Chapter 25: "Equivalent" Exchange, The Measure of Joy's Value

"Concussion, some bruising around the eyes. The fainting spell earlier was likely a protective mechanism of the body. Overall, it’s nothing major; two days of rest will be enough."

In the school infirmary, a doctor in a white coat pressed a stethoscope against Su Yi's chest to listen to his heartbeat. He simply prescribed some Yunnan Baiyao to help stop any lingering bleeding.

"Phew—you scared me to death! I'm so glad you're okay."

Hearing the doctor's diagnosis, Mu Xiaowei finally let out a long sigh of relief.

"Of course I'm okay. I'm tough as nails. Why do you seem more nervous than I am?" Su Yi teased, tilting his head toward the girl. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, and tear tracks still streaked her cheeks.

"I wasn't worried. I’ve known for a long time that you’re as stubborn and thick-skinned as an ox," Mu Xiaowei muttered, turning her head away.

"Ah, sure, sure."

Although Su Yi had intentionally induced his own fainting spell, he was fully aware of everything happening around him. During those five minutes of unconsciousness, Mu Xiaowei had cried her heart out. Because she lacked first-aid knowledge and was afraid to touch him, she could only weep and scream for someone to come and save him.

It was more frightening than the person whose supernatural powers had gone out of control—and she says she wasn't nervous?

Unfortunately, he had to pretend he knew nothing. Bringing this up would be an absolute trump card in any argument, but if Mu Xiaowei knew he had seen her most embarrassing moment, she would surely collapse from shame. He decided to let it go.

"I have things to do, so I’m heading out. Could you tell the teacher I’m fine?"

Su Yi ran out of the infirmary without waiting for an answer.

"Wait! You’re injured! Shouldn't you rest a bit longer? Maybe we should go to the hospital for a check-up to make sure there aren't any internal injuries we can't see?"

Mu Xiaowei’s eyes were red as she spoke; it was clear she was still worried.

"The doctor said I’m fine!" Su Yi insisted frantically. He couldn't go to a hospital. "Old Man Zhang is waiting for me to play chess today; I can't delay it. I love playing chess so much."

"Ah, you still want to play chess? I’ll come with you." Mu Xiaowei grabbed her little bear backpack, ready to follow him.

Su Yi hurriedly stopped her. "No, just do me a favor and let the teacher know I'm okay."

He needed to go to the transformer room to get Loryxi; he couldn't have her tagging along. After giving her a quick instruction, he darted out of the infirmary.

"Su Yi!"
"Su Yi, your medicine!"

Mu Xiaowei grabbed the small bottle and hurriedly chased after him. But Su Yi was already far away, unable to hear her calls. She tried to catch up, but due to her lack of stamina, she soon found herself panting, sweat soaking her clothes, watching his figure gradually disappear.

Mu Xiaowei had to stop, clutching the straps of her bear backpack, looking at his retreating back and whispering a complaint:

"Why are you walking so fast? I haven't even said thank you yet..."

She knew perfectly well that if Su Yi hadn't helped her earlier, her small frame wouldn't have withstood the impact. Life-threatening or not, with the college entrance exams approaching, any serious injury would have ruined her chances—which was why the other students had scrambled away in terror.

Yet, despite that, Su Yi had risked injury to leap down from the steps.

Because of this delay, the sky had grown increasingly dark. Mu Xiaowei left the chaotic campus and walked the streets alone. After a few hurried steps, she stopped, seemingly lost in thought. She held the bottle of Yunnan Baiyao tightly, staring blankly at the setting sun, and murmured:

"Is he... maybe not that annoyed with me after all?"

The sunset light spilled over her. Mu Xiaowei thought to herself, "If only I could stay by Su Yi's side at all times."

As her emotions splintered, a faint green light flashed in her eyes. The small medicine bottle she was holding suddenly distorted and vanished from her hand.

...

"Sir, are you injured?"

Loryxi, having filled her battery to 100%, opened her eyes to see the wounds on Su Yi, who looked somewhat disheveled.

"No, I did this to myself." Su Yi shook his head and unplugged the charging cable from the silver-haired girl's neck. "We need to leave quickly."

"Understood."

Loryxi didn't ask further questions. Once her chip was fully charged, she could tell at a glance that Su Yi's injuries weren't severe. This training base called a "high school" was very strict; he must have been subjected to some kind of special training.

He was truly working so hard.

This time, Su Yi didn't take Loryxi through the main gate. Instead, he climbed over the wall in a blind spot of the school’s surveillance system. On his first day, he had already mapped out where the cameras could and couldn't see. Since he knew the teachers were hunting superpowered individuals, he had to be extra careful.

They moved quickly, putting a significant distance between themselves and the school within minutes. Only after Su Yi had confirmed multiple times that they weren't being followed did he let out a sigh of relief.

"I can't bring you to school anymore... It’s too dangerous there. From now on, just stay home and be good."

Su Yi muttered to himself. To be safe, he kept Loryxi in her cloaked state, staring straight ahead as if no one were beside him.

"Yes, Sir. I will guard our base well." Loryxi was composed. While she found everything she saw outside interesting, if this was a place where Su Yi could get hurt, it was perhaps too difficult for her.

Forcing a soldier who had never known the world to become a shut-in made Su Yi, who had promised to help her adapt, feel quite guilty. He would have to wait until winter break to take her out for a walk.

