wouldn’t take much longer than the elevator.
“But leaving the activity room without permission might make Su Su upset…” Lu Jiao said hesitantly.
Fang Ze shook his head. “He won’t.”
He couldn’t explain why, but his instincts as a beast told him the caretaker wouldn’t get angry over something like this.
“Okay then.”
Since Fang Ze said so, Lu Jiao was willing to believe him. “Let’s not waste time. I’ll distract 4586, and you two sneak out.”
“Got it!” Fang Ze responded eagerly.
Lu Jiao glanced at 4586 in the distance and took a step toward it. But after just two steps, Number Five grabbed his sleeve.
She looked up at him. Since Number Seven was willing to help her rescue her brother, how could she not do something in return?
In a small voice, she said, “About last night… I’m sorry… I… I’ll make it up to you…”
She wanted to promise to compensate him in the future, but before she could finish, she noticed that the usually cold and guarded expression on Number Seven’s face had softened slightly.
“Mm, I get it,” he replied quietly.
The silver-haired boy said, “I’m going now. The rest can wait until we’ve saved Number Four.”
Then, he gently pulled Number Five’s hand away and trotted toward 4586. Number Five stared blankly at his retreating figure, confused. She didn’t understand why Number Seven would help her.
If someone had nearly caused her to be eaten by a monster, she wouldn’t have forgiven them so easily, let alone gone out of her way to help them…
“Number Five, stop spacing out. We need to hurry,” Lang Ze reminded her.
He didn’t know about the grudges between Number Five and Number Seven. Seeing how they had just spoken to each other, he felt genuinely pleased. After all, this meant Number Seven could smoothly integrate into their group in the future!
Lu Jiao was clever. With just a few words, he managed to lead 4586 over to the toy area.
Seizing the opportunity, Lang Ze casually took Number Five toward the door. When the timing was right, they both slipped out of the activity room unnoticed.
4586 didn’t catch their small act, but Number Six, who had been watching from the side, raised a finger to point at them. Just as he was about to loudly expose their escape, he suddenly remembered something and lowered his voice instead.
“Number Five and Number Eight left!” he informed the nanny robot.
4586 immediately stopped its interaction with Lu Jiao and prepared to investigate. However, at that moment, Zheng Xing, who had quietly put down his bamboo flute, picked up his metal sphere instead.
A faint blue light glowed beneath his small hand.
The previously brisk-moving 4586 froze mid-step. Then, as if nothing had happened, it turned back to continue chatting with the somewhat bewildered Lu Jiao.
Number Six was equally confused. He furiously shouted, “Aren’t you going to chase after Number Five and Number Eight?”
“Number Five and Number Eight are in the room,” 4586 responded flatly.
“…”
Number Six began to suspect the nanny robot had malfunctioned. After a moment of thought, he rushed toward the activity room door. However, 4586 promptly intercepted him.
“Number Six, it’s activity time. Please stay in the activity room and play.”
Number Six was indignant and on the verge of exploding, but the terrifying image of last night’s figure flashed through his mind again…
His anger boiled over, but deep down, he felt a chilling fear.
Unable to vent his frustration, he felt unbearably stifled. In the end, he could only throw out a petulant retort. “Fine! I’m done caring about you all!”
Then, he stomped back to a corner and sulked.
Lu Jiao breathed a sigh of relief and cast a grateful glance toward Zheng Xing in the distance, offering a faint smile.
*
Su Ci arrived at the nursery facility’s front lobby and reunited with Luo Shengfei.
“Caretaker Su, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave now,” Luo Shengfei said.
Just moments earlier, Captain Yan had sent him a message requesting his presence at the operations department. The captain had already learned about the temporary suspension and subsequent clearance of Luo Shengfei’s name and wanted to meet him to discuss the details.
Luo Shengfei wasn’t worried—he knew the truth would prevail. Even the central AI had determined him innocent, so there was no reason to panic.
However, Su Ci didn’t let him go. “I need something from you. You can’t leave yet.”
