"Do you know about the Tyndall effect?" Si Chengyou asked.
"I do. You wrote about it for me in the second chapter of my required chemistry textbook," Shen Yue replied. She was already immune to Si Chengyou's ability to accurately cite content he had read. He simply continued, "Seawater also exhibits the Tyndall effect."
Looking out at the endless azure before them, Shen Yue answered, "Seawater contains impurities and is not pure, so it can indeed achieve the solution characteristics of a colloid."
The sunlight now was just right, even burning her skin a little. Shen Yue noticed that under the true sunlight, Si Chengyou looked even paler than usual inside the prison.
Ghostly pale.
"Would you like to see the Tyndall effect in seawater?" Si Chengyou asked.
"What's there to see?"
"You can see the shape of light."
Staring at the sea just one step away, Shen Yue asked, "If I jump in, will I sink to the bottom?"
Si Chengyou shook his head. "No, I'll hold onto you."
"No one from Flightless Bird is trustworthy."
"When someone is strong enough, they become trustworthy in front of you. You should know clearly in your heart whether I would do anything to harm you now."
Shen Yue nodded solemnly and said lightly, "Then I'll jump."
She had just turned to jump into the sea when Si Chengyou grabbed her hand. For once, Shen Yue heard a touch of chaos in Si Chengyou's breathing. "Don't jump so hastily. Put on goggles and wear this outer clothing so your regular clothes don't get wet."
Shen Yue gave Si Chengyou a look, also noticing the prison guard handing over equipment behind him. A strange feeling suddenly arose within her.
The preparations were quite thorough.
She took the goggles and randomly pulled on the clothing, still not heeding Si Chengyou's words. "Hold onto me tightly."
Having said that, she plunged headfirst into the seawater, leaving only one wrist still clutched in Si Chengyou's palm.
The instant her entire body was submerged by water, the only sound beside her ears was the flow of water, as if the world had suddenly been put in slow motion and everything became different.
Shen Yue didn't open her eyes. In the frigid seawater, she felt a desire to slumber in the blue abyss, to stay in this world that belonged only to her.
But just then, she heard a voice, an indistinct voice that nevertheless made her reopen her eyes.
"Shen Yue, do you see it?"
Following the voice, Shen Yue slowly opened her eyes. Then through the jade waves she saw the light—not just its shape, but its color as well.
When her lung capacity was nearly depleted, Shen Yue returned to shore, still gripped by Si Chengyou's hand.
She sat by the shore, her mind continuously flashing back to the stunning sight she had witnessed in that instant.
What does seawater taste like?
Salty.
What color is light?
An unignorable color through the blue mirror.
"Did you see it?" Si Chengyou didn't know where he produced a towel from, drying Shen Yue's hair with one hand while asking with the other.
Shen Yue allowed Si Chengyou to fuss over her and answered, "I saw it."
"What did you think?"
"Very beautiful."
Although Shen Yue didn't turn back, she knew Si Chengyou smiled upon hearing her answer.
Then, an extremely gentle voice sounded by her ear, as if reminiscing about something, yet warm enough to melt all frost: "There are still many sights like this in the world."
Shen Yue tilted her head back to look at Si Chengyou. "Aren't you going to watch?"
Si Chengyou blocked Shen Yue's eyes with the towel, whether intentionally or not. "I really like the ocean, but I won't jump into it."
After drying Shen Yue's hair, Si Chengyou returned the towel and equipment to the prison guard.
He called to Shen Yue, "Let's go back. I'll take you to see other sights if there's a chance in the future."
Shen Yue took one final look at the sea before turning to follow Si Chengyou back into the prison.
Later, under Si Chengyou's recommendation, Shen Yue began learning some combat skills from a certain military expert in Cell Block 7.
For example, what to do if the opponent has a gun but you don't have time to grab your weapon.
Or what to do if there is a bombing zone up ahead but enemies behind you.
As well as how to quickly disassemble and assemble bombs and machine guns, identify danger zones, and more.
When Shen Yue asked why Si Chengyou knew so much about her own cell block's inmates, he answered quite frankly—the reason was that this military specialist's favorite toys could only be obtained by Si Chengyou.
What toys do you ask?
Bombs, of course.
Art is an explosion!
Behind Cell Block 7 there was a specially designated open area for this genius to play in.
Originally, the genius had always felt very lonely without anyone to play with bombs with him. But ever since Si Chengyou introduced Shen Yue, he felt much happier.
He never expected the leader of Cell Block 7 to be willing to play with him! Ordinary people were scared of bombs, yet here was the leader not only unafraid but even wanting to learn how to dismantle them.
Simply awesome!
Thus, when the personnel for this external mission were finalized, Shen Yue's name was on the list.
Such is the success of exam-oriented education.
Her combat skills were non-existent, yet she passed the tests fair and square.
It was only then that Shen Yue realized she would only need to hide behind the battlefield and strategize.
Moreover, she could watch the live footage transmitted back from the battlefield and follow the real-time situation from the base.
When Shen Yue set off, Si Chengyou exhorted her to just watch.
Shen Yue nodded and indeed kept silent, only watching.
Among the people headed there this time, Cell Block 7 only sent Shen Yue and that genius buddy, while the rest were mostly from Cell Block 2 and Cell Block 8, along with the poor Aipulier, the intelligence head.
Cell Block 8 had silver tongues, responsible for persuading surrender. The people from Cell Block 2 were truly battlefield-tested, with extremely strong combat command and field experience. As for the genius, Shen Yue, and Aipulier—they were just themselves.
Once this group left Flightless Bird, the divisions between ruler and cell block ceased to exist. The only difference now lay in how much each could contribute to the mission.
A thoroughly dissatisfied look covered Aipulier's face. For Aipulier, whose life ranked first and foremost, what this battlefield mission signified was already abundantly clear.
For some reason, ever since leaving prison, Aipulier had completely clung to Shen Yue's side. No matter how Shen Yue frightened her with dangerous looks or deliberately made things difficult for her, Aipulier could not be driven off.
In Aipulier's words, she would stay wherever was safest—no one could shake her!
Soon, the helicopter seemed to reach its destination. Looking down from above, all Shen Yue saw was devastation as far as the eye could see.
Ruined buildings and rubble everywhere, not a trace of life.
She had just gotten off the plane when she heard the desperate, hysterical screams nearby.
"My child...my child... He's only two! He...!"
A gunshot rang out and the voice abruptly ceased.
Shen Yue turned to look, only catching sight of disheveled dirty hair and the bloodstained struggle left on the ground.
No one took notice—for death was the most common tragic sight of war.
Remembering Si Chengyou's words, Shen Yue didn't say anything, though she did falter slightly upon entering the interior of the base before swiftly regaining her composure.
Aipulier squeezed next to Shen Yue and whispered, "This is why I don't like coming to the front lines. It's especially disgusting and filthy, plus the screams are creepy."
Shen Yue glanced at Aipulier. "This is my first time. Can you tell me more?"
Aipulier: ?
Can I take back what I just said?
