That year, the desert's hot winds arrived late, and the wandering bandits lingered before retreating to their dens. When the fig trees began to bear fruit, the school welcomed a new batch of boys and girls.

    I can never forget the day I first met Jenny. She stood in the open space behind the wooden shack, her blonde hair shining as brightly as the sunshine.I also recall the day she prepared to leave, glancing out anxiously and saying, "Mr. Zhou is about to take roll call; I have to go now."I gloomily looked down at the sandy ground where I had just arranged a toy army of Leopard II tanks in battle formation. I said, "Ignore him. Mr. Zhou just loves to meddle."Jenny looked at me in surprise and asked, "Hasn't he whipped you with an electric baton?""He dares not!" I sniffed with satisfaction."Anyway, I have to go, Jim. I'll come again tomorrow."

    Leaning over the wooden fence, I watched her slender figure nimbly weave through the towering cactus patches and slip through the holes in the iron fence. Soon, she would blend back into the crowd of little girls in coarse blue uniforms on the playground, making it hard to distinguish one from another.

    On the other side of the playground stood neatly arranged gray houses, stretching far into the distance under the faintly visible barbed wire. These houses enclosed small playgrounds, each corresponding to a school.

    In the two hours before sunset in the afternoon, there was always a flock of chattering little girls playing on the dusty playground, their figures visible behind the iron fence. Further in the distance, a group of boys, all handsome teenagers with blonde hair and fair skin, always wearing gentle smiles, queued up for showers.

    Water was scarce in Sun City, surrounded by an endless sea of sand. Mr. Zhou once told me that few escapees could find their way to the Dead Sea of Corus, especially with Leopard II soldiers patrolling everywhere, armed with rifles and accompanied by fierce dogs.

    Mr. Zhou was a learned and strict individual. Whenever he approached the boys and girls in his black robe, they would immediately hush and stand aside, feeling awkward and uneasy.

    At that time, I was still young and didn't understand why I was the exception. I wasn't afraid of him and always loved to proudly flaunt this fact in front of him.

    Perhaps Jenny was also an exception. There was something in her eyes that surprised me. Her frail body often bore bruises from electric whip injuries, but in front of others, she always struck a defiant and upright pose. This perhaps explains why, while other girls obediently stayed on the playground, she had no qualms about sneaking here.

    I lived alone in a large Spanish-style house, which was actually also a school. However, it was a world apart from those dilapidated low houses and the dusty playground that was active all day.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

On a small empty space behind the wooden tool shed, Jenny and I shared the joys of our childhood, with the sturdy branches of the fig tree becoming our secret base for hiding treasures. Under the tree, we watched lightning piercing through the clouds, swans soaring in the sky, and those fierce-looking "Leopard II Warriors," whose speeding cars sometimes escorted a ragged, bloodstained fugitive.

    I often felt Jenny's delicate frame shivering. "Jim, I'm really worried that one day they'll catch me too and send me to a place where I'll never see sunlight again," her voice was filled with fear and sadness."If that happens, I'll come to rescue you!" I said firmly."You're different from us," Jenny once said, rolling up her sleeve to show me a set of blue numbered markings: CL92-ST16, on her white and smooth arm. Everyone of us has it, she nodded affirmatively, even Mr. Zhou.I felt a mix of frustration and pride about this.

    Not long after Jenny left, I returned to the mansion to continue my studies. My study room was adorned with large photographs of Mr. Augustus from childhood to the present.Mr. James Augustus is my father, and Mr. Zhou always speaks of him with the utmost respect. I am convinced that he deserves such reverence. Yet, I have never met him, despite being very familiar with everything about him.People here strive to recreate the living environment of Mr. Augustus' childhood: the ancient mansion, the dilapidated fountain, and even a small wooden tool shed, all meticulously replicated according to his memories. According to his wishes, I must be nurtured here.

    From a very young age, I had to study headache-inducing subjects: mathematics, philosophy, biology, military science, computer science, and painting. More importantly, I had to learn about Mr. Augustus' personality, hobbies, accent, and various habits."You are the embodiment of your father, and only you can replace him," Mr. Zhou always said. He also said, "Twenty years from now, I, a new, younger, and stronger James Augustus, will become the head of the empire to complete the unfinished business of my father."To be honest, I'm not interested in these ambitions.

    Although I always get A's in my studies and have mastered imitating my father to a superb degree, I am more concerned about whether Jenny can safely sneak out and lie under the shadow of the fig tree, telling me about the funny things that happened at school.Sometimes Jenny would bring a timid companion with her, and they were as indistinguishable as two drops of water. We often played a game of identifying which one was Jenny among the two girls. I always won."Hey, how did you recognize me?" Jenny asked with wide, surprised eyes."By your eyes," I said honestly.

    Jenny's eyes were blue and bright, as deep as the sea.The girl she brought was also named Jenny, but I called her Lucia. For me, there was only one Jenny.We found several beautiful seashells under the turned-over grass roots. It is said that this desert was once a vast ocean.It's a pity that Jenny has never seen the sea. I told her that the sea is like an expansive wilderness, like a mother's broad embrace, and it is also a fascinating treasure trove filled with countless mysteries."There are countless cities under the sea, with everything one could need. People can breathe and live freely there," Jenny continued, her misty eyes full of longing.It's strange, how could she know all this if she's never been there?