Unsent

After having lunch with the little bird and offering a few last instructions, Yu Chen sent him on his way and returned to the study to rest for a while.

He had ceased taking his medication early this morning and, after only half a day, he was already feeling the onset of mental fatigue.

So he could only prop his head up, close his eyes, and force his nerves to relax. The AI glided over to try and drape an overcoat across his shoulders, but Yu Chen waved it away. He reopened his terminal and resumed the work left over from the morning.

At that moment, Uriel sent over a medical report: it was the results of Bai Ling’s in-depth psychological analysis.

In the video call, Uriel adjusted his glasses. “According to the report, our ‘Pilot Zero’ has a mental state that wildly fluctuates.”

He pulled up two brainwave-pattern comparison charts. Even though he knew Yu Chen couldn’t see them, his professional rigor remained unshaken:

“I have two cerebral-mental maps here. On the left is a normal person’s; the edges of the mental field are rounded and smooth. This is a result of natural formation.”

Uriel paused, pointing to the right side of the screen. “And this is the Little White Bird’s. As you can see, the edges are pitted and uneven, and some wavebands even protrude outward into sharp little triangles. In the field of neuro-psychology, this is categorized as artificial scarring. Which is to say—”

“His brain was forcibly widened.”

Yu Chen’s expression remained calm, yet a shadow settled deep within his stagnant, emerald eyes.

Uriel stole a glance and felt a shiver run down his spine. He forced himself to stay composed. “We currently don’t know if it was caused by drugs or trauma from another mental attacker. Regardless, considering the risks, we need to strengthen his protective measures.”

“For instance, installing a ‘firewall’ on his mecha specifically designed to counter mental-attack contestants.”

Yu Chen ordered, “I’ll leave this matter to you.”

Uriel hurriedly replied, “Understood.”

Yu Chen procedurally asked, “Is there anything else to report?”

If not, he would move on to the next person in the digital queue.

Uriel wiped the sweat from his palms, speaking cautiously: “One more thing. Early this morning, nearly all media outlets reported on the pre-match accident. A few, looking for traffic, used… rather excessive language. They called Bai Ling’s actions…”

“[A Suicide Rescue.]”

Media outlets adding fuel to the fire and exaggerating for clicks was nothing new. It was common for pilots with questionable conduct to be exposed, and the public had grown numb to it.

But this time, someone had leaked the basic physical and mental test reports of all participants. At a glance, Bai Ling’s stats were glaringly at the bottom of the list.

The very bottom? For the person ranked second overall in the group stages?!

Combined with his reckless, death-defying charge during the accident, the media now suspected Bai Ling had self-destructive tendencies. They pointed to his 62% mental stability rate as proof, questioning whether he was even fit to compete.

Yu Chen slowly repeated the word: “Suicide…”

The image of the Stump Bird surfaced in his mind, and a faint sting pricked his heart.

Uriel knew that once someone stepped into the public eye, baseless speculation was inevitable. He only hoped his Imperial Uncle could persuade the young man to watch less news at home and avoid negative information.

Yu Chen leaned back and crossed his hands over his lap. His voice was heavy and somber:

“Fine. I understand. Send me the names of those media outlets later.”

Uriel’s scalp went numb. He tentatively asked, “You aren’t going to…”

Yu Chen smiled nonchalantly. “As an exclusive sponsor, how can I not have my own dedicated channel for communication? Acquiring a platform or two is only reasonable.”

That smile sent a cold sweat down Uriel’s back. He hoped the writer who used “suicide” as a gimmick would be ready for what was coming.

After ending the call, Yu Chen slightly rotated his chair, looking somewhat thoughtful.

Beyond the controversy surrounding Bai Ling, he was thinking of another layer. In the 17 hours since last night, the view count for Bai Ling’s recorded matches had pulled far ahead of the other contestants.

Bai Ling’s style was unorthodox and unpredictable. He often exploited bugs to pull off miraculous moves, which was highly eye-catching. Furthermore, his pace was fast; a single match could be cut into six or seven highlight clips, perfectly fitting the rules of social media algorithms.

Yu Chen thought: Why not use this opportunity to push him further, creating a dedicated promotional line for Bai Ling?

And as for talent—someone who had been a director and a news anchor was right at his fingertips.

If he gathered a team now, who knew how much it might grow in the future…

The AI rolled over with tea, looked at its master, and said in surprise: “You suddenly seem very pleased?”

Yu Chen said with deep meaning, “I feel like a child is inheriting my legacy, step by step.”

 

---

Bai Ling returned to the dormitory area with a plastic bag full of cherry tomatoes and handed out a large handful to everyone. Even Sava, who was catching up on sleep during the day, was dragged out of bed.

Sava looked on bleary-eyed. “What is this? Are you in a heat? Why is the egg you laid this color?”

The veins on Bai Ling’s forehead throbbed. He resisted the urge to kick him. “It’s a tomato! It’s the kind you like. Get up.”

Sava yawned as he climbed down. “How do you know I like… wait? Are you spying on me?!”