Feeling a pang of guilt, he caught the scent of stinky tofu in the air. Su Yi stopped and looked toward a stall; a new shop had opened on the commercial street. "Do you want to try some stinky tofu?"

He decided to buy her some treats to make up for it.

"What is stinky tofu..." Loryxi didn't quite understand, but she sniffed the air as well, then whispered, "Sir, it smells like authentic No. 37 machine oil. Someone is drinking machine oil nearby."

"It's not machine oil, it's stinky tofu. Never mind, I'll just buy you some to try."

Su Yi walked to the stall and, after a brief exchange with the owner, ordered the largest portion. The shop’s version was indeed authentic—at least, it smelled authentic, lingering in his nose in a way he couldn't quite shake. Plus, the owner had a poster hanging on the wall that made the whole place feel strangely off-putting.

However, the owner was fast, and soon handed over the order.

"I have some braised pork at home; with this and some instant noodles, that'll be dinner," Su Yi said, carrying the plastic bag. "Tomorrow, stay home and behave. I'll buy you some seafood; there are no fish in the Wasteland."

"Understood, Sir."

Loryxi didn't know what seafood or fish were, but any reward from the Commander must be excellent. Even instant noodles at home were a delicacy to her.

"Sir... why is everything on the Blue Planet so delicious?"

Su Yi waved his hand. "Resources are abundant, so there's room for creativity."

As the saying goes, even the best chef cannot cook without rice. It was far too difficult for the chefs on the Blue Planet to create such food in the Wasteland, where water was scarce and no greenery could survive. He couldn't blame the food in the Wasteland for being unpalatable.

"No, no." Loryxi didn't dwell on that point. Instead, she raised a finger, as if illustrating a point. "Sir, according to my observations, all the food eaten so far has been processed. Multiple energy sources are mixed together through complex procedures, consuming time, resources, and energy in pursuit of flavor breakthroughs. Isn't that too redundant?"

"And the nutritional value is even lower than before processing."

Watching the preparation of the stinky tofu, she had wondered about this. While it tasted good, her chip indicated that the high-temperature frying significantly reduced the nutrients. Such behavior of neglecting the essentials for the trivial was baffling.

"The question you're asking could make you a philosopher..."

Su Yi stole a glance at the girl and fell into brief contemplation. The street was crowded with vendors, and the two walked side by side through the throng.

"People live in this world in pursuit of emotional value. Eating good food is a kind of happiness."

"Happiness?"

Loryxi tilted her head as usual, her brows furrowed in deep concentration.

"Yes. Flavor stimulates the body, creating feelings of comfort and excitement. You should have experienced that yourself when eating."

Food provides energy; flavor provides emotional sustenance. That seemed reasonable.

Not long ago, Su Yi had seen a foreign "Rice Master" on the internet who ate nothing but plain rice with a tiny bit of garnish, forcing it down with such pain and struggle that it had gained him many followers. That was the price of having no flavor.

"But... is it really worth it? Just for happiness..." The education she had received since childhood, combined with the influence of the Wasteland, had made the concept of frugality deeply ingrained in Loryxi’s bones.

"Everything in the world is an equivalent exchange, but whether it’s 'equivalent' depends on whether you think it’s worth it," Su Yi said philosophically.

Often, objectively speaking—from the perspective of an outsider—it truly isn't worth it. For example, his decision to help Mu Xiaowei today was, from a rational standpoint, a terrible move. Su Yi knew that perfectly well.

But if you asked him if he regretted it, his current light and happy mood was the answer.

"Hmm..." Loryxi’s expression grew even more confused. She was trying hard to understand the rules of this world and to grasp the Commander's words, but the more she thought, the more muddled her head became.

Su Yi used a bamboo skewer to pick up a piece of stinky tofu and popped it into the girl’s mouth, sealing her lips. He adjusted his shoulder bag and picked up his pace.

"There's no need to think so much about it right now. Maybe one day, you'll find your own happiness."

...

The sunset faded completely, and the sky entered that brief moment where twilight and night interweave. The surroundings grew dim. Su Yi picked up two bottles of cola from a convenience store and, as usual, greeted Old Man Zhang at the gate before heading back to his apartment.

"Huh? New neighbors?" Su Yi saw from a distance that a furniture delivery truck was parked near his apartment building. The unit on the first floor, which had a small courtyard, was being occupied.

Movers were busy carrying things inside, and a white-haired, bearded old man stood with his hands behind his back, offering tea to the workers with a warm, kindly smile.

"Looks like this place is destined to change its name from 'Happy Apartments' to 'Nursing Home'," Su Yi muttered to himself. But the new neighbor looked friendly enough, so he didn't pay it much mind and kept walking toward his place with Loryxi.

"Yo, young man, just back from school? Students really have it tough, coming home so late. Care for a cup of tea?" The old man smiled warmly as he greeted him.

Su Yi smiled back and gently shook his head. "Thank you, sir, but I'm not thirsty."

He didn't have the energy to get too close to the neighbors, or he'd end up like Old Man Zhang, asking questions every time he stepped out the door. Just as Su Yi was about to head upstairs, the old man’s next sentence made him shiver.

The old man held a bowl of tea, smiling as he looked at the invisible Loryxi, and said in a friendly tone:

"Does the little silver-haired girl next to you want some? It’s West Lake Longjing!"