Genius Chapter 176: Reunion

Chapter 176: Reunion

Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

Su Zhixing looked at the child before him, feeling the emotions he thought he had controlled, nearly breaking down at that moment. He walked over to the child, embraced the now-grown kid, and said hoarsely, “It’s Dad, Momo. Both Dad and Mom have come back.”

Su Mo felt a bit dazed. As he struggled to distinguish between dream and reality, he sensed his father’s trembling arms around him and the warm breath on his neck… These incredibly real sensations were something he couldn’t feel in a dream.

At that moment, he realized this wasn’t some fleeting dream; his parents had truly returned.

“I…” Su Mo’s mind was in chaos, with many questions he couldn’t bring himself to ask.

He looked towards the distance for help, meeting Yu Zhen’s gaze.

Chen Shanxue stood in the kitchen, quietly wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes. She said softly, “Quick, put more clothes on the child. Don’t let him stand; the floor is so cold. He hasn’t had a fever again, has he…”

“Right, right…” Su Zhixing placed the slippers in front of Su Mo, then hurriedly grabbed a coat that was casually draped over the sofa and draped it over Su Mo’s shoulders. He guided him to sit on the sofa and said gently, “Son, sit down. Are you hungry? Your mother is cooking, and you’ll be able to eat soon.”

Su Mo looked at his father with confusion and then at his mother in the distance…

He had many questions: why had his parents returned at this time after the incident? What had they experienced over the past decade? What had really happened to the spaceship back then? While he was still trying to understand these things, he felt like he was in a sugar jar, dazed yet a bit frightened. He was afraid to reach out, afraid that this reality would become unfamiliar.

The father and son sat on the sofa, and Su Zhixing noticed the child’s silence.

“Zhixing, come here for a moment,” Chen Shanxue’s voice called out.

Su Zhixing patted the child’s hand, saying, “You stay here. I’ll see if your mother needs any help.”

Su Mo replied with a quiet “Okay.”

Su Zhixing quickly went to the kitchen and stood side by side with his wife, listening to her softened voice.

Chen Shanxue said, “You need to give the child time.”

“I know,” Su Zhixing replied, staring at the ingredients on the countertop. “It pains me to see him like this. I just want to look at him as much as I can.”

After finishing his work handover the previous night, he had rushed home, only to find out that their child had a fever. He witnessed the robot Lele and Su Mo’s friend Yu Zhen running tests and recording data, and he contacted Su Mo’s primary doctor. On the way home, he had thought about a lot and prepared himself to reaccept and understand his child anew. But no matter how much preparation he had made, seeing Su Mo lying in bed with a fever had nearly broken his heart…

The medicine cabinet in the living room was filled with Su Mo’s medications, some of which he recognized and some he did not. Various emergency medicines were almost filling the cabinet, along with several instruments whose names he couldn’t recall. Their child had not gone through the Star Alliance’s adoption process; for years, he had lived alone, and when he was ill or hospitalized, there was no one to take care of him except for himself. These reminders were all indications of their failure as parents. For him, it had been just five years, but for Su Mo, it had been a real loss of over a decade.

Even though they had returned and were seeing their child, who had grown from a small child into an adult, it was still somewhat unfamiliar. They knew that re-engaging with their child after such a long separation would be strange and that some missed moments couldn’t be made up for. Yet, despite this, he still wanted to be good to his child…

To make up for those lost years.

“He is so understanding,” Su Zhixing said with his head lowered. “A-Xue, it hurts so much.”

Chen Shanxue didn’t speak, only placing her hand gently on her husband’s.

***

The aroma wafted from the kitchen. Su Mo sat on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the two busy figures in the kitchen.

Yu Zhen quietly sat down next to him, opening a terminal to a specific page and placing it in front of Su Mo. “The news came out today. The announcement about B2145’s entire crew returning was made this morning at the Star Alliance official press conference. The details of the accident that can be revealed are all here.”

Su Mo’s eyes lingered on the page. He stared at the news headline for a long time before patiently scrolling through the detailed reports on the webpage. It outlined the general course of events, the opportunity for restarting the rescue, the problems encountered during the rescue, and the reasons behind the accident… The text provided a straightforward account of the entire incident.

