December 1396, Star Era. First snow.
A green-skinned train shuttled through mountains and valleys, like a dragon crossing through the vast land.
Snow fluttered and danced outside the window as the remote town in the distance gradually came into view. Inside the carriage, a not-so-sweet-sounding female voice announced: "Dear passengers, we have arrived at Huadong County. Passengers who need to get off at this stop, please remember to take along your belongings. Please do not push or shove and kindly disembark one at a time."
As the speed of the train dropped, the young man in the corner who was immersed in his black and white gaming console finally raised his head.
During the time it took for the train to travel from the previous stop to Huadong County, this young man's Tetris score had climbed from zero to more than 400,000 points. The extremely fast falling speed of the blocks and his skilful manoeuvres made this well-known casual game seem like it would never end.
Hearing the announcement from the speaker, the young man briefly glanced out the window. When he looked down again, the words 'GAME OVER' had already appeared on the game interface.
"Ah!" The passenger next to him who had been secretly watching him play cried out reflexively, "What a pity."
Despite the game abruptly stopping at this score, the young man didn't appear the slightest bit disappointed. He just casually turned the console off and stored it inside his backpack.
The passenger next to him couldn't help but ask, "Young man, what's your highest score? You might even be able to break a record like this."
The young man's appearance was ordinary, but his eyes were bright and very clear, "Similar to just now."
The passenger felt that it was a pity, "If you didn't stop just now, it probably would be much more than that!"
The young man wasn't the talkative type. He stood up and got ready to get off the train, "No time."
The young man stepped out from his seat and followed the crowd of people over to the door with his backpack.
The passengers in this carriage came from all over the world. With conversations in all kinds of accents, it was quite noisy. He walked past the quietest seats in the carriage on his way out. The people sitting there were uniform-wearing intellects who had got on at the previous stop, Huanan County. At this moment, they were gathered together, quietly discussing the papers on the table. A middle-aged man with a round face had his brows tightly knitted. It was clear that he was the leader.
As if sensing the young man's gaze, the leader raised his head vigilantly, but that young man had already disembarked from the train.
The young man wore a black cotton jacket and was carrying a very ordinary backpack. His tall figure was very conspicuous.
But when he got onto the platform, he smoothly disappeared into the crowd without anyone sensing his presence.
If someone on the train thought of this young man again, they would find that they couldn't even remember what he looked like.
*
Year 1456, Star Era.
[1456.5.13 14:36:40]
When the system projected this time coordinate, everyone's spirits lifted, "He's back! Prepare to establish contact!"
Three seconds later, the capsule carrying Ji Yushi who wore a black cotton outfit from the 90's appeared on the transmission platform.
The robotic arm detected the traverser and it immediately greeted him with a bag of nutrient solution. After crossing through time and space, the human body loses a lot of water and various nutrients also urgently need to be supplemented.
Ji Yushi pressed the safety switch, threw away his backpack and took a few sips of the nutrient solution.
The ordinary face that had no memorable features slowly began to disintegrate, revealing his original face which looked a little pale.
[Congratulations, you have completed a total of 89 B-level missions. Current rating: Two stars.]
Ji Yushi glanced at the notice on the transparent panel and emotionlessly walked out of the capsule.
He didn't normally talk much and just directly began to narrate in a calm voice: "Prepare the mission log. Yan Que incident in 1396. The target got onto the train at Huanan County on December 13th of that year, passing through Huadong County. Train number X168, number of companions, 4. They are the main people involved in the case and it is quite different from historical records. It is recommended that the records are corrected."
The team members carefully recorded it down.
Not caring that he hadn't had the chance to catch a breath since completing his mission, one of the team members spoke up, "Teacher Ji, Chief Lin is waiting for you outside again."
Ji Yushi held his head. This matter was more troublesome than crossing through time and space, "Here again?"
The team member could neither cry nor laugh, "Knowing that you would be back around this time, he has been waiting for almost half an hour."
When Ji Yushi finished changing in the locker room, the head of the Ning City branch had actually lowered himself and was waiting for him outside.
"Xiao Ji!" Chief Lin came over and patted his shoulder with a big smile on his face, "Congratulations! Another mission completed and another step closer to your goal!"
Ji Yushi politely replied, "Thank you, Chief Lin."
Chief Lin went straight to the main topic, "Young man, you have a promising future! How about it? Have you considered the matter of going to Jiang City as support?"
Ji Yushi: "I told you last time I won't go."
Chief Lin's smile didn't change, "Hey, why are young people like you so narrowminded? You should know that rumours are rumours. After being passed around a few times, the contents of it change. You don't have to delay your future prospects just because of a rumour."
Ji Yushi answered calmly, "No one to help feed the cats."
Modern people's addiction to cats hasn't changed despite hundreds of years passing by. Ji Yushi was a single man, but he was already raising three cats at home.
Everyone in the team were quietly listening from behind the door. They felt that Teacher Ji had a very good reason. Good rejection! Reject him!
They couldn't be blamed for being so rude. It was because the people from the Jiang City branch were huge bullies!
They were similar departments under the Tianqiong's Time Management System, but the matters managed by Jiang City and Ning City were different.
Jiang City has always been responsible for combating various crimes and disasters and is known as 'Guardians'. They can use extreme combat methods when necessary even if it was just to stifle the evil before it sprouts.
Ning City on the other hand was responsible for recording and restoring historical events both large and small and are known as 'Recorders'.
