The door to Baizhi's office slid shut behind them with a quiet hiss, leaving the sterile hum of machines fading into the background. Jeff rubbed at the back of his neck, still unsettled by Baizhi's words, while Rover adjusted the red lotus pendant at her throat as though it grounded her.
Waiting just beyond the hall was Mortefi, arms folded, his usual aloof expression in place. But the moment he spotted them, he lifted the object in his hands.
"Here's your sundial," Mortefi said matter-of-factly, offering it forward. "Intact as it was."
The bronze dial gleamed faintly under the corridor light, its surface aged yet strangely pristine.
Yangyang leaned in eagerly, eyes shining. "Mr. Mortefi, can we have the test results?"
Mortefi gave a faint huff, as if anticipating the question. "Simply put—it's hollow." He tapped the object with his knuckles, the metallic sound echoing oddly. "Here. Try tapping it yourself. You'll notice it doesn't sound like a solid piece."
Jeff did as told, brow lifting when the hollow note rang clear.
"It's not just a timekeeping tool," Mortefi continued, his voice steady but tinged with fascination. "It's an intricate mortise-and-tenon puzzle box. A compartment hidden inside." His gaze lingered on the object with almost reverent calculation. "There's a small paper scroll within. But…" His lips pressed into a thin line. "It's missing a crucial component. Without it, the mechanism won't turn."
Jeff whistled softly, impressed despite himself knowing about it already. "Impressive analysis."
Mortefi waved the compliment aside. "Automata Mechanics isn't my field. My specialty is Tacetite Weapons. Still, the theories overlap."
Rover tilted her head, her eyes widening slightly in admiration. "Talk about modest… you're quite the expert."
At that, Mortefi's mouth twitched, as if fighting back a smirk. "I only have basic knowledge compared to others. If this were Tacetite Weapons, I wouldn't have taken this long." He rotated the sundial in his hands, fingers gliding along the grooves like a pianist testing keys. "Once the missing part is installed, you align the wheels correctly and the compartment will open. But without knowing what the component looks like…" He let the sentence hang in the air.
"Maybe we can brute-force it," Rover suggested, half-joking.
Mortefi arched a brow at her, tone bone-dry. "That's one way. If you don't mind the scroll being shredded by its own defenses."
Rover grimaced. "Right. Noted."
Jeff chuckled under her breath, watching the two banter.
"Shall we ask someone more qualified?" Jeff added.
"No need." Mortefi shook his head, already setting the sundial down on a nearby table. "I can help. I just need time to think it over."
Before Jeff could reply, Mortefi's terminal buzzed. His eyes flicked toward it, annoyance flashing briefly across his sharp features. "One moment. Incoming call."
He tapped to answer. His posture shifted subtly—tense shoulders softening, the corner of his mouth quivering with an almost imperceptible smile.
"...What is it?" Mortefi's voice lowered, more measured now. A pause, then: "You certainly are well-informed. Hmph. Beautiful data, indeed… Good taste. Well, since you put it that way…"
Yangyang, standing at Jeff's side, whispered with barely concealed amusement. "Rover, Jeff—doesn't Mr. Mortefi's expression seem… softer somehow?"
Rover covered her lips with her hand to hide a grin. "Yeah. He looks like a purring cat."
Jeff blinked at her, then at Mortefi, baffled. Is this what they call gap moe?
"He's surprisingly…" Jeff started.
"Amiable?" Yangyang supplied, smirking.
"Exactly." Jeff shook his head with a half-smile.
Yangyang leaned in further, voice playful. "We haven't even asked him to assemble it, and—"
Rover finished for him, "—he's already working on it."
Jeff chuckled, crossing his arms. "Guess Academy folks are just that passionate about solving puzzles."
Yangyang glanced toward Mortefi, who was still murmuring to his caller, brows knitted in focus yet oddly relaxed. "Looks like he needs some space. Maybe we should step aside until he's done?"
