Chapter 15: Resolve

As soon as he stepped into the shop, a pungent smell of alcohol rushed into Li Chenqiu’s nose. He looked toward the source and saw an old man, perhaps in his fifties or sixties, with flushed cheeks, slumped on the floor.

The old man’s face was somewhat bloated and sagging; he wore an apron stained with grease, and his black-and-white hair added a sense of weariness to his appearance. Countless empty liquor bottles were scattered around him. Li Qingxia was crouching on the floor, cleaning them up.

Hearing the commotion at the door, he didn't even look up and said, "The boss got drunk with a friend. Help him up to the second floor; I can handle the cleaning here by myself."

"Understood."

Li Chenqiu didn't say anything more. He walked over to Li Ji, helped him up, and guided him unsteadily toward the second floor, quickly getting him back to his bed.

Housing prices in City 11 were exorbitant. To save money, Li Ji had installed a partition in the four-meter-high kitchen; the top two meters served as their living quarters, while the bottom two meters remained the kitchen. The cramped space could only fit one bed. The three of them slept on it every night—it wasn't exactly crowded, but it was stifling. When summer arrived, the place turned into a steamer, at which point Li Ji would lay out a large straw mat in the restaurant downstairs and sleep blissfully under the fan.

As soon as he touched the bed, Li Ji’s eyelashes flickered, and he opened his eyes groggily. "Eh... oh, isn't this... the 'no-plan-needed' powerhouse brother... how come you're back so soon, hehehe..."

"Boss, you're drunk. Go to sleep!" As Li Chenqiu lifted the quilt to cover him, Li Ji pushed his hand away, mumbling hazily, "I'm not drunk! Don't talk nonsense!"

"Fine, you're not drunk!" Li Chenqiu replied. He turned off the light and was about to head downstairs when Li Ji grabbed him. Li Chenqiu tried to pull away, but the old man seemed to have summoned all his courage, gripping his sleeve tightly and refusing to let go.

After a few seconds of deadlock, Li Ji’s voice sounded in the darkness, carrying a timid tone.

"I'm sorry."

Li Chenqiu’s figure froze in the dark. He turned his head and asked, "Why the sudden apology?"

"I just wanted to say... did you succeed in your revenge?"

"Those people were weak. I killed them quickly. The score is settled," Li Chenqiu said calmly.

"Hehehe, then you can relax a bit more from now on. Chenqiu, crouch down." Li Ji reached out with his rough hand. Li Chenqiu didn't resist and obediently crouched down beside him.

"Since you've had your revenge, stop doing dangerous things from now on. Can we three just live a good life together, okay?" Li Ji asked softly.

"Live a good life?" Li Chenqiu shook his head. "Can we really keep living a good life?"

"Aren't we living well right now? I can cook and earn money. I can buy meat for you and blood for Xiao Xia. We are happy every day."

"What if the blood supply gets cut off? What if the Federation suddenly develops an instrument capable of detecting Resurgents? What if one day we are suspected by the Bureau of Special Abilities? At that point, they will kill us. It’s not about good or evil. Just like when I was on the bridge—I hadn't done anything wrong, but the name 'Resurgent' is a death sentence in itself."

Li Chenqiu clenched his fists, dark undercurrents swirling in his eyes as he continued:

"Peace is just a beautiful dream woven by the night sky; we will eventually wake up."

The flush on Li Ji’s face faded slightly, and he said forlornly, "We will be killed in the end, so why not live well before we die?"

"We don't have to die, as long as I am strong enough."

Li Ji looked at him. "Even if you are strong, can you be stronger than the Federation?"

"What if I am? Even if I die on this path, I will have no regrets." Li Chenqiu stood up. "My mother already died because of my incompetence. I don't want to repeat the same mistakes. As long as I can become stronger, nothing else matters."

With that, Li Chenqiu turned and walked downstairs. No one knew that the strongest taboo in the history of the Federation was quietly hatching...

...

The morning sun rose, its glow colliding with and replacing the deep blue night sky. Li Chenqiu sat in front of the shop wrapped in a thin blanket, the damp morning breeze ruffling his bangs. The transition between night and dawn was beautiful; even exhaustion and cold couldn't divert Li Chenqiu’s gaze.

*Clatter!*

The shop door behind him opened, and a bleary-eyed Li Qingxia walked out. He rubbed his messy hair, looked down at Li Chenqiu, and asked, "Why are you up before dawn?"

"The sky is so beautiful today. If I miss it, I won't see it again." Li Chenqiu patted the step beside him. "Come, watch it with me."

Li Qingxia glanced at him and sat down beside him. After a long silence, he said, "Did the boss say something harsh yesterday? That's just how he is; don't take it to heart."

"I didn't take it to heart. Second brother, can you do me a favor?" Li Chenqiu suddenly grabbed Li Qingxia’s hand.

"What favor?" Li Qingxia asked, feeling uneasy. "Let me state this first: if it costs money, I'm not doing it!"

"No money. I'm a bit short on cash lately. Can you help me find a day-labor job on North Yellow Mountain? For April 16th."

"Just that?"

"Just that."

Li Qingxia smiled confidently and made an "OK" gesture. "I'll take care of it today."

"Right, once it's light out, I have to go to the Bureau of Special Abilities to register. Remember to tell the boss about what happened last night—the fact that I've become a Destiny-Wielder."

At these words, Li Qingxia sprang to his feet. "Why don't you go tell him yourself?"

"I have things to do. Besides, whenever you caused trouble in the past, wasn't it me who negotiated with the boss?" Li Chenqiu replied as if it were only natural.

Li Qingxia pointed at Li Chenqiu and scolded, "Are your troubles the same size as my troubles?"

"If you want to talk about that, then I have to set the record straight." Li Chenqiu stood up. "If you had seen clearly last night, would I have had to run to the fifth floor?"

"I was just—"

"Don't give me 'just.' Tell me, who made the fatal mistake!" Li Chenqiu cut him off directly.

"Fine, fine, fine. I'll tell him. An older brother should be tolerant of his younger brother's willfulness. I’ll take the loss." With that, Li Qingxia stomped into the shop, seething with indignation.

...

After watching the sunrise, Li Chenqiu made a simple breakfast for both of them. Because he had forgotten to charge his phone the night before, he had to jog to the Bureau of Special Abilities. It was only forty-some kilometers; stopping and starting, it wouldn't take long.

While he was running, his phone rang.

"His eldest uncle, his second uncle, they're all his uncles, high... *beep!*"

Li Chenqiu answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Li Chenqiu?" A familiar voice came from the other end.

"It is."

"Hello, hello! We met last night. I'm Zhu Cheng, the one you had pinned under you."

"Oh~, Uncle Zhu. Are you calling to pick me up?"

"Yes, it's an order from above," Zhu Cheng said excitedly.

"No need, I'll go there myself. When I arrive, I'll take a photo and send it to you. You don't have to trouble yourself with the trip."

"Huh?" Zhu Cheng paused. "This... this registration process is very complicated. You can't do it alone!"

"I really don't need to. I'm not a child who needs supervision," Li Chenqiu replied with a smile, declining again.

A long silence fell on the other end of the line. A moment later, Zhu Cheng’s voice returned.

"Actually... actually, little brother, I just want to follow you into the Bureau of Special Abilities to take a look. We in the Public Security Bureau aren't usually allowed in, and today just happens to be the Bureau's 'Ability Testing Day.' Your uncle here doesn't want to miss it—help me out, won't you!"