Chapter 86
After Number Four asked his question, he immediately noticed Number Five’s body stiffen slightly.
“Nothing… nothing at all.”
The little girl’s eyes darted as she continued shoveling food into her mouth. After taking a bite of the meat jelly, she scooped up another spoonful and extended it toward Number Four.
“Brother, you eat too!”
She brought the spoon close to his lips, her mouth slightly open as if demonstrating, her soft voice saying, “I… I think Brother looks thinner.”
Number Four raised an eyebrow. He could tell she was trying to change the subject, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse her feeding him.
So, he opened his mouth and accepted the spoonful of meat jelly. Just as he swallowed, she scooped up another spoonful and held it to his lips.
He paused but still opened his mouth and ate it.
When she started preparing a third spoonful, he stopped her, saying, “That’s enough. Focus on eating your food first. I’ll finish braiding your hair while you eat.”
“Okay!”
Relieved that her brother hadn’t pressed her further, Number Five let out a soft sigh and gave him a sweet smile before turning her attention back to her small spoon, diligently eating her meal.
Number Four took the comb and began to carefully untangle her hair.
Number Five’s hair was thick and curly, making it particularly troublesome to manage. But she loved looking pretty and always insisted he braid her hair. At first, he had no idea how to do it, and it wasn’t until he asked Sister Xun from the action team that he learned how.
Now, he knew exactly how to comb her hair without hurting her while undoing all the tangles.
Braiding his sister’s hair had become a part of Number Four’s daily routine. While doing this, he always found a sense of calm. No matter how agitated or upset he felt, the act of braiding her hair seemed to smooth out his emotions, as if he were untangling his own thoughts.
Finally, Number Four skillfully tied her messy hair into a neat and beautiful fishtail braid. Satisfied, he nodded.
But as another thought crossed his mind, he patted her on the head and said, “You’ll need to start learning how to comb your hair on your own, alright?”
“Why?”
“In case I’m not here…”
He couldn’t finish the sentence, because he noticed her eyes—already puffy from crying—starting to turn red again.
“I don’t want to learn. I don’t want Brother to leave me…”
She threw herself into his arms, her small voice filled with sobs that made Number Four’s heart ache.
In just a few days, it seemed Number Five had grown up a lot. His recent absence had clearly frightened her deeply.
“Alright, alright, don’t cry. Brother is back now, and I won’t leave again.”
He hugged her tightly, speaking in a low, comforting tone, “Look, you’re getting dark circles under your eyes from all the crying. If you keep crying, you won’t look pretty anymore.”
Number Five pouted but couldn’t stop her tears from falling.
After a while, she finally stopped crying and sniffled as she said, “Brother, you eat. I… I’m going to wash my face.”
With that, she climbed down from her chair and trotted off to the bathroom on her short legs.
Number Four watched her retreating figure. Though he felt worried, he didn’t follow her. This incident made him realize something—someday, he and his sister might be forced to part ways for various reasons.
He couldn’t always do everything for her. She needed to learn how to take care of herself and stand on her own so that if they were ever separated, she could protect herself and survive until they could reunite.
The thought of helping his sister become more independent weighed heavily on him. It was going to be hard for both of them—he was so used to taking care of her.
But it had to be done, even if only little by little…
Thinking about this, Number Four opened his own breakfast and focused on eating.
He used to think there was nothing good about the orphanage and always dreamed of taking his sister and leaving this wretched place. However, it wasn’t until yesterday—when he carried his sister back to this small room—that he realized something.
This room gave him an indescribable sense of security, almost as if… it were a home for him and his sister.
Or perhaps, for the two of them who had nowhere else to go, this place that had sheltered them as they grew up really was their home.
But how long could they continue living here?
Once they reached adulthood, they would no longer be considered juveniles and would likely have to leave. And whether he would even survive to adulthood was still an unknown…
Thinking about his recent frenzy state, Number Four tightened his grip slightly on the spoon in his hand.
The caregiver had successfully brought him back this time, but what about the next time? The fact that they had taken him away showed that there was something in him they wanted.
Would they just give up if they didn’t succeed this time?
Number Four pursed his lips, his heart filled with uncertainty and unease about the future. But…
When he thought about Number Five—about the sister who still needed his protection—he steeled himself. No matter what, he needed to get his strength back. If they had to escape someday, he needed the energy to do so.
Number Four pushed aside his troubling thoughts and continued eating with determination.
Before long, Number Five came running out of the bathroom. She didn’t make any noise but instead quietly pulled a chair to sit beside her brother, obediently staying by his side, her gaze fixed on him.