Minutes later, Mortefi finally ended the call, his usual sharpness settling back over him like a cloak. He turned briskly, all business again.
"Apologies for the wait. Back to the sundial," he said, sliding it across the table toward them. "It's a mortise-and-tenon puzzle box. The missing part needs to meet two contradictory requirements at once—an automatic buckle fitting on top of an embedded pointer. I'll draft the design."
He scribbled quickly across his tablet, lines taking shape into a precise sketch. His hand moved with confident strokes, almost mechanical in its efficiency.
"The necessary components can be found in Xiangli's workshop. I've already informed him—you'll just need to fetch them. He keeps a box of them."
"You're not coming with us?" Rover asked, her tone curious, eyes flicking toward him.
Mortefi's lip curled faintly. "Division of labor is more efficient. Besides…" He visibly shuddered at the thought. "I would rather not set foot in Xiangli's workshop again. The mere memory of it gives me migraines."
"Who's Xiangli?" Rover asked.
Jeff almost snorted but held it in. Oh, great. That guy. I knew about him in the game played as him even. He is the Academy's youngest multi-disciplinary scientist, and an expert in the research of Automata Mechanics. The golden boy. Academy's prodigy. From what I know he is currently the Principal Investigator in charge of the academics at Huaxu Academy's Jinzhou Campus. If my parents ever knew about him and somehow we're related to each other, they'd never stop comparing us. Perfect.
Yangyang glanced between them. "Mr. Mortefi… is that who you were speaking with just now? Mr. Xiangli Yao?"
Mortefi exhaled through his nose, reluctantly. "Yes. He's the expert in Automata Mechanics I mentioned—the Academy's only Principal Investigator."
Rover gave a small nod. "Okay."
Jeff tilted his head. "Is his workshop… dangerous?"
Mortefi's expression darkened dramatically. "A minefield of clutter and chaos. A swamp of disorder within Academy walls. Any civilized human would find it unbearable."
Rover raised a brow, amused. "It's just cluttered, isn't it?"
Jeff grimaced, imagining it already. "Doesn't sound like a pleasant place."
"Indeed," Mortefi said gravely. "Like listening to a symphony played backwards. Agony."
Jeff clapped his hands together with finality. "Alright then. Let's get it over with."
Yangyang smiled brightly. "Rover, Jeff—shall we go retrieve the parts now?"
Rover adjusted her necklace and nodded. "Okay."
Jeff gave a short shrug. "Sure. Why not."
The three of them turned toward the hall, Mortefi already lost again in his notes, as though the world outside his theories barely existed.
The three of them left Baizhi's office and followed the corridor until they reached the workshop. The heavy double doors creaked as Yangyang pushed them open, bracing herself like she was about to step into a dragon's lair.
Her eyes darted around, shoulders easing just a little. "I mentally prepared myself for the worst," she murmured, half to herself. "But this place looks… much better than Mr. Mortefi described. Though…" She trailed off, lips pursing as she squinted at the clutter of shelves stacked high with metal parts, gears, and half-finished contraptions. "It is a bit hard to figure out where we should start."
Jeff gave a low whistle, hands slipping into his pockets. "Better than Mortefi made it sound, yeah. But still feels like we'll get buried alive if one of these piles tips over."
They spent several minutes weaving through rows of rusted drawers and precarious stacks of components before Yangyang finally stopped with a little triumphant gasp. She crouched, tugging out a heavy wooden box nearly overflowing with small mechanisms and shiny fittings.
"This should be it," she said, brushing dust from her hands. "It's… quite a boxful." She grinned faintly, struggling to lift it. "Let's bring it back to Mr. Mortefi."
Back in Mortefi's workspace, the man sat hunched over the sundial, sleeves rolled up, goggles perched on his forehead. His sharp eyes flicked up when they entered.
"Good. Bring it to me," he said without preamble, fingers already reaching before they even set the box down.
