290: Silence is Cambridge tonight.

After the brief introductions, the atmosphere inexplicably froze for a few seconds. Wei Ziqing was not good at small talk to begin with, Rabbit King stood quietly to the side, Wang Yu looked left and right, and Lu Jianchuan didn't seem to be in a hurry to start a new topic either.

"I'm training here." Wei Ziqing felt he had to say something, stating an obvious fact dryly.

"Ah... right." Wang Yu quickly responded, followed by another short silence.

Lu Jianchuan stood with his arms crossed, looking towards the equipment area in the distance, while Rabbit King tilted its head slightly, seemingly observing the structure of the ceiling vents. A subtle, "what do we talk about" awkwardness permeated the air.

"Oh, right," Wang Yu suddenly recalled something, breaking the silence as he turned to Lu Jianchuan and Wei Ziqing. "Didn't you go out with Golden Bone Commander? I just saw him and a team set off, and it was quite an operation."

"Golden Bone Commander?" Wei Ziqing was surprised. "Where did he go?"

"To execute a mission, I guess. The direction looked like it was heading out of the city," Wang Yu scratched his hair. "He brought a lot of people, so I thought you two might be with them."

Wei Ziqing shook his head. "No, he didn't tell us."

Lu Jianchuan also nodded, confirming, "We definitely didn't receive any notification."

"I see..." Wang Yu understood. "Then maybe it was his personal mission, or... the confidentiality level was too high, and they didn't need us?"

Wei Ziqing thought about it. "Perhaps. Maybe it's a different special assignment, or something he needs to handle personally."

Lu Jianchuan's expression was calm as he interjected, "That's likely the case. In any event, since he didn't call on us, he must have his reasons and plans." He paused, his tone carrying his usual composure. "We need to trust our comrades and trust the Commander's judgment. When we need to know, we will naturally be informed."

"Hmm, that makes sense." Wang Yu nodded, then quickly perked up, suggesting, "Well... we don't have anything going on right now anyway, how about we go out and wander around? I heard a pretty good dessert station just opened on the commercial street outside the base."

Hearing this, Lu Jianchuan showed a slight, almost imperceptible, weary smile. "I won't join you. These past few days... I feel like something is slightly off with my body. I can't pinpoint exactly where, but I feel heavy and uncomfortable." He pressed below his left ribcage. "I was just planning to go to the Medical Department for a detailed check; the report should be coming out soon. You two go ahead."

Rabbit King spoke up then. "I will stay behind and accompany Lu Jianchuan in the base." Its voice was steady, devoid of emotion.

"Alright then," Wang Yu was a little disappointed, but quickly looked at Wei Ziqing. "Then, Brother Wei, how about the two of us go? We can get to know each other better. My treat!"

Wei Ziqing looked at Lu Jianchuan's slightly tired expression, then at the enthusiastic Wang Yu. Since his own training was also finished, getting some fresh air and getting to know this new teammate seemed like a good idea. He nodded. "Sure, let's go."

After bidding farewell to Lu Jianchuan and Rabbit King, the two of them left the training area together.

The two arrived at a newly opened dessert station on the commercial street near the base. The shop was bright, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of cream and baking. As soon as Wang Yu saw the dazzling array of displays at the counter, his eyes lit up, and he rattled off a list from the menu: "This Chocolate Lava Cake, this Double Cheese, this Mango Mille-feuille, and this Strawberry Cream Puff... Oh, and two specialty Milk Teas, full sugar and iced!"

Wei Ziqing looked at the small tray rapidly filling up in front of him, slightly stunned. "You ordered this much?"

"I can't help it," Wang Yu took the first packaged cake, smiled sheepishly, and whispered, "My ability consumes a lot of energy. Splitting off a 'self' to work means all that energy consumption is charged to me. So I need to replenish heavily normally. The high-energy nutrient fluid provided by the base is enough..."

He made a slightly distorted grimace. "But that stuff, you know, the mint flavor is overpowering. Drinking one occasionally is fine for a boost, but drinking it like water? Who can stand that? It's these solid, high-calorie sweets that are the most reliable. They taste good, and they really replenish you!" As he spoke, he forked a large piece of cake into his mouth and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Wei Ziqing suddenly understood and nodded. This reminded him of the intense hunger he felt after using the power of the Hero Shadow, only the manifestation and method of replenishment were different.

"Oh, so many," Wei Ziqing looked at the pile of desserts and asked again, "Are you eating all of this yourself?"

"Hmm... mostly, yes," Wang Yu swallowed the cake and pointed to one of the exquisitely packaged Chocolate Lava Cakes. "I'm saving this one to take back to Little Pink. Hey, you know Little Pink, right?

