Cang Qi

Biodata

Power Progression

Background & History

Cang Qi served as one of the two deputy wardens under First Prison Warden Lu Mi, initially holding the rank of Advanced Mechanist and serving as an advanced energy user 4. Operating from a heavily restricted private workshop that even Lu Mi could not enter without permission, he invented specialized prison and combat machinery, such as the sound-dampening Soundless Path, the Brain Scanner, and the Energy Sprayer 4 13 48.

Despite his youthful, baby-faced appearance and cheerful, occasionally complaining demeanor, Cang Qi's mechanical expertise made him indispensable to Lu Mi 4 12 13. He was romantically involved with Lan Su, the former crown prince of Blue River and First Prison's Prisoner 01, after years of quietly creating toys, facilities, and other devices for him 27 30 56. When the prison directorate and imperial forces moved to suppress the wardens and capture Yu Tu, Cang Qi joined Lu Mi, Ming Qiuxue, and the First Prison staff in the "F Annihilation Plan" rebellion to fight for their freedom 47 48.

Following the destruction of Calamity Planet's prisons, Cang Qi helped the survivors adapt to Little Seven Castle, becoming fascinated by its machinery's apparent fusion of time manipulation and mechanical engineering 61. He continued to support the rebellion through technical work, including selecting and maintaining spacecraft, upgrading the Soundless Path, detecting clandestine communications, and remotely infiltrating the Blue Star Pharmaceutical Research Institute's security network 71 115 129 146.

Cang Qi's inventions became a major source of early income for Freedom Star, and he personally designed much of its underwater infrastructure 112 159. After Lan Su declined the throne of the newly founded Freedom Empire and sentenced himself to life imprisonment, he named Cang Qi his successor. Though overwhelmed and convinced that he was unworthy, Cang Qi accepted Lan Su's request and became emperor 159.

After Lan Su's imprisonment in Central Prison, Cang Qi learned that Lan Su's congenital Origin Essence defect, compounded by the loss of his legs and repeated use of Source Power, had left him dying 161. Although Yu Tu's life could potentially have been exchanged to repair Lan Su's Origin Essence, Cang Qi refused to sacrifice Yu Tu, believing that no life was inherently more valuable than another 161. He instead devoted himself to unlocking Little Seven Castle's final seal, discovering the AI Lan Xiao Qi and the tragic history connecting Lan Su, Yu Tu, and an alternate Cang Qi 161 162. Cang Qi ultimately remained devoted to Lan Su through his final days, affirming that Lan Su was his only lover despite the latter's crimes and remorse 162.

Appearance

• Height: 172 centimeters 4
• Build: Youthful, resembling an ungraduated high school student with an adorable baby face 4
• Distinguishing Features:
  • Chestnut curls and chestnut eyes 4
  • Uniform featuring a dark red skull armband on his left arm during his service at First Prison 4
  • Pop-up hamster ears that appear when he is flustered 30

Personality

Cang Qi is outwardly playful, talkative, and prone to dramatic complaints about resource scarcity and overwork, often whining when Lu Mi gives him difficult tasks 12 13 34. However, he is fiercely loyal, exceptionally capable, and possesses a sharp technical mind. He suffers from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder regarding unanswered questions and mechanical perfection 35 43.

Beneath his humorous exterior, Cang Qi is compassionate, principled, and deeply devoted to Lan Su, whom he quietly adored for years before their relationship turned romantic 27 30. His refusal to kill Yu Tu to save Lan Su demonstrates his belief that no individual life should be treated as expendable, even at the cost of losing the person he loves most 161. Though initially uncertain of his own worthiness, he possesses the gentleness, tolerance, and resolve that lead Lan Su to entrust him with the Freedom Empire 159.

Abilities & Skills

Mechanist & Inventor

• Initially held the rare Advanced Mechanist certification, which required rigorous interstellar examinations; he later became the youngest Ace Mechanist in the Blue River System 4 112 129.
• Highly skilled in creating sophisticated interstellar machinery, detectors, surveillance systems, restraint-modification tools, and energy weapons 4 12 13 48.
• Maintains secure, heavily monitored workshops equipped with automated Mechanical Detectives 13 16.
• Has applied limited spatial-folding technology to expand his toolbox far beyond its apparent physical size, though he acknowledges that his mastery is inferior to the technology behind the Slave-Taming Eye 129.
• Can identify highly advanced mechanical principles, including the space-folding breakthrough required to create the Slave-Driving Eye 43.
• Remotely bypassed the Blue Star Pharmaceutical Research Institute's network security and obtained its highest system authority in under ten minutes 146.
• Continues researching Little Seven Castle's technology, including its unprecedented integration of machinery and localized time manipulation 61 161.