But before anyone could move further, Baizhi appeared at the doorway, a folder in her hands. "The test results are in."
Jeff straightened, the fatigue in his shoulders vanishing. "I'm all ears."
Rover leaned in. "Found anything?"
Baizhi flipped the folder open, her voice calm but precise. "The mangosteen is just an ordinary fruit. Suitable for regular consumption. Nothing unusual about it."
Jeff exhaled through his nose, a little disappointed. Despite knowing about it already.
Baizhi's gaze moved to the pressed purple leaf. She tapped the page where charts and readings sprawled in fine ink. "From this leaf, I detected subtle fluctuations in Tacet Discord frequency—two distinct sources overlapping, difficult to distinguish. This is… rare. Too scattered to be mere residue from contact."
Rover's brows furrowed. "So it's not ordinary… but not a Tacet Discord either?"
Baizhi nodded slowly. "Based on the data, it may have been sampled from an area struck by Waveworn phenomena."
"Waveworn phenomena?" Rover echoed.
Yangyang, her tone turning almost like a lecturer's. "Yes. The anomalies after the Lament—Tacet Fields, Etheric Seas, Retroact Rain, even gravity loss. Collectively, those are the Waveworn phenomena. And the Lament was the start of it all."
Jeff listened in silence, jaw tight. He'd heard this before conversation while playing the game, but somehow, hearing it again with me here sent that same familiar weight pressing into his chest.
Baizhi's attention shifted to the small round pearls laid out in a dish. "As for the sugar pearls—they are oral vaccines. But this particular one expired over twenty years ago. Its storage life, under the best conditions, is only about two years."
Yangyang's eyes widened, a soft gasp slipping out. "A twenty-year-old vaccine…" Her voice dropped. "…Could it be connected to the children's epidemic in Jinzhou two decades ago?"
The room grew still.
Baizhi closed her folder. "The Academy's archives will have information on the sugar pearl. The archives are organized in a unique way—you can begin searching keywords at the lobby terminal."
Before anyone could respond, Mortefi cleared his throat. He pushed up his goggles, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead. "The missing pointer has been installed. The sundial is complete." His hands spun the disc slowly, metal clicking in delicate rhythm.
Yangyang's eyes lit up. "So the discs are rotatable now?"
Mortefi gave a small, proud smirk. "Yes. Align the markers with the pointer, and you can open it."
Rover crossed her arms, impatience tugging at her features. "Or we could just force it open."
Mortefi's head snapped up, his tone sharp. "You—! Ugh, hold on. Did you already forget what I said? Crack it another five degrees in the wrong way and not even Xiangli Yao could save what's inside."
Rover froze, her cheeks coloring faintly. Jeff muffled a chuckle, covering it with a cough.
Yangyang, ignoring them, murmured thoughtfully. "The Earthly Branches and the Four Symbols… these are connected to the Sexagenary Cycle. A way of recording time in Huanglong, though nowadays mostly for calendars and indexing…"
Baizhi's eyes sharpened. "The filing system."
Yangyang nodded. "Exactly. Huanglong's Grand Libraries still use this method to organize their archives."
"The Grand Libraries?" Rover tilted her head, frowning faintly.
Yangyang offered a small smile. "Yes. Large data repositories, located in the major cities. Time-based filing systems. Elegant, really. Languages shift, names change, but time…" She tapped the sundial lightly. "…time remains constant."
Jeff tilted his head, lips quivering. "So basically, it's like a time-coded filing system. Makes sense." also known as a chronological filing system he didn't bother adding that he was already familiar with such things; his past job at the Communication Agency had buried him under enough of them.
Mortefi sighed, almost wistful. "Elegant indeed."
Baizhi closed the discussion firmly. "The Academy's archives here are organized in this same way. You'll find what you're looking for."
Not long after, they were standing before towering shelves, dim lanterns flickering against polished wood. Yangyang ran her fingers across the engraved markers. "Mao, Chen, Si… Wu, Wei. Rover, Jeff—it's here."