Bai Ling crossed his arms and sneered, “Yeah, I spy on you in my dreams. I also know that in the future, you’ll get so fat you’ll get stuck in your mecha seat and have to be cut out with a blowtorch.”

Sava spat, “Bah! Who curses their brother like that, you stinky bird? I’m a dyed-in-the-wool white-egg supremacist.”

Bai Ling wore an “I told you so” expression that made Sava’s teeth itch.

However, once he started snacking on his beloved persimmons, Sava felt better. He propped up his terminal, opened the mecha tournament replays, and began critiquing while he ate.

One moment it was, “What is this guy doing? Trash! Kick him off the field already!” The next it was, “So boring, I’m falling asleep.”

While finding the video with the highest click rate, Sava’s eyebrows shot up. He got excited: “Holy crap, this one is good! These moves and positioning are so slick; this guy is definitely a ‘dirty-play’ expert—OW!”

Sava rubbed his backside and turned around angrily. “Stinky bird! Why’d you kick me?”

Bai Ling tilted his chin, and a flash of smugness flashed across his face before it returned to his cold mask. “Just watch the match. Too much talking.”

Sava bristled. “Goo-woo-goo! Since when do you control me?”

Bai Ling thought: In this life, I really am going to control you to the very end.

After some banter, Bai Ling reminded Sava to help him deal with the dorm warden. Unexpectedly, Sava waved it off with an air of self-importance:

“Psh, that’s nothing. Didn’t you know? That Crane has been bought by me.”

Bai Ling: “? How so?”

Sava’s orange-red eyes gleamed with an eerie light. “I gave him money to stop him from resigning. Now he’s a double agent for us, spying back on the Etiquette Officer, the Manager, and all those other seafolk types.”

Bai Ling patted his shoulder with genuine sentiment. “Your revolutionary consciousness is very high. But where did the funding for this come from?”

Sava gave him a sloppy, equal-rank salute. “Rest easy, comrade. A sucker is footing the bill.”

---

At the same time, Lord Heinz was humming a tune from his hometown while joyfully sending money.

Transfer Note: [Ah~~ The young master is willing to spend my money to spy on me. It is truly the greatest honor of my life. Just the thought of him scowling and insulting me behind my back makes my tentacles turn rock-hard.]

Tucking away his terminal, Heinz straightened his tie, his face becoming the picture of beta-style ascetic restraint. He walked with brisk, straight-legged steps through the door held open by a junior secretary, entered the Emperor’s office, and knocked on the half-open door. The moment Kaide looked up, he bowed with perfectly calibrated humility:

“Good afternoon, my Great King.”

Kaide seemed to be in a good mood. “Heinz, you’ve come at a good time. I was just discussing the management of the inner palace with the Palace Manager. Did you see the mecha matches yesterday?”

Heinz’s eyes darted around, and he said modestly, “Your servant hasn’t had the time to watch yet. I assume there were highlights?”

Kaide, pleased that his point was taken, said happily, “You guessed correctly. Yesterday, a contestant confessed his loyalty to me in public. I’ve decided to give him a chance to come to the palace and have an audience with me.”

Heinz said in surprise, “What kind of confession was enough to move your heart?”

Kaide soaked in the feeling of being worshipped. “He shouted ‘Yes, Your Majesty‘ in front of nine billion interstellar viewers.”

Heinz curled his lips into a smile and offered a very sincere compliment: “Oh, that is truly… ‘loyal’ indeed.”

---

As the saying goes: the more people you know, the more paths you have.

Bai Ling’s trip to the concubine dorm area was primarily to seek help from the Raven. The Raven was a gang member, and since he was carrying the Boss’ egg, he surely had access to plenty of internal information. Furthermore, the Raven valued loyalty. As soon as Bai Ling set down the tomatoes and leek pies, he kicked up his legs:

“Speak. What do you need help with?”

Bai Ling appreciated this directness, and he explained his intent: he wanted to retrieve data from a “dead” account. Specifically, Bai Ling wanted to find Mr. D’s real account name.

The gang’s business was vast and varied; they had many talented eccentrics. Finding a hacker to do this shouldn’t be difficult.

The Raven nodded and, without a word, contacted one for him.

The connection went through, but the first thing out of the other end was a frantic yelp: “Boss Raven, when are you coming back?! The Big Boss is going crazy looking for you!”

Raven let out a cold sneer. “Let him go crazy.”

The person on the other end stammered, not daring to make a sound. Raven gave his instructions in a few brief sentences before adding one last warning: “Don’t tell him I contacted you, or your life is gone.”

The subordinate replied with sycophantic haste: “Understood, understood! I definitely won’t tell the Big Boss. You can count on me.”

Bai Ling knew that the “Big Boss” was 100% Kunan.

He watched as Raven leisurely lit a cigarette, the wisps of white smoke rising and swirling. Bai Ling arched an eyebrow and asked, “I thought that Boss had forced you.”

Raven gave a skin-deep smile and flicked his ash. “He did imprison me. He couldn’t beat me in a fight, and he was a hair’s breadth away from losing the power struggle to me. His only way to conquer me was through… that department.”

So, it was a record of the grievances and passions between the gang’s Number One and Number Two.

