Our Reality

Chapter 90

A day later, in the locker room of the third command centre in the Jiang City Tianqiong branch.

Song Qinglan who was done changing left the locker room.

Except for him and Ji Yushi, everyone else from the seventh squad had not yet returned and were still on vacation.

This was Song Qinglan’s first time seeing such a quiet locker room. Even now, everyone on the seventh squad didn’t know that their Cap Song and Advisor Ji will be going back 10+ years for a reason that had nothing to do with any missions.

Song Qinglan checked the communicator on his wrist again. He heard the door open and saw Ji Yushi similarly walk out.

Like Song Qinglan, Ji Yushi also wore an outdated top paired with ripped jeans which were popular at the time as well as a pair of canvas shoes.

“Great, we can now both be stars in a movie.” Song Qinglan said, “Two idiots from remote villages visiting the city for the first time.”

The clothes from more than ten years ago did indeed look quite old-fashioned. It couldn’t even be considered retro. What’s more, in order for them to better integrate with that time period, the people in the command centre made it a little tacky looking as well. This was something Song Qinglan had never worn in his entire life.

Ji Yushi said to him, “This is still okay. I once had to wear tattered clothes.”

Song Qinglan, “Tattered clothes?”

“Yeah, to pretend to be a beggar.” Ji Yushi was uncomfortable just recalling it and spoke very quickly, “They actually got me clothes worn previously by a beggar. The ones that also had fleas.”

Reaching this point, he emphasised, “Can you believe it? Fleas.”

Hearing the cold and aloof Advisor Ji speak with such deep resentment, Song Qinglan had a small urge to laugh, “Then this is actually not bad. I’m grateful.”

Ji Yushi was already very familiar with the routine of travelling to the past.

They had to be extremely careful with something like this to preserve the integrity of time. Those who return to the past were required to minimise their existence as much as possible so that they would not interfere with the timeline in any way.

As an experienced Recorder who had completed 89 missions, Ji Yushi who used his reward after clearing Rubik’s Cube without making any preparations had actually made a very irresponsible and reckless move. The reason why his psychological assessment failed was entirely because of this.

Both completed their disguise and tacitly went towards the command centre.

As soon as they walked out the door, they saw a commotion ahead in the corridor.

This time it wasn’t a mission. Two people traversing didn’t require many people so only Chief Wang and a couple of other people in the know were present to assist them.

But there were currently a lot of people at the end of the corridor. Their colleagues were on high alert and running around busily, and there were also many staff from the medical centre. Carts, fluids and first aid equipment were quickly brought over. This was something they would only see when someone returns from an important mission.

Song Qinglan grabbed a colleague hurrying past, “What happened?”

The colleague was in a rush, “That twelfth squad is back!”

Both of them were shocked.

Song Qinglan still didn’t let the other person go, “Twelfth squad?”

There were dozens of squads in the Jiang City branch and of those there was naturally a squad with the number twelve.

But based on the current situation, especially based on the words ‘that twelfth squad’ used by their colleague and the amount of commotion going on, it was clear that it wasn’t the current twelfth squad they were referring to.

“It’s the twelfth squad that disappeared on their mission fifteen years ago!” The colleague was still in shock. He pulled Song Qinglan’s arm off, “I’ll talk to you about it later Cap Song!”

After that, he also joined the crowd at the end of the corridor.

Song Qinglan looked at Ji Yushi. Ji Yushi also just happened to be looking at him.

The two exchanged a look. Their hearts inside were stormy.

In the crevice of time and space, they had rescued the twelfth squad from fifteen years ago, but because the two timelines from the past and future overlapped and wasn’t consistent, a bubble world was born.

The seventh squad all knew that the twelfth squad’s charges would be cleared after they return and submit their mission reports, but they didn’t expect the twelfth squad to actually return to their current time and space.

Their feet seemed to be nailed in place. They both stood in place, unable to move.

Ji Yushi’s eyesight was excellent. His eyes travelled through the crowd, accurately landing on a face in the crowd.

Time had seemed to have gone backwards for the middle-aged Chief with white hairs on his temples.

The traces of aging were gone.

It overlapped with this young face in the crowd.

In the heavy rain.

The city reflections resembled a kaleidoscope.

As rain rolled down the young captain’s face, he drew his gun and pointed it at the traitor: “Xie Sian, I, as the witness and guardian of time, will give you your sentence.”

Qi Lang wore a black combat uniform with the number 12 on his chest. The teammates beside him were also dressed in a similar uniform.

One of them had his hands handcuffed behind his back. It was Xie Sian.

Fifteen years had passed.

They still retained their appearance from back then.

They walked out of the crowd. Everyone’s heads followed them.

None of the people in the twelfth squad noticed the two people they had encountered in the crevice of time and space.

They went right past them.

After they left, the crowd of onlookers also similarly left, and the corridor was quiet again. Song Qinglan frowned, “How could this be?”

Ji Yushi was in thought. After a moment of silence, he spoke. “It’s the same as what we thought before….”

Song Qinglan’s tense expression relaxed slightly. “You mean the theory of ‘all eras existing at the same time’?”

“Yes. Don’t you think that the situation in the crevice in time and space was somewhat similar to Rubik’s Cube?” Ji Yushi said, “If the theory from that year really did develop successfully, then a situation like today would be very common.”

But it wasn’t something they should worry about right now.

Perhaps they could get more information when they return.

*

The two arrived at the third command centre.

Everything here was the same as usual and the staff were all doing their respective jobs. Perhaps they still had not been made aware of news of the twelfth squad from fifteen years ago suddenly returning.