It's the little guy that Lawyer Shen and Sister Cynthia brought back from outside—the Axolotl that evolved. It's pink and super cute!" His tone was cheerful,

"I run into him often at the base now, so we're acquainted. He seems to like sweets too, so I'm bringing him a cake."

Wei Ziqing thought back and confirmed he had heard of it. "I know. There is such a... special evolved individual in the base. But Lawyer Shen and Cynthia handled that matter at the time; I wasn't involved, so I don't know him personally, just heard about him."

"I see," Wang Yu nodded, then enthusiastically asked, "Brother Wei, which one do you want? Don't be shy, it's my treat!"

Wei Ziqing didn't refuse much either. He looked at the menu and ordered a relatively simple Black Forest Cake and a cup of clear tea. The two found a seat by the window.

The sunlight outside the window shone through the glass, casting warm spots on the table. The conversation between the two gradually moved from slightly reserved politeness into more personal territories.

Wei Ziqing scooped up a spoonful of Black Forest Cake and mentioned his past in a calm tone. "When I was young, my legs weren't good. For a while, I could barely move without a wheelchair." He didn't elaborate on the details, just briefly touched upon it. "Later, through medicinal baths and Master... my adoptive father, who is also my Master, he guided me through training bit by bit until I became who I am today."

Wang Yu listened, swallowed the cheesecake in his mouth, his eyes growing a bit more serious, and nodded. "Brother Wei, you really went through a lot." He paused, seeming to recall something himself. His tone was light but carried an imperceptible hint of gravity. "My body was even worse before; I had cancer. When the pain became unbearable, I thought I was truly finished." He pointed to himself. "Then, the First Evolution happened. It was like... achieving some kind of 'coexistence' with those bad things, I guess. My life was saved, but I also got a troublesome 'gift'."

He didn't specify what that 'gift' was, but Wei Ziqing noticed that as Wang Yu spoke, his left hand subconsciously pressed lightly on the inner side of his right wrist—under the cuff, he seemed to be wearing an inconspicuous object similar to a sports wrist guard, but of a more special material. Wei Ziqing recalled the scattered rumors about Wang Yu's ability and vaguely understood that it might be a device used to suppress certain unstable factors.

"Then later, because of some things..." Wang Yu shrugged, skipping the most painful part, and his tone became cheerier. "The Second Evolution happened, and I became like this, able to conjure a few 'selves' to help out."

The two exchanged glances, both grasping something similar in the other's brief description—an experience of breaking free from extreme hardship or pain and reshaping oneself. Without needing further words, a subtle rapport, based on mutual understanding, quietly formed in the silence.

"So, eat more; replenishing energy is crucial." Wang Yu smiled and forked up another large piece of cake, trying to use food to dispel the slight gravity the topic had brought.

Wei Ziqing also slightly raised the corner of his mouth, nodded, and continued to enjoy his cake.

Just then, the conversation from a nearby table of young people grew a little louder and drifted over intermittently. They were four young men who looked to be in their early twenties, possibly local university students, gathered together, excitedly discussing something with half-drunk beverages and phones on the table.

"...It's absolutely true! My cousin's neighbor's colleague used to live near that area back then and saw it with their own eyes!" A bespectacled boy lowered his voice, yet couldn't hide his excitement.

"Are there really Dinosaur Persons? Or Lizardmen? That's too ridiculous, isn't it?" Another boy wearing a sweatshirt expressed doubt.

"It's not ridiculous! They said it happened over ten years ago, at that family's house, surname... what was the surname again? Anyway, the woman in that family gave birth to a freak—half-human, half-lizard—it scared the doctor delivering the baby unconscious!" The third boy embellished the story.

"What happened next? What became of that family?"

"What else could happen? The child was definitely taken away, and the family members subsequently ran into trouble. Before long, that house was vacant. I heard there are always strange noises late at night, and weird shadows on the windows..." The bespectacled boy's voice dropped lower, carrying the specific dramatic flair of a ghost story teller. "Now that place, in the City's Western Suburbs, is the famous 'Lizardman Haunted House'! It's really spooky!"

"I've decided! Our last adventure before graduation will be going there!" The boy in the sweatshirt slapped the table, looking somewhat excited. "Let's get some gear, go explore this weekend night, shoot some Materials—it'll be thrilling for sure!"

"Right, right! A coming-of-age ceremony needs something different!" The others chimed in agreement, starting to discuss the flashlights, cameras, and even some small "exorcising" items they needed to prepare.