Alantia

The planet Alantia, 70% of which is covered by seawater, is protected by a constantly shifting magnetic field, making it difficult for any foreign object to enter or leave. This planet is inhabited by a group of intelligent beings with animalistic characteristics, known as Beastman. Due to the peculiar and randomly changing magnetic field, many regions experience extreme weather, and some even experience continental drift. Although the planet's civilization has achieved cold fusion nuclear energy, which is used in daily life, the inhabitants cannot escape the planet's gravity to explore the stars. With technological advancements and resource exploitation, the planet's capacity to support Beastman has reached saturation, even exceeding its capacity. Less developed smaller nations are being annexed by powerful neighbors, wars are constantly breaking out, and refugees are frequently reported in the news. The emergence of a government alliance has somewhat integrated this large-scale warfare, but only somewhat... ... "Lidi!" Lidi was jolted awake from his slumber by his superior's voice. The previously lively meeting room suddenly fell silent, everyone turning to look at Lidi. Under their gazes, Lidi wished he could disappear. Only then did Lidi remember he was still in a meeting. For some reason, listening to General Manager Wency's report and questions, his eyelids kept drooping, making him look sleep-deprived. Finally, he unconsciously started snoring. "Lidi, why don't you go wash your face before coming back in?" The speaker was Lidi's boss, Wency, a raven-beastman. Seeing his boss's helpless expression as he told him to wash his face, Lidi knew he was in trouble. "Okay..." Lidi had no choice but to leave the meeting room to wake himself up before returning to the meeting. The colleagues watched Lidi leave, then began whispering amongst themselves again. "Seriously, how can someone fall asleep in such a big setting?" "Well, what can you do? He's CEO's godson." "Sitting so close to the front and still daring to fish, these young people these days..." "Alright, all of you, quiet down. Let's continue what we were saying, the product defect rate from last season..." After Wency's reprimand, the meeting resumed, but even so, a few colleagues secretly started a group chat on their laptops, continuing their gossip. Lidi was in the restroom, constantly washing his face and rubbing his eyes, looking wearily at himself in the mirror—a red fox with messy fur and bloodshot eyes. The whispers between his colleagues sounded like thunder to him; he heard every single word clearly. "Ugh, what's wrong with me lately? I've been going to bed early, and I even drank espresso just now..." Although as a "night fox," the night is his domain, this is the 21st century; who still uses being a nocturnal animal as an excuse? He'd always lived a life of daytime activity and nighttime sleep, a vestigial animal instinct long gone. But for some reason, he still felt this drowsy feeling, like that time he went three days and three nights without sleep when he was younger—weak all over, his head spinning, feeling awful. This had been going on for almost a week. It seemed he'd have to take a day off and go to the hospital soon. Hopefully, it wasn't a terminal illness but just some kind of stress... Just as Lidi was wiping his face with a towel, his left ear twitched. He could clearly hear Xiaolan's phone ringing from the customer service desk outside the restroom. "Enough! I told you we're done. I don't care if you starve or not!" "Oh, baby, don't be so heartless~ Are we just going to let our six months of dating end like this? I know you get cold easily at night~" "You...you're disgusting! I'm not cold, you were the one who insisted on keeping me warm, and then..." Hearing this, Lidi wished he had not such good hearing. This tendency to eavesdrop on conversations started happening as frequently as his drowsiness. While some beastmen train specifically for it, or are born with superhuman hearing, Lidi didn't consider himself one of those beastmen. It was all just a fantasy. Having finally managed to block out his ears, Lidi felt much better and prepared to return to the conference room to continue the meeting. His unusual hearing flared up again, and this time he heard a voice he didn't recognize. "Are you confident about this?" It was a female voice with an electronic tone, probably coming from a cell phone. "Seventy percent, considering there are already several green-eyed bastards over there," came the voice of a man with a pipe, sounding somewhat older. "So, do we need backup?" the woman asked with some concern. "No need. More people would only expose us more easily. Don't worry, even if we fail, I have a way to escape." A lighter clicked, presumably as the man lit a cigarette. "Alright, I hope to hear good news from you tonight." Then came the sound of a phone being switched off, indicating the conversation had ended. Lidi was curious about whom these voices belonged to, and whether the conversation was based on movie lines. It sounded rather cringeworthy. What was this "green eye"? Oh well, I've heard plenty of this kind of pointless conversation. Don't middle schoolers these days