“This is all true,” Yu Zhen said, holding Su Mo’s hand with care. “Rescue operations have been ongoing for the past two weeks. From the moment we received the news, the rescue team and research center have been working non-stop. But receiving the news and successfully rescuing are two different things. This operation has been conducted in secrecy until the rescue team’s spacecraft returned to Capital Planet last night, at which point the Star Alliance made the news public.”

Su Mo spoke in a hushed voice, “Brother, have you known about this all along?”

He wasn’t foolish. The news timeline was very clear, and the final list of assisting units included the research team from the Firmament Group.

Recalling the recent events and his parents’ return home last night, he understood that Yu Zhen had a significant role in these matters.

“Don’t be afraid. This is all real.”

Yu Zhen spoke softly, “Are you happy…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the young man in front of him suddenly turned and hugged him.

The youth’s forehead rested against his shoulder, and there was a faint scent of medicine on him. The warm breath spread across his neck.

Yu Zhen couldn’t help but raise his hand, feeling the slight trembling of the body in his arms. He gently patted Su Mo’s back and continued to explain the details of the B2145 spaceship incident. From the details of the rescue to the causes of the accident, his explanation was more comforting than the cold news text, and he made sure to cover all the details that should have been told to Su Mo.

“Don’t be afraid. You should be happy,” Yu Zhen said gently. “Your mother is very caring. On the way back yesterday, she kept asking me about you. She was worried she wouldn’t recognize you when she got home and wanted to see your photos. She was concerned about you being upset or sad, so she kept asking me what you like now. They never gave up on coming back over the years, and they’ve been trying every way they could to be back with you.”

“The smoothness of the rescue was not only due to our efforts. It was completed so quickly because the B2145 spaceship had been persistent and continuously tried to communicate with the Star Alliance Command Center. That’s why our response signal was received promptly. If the timing had been wrong, this rescue mission could have taken months or even years.”

All the unreal aspects seemed to settle at this moment.

Though it was just a simple breakfast, Chen Shanxue seemed intent on making up for the years of absence.

The once empty dining room was now filled with two more people, and the lively atmosphere seemed to fill the entire home. The talkative father chatted with Yu Zhen, learning about the changes in Capital Planet over the years, while the gentle mother kept adding more food to Su Mo’s bowl until it formed a small mountain, and she didn’t forget to ladle soup for him.

“So, will the project team work restart after the new year?” Su Zhixing asked.

Yu Zhen replied, “Yes, our entire team participated in the rescue work, which also provided valuable experience for our subsequent system setup. We’ll focus on re-establishing the algorithm framework for jump drives and safety issues.”

Experience could be summarized later, rather than being gained through full participation.

Su Zhixing knew that for such project teams, time was money. The fundamental reason for involving a commercial research team in the rescue was the genuine dedication of the creative team to the rescue efforts, not just the so-called valuable experience. He picked up his tea and said, “On behalf of all the members of the B2145 crew, I thank you for your assistance. If you ever need any help in the future, please feel free to ask.”

Yu Zhen replied, “You’re too kind.”

Su Zhixing found chatting with the young man very pleasant. Yu Zhen was accomplished and of good character, and there was not much of a generation gap in their conversation. Plus, since he was his son’s good friend, Su Zhixing found himself liking Yu Zhen more and more as they talked, leading to a longer conversation than he had initially planned.

Lele sat at the table, paying attention to the host’s food intake while observing the interaction between Mr. Yu Zhen and the main host.

It thought to itself how peculiar human interactions could be, noting how seldom it saw Mr. Yu Zhen so reserved.

Su Zhixing said, “Looking at the date, the New Year is approaching. Make sure to spend time with your family.”

“I will,” Yu Zhen replied. “The research center’s work will be wrapped up, and we’ll resume work after the New Year.”

Speaking of the New Year, Lele suddenly remembered something. It said, “Su Mo! We don’t have enough New Year’s goods at home.”

It expressed some frustration, “I only bought enough for three people, and the store selling New Year’s goods is closed.”

