Chapter 1: The Cage of Life

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On the Winter Solstice, as the sun returns, the shadows grow long. Plum blossoms rejoice before willows can bloom. Clouds part, the clear scene is brisk and cold; along a snowy path, the chill fragrance is pressed beneath one’s steps.

That day was the Winter Solstice, at midnight, in the provincial hospital’s obstetrics department.

“Has the baby been born yet?” The grandfather, who had already chosen a name for the child, asked impatiently on the phone.

“She’s been in the delivery room for more than two hours,” Su Ming glanced at the operating room, feeling anxious. “It’s born, it’s born—wait, why is it so small?”

“It’s a boy. Both mother and child are safe.” A nurse, cradling a bundle, said to the waiting Su Ming. There seemed to be a trace of pity and sorrow on her face.

What was going on?

As Su Ming watched the nurse slowly carry the child to the nursery, an ominous feeling crept into his heart.

“It’s a grandson, I heard it! The nurse said it’s a boy, both are safe, wonderful!” The call ended in a burst of joyous exclamation.

An hour later, his wife was wheeled out of the operating room, tears still marking her face.

“Look at you, tears of happiness? Is this what a joyful new mother looks like?” Su Ming joked as he pushed his wife.

“My son, why is his fate so bitter? Wuu…” Wang Fang broke down in sobs.

She was crying for their son, Su Hao.

Su Ming’s heart skipped a beat. He asked urgently, “What’s wrong with our son? Wasn’t he just born? Could it be…”

When the nurse brought the baby for feeding, Su Ming looked at his son, Su Hao.

He had a head, a neck, and a torso, but no limbs. Where arms and legs should have grown, there were only four small fleshy stubs, as if fate had played a cruel joke, making him a clown both absurd and heartbreaking.

Yet, if one looked closely at those stubs, one would see them twitching now and then, as if striving to make some movement. Yes, that was how he “moved” his hands and feet.

“How could this happen?” Su Ming stood frozen, utterly bewildered.

“How could this happen?” Grandfather was incredulous.

“How could this happen?” Grandmother wept bitterly.

“How could this happen?” Aunt looked on with disdain.

Su Hao nursed, oblivious to it all.

Though his body was incomplete, his consciousness was tenacious and powerful, far surpassing ordinary people. To put it plainly, if the standard strength of normal consciousness was one, his initial strength was an astonishing twenty.

Believe it or not, this was the marvel of Su Hao. It was also why the Universal Environmental Agency chose him as their candidate for cultivation.

From shortly after birth until now, a mysterious teacher had accompanied him in his mind, teaching him tirelessly for nearly ten years.

Such tenacity and strength, coupled with nearly a decade of specialized training, had wrought earth-shattering changes.

Now, Su Hao’s quantified consciousness had reached one hundred—an eye-popping figure.

This teacher seemed to possess invisible magic, forcefully planting the seeds of knowledge in Su Hao’s mind, nurturing them until they grew into a towering tree.

Now, the level of knowledge Su Hao possessed would not lose to any so-called genius with a doctorate.

Any genius with a doctorate?

Yes, you read that right.

Perhaps one day Su Hao would possess superpowers, like telekinesis or telepathy.

Then, in his own way, he could conquer this world, earning the awe of those who once laughed at or looked down on him.

Isn’t that what all protagonists in stories do?

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Su Hao began to talk to himself again:

“Hey, buddy, do you know? Even though I have no limbs, my greatest regret in this life is never having truly felt the sensation of standing with both feet on the ground. That feeling of being steady and unshakable, it’s like a legendary treasure, forever out of reach.

I’ve never experienced running like the wind either. Is the rush of air past your ears like freedom humming quietly? I know what that must feel like, though I’ve never tasted it myself. I long to try it all.

My world is as small as a forgotten corner, just this narrow hospital bed. Above me is a monotonous blur so dull it could put anyone to sleep—I can’t even see the ceiling. I see no colors, hear no sounds, smell no scents, taste nothing, and feel no touch.

I want so much to experience these things.

When I realized all this, I thought perhaps it would be better to die, to end this tedious existence once and for all.

But every night, when all is silent, I sneak into my dream world. There, I am king.

Through a small window shaped by imagination, I chat with the stars at will. I ask them if the outside world truly has warm sunlight, gentle breezes like a mother’s hand, and endless meadows where one can run free.

Every time I finish, I feel warmth fill my heart, as if I had truly experienced those wonders.

I often question the reflection in the mirror, but you know? There is no actual mirror—only the reflection in my mother’s eyes, brimming with love and hope.

I can’t see anything more than a foot away; I know I’m in the hospital room, I know there’s a roof, but it’s too far for me to see.