Luo Shengfei was about to ask more questions when he noticed three cans of beef suddenly appear in Su Ci’s hands—the payment they had previously agreed upon.
His words immediately died in his throat, along with a surge of saliva he gulped down hard.
When Su Ci didn’t immediately hand over the cans and instead began walking toward the back of the rearing facility building, Luo Shengfei could only follow, his eyes fixed on the tantalizing cans of beef in the caretaker’s hands.
Eventually, they reached the rear of the building.
A-Yan had been waiting there for Su Ci. Upon seeing him return, he was initially delighted but quickly fell silent upon noticing Luo Shengfei trailing behind him.
He carefully followed alongside Su Ci without making a sound.
Su Ci had once again used an illusion to conceal the small patch of land he’d worked on, as well as the remains of the giant spider. To Luo Shengfei, the courtyard of the nursery facility looked as barren as ever.
“Caretaker Su, why did you bring me here?” Luo Shengfei asked.
Su Ci pointed at the metallic floor beneath their feet and said, “Do you have a way to cut through this metal?”
Luo Shengfei glanced at the metallic ground, then back at Su Ci, uncertain. “You want to cut through this metal? Why?”
“I need to open up a patch of land to plant something,” Su Ci replied calmly.
Hearing this, Luo Shengfei immediately shook his head. “That’s not possible. The metal flooring isn’t just for aesthetics; it’s primarily for defending against monsters that might infiltrate the base from underground and for isolating contaminants.”
He added, “The soil itself is also filled with contaminants. Outside of the cultivation zones, no one’s ever successfully grown anything on Prison Star. You might as well give up!”
Luo Shengfei thought Su Ci was being absurd, but Su Ci didn’t waste time arguing. He said plainly, “I’ve already submitted an application to the AI and received approval.”
“That… that’s impossible!” Luo Shengfei exclaimed, stunned. “How could the AI approve something like that?”
Exactly. How could the AI possibly approve such an application? If a display screen were present, it would probably flash six dots in disbelief once again.
But Su Ci remained unperturbed and said confidently, “It’s been approved. If you don’t believe me, you can ask.”
Reluctantly, Luo Shengfei called upon the base’s AI to verify. The response he received was:
[Trainee Caretaker Su Ci’s application has been approved. Sergeant Luo Shengfei, please cooperate with Trainee Caretaker Su Ci in opening a patch of land behind the rearing facility.]
Luo Shengfei could hardly believe his eyes, but the directive was clear and came directly from the base’s AI. He had no choice but to comply.
“Alright then…” he said with a nod.
Under Su Ci’s direction, Luo Shengfei retrieved a small capsule from his toolbox and placed it on the ground some distance away. After pressing the activation switch, the capsule disappeared, transforming into a compact machine.
He operated the machine skillfully, cutting through and collecting the thick metal flooring, gradually exposing the soil beneath.
Eventually, almost the entire courtyard behind the rearing facility building was cleared and opened up.
Standing on the freshly exposed soil, Su Ci felt an unusual sense of satisfaction.
Unlike the first patch of land he had cultivated, this newly opened soil contained no pollutants—or more accurately, the resentment that had once tainted the ground had been purified or expelled.
In his mind, Su Ci recalled the image of dozens of spirit forms bowing to him in gratitude.
This had happened last night, after he purified the black shadow. These spirits, which had been trapped within the shadow and unable to disperse, were finally freed.
The black shadow wasn’t any specific creature. Though Su Ci didn’t remember much from the night, just from reviewing the footage, he could deduce that it was a conglomeration of countless vengeful spirits.
The remaining spirits were likely the souls of lives it had consumed. Despite being eroded by long-standing resentment, these souls had resisted assimilation, suggesting that they possessed some unique characteristics or traits that protected them from complete corruption.
When Su Ci performed the purification technique, eradicating the shadow’s resentment entirely, the vengeful spirits dissolved. Meanwhile, the precious surviving souls were rescued.