It seemed like only by keeping her eyes on him could she confirm that her brother was truly back and that this wasn’t just a dream.
Number Four occasionally scooped up some of the meat jelly and fed it to her.
After the two of them finished their breakfast, Number Four tidied up the room a bit. Seeing this, Number Five tried to mimic him by organizing her own belongings.
While Number Five was sorting through her small cabinet, she heard her brother say, “That new caregiver…”
She paused and happened to spot the red hair clip she had just put back into the cabinet. After thinking for a moment, the little girl took the clip out again and stuffed it into her pocket.
She looked up at her brother and heard him say, “I think he… might be a bit different.”
At least, when Number Four was taken to the research lab—whether confronting Dr. Ren or being locked up alone—he never expected the caregiver to come and rescue him.
And he had even brought along Number Five and Number Eight…
Number Five was understandable; his little sister rarely experienced berserk episodes—that much Number Four knew very well. But Number Eight? Wasn’t the caregiver worried that Number Eight might suddenly lose control and go berserk outside?
Was it ignorance? Or perhaps… a sense of invincibility?
Number Four recalled the feeling that the young man had given him, only to find himself puzzled.
This new caregiver Su felt completely different from the previous ones.
His laid-back, casual demeanor was unlike anything Four had ever encountered—not from any other caregiver at the orphanage, nor from the other adults at the base.
“Yesterday, you and Number Eight…” Number Four started to say but was interrupted by Number Five.
“Number Eight has a new name now. He’s called Lang Ze.”
Number Four was stunned. “Lang Ze?”
“Mm!” Number Five nodded and said with a hint of envy, “Isn’t it a nice name? It was given to him by the new caregiver. He also gave new names to Number Three and Number Seven.”
“Oh? What are their names?” Four asked, curious.
“Number Three is Xing Xing, and Number Seven is Youyou.”
Number Five hadn’t remembered their full names, but she did remember their nicknames very clearly. After all, the little wolf cub kept repeating them, and they were easy to remember.
“Xing Xing… Youyou…”
Number Four nodded, a mix of emotions stirring within him.
He knew that Number Four and Number Five weren’t really their names. They were just numbers, like the designations given to caretaker robots. As for the names they had before coming to the orphanage…
Number Four could no longer recall them.
He had been just over three years old when he was brought to the orphanage. Still, occasionally, a blurry image would flash through his mind—
A green, grassy field, where his younger self ran around. In the distance, there were figures of a man and a woman, smiling and calling out to him.
What they were calling… was likely his name. But the exact sound of it had long since escaped his memory.
As for who they were…
Number Four was almost certain that man and woman were his and his sister’s parents. Even if they weren’t, they must have been blood relatives. It was a natural intuition—something innate that couldn’t be erased, even if the memories were blurred.
But… what did it matter?
They hadn’t appeared in his life since the time he could remember. From the moment they abandoned him and his sister, they were no longer part of his world. Four thought this coldly.
Although the orphanage had many shortcomings, there was at least one thing they did well: they never let the children know that they were, in fact, the offspring of criminals.
The young ones were also unaware that the planet they lived on was actually a prison planet used to incarcerate criminals. They had no idea that in the future, they would need to pass rigorous evaluations to earn the right to leave.
Thus, Number Four always believed that he and his sister had been abandoned, harboring deep resentment toward their parents.
“Brother?”
Number Five’s soft call brought Number Four back to reality.
He looked down to see her concerned gaze. Reaching out, he gently patted her head and shook his head, signaling that he was fine.
Reassured, Number Five continued the conversation from earlier.
Having been at the orphanage since infancy, Number Five’s understanding of the world was quite different from the others. To her, “Number Five” was her actual name.
Similarly, she regarded the caretaker robots as peers, having been cared for by no one but her brother and the robots. This explained her deep attachment to 4583 and 4586.
This might also be why her emotional state had always been relatively stable—she adapted to her environment more readily than the other young ones.
“Do you want a new name?” Number Four asked.
Number Five thought for a moment and said, “That depends on whether the new name sounds nice.”
Number Four couldn’t help but smile. He reached out to ruffle her hair, prompting her to grumble in mild annoyance, “You’re messing up my hair…”
Although she grumbled, she didn’t shy away and instead allowed her brother to stroke her head. As long as he stayed by her side, he could pat her head as much as he wanted.
Number Four only ruffled her hair lightly before remembering the real question he wanted to ask.