This meant that they only recorded history, never intervening, so they didn't even need to have a gun.
A week ago, a Guardian of a certain squad in Jiang City who was in charge of the 'scouting' task suffered some serious injuries. It just happened that the squad received a new mission soon afterwards, so they were missing a crucial member.
The Tianqiong's management system had always been rather poor. The other squads were not able to immediately allocate support for the squad and it was almost impossible to find someone who could temporarily take over this important task. In the end, someone at the top racked their brains and remembered that there was someone in the Ning City branch who could be transferred over and a transfer order was subsequently sent.
Ji Yushi was rather famous in Tianqiong and his name was associated with many rumours.
Legend has it that he has excellent memory and is a nerd who is constantly thirsty for knowledge. Even during this age, the four walls of his house were filled with paper and books to the point where there was nowhere to stand.
Legend has it that he has a delicate appearance and is also similarly very weak. Despite being a man, he cannot even unscrew a bottle cap.
Legend has it that he is very timid and doesn't dare spend the night alone in the department. He even receives special treatment for this and is the only one in the entire Ning City branch who has never been on night duty.
…
And all kinds of things like that.
And so, the captain of the squad in the Jiang City branch that required support wasn't happy about it. He publicly refused, "What the hell? Can the people at the top send us a man who can fight? Us brothers are going out there working ourselves to the bone, we don't need a little genius who can only speedread quantum waves!"
These words quickly travelled over a thousand miles away, reaching Ji Yushi's ears.
Ji Yushi immediately returned the transfer order he was given and said: Not going.
The chief in turn became extremely anxious.
Chief Lin sonorously said, "Hey, isn't it just three cats? Bring them over to the department and the people here will help you feed them! Three meals a day of dried fish, I guarantee they will love it!"
The people behind the door: "???"
Ji Yushi: "I cannot adapt."
Chief Lin: "I'll arrange for a spacecar filled with Ning City's specialties! You can request for anything you want!"
Ji Yushi: "I'm not good with strangers."
Chief Lin: "You just have to worry about the mission. There is no need to worry about that group of condescending illiterates!"
Ji Yushi's lips moved again, "I'm gay."
The people behind the door: "!!!"
Chief Lin was struck by lightning, "Xiao Ji, Xiao Ji you....."
Ji Yushi had calmly unleashed his special attack. He said calmly, "Going to a place where the proportion of men is much higher, I am worried that I may not be able to control my feelings and possibly develop an unsatisfactory relationship which can disrupt the harmony in the Jiang City branch."
Without waiting for the chief to continue persuading him, Ji Yushi heartlessly nodded at him as a show of respect and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, Chief Lin spoke up again, "Xi-Xiao Ji."
Regardless of everything else, the other party was his leader and his father's old friend.
Ji Yushi could only stop in his steps and turn his head back helplessly, "Chief."
Chief Lin's expression was strange but, as expected of a leader who had seen much of the world, he was able to quickly recover: "That's just right. You don't have to worry about this. The captain surnamed Song is....deeply homophobic. The team he leads...they're all homophobic."
Ji Yushi: "...…"
*
Ning City's Ji Yushi had come.
This news very quickly spread through the Jiang City branch, causing a large commotion.
On the holographic training field, the squad members in question were nervous.
"He's here?! His psychological endurance is really good!"
"He's really here! I saw him from the distance just now. He does look very good. That face, that temperament, it was as if he was filming a movie."
Everyone exchanged a look. In the end, an embroidered pillow really came.
The youngest of the squad comforted his teammates and said, "Hey, don't worry. It's fine if we can do the fighting. At most, it's just doing a little more protecting. We can still complete the mission and report back."
"You better not say this in front of Cap Song. Have you forgotten Old Yu?"
"How can this person be compared to Old Yu?"
"Old Yu is at least someone who has received special training."
The scout in the squad, Old Yu, had sustained some serious injuries and was still lying unconscious in hospital.
"B-but we shouldn't be too pessimistic. Didn't you say it just now? He at least looks good. It'll be good for our eyes. Isn't that great?"
"Great my ass. Do you know why he suddenly decided to come?"
"To easily complete an A-level mission by tagging along with us and raise his star rating?"
"Bullshit." Someone rudely interjected, "We say he doesn't have the fighting capabilities; he won't come. We say he's an embroidered pillow; he won't come. We say the entire squad is homophobic; he comes. This person may possibly be coming here to either challenge us directly or prove his charm!"
Everyone gasped.
Curses sounded one after another.
To this group of straight-to-the-bone soldiers, the person who was coming seemed extremely dangerous and extremely threatening.
A small-eyed buzz-cut man was really worried, "It's over. This kind of person is generally not very picky. What if he falls for me? My family's three generatio—"
As soon as he spoke, the back of the buzzcut man's head received a hard knock.
A familiar male voice then sounded behind him: "Did you forget to look in the mirror when you left this morning?"
The young man who had just stepped into the training room had handsome features and a temperament as sharp as a blade that could cut through ice.
He was extremely tall, and his black combat uniform outlined his perfect figure. Paired with a set of long and straight legs, he naturally gave off an oppressive feeling that couldn't be ignored
The buzzcut man held his head and looked extremely wronged, "Cap Song."
Everyone laughed.
Song Qinglan's eyes swept past this group of gossipers. His eyes were pitch black, but they also carried undisguised roguishness.
He spoke up again and only asked lazily: "Where is that person?"