They leaned closer as she pulled out the file. Inside were two photographs.
One showed a team of researchers, led by a woman in her thirties, their faces glowing with pride. The second was intimate—an infant in diapers, a slender hand holding out a spoon tipped with a sugar pearl toward its tiny mouth.
The air went still.
Yangyang swallowed. "…If I recall, Jinzhou was founded in the Year of Wei. City Hall and the Academy were both established then." She glanced at the photos again, voice soft. "The sugar pearl… this could be tied to your past." Her eyes flickered to Rover. "Maybe even to both you."
Rover's breath caught. "Us…?"
Yangyang hesitated. "According to the reports, the vaccine's creator died three years after its development. The rest of the team would be over fifty now. But… the infant—" She pointed at the photo, gaze narrowing. "They'd be your age today."
Rover finally breathed out, her voice quiet. "…Maybe I was one of the children saved."
No you're not. That I'm sure of. Jeff's fists curled in his pockets, nails biting into his palms. He knew something, a gnawing truth that clawed at his throat, but he forced himself to stay silent.
Yangyang gave a faint smile, though her brows were knit with worry. "Life after the Lament was never easy. But people risked everything—parents, researchers, even children themselves—to survive. They were desperate. And because of them… we're here today." She touched the edge of the photo with reverence. "We owe them everything."
Silence lingered, thick and heavy, until Jeff broke it, his voice low but steady with the feeling of deep respect. "Heroes. They were heroes." quite familiar with the desperate feeling, difficult decisions, the sacrifices you have to make to preserve something worth protecting.
The Future
Rover's fingers brushed unconsciously against the red lotus necklace at her throat, eyes shadowed with thought.
Yangyang finally exhaled and stepped back. "But if the sugar pearl points to this story, maybe Madam Magistrate is telling us more than just your identity. Maybe she's pointing toward something bigger—Jinzhou's founding, the battles, the Crownless…"
"The Crownless?" Jeff echoed, brow raised.
Yangyang's gaze turned grim. "A Tacet Discord born of war itself. The hatred of fallen warriors, the fear of survivors—those emotions gave it shape. Some even speculate a link to the Threnodian."
Rover stiffened. "The Threnodian?"
"The most powerful Tacet Discord," Yangyang answered, voice hushed as though the name itself might summon it. "It was fought back in the Battle of the Threnodian. Our Sentinel, Jué, manifested that day. Without them, Huanglong wouldn't have survived."
Jeff swallowed, glancing at Rover, who stood staring at the photograph of the infant. Neither of them spoke, but wondered what came next.
The sundial stood before them, quiet yet heavy with mystery, its polished surface catching the dim light like it was hiding secrets.
Rover crouched slightly, fingertips brushing the rim of the ancient mechanism. Her golden eyes narrowed.
"...This is about the time indicated on the sundial, isn't it?" she said softly, her voice calm but edged with curiosity.
Yangyang, standing beside Rover with her arms crossed, tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"We have the symbol indicated 'Wei' now," she said, her dark brows furrowed in concentration. "This should go with the time part. But…" her gaze swept over the etched rings and markers, "…we can't solve the puzzle with this alone."
Jeff, leaning against a pillar nearby, blew out a small sigh. "That's what I figured." He tilted his head toward Rover, smirking faintly. "Are you enjoying yourself, puzzle girl?"
Rover's lips twitched, almost a smile. "I like solving puzzles."
Jeff rolled his eyes. "A lot of hoops to jump through if you ask me."
Yangyang ignored the banter, her voice soft but firm. "Maybe we can figure out the cardinal direction part by looking into the tokens again. It might have something to do with how we got one of the clues." She lifted her gaze at both of them. "What do you think?"
Rover straightened, brushing dust from her gloves. "...I think about the Magistrate." Her tone grew thoughtful.