[1456:06:25 14:23:07]

The current time coordinate was displayed on the large projection.

Chief Wang and the commander-in-chief were both there. After speaking to them briefly, Chief Wang hurriedly left following a phone call. From her expression, she probably received news about the twelfth squad’s return.

Before she left, she looked at Ji Yushi and then said to Song Qinglan, “Come back soon.”

Song Qinglan nodded, “You don’t have to worry.”

Once Chief Wang left, they did a final physical assessment to confirm that they were in good condition and the staff also checked the compatibility of their subcutaneous communicator with the intended timeline. Everything seemed to be no different from the previous missions.

This was until they were assigned artificial faces.

“When going back in time, in order to maintain the integrity of the timeline as much as possible, we have to reduce our existence as much as possible.” The commander-in-chief came over, “Xiao Ji is more experienced with this and has received professional training. As for Xiao Song, you….”

The commander-in-chief paused. Everyone understood why he said that.

Song Qinglan’s presence was too strong.

Even with an artificial face that didn’t have any memorable features, his figure and height was still very eye-catching.

“Before setting off last time, you said at the meeting that you would apply for an S-level mission once the mission was over. Who would have expected that, let alone an S-level mission, you even completed a Super S-level mission!” This commander-in-chief didn’t say it with the intention to make things difficult for him. He turned around and said, “Xiao Song, don’t say anything this time. Don’t raise another flag.”

Ji Yushi: “………..

Song Qinglan, “Roger!”

The countdown started counting down from five minutes.

“In order to retain talents, Xiao Song is even going to this extent to help his teammate. This sacrificial attitude of his is commendable.”

Completely ignorant of the relationship between the two, the commander-in-chief praised Song Qinglan.

He then looked at Ji Yushi, “Ji Yushi, with your captain personally helping you, I wish you success in your endeavours. Quickly become one of our Guardians and return Cap Song’s goodwill by being his right-hand man.”

Ji Yushi lowered his eyes, “Thank you commander-in-chief.”

The two got onto the transmission platform.

This time, without the company of their teammates, there were only two capsules.

The capsule doors opened.

Ji Yushi moved to step in but was suddenly called, “Ji Yushi.”

Before he could respond, Song Qinglan had already strode over. Under the watch of everyone outside the glass barrier, he grabbed the back of Ji Yushi’s head and kissed him.

Ji Yushi’s lips came into contact with something soft.

Behind them were extremely precise machinery and equipment, as well as the third command centre colleagues who had similarly sent them off to their mission last time. Even if all sounds were blocked by the glass barrier, Ji Yushi felt like he could hear everyone gasping.

“Officially coming out of the closet.” Song Qinglan’s eyes were like a dark whirlpool but his lips curved into a devilish smirk, “Let them know that this is not a sacrifice and you don’t need to pay me back.”

Ji Yushi only now realised how fast his heart was beating. His entire body was also trembling slightly, and his palms were covered in cold sweat.

This was different from when he went alone last time, and it was also different from his imaginations.

This time, he would actually be properly facing that day, and he was no longer alone. The silver-white capsules sat quietly on the platform. As soon as he stepped into it, he would begin the journey of saying goodbye to his past self.

“Let’s go.”

Song Qinglan released him and turned to sit into his capsule.

Ji Yushi also sat into the capsule.

Countdown of one minute.

The hatch closed. Safety belts slowly wrapped around starting from his calf. The communicator on his left wrist glowed green. It was no longer six lights. There was only one light and it indicated Song Qinglan’s current position as well as his physical status.

[You have been connected to the public channel.]

A brief reminder sounded. Tianqiong’s laws were displayed on the transparent panel.

“I am a witness of time and I hereby swear an oath.”

“Never change the past!”

“Never talk about the present!”

“Never be obsessed with the future!”

Song Qinglan’s voice sounded through the public channel, “Get ready.”

It was just like the first time he heard Song Qinglan’s voice through the subcutaneous communicator. Ji Yushi tightened his grip on his armrest slightly and prepared to set off.

Unexpectedly, Song Qinglan called out his name through the private channel.

“Sheng Han.”

Ji Yushi squeezed the armrest so tightly, his fingers turned white from the force.

No one knew what those two words meant to him at a time like this.

That pleasant male voice said: “Let’s go.”

*

[1439.04.06 06:00:21]

The capsules landed in a secluded part of the city and was quietly hidden away.

It was raining lightly.

The two of them walked down the quiet streets in the early morning hours. Neither of them spoke.

With the artificial face concealing Ji Yushi’s expressions, Song Qinglan was unable to see his true emotions. There would occasionally be other people passing by on the street. They walked for a long time before they passed by an old-fashioned cake shop on the corner of the street and ran into customers who had just left the shop to head to work.

When walking a short distance side by side with these people, for a moment, Song Qinglan almost couldn’t tell which one was Ji Yushi.

Fortunately, they were going the same way.

In spring, the rain was somewhat chilly.

Ji Yushi suddenly stopped and hid in the corner.

Song Qinglan also stopped. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

He seemed to be cold. His teeth chattered as he spoke, “Ahead at ten o’clock.”

Song Qinglan looked in the direction he pointed out.

He saw a man in a black combat uniform sitting on a bench on the side of the street.

He held a small cake in his hands. In the rain, he stared motionlessly at it with lowered eyes.

Song Qinglan retracted his gaze and similarly leaned against the wall.

Ji Yushi looked at him. His breathing was a little chaotic. He felt a little at loss facing all of this again.

Song Qinglan’s face was unfamiliar, but his gaze and tone were the same as always, “When you secretly ran off last time, you even had a cake behind our backs?”