Raven took a long, slow drag of his cigarette, his expression carrying a hint of seductive nonchalance. “Though, in the beginning, I actually quite enjoyed it.”

Bai Ling: “?”

Raven said flatly, “He’s good in bed.”

Bai Ling: “……”

Should I say ‘as expected of a ‘raven’? As the largest species among the Corvidae, their psychological resilience was truly on another level.

The temperaments of bird sub-species sometimes resembled the cats and dogs of Ancient Earth. The larger the size and the stronger the prowess, the better their external adaptability—they were more social and less prone to stress. Conversely, the small ones, like Chihuahuas, would bark frantically at the mere sight of a person out of fear. A Raven of this size was probably the Doberman of the bird world…

An hour later, Bai Ling sat in an inconspicuous terminal repair shop in the underground streets of the slums.

The hacker spread his hands, looking quite helpless. “You should know that an account labeled ‘Deceased’ by the system can’t be logged into again unless you can get the government to resurrect it. All I can do is help you retrieve the app data and chat logs.”

Bai Ling nodded in understanding. At the start of this life, in order to sneak into the palace, he had quietly swapped bracelets with the deceased “Bai Ling” after the prison transport accident. This meant his original bracelet was on “Bai Ling’s” remains; it had long been confirmed dead, and the avatar had turned grey. No matter how good the hacker was, he couldn’t make the account of the “Criminal Bai Ling who died in a car crash” jump back to life.

However, now that he had Mr. D’s account ID, he could take the initiative to contact him. Clicking on that familiar black avatar and typing a private message from his new account, Bai Ling’s fingers trembled slightly.

[(Unsent) Hello, how has your health been lately?]

[System Prompt: You are not on the recipient’s friend list. Message blocked.]

[(Unsent) I didn’t die. Are you free recently? I’d like to treat you to a meal.]

[System Prompt: You are not on the recipient’s friend list. Message blocked.]

[(Unsent) I…] want to see you…

His fingers froze halfway, and he finally turned off the terminal in disappointment.

Unsent. Unsent. It seemed there was always a missing move between him and Mr. D.

Either I missed you, or you couldn’t receive me.

Had this been his previous life, Bai Ling might have let it go, waiting ten days or half a month for Mr. D to come online. But now, remembering Yu Chen’s gentle encouragement, he found a bit more courage. Besides, he was young now, and he had reliable friends by his side.

So Bai Ling made a call to the broadcaster.

“Ah… my friend, you’re looking for someone? No problem! It just so happens our business has expanded; I’ve been promoted to supervisor of the new platform. It’s no trouble at all to take two minutes during prime time to do a public announcement for you.”

“However, regarding this matter, I’ll still have to clear it with the higher-ups.”

Bai Ling said softly, “Alright, thank you for the trouble.”

Since it had to be cleared with the higher-ups, Yu Chen would definitely find out. He just hoped the merman wouldn’t overreact or get too angry tonight.

---

Without realizing it, Bai Ling had already walked to the station.

He looked around the neighborhood, feeling an instinctive sense of both strangeness and familiarity. Guided by blurred memories and intuition, he tested his way forward, step by step. He crossed the street, peeking into alleys, walking down winding paths. This scenery was familiar, but something felt off.

Oh, right…

He walked the path again, this time following his old walking pace. A limp, and a pause with every step. The pale yellow sky was like the upturned belly of a goldfish, swaying and crashing in his vision. This was the perspective of a cripple dying of illness.

Passing by uneven self-built houses, colorful sheets and clothes dried on low roofs, the scent of cheap detergent drifted in the air. Bai Ling deeply breathed in that scent; it was the smell that once belonged to him.

His gaze was fixed on the end of the road. He had a premonition that all the explanations and origins were hidden right there.

That cramped, mildew-scented semi-basement…

The place he had rented before his death.

---

Author’s Note:

The Old Merman shows you how to speed up the “unmasking”—by buying a media platform for your wife.

---

jjwxc comments:
I’m crying my eyes out, the old merman also shed tears for the little bird in his past life.
I’ve been sobbing violently over the updates these past two days!! Thankfully the little bird didn’t commit suicide. Until the very last moment of his life, he was like sparks hidden in ashes, struggling and dancing. That comforts me a little. Feeling, ah, good, he’s still so strong. He doesn’t need my sympathy or sorrow, only the glory befitting a hero.
Yesterday I carefully reviewed the previous memories and the little bird’s memories, and thought the merman’s heart only held things like sadness and despondency, but! He shed tears for him! One tear, a tear called indifference. The merman lied.
The shining pearl that hadn’t appeared since adulthood rolled down his cheek before its owner even noticed, accompanying the bird as it fell into the lightless underground.
Yesterday’s wild rose was also for the little bird, right? So fitting for him, covered in thorns yet possessing a fragrance different from numbness.
Another day of thinking the little bird is super cool! Really like the little bird, tenacious as grass, fervent as fire, a delicate yet wild little heroic fuzzball!
Very curious how the merman transformed from the cold, labeling guy of his past life into daddy. Obviously, he can’t clearly remember his past life, so why is he so gentle with the little bird in this life?