In the past, New Year’s goods were custom-ordered from a specific factory in Huaxia, which was both inexpensive and high-quality. However, the factory’s owner would close for the holidays, and now there was no way to order online.

Chen Shanshu heard this and smiled slightly. “Silly Lele, it’s not the New Year yet. There’s still time to prepare. The stores on StarNet should still be open. I remember there used to be a large intelligent mall in this Vicinity. I wonder if it’s still around.”

Lele said, “It is!”

Chen Shanshu replied, “Then buy it later on StarNet. The robots from their store should deliver quickly.”

Su Zhixing said, “With the New Year coming, the house needs some tidying up. Right, right, we need to put up the ‘Fu’ characters and Spring Festival couplets.”

“I didn’t buy any Spring Festival couplets,” Su Mo said.

Chen Shanshu said, “There should be red paper in the intelligent mall. Your dad can write them. Let him handle it.”

After dinner, Su Mo curled up on the sofa to rest, watching his parents busying themselves nearby.

Having just had a fever the day before, he felt a bit sleepy after eating and soon fell asleep on the sofa.

Seeing this, Yu Zhen covered him with a blanket and checked his temperature again, relieved to find he no longer had a fever. Seeing Su Zhixing busy nearby, he went over to see if there was anything he could help with. The Su family’s home hadn’t changed much, except for Su Mo’s laboratory. Su Zhixing entered his child’s lab for the first time. Even though Su Mo had said it was fine and asked him to just look around, seeing the partially assembled machinery and the parts on the cabinets, Su Zhixing felt a mix of pride and heartache.

Mechanical forging was outside Su Zhixing’s expertise, so he didn’t dare touch his child’s things.

Fortunately, Yu Zhen came along. He was familiar with these things and helped out nearby.

“Why are these two boxes here?” Su Zhixing noticed the two boxes under the glass cabinet. They didn’t seem to belong in the laboratory at all.

Yu Zhen saw them too and suddenly recalled Su Mo’s hesitation in front of the boxes that day. He said, “They should be his belongings. Let’s not move them for now.”

Su Zhixing replied, “I understand.”

He hadn’t paid much attention earlier, but now that he took a closer look, he realized the two boxes seemed somewhat familiar, especially the smaller one.

He recognized it as the box he had made himself for Su Mo’s toys years ago.

“The study and laboratory are connected. There are some ancient books stored in the back,” Yu Zhen explained. “He occasionally likes to go to the back to read.”

Su Zhixing walked around, feeling a surge of emotions. The large desk from the study was still there, and underneath it was a dusty box filled with research materials from the years he and his wife had spent. The desk surface had been cleaned, and his favorite fountain pen was still there… Even after so many years, Su Mo had preserved everything from home in his own way. Even though these things were of no use to him, he had never thought of discarding them.

Yu Zhen noticed Su Zhixing’s emotional change.

“It needs to be cleaned up,” Su Zhixing said. “It’s gotten so dusty, it’s making my eyes sting.”

Yu Zhen didn’t speak, just continued to help out.

Lele, being a very diligent robot, didn’t miss a single corner of the house.

***

After Su Mo woke up, he noticed some changes around the house. It was lively and filled with red decorations. For the first time in years, he felt this kind of bustle.

Dinner was also prepared by Chen Shanxue. She knew about Su Mo’s dietary restrictions and had learned some recipes from Yu Zhen, trying her best to make delicious food for her child.

After dinner, Yu Zhen got up to leave.

“Are you leaving already?” Su Zhixing said. “Stay and have some tea.”

Yu Zhen replied, “I don’t want to impose. There’s communication from home.”

“Xiao Yu, wait a moment,” Chen Shanxue said as she went to another room and came back with a special pendant. “This stone is an F1474 energy stone, which your uncle polished himself. While this type of energy stone isn’t very useful, it emits a special energy that’s beneficial for the body.”

They had polished these stones during their leisure time in the Eternal Winter Star Territory. Although this type of energy stone couldn’t be used in spaceship energy systems, it was a unique gemstone.

