Chapter 139: Ripples in the Sea of Light

I’ve Met Many Geniuses, But They All Call Me a Genius

The sea of light rippled at the touch, Lin Mo's palm now covered with scattered flecks of light as if holding melted stardust. Suddenly, he heard rustling behind him and looked down to see that same petal which had once landed on his hand—now suspended in midair, transformed into a slender ribbon of light gently coiling around his wrist.

"It's a beacon left by Mr. Lin Chen," the crystal craftsman's voice trembled. "The roots of Stardust Flowers record the strongest obsessions. He's been waiting for you to come."

The seed inside the tin can had cracked open unnoticed, a tender green sprout breaking through its shell and stretching toward the sea of light. The star crystal bouquets held by the children suddenly glowed in unison, luminous fluid flowing between fragments to form tiny streams that meandered across the mine floor, finally gathering into a small luminous pool before the star crystal monument. More images floated on its surface: Lin Chen teaching children to identify Stardust Flower growth cycles, an old man carrying him through storm-ravaged mining zones, robots repairing his worn protective suit late at night...

The energy core's hum abruptly lengthened like a forgotten melody. The holographic star map's rings began contracting as luminous bands followed ore veins underground before emerging beneath the monument's base. The names engraved there—miners, children, outpost members—lit up one by one, finally spelling Lin Chen's name at the pinnacle.

"He said he'd make Harmony Dust Star grow flowers that glow," the little girl with pigtails suddenly spoke up, tiny hands clutching her clothes tightly. "He promised that once they bloomed, no one would ever get lost again."

Lin Mo bent down to pick up the withered Stardust Flowers, their edges now slowly spreading with fluorescence as golden light powder seeped from dried veins. He remembered the journal's final words: "Light travels along roots, just as longing always finds its way." Not romantic imagination after all—but a path his brother had spent three years paving.

The robot's optical lens turned toward the tunnel entrance where dawn light now flowed in, weaving with the sea of light into warm gold. The sprout in the tin can had already produced tiny buds, stardust sap swirling across petals like scattered pieces of the Milky Way.

"Time to go home," Lin Mo murmured, placing the revitalized Stardust Flower into the luminous pool. As ripples spread, all light tracks suddenly pulsed in unison—the entire Harmony Dust Star seeming to breathe gently.

Children cheered and ran toward the tunnel entrance while the old man followed holding the tin can. The note at its opening fluttered in the wind, revealing Lin Chen's neat handwriting on the reverse side: "Brother, there's light here now."

Lin Mo took one last look at the star crystal monument where the silhouette in the light's depths still waved at him—only this time, that figure gradually merged with the sea of light, becoming the brightest strand within the Stardust Flowers. The luminous band around his wrist tightened slightly before dissolving into his pulse—like a promise that would never fade.

At the tunnel entrance, the first blooming Stardust Flower swayed gently in dawn's breeze, luminous particles cascading to form meandering trails that spread toward every corner of the star system.