Qie Xieling’s grip on the gun loosened as confusion mingled with disbelief across his features. He hesitated for a moment, his mind awash with conflicting emotions. He glanced at the steaming cup of medicine with suspicion in his eyes and the man’s voice sounded above him. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"If you don’t take it you will lose your arm," he said and with a gulp, Qie Xieling set the gun aside, his hand trembling slightly as he accepted the cup of medicine.

The man watched him closely, his keen gaze recognising the turmoil that engulfed Qie Xieling’s soul. "Everyone knows about you and fears you but... you aren’t anything I expected," he murmured, his voice softened. "I thought you would be more psychotic and crazy like you are on the broadcasts."

Qie Xieling’s eyes flickered his guard intensifying. He was the most vulnerable now and all he had was his character’s memories. Tentatively, he brought the cup to his lips, the warm liquid sliding down his throat as he called out in his mind, ’Leong Jinn.’

Leong Jinn didn’t respond. That’s because he was fast asleep in his bed after struggling to find a solution to reprogram Prodigy to remove censorship guidelines but he had failed. It was times like these that he wished he could call his mentor and ask him for help but wouldn’t it be shooting himself in the foot if he asked Wen Qinxi?

This meant that Qie Xieling got no answer. Even if he had answered Qie Xieling would have been met with mockery from him. He knew he had to figure things out himself. He blew on the medicine and took a sip. His expression contorted and he felt like vomiting. It tasted like poison.

The man walked over and tilted the cup for him forcing him to swallow it down in one go. Qie Xieling was forced to drink it all. He coughed vehemently while the man took the cup away. His face turned red the veins on his neck throbbing. The good thing though was that his arm was even less painful.

"It’s better when you drink it in one go. The torture lasts a short time," he said before walking away.

"Rest here for now and when you are completely healed you can leave. I can’t afford to feed an extra mouth," he said before sitting down on the workbench.

The medicine slowly took effect and Qie Xieling lay there looking at the roof that was barely holding up. The man sat silently at his workbench tinkering with a tiny chip, his concentration unwavering. His tools were scattered haphazardly across the workbench with an occasional soft wisp of smoke rising from the laser welding pen.

Qie Xieling shifted and lay on his side watching him. His hair was dishevelled and his eyes filled with curiosity as he lay there. His gaze followed the man’s hands as they moved with precision and expertise. Despite the man’s earlier indifference, Qie Xieling couldn’t help but feel a great sense of familiarity. "What is your name?" he asked, his voice sluggish.

After a long while the man paused, setting down his tools, and finally acknowledged Qie Xieling’s presence. His face bore the marks of hardship and a past that was etched in lines of experience. He met Qie Xieling’s gaze briefly before returning his attention to the chip beneath the magnifying glass.

"Does it matter?" His voice carried a hint of detachment as if he had grown tired of his intrusion.

Qie Xieling watched him intently, his eyes tracing the man’s weathered hands as they expertly manipulated the delicate object. He could sense the guardedness, the layers of untold stories hidden beneath the surface. Despite this, he felt a stirring of something deeper within him, an unspoken understanding that they were both harbouring secrets.

Undeterred, he continued to ask again determined to uncover what lay behind the man’s stoic exterior. "Why did you save me?" he questioned, his voice filled with genuine curiosity. Based on the memories he retained in this world it didn’t seem like a place where people helped each other out of kindness.

Everyone seemed to want something or they would ignore you dying in the street. As a child, this character had to fight dogs in the trash shoot just to get some food so he wanted to know why.

The man’s hands paused mid-motion, his attention momentarily shifting towards him. The room was filled with a heavy silence, broken only by the faint hum of machinery and the distant echoes of the city outside.

"Nothing is for free," the man finally responded, his voice laced with a gruffness that hinted at a lifetime of scepticism towards the concept of kindness. "I saved you because your escape pod had various treasures so don’t mistake my actions for charity."

Qie Xieling recalled the box he picked up in the spacecraft before it exploded and touched his chest searching for it. The man raised his head and glanced at him at the corner of his eye watching him searching for something.

Qie Xieling sighed in relief when he found it. At least it was still there. He just felt like whatever was inside of it was very important especially after he got some of his memories back.

Qie Xieling stared at the man for a moment, a mixture of gratitude and wariness flickering in his eyes. He knew for now that he was safe but he also had a gnawing feeling that there was more to this enigmatic figure.

As the man returned his focus to his work, Qie Xieling settled back into the bed, his mind swirling with pleasant memories of him with Luo Muchen. Subconsciously a smile crept up his face. He was so caught up in his memories that he didn’t notice the sinister look in the man’s eyes as he looked at the smile gracing his lips. It seemed the spacecraft wasn’t the only reason why this weathered man had saved him.

Qie Xieling soon fell asleep again and while he was peacefully snoring a shadow towered over him. The sun in the red sky had already sunk but the city was still boisterous and lively.