Thursday afternoon, Li Wei finished his last class of the week earlier than usual.
As students packed their bags, Chen Ming stretched and groaned.
"Finally. My brain needs a break."
Li Wei zipped his backpack.
"You say that every day."
"That's because my brain suffers every day."
Wang Jun leaned over from the next seat.
"Are you guys going to the robotics lab tonight?"
Chen Ming shook his head.
"Nope. I'm sleeping for twelve hours."
Li Wei stood up.
"I'm going home this weekend."
Chen Ming looked surprised.
"Your hometown?"
"Yeah."
"Lucky. Real home cooking."
Chen Ming sighed dramatically.
"I miss my mom's food."
"Then visit home," Li Wei said.
"Too far."
Chen Ming waved lazily.
"Bring snacks when you come back."
"I'll think about it."
Two hours later, Li Wei stood at the intercity train station.
Linhai City's transportation hub was massive.
High-speed trains arrived and departed every few minutes, connecting cities across the region.
Passengers moved quickly through the bright station halls.
Li Wei carried a small backpack and waited near the boarding gate.
Going home wasn't something he did every week, but occasionally visiting felt good.
Sometimes it helped clear his mind.
The train ride took about ninety minutes.
Outside the window, the massive skyline of Linhai gradually faded into smaller towns, green fields, and scattered industrial parks.
Eventually the train slowed as it approached a quieter city.
Ronghe City.
Compared to Linhai, Ronghe felt much smaller and slower.
Which was exactly why Li Wei liked returning sometimes.
When he stepped out of the station, the air smelled faintly of oil and metal from nearby factories.
He walked along familiar streets toward a modest neighborhood.
After ten minutes, he reached a small two-story building.
A sign outside read:
Li Jian Mechanical Repair
The metal workshop door was open.
Inside, sparks flew as someone worked on a large machine.
Li Wei stepped inside.
"Dad."
The man working at the machine turned around.
Li Jian wiped grease from his hands with a cloth.
"You're back."
His tone was calm but warm.
Li Jian was a tall man with rough hands and a quiet personality.
He rarely talked much, but his actions always spoke clearly.
"Business still busy?" Li Wei asked.
"Machines always break."
"That's good for business."
Li Jian gave a small nod.
From inside the house connected to the workshop, another voice appeared.
"Xiao Wei?"
Li Wei's mother walked out of the doorway.
Li Lan smiled immediately when she saw him.
"You finally came home."
She walked over and lightly tapped his shoulder.
"You look thinner."
"I was here two months ago."
"Still thinner."
Li Wei didn't argue.
A few seconds later, another person rushed down the stairs from the house.
"Brother!"
Li Yue appeared wearing casual home clothes and holding a math workbook.
She stopped in front of him and looked carefully.
"You look the same."
Li Wei smiled slightly.
"That's good, right?"
"I guess."
She crossed her arms.
"But if my math score drops next exam, I will blame you."
Li Wei sighed.
"I already sent the notes."
"Yes, but explanations might still be needed."
Li Jian looked between them.
"Homework discussion later. Dinner first."
Li Lan nodded immediately.
"Food is ready."
Soon the small dining table filled with simple home-cooked dishes.
Fried vegetables.
Braised pork.
Hot soup.
Nothing fancy.
But after eating cafeteria food for weeks, it tasted excellent.
Li Yue kept talking about school.
"Everyone is stressed about the entrance exam," she complained. "Half the class looks like zombies."
"You'll survive," Li Wei said.
"Easy for you to say."
"You passed it already."
"That doesn't mean I remember the suffering."
Li Jian ate quietly for a while before asking a question.
"How is university?"
"Good," Li Wei replied.
"Classes are manageable."
Li Jian nodded slowly.
"Learn properly."
"I will."
That was the longest advice he usually gave.
After dinner, Li Wei stepped outside the house for some fresh air.
The neighborhood was quiet at night.
Street lights illuminated the small road.
He leaned slightly against the railing near the workshop.
Then he opened the Archive Map again.
Something new appeared.
Several faint markers existed around Ronghe City.
Not as many as Linhai.
But still a few.
One marker blinked nearby.
Ronghe Municipal Historical Archive
Distance: 1.3 km.
Li Wei raised an eyebrow.
"So even here…"
The Archive network clearly wasn't limited to major cities.
It spread everywhere information had been stored.
He closed the interface.
Tomorrow might be a good time to explore.
Meanwhile—
Far away in Linhai City—
Su Yan sat inside the monitoring office reviewing new data.
One technician reported something unusual.
"The suspected subject left the city this afternoon."
Su Yan looked up.
"Where did he go?"
The technician pointed to the screen.
"Ronghe City."
Su Yan leaned back slightly.
"That's his hometown."
Another technician spoke.
"If the pattern continues, he may activate another node there."
Su Yan smiled faintly.
"Then we should watch carefully."
Back in Ronghe—
Li Wei returned inside the house.
Li Yue was already waiting at the table with math problems.
"Sit."
Li Wei looked at the thick workbook.
"You're serious about blaming me, aren't you?"
"Very."
Li Wei sat down.
For the next hour, the mysterious Archive user simply became an older brother helping his sister with homework.
For the moment…
Life remained completely ordinary.