I ask myself, why me? Why must fate be so cruel to me?

But every time I turn and see the love and hope in my parents’ eyes, it’s as if by magic, I am filled with strength again.

They have never given up on me, just as I have never given up on myself.

I long to be healthy, to run and laugh in the sunshine like other children, to feel the beauty of life.

That feeling of freedom must be like tasting the sweetest candy in the world—so intoxicating, you can never get enough.”

These were Su Hao’s inner words, unspoken and unheard by anyone.

His mind was like a cosmic black hole, always full of wild ideas and whimsical thoughts.

He fantasized about becoming a superhero one day, with miraculous powers to defeat those hateful diseases and make them tremble at his presence.

He hoped to invent a marvelous machine that, with the press of a button, would instantly restore him to health.

Then he would run through the town, astonishing everyone, leaving jaws dropped in disbelief.

Of course, these ideas could only circle in his mind, like birds that would never escape their cage.

Yet, it was these very dreams that gave him endless courage and drive, allowing him to stay optimistic in the face of hardship, like a star that never goes out, shining in the darkness.

“Class is starting.”

A sweet female voice sounded in Su Hao’s mind, but to him, it was the whisper of a demon.

“Another knowledge download—every time it feels like my brain is about to explode.”

Su Hao’s frightened expression was caught by his mother.

She believed her husband Su Ming’s words now—her child truly feared something.

She stroked Su Hao’s head and whispered dotingly in his ear, “Don’t be afraid, Hao’er. Mommy is here.”

“Mom, you can’t solve my problem. But it’s all right—I’m used to it.”

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Su Hao responded in silence, but it did nothing to ease his pain.

That tormenting knowledge download made him feel as if he were dying and being reborn.

No, something was different today—it was much worse.

“This is a make-up lesson. You’ve been too playful lately, so today we have to catch up.” The once sweet female voice now seemed utterly expressionless to Su Hao.

“I really suspect that every time, it’s your knowledge download that jolts me awake from my dreams with pain. Just as I get sleepy, I’m woken again by pain—is that what you call being playful?”

“Su Hao, you’re complaining too much today!” The sweet voice gently rebuked him.

“Too much? Just two sentences, is that too much? Fine, I want to ask—though I’ve asked tens of thousands of times and you never answer, so forget it.”

Su Hao shook his head helplessly; it was the most forceful gesture he could manage, and so he expressed his deepest disappointment.

“Call me the Universal Environmental Agency.”

There was a slight tremor of excitement in the female voice.

“Universal Environmental Agency? You can finally tell me—though I didn’t manage to ask. But that’s not a person’s name! There’s something unusual in your voice; I hear it.”

Su Hao mused in his mind.

“No, it’s not a name. It’s my identity. You’ll understand in time.
You heard it—I’m so glad. Soon your parents will invite me to be your private tutor. My body will appear before you, a real teacher you can see.”

The voice from the Universal Environmental Agency was sweet and beautiful, but to Su Hao, it was still the whisper of a demon.

“No, please, don’t! If you openly become my teacher, that’s the most terrifying thing. Just end me instead.”

Su Hao screamed in his mind, but no one heard—except perhaps the demon.

There was no answer.

In the silence, so deep one could hear time pass, Su Hao’s thoughts were suddenly torn by an abrupt sound, a cold, metallic voice exploding in his mind:

[Cleaner Qualification Exam, two hours to prepare! Countdown begins—ding! Two hours exactly.]

Immediately, a jarring crimson flashed deep in his consciousness—a number, ticking down in a relentless countdown—1:59.

In a blink, the number dropped to 1:58, mercilessly announcing the passage of time.

“A cleaner? What kind of existence is that?”

Su Hao cried out in his heart, knowing no one would answer, yet unable to keep from shouting, as if that would dispel the sudden absurdity and fear.

Then, the familiar, melodious voice of the Universal Environmental Agency sounded again, carrying a subtle chill beneath its usual gentleness:

[A cleaner is an executor who traverses the universe to maintain balance and order—a position of utmost importance, though little known.
Right now, there is a vacancy waiting to be filled, and you, Su Hao, have been chosen as a candidate.
But first, you must pass the upcoming test.
If you succeed, you will gain the glory and freedom to travel the universe and explore the unknown.]

Su Hao’s heart plummeted, as if weighed down by a thousand-pound stone, making it hard to breathe.

“I, this frozen stick of a person, what role can I possibly play in the vast sea of stars? I don’t want to roam the universe; I only wish for health and a long life.”

Su Hao cried out wordlessly in his heart, his silent wish unheard by anyone.