“So, how did you and Lang Ze end up coming to get me?”
“The caregiver said we could come along,” Number Five replied matter-of-factly.
That was, indeed, what had happened.
“That’s really all there was to it?” Number Four asked, finding it hard to believe. “Before you left the facility, he didn’t do anything to you?”
Like injecting them with some experimental drug to suppress berserk states, perhaps?
Number Five shook her head. “Nope. We just went to him and asked him to save you, and then the caregiver said we could come along.”
She recalled, “Then… then we left the nursery, got on a hover car, went to the research institute place, and… after waiting a while, you came out.”
Number Four remained skeptical. Was Number Five too young to articulate things clearly, or… were things really that simple?
“You didn’t run into any trouble along the way?”
Number Five shook her head again.
This seemed far too smooth… Number Four thought. Then he realized something else was off.
“How did you know something happened to me?” he asked. “And how did you know to ask the caregiver for help?”
The little girl, who had been forthcoming until now, suddenly looked evasive. She stammered, “W-well… you were gone for so many days… Of course… of course something happened…”
“That’s true,” Number Four thought, but judging from the little girl’s expression, he could tell that she was hiding something about this matter.
Knowing her stubborn personality, Number Four decided not to press her further. Instead, he nodded and said, “Alright, you were very smart. Thank you for coming to save me.”
He gently patted her head and added, “I made you worry. That’s my fault.”
Number Five, who had been feeling guilty for keeping her connection to the creature a secret from her brother, felt her eyes redden again when she heard his words.
“It’s those bad people who are at fault! Brother did nothing wrong!”
Hearing her fierce defense of him, Number Four’s heart softened. But when he noticed that she was about to cry again, he quickly changed the subject. “Do you want to stay in the room, or go out and play?”
Since it wasn’t yet designated activity time, they were still allowed to go to the activity room. He wondered if the new caregiver might be there.
Without hesitation, Number Five replied, “I want to go to the activity room! Lang Ze said he would teach me how to play the flute.”
Playing the flute?
What was that?
Number Four was baffled. How had so much happened in just the few days he was away? Playing the flute… Was that another change brought about by the new caregiver?
He nodded and glanced at the closed door before saying, “Call the base AI.”
“Hello, how can I assist you?” A holographic screen appeared before him, accompanied by the AI’s mechanical voice.
Number Four had secretly learned how to summon the base AI from the adults. Although the AI responded to his call, his permissions as a young resident were quite limited, so most of his requests couldn’t be fulfilled.
Still…
“Can you call over 4586?” Four asked.
Summoning a caregiver robot or caregiver was one of the basic requests the AI could accommodate.
However, this time, the AI didn’t immediately agree. Instead, it asked, “May I know what task you require the assistance of 4586 for?”
“I want to go to the activity room,” Number Four replied honestly. “It’s still activity time, and according to the rules, Number Five and I are allowed to go to the activity room.”
But as soon as he finished speaking, both he and Number Five stared in shock as their tightly closed door suddenly—
Opened automatically.
The base AI’s explanation followed promptly.
“According to the latest regulations for the orphanage, from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, young residents are allowed free movement within the facility, provided they do not disturb others or damage property. Supervision is no longer required for such activities.”
“You may proceed to the activity room independently. Calling 4586 is not necessary. Please take note.”
Number Four & Number Five: “…”
Although the AI had given its explanation, Number Four couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right as he stared at the open door.
He told Number Five to stay in the room, then cautiously approached the doorway, peering outside to make sure there was nothing unusual. Only when he was certain did he step out.
Standing at the threshold, Number Four waited for a while and, when nothing happened, began to wonder if the AI’s words were true.
He turned back to look at Number Five, who had run up to him, and asked, “Did you know about this new rule?”
Number Five shook her head. This was news to her too!
Number Four furrowed his brows and thought for a moment before speaking. “Base AI, when was this new rule implemented?”
Text appeared on the holographic screen, and simultaneously, the AI replied, “Yesterday.”
“Why was this new rule put in place?” Number Four asked, puzzled.
While he longed for more freedom, he also understood why the adults restricted their movements—they all carried bloodline powers that could erupt at any moment, endangering themselves and others.
For example, the recent conflict between him and Number Two started because he suddenly breathed fire, nearly harming his sister. If not for 4583’s protection, his sister might have been burned.
Unfortunately, 4583—the caretaker robot Number Five held dear—was destroyed in the process.
