Some who were still hesitant about accepting the Fogfolk found their hearts struck by this short, powerful reply.

After the self-introduction, Yang Zicang was warmly invited in by a few people who, truth be told, weren’t exactly young.

“Have you had dinner yet? “

“Fog resident friend, there’s an empty bed in my room. If you don’t mind, you can stay with me tonight. “

A man in his thirties with crystal-rimmed glasses said. He looked like a quintessential city dweller, his beard neatly trimmed.

“No way, our friend from the Mist Sea! Tonight, we carouse together, we sing together. Sleep is something to save for tomorrow. “

Another person, as he spoke, picked up the wooden board inscribed with the lyrics and music score of a song from Earth, set it on the table, and began to sing softly: “~Across every continent, schoolmates… “

“Friend, how long have you been here? Seems you’ve picked up our language pretty well. “

Everyone asked enthusiastically, and Yang Zicang was hard-pressed to keep up. One person laughed, “Everyone, aren’t you forgetting something? “

“What? “

“We’ve got to make this brother pay tonight’s room fee! “

He smiled at Yang Zicang. “So, what will it be? Will this young man, whose only luggage is a book, recite poetry for us tonight, or shall we watch a specialty performance only we Fogfolk can provide? “

Yang Zicang felt the warmth of the people in the room, yet a strange emotion stirred within him.

“So, sir, what do you intend to do? Sing a song, or tell a joke? “

Yang Zicang thought for a moment and shook his head. “Neither. “

“What? ” Some people’s faces darkened.

“Fogfolk friend, you still don’t understand the meaning of a community like ours. We wanderers help each other, support each other… “

“Of course I do, ” Yang Zicang cut off the blue-clad worker.

Everyone’s eyes were on him.

“They say ‘the joy of sharing is greater than the joy of a lone feast,’ ” Yang Zicang said.

As if sensing what this supplier might be up to again, the gazes of the two distributors quickly focused on him.

｛Distributor May·Valkyrie is watching my actions.｝

｛Distributor February·Di’an anticipates me nurturing a glorious new prelude.｝

The room fell silent.

Stepping forward through the dozen or so onlookers, Yang Zicang approached the dining table and placed the old dictionary on its surface.

“Since we want to bring joy, why not let more people share in it? “

“What do you want to do? “

Yang Zicang looked over at the bookshelf against the wall. Kim Klester, who had led him there, watched him intently.

“How about we create a newspaper? One that shares the poems and jokes among us, and also records some experiences to uplift the refugees here. What do you think? “

“What? “

The people around were stunned for a moment, and then suddenly some of their eyes lit up!

A young man excitedly waved his hand!

“Good heavens! Truly an outsider who studies our language wherever he goes! What a brilliant idea! Friend—ah, no, classmate—I shouldn’t say ‘outsider,’ that’s a meaningless word; our hearts are the same. “

Of the dozen or so people, half quickly became energized, though only the young hotheads were excited. The other seven or eight, aged between thirty and forty, merely smiled wryly and shook their heads, returning to their seats.

“What, Anda? You don’t agree with this proposal? “

“This public community won’t last long. We’ll all leave sooner or later, scatter to different places. Running a newspaper… that’s just a thankless and exhausting task… “

-｛The Golden Emerald sensed a questioning hesitation from Distributor February. Di’an.｝

Could the Distributor not foresee the consequences of this action? Of course not—because I had never intended it for the so-called ‘Radiance’!

“My friends, my classmates! “

Yang Zicang turned to look at the young men and women around him, whose spirits were not yet broken.

“I heard from Edgar Jin Christie about the meaning of this public community! You saw the singing and dancing by the bonfire this evening, didn’t you? If we just sit here telling jokes and reciting poems, the refugees in the village will lump us in with those guys too. “

The red-robed man was a bit surprised that Yang Buchen had spoken his full name—he had only mentioned it once, when they first met.

“We just… ” the person in the room immediately wanted to explain that they weren’t cold-blooded.

Someone said angrily: “If you put it that way, isn’t starting a newspaper and telling jokes like rubbing salt in the wounds? You wanderer from the Sea of Mist! “

Yang Zicang looked at him calmly, his gaze level. “So that’s why we can’t just have jokes. “

“You… “

“We need to truly encourage everyone, to help them build their confidence. Most importantly, we can’t let ourselves get sick by avoiding nourishing food just because we’re afraid of being caught. “

People murmured among themselves, but only Kim Clayton in the red robe immediately grew serious.

