Silent Ark

Chapter 53: An Unexpected Visitor

Zhou Yi, chewing on shredded potatoes beside him, mumbled a comment:

"Moreover, the price of building materials outside the Third Ring Road did not increase last year."

I started as a university internship and worked in building materials wholesale for eight years; I know that number better than anyone.

The real estate market had already been declining since the 1920s, with most of the construction being done on early, unfinished projects.

If no one builds new housing developments, the price of building materials won't rise.

The fact that building material prices haven't risen indicates that nobody is actually developing anything.

He swallowed the shredded potatoes.

"If it can't be sold, then what you're buying isn't a house, it's bricks."

The table fell silent.

Zhang Yuan looked at Zhou Yi, then at Wang Xindong, then at Sun Yifei.

Although he didn't quite understand the relationship between the ultra-high voltage power transmission corridor and building material prices, he understood the last sentence—

"You didn't buy a house, you bought bricks."

This statement is more intuitive than Yao Chong's "critical point burst".

Because Yao Chong was referring to "things that might happen in the future".

Zhou Yi meant, "That's how it is now."

Sun Yifei's finger paused on the table for a moment.

Then he stood up.

He picked up the coat from the back of the chair.

The movements are very slow.

It's as if she's giving herself enough time to maintain her expression.

"I have to go now, I have a meeting tomorrow."

He picked up his phone and scanned the QR code on the corner of the table.

"I've paid the bill."

Zhang Yuan: "No need—"

"How much is appropriate?"

Zhou Chang's hand was already on the back of the chair.

He glanced at Sun Yifei.

Sun Yifei didn't look at him.

Zhou Chang loosened her grip.

Sun Yifei put on his coat and buttoned it up.

When he reached the door, his back was to everyone.

My shoulders felt heavy.

It's very light.

Then he straightened up.

"Yao Chong".

"Um."

"That tipping point you mentioned—if it really erupts."

Let me know when the time comes.

Why?

"Because I can still cut my losses."

He paused for a moment.

"Thanks, Brother Chong."

The door closed.

A cold wind blew in, then dissipated.

Zhou Chang sat up straight again.

He picked up the cup and took a sip.

They didn't say anything.

Zhou Yi glanced at him and pushed the last unopened bottle of soda on the table in front of him.

He didn't say anything.

Li Meng looked down at her phone.

In the group photo she just took, Yao Chong is sitting on the far left, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, with a very indifferent expression.

Next to him is Liu Pan, and next to him is Fu Tianhao.

She zoomed in on the photo and looked at it for a long time.

Then she locked her screen.

Zhao Yutong picked up a piece of fish and chewed it slowly.

"Some people aren't sore losers, they're just too familiar with the way they lose."

She swallowed the fish.

"Losing to the same person every time is more painful than losing money."

Zhang Yuan was stunned for a moment.

"Dr. Zhao, what you're saying goes deeper than anything I could teach in physics class."

Zhao Yutong rolled her eyes.

"Eat your fish."

Zhou Yi laughed loudly beside him.

"Dr. Zhao is right, come on, let's drink!"

He held up the bottle.

"Come back for Chong-ge!"

Liu Pan held up the bottle.

Wang Xindong raised his glass.

Fu Tianhao raised his glass.

Zhang Yuan held up the bottle.

Zhao Yutong hesitated for a moment, then raised her glass as well.

Zhou Chang raised her glass.

Li Meng raised her glass.

I touched it.

The sound of glass and aluminum cans colliding was particularly crisp under the gray-white light.

Yao Chong held up his cup, looking at the group of people opposite him.

Zhou Yi is smiling.

Liu Pan rolled his eyes.

Wang Xindong is adjusting his glasses.

Fu Tianhao is taking a picture of the grilled fish on the table with his phone.

Zhang Yuan was recounting embarrassing stories from his high school days.

Zhao Yutong is eating fish.

Zhou Chang is listening.

Li Meng is smiling.