After enduring untold years of torment, these souls were finally able to rest. They expressed their gratitude to Su Ci, and then their spiritual energy shattered into light particles that merged into the soil of the nursery facility’s land, returning to the embrace of the earth.
The resentment that had once corrupted the land was also purified and expelled by the energy of these precious souls.
Still, while the resentment was gone, the soil was left infertile and would require time to recover its vitality.
Regardless, this was a promising start and gave Su Ci valuable insight into how to restore the land’s life force.
Luo Shengfei, who didn’t understand farming, couldn’t tell what was different about the newly opened land. To him, it looked the same as before.
After storing the machine carefully back into his toolbox, he glanced at Su Ci, hesitating to speak. But when Su Ci tossed him the three cans of beef, his face immediately lit up with joy.
“Heh, thanks! I’ll get 4583’s modifications done and bring it back to you soon!”
With that, Luo Shengfei hurriedly left the rearing facility, not daring to linger any longer. Even though the AI had approved this endeavor, he still thought opening such a large plot of land in the base was unwise.
The moment extreme weather hit, this patch of land was bound to encounter problems!
He couldn’t understand why the base’s AI had approved the request. Concerned for safety, he gave Su Ci a few reminders before making a hasty exit.
Su Ci, of course, didn’t stop him. He stood before the land, now at least twenty times larger than the first patch he had cleared, and began contemplating his next planting plan.
Should he divide the land into zones? Or should he scatter the spiritual seeds across a single area?
As he pondered, a light screen suddenly appeared in front of him.
[Trainee Caretaker Su Ci, monitoring shows that Number Five and Number Eight have left the activity room without permission. Should we notify the operations team to dispatch personnel for assistance?]
Su Ci glanced at the notification briefly before withdrawing his gaze. Lazily, he replied, “No need. Let the two little ones come to me.”
Clearly, as Lu Jiao had speculated, Su Ci was aware of their conversation all along.
He added, “From now on, as long as I’m in the nursery facility, they can go wherever they want during the day. No need to stop them.”
The strict control over the cubs’ outdoor activity times was meant to reduce accidental injuries caused by their berserk states. However, for Su Ci, this wasn’t a major concern.
If he were in the same position as the cubs—only allowed outside at specific times and constantly under surveillance—he figured his own temperament wouldn’t stay very agreeable either.
[Understood, acknowledged.]
The light screen was about to disappear when Su Ci added, “Are you carrying out what I instructed earlier?”
[In progress.]
Su Ci nodded in satisfaction. At the same time, he finalized a preliminary plan for planting. Turning to A-Yan, who was holding three cans of spiritual water and quietly awaiting instructions, Su Ci spoke.
“A-Yan, go ahead and plant these seeds.”
A-Yan tilted his head in confusion, the black and red in his eyes reflecting his uncertainty.
How should I plant them?
In response, the young man smiled gently and said, “However you’d like. Do it your way.”
A-Yan was instantly captivated by Su Ci’s smile. It took him a moment to snap out of his daze before he nodded vigorously. “Okay!”
Then, clutching the cans of spiritual water, the boy dashed over to the plot of land where the spiritual sprouts were growing. He placed the cans to the side, pulled a small trowel out of his spatial button, and began digging.
Su Ci watched the child’s busy figure with great satisfaction. It was at this moment that Fang Ze finally emerged from the nursery facility, carrying Number Five on his back.
Hearing the commotion behind the building, he circled around while still carrying Number Five. When they arrived and saw the exposed patch of soil, they froze in shock.
However, Fang Ze quickly remembered the urgent matter at hand. Setting Number Five down, he dashed toward Su Ci in a hurry.
Before the two could say a word, Su Ci looked at them and preemptively said, “I already know about Number Four. Follow me.”
Hearing how straightforward the caretaker was, Fang Ze, who had been gearing up to negotiate terms, was completely stunned.
This time… this time I don’t have to let him touch my tail?!