spout nonsensical lines too? I'd better hurry back. The daily meeting continued, and thankfully, Lidi didn't try to dabble again. However, after the meeting, Wency still kept Lidi behind for a scolding. "Lidi, you've been so sleepy these past few days. I've received quite a few complaints from other departments about you dozing off." "Actually, I don't know either. I go to bed early every day, and I even had coffee before the meeting, but I just don't know why I fell asleep..." Lidi replied helplessly to Wency's question. "Are you having health problems? Maybe I can give you leave to go to the hospital." Wency's concerned expression made Lidi uncomfortable. He knew her concern was genuine, not fake. Because she was indeed his godmother. "Aunt Wency, isn't this against the rules? The other colleagues will talk about you..." Wency raised her winged arm and slapped Lidi on the head, saying disapprovingly. "Nonsense! Everyone in the company knows about our relationship. Let them say what they want. This is for your own good!" Lidi didn't know how to respond, so he could only nod. "Okay, but let me finish the code for today's launch first. I'll look at it tomorrow." Seeing that Lidi had finally agreed, Wency let him leave. Watching Lidi leave, Wency couldn't help but sigh. "Susan, your son is really a headache..." Lidi finally returned to his desk and resumed his work at his computer. The company he currently works for is a technology company called San Shen, mainly responsible for manufacturing auxiliary equipment for government military weapons. It's a secure job, and the benefits are excellent, including free lunch. It's located in a major city, basically an economic hub with a huge population flow. Almost every day, it's a traffic jam that takes several hours to reach the destination. Lidi is one of the core personnel, mainly responsible for programming. He's in charge of several projects, thanks to his majoring in computer technology in university, which has given him such a good career path. The only downside was the damage to his body hair. His once bright red fur had become dull, messy, and tangled after three years as a programmer at the company. After finishing a program, Lidi was preparing to head to the testing site when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw it was from his married high school classmate, Kang Ze. Strangely, they hadn't been in touch for a long time; why was he calling out of the blue? Lidi didn't think much of it and answered the phone. "Hey Kang Ze, it's rare for you to call me, what's up?" "Hey Lidi! Want to grab dinner tonight? I'm in Huashan on business, so I thought I'd get everyone together." "Oh? Perfect! I'm in! Just message me when you have the time and place. Oh, and I don't drink, I'll be driving." "Haha, relax, you're still the same old good boy!" After a few more words, he hung up. Lidi's expression changed from a happy chat with an old friend to tired and impatient—his mood shifted faster than flipping a book. Because he knew Kang Ze wasn't just there for a simple dinner; he wanted to show off his current success. He had a car, a house, a beautiful wife, a well-behaved son, and he was making a fortune in business. This guy was practically a winner in life. As for why Lidi didn't refuse the gathering? Because he wanted a free meal; after all, Kang Ze was definitely paying. However, he couldn't help but lament the passage of time. Nine years of high school had already passed, and he was almost 27, just three years shy of turning 30. Looking back at his past self, he wondered what he would think if he saw himself now. Several of his classmates were already married, while he remained single. He wondered if he would end up alone, a mere old man. Thinking about it, finding a good partner seemed to be limited to blind dates. After all, there weren't many "female foxes" in the company, and most were already married or had children. He had no interest in being a "cuckold." Perhaps he was reminiscing too much, and he unconsciously thought of his mother. His already low mood worsened, and he could only bury himself back in work to numb himself, trying not to recall that buried memory. And so, Lidi went to the production line to continue his duties, and slowly, it was time to go home. It was around 6 PM. The sun had already dipped below the mountains, casting an orange-yellow glow over the sky. Perhaps some were still working overtime, but this atmosphere of the day's end was something most people cherished. Lidi was an exception; he just wanted to clock out and leave the company as quickly as possible. Fortunately, Lidi's company and apartment weren't far, only a ten-minute walk, so he usually didn't drive to work. Traffic jams could easily drag on for hours; he'd rather get some exercise. Watching the bustling beastmen on the street, he knew that at this time of year, the beastmen would migrate like their ancestors, each with their own destination. Their lives might intersect, but they were all just passersby in each other's lives. But Lidi felt a sense of alienation. He was like a stone in a river, motionless. He wanted to go home, but his legs wouldn't move. Perhaps the home he longed to return to was no longer there…