Yangyang blinked at her, surprised. "Our Magistrate?" She shook her head, strands of hair slipping across her cheek as she recalled. "I've only seen her once—at the Appointment Ceremony. I can't comment much on her personality. But…" She let out a quiet breath. "Her policies have proven effective. She's made real progress since she took office."
Jeff's eyes glinted knowingly. Familiar name. Familiar game character. He kept the thought to himself, though a small smile tugged at his lips. Many players admired Jinshi—he remembered those forum debates, those fanarts. He himself couldn't deny her striking appearance.
Yangyang hesitated before continuing, "Some people believe the Magistrate's far-sighted decisions weren't hers at all. That they were actually devised by Counselor Changli."
Rover tilted his head. "Counselor Changli?"
"Yes," Yangyang nodded. "Lady Changli is the Magistrate's advisor. Once her teacher, actually. She used to hold a high position in the Central Secretariat before transferring to Jinzhou. I've heard… mixed things. Some call her brilliant, others call her manipulative." Her lips pursed in thought.
Jeff chuckled slowly. "So, the Magistrate's good at utilizing talent."
Yangyang looked at him carefully. "You seem to hold Madam Magistrate in high regard."
"Maybe not," Rover muttered under her breath, a strange edge of jealousy flickering in her golden eyes before she looked away.
Yangyang offered a faint smile. "Rumors are just that—rumors."
Jeff shifted his weight, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, let's take stock of what we've got. The sugar pearl—it's more than just some relic. It's part of the sundial's puzzle."
Rover folded her arms. "Simply put, one token can lead to multiple targets. One may hold several pieces of information."
Jeff nodded slowly. "And both of us—me and her—we had our reasons for meeting. The Magistrate had information to share, and I had questions to ask."
"But her tokens…" Rover's eyes narrowed again. "They hold both. What she wants me to know, and what I want to know. It's as if she's… complicating matters."
"Or maybe," Jeff said, his voice dropping, "she was running out of time. Maybe all she could do was scatter scraps of the puzzle."
"Or," Rover countered, "she's a master strategist, leaving breadcrumbs for us to find."
Jeff's expression hardened slightly. He knew exactly why someone might disguise intel in this way. Finding himself familiar with the situation despite having the meta knowledge of the puzzle in the game he also was quite familiar with the protocols and methods on what to do to guarantee the intel will be received by the intended recipient and not into the wrong hands.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Breadcrumbs to weed out the wrong recipients."
Yangyang raised an eyebrow, sensing the weight behind his words.
Jeff went on, "If those tokens fell into the wrong hands, they'd mean nothing or misuse it. But to the right eyes, the true message would shine through. She needed to make sure only the intended people could follow the trail."
"To mislead ill-intentioned people," Rover echoed, voice steady. Her gaze shifted toward the city beyond. "Which means… there are hidden dangers in Jinzhou."
Yangyang didn't respond right away, her lips pressed into a thin line. Finally, Jeff asked gently, "If it were you, Yangyang, how would you make sure the recipient understood?"
Yangyang straightened her posture, her expression softening but eyes sharp. "I would repeat my message. Again and again. So it could never be missed."
Before anyone could respond, the door slammed open.
"I'm back!" Chixia's cheerful voice rang through the quiet room. She strode in, her twin tails bouncing. "Finally done with my patrol. How's it going, Rover, Jeff? Feeling spry as ever?"
Jeff deadpanned. "Do I look like I'm that old?" His brow twitched as he crossed his arms.
Rover, hiding a smile, answered smoothly, "Spry as ever."
Yangyang coughed lightly to stifle her laugh."They've been checked by Baizhi. They're both in good health. Nothing to report."
Yangyang added, "And we've made some progress with the tokens."
Jeff glanced at Chixia. "How about you?"
"Nothing outta the ordinary," she said, hands on her hips. "Though Uncle Zhang's cat climbed a tree and ended up on poor Uncle Chenpi's head—knocked the poor guy right over. Oh, and some dogs were scaring folks, so I had to calm them down. Then someone came in to report a missing person. Logged the case, but don't worry, it wasn't the both of you." She winked at Rover and Jeff. "I'll follow up tomorrow."