Because of its special energy, it was good for nurturing the child’s constitution, so they had made many of them.

Yu Zhen said, “It’s too valuable.”

“Take it,” Chen Shanxue insisted. “We have plenty more at home.”

In the end, Yu Zhen had no choice but to accept it.

“I’ll see him out,” Su Mo said as he got up to follow Yu Zhen.

Once they reached the entrance, Yu Zhen noticed the puzzled look in Su Mo’s eyes and said softly, “You should go back inside. It’s cold out here, and you aren’t wearing enough.”

“Aren’t you staying?” Su Mo asked with clear eyes. “It’s snowing heavily outside. Why not stay until tomorrow?”

Yu Zhen adjusted Su Mo’s coat, “If I stay, does that mean I’ll be sleeping on the sofa tonight?”

Su Mo replied straightforwardly, “There’s a bed.”

“Momo, you need to give me some time.”

While adjusting the coat, Yu Zhen secretly kissed Su Mo on the cheek and said, “See you in the game tonight. I’m heading back now.”

As the door to the entrance closed, Chen Shanxue walked over and asked, “Did Xiao Yu leave?”

“Yes,” Su Mo replied, his heart racing. For the first time, he felt a different kind of nervousness as he looked at the closed door.

After eight o’clock that evening, once Lele confirmed Su Mo’s temperature was normal, Su Mo got the chance to play the game.

“Is this loader safe for your body?” Su Zhixing asked as he watched Su Mo fiddle with the loader in his hands. He knew that F-class individuals shouldn’t use loaders. “Is this really suitable for F-class?”

Chen Shanxue, holding the instruction manual, asked with concern, “Is there medical coverage?”

Lele kindly explained the safety data of the F-class loader to the two parents.

After getting their permission, Su Mo was allowed to log into the game. However, while he was logging in, his parents were still examining the details of the loader. It was only after Lele explained that the loader was developed by Yu Zhen’s project team that Su Mo’s initial anxiety subsided.

Yu Zhen, despite his youth, appeared very reliable, and given that his project team could handle intricate details like response positioning, the loader seemed to be safe. Chen Shanxue felt reassured. “The research institute gave us a few months off to adjust. During this time, we should spend more time with the child. I need to organize some materials; the Director sent over some research data and suggested we choose a project to gradually adjust after we settle in. Zhixing, are you listening?”

Su Zhixing watched the child, who had closed his eyes while using the loader. “I feel like the child still finds us a bit unfamiliar.”

Chen Shanxue said, “We have a long road ahead. We should spend more time with him.”

Su Zhixing replied, “I thought I would have the chance to be there for him as he grows up after coming back. I wonder how he managed on his own when he was at school… Did he face difficulties? I heard that doing research on mechanical forging is particularly exhausting and not very safe. How did he cope on his own…”

Chen Shanxue said, “You should trust him more. The child chose his own field of study; he has his own ideas.”

“I know, but I don’t know what he likes now… Lele mentioned he just turned 19 and will be 20 next year.”

Su Zhixing said with some sadness, “I have no idea about his interests and hobbies. Just now, while he was sitting on the sofa, I didn’t even know what kind of music he likes now. Does he like mecha like other boys?”

The two of them stopped, feeling the weight of time’s passage and realizing how much they had missed of their child’s growth.

“Su Mo has recently been very fond of playing games!” Lele’s voice broke the silence. He seriously told the two parents, “Su Mo has recently developed a particular interest in games.”

Su Zhixing looked momentarily stunned and began searching for holographic games on his terminal. He hesitated slightly, saying, “I remember he was playing Celestial Horizon, right? Does it require an account card? Is logging in done with a loader? Is there a difference between a game loader and a regular loader?”

Chen Shanxue turned to the robot, “Lele, do you know?”

Lele enthusiastically helped with the search, “I know!”

Meanwhile, Su Mo was unaware that his parents had already started searching for the Celestial Horizon loader.

As soon as he logged in, he received a party invitation from ScarletFruit. Upon joining the party, he heard ScarletFruit’s excited voice:

—”Bro, did you know? You’ve become a huge player on the forums!”