Advanced Hamster Energy User

• Awakened source energy based on the Advanced Hamster 4.
• Possesses advanced-tier energy capabilities that allow him to operate and modify high-grade energy equipment 4.
• Though not primarily a frontline combatant, can channel his own energy through inventions such as the Energy Sprayer 48.

Leadership & Administration

• Served as First Prison's deputy warden and coordinated technical, logistical, and protective duties for its officers and prisoners 4 35.
• Became a central technical and economic pillar of Freedom Star, with his inventions funding development and his engineering supporting its underwater city 112 159.
• Was appointed Emperor of the Freedom Empire by Lan Su, who regarded Cang Qi as capable of leading the nation into a new era 159.

Equipment & Weapons

• Soundless Path: A mushroom-shaped device that emits blue light to establish a localized soundproof barrier; Cang Qi later produced an upgraded version with an altered form 4 115.
• Brain Scanner: A diagnostic machine utilizing a Memory Origin Crystal to scan and retrieve compressed or hidden memories 12 13.
• Energy Sprayer: An experimental, remote-controlled energy weapon that draws power directly from an Energy Master's internal reserves 48 49.
• Mechanical Modification Tools: Custom pliers, electric drills, saws, and dismantling blades used to bypass and dismantle anti-tampering Energy Lock Rings 13 14.
• Spatial-Folding Toolbox: An upgraded toolbox that expands to roughly ten times its original apparent size through Cang Qi's incomplete spatial-folding technology 129.
• White Whale Combination Lock: Cang Qi's original Mechanical Academy admission project, a combination-locked mechanism later found replicated in an unknown advanced material 56.
• Brain-Integrated Control Helmet: A thought-operated flight-control device used by Lu Mi to pilot Ship 01 35.

Relationships

• Lan Su — Romantic partner and former crown prince of Blue River. Cang Qi built custom toys and the Sky Prison Cell for Lan Su, and his long-suppressed affection was reciprocated when Lan Su confessed his own feelings 24 27 30. Lan Su later appointed Cang Qi Emperor of the Freedom Empire before accepting life imprisonment for his crimes 159. Cang Qi refused to sacrifice Yu Tu to save Lan Su, remained devoted during Lan Su's final imprisonment, and affirmed that Lan Su was his only lover 161 162.
• Lu Mi — Former superior and close ally. Cang Qi assisted Lu Mi with technical tasks and mechanical modifications, often grumbling about his demanding orders and stinginess 4 12 16. During the rebellion and its aftermath, Lu Mi relied heavily on Cang Qi's inventions, technical judgment, and support 47 48 71.
• Yu Tu — Former inmate, ally, and later Planet Lord. Cang Qi assessed Yu Tu's memory loss, unlocked his restraints using custom tools, and guided him in using the Energy Sprayer 12 14 48 49. He later helped Yu Tu infiltrate the Blue Star Pharmaceutical Research Institute and refused to accept Yu Tu's death as the price of saving Lan Su 146 161.
• Ming Qiuxue — Former Second Prison warden and revolutionary ally. Cang Qi worked alongside Ming during the F Annihilation Plan and relied on his support while unlocking the secrets of Little Seven Castle 47 56 57.
• Lan Xiao Qi — The AI of Little Seven Castle. Cang Qi discovered that a recorded version of himself had created Lan Xiao Qi from Lan Su's Origin Essence; the AI consequently regards Cang Qi and Lan Su as its fathers and built Little Seven Castle around its longing for their family 161 162.
• White Star — Lan Su's White Whale pet mech and wheelchair. Cang Qi regularly created devices for White Star and treated it with the same affection he showed Lan Su 27.

Trivia

• His workshop was the only zone in First Prison that even Warden Lu Mi was barred from entering without facial recognition and access permission 13.
• He uses height-insoles, a fact he casually admits to when defending his technical competence 14.
• He is especially fond of Three Hamsters Nut Gift Packs, which Lu Mi used as payment for his mechanical services 14 16.
• He initially misunderstood Lu Mi's message, “Lu Xiaojiu will always love his commander,” and guessed that Lu Xiaojiu might be Lu Mi's younger brother 35.
• His youthful appearance conceals his status as the youngest Ace Mechanist in the Blue River System and eventual Emperor of the Freedom Empire 129 159.