Despite Number Four’s efforts to stay calm, the anger, guilt, and fear overwhelmed him, triggering his emotional breakdown. He immediately went berserk and fought with Number Two…
Berserk states were beyond their control. To ensure everyone’s safety, restricting their movement made sense.
But now, with this new rule in place… Number Four couldn’t understand. Was the base no longer concerned about the damage they might cause during a berserk episode?
“Insufficient permissions to access this information.”
The AI didn’t provide an answer to his question.
Number Four clenched his fists, frustrated. Beside him, Number Five tugged at his sleeve and looked up at him. “Brother, are we still going to the activity room?”
After hesitating for a few seconds, Number Four nodded. “Let’s go.”
Though uneasy, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Number Five alone in the room. With their newfound freedom to come and go, who could guarantee that she wouldn’t wander out on her own?
Until Number Five had enough ability to protect herself, Number Four would never allow her to venture out alone.
He took her hand, and together they walked toward the elevator.
At first, he moved cautiously—being unsupervised by adults or robots was such a foreign feeling. But soon, he adjusted and found the freedom oddly pleasant.
For some reason, Number Four suddenly remembered how the caretaker let Lang Ze go to the activity room alone yesterday.
Was the caretaker acting in accordance with the new rule, or… did the new rule somehow originate with this new caretaker?
With that question lingering in his mind, Number Four and Number Five arrived on the second floor. As they stepped out of the elevator and headed toward the activity room, they saw a figure strolling lazily out of it.
“It’s the caretaker!” Number Five exclaimed.
“Yeah…”
Number Four kept walking until he reached Su Ci and blocked his path.
Su Ci glanced at the two children, quickly assessing their physical and mental states. He nodded slightly as a greeting and was about to leave.
However, just as he took a step forward, the two kids moved to block his path again.
Su Ci stopped and asked, “What is it?”
Number Four stared at him and said earnestly, “Thank you for rescuing me from that place.”
“You already thanked me yesterday,” Su Ci replied, shrugging lightly. He didn’t think much of it; for him, it was merely a small effort.
Number Four opened his mouth, hesitating. There were so many questions swirling in his mind, but now, standing before the caretaker, he found himself unable to voice them.
After all, even if he asked, there was no guarantee he’d get an answer. The base’s AI often withheld information from him, and he doubted this caretaker would be any different.
Instead, he decided to observe and draw conclusions on his own.
While Number Four hesitated, Number Five’s eyes darted thoughtfully, as though scheming something. She broke the silence by asking, “Where are you going?”
“To check the grounds outside,” Su Ci replied.
“Can… can I come with you?” Number Five asked, clearly wanting to say more but holding back for some reason.
Su Ci didn’t mind an extra pair of shadows tagging along. He nodded and continued walking toward the elevator.
Seeing this, Number Five quickly grabbed her brother’s hand and followed Su Ci closely. Number Four, who also wanted to keep an eye on the caretaker, agreed silently. Together, the siblings trailed after Su Ci into the elevator.
Though the base’s AI had announced their newfound freedom to move about the facility, stepping outside the nursery building and seeing the bright, open sky still stunned Number Four. He paused, momentarily overwhelmed by the sight.
Number Five, having ventured outside the day before, didn’t react as strongly. When she saw Su Ci heading toward the back of the building, she hurried to catch up. She glanced over her shoulder at her brother, who had slowed his steps, and turned to Su Ci, lowering her voice to say something.
But before she could speak, her gaze fell on the scene ahead—and she froze.
What lay before her was breathtaking.
The once-barren, dull brown patch of earth behind the building was now a vibrant green oasis. A small section of land had come to life, lush with vegetation that seemed to pulse with vitality.
“Grow! Together! Grow, grow, grow!”
“Grow! Together! Grow, grow, grow!”
The tiny spiritual sapling swayed its leaves energetically. Even its usually lazy companion had been roused, its tiny leaves trembling softly as they joined in.
The two plants absorbed nutrients from the soil while releasing a gentle, life-filled aura into the surroundings.
Encircling the saplings, the once small star-chain fruit seedlings had grown rapidly since the morning. Their vines, now sprouting vibrant green tendrils, extended outward, interweaving into a connected patch of greenery.
Number Five stared in awe at the flourishing plants, her young heart overwhelmed with wonder. The lush greenery radiated vitality, a beauty so profound it left her speechless.
She couldn’t help but murmur, “Are these plants? Will they… will they bloom?”
The caretaker’s gentle voice responded, its warmth as soothing as the sunlight.
“Of course.”
These two simple words gave rise to infinite expectations in her heart!