Her smile faded into a thoughtful frown. "I also searched Rover's terminal number, but the system came up blank. The only record is from today, when I registered him. Jeff's number popped up fine when he received a new terminal from Miss Sanhua. But Rover? Nothing. Like she doesn't exist."
"That's… a lot," Rover murmured, feigning a yawn. "You almost put me to sleep."
"It's the middle of the night," Chixia shot back with a laugh. "Of course you're tired."
Jeff cracked a smile. "Sounds like you had a busy day." said to Chixia
"You betcha!" she said proudly, striking a playful pose.
Jeff hesitated, then offered, "Do you want us to come with you tomorrow?"
She blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Aren't you supposed to be investigating the tokens?" A pause, then her grin returned. "Oh! Right—I still owe you guys a meal! The night markets are closed, but let's grab breakfast at Panhua's tomorrow before my shift. Be there or be square!"
Rover tilted her head. "So what do we do now?"
"Hit the hay, obviously," Chixia said with mock sternness. "Unless you're planning on sneaking off on some nightly adventures?"
Ignoring the innuendo Jeff stretched. "Bedtime it is."
"Yeah," Rover agreed quietly.
Yangyang looked at them with gentle concern. "Do you two have a place to stay?"
Rover nodded. "Sanhua prepared a room for us at City Hall."
Chixia let out a low whistle. "Talk about luxury! It must be nice living in the Magistrate's palace." She grinned. "Alright then, enough chatter. Let's get these two tucked away before the sun comes up."
Jeff raised a hand. "No need—we know the way."
"You sure?" Chixia arched her brow.
"Yeah," Rover said simply. "We'll see you tomorrow."
The two had only taken a few steps before Jeff stopped.
"Wait."
Yangyang and Chixia turned back.
Jeff pulled out the old Tyro pistol. The metal gleamed under the lamplight. He held it out toward Chixia, his expression earnest.
"Here. Thank you for lending this to me. It probably saved my life." He gestured toward the sleek pistol now strapped at his hip and the sword hanging from his belt omitting his rectifier for the time being."Uncle Wei hooked me up with new gear."
Chixia waved her hand dismissively, though her cheeks flushed faintly. "Don't worry about it. Just glad it helped."
Jeff turned his gaze to Yangyang. "And Uncle Wei told me to say hi."
Yangyang's lips curved into a small, fond smile. "Is that so? I'll visit him tomorrow. Thank him for looking out for you."
Jeff gave a final nod to Yangyang before turning back to Rover, the cool night air brushing against his skin. His steps slowed as his eyes found her again, lit faintly by the lantern glow spilling onto the street. For a moment, everything else in the world was ignored.
He extended his right hand toward her, palm open, his lips tugging into a lopsided smile.
"Will you grant the pleasure to this gentleman the privilege to escort a beautiful lady such as yourself home safely," he said, his tone half-teasing, half-earnest.
Rover blinked at him, caught off guard by the old-fashioned line. A laugh slipped out, soft and melodic, and she shook her head. "That's so cheesy," she murmured—yet her fingers brushed against his before curling into his hand as though they belonged there. The warmth of her touch was steady, grounding, almost achingly familiar.
Jeff's grin deepened, though he tried to hide how his chest tightened at the simple contact. Their hands fit together too perfectly, as if they'd done this countless times before in another life.
"Cheesy or not," he said, lowering his voice as they started walking side by side, "I mean it."
Rover's smile lingered, small and secret, as the city lights shimmered around them. The night seemed to hush, the rhythm of their footsteps syncing naturally, their shadows stretching long and intertwined across the pathway.
Neither of them knew why it felt so natural—so inevitable—but as they made their way toward City Hall, hand in hand unaware of how much their futures had already begun to entwine.