Outside the grey sky, the massive form of the sovereign entity moved slowly above the clouds.

But it's hot inside.

The garlic-roasted fish is served hot.

The soft drink is iced.

The laughter was loud.

He took a sip.

Sweet.

7:40.

The door was pushed open again.

Shen Qingci walked in.

They weren't wearing the Ninth Division uniform.

A thin black jacket, a dark gray sweater, and dark cargo pants.

Her hair was tied into a ponytail.

Her temperament was completely different from Zhao Yutong's—Zhao Yutong had the exhaustion of "just off the operating table," while Shen Qingci had the clarity of "being ready to draw a gun at any time."

She glanced at the people at the table.

More than she expected.

She showed no surprise.

"Sit down." Zhang Yuan patted the chair next to him.

Shen Qingci sat down.

"Sorry I'm late."

"It's alright, it's alright." Zhang Yuan poured her a glass of water.

Shen Qingci picked up the glass and took a sip.

She didn't look at Yao Chong.

Yao Chong didn't even look at her.

The cup in front of him was empty.

She pushed the kettle next to him.

He didn't say anything.

It's like a very old, unexplained habit.

Zhao Yutong saw it.

Zhou Yi saw it too.

He didn't say anything.

But his smile faded a little.

It's not that I didn't laugh.

It's a different kind of laughter—from "laughter" to laughter that shows "something has been understood."

Fu Tianhao looked down at his phone.

Wang Xindong pushed up his glasses.

Liu Pan continued eating the fish.

After a while, Shen Qingci put down her water glass.

"It's getting late."

She stood up.

"I'm gone."

Zhang Yuan: "No need—"

She had already reached the door.

She paused for half a second as she passed Yao Chong's chair.

Her hands hung at her sides.

I was very close to the back of his chair.

He was so close that if he leaned back, his shoulder would touch her hand.

He didn't lean back.

she left.

The door closed.

A cold draft blew in through the crack in the door.

Zhao Yutong looked at the door, then at Yao Chong.

She put the last piece of fish into her own bowl.

Yao Chong was walking back to his apartment.

A gray sky.

The streetlights are already on.

The cool white color almost blends into the sky.

The sovereign entity’s enormous form moves above the clouds.

The nodes of the monitoring grid flicker occasionally, like a cluster of irregular stars.

He put his hand into his pocket.

I touched three things.

One of them is Zhao Yutong's business card.

One of them is a folded pink origami paper.

One of them was a brass key from Chen Dunli's envelope.

The streetlights shone on it.

White business card.

Pink origami.

A brass-colored key.

He put all three items back into his pocket.

There was something else in his pocket—something Zhou Yi had given him before leaving.

A business card.

The front is printed with: AAA Yida Building Materials Wholesale · Zhou Yi.

A line of text was written on the back with a ballpoint pen:

"Brother Chong, call anytime if you need anything. I'll give you the building materials at cost price."

He read it again.

Cost price.

Zhou Yi had no idea that his business card might actually be used in the near future.

The Silent Ark Project.

Space carrier.

More than just a warp drive is needed.

Materials are still needed.

Abundant, inexpensive materials that can withstand extreme physical environments.

He doesn't know what he needs right now.

But he knew that when that day came, he would need someone who could get the materials.

He put the business card back in his pocket.

I took a few steps.

He took out his phone.

I sent a message to Liu Pan:

"Go to the Ninth Department tomorrow, and bring me something."

"What?"

"Wang Xindong's business card."

"...What are you going to do?"

"Take it with you for now."

Liu Pan replied three seconds later:

"Damn, you're not going to try and recruit him, are you?"

Yao Chong did not reply.

He put his phone away.

keep going.

In the gray sky, the nodes of the monitoring grid are flashing.

He took a few steps.

One of the nodes has stopped flashing.

It's lit up.

It was steadily lit.

Like an eye that no longer blinks.

He didn't look up.

But he sensed it.

The pink origami in his pocket warmed up in his palm.