Compared to the panic before his last time travel, Qing Chen had become much calmer this time around.
He waited for the world to shatter and reassemble, as if waiting for a dream to end.
In the cramped and narrow bedroom, Qing Chen still sat on the edge of his bed in the same position as before his time travel, with the night outside and the Boning Knife he had been holding… still in his hand.
Everything seemed as if nothing had happened.
Qing Chen frowned and took out his mobile phone to check the time.
2022, September 28, 12:00:01.
One second past midnight.
He clearly remembered that the date of his time travel was also September 28, and the exact time was 12:00:00.
Thus, he had spent two days in that world, yet here on Earth, only one second had passed.
By the same logic, when he returned to this side, would only one second have passed there by the time he went back?
That must be the rule for all transmigrators.
For some reason, Qing Chen felt relieved at this thought. It meant he didn't have to come up with an explanation for his frequent disappearances anymore.
It was a very peculiar sense of detachment, as if the world he was now in wasn't real anymore.
Qing Chen looked down at his arm; the artificial bruise of dark purple he had made was still there.
On his other arm, the white pattern had changed, displaying a countdown of 47:59:45.
Countdown 47:59:44.
This time, the countdown was for 48 hours, which was right—it meant two days.
Only these could prove that everything he had experienced was real.
He really had been to a mechanical civilization and had met a person named Uncle Li Dong, was tested with a nightmare by someone called Lin Xiaoxiao, and had encountered a fawning sycophant named Lu Guangyi.
There was a composed Ye Wan and a strange big cat.
As Qing Chen pondered, his phone suddenly rang with an unfamiliar landline number.
"Hello," Qing Chen said.
"Hello, this is Royal City Police Station speaking. Your father has been detained for organizing gambling activities. Please come over," a female voice said on the other end of the line.
Qing Chen was startled for a moment. By his calculations, his gambler father would've been caught not too long ago; he didn't expect the police station to call him this quickly.
"Uh, what do I need to do?" Qing Chen asked.
"According to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, he needs to be detained and fined. Please come to handle the procedures," said the officer on duty at the police station.
"I'm sorry, but I won't be coming. Please punish him severely. According to the Public Security Administration Punishments Law, those with severe offenses are subject to detention for more than ten days but less than fifteen days, in addition to a fine of not less than five hundred yuan and not more than three thousand yuan. Please issue the maximum penalty. Thank you," Qing Chen said as he shook his head.
The person on the other end was taken aback, "Aren't you his son?"
"I reported the case. I'm not his son; I'm the concerned citizen Mr. Qing," replied Qing Chen.
The officer on duty was perplexed: "???"
Without hesitation, Qing Chen hung up the phone. With his gambler father detained for at least ten days, that meant he wouldn't have to see him before his next journey through time.
For some reason, Qing Chen actually felt a bit happy and relieved at this thought.
However, for a young man, the experience of a father being detained and publicly chastised is not an easy one to bear.
Most young men take their fathers as role models during their adolescent years. When you discover that your father has no dignity and a record of misconduct, it's like a load-bearing wall in your heart suddenly collapses.
Taking a deep breath, Qing Chen slowly lay down on the bed. He opened his phone to check his call log and WeChat but didn't see any messages from his mother.
For some reason, at that moment, he even wanted to return to the prison sooner.
Even though it was an unknown and dangerous world.
It was past one in the morning, and Qing Chen had no desire to sleep.
In the dimly lit room, only the glow from his cell phone screen illuminated his cheeks.
The cell phone screen displayed the Canon score he had just found, every detail of which he had memorized.
To Uncle Li Dong, this piece was a lifelong regret, but for Qing Chen, it had come effortlessly.
Perhaps this was the difference between worlds, as the other person also possessed something Qing Chen had longed for in his dreams.
But should he give the score to Uncle Li Dong?
If so, how would he explain the origin of the score?
There was risk involved in this matter, and although Qing Chen wasn't afraid of taking risks, he was afraid that the risks he took wouldn't be worthwhile.
Therefore, before giving the score, he had to be certain of Uncle Li Dong's worth!
In the end, he still hadn't received a call or message from his mother.
...
First day of the countdown, 7:30 in the morning.
Qing Chen dressed in his blue and white school uniform and stepped out, nibbling on instant noodles as he walked.
The Los Angeles Foreign Language School he attended had been divided into three campuses in recent years, and the high school section was just a five-minute walk from his home, reached simply by crossing a small road.
On Xingshu Road, the breakfast stands wafted the aroma of egg-filled pancakes, with passersby sitting down at the small stalls to eat a bowl of steaming tofu pudding or spicy soup.
The freshly fried dough sticks were golden and crisp, and tea eggs were smooth and translucent once peeled.
But Qing Chen had no money on him; his modest savings had been spent on supplies for that countdown moment.
Even now, the thought made his teeth ache, but he had no regrets; who knew what he would have to face then?
Class 3, Grade 11, students accounted for cleaning were sweeping the classroom, and the fishy smell of water on the floor hadn't even dissipated, the mop probably musty from long use.
Qing Chen sat at the last row when his deskmate, Nan Gengchen, rushed into the classroom, looking nervous.
"Did Teacher Du say anything after seeing me skip class yesterday?" Qing Chen asked in a low voice.
But Nan Gengchen seemed distracted and as if he hadn't heard anything: "Huh? What?"
"Never mind," Qing Chen shook his head. "Why do you look so panicked?"
"Panicked?" Nan Gengchen startled and then denied. "No, I'm not."
Qing Chen said nothing more. If the other didn't want to talk, there was no need for him to probe further.
After a moment of silence between them, Nan Gengchen suddenly asked in a lowered voice, "Qing Chen, what would you do if you encountered something really strange?"
"Strange?" Qing Chen was taken aback and then scrutinized Nan Gengchen carefully. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "What exactly do you mean?"
"I don't know what it is, just something really strange," said Nan Gengchen.
"Then call the police?" Qing Chen's gaze remained locked on Nan Gengchen.
Nan Gengchen's eyes lit up: "Right, the police! Qing Chen, does your family know anyone in the station?"
"Yes," Qing Chen thought for a moment and then said, "My dad just got arrested last night for gambling in a group."
Nan Gengchen: "???"