“Right, this suggestion of yours is crucial. If people become weak and sickly, it could lead to a plague and invite calamity and disaster! “

Everyone fell solemn and nodded vigorously. “That’s right, we need to get our ideas out there. “

A middle-aged man, after a moment of thought, stood beside Yang Zicang.

“If we’re just amusing ourselves, we really can’t call ourselves mutual helpers! I agree. “

“You… ” the man who had refuted him raised a pointing finger.

“Alright, well, no matter what anyone says, Anda and I are going to do this. Right, Anda? ” Another person stood beside Yang Zicang.

“Woof! ” The small black dog by the table wagged its tail and ran over as well.

“Count me in. I’m in too. ” A beautiful, blue-eyed girl with two braids raised her hand.

A young man said: “I worked with printing back in school. I’ll draw the layout for this paper. Who wants to write something for it now? “

“It’s really simple—I don’t like what’s happening around the evening campfire,” said a city dweller. “I want to criticize those heartless idiots who celebrate in front of the wounded!“

People immediately began to spring into action, setting things in motion.

Standing nearby, Kim Christe cast a subtle glance at the young man wearing the peaked cap.

He marveled inwardly: no wonder the man was a native of the mist world—his presence had breathed new life into everyone.

Feeling the weight of the stare, Yang Zicang looked up and responded with a smile.

……

Inside a discarded fishing boat cabin along the coast.

A man dressed in a somber, thick woolen coat, with a high-end gold pocket-watch chain dangling from his chest and a fine suede lambskin beret atop his head, sat glowering at a softly glowing page in his hand.

The words on it wafted like mist, their shapes shifting.

｛Future synchronization rate dropped to 75%.｝

The man muttered thoughtfully, “The situation here has diverged from the records. “

At a small table across from them sat a gaunt yet incredibly efficient-looking man—known as “Snake’s Kiss “—flanked by two members of the “Beneficial Birds ” unit, clad in the uniforms of Fearhaven.

“Mr. Baiguan, the withdrawal from Fearhaven’s troops happened right on schedule. So, does the unexpected come from the unaccounted-for refugees, differing from what the true history records? “

“Mm-hmm. ” The man in the jazz hat nodded, then carefully tucked the page inside his inner vest pocket.

“Fogfolk Yang Buchen, it was definitely him who did this. So, he’s still on that coast, in these four villages! “

The few people in the cabin grew somber.

Merchant Baiguan turned to look at a man in a naval uniform. “Use ‘Radiance’ to ‘invest’ in your future sight, and see if you can spot a future where he’s found. “

“Yes, ” the man said, silently closing his eyes and touching a watch. On the pale blue dial was etched a portrait of a valiant man.

……

Midnight.

Seawater crashed against a vertical cliff not far behind the house, emitting the rhythmic sound of the tide.

Yang Zicang, lying in his room, waited until half past eleven without falling asleep. At the agreed-upon time, Yao Xiaoqin’s Telepathic Link appeared swiftly.

{President~~ I feel like time is so long, I’ve waited forever and ever~ Finally, I can talk to you again. }

Startled beneath the covers, Yang Zicang replied softly, “Uh… beauty, your place does sound pretty dull. “

{Yeah, yeah, hey, President, are you still wearing clothes in bed? Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable? }

“Well, I haven’t gone to bed because I need to… “

{I never like wearing so many things when I rest ugh, talking about it makes me upset. I haven’t showered in two or three days. Look, here, it’s a bit dirty, not comfortable at all. }

She gently rubbed the fair, delicate skin of her own shoulders, crumpling the soft collar a little. {I wish I were like you… able to sleep in a warm, cozy blanket. }

{Big Sister, can you talk about something serious? }

Anxi said loudly from the boat on the other end:

{President, we’ve also gathered some intelligence on Telanaxi, but for now we can’t confirm who their commander is. The 206 Corps designation isn’t a famous one, so this mission is a bit tough—could you give us two more days? She Liqi has already set out for the Chebin Archipelago. }

{Hmph, stealing my lines. }

“Um… well, ” Yang Zicang steadied his thoughts and turned over, facing a small window by the nearby cliff, listening to the occasional sound of waves outside as he said:

“You can temporarily stop collecting intelligence specifically. You probably won’t find anything useful in the archipelago, and it would just draw attention. “

{Then President, what do you plan to do this time? }

Yang Zicang’s gaze wavered for a moment.

“I’ve already saved them once. Not every legion commander responds to threats, so one method doesn’t fit all similar situations. I can’t, and I don’t want to, get involved anymore. “

Anxi’s heart immediately tightened with anxiety.

{President, you’re not really planning to give up on that Glory Radiance, are you? It’s not easy to find a place that offers such good